Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #111 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with Cameron Sutter and Ryan Zee.

Cameron is an independently published YA author and a software engineer — and the lead developer of Plottr. A graduate of BYU, Cameron lives near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with his wife and six (yes, six!) amazing children.

Ryan Zee is the founder of BookSweeps, one of the largest book giveaway and lead generation platforms for authors, as well as the co-founder of Plottr, the popular visual outlining software. An official MailerLite Email Marketing Expert, Ryan has consulted with bestselling authors including Andrew Gross, Mary Jo Putney, and Kendall Ryan. He is also an aspiring author.

During our discussion, Cameron and Ryan describe:

* How authors can use Plottr to support their writing in both the planning and revisions process* Where the idea for Plottr originally came from* Whether Plottr is just for planners or if pansters can use it too* The impact the large number of sales of the software has had on their company* How writing coaches are using the tool with their clients* And much more!

Listen to the full podcast episode:

The Writing Coach Episode #111 Show Notes

Want to check out Plottr or purchase your copy today? Use my affiliate link.

Episode Transcript

Gentlemen, welcome to the show.

Cameron:

Thanks for having us.

Ryan:

Yeah, thanks for having us.

Can you guys tell the listeners a little bit about who you are and what you have going on in the world of helping authors?

Cameron:

Yeah, so my name is Cameron Sutter. I’m I’m a software engineer by day and I’m a writer in my free time. And that led to me making a software tool called Plottr for writers to help them organize their stories visually. And and then you know, I stopped writing because of that. No, I, you know, I don’t write as much, but I’m still pursuing the dream of writing and I’m building out Plottr to make it easier for writers.

Ryan:

My name is Ryan, you know, I’ve been working with authors since about 2014. I started a company called books sweeps back in 2016 that helps offers, grow their email lists and social media platforms. And basically I came across Plottr a couple of years ago and decided to give Cameron a ring and we decided to partne...

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #110 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with Bella Mahaya Carter.

Bella Mahaya Carter is the author of Where Do You Hang Your Hammock?: Finding Peace of Mind While You Write, Publish, and Promote Your Book. She is a creative writing teacher, empowerment coach, and speaker, and author of an award-winning memoir, Raw: My Journey from Anxiety to Joy, and a collection of narrative poems, Secrets of My Sex.

Bella has worked with hundreds of writers since 2008 and has degrees in literature, film, and spiritual psychology. Her poetry, essays, fiction, and interviews have appeared in Mind, Body, Green; The Sun; Lilith; Fearless Soul; Writer’s Bone; Women Writers, Women’s Books; Chic Vegan; Bad Yogi Magazine; Jane Friedman’s Blog; Pick the Brain; Spiritual Media blog; Literary Mama; several anthologies, and elsewhere.

During our discussion, Bella describes:

* How our body, mind, and spiritual health influence our writing* Why “striving” isn’t necessarily a good thing* What she learned as a dancer that transferred over into her writing career* Why she coined the term “universal doubt” and how it applies to writers* What she hopes readers will take away from her new book* How hanging a hammock in her backyard led to a creative breakthrough* Why the only reason to do anything is love* And much more!

Listen to the full podcast episode:

Watch the video of the conversation:

The Writing Coach Episode #110 Show Notes

Here is where to find Bella on the web:

Website: https://www.bellamahayacarter.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BellaMahayaCarter/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellamahayacarter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BellaMahaya

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bella-mahaya-carter-18570914/

Episode Transcript

Today on the podcast. I have Bella Mahalia Carter. Bella, welcome to the show.

Thank you so much. I’m thrilled to be here.

I’m glad to have you, perhaps you could let the listeners know a little bit about who you are and what you have going on in the world of writing and helping you.

Well, I’m an author, I’m a creative writing teacher and coach. And I recently wrote this book called, where do you hang your hammock, finding freedom, finding, finding peace of mind while you write, publish, and promote your book.

I’ve heard you say,

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #109 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with Will Henshall.

Will is a Los Angeles based tech entrepreneur, inventor, and music producer. He was the founding member and main writer in the UK pop soul band Londonbeat. Their massive early 90s hit “I’ve Been Thinking About You” reached #1 in the Billboard chart, was the top selling single in all major territories, and won him BMI/PRS songwriter of the year.

In the mid-90s, he founded San Francisco based audio tech company Rocket Network. The “DigiDelivery” media transfer system, now part of ProTools 12 Cloud collaboration, is a standard tool used every day in pro audio production for TV, movies, and music. He sold the company to Avid in 2003.

His most recent start up is www.focusatwill.com, a science driven instrumental music streaming service (2 million users) that helps people at work and study reduce distractions and be more productive. He holds 5 patents, and has a new one in the oven!

During our discussion, Will describes:

* What it was like to write a #1 Billboard Hit and how he dealt with the pressure to follow it up with even more hits* The role the limbic system plays in creativity* How music and writing are “real time” art forms* The science of music, focus, concentration, and productivity* Why achieving a flow state is essential to creative success, especially for writers* The different brain types and what music they each need to thrive* And much more!

Listen to the full podcast episode:

Watch the video of the conversation:

The Writing Coach Episode #109 Show Notes

Learn more about Will’s productivity app at www.focusatwill.com

Check out Will’s most recent music project at www.naturebeat.com

Episode Transcript

Today on the podcast, I have William Henshall. Will, welcome to the show.

Well, thank you.

It’s not every day on The Writing Coach podcast that I have a genuine rock star on the show, so I’m so excited to have you here. Very cool.

Thank you. It’s a lot less glamorous than you might think it is.

Well, I think anyone who works in the creative field knows that a there’s a whole lot of, of working effort and nose to the grindstone behind the scenes of the glitz and glam

That’s for sure. It’s very true. You be referring for the fact that before I was the guy behind what I’m doing now, I was the founder and the white guy in the, in the band London beat.

Yes. I mean, I think that would be a great place to start. I myself, work with writers. Now I’m an author, but I got started in music as well. Not nearly the level of success that you had, no number one, billboard hits, but I grew up in the punk rock scene, writing a lot of music and I feel like it informed a lot of my approach to art as a whole.

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #108 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with fiction editor Lori Puma.

Lori previously appeared on episode 72 the show. Lori helps authors write novels readers can’t put down. She works with writers who dream of making a living writing novels in popular genres like fantasy, romance, thriller, science fiction, mystery, and young adult. As an editor, she specializes in teaching authors how to plan and revise their plots so readers stay hooked.

During our discussion, Lori describes:

* Why she loves working with genre fiction authors* Her life-long love of comedy writing* Why she frequently uses examples in her teaching* How writers can get free advice on their story ideas via the author support series on her website* And much more!

Listen to the full podcast episode:

Watch the unedited video of the conversation:

The Writing Coach Episode #108 Show Notes

Check out Lori’s website at loripuma.com and join her email list for more fiction-writing resources.

Submit your story for a chance to get free feedback from Lori on your work-in-progress.

Check out previous author feedback posts at loripuma.com/blog.

Episode Transcript

Today on the podcast, I’ve got Lori Puma. Lori, welcome back to The Writing Coach.

Thanks Kevin. I’m so excited to be here and have a chance to chat with a regular human again.

Right. It’s been such a weird year just before we hit record. We were talking about someone said they knew you from hearing you talk on videos and podcasts and things that you were saying how funny that is given you haven’t done any interviews in like the last year to a certain extent.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.

How has the pandemic impacted you and your business?

Well, for me, it’s actually been great. Cause I have a brain injury and it’s just made the world so much quieter, which has made my life a lot easier. And then it’s also been great because a lot of times you know, my clients have other things in their lives other than doing the work that they, I assigned to them and now they all are doing their work on time and they’re so excited to see me and it’s just been it’s just been really fun.

It’s a similar thing in that when the pandemic first happened, I lost several clients. A lot of people were worried about jobs and worries just about life itself, writing just wasn’t a priority. And then, you know, as we went deeper and deeper into it and the fall came and winter came, I was just like overloaded with clients, people with more time people re-engaged, I’m ready to go back to some form of regular life. And even if that isn’t going outside or interacted with people, writing is something so many of us have always found pleasure and joy in ...

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #107 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with author and book cover designer Karen Dimmick.

Karen previously appeared on episode #35 of the podcast, where we discussed mind hacks for writers. These days, Karen is a book cover designer creating custom and premade book covers. Her goal is to create covers that capture future readers attention and sell books. Karen specializes in Fantasy and Science Fiction. Karen covers Urban Fantasy, High/Epic Fantasy, LitRPG/GameLit, Harem/Reverse Harem, Paranormal Romance, Dark Fantasy, Sci-fi and Paranormal Fantasy book covers.

During our discussion, Karen describes:

* What makes a great book cover* Why genre is so important to cover design* Who book covers are really for* The importance of font choice on covers* Four different types of books covers* How to get the most out of working with a freelance cover designer* the benefits of both custom and pre-made covers * And much more!

Listen to the full podcast episode:

Watch the unedited video of the conversation:

The Writing Coach Episode #107 Show Notes

Visit Karen at the Arcane Covers website.

Episode Transcript

Today on the podcast I have Karen Dimmick. Karen, welcome back to the Writing Coach.

Thank you. It’s great to be here.

It’s so funny. We were just talking a bit about the pandemic and you know, it’s been almost a year. I mean, next month it’ll been a year and I feel like it’s just this lost year, because when I think about last time we talked, it was the Writer’s Craft Summit and I’m like, well, that was just last year . . . only was it. It was two years ago because pandemic year, it’s just gone by in a flash. So how are you have of the last two years been for you?

Busy. It’s been good.

What have you been working on and kind of bring us up to speed on when you were last on my summit and on the podcast, we’ve talked about your work as a marketer or a book marketing expert, as well as an author. Um, focusing in on, on kind of the psychological side of writing, uh, bring us up to speed on where you’re at now.

Well, I started writing fiction.

That’s right. I remember you were, you were tearing through novels, right? Your manuscript, you were writing like really producing a ton of work.

It went quite quick. I mean, the first book was about that thick and, uh, I went through that and then I started talking to a publisher and they wanted to sign me just for the audio book. And then it sort of progressed a bit further and I wrote a book sort of one and a half and novella, which is about that big. And then I wrote book two, which is again about that big. And then they decided they wanted the whole lot. So I took them all off the market and, um, while I was waiting and things for it to get done, I was participating in the short story anthology. So I was one like pulling it all together,

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #106 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with author and writing coach J. Thorn.

J. Thorn has published two million words and has sold more than 185,000 books worldwide. In March of 2014 Thorn held the #5 position in Horror alongside his childhood idols Dean Koontz and Stephen King (at #4 and #2 respectively). He is an official member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association, and the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers.

J. earned a B.A. in American History from the University of Pittsburgh and a M.A. from Duquesne University. He is a full-time writer, part-time professor at John Carroll University, co-owner of Molten Universe Media, podcaster, FM radio DJ, musician, and a certified Story Grid nerd.

During our discussion, J. describes:

* How he has approached work and productivity throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

* Why writing a novel is like having a baby

* The way music has influenced his writing

* How he approaches each writing and publishing project as an experiment

* Why he made the decision to leave his day job to pursue writing full-time

* And much more!

Click below to listen now:

 

The Writing Coach Episode #106 Show Notes

Get all the details about J. Thorn’s Super Charge Your Scene challenge right here!

Episode Transcript

Today on the show, I have J. Thorn. Welcome to the show.

Kevin, how are you doing man?

I am doing good. These are crazy times. It made me think as someone who has written dystopian literature and has spent some time thinking creatively about how mankind continues on after major disruptions, I’m wondering, do you think that helped prepare you at all for the craziness that we’re currently living through?

Oh, I wish I could say it had. Uh, definitely not. I mean, I’m not, I’m not a prepper or a survivalist. Uh, even though I write dystopian and, and post-apocalyptic fiction, but, um, man, this is way worse than, than a story I got to say. It’s, it’s crazy. You know, you’re like, uh, every day you’re sort of locale like what’s next? Like, what am I going to face today? And I think what’s, what’s hard about this compared to, you know, uh, the fiction side is like in those stories there, there’s usually an arc and like an end. And, and right now they’re feeling like there’s just no end in sight to all of this instability. Absolutely.

Well, J., I was thinking about how to do your introduction here and I don’t even know how to do it. You’ve got so much going on, right? You’re an author, you’re a writing instructor, you’re a podcaster. You’re an entrepreneur. You have a background in music. Maybe I’ll throw it to you. How do you introduce yourself these days?

A great question. I don’t have to because I’m not interacting with too manypeople right now, but, uh, I usually say I’m a writer and publisher. Um, anduh, that, that covers a lot in, in some circles. I’ll say I helped transformstruggling writers into career authors and that kind of covers the ...

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #105 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with David Puretz.

David Puretz is the author of The Escapist, a debut literary fiction novel exploring themes of mental health and self-discovery.He is the Editorial Director of the literary journal Global City Review and the creator and founder of the quarterly burly bird zine, which is sponsored by Fortroyal Foundation, a non-profit for the conservation and preservation of the arts. Puretz received an MFA in Creative Writing from The City College of New York and was a trailblazer for Ithaca College’s BA in Writing. Currently, Puretz resides in New York City where he teaches writing at Yeshiva University. Kaye is the author of Your Book, Your Brand: The Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Your Book and Boosting Your Sales, and the creator of Branding Outside the Box, where she helps authors and entrepreneurs become more memorable.

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach Episode #105 Show Notes

Visit David’s website here.

Get your copy of The Escapist:

Episode Transcript

Hello beloved listeners and welcome back to The Writing Coach Podcast.

I am recording this episode . . . wow . . . Canada and the States and the world is in the midst of the Corona virus pandemic. The United States declared a state of emergency yesterday. Things are pretty crazy here in Canada. The prime minister’s wife has the virus. Schools have been shut down. My kids are going to be home for at least the next three weeks. Things are scary. Things are strange.

And I wasn’t sure whether I should even put out a podcast. My guest today is David Puretz. He and I had a great conversation earlier this week and in the interview you’ll hear he alludes to the Corona virus, He’s in New York and things were happening there. That was, I dunno, we recorded this two or three days ago and just so much has happened in that time here in Canada that . .  it’s just . . . we’re taking things day by day here.

It’s kind of a moving fast. And so I was thinking to myself, should I even put out a podcast episode this week? It’s seems kind of silly or I don’t know if there’s, there’s bigger things going on right now then just putting out a podcast. But then I was thinking about, you know, what, why do I do this podcast and why do, uh, any of the people I speak with on the show and why do I work with writers and why do writers do the work that they do? What is the value of storytelling in the time in the age of a pandemic? And I thought about a bit and I think it’s actually really important on the most simple level. My, myself and my family, we’re probably going to be at home basically quarantined in our house for the next three weeks it looks like.

You know, as much as we love quality time and discussion with each other, uh, we’re going to need some entertainment during that time.

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #104 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with veteran publicist, social media pro, and brand manager Dana Kaye.

In 2009, Dana founded Kaye Publicity, Inc., a boutique PR company specializing in publishing and entertainment. Known for her innovative ideas and knowledge of current trends, she coaches her clients on how to identify and establish their unique personal brands.

Kaye is the author of Your Book, Your Brand: The Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Your Book and Boosting Your Sales, and the creator of Branding Outside the Box, where she helps authors and entrepreneurs become more memorable.

During our discussion, Dana describes:

* What exactly is an “author brand” and why is it important? * How authors can best use podcasts, emails lists, and social media* The important difference between publicity and marketing* How booking marketing has changed over the last decade* The role networking plays in selling books* And much more!

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach Episode #104 Show Notes

Visit Dana’s website:

Kaye Publicity, Inc

Listen to Dana’s podcast:

Branding Outside the Box

Get your copy of Your Book, Your Brand: The Step-By-Step Guide to Launching Your Book and Boosting Your Sales:

Episode Transcript

Kevin:

Hello beloved listeners and welcome back to The Writing Coach podcast. It is your host as always, writing coach Kevin T. John here.

I have a bunch of my one-on-one clients right now who are zero in on the end of their book. They’re starting to think about things publishing or querying agents and whenever you’re nearing the end of the writing of a book and starting to think about the beginning of the publishing and selling of a book, marketing comes to mind and in fact I have a new book coming out shortly, a children’s picture book, the sequel to my a children’s picture book from a few years ago. The first book was called Rocket Princess versus Snaggletooth the Dragon and the sequel Rocket Princess and the Princess Rocket Squad is coming out shortly and so, of course, I’ve got book marketing on the mind. Some of my clients are starting to think about book marketing and so this was an absolutely perfect time for me to get Dana Kaye on the show.

Dana is a veteran publicist, a social media pro and a brand manager. She founded Kaye publicity in 2009 a boutique PR company that specializes in publishing and entertainment, known for her innovative ideas and knowledge of current trends.

Dana coaches her clients on how to identify and establish their unique personal brands. Kaye’s the author of the book, Your Book, Your Brand: the step by step guide to launching your book and boosting your sales and the creator of Branding Outside of the Box where she helps authors and entrepreneurs become memorable.

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #103 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with architect and author Donald M. Rattner.

Donald is the author of My Creative Space: How to Design Your Home to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation and the principal of Donald M. Rattner, Architect. As a consultant, he draws on scientific research to help individuals and organizations maximize occupant creativity in workplace, residential, wellness, hospitality, and retail environments.

An educator and author as well as practitioner, Rattner’s

publications include entries in professional reference books, and numerous

contributions to print and online channels. He has taught at the University of

Illinois, New York Academy of Art, New York University, Parsons School of

Design, and online

During our discussion, Donald describes:

* How manipulating your environment can stimulate creativity* Why he spent nearly as much time gathering the images for his book as he did writing it* How scientific research helps give validity to the creativity techniques he recommends* Why mood and ambiance such as lighting, room temperature, scent, and sound, influence mental processing* How certain physical characteristics in the built environment can heighten creativity, including tall ceilings, calming hues, the display of art, access to beautiful views, and more!

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach Episode #103 Show Notes

Visit Donald’s website

Get your copy of My Creative Space:

Learn more about my children’s book: Rocket Princess vs. Snaggletooth the Dragon.

—

Enjoy this podcast? If so, you’ll love my book Novel Advice: Motivation, Inspiration, and Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring Authors. Grab a FREE copy by clicking the image below:

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #102 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with author and story coach Marc Graham.

Marc is an actor, speaker, story coach, shamanic practitioner, and whiskey aficionado. His first novel, Of Ashes and Dust, won the Paul Gillette Memorial Writing Contest and National Writers Association Manuscript Contest. 

When struggling to write a later novel, he turned to one of the most ancient forms of storytelling for inspiration: mythology. Graham discovered that Norse runes (an ancient form of divination) can play an effective role in killing writer’s block. He demonstrates the technique in his new book, Runes for Writers: Boost Your Creativity and Destroy Writer’s Block.

During our discussion, Marc describes:

* How a traditional Christian upbringing eventually led to a wider exploration of spiritual beliefs and a search for universal truths* The challenges and joys of writing historical fiction* How conventional storytellers can engage in the same creatives practices as the ancient and modern shaman of indigenous civilizations to deepen their writing* Techniques for effectively working research into your fiction writing* How synchronicities help point him in the direction of what story he should pursue next* The power myth and story, and how it can play a role in helping to heal the world’s social ills* And much more!

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach Episode #102 Show Notes

Pick up Marc’s new book for writers:

Check out Marc’s website.

Learn more about my children’s book: Rocket Princess vs. Snaggletooth the Dragon.

—

Enjoy this podcast? If so, you’ll love my book Novel Advice: Motivation, Inspiration, and Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring Authors. Grab a FREE copy by clicking the image below: