The Writing Forge

Marketing expert Penny Sansevieri joins Bonnie and Miranda as their guide through the jungle that is Amazon Author Central. Authors often underestimate the importance of an updated Amazon Author page, and Penny gives us best practices for picking book categories, utilizing the author page, and funding Amazon ads to increase your book sales. Smart marketing can be the key to getting your book seen and bought by the general public.

What’s the funniest mismatch of book title to Amazon category you’ve seen? Share with us know in the comments or on our socials!

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

In this Bonnie and Miranda solo episode, your co-hosts break down pacing from the micro level to the macro. Small things like individual word choice and sentence length can impel your readers forward or slow them down to get them thinking. Pacing at both the micro and macro level can help give your characters and readers time to think and react to the developments of the plot. Ultimately, pacing is all about emotions—in your characters and your readers—and doling them out at the right time for maximum reader enjoyment.

What are some books with great examples of pacing? Or what are some books that did a poor job with pacing? Let us know in the comments or on our socials!

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Librarian and storyteller David Sharpe joins Bonnie and Miranda to discuss the elements of storytelling that translate across different media. From oral storytelling to theater to novels, emotional connection draws listeners and readers into the story for a more engaging experience. Switching media can be difficult as you navigate the different tropes and formats, but sharing or experiencing the same story through different media can also be incredibly rewarding.

What are some unique storytelling media that you've experienced? And how has it affected your writing? Let us know on our socials!

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

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TWF 1.20: Lessons from "The Man Who Invented Christmas"

Writing down stories from your life can be great for therapy or family history purposes. But you might also be thinking about publishing these stories. This is where memoir comes in. Awyn Dawn, author of Paganism for Prisoners, joins Bonnie and Miranda to talk about publishing memoir—finding your niche, setting realistic expectations, and defining success. While publishing always involves a great deal of luck, having a strong hook and finding people who believe in your story are two keys to success. Listen now for more ideas on how to write and publish your life.

If you had to pick one story in your life to memoir-ize, what would it be? Share with us on our socials!

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

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Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter

Becoming by Michelle Obama

American Sniper by Chris Kyle

Miranda and Bonnie jump on board the AI-discussion bandwagon with screenwriter Alan O’Hashi to theorize how the future of writing will change with improvements in AI technology.

Is using AI in your writing comparable to using a calculator in math class? Will ChatGPT become the next tool like Grammarly and ProWritingAid? Though AI-generated content still lacks the human element, how can it be used as a learning tool or jumping off point to fuel creativity?

What’s your opinion on AI? Let us know on our socials!

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

Today we talk about the nitty gritty of genres and how to cross them. Whether you want to write paranormal romance or your fantasy novel has an unexpected dash of horror, you may find that one genre is not enough to contain your story. Sarah Reichert joins Bonnie and Miranda to discuss the pros and cons of crossing genres: everything from the importance of choosing a genre to the importance of understanding tropes for your genres to the potential difficulties of marketing a cross-genre novel.

What cross-genre novels have you enjoyed? Let us know on our socials!

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

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NYC Midnight

Though everyone knows a book needs a good cover, writers often overlook the importance of a well-designed book interior. Book designer Tamara Cribley lends her expertise to a discussion on the nitty gritty details of interior book design: from choosing (and licensing) fonts, formatting ebooks, preparing margins in a print book, deciding when and how to hire a book designer, and more.

Have you read any books whose interior design impressed you? @ our socials to share examples of beautiful books with us.

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

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The Book Designer

IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association)

Bonnie and Miranda discuss their takes on the infamous writing advice, “Show, don’t tell.” They explore the advice from an editor’s perspective as well as a writer’s, give some examples of showing and telling, and discuss when you would want to use one or the other.

So, what do you think about “show, don’t tell”? @ our socials to let us know your questions and comments on the hotly debated maxim.

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

Links: How to Show and When to Tell blog post

Whether your story is set in a fantasy world or downtown Cleveland, scenic details are important—but how do you avoid getting caught up in the minutiae? Today, Steve Stratton joins Miranda to talk balancing worldbuilding details with story, in a variety of genres.

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

Links: How to Show and When to Tell blog post

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Pro-Writing Aid

In today’s episode, Bonnie and Miranda chat with Leah Busboom about outsourcing for authors. They discuss what self-published authors can or should outsource; some best practices for collaborating with other publishing professionals; and how to balance budget, time, skillset, and enjoyment levels as you navigate the publishing process.

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

Links:

Alex K Newton of K-lytics. https://k-lytics.com/

Booksprout review service: https://booksprout.co/