Write Better, Author Smarter with Autumn Bardot

The body and all its body parts are full of symbolic meaning. Discover how to amplify character, emotion, and theme using body symbolism.  

The body is a temple. We’ve heard the expression. And everybody knows a temple is a place of worship and a place to access the divine.   It should come as no surprise that our body parts hold ancient symbolic meanings. So before fixating on a character’s body part you might want to explore the symbolism associated with it. 

 This episode looks at how and why parts of the body can be symbolic.   

✅ Get The Magic of Symbolism: Enrich Your Novel with Hidden Meaning at http://www.autumnbardot.com/books/ 

🌻 Find all my books, social media, and get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

#bodysymbolism #literarysymbolism #symbolicbodyparts #authorpodcast #writingpodcast

Should you read reviews of your book?  Some authors do. Others refuse.  Some just take an occasional peek.  When I first started out I read every single book review.  Now there are only a few kinds of reviews that I read.  O

f course, every writer and author feels differently about reading reviews of their novels. You have to find what works best for you. This episode is how I learned to handle reviews of my books.  

🌻 Find all my books, social media, and get new episodes sent to your inbox at  https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

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Blood symbolism is vast and wide. Blood is a powerful and often confusing symbol. From the divine to the violent, our fascination with blood infuses our collective consciousness. An entire book could be devoted to the symbolism of blood. And perhaps already has.  The reason behind the power of blood is obvious. Blood is life and death, a physical indicator of our existence. And yet, behind this crimson liquid life force, man has imbued blood with great spiritual, divine, and emotional power.   

This episode looks at the 21 ways blood can be used symbolically in a novel. Have you used blood symbolically in a novel? Let me know and drop a comment. I definitely used blood symbolism in my gothic, historical fiction The Impaler's Wife.  

✅ Get The Magic of Symbolism: Enrich Your Book with Hidden Meaning at http://www.autumnbardot.com/books/

 🌻 Find all my books, social media, and get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

#literarysymbolism #bloodsymbolism #bloodsymbolsinanovel

Blood symbolism is vast and wide. Here are 21 ways blood can be used symbolically in a story.

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Can a character's name be symbolic? Yes!  They're your characters! You get to name them. Consider being more purposeful when naming your characters.    In many cultures today and in historical times, a name is important and decided on with much thought. A name meant something, foretold a personality trait, and/or promised a destiny.  

Symbolic names in literature are used all the time!  

 In this episode, I discuss how symbolic or ironic character names can add depth, complexity, irony, and characterization to your novel! Write better, author smarter. Write a great novel.  

✅ My go-to site for names. http://www.20000-names.com 

🌻 Find all my books, social media, and/or get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

#characternames #symbolicnames #importanceofcharacternames #authorpodcast, #writingpodcast

#romancewriting #writingpodcast #sexscenewriting   

A steamy story. A classic bodice ripper. A risqué passage. A sweet romance. A naughty erotica. We love reading them.

 Writing a sexy scene for a novel can go from the mild to XXX erotica!  The best sexy scenes are yummy! The poorly written sex scenes are cringe-worthy. Make sure to get more sizzle and purpose from each scene.   

Whether you're writing a novel with a little or a lot of sexual content, this episode is about the why and how of a great sex scene.  And the things to consider before writing that sexy scene.  

❤️ Get new episodes sent to our inbox at http://www.autumnbardot.com/newsletter/

❤️ Find all my books links ( from mild to XXX spicy ) and social media at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

 Check out my new book! Check out my new blog!  Those kinds of posts on Instagram, Twitter, and FaceBook don't work! Why? Because they are boring and don't provide any hint about why someone needs to check out or click the link.   

Writing a teaser and/or promo lines ( or copy ) is a challenge. It's a marketing skill. And we're authors, not marketers or advertisers. Authors need to learn some marketing skills and learn how to improve the book, blog, and promo teasers we post on social media. Think clickbait! The phrase "check it out" is not intriguing, interesting,  or attention-grabbing. In fact, it's kind of demanding. And yet I see it all the time. Every single day.  

 In this episode, I share my 3 book marketing peeves. I also share 3 easy ways to improve  your book promo game.  

🌻 Find my books, social media, and get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

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#authormarketing #bookpromos #authorsocialmedia  #authorpodcast #writingpodcast

Violence! We love it! In many genres, it’s 100% necessary. It can also be symbolic. Or not.  

Violence may be: 

In this episode, I discuss violence in novels, how to use it, and the different kinds of literary violence. Because a punch in the nose may be just a punch in the nose...or a whole lot more.  

✅ Find The Magic of Symbolism: Enrich Your Story with Hidden Meaning at http://www.autumnbardot.com/books/ 

🌻 Find all my books, social media, and get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

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#writeaviolentscene #symbolicviolence #violencinnovels 

Many beginner writers struggle with how to improve characterization. In fact, new writers often don't quite understand exactly what that means or how exactly to write great characters.  How does an author write great characters that come alive and feel real for readers?  A great character has weaknesses, strengths, and desires. But how do you show that in story?   

 In this video, I share 5 ways to write better characters and  improve your characterization.   

🌻 Find all my books, social media, and get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

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Symbols matter. Topography can be more than just the physical setting or location of your novel. It can reveal theme, be a plot device, provide characterization, foreshadow,  create conflict, act as an antagonist, and more.  

Settings may indicate or foreshadow a character’s: 

Geography and topography can also serve as moral, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual indicators.  Discover how to amplify characterization, emotions, conflict, plot, foreshadowing, and themes in your novel .  

✅ Find The Magic of Symbolism: Enrich Your Story with Hidden Meaning at http://www.autumnbardot.com/books/

🌻 Find all my books, social media, and get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

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#mountainsymbolism #physicalsettingsymbolism #symbolicsettings

 A  novel critique is scary! Really scary! But getting one is important, especially for beginner writers. A good critique can take your novel or book to the next level.  A good critique will explain what you need to improve to make your novel better.  

There are all sorts of novel critique groups and  online critique services. Some writers find trusted,  critique partners they use for years.    Professional authors can offer valuable advice, tips, and tricks to make your book better.  However, some writing critiques will do you no good because the writer isn't knowledgable enough or  or have a lot of writing and publishing experience.  

 Writers can get 5 or 10 page critiques at  writing conferences by editors and agents. I highly recommend that. Too scary?  Don't be afraid of a novel critique.  

In this episode I share why you don't need to be afraid of a novel or book critique and 9 tips for dealing with the critique process.   

🌻 Find all my books, social media, and get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

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#critiquegroup #writerfear #critiquemynovel  #authorpodcast #writingpodcast