Chris Fox is the author of his newest book, Plot Gardening, as well as Write to Market, 5000 Words Per Hour, and his latest favorite series, the Magitech Chronicles. He has been a full-time indie author since 2016, and spends his free time hiking, and making stuff up. In today’s episode, Chris explains how his…

Last Thursday, author Laura Drake spoke to us about how to improve the first five pages of your novel to grab an editor’s or reader’s attention. She very kindly offered listeners a copy of her Checklist for Openings, a document she created to remind herself how to make her book and chapter beginnings the best…

I’ve been doing some work the last week or two on recovering my lost joy and regaining deep peace. I’ve found a lot of helpful references in my Bible and with my friends. But a lot of introspection led me to think about the adage that frustration comes when expectations don’t meet reality. That’s so…

Explicit Warning for this episode Award-winning author Laura Drake shares with us what she’s learned about making the first five pages of your novel the absolute best they can be from her years working with an editor in traditional publishing. She’s currently writing for Grand Central. Among the tips she offers: People come to books…

One of the most obvious reasons we start thinking about vacation is the approach of summer – which is the case in the Northern Hemisphere right now. Maybe you have plans to go someplace exciting, or visit family, or stay home and relax. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere right now, you might have had…

Have you ever been so crazy tired that nothing appeals to you anymore and you can’t remember why you used to love this, or what exactly about that used to delight you? I kinda feel that way right now. I was telling my friend that I don’t know if I even want to be a…

Lee Batchler and Janet Scott Batchler are the writers of POMPEII, SMOKE AND MIRRORS, and BATMAN FOREVER, among many other projects. They have recently moved into producing, with Executive Producer credits on a movie to be released in 2018. In addition, Janet is a writing professor at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic…

As spring jumps into summer in the Northern Hemisphere, I’ve been thinking a lot about the weather. Where does the weather fit in our stories? How can we make it more interesting, not just a box we tick off our list of Everything That Goes Into a Scene? One way is to use the weather…

In this episode, I share with you something I heard last Sunday at church – when I was supposed to be paying attention. Haha! But that’s the thing. If someone is really interesting, I get caught up in the tangents in my head when they say something that gets me thinking! Last week during the…

Last week’s guest is back for an encore presentation to give us some stretches and exercises we can do to feel better and have better brain function while we sit and type! Bonnie DePue is an Occupational Therapist, therapeutic riding instructor, and owner and founder of CHUM Therapeutic Riding in Dansville, Michigan, in the United…