Writing Break

By America's Editor

Whether you’re polishing your first draft or chasing down a book deal, the award-winning Writing Break will keep you informed, inspired, and ready to write.... more

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FAQs about Writing Break:

How many episodes does Writing Break have?

The podcast currently has 137 episodes available.

Writing Break episodes:

September 27, 20224 Reasons Authors Mess Up the End of Act 2
This episode is filled with good news, including a big win for authors, a new program for debut authors, and a new feature on Spotify. We also review four reasons you might be getting in your own way when writing the Epiphany at the end of Act 2.
New Titles from Self-Publishers: End of September 2022 - Featured Authors
Todo Modo, Florence, Italy - Featured Bookstore
Findaway Voices - Create and Sell Audiobooks
Spotify Audiobooks - Spotify (US)
Amazon Is Changing Its Ebook Return Policy in Major Breakthrough for Authors - The Authors Guild
DARK HORSE EXPANDS PARTNERSHIP WITH PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHER SERVICES :: Blog :: Dark Horse Comics
Get the Word Out | Poets & Writers
Free Style Sheet Templates
Free Writing Tips

Music licensed from Storyblocks:
“More Jam Please” by Raighes Factory
“Italian Romance” by Keith Anthony Holden
“Warm and Cozy” by New Library Sounds
“Boccherini Minuet” by Bobby Cole
“Magic” by Humans Win
...more
13min
September 20, 2022Tips for Writing Act 2 of a Novel
We grapple with the second checkpoint in Act 2 of a three-act novel: the Struggle. Plus, I tell you about giveaways and events taking place during Banned Books Week.
Read an Excerpt - The Night in Her Hair - Featured Author
The Last Word, Lahore, Pakistan - Featured Bookstore
Best Books of the Year - Book of the Month Club
The Booker Prize 2022 | The Booker Prizes
2022 National Book Awards Longlist for Fiction - National Book Foundation
Read and Share Banned Books – MacKids School & Library
DK’s Banned Books Profiles the Most Controversial Texts Throughout History - Penguin Random House Secondary Education
DK Banned Books Sweeps - GIVEAWAY
Children's Publishers Rally to Promote Banned Books Week
Spotify exec says the company will begin testing audiobooks 'very soon' • TechCrunch
Don’t Miss These Banned Books Week Coalition Facebook Live Events! | Banned Books Week
Free Style Sheet Templates
Free Writing Tips

Music licensed from Storyblocks:
“More Jam Please” by Raighes Factory
“Warm Summer” by Valentina Gribanova
“A Dramatic Twist” by Neil Cross (conspiracy theory music)
"Hip Hop" by Oleksii Abramovych
“Only One” by Humans Win
“Summertime Love” by Humans Win
...more
14min
September 13, 2022The Hardest Part of a Book
Today I will guide you gently into Act 2 of your novel, and you will talk me down from yet another literary soapbox. And that is why we work well together.
SUMMER ISLAND comic, Steve Coulson - Featured Author
Chapter 101 Bookstore, Gurugram (formerly Gurgaon), India. - Featured Bookstore
TikTok creators and influencers are protesting against Amazon | Mashable
TikTok's Book Club is now (unsurprisingly) Amazon-sponsored | Mashable
Walmart Inspires New Reading Adventures with the Walmart Book Club
Val McDermid, Queen of Crime, is probably not in trouble with the law over Agatha Christie estate trademark claim – Colin Hulme | The Scotsman
How to Get Published - The New York Times
Free Style Sheet Templates
Free Writing Tips

Music licensed from Storyblocks:
“More Jam Please” by Raighes Factory
“Swing it Smooth” by Jon Presstone
"Romance" by Enzo Orefice
“Happy India” by Neil Cross
...more
12min
September 06, 2022Nonstop Writing Tips (Clip Show #3)
Ten week's worth of brainstorming, plotting, character development, and other writing tips from a professional book editor.
Free Style Sheet Templates
Free Writing Tips

Music licensed from Storyblocks:
“More Jam Please” by Raighes Factory
"Chill Out In The Coffee Shop (No Sax)" by Jon Presstone
...more
35min
August 30, 202212 Plot Frames That Can Support Your Novel
To wrap up our discussion of Act 1 of your book, I am answering listener questions, and you asked some good ones. Also, learn about paid internship opportunities at HarperCollins.
Wrzenie Świata, Warsaw, Poland - Featured Bookstore
12 Plot Frames
HarperCollins Internship US
The Traineeship 2023 - HarperCollins Publishers (UK)
NCAC challenges Keller, Texas banned books
‘Heat 2’: Why Michael Mann’s Sequel to His Classic Crime-Movie Had to Be a Novel – Rolling Stone
Free Style Sheet Templates
Free Writing Tips

Music licensed from Storyblocks:
“More Jam Please” by Raighes Factory
"Party Song With Funky Bass" by Sondé
"Hello Memories" by Oleksii Abramovych
“Retro 80s Pop Rock” by Bobby Cole
...more
11min
August 23, 2022The Art of Writing Backstory
We are continuing our journey through the three-act structure today. I hope you wrote a killer hook last week. This week we’re looking at Backstory and your Act 1 Trigger. The US Department of Justice versus Penguin Random House trial gave their closing remarks, while you and I played catch at the back of the courtroom.
Pacts & Promises by Noy Levi - Featured Author
The U-NOY-Verse | Podcast on Spotify - Featured Author
Old Florida Book Shop - Featured Bookstore
La Vie D'amour by Noy Levi - Featured Author
Jacques Barzun, "Baseball's Best Cultural Critic", Turns His Back on the Game | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report
DOJ v. PRH: Ending Where We Started
Salman Rushdie attack suspect says he only read two pages of Satanic Verses | The Independent
Free Style Sheet Templates
Free Writing Tips

Music licensed from Storyblocks:
“More Jam Please” by Raighes Factory
“Paradise Vibes by Jon Presstone
“Samba Dream” by Sleeping Ghost
“Casa de Frio” by Jon Presstone
“Summer” by Mikael Manvelyan
...more
16min
August 16, 2022Write Your Opening Hook
As promised, we will begin our discussion of Act 1 of your story today. We’re also talking about what you have in common with Stephen King, the antitrust lawsuit against Penguin Random House, and the assasination attempt of Salman Rushdie.
The Comfortable Spot Podcast - Featured Podcast
A Tale of Three Indies Podcast – Latest Episodes – Woodbine Books - Featured Podcast
Woodbine Books, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, Ireland - Featured Bookstore
Lidia's Booktastic Podcast - Featured Podcast
The European Network – Our Network Your Network
The aftermath of The Satanic Verses
Salman Rushdie suspect charged with second-degree attempted murder and assault - CNN
Publishing Paid Me
DOJ v. PRH: Agents, Publishers Move Center Stage
Antitrust-Trial Recap — From Stephen King to Markus Dohle
Courthouse News: DOJ vs PRH
DOJ Employs a Novel Approach in Antitrust Lawsuit - AAF
Showdown: DOJ’s Bid to Block PRH Acquisition of S&S Is Heading to Trial
Salman Rushdie attacked
Free Style Sheet Templates
Free Writing Tips

Music licensed from Storyblocks:
“More Jam Please” by Raighes Factory
"In Ireland, again!" by bzur
"Back To 95 [Remix]" by Humans Win (formerly Lance Conrad)
"Searching For A Sign (30 Seconds Intro)" by Simon Jomphe Lepine
...more
19min
August 09, 20224 Dramatic Elements to Create Your Story's Structure
America's Editor provides a step-by-step guide to help you solidify your story's structure. We also find out what books are trending and what books are not being printed.
We All Loved Cowboys, Carol Bensimon - Featured Author
Livraria Leonardo da Vinci, downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Featured Bookstore
editorial we - Wiktionary
Lessons on the Royal We, from “Mary Queen of Scots” and “The Favourite” | The New Yorker
Witch Books Hold Power
The Urban Fantasy eBook Market
Britney Spears’s Memoir Is Complete, But There’s a Hold Up. | Vanity Fair
Academic Publishers Delay New Titles | Financial Times
Free Style Sheet Templates
Free Writing Tips

Music licensed from Storyblocks:
“More Jam Please” by Raighes Factory
"Plastic Furniture" by Jon Presstone
"Late Night Bossa Nova" by Neil Cross
"Brazil" by Humans Win
"Under a Brazilian Sky" by Daniel
...more
18min
August 02, 2022All the Characters Your Book Needs
We are taking a look at the supporting characters in books to help you decide if your book has too many, too few, or just enough characters. We are also celebrating romance in the kitchen, new resources for writers, and book award nominees.
Llibreria Finestres, Barcelona, Spain - Featured Bookstore
Ricardo Devesa - Featured Author
Announcing The Center for Fiction 2022 First Novel Prize Longlist | The Center for Fiction
The Booker Prize 2022 | The Booker Prizes
Romance Novels Are Increasingly Getting Hot and Heavy in the Kitchen - Eater
Disability in Publishing
Introducing Book Exploder
Free Style Sheet Templates
Free Writing Tips

Music licensed from Storyblocks:
“More Jam Please” by Raighes Factory
"¿Como Estan Mis Amigas?" by Tencher Music
"The House" by Adrian Berenguer
“Holiday Diaries” by Simon Sharp
“Brazilian Summer Full” by Sleeping Ghost
...more
15min
July 26, 2022Writing Characters We Love to Hate
In this law and order episode of Writing Break, I’m dishing out two scoops of courtroom drama with a sprinkling of murder. So, let’s take a break from the summer heat and discuss antagonists, the characters we love to hate.
Greg Fazekas - Featured Author
Iða Zimsen, Reykjavik, Iceland - Featured Bookstore
'Where the Crawdads Sing' Author Wanted for Questioning in Murder - The Atlantic
Bloomberg - Stephen King Set to Testify in Book Publishing Antitrust Trial
Justice Department Sues to Block Penguin Random House’s Acquisition of Rival Publisher Simon & Schuster | OPA | Department of Justice
Alleged book thief Filippo Bernardini may avoid trial in the US | Books | The Guardian
Free Style Sheet Templates
Free Writing Tips

Music licensed from Storyblocks:
“More Jam Please” by Raighes Factory
“Spirit in the Sunrise” by Jon Presstone
“Warm Honey” by Jon Presstone
“Summer Funk Disco Madness” by MEDIA MUSIC Group
“Action Bravery Music” by Bobby Cole
...more
17min

FAQs about Writing Break:

How many episodes does Writing Break have?

The podcast currently has 137 episodes available.