Your Writing Does Not Suck

*This episode was recorded before the tragic death of George Floyd and the ensuing events that unfolded. Please know that the topic was not intentionally ignored.  

Writer’s block happens to everyone, but not all writer’s block is the same. The group discusses ways to overcome these rough moments, as well as methods to avoid them in the first place.

Jess discusses the difficulty of writing through uncertain times like the COVID pandemic, Anne encourages people to replenish their creative well, and Tracey gives us more inspirational quotes than usual.

QUOTE: “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” – Victor Hugo

LINKS:

The Artist’s Way

Ira Glass and The Gap

SCWBI

Highlights Foundation

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by its separate participants and edited by Anne M Belen.

The group talks about knowing where your characters stand -- primary level, secondary, or tertiary -- as well as what to do when you have too many cluttering up your work.

Anne shakes her fists about some stereotype pet peeves, Tracey discusses when to reduce, reuse, or recycle your characters, and Jess reminds folks of the importance of a sensitivity reader.

QUOTE: “We rise by lifting others.” – Robert Ingersoll

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by its separate participants and edited by Anne M Belen.

What’s the difference between a wound and a flaw? What’s a good flaw versus one that is predictable or easy or, egads, unforgiveable? The group discusses all that, as well as ways to integrate the two within the structure of your plot.

Tracey and Anne discuss some flaws that are deal breakers and then heckle Jess mercilessly about waffles, John Truby, and getting “remotional.”

QUOTE: “A little progress every day leads to big results.” – currently Anonymous

LINKS:

Franny Billingsley

John Truby  

Waffles

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by its separate participants and edited by Anne M Belen.

*Please forgive the audio. We’re working on smoothing out the remote recordings.

Coming at you from the lockdown in Seattle… Part Two of Online Promo.

In this chunk, the group talks about self-promotion through guest blogging, author pages, newsletters, entering contest, hosting contests, and using the member benefits of your local writing organizations.

Tracey chats about her first author interview and Jess makes the mistake of trying to do Anne’s hosting job.

QUOTE: “We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.” – Max Depree

LINKS:

- Rafflecopter

- Author giveaway tips and considerations (RaffleCopter blog)

- Social Media promotion rules (easy-to-read, but first published in 2011 – you will want to confirm recent updates)

- GDRP explained

- Mailerlite -- Jessica’s current email host

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by its separate participants and edited by Anne M Belen.

Modern folks spend hours and hours interacting through the internet -- specifically, your readers spend hours and hours. So, time to meet them where they are. But where are your connecting points and how to do you grow a network from a seedling to a sturdy presence?

The group discusses organic methods of getting attention and how to make a good impression once the spotlight is on you. Jess outs herself as an expert on yet another topic *shocking* and Tracey discusses her take on the much-desired word-of-mouth spread.

This Part One episode also touches on cover art and deciding what your readers are going to experience when they choose to interact with your brand.

QUOTE: “Be stronger than your excuses.” – take on a Bryant McGill quote

LINKS:

• BJ Novak book reading/trailer
• Indy Quillen author website

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by its separate participants and edited by Anne M Belen.

Modern times require modern connections, especially in a time when Zoom has become the national pastime.

Tracey and Jess share their thoughts, failures, and victories about using online platforms, and Anne pretends to know anything about Instagram. They discuss the benefits of using different sites, as well as the necessity of knowing what you’re going to use it for before you dive in.

QUOTE: “You are the artist of your life. Don’t hand the paintbrush to anyone else.” – Iva Ursano

TWITTER MENTIONS:

• #writingCommunity
• #amwriting
• #writerslife
• #writingtip

LINKS:

• Janet Reid, Literary Agent
• Jolie Stekly

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by its separate participants and edited by Anne M Belen.

Writing Romance as a plot or subplot can be a lot trickier than people think. The group discusses methods to make a believable and satisfying romance, as well as the importance of keeping the promise to the reader about the type of romance they’re getting into.

Jess points out that a love interest can often be seen as the antagonist to a lover’s union, Tracey discusses how friendships  often mimic romantic connections, and Anne stirs the pot by bringing up toxic love in a #MeToo era.

QUOTES: “Without struggle, there is no progress.” – A take on a Frederick Douglass quote

LINKS:

John Truby’s Story of Anatomy

Johny Truby’s website

Save the Cat by Blake Snyder

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded and edited by Anne M. Belen. She also gets to decide the titles and inserts subliminal BTS content as she pleases. 

In this longer episode, Anne interrogates Jessica about the expectations of YA and Children’s books. They discuss how these books are not “adult light,” talk about considerations made for kids who “read up,” and explore the spectrum of “heaviness” within even the same reading level.

Anne outs herself as That Mom who wants warnings on books that contain sensitive topics, and Jess notes the importance of kids seeing literature that reflects their own experiences, both positive and negative.   

QUOTE: “Let’s put it this way: if you are a novelist, I think you start out with a twenty-word idea, and you work at it and you wind up with a 200,000-word novel. We, picture book people, or at least I, start out with 200,000 words and I reduce it to twenty.” -- Eric Carle

LINKS:

- Writing Rhyme and Meter

- Josh Funk’s Guide to Writing Picture Books

- Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded and edited by Anne M. Belen.

This is a two-for-one episode, as it’s hard to talk about writing contests without bringing up the synopsis. So how do you find a good contest, how do you submit, and is the final prize worth it for you?

Anne and Jess carry the episode while Tracey is away (sigh), talking about tips and tricks of entering contests as seen from both sides, as well as some ideas for whittling down your synopsis.

QUOTE: “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” – Douglas Adams

LINKS:

Writer Beware

Writer’s Digest

Contests:

• Pacific Northwest Writers Association
• Pike’s Peak Zebulon
• Daphne du Maurier (Kiss of Death)
• Killer Nashville

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded and edited by Anne M. Belen.

Like the rest of a novel, successful dialogue needs balance for it to work. Aside from an accurate dialogue tag, it should try to include plot-relevant information, character dynamics, and/or characterization in general.

The group ponders the influence of texting and emoji shortcuts when writing effective dialogue, and discusses the “deadly sins” of using adverbs and exclamation points. Are they as big a no-no as we think for all books?

Jess once again tries to convince the others of something they’re pretty sure she made up, and Anne and Tracey prove they are terrible at British accents.

QUOTE: “You will never always be motivated. So, you must learn to be disciplined.” – currently Unknown

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded and edited by Anne M. Belen.