Jamie Hershberger

209: Writing Romance in Your Non-Romance Novel: Writing Craft

Dear Christian Indies,

It’s almost Valentine’s day!

On last week’s episode, we taught you about “breaking up” with info-dumping.

This week, we’re all about love!

That’s right, we’re talking all about love in books, and specifically books that are not (or at least should not be) classified as “romance.”

Did you reflexively lift a brow as you read that last sentence?

#208: Dump the Info Dumping: Writing Craft

Dear Christian Indies,

This week we are returning to our Writing Craft series with an episode focused on curing the dreaded tendency to info dump in your work.

If you’ve ever attempted to read a book that is full of the infamous info dump, you’ll certainly understand why this particular writer faux pas causes books to end up on my “Did Not Finish” (DNF) pile.

#207: Back to Basics: Bringing Back the Joy in Writing

Dear Christian Indies,

We are always so excited to hear from a listener, so it was quite a treat to receive a message from listener Jessica Glidden, who reached out to us with a topic idea for an upcoming episode. Her suggestion that we go “back to basics” was a good one, we thought, and when we asked her for clarification, she did not disappoint!

Jessica asked, “why not dig in and re-discover the joy of writing, the reason you write in the first place?”

#206: How to Reach Your New Year Goals

Dear Christian Indie,

If you tuned in to the podcast last week, you heard from the hosts about what they hoped to get out of the year 2023.

I am writing this in the moments following that episode, and I’ll be honest, in the days leading up to planning today’s episode, I experienced more anxiety than I have in a long time. Why? Because, dear Indie, I had no idea what I was going to say.

It was difficult for me to think about going into the new year without goals to crush, without a mission to accomplish, without the next step forward clear.

#205: Setting New Year Goals

Dear Christian Indie,

Are you a resolutions person? Do you earnestly set goals at the beginning of each new year? Or are you someone who is the equivalent of the Grinch or Ebeneezer Scrooge when it comes to the concept of, “New Year, New Me?”

Whichever type of New Year celebrant you are, you’ll find this week’s episode of the podcast relatable, because the entire spectrum of New Year Resolutions attitude exists not only among the co-hosts as a group, but in the case of myself, all of it is in there, beneath the surface, somehow.

I mean, I just adore the idea of starting with a fresh new year ahead of me… like a blanket of freshly fallen snow before the mailman comes or Billy moves his truck out of the way so Aunt Beatrice can get in closer to the porch with her Subaru. I like all the potential and possibility that January 1 seems to hold.

[Read more…] #205: Setting New Year Goals

#203: The Christmas Story: Finding Inspiration in the Greatest Story Ever Told

Dear Christian Indies,

This week we will air the last pre-Christmas 2022 episode of The Christian Indie Writers’ Podcast, so we have dedicated this episode to the story of Christmas. We’ll be talking about how we can see all the important elements of storytelling in these portions of the New Testament. We’ll also discuss how this narrative can inspire and/or shape our own writing.

See you there,
Jamie

#200: Celebrating 200 Episodes of Information, Encouragement and Shenanigans!

Dear Christian Indies,

Come join the ladies as they celebrate the 200th episode of the podcast.

In this episode they’ll take a look back at the past 4 years and reveal what they’d tell their Episode #1 selves if they could go back in time.

There will be some fun giveaways, some trivia, video clips, and the girls will each read a sprint from the past.

You won’t want to miss out on the fun, the shenanigans, and a look at where the podcast has been in this 200th Episode celebration!

See you there!

Tina

#199: How to Use Plot Points in Your Writing

Dear Christian Indies,

Today on the podcast we are going to be talking about plot points.

A plot point is a scene, a chapter, or even just an event that directly affects what happens next in your story.

But if you have a story and know where it is going, are plot points really that important? Can’t you just write a good story and be done with it?

In this episode of the Christian Indie Writers’ Podcast, the hosts dive into this topic, share why “disasters” are important, and help you discover the moments in your story that turn your characters’ lives upside down.

So come and join us on today’s podcast. If you can, join us live and give us your two cents in the chat!

See you there!

Tina

#198: Crafting Compelling Characters: What is a Character sketch?

In today’s episode of the Christian Indie Writers’ Podcast, we will discuss writing compelling characters with the help of a character sketch.

Readers need to connect with the characters. Why? Because, without a connection, they will likely put your book down. Characters need to be loved, hated, cheered or wished to fall into a pit of snakes by the reader. A reader who doesn’t care about your characters is likely a bored, disinterested reader.

We’re here to help. So join us today and see how we handle the hard work of getting to know and care about our characters so that they will come through on the page when we write them.

See you there!

Tina