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Jamie Hershberger

Episode 135: Essential Writing Tips: Our Top 10 Tips for Self-Editing

Dear Christian Indie,

This week, we have a tip for new authors; “spend some time self-editing.”

Why? You might ask.

Well, dear Indie, there is an old saying that goes, “great books are not written, they are edited.” Even more recently, best selling author Neil Gaiman has advised, “write down everything that happens in the story, and then in your second draft make it look like you knew what you were doing all along.”

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Episode 124: Writing Your Way: Plotting vs. Pantsing – Revisited

Dear Christian Indies,

When the podcast was new, and the ladies and I were each in various stages of our writing journey, it was interesting to see how we approached each new writing question in a different way. One such topic was outlining; more specifically, we wondered about each of us – whether we would perform better as “plotters” or “pantsers.”

Jenifer decided to give plotting a try. Now, something I have since learned about Jenifer is that she never does anything half-way. I’ll never forget when she showed up at our writing retreats with a gigantic piece of cardboard – the kind of thing you see at a child’s science fair – marked off to represent the three main acts of her novel, and bedecked with post-it notes, each outlining a specific plot point in her novel.

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Episode 120: Writing as a business – “I wrote a business plan – now what?”

Dear Christian Indies,

I don’t know about you, but after wrapping up the business plan episodes last week, I was about ready to wrap my head in vinegar and brown paper and, “surrender, Dorothy!” I mean, seriously – the amount of content we’ve poured into you in just a couple of weeks must be kind of overwhelming; in just a few hours, we’ve managed to cover so much – why you need a business plan, what you should include, but also all the many decisions which must be made before you are able to put pen to paper.

[Read more…] about Episode 120: Writing as a business – “I wrote a business plan – now what?”

Episode 115: Before the Launch

If you’ve missed the podcast lately, you may have missed the big news – Tina Cattane has published her book, “Lost in the Land of the Midnight Sun!” That’s right; she has launched to rave reviews and has thrown a Launch Party to celebrate this momentous occasion. 

This party has it all, folks, giveaways, surprises, snacks and more! If you can make it in person, check out the details on her facebook page.

Meanwhile, we’re getting together once again LIVE and IN PERSON to bring you a podcast episode chock full of advice for when your time comes to have a book launch party! Get out your notebook and get ready to learn what perils and pitfalls you should avoid when planning your perfect launch party!

See you there,

Jamie 

Episode 112: Purch the Merch: Merchandising and the Author

Greetings, Christian Indies,

An author’s life is so great; we get to go on all sorts of adventures alongside characters we love, all without taking a single step out of doors. A writer could even exact revenge on her ex-boyfriend, all safely on paper, where she (mostly) won’t get  herself into trouble. 

Sadly, an author’s life isn’t only about getting the words down on paper. Sometimes, we have to step away from the writing and handle the “icky” part of being an Indie Writer – “The Business end of things.”
Merchandising is a part of that business – every writer gets to a place in her career where decisions about merchandise have to be made.

But don’t worry, just as we walk with you along every step of this publication journey, we are here to hold your hand through the murky world of merchandise.

So, whether you’ve already been fantasising about creating merchandise of your own, or whether you don’t even know what “merchandise” is, you’ll be sure to pick up a tip or two in this can’t miss episode.

See you there,

Jamie

Episode 110: NaNoWriMo “Eve Eve”

Here’s your weekly dose of inspiration for Chirstian Writers. Enjoy!

Dear Chirstian Indies,

Q: Can you start NaNoWriMo Early?

A: No, but, you can PARTY until midnight the night before!

Even though National Novel Writing Month doesn’t officially begin until November 1, we wanted to come together this week with our podcast audience to strategize some goal setting and CRUSHING  for National Novel Writing Month in November.  So, we decided to treat today’s episode as if it were actually the day before NaNoWriMo – kind of like the “substitute” Thanksgiving you host on Wednesday when no one is available on the fourth Thursday of November.

If you’ve listened to us for any amount of time, you know that all of us are long-term NaNoWriMo participants. You may even remember staying up late with us on October 31, sharing tasty snacks and chatting and laughing, getting ready for the countdown to midnight and write, write WRITING when the timekeeper says, “go”!

Guess what?! The fun is back! That’s right – we’re once again having a NaNo Kickoff livestream! That’s right, tune in tomorrow (10/31/2020) for our LIVE NaNoWriMo kickoff! The girls and I are planning to come alongside you this year, whether you are taking on NaNo for the first time or are a more ‘seasoned’ participant, to stay motivated to write like the rest of us. 

Be there or be square – Saturday, October 31st at 11pm ET. We will be live on YouTube and Facebook, so come join the fun and get your NaNo count rolling!

See you there,

Jamie

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