Dear Indies,
I’m not gonna lie – when the other hosts told me we were having an episode on “metadata,” I just smiled and nodded as they spouted off all sorts of strategies and ideas for improvement. I had no idea what metadata was, much less how to perfect it!
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.
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 119: Writing as a business – Creating a Business Plan Part 2
Hey Christian Indies!
Last week (EPISODE #118)This week we are going to focus on the second half of our business plan. I know what you’re thinking – “What?! ANOTHER episode about business plans?!” but, yes, this topic is so meaty we’ve had to spread it across several episodes!
[Read more…] about Episode 119: Writing as a business – Creating a Business Plan Part 2Episode 118: Writing as a Business: Creating a Business Plan #1
Hi there, Indies!
We’re well into 2021 and if you are anything like the ladies of the Podcast, you already feel like things are getting away from you, including your goals to advance your writing journey! If so, you might have already realized the need to slow down, and plot your writerly course more carefully.
[Read more…] about Episode 118: Writing as a Business: Creating a Business Plan #1Episode 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
Episode 109: Writing Sprints #4: Beyond Sprinting
Here is your weekly dose of inspiration for Christian writers! Enjoy!
Hey there, Christian Indies,
The title of this episode is a lie. Well, not really, only sort of. Let me explain.
When we were planning the upcoming book, “30 Days to a Writing Sprint Habit,” I undertook the task of writing about that glorious time in a young author’s life when the birds are chirping, the sky is blue, and everything’s coming up roses. You’ve mastered word sprints and are writing like a maniac! You’re writing daily now, and instead of seeing the timer as a task-master, you are now seeing it as your friend, companion, and a sort of inanimate accountability partner.
But what happens when you find yourself outgrowing your writing sprint groups? Or maybe you’ve crafted an entire story in the twenty minutes you just spent writing, or realize that your regular sprinting has netted you enough words to create a short novel?
If this is where you find yourself, it may be time for you to move ‘beyond’ sprinting in the traditional sense and begin thinking about the ways you can be more intentional during your sprinting time. We’re not saying to unleash the inner editor, and undo all the hard work you did getting that nasty booger all tied up in the first place, but we are suggesting you take a moment, and consider with us the writing possibilities that await you beyond the word sprint.
See you there,
Jamie
Episode 108: Writing Sprints #3: Where to Sprint
Dear Wonderful Reader,
Until now, it’s been the elephant in the room.
We haven’t talked about it.
We’ve made a point NOT to talk about it…
But now, it seems the season has come – it is time for us to discuss the state of today’s world on the podcast.
We’ve already covered the basics of sprinting – we’ve told you WHY you should sprint (episode #106) and HOW you should sprint (episode #107), and next on the calendar is to discuss “WHERE” you should sprint.
I have to admit – this sort of thing would have been a lot easier to write back when the upcoming book we are promoting was being conceptualized. In a time we took for granted we gathered together, face to face, to share a coffee and a smile, and maybe even a hug, and to do this thing we call writing in a way that was just a little more bearable, because we had a warm drink and the warmth of fraternal love to keep us company.
I’m nostalgic for those times – yes, even me, the introvert of all introverts.
So perhaps this week will be a walk down memory lane for all of us – or maybe we can strategize for new and improved ways to get together with one another in this time of social distance. Who knows what we shenanigizing gals will come up with! We just hope that you’ll tune in this week as we support one another through this very peculiar portion of our journey.
See you there,
Jamie
