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Episode 35: The First Page

I’ve never struggled to write a newsletter. Not once. Until today…and the irony of the situation is not lost on me. This week’s episode of the Christian Indie Writers’ Podcast is titled The First Page. 

We’ve all been there. We have our idea. We know what we want our story to be. We can’t wait to get started. Getting started should be easy, but it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes we find ourselves staring at a blank screen, the blinking cursor mocking us relentlessly. I can attest to this…because it’s what I experienced this today! 

But, my friend, don’t be discouraged! We’ve all been there, and I promise you, if I can break through that first page barrier and write this newsletter, you can conquer your first page as well. 

In this week’s episode, the ladies and I discuss exactly that and share some tips and suggestions that have worked for us. Check out our YouTube channel to watch, and while you’re there, don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to our channel. We really appreciate your support! 

Blessings, 

Jen 

Episode 31: Reading in Your Genre

When I was about 12 years old, my grandmother bought me my first Janette Oke book. I devoured it, and she bought me another. And another. I didn’t know it at the time, but my grandmother was not only influencing my taste in literature, she was influencing my spiritual life by exposing me to stories of love that were greatly influenced by faith in God and His hand in these characters’ lives. And, incidentally, she was also preparing me for my future as a Christian romance author.

It’s really no surprise to learn that most writers are avid readers. However, the types of books we choose to read varies greatly. Some, like me, seldom stray from their favorite genre. Others, like Tina, read across many genres. It should come as no surprise, I suppose, that I only write romance, yet Tina writes across multiple genres.

In today’s episode, the ladies and I have a chat about reading within (and outside of) our chosen genres. So, grab a cup of coffee, put on your fuzzy slippers and give a listen to our discussion. And let us know your thoughts! We really want to hear what you think about reading and genre writing in the comments of our YouTube webcast HERE or on the iTunes podcast episode HERE.

Until next week, keep writing the stories God has given you!

For Him alone,

Jen

Episode 27: Tropes

This week our encouragement for writers focuses on one aspect of improving your writing craft. Tune in to the podcast each week for more encouragement for writers and self-publishing tips!

 

Imagine you are six years old. Papa has come in to your room to tell you a good-night story. He tells you, “this is a fairytale about a knight, a dragon, and a princess.” 

You snuggle under your down-alternative comforter, prop your head on your copper-cooling memory foam pillow, and settle in for a good, old-fashioned fairytale, where the dragon is beastly, the princess is imperiled, and the brave and handsome knight rides to the rescue. 

But, what if, in Papa’s tale, the Princess is a World War II fighter pilot, the dragon is a personal trainer with a penchant for self-help books, and Prince runs away to Kansas to open a combination coffee shop and 10 minute oil change? 

Chances are, while you may learn to appreciate this “different” sort of story, you’d feel a bit confused, or maybe just a bit disappointed. That list of things you expected to happen in our imagined story are examples of genre Tropes. Whatever genre you write in, you want to make sure you are delivering what the reader expects, which means you need to be aware of the Tropes of that genre. 

On today’s episode, we discuss tropes and their importance in your story. Let us know what you’ve discovered about your genre in the comments below. And, don’t forget to join our Patreon for even more fun and informative content. 

 

Until next time, 

Jamie

Episode 13: Story Structure

Hello Christian Indie Writers,
Welcome to another episode of our Podcast in which we discuss Story Structure. Whether you are writing a romance novel, a thriller, or a noir detective story your story will have a structure. The genre you choose may determine the one you use, or you may choose to stick with a basic 3 act or 4 act structure.
But how do you choose? That is just one of the questions we try to answer on todays podcast. For example, we talk about the dystopian novel that I am writing and how I chose to use a heroes journey type story structure. We will also discuss several other kinds of structures; what they look like and how they work.
I hope that you will find value in todays discussion. Please leave us a comment to let us know how you’re liking the podcast so far and what type of things you’d like us to discuss in the future. Speaking of the future, we are having a NaNoWriMo kick-off party on October 31st. It will be a live-stream broadcast starting at 11 pm Eastern time concluding with a word sprint at midnight. You won’t want to miss it. It’s going to be a blast.
Subscribe to our newsletter or Youtube channel for more information, or to get access to our free resources which include; the “Critique Cheat Sheet”, the “Romance Plot Sheet”, the Creating “Captivating Characters” worksheet, and the “It’s a Wonderful World Building Worksheet”.

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