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Episode 46: Passive Voice

 

“What do you want for dinner?”

“Whatever.”

“Hotdogs okay?”

“Fine.”

Chances are, you read aggression in the voice of one or more of the above characters, and chances are, also, that you’ve been a party to such a conversation  yourself, and in that moment thought, “(S)he is obviously upset, and not saying so. I wish (s)he would just tell me what the problem is, already!”

Just like no one likes passive aggressive behavior, very few readers can get down with a work that is loaded up with passive voice. Often, the trick to eliminating passive voice from your writing is identifying it in the first place, because it isn’t always as obvious as an attitude being flung at you by your spouse or your teenager.

Join us on the Christian Indie Writers’ Podcast this week as we discuss how to identify passive voice in your writing, how to fix it, and if it is ever a good idea to just leave it alone.

See you there,

Jamie

 

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 30: Reader Reviews; The Good, The Bad, and The Totally Awesome

This weeks Podcast topic is focused on reader reviews. (stay tuned for future episodes focused on third party reviews) In this episode we discuss the importance of reviews to an author in order to sell books, where and how to get them, and how NOT to get them.
Reader reviews were never on my radar before I started this whole process. Honestly, I didn’t really think about the marketing, selling books, publishing side of things at all. I just thought, I’ll write this book, it will be my magnum opus, people will read it and hopefully I will make lots of money. It wasn’t until the F.L.A.W.S. writing group got together that anything other than that even crossed my mind.
If you’re where I was, don’t panic. Take a deep breath and watch our podcast. We are by no means claiming to be experts. We are working through these things right there with you. With each step each of us take towards publication we learn something new, and we will pass it on to you. We are in this together.
If you have an experience on your journey toward publication you want to share with us, please reach out and let us know. If you’ve learned something invaluable pass it on for others to benefit from your experience. We are better together. We can do this.
In Him, Christina Cattane

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

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