Dear Christian Indies,
When I was a young reader, I always thought of mysteries as a “Sherlock Holmes book.” I expected all mysteries to feature brooding and/or arrogant detectives, interrogating flocks of disparate characters until eventually gathering them all in one place to finger the “real criminal in the room.”
[Read more…] about Episode 152: NaNoWriMo: Plot Outline: Cozy MysteryDear Christian Indies,
I moved to Florida three years ago, and this time of year has caused a bout of homesickness to overwhelm me each and every time the calendar moves from August to September. In my home state of Michigan, the leaves are turning color, the temperatures are falling, and the squirrels are getting plump as they prepare to hunker down for the long, cold winter.
[Read more…] about Episode 151: NaNoWriMo: Prepping for Preptober
Jenifer Carll-Tong is the best-selling author of historical Christian romances and co-host of the Christian Indie Writers’ Podcast.
I thought about wild horses the first time I cracked open my journal. The teacher had called the process of getting it all down on paper “caging the monkey mind,” but I never really resonated with monkeys. Monkeys were stooped and flung poop. Wild horses, running free, that was how I preferred to think of the unfettered thoughts in my brain.
[Read more…] about Writing Sprints Inspiration: JamieWhen I was a little girl, I was afraid of storms. But I wasn’t alone in this fear. My mother was absolutely petrified of storms. Just the sound of thunder was enough to send her flying out of bed and racing down the stairs to our basement, dragging me and my brother in her terrified wake.
[Read more…] about Writing Sprints Inspiration: JeniferWill the pounding ever stop? Marissa sat back on her knees and inspected the sea of wood spreading before her. Only two more boards. At sixteen feet, that’s around sixteen more screws. She closed her eyes to meditate on the thought of standing upright again, willing herself to levitate toward that pretty adirondack chair over there, less than fifteen feet away from her aching bones.
[Read more…] about Writing Sprints Inspiration: RhondaHe poured rocks in the dungeon of his mind, each signifying a particular stressor. He gathered them together like dice in a Yahtzee game, putting them in an invisible cup which he could almost feel as he closed his hand into a fist, during dinners with friends or business meetings. His nails would press half circles into the meaty flesh of his palms as he mentally scooped up thoughts of a promotion or a raise or what Betty would say when she found out he had requested neither.
[Read more…] about Writing Sprints Inspiration: JamieDear Indie,
We know what you’re thinking – “I don’t want to have my picture taken.”
It’s not just you, it’s me…and Tina, and Jen, and Rhonda.
[Read more…] about Episode 142: Book Marketing Tips: How to Take a Better HeadshotDear Indies,
It’s summertime in Florida, which means lots of rain and green things growing! The other hosts report beautiful weather in Michigan, and I know they’re right, as we were blessed to gather for a time of fun and fellowship there last month!
[Read more…] about Episode 141: The Writers’ Life: Tips for Writing All Summer LongDear Christian Indies,
Of late, we’ve been focusing quite a bit on the “after” bit of the writing process – a natural fit for us as three of the four of us have quite recently published. Now that we are all in the crafting phase of writing, the ladies and I are eager to get back to basics and begin delivering some essential writing tips to you, our awesome audience!
First up is plotting – we know it takes its various forms, but for our purposes, we’re talking “beats.” That’s right, I said, “beats” – just like you would hear in music. Folks who write to beats understand that, as with music, storytelling follows certain patterns that are universally considered pleasant to the human ear. Learning about plotting is a key component to understanding what makes a story “tick,” and by hitting all the “beats,” you can be sure your plot will be a true masterpiece.
As we have an expert on the subject as a co-host, we are going to explore the notion of plotting using “beats” and “beat sheets” on this week’s episode! That’s right, Rhonda Hagerman is one half of the awesome team that is the writer DD Bouman, who brought us the amazing, “Plot Your Novel: With This Workbook.”
So, whether you’re a plotter already, or a pantser challenging us to “just try and convince me to plot my novel,” you are sure to love this episode, full of the information and shenanigans you’ve come to expect from the Christian Indie Writers!
See you there,
Jamie
Hey Christian Indies,
When Christina Cattane set forth to choose a narrator for her number 1 bestselling book Lost in the Land of the Midnight Sun, she was determined to get a voice as authentic to her narrator voice as possible. She didn’t think her odds were great – there were many dialects represented in the audiobook world, but not too many who claimed to read with an authentic Alaskan dialect.
[Read more…] about Episode 138: Self-Publishing Tips: How to Choose a Narrator for Your AudiobookJenifer Carll-Tong is the best-selling author of historical Christian romances and co-host of the Christian Indie Writers’ Podcast.
