Great Writers Share

Marc Watson is an author of genre fiction of all lengths and styles. His works include the novels Death Dresses Poorly, Catching Hell: Journey, and Catching Hell: Destination, as well as having short stories in the collections Enigma Front 5: The Stories we Hide, and A Land Without Mirrors. His newest release, a collection of science-fantasy short stories Between Conversations: Tales From the World of Ryuujin, is available now! He began writing at the age of 15 and continues to be a part-time writing student at Athabasca University. He has been published on flash fiction site www.101words.org (find his stories here) as well as comedy site www.thecorrectness.com. Marc lives in Calgary, Alberta. He is a husband and proud father of two. He is an avid outdoors-man, martial artist, baseball player, and lover of all Mexican foods.  In this episode, we go deep into: - Managing a job, family and writing - Working with publishers and how his second book found a home quickly - His decision to go indie for his latest release - The inspiration behind his anthology of short stories - Trying different genres and having fun experimenting - Why Marc doesn’t set writing goals and find out if he persuaded Holly to his POV! - Narrating his own audiobook Connect with Marc: He can be found at online www.marcwatson.ca, as well as on Facebook at www.facebook.com/marcwroteabook, and on twitter at @writewatson. Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/   GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Thank you to patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost Victoria LK Williams Brett Jackson  Faye Trask  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

J. Benjamin is a sci-fi writer with a passion for space opera and aliens. He’s been writing since the 7th grade. However, it wasn’t until 2019 that he published his first novel, A Spacetime Tale.  J.’s love for understanding the universe started as a kid, growing up in South Florida, watching the space shuttles take off from his backyard. He studied at the University of Arizona, which only deepened his curiosity for science. J. loves to imagine what is possible. He looks at the Universe, the pictures from Hubble, and likes to believe there is something beyond them other than static photos of stars and nebulae. When not busy writing, J works in the tech industry. His passions include yoga, running, rowing and Worms multiplayer. Burritos and Middle Eastern are his go-to cuisines. In this episode we go deep into: - Why J loves the Worms video game - How J’s author journey began - J’s journey from fantasy to science fiction - What it looks like to take writing seriously for the first time - How to overcome failure and keep moving forward - Following where the trails go, despite nothing seeming to go as planned - They key to understanding your genre - J’s influences in science-fiction - How to project a possible future and place it in your fiction - Paying attention to current political and technological advancements to inform your writing - Why it’s important to include LGBTQ+ characters in your work where possible - How to include LQBTQ+ characters in an authentic way - How J has built his reader fanbase - How to network with other authors - Why J writes J answers questions from Patrons: David Hines: I have read that in Sci-fi, the science needs to be accurate/believable. Is this essential or can something just be made up, not fully explained and still work for the story? Find out more about J: https://www.jbenjamin.pub/ https://www.facebook.com/JBenjaminAuthor Links from the show: Space-time Tale https://www.amazon.com/Spacetime-Tale-J-Benjamin-ebook/dp/B081DYKD5W/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 Get your Great Writers Share merchandise! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Michael Anderle Yanni Jade Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost Victoria LK Williams Brett Jackson Faye Trask   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Michelle Raab is not the biggest fan of talking about herself unless you ask her about what her current passion project is, then she’ll talk your ear off. If she’s into something, she’s all in. She is currently working on a sci fi dystopian novel, has founded a group of indie creatives called the World Indie Warriors, is a branding and marketing consultant for indie creatives and freelancers, and is a middle-aged mom of a preschooler. So yeah. She’s tired. She holds a doctorate in psychology, does photography, and loves to play with graphic design. She loves fantasy and sci-fi and sappy love stories. Her favorite trope is friends to lovers, which is by no coincidence how she found the love of her life. In this episode, we go deep into: - Writing dystopian fiction - how people adhere to traditions or rules without questioning why - Her background in psychology and how the principle of asking why people do what they do is common to psychologists and writers - Inspiration from history - Using her experience as a psychologist to get into the heads of her characters and drawing on her experience to make her characters relatable and realistic - When an author’s poor grasp of basic psychology interferes with her enjoyment of a book as a reader - How most writers have an intuitively good understanding of people - The psychology of buying and selling and how this helps as a marketer - Start with yourself as a reader in order to understand buying behaviour - Appealing to readers in a niche, rather than the mainstream/bestsellers - Embracing the quirky and unusual and appealing to them - Why chasing the market isn’t necessarily a sustainable approach - The founding of World Indie Warriors as a collective in the style of 1920s creative salons - Crowdsourcing promotion and gathering a supportive network - Her vision for the future of WIW as a non-profit - Bringing authors and readers together and how art isn’t complete until someone sees it - Her advice for work at home parents - winging it one day at a time - Letting go of old ideas of what it is to be “professional” and the blending of work and life - How sci-fi explores current events more than exploring ideas for the future - Fiction’s ability to make us think about deeper issues Connect with Michelle: https://michelleraabwrites.com/ https://michelleraabmarketing.com/ https://worldindiewarriors.org/ Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/   GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Thank you to patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost Victoria LK Williams Brett Jackson   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

J.D. Barker (Jonathan Dylan Barker) is an international bestselling American author whose work has been broadly described as suspense thrillers, often incorporating elements of horror, crime, mystery, science fiction, and the supernatural. His work has been revered by the likes of Stephen King, Josh Malerman, Tosca Lee and many more, and his career has seen collaborations on a number of projects including writing the official sequel to Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” with Stoker’s great-grandnephew, Dacre Stoker, and his most recent novel “Coast to Coast Murders” with none other than James Patterson. In this episode we go deep into: - What is J Thorn like to work with on the Writers Ink podcast - What benefits JD has found in starting a weekly podcast - Where JD’s journey started from - Taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves - What it means to be a book doctor - Getting permission from Stephen King - The importance of presenting yourself as a professional - The fear that comes with taking the plunge - All or nothing - JD’s relationship with imposter syndrome - Writing with James Patterson - Pantsing versus Plotting - Seizing every opportunity, despite the consequence - Top tip for making a career with writing - Changing landscape of self-publishing and traditional publishing - Importance of editing each book before pitching to agents - Your reputation and brand as an author - Why does JD write JD answers questions from Patrons: Holly Lyne: For Dracul, did you visit Whitby, and did you walk the steps? Faye Trask: What are your opinions on the tropes and cliches that have come from the Dracula stories? Find out more about JD: https://jdbarker.com/ Get your Great Writers Share merchandise! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Michael Anderle Yanni Jade Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost Victoria LK Williams Brett Jackson Faye Trask   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jenna Greene is a YA fantasy author from Alberta, Canada. She is known for the award-winning novel, REBORN, as well as the IMAGINE series. When she isn’t writing (or teaching), she is co-hosting the podcast “Quill and Ink: A Podcast for Book Lovers” with Miranda Oh. In this episode, we go deep into: - How Jenna got her to start writing - What a dragon boat coach is - Finding balance between teaching and writing - What makes a good YA novel - How YA audiences have changed over the years - What it’s like writing for a magazine - How podcasting has helped her writing - Why Jenna Greene writes Find out more about Jenna: https://www.jennagreene.ca/  https://twitter.com/jgreenewrites?lang=en https://twitter.com/podcastquill?lang=en https://www.amazon.com/Jenna-Greene/e/B07MFR13KY?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3&qid=1611584307&sr=8-3 Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/   GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to our patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Michael Anderle Yanni Jade Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost Victoria LK Williams Brett Jackson Faye Trask   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Laura Kendrick is a Manchester based multi genre author with a love of the strange and unusual. After years of putting off publishing properly (and one slightly failed attempt in 2018), in 2021 she hopes to finally unleash her madness on the world. This year will see the release of the swashbuckling fantasy adventure novels The Silverdeer Chronicles 1 & 2, plus a dystopian YA novel called Collarless. She is in the process of getting her Masters in Creative Writing and starting a podcast with fellow author Samantha Frost. Alongside writing she is the proud owner of a small menagerie and the complete collection of Diagnosis Murder Episodes and Diagnosis Murder Books. In this episode we go deep into: - Laura's writing journey so far… - Studying Creative Writing (MA) - First experiments in self-publishing - Current projects - What Laura learned writing her first novel - Using movies as inspiration - Fan fiction  - Handling criticism - Being authentically you - NaNoWriMo Bootcamp - Writing communities - The Ma’am Aight Queens podcast Find out more about Laura: https://www.laurakendrick.com/ https://www.instagram.com/betterlatethannovel/  Links from the show: The Ma’am Aight Queens podcast - https://linktr.ee/themaamaightqueens  Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/   GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost Victoria LK Williams Brett Jackson   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Paul Michael Anderson is the author of the collection  Bones Are Made to Be Broken, which Jack Ketchum called “a dark carnival of rigorous intelligence and compassion, the title novella alone of which is well worth the price of admission”, as well as the novellas I Can Give You Life, and How We Broke (with Bracken MacLeod), and dozens of short stories, articles, and reviews.   His new novella Standalone launches tomorrow (as of the time of recording), and Stephen Graham Jones describes it as “A metaphysical science fiction slasher that doesn’t scrimp on the gore and might just get you rooting for the guy with the machete, the ax, the knife, and that certain glint in his eye that lets you know it’s all over.”  In this episode we go deep into: - Paul’s entry into blogging and building his website - How Paul wrote his way out of a driving ticket - Balance content and expectation with a knowledge of your privilege - Why Paul writes fiction alongside his blogging - Paul’s encounter with a fan that spurred on his writing - Paul’s journey into horror writing - How Paul got featured in collections with such heavy-hitters of the genre - Building a reputation in the short story world - What to look for when entering into an anthology - Why writing short stories is a numbers game - Why “Standalone” was the book that ’needed to be written.' - The power of the anti-hero and moral murkiness - How to approach people to blurb your book - Why Paul writes Find out more about Paul: Twitter: @P_M_Anderson https://thenothingspace.net/ Links from the show: www.danielwillcocks.com Stephen King’s "Pet Semetery" https://books2read.com/u/bw7kDy Jack Ketchum https://www.jackketchum.net/ Joe R Lansdale http://www.joerlansdale.com/ Harlan Ellison https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlan_Ellison Get your Great Writers Share merchandise! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost Victoria LK Williams Brett Jackson  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chris Allen has written, edited, and designed dozens of tabletop gaming products since 2005, including roleplaying games, board games, and miniatures games, and shows no signs of stopping any time soon. He has contributed to major game lines such as the World of Darkness and Trinity Continuum, and worked on licensed tie-ins for a broad spectrum of properties including Starship Troopers, Babylon 5, and 2000AD. His design work extends to live action roleplaying, where he served on the plot team for the major UK fest LARP, Empire, for several years. Chris is also a published short fiction author and is currently writing a tie-in novella for Trinity Continuum: Æon. Chris believes that tabletop games, albeit played increasingly via virtual tabletops, provide an important creative outlet for their participants and a different method of interacting with the resulting in-the-moment fiction to that traditionally provided by other forms of story media. Chris was born in Thailand, but these days lives in Bristol with his wife and two children. In this episode, we go deep into: - How Chris got started with roleplaying and how that led to storytelling and writing - Transitioning to writing and publishing in the games industry - Chris's background as an editor - Writing for licensed properties, such as Starship Troopers and Babylon 5 - Working in someone else's sandpit - The limitations of using stills from TV as artwork for licensed games - Skirting burnout and reduced enjoyment for certain intellectual properties – draining the magic - Coping with fan reactions - Creating products to enable other people to create fanfiction and the layers of storytelling from game designer, to games master, to players, to game fiction - Collaboration at the production end of games design - Setting or mechanics first and how this varies - The effect of being a gamer and a games writer and the feedback loop created - The bleed effect when people get very into their characters - Gamers intentionally seek out dark themes as a form of catharsis and the importance of consent and safety tools - Writing for live action roleplaying games - Chris's writing process for his fiction - Chris answers a question from patron, Jo about managing his workload Connect with Chris: On Twitter: @Acrozatarim His Very Angry Dogs game is streamed at https://www.twitch.tv/paleo_gaming/videos/all Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/   GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost Victoria LK Williams Brett Jackson   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this weeks’ episode, Daniel Willcocks, Holly Lyne, John Crinan, and Faye Trask sit down as a group to discuss the things they’re thankful for in 2021, what they plan to achieve in 2021, and we answer questions from Patreon (with an extra special song worthy snippet thrown in). From all of us at the Great Writers Share team, we hope you have a prosperous and productive 2021! Find out more about your hosts: https://danielwillcocks.com/ https://hblyne.com/ https://www.johncrinan.com/ https://www.instagram.com/writerfayetrask/ Links from the show: https://danielwillcocks.com/bootcamp https://unstoppableauthors.wordpress.com/ Next Level Authors podcast https://pod.link/1508555372 Get your Great Writers Share merchandise! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of the Great Writers Learn miniseries, "Writes & Wrongs,” bestselling authors John L. Monk and Daniel Willcocks talk about their experiences with bad behaviors, highlighting bad author practices, suggesting alternatives, and holding each other to account on past mistakes. Discussing personal stories from their collected decade of publishing experience, you’ll get the breakdown of their top tips to ensure you’re author journey is unmarred by the mistakes of the past. Listen to the Great Writers Share podcast: https://pod.link/1473869415  Become a Patron over at https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare Join the Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/great...  Find out more about Daniel Willcocks: https://www.danielwillcocks.com/  Find out more about John L Monk: https://john-l-monk.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/greatwritersshare  OFFICIAL Merchandise available! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch...  BUY ‘Collaboration for Authors’: https://books2read.com/collaboration  Special thanks to:  Intro vocals: Persephone Rose  Show theme: Karl Hughes  Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare  Thank you to my current patrons:  David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of the Great Writers Learn miniseries, "Writes & Wrongs,” bestselling authors John L. Monk and Daniel Willcocks talk about the intricacies of author brand, sharing the pros and cons, and how to develop an effective brand, should you wish to. Discussing personal stories from their collected decade of publishing experience, you’ll get the breakdown of their top tips to ensure you’re building a solid author brand that’ll have you selling books for years to come. Listen to the Great Writers Share podcast: https://pod.link/1473869415  Become a Patron over at https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare Join the Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/great...  Find out more about Daniel Willcocks: https://www.danielwillcocks.com/  Find out more about John L Monk: https://john-l-monk.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/greatwritersshare  OFFICIAL Merchandise available! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch...  BUY ‘Collaboration for Authors’: https://books2read.com/collaboration  Special thanks to:  Intro vocals: Persephone Rose  Show theme: Karl Hughes  Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare  Thank you to my current patrons:  David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of the Great Writers Learn miniseries, "Writes & Wrongs,” bestselling authors John L. Monk and Daniel Willcocks talk genre hopping, analyzing the pros and cons of switching genres and the effect it has to an author’s career. Discussing personal stories from their collected decade of publishing experience, you’ll get the breakdown of their top tips to ensure you’re building a solid path towards publishing success, no matter the genre. Listen to the Great Writers Share podcast: https://pod.link/1473869415  Become a Patron over at https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare Join the Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/great...  Find out more about Daniel Willcocks: https://www.danielwillcocks.com/  Find out more about John L Monk: https://john-l-monk.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/greatwritersshare  OFFICIAL Merchandise available! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch...  BUY ‘Collaboration for Authors’: https://books2read.com/collaboration  Special thanks to:  Intro vocals: Persephone Rose  Show theme: Karl Hughes  Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare  Thank you to my current patrons:  David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of the Great Writers Learn miniseries, "Writes & Wrongs,” bestselling authors John L. Monk and Daniel Willcocks talk marketing for authors, exploring the platforms that have worked for them, the tactics that continue to work today, paid advertising, and the no-no’s of author behavior when it comes to book marketing. Discussing personal stories from their collected decade of publishing experience, you’ll get the breakdown of their top tips to ensure you’re building solid connections and selling books over the long term. Listen to the Great Writers Share podcast: https://pod.link/1473869415  Become a Patron over at https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare Join the Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/great...  Find out more about Daniel Willcocks: https://www.danielwillcocks.com/  Find out more about John L Monk: https://john-l-monk.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/greatwritersshare  OFFICIAL Merchandise available! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch...  BUY ‘Collaboration for Authors’: https://books2read.com/collaboration  Special thanks to:  Intro vocals: Persephone Rose  Show theme: Karl Hughes  Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare  Thank you to my current patrons:  David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of the Great Writers Learn miniseries, "Writes & Wrongs,” bestselling authors John L. Monk and Daniel Willcocks talk genre expectations for authors, covering the basis of post-apocalyptic, fantasy, romance, cosy mystery, and litrpg to name a few. Discussing personal stories from their collected decade of publishing experience, you’ll get the breakdown of their top tips to ensure you’re hitting tropes and making sure readers love your books. Listen to the Great Writers Share podcast: https://pod.link/1473869415  Become a Patron over at https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare Join the Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/great...  Find out more about Daniel Willcocks: https://www.danielwillcocks.com/  Find out more about John L Monk: https://john-l-monk.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/greatwritersshare  OFFICIAL Merchandise available! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch...  BUY ‘Collaboration for Authors’: https://books2read.com/collaboration  Special thanks to:  Intro vocals: Persephone Rose  Show theme: Karl Hughes  Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare  Thank you to my current patrons:  David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of the Great Writers Learn miniseries, "Writes & Wrongs,” bestselling authors John L. Monk and Daniel Willcocks talk book covers, dishing out their top 18+ tips on how to source a book cover that sells, and where to find a cover designer. Discussing personal stories from their collected decade of publishing experience, you’ll get the breakdown of their top tips and things to avoid. Listen to the Great Writers Share podcast: https://pod.link/1473869415 Become a Patron over at https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare Join the Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/great... Find out more about Daniel Willcocks: https://www.danielwillcocks.com/ Find out more about John L Monk: https://john-l-monk.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/greatwritersshare OFFICIAL Merchandise available! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch... BUY ‘Collaboration for Authors’: https://books2read.com/collaboration Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare Thank you to my current patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this week’s episode, Dan invites collaborator, author, and friend, Luke Kondor onto the show to talk all things creativity, learning, 2020, and plans for 2021. In this episode we go deep into: - The origin of Dan and Luke - Trying to remain productive in 2021 - Learning games development - Luke’s journey into publishing through small presses - The fleeting buzz of external validation - Making it in the publishing business and surrounding yourself in the art - Keeping on top of your mental health - How we’ve changed over our podcast careers - Bluster and bravado when starting out and why that’s not valuable - Getting started in podcasting - The secret to talking to Josh Malerman - Top interview guests from over the years - Our top podcasts for getting motivated - Flipping trinkets with Gary Vaynerchuk - Therapeutic nature of upcycling - Luke’s beard journey - The power of journaling to process life - Looking back over the last 1, 5, 10 years - Dan and Luke’s “Tough Mudder” experience - Enjoying the process, and conquering the obstacles along the way - Why Dan and Luke run, and how to deal with the discomfort - Parallels between writing and running - Why setting yourself constraints can make you more productive - Winning the day - Luke’s systems for getting things done - Finding the writer that you are - Writing fiction that means something and brings you joy - Greatest lesson learned from this year - What we're hoping to achieve in 2021 Find out more about Luke and Dan: https://danielwillcocks.com/ http://www.lukekondor.com/ Links from the show: The Story Studio podcast: https://pod.link/1140596479 Luke on GWS ep 001: https://pod.link/1473869415/episode/ZjZkZTAyZDYtZmRkZS00YTFmLWI0ZWYtMmUzYTlmNjQzNTA3 Hawk and Cleaver: http://www.hawkandcleaver.com/ Luke’s short film “Keith”: https://vimeo.com/125879832 Max Booth III on TSS ep 042: https://pod.link/1140596479/episode/MDM2ZjgzODQtMGExNy00NGVjLThjM2UtM2UwZWQzMjFkZDQy Josh Malerman on GWS ep 063: https://pod.link/1473869415/episode/MjMxZWU5ZDAtOGM2OS00ODc1LTlkODItMjQ4MjZhNzc3Zjll Jonathan Janz on GWS ep 027: https://pod.link/1473869415/episode/MDFkZDAxZjUtMzYyMy00NGU2LTg0M2YtYTRkMmYwMWZjZWM2 The Tim Ferriss Show: https://pod.link/863897795 Impact Theory w/ Tom Bilyeau: https://pod.link/1191775648 Danica Patrick: https://pod.link/1465014169 Gary Vaynerchuk: https://pod.link/928159684 Jack Conte's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Jackconte/featured Couch to 10k: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?hl=en-gb&id=com.c10kforpink Jerry Seinfeld on Tim Ferriss: https://pod.link/863897795/episode/Z2lkOi8vYXJ0MTktZXBpc29kZS1sb2NhdG9yL1YwLzg3Y3dlOXlXZFFPdDJ1WkJEU1RkSFVKeEJuTjlKdDgxN09jTldNa0UxUWM= Tough Mudder: https://toughmudder.co.uk/ Nuclear Races: https://nuclear-races.co.uk/ Streaks App: https://streaksapp.com/ Genre Therapy: https://sterlingandstone.net/genre-therapy/ They Rot series by Luke and Dan: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0753GJZLL?searchxofy=true&binding=kindle_edition&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt_tkin Rocket League: https://www.rocketleague.com/ Last of Us (Part II): https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/the-last-of-us-part-ii/ Yvon of the Yukon: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0233129/ Get your Great Writers Share merchandise! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost   See acast....

Victoria LK Williams writes Cozy Mysteries with a Tropical Twist. Her Citrus Beach Mystery series, Sister Station series, Storm Voices series and Mrs. Avery’s Adventures series are set in small south Florida towns, with fun characters and often a dog or cat (or two). Victoria can often be found writing from her south Florida home. Her two cats, Miss Marple, and Fletch, often join her at the desk each has their assigned spot whether to supervise her writing or watch the birds. She shares a love of gardening with her husband of 35 years and together they have penned a gardening handbook for any Florida gardeners needing a hand tackling the tricky conditions the state often throws their way. In this episode we go deep into: - What makes cozy mysteries different  - Where in the story her writing begins - Striking balance with intrigue and maintaining the cozy aspect - Florida Gardening - Advice for new writers - Why Victoria writes Find out more about Victoria: https://www.victorialkwilliams.com/home.html  Links from the show: Teespring https://teespring.com/en-GB  Writing Blog https://victorialkwilliams.blog  Gardening Blog https://gossipfromthesoutherngarden.blog  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SunSandandStoriesPublishing/  Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/   GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to our patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K Crys Cain Samantha Frost  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Samantha Frost is an actor and first-time novelist who recently took on the challenge of NaNoWriMo (to write 50,000 words in 30 days) and won in spectacular fashion, storming through her first draft in only 14 days and then completing her 2nd draft all before November 30th!   As an actor, she appeared in the feature film, SEAT 25, which won 'Best Pro Feature (Fiction)' and the 'RAW Jury Prize (Fiction)' at the RAW Science TV and Film Festival. Sam also wrote, directed, produced and starred in the short comedy film, Oak-Smoked. In this episode we go deep into: - Sam’s journey so far - The necessity of creativity  - About Sam’s NaNoWriMo project - Character-driven stories - What story is for - NaNoWriMo Bootcamp & Writing groups - Writing under pressure - High word count days - Mindset; or, Failure is not an option - Self-care  - Why Sam writes Find out more about Sam: https://www.instagram.com/Singlemumactor/ https://twitter.com/samfrost86 Samantha Frost author photo by Claire Grogan - http://www.clairegroganphotography.com/ Links from the show: https://www.danielwillcocks.com/bootcamp Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/   GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Laura K Sacha Black  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alesha Escobar writes fantasy to support her chocolate habit. She enjoys reading everything from Tolkien and the Dresden Files, to the Hellblazer comics and classic literature. She’s the author of the international bestselling Gray Tower Trilogy, an action-packed supernatural thriller set in an alternate World War II. The trilogy hit the bestsellers lists at Amazon (Top 60 in the entire Kindle store), as well as iBooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble online, and Amazon UK. Alesha is also the co-author of the bestselling Aria Knight Chronicles and Immortal Brotherhood series. Besides being a loving warrior mom to her six children, she enjoys crafts, consuming more coffee than is necessary, and spending time with her husband Luis, a 20-year art veteran for The Simpsons television show.   In this episode, we go deep into: ●     Alesha’s co-writing experiences and how she has learned from the writers she’s worked with. ●     How co-writing helps her to write faster ●     How she juggles writing multiple series ●     Managing six kids and a household around her writing ●     How Alesha cultivates and maintains a strong relationship with her readers ●     Being a person of colour and how to write diverse characters ●     The importance of research ●     How fiction can open readers up to learning new things ●     Getting covers with diverse models   Find out more about Alesha: https://www.aleshaescobar.com/   Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/ GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn   Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes   Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes.   Thank you to patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley Jo Sacha Black Laura K    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Josh Malerman is a New York Times bestselling author and also one of two singer/songwriters for the rock band The High Strung, whose song “The Luck You Got” can be heard as the theme song to the Showtime show “Shameless.”  His critically acclaimed novel, Bird Box has been adapted into a Netflix feature film starring Sandra Bullock, John Malkovich, and Sarah Paulson and was also nominated for the Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the James Herbert Award. The sequel novel, Malorie, was released earlier this year to roaring success, and his books Black Mad Wheel and Goblin have also been nominated for Stoker Awards. In this episode we go deep into: - What it is to be an artist in today’s world - The power of writing “the end” on your first novel - Josh’s early writing journey - How rough drafts can perform their own magic - Pacing yourself on larger projects - Experimenting with form and process - How consistency can aid the early writer - The different kinds of re-writes - What it means to be a Prolific - How the act of writing is its own optimism - Remaining humble under global attention - Helping others along their journey - Equality amongst artists - Keeping the momentum of a story alive for fourteen years - Giving books for free and earning karma - Why Josh writes Josh answers questions from Patrons: Faye Trask: How much say did you have when it came to turning Birdbox into a movie? Did you get to do anything neat like meet the actors or visit the set? Find out more about Josh: https://joshmalerman.com/ https://www.instagram.com/joshmalerman/ https://twitter.com/joshmalerman/ https://www.facebook.com/JoshMalerman/ Links from the show: https://www.danielwillcocks.com Josh Malerman’s This Is Horror interview: https://pod.link/599755380/episode/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhpc2lzaG9ycm9yLmNvLnVrLz9wPTMxNTk3 Malerman’s “Goblin”: https://books2read.com/u/b6Kvq0 Malerman’s “Malorie”: https://books2read.com/u/me79aV Malerman’s “Bird Box”: https://books2read.com/u/mKywq5 Get your Great Writers Share merchandise! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black  Laura K  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lucinda E Clark is an award-winning self-published writer of memoir and psychological thriller, a global traveler, scriptwriting lecturer, and owner of a South African video production company. She is the recipient of a number of awards, including a finalist for book excellence awards, the 2017 New Apple award for excellence in independent publishing, a two-time winner of the readers’ favorite book award, and a finalist in the Independent Author Network’s book of the year awards. Lucinda has lived a colorful life, having met Nelson Mandela, broadcasted with a bayonet at her throat, managed a rock band, gotten involved in a crowd at a public hanging, survived riots, dodged a hail of bullets as well as deportation from Libya In this episode we go deep into: - How managed a rock band - How traveling can impact your writing - Switching genres - How Lucinda fell into numerous jobs - How The very worst riding school came to be - Scriptwriting and her production company - Writing propaganda  - What it was like meeting Nelson Mandela - What makes the best Memoir and Psychological thrillers - The history of Umhlanga Press - Broadcasting with a Bayonet to her neck - Advice for new writers - Why Lucinda writes Find out more about Lucinda: https://www.lucindaeclarke.com/ Links from the show: Blog https://lucindaeclarke.wordpress.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lucindaeclarke.author Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/226303738779560/ Twitter https://twitter.com/LucindaEClarke Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/   GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Andy Conduit-Turner is a writer, editor, occasional quiz host and serial podcaster from the UK (mostly). Writing across a number of genres and mediums, He is a fan of horror, comedy, picking on the small details and has a spreadsheet for everything! Andy is one of the founders of Horde Comics and, in addition to his work there, several of Andy’s short stories have featured on The Other Stories podcast. He recently directed The Halloween Horrors of Old Mill Lane, a week-long audio production which starred Emily Booth in the lead role. In this episode we go deep into: - The Halloween Horrors of Old Mill Lane - Premiering podcast episodes on YouTube - Using audio adaptations of your stories in your portfolio - Write once, publish many - Working with Emily Booth - What the future holds for Old Mill Lane - The formation of Horde Comics - Keeping your story ideas manageable… Start small! - Writing for comics - Online comics communities - How to decide which medium best suits a story - Using spreadsheets to collaborate on big writing projects - Early storytelling experiences - Publishing contracts (Things to look out for) - Why Andy writes Find out more about Andy: https://twitter.com/AndyCTWrites https://www.hordecomics.com/ Links from the show: Selling Your Story – Peaks and Pitfalls of Publishing Contracts – https://superandyt.tumblr.com/post/622286140908666881 The Awesome Comics Podcast – https://awesomecomics.podbean.com/ Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/ GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to our patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jessie Shedden is a British-Australian chicken-loving, cult-escaping badass woman, who has become a sought-after speaker, consultant and inspirational author of Those Boots Were Made For Walking. Jessie is an entrepreneur, coach, author, chicken mom, internationally published model and motivational speaker. After 23 years of bullying for her appearance, and with her self-esteem deeply eroded, she decided to create a life where she could be herself, experience freedom and independence, and develop the confidence she'd never known. Jessie now helps other women become the most successful version of themselves in their lives, relationships and businesses, through her mindset course and practical wisdom on releasing confidence blocks. With her rustic Western charm and authentic personality, she shares her personal journey of creating freedom and independence, and finding love on her own terms. In this episode we go deep into: - The limitations that she grew up with as part of a cult - Her writing background - The system she used to write her book in 40 days - The transformative act of writing a memoir - The pushback from her old community over the book - The thought processes behind her decision to independently publish - Her plans to write a follow up book - Her move into motivational speaking and working with women to empower themselves Jessie answers questions from Patrons: - Dan: What one piece of advice would you give to someone who's heading into the coach and personal development space to help them embrace the role and grow their business? Find out more about Jessie: https://www.jessieshedden.com/ Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/   GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley Jo Sacha Black Laura K  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On today’s show, we forego the usual Great Writers Share format, as we turn off the lights, ignite some candles, place our Jack-o-Lanterns in the windows and invite the monsters in for a special Halloween episode of, what our guests have lovingly dubbed, the Great Writers Scare podcast. The premise is simple. Four horror writers. Ninety minutes of unfiltered time to discuss all things horror writing. But who are these other three writers, you might be wondering.  Joining Dan today we have one of our regular co-hosts, sci-fi and horror author, John Crinan, as well as two powerhouses in the horror community. I’m excited to welcome back to the show, the founder and host of the This Is Horror podcast, Michael David Wilson, and to say hello for the first time to his glamorous (but haunting) co-host, Bob Pastorella. In this episode we go deep into: - Why do we write horror? - Our earliest horror experiences - Why are we not repulsed by horror? - What has 2020 brought to horror, and how has the pandemic shaped writers of the genre? - Michael and Bob’s new book, “They’re Watching" - Michael and Bob’s collaboration process when writing the book - John Crinan’s story as featured on Hawk & Cleaver’s “The Halloween Horrors of Mill Lane” limited series - The Other Stories anthology, edited by Daniel Willcocks Find out more about Dan, John, Michael, and Bob: www.danielwillcocks.com https://www.johncrinan.com/ https://www.michaeldavidwilson.co.uk/ https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/about/staff/bob-pastorella/ Links from the show: Michael’s Interview on the show: https://pod.link/1473869415/episode/NmM2NWRjMTctZDA3Yy00Y2VlLWI0N2MtMTA5NDMxODQ2MTlm Michael and Bob’s, "They’re Watching": https://books2read.com/u/4A7YGd Michael David Wilson’s, "The Girl in the Video": https://books2read.com/u/b5krzR Bob Pastorella’s "Mojo Rising": https://books2read.com/u/m2Mvn7 Chuck Palahniuk’s “Guts”: http://readfulltext.blogspot.com/2013/10/guts-by-chuck-palahniuk.html Let’s Scare Jessica to Death: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067341/ Night of the Living Dead: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/ Texas Chainsaw Massacre: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072271/ Poltergeist: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084516/ Stephen King’s “Cujo”: https://books2read.com/u/bQd9Xd An American Werewolf in London: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082010/ Get your copy of “They’re Watching” from This Is Horror: https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/shop/ The Other Stories podcast (The Halloween Horrors of Mill Lane): https://pod.link/theotherstories http://www.emilybooth.co.uk/ The Other Side Anthology: https://books2read.com/tosanthology Listen to This Is Horror podcast: https://pod.link/599755380 Get your Great Writers Share merchandise! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

V. S. Holmes is an international bestselling author. They created the REFORGED series and the NEL BENTLY BOOKS. Smoke and Rain, the first book in their fantasy quartet, won New Apple Literary's Excellence in Independent Publishing Award in 2015 and a Literary Titan Gold in 2020. In addition, they have published short fiction in several anthologies. When not writing, they work as a contract archaeologist throughout the northeastern U.S. They live in a Tiny House with their spouse, a fellow archaeologist, their not-so-tiny dog, and own too many books for such a small abode. As a disabled and queer human, they work as an advocate and educator for representation in SFF worlds. In this episode we go deep into: - V’s tiny home and how that came into being - What the life of a contract archeologist looks like - How V got into writing and what fuels that passion - How V won their awards, and what the process looked like in the five years between - V’s understanding of complex political structures and how they apply that to their writing - What is that bone behind them on camera? - V's approach to genre hopping and how that affects their writing - What is Amphibian Press and how does that changes their publishing process - What’s the secret behind raising the voices of marginalized voices? - What are the common mistakes people make when writing queer or disabled characters - The importance of at least trying to write the voices of characters outside your comfort zone - Working with sensitivity readers as part of your writing process - V recommends an example for reading queer voices - Working and building a collaborative universe - How to market books in a collaborative universe - Managing conflict and disagreements when you go your separate ways in a collaborative arrangement - Exploring the possibilities of direct selling through your own website - Managing pen names across genres - Why V writes Find out more about V.S. Holmes: https://vsholmes.com/index.html https://www.facebook.com/authorvsholmes/ https://twitter.com/VS_Holmes https://www.instagram.com/vs_holmes/ Links from the show: The Other Side anthology: https://www.devilsrockpublishing.com/theotherside 9 Things Career Authors Don’t Do, Marketing: https://books2read.com/u/bPKVOz Dan’s Boot Camp: https://www.danielwillcocks.com/bootcamp O. E. Tearmann’s “Aces High, Jokers Wild” series: https://www.amazon.com/Hands-Were-Given-Aces-Jokers/dp/B07TMGQLBL/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=o+e+tearmann&qid=1603124448&sr=8-3 Get your Great Writers Share merchandise! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black Laura K  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Julia Scott is a British author, whose goal is to take you out of ‘regular life’ and teleport you to new worlds and alternate futures through her writing. The Mirror Souls is her debut novel, and like many sci-fi and fantasy books, it started off as a dream. In her ‘other’ life, Julia lives in Essex, England with her husband and two children. She spends her time mum-ing, writing, prettifying books (via Evenstar Books), graphic designing, singing, and digging or planting stuff up in the garden without really knowing what she’s doing. In this episode we go deep into: - How Julia got started as a new author - The difficulty of writing the second book after such a well-received debut - Her history as a graphic designer - How she wound up being such an in-demand formatter - The common mistakes authors make when formatting their own books - Having multiple streams of income - the pros and cons - Her formatting course, The Book Formatting Formula - And why she writes Find out more about Julia: https://www.evenstarbooks.com/ https://www.juliascottwrites.com/ Links from the show: NaNoWriMo Bootcamp: https://www.danielwillcocks.com/bootcamp Holly’s new release: www.bookst2read.com/fate-blue-moon Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/   GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley Jo Sacha Black Laura K  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ben Errington is a writer from Bristol, UK. With debut novel ‘Ten Tales of the Human Condition’ and novella ‘Dye Pack’ under his belt, Ben’s fast-paced, chaotic, cinematic style has earned him many plaudits. He co-created the post-apocalyptic Luchador comic book El Marvo with Luke Kondor and is the co-host of horror movie discussion podcast Horror Hangout. He’s also a member of the storytelling collective Hawk & Cleaver and one of the minds behind the highly successful fiction podcast ‘The Other Stories’, which releases original narrated horror, science-fiction and fantasy shorts every week. In this episode we go deep into: - Publishing his first short story quickly - Public accountability - The early days of Hawk and Cleaver - Using the momentum from small wins to complete his first novel - Imposter syndrome - Gaining Confidence as a writer - Trusting the process - Collaboration  - Designing his own book covers before starting to write - Tips for authors working with their cover designer  - The importance of positivity on social media - Curating your social feeds - Writing for an audience of one - Repurposing content Find out more about Ben: https://linktr.ee/ben_errington https://twitter.com/ben_errington https://www.instagram.com/ben_errington/ Links from the show: https://play.acast.com/s/thehorrorhangout https://www.danielwillcocks.com/bootcamp Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/   GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Faye Trask has had a love for writing and telling stories since she was a little girl. She was immediately drawn into the world of fantasy and science fiction. Throughout her schooling her passion grew. she put her writing on hold to serve in the US military. When not working at her day job or on her debut novel she can be found in the woods of Maine camping, hiking or trail riding with her fiancé and their dog.  In this episode we go deep into: - Where Faye’s love of writing started from - Why Faye used to get distracted in English classes, and how that led to her teaching parts of the curriculum - The importance of exploring your imagination and holding onto that muscle - Dropping out of college and joining the military - The existential crisis of leaving the military - How Faye rediscovered her creative muscle - Discovering writers on YouTube and falling down the rabbit hole of indie - Lessons learned from Neil Gaiman and Jenna Moreci - How Faye approaches finding the right bits of learning, and how to digest the lessons learnt - Approaching your second novel and learning from your process - Faye’s writing process and how to squeeze words in during the day job - Understanding that your first book is likely not going to be your best book - Immersing yourself in craft books and getting into the weeds in the words - Approaching the next steps of publishing your book as a first time author - Why finding the right author communities helps to keep you accountable - Using lessons from the military to keep you accountable - Making it through burnout and getting back to the page - Why Faye writes Find out more about Faye: https://www.instagram.com/writerfayetrask/ Links from the show: Jenna Moreci’s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS_fcv9kBpDN4WWrfcbCrgw Neil Gaiman’s Masterclass https://www.masterclass.com/classes/neil-gaiman-teaches-the-art-of-storytelling Jenna’s Livestream with Meg LaTorre and Sacha Black https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqw89UXrL7o&t=336s&ab_channel=iWriterly Jenna’s Interview on Great Writers Share https://pod.link/1473869415/episode/NjQzMjU1ZDgtMDJlMi00MDlhLTgzNTItMGE5YmU2Y2E4M2Jk Three Story Method https://books2read.com/u/4jWkwv Save the Cat https://books2read.com/u/bzj5a9 Jenna’s Tips for Writing Fight Scenes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM4lWE3qwBo&t=512s Rebel Author Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/rebelauthors https://thecareerauthor.com/summit2021/ Get your Great Writers Share merchandise! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo Sacha Black  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jennie Nash is the founder and chief creative officer of Author Accelerator, a company on a mission to help writers write books worth reading. Since the company’s inception, writers serious about reaching readers have trusted Jennie to coach their projects from inspiration to publication. Her clients have landed top New York agents, national book awards, and deals with houses such as Scribner, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette. Jennie is the author of 9 books in 3 genres. She taught for 13 years in the UCLA Extension Writer’s Program, is an instructor at CreativeLive.com  and speaks on podcasts and at writing conferences all over the country. In this episode we go deep into: - Jennie’s love of Seth Godin and how the start-up world can translate into the craft of writing - The importance of asking yourself ‘Why’ to zero in on your writing goals and focus - How Jennie found herself in the business of book coaching instead of writing - What exactly is book coaching, and why should authors consider it? - Why people expect writing to be an innate talent instead of something that you work on - Recognizing the true hard work of the writer journey - When to recognize that you need to switch business focus and turn from prioritizing writing to offering services - Embracing the modern changes in the publishing industry - How to confidently ensure that you’re actually helping writers with your services as a teacher and coach - The power of systems and processes in order to grow your business - Why coaches shouldn’t be tied to outcomes, but to processes - The importance of asking the right questions - The value of working with a coach who has been in the trenches as a writer - Why writers aren’t the best judge of their own work - Comparisons between personal trainers and book coaches - Changing your mindset on money and understanding your worth as an author - The importance of providing value to your clients and being honest with what they can expect - Why Jennie coaches Find out more about Jennie: https://bookcoaches.com/abc  https://www.authoraccelerator.com/ Links from the show: Wildviolet Creative Https://www.danielwillcocks.com Seth Godin's "Alt MBA” https://altmba.com/ Simon Sinek's "Start With Why" https://simonsinek.com/commit/start-with-why/ Creativity Inc https://books2read.com/u/3Gdj2a Lisa Kron’s Story Genius https://books2read.com/u/4NL299 Get your Great Writers Share merchandise! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ritu Bhathal is a blogger and author of fiction and poetry. She was born in Birmingham in the mid-1970s to migrant parents, hailing from Kenya but with Indian origin. Ritu’s colourful background has been a constant source of inspiration to her. From childhood, the joy of reading spurred her on to become creative in her writing, from fiction to poetry, winning small competitions at school and locally along the way. As well as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and teacher, Ritu also writes on her award-winning blog butismileanyway.com, which was awarded first place in the Best Overall Blog Category at the 2017 Annual Bloggers Bash Awards, and Best Book Blog in 2019. Ritu is happily married and living in Kent, with her Hubby Dearest, and two children, not forgetting the fur baby Sonu Singh. In this episode we go deep into: - Where Ritu’s journey began - How life can prioritize over writing - Starting a blog on a whim without a plan - Indian family customs - How writing groups and accountability can help lift you up and keep you on track - Publishing Poetry vs a Novel - How having a support system is instrumental in the writing process - Stationary and her vast collection of brush pens - Being realistic when it comes to balancing everyday life and getting words written - What her writing advice is for new writers Ritu answers questions from Patrons: - Yanni Jade: What was the most surprising part of your writing/publishing journey? Is there anything that stands out as particularly spectacular? - Dan Willcocks: What lessons did the school competitions teach you to prepare for writing longer works?      - Meg Cowley: How do you take care of yourself and carve out time to create/publish/etc. Find out more about Ritu: https://ritubhathal.com Links from the show: Ritu’s blog: https://butismileanyway.com Get your Great Writers Share merchandise! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

V Castro is a Mexican American writer originally from Texas who now resides in the UK. She is the author of Maria the Wanted, Hairspray and Switchblades, along with the other upcoming horror titles: Goddess of Filth, Queen of the Cicadas and Mestiza Blood (all coming soon).   Recently, during lockdown, V co-founded Fright Girl Summer: an online book festival to promote women in horror with an emphasis on women from marginalized communities. In this episode we go deep into: - How lockdown and current events have affected V’s creativity - The writing of V’s first book, Maria the Wanted - Writing without a plan - Hopping between projects - Why V writes horror - Writing in the erotic horror subgenre - On writing what you wants to read - Cultivating a diverse reading list  - Fright Girl Summer - Writing short stories for submission calls - Playing with genre tropes  - Writing to music - Using dreams as inspiration for stories - Editing an anthology and boosting other authors - V’s approach to social media Find out more about V: https://www.vvcastro.com/  https://twitter.com/vlatinalondon https://www.instagram.com/vlatinalondon/  Links from the show: https://www.frightgirlsummer.com/  Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/   GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Great Writers Share podcast. In this bonus mini episode of the show, Dan talks to J. Thorn about his latest non-fiction experiment, how it works, what he's hoping to achieve, and how it can help authors with their careers. If you have suggestions for more content like this that you'd like to see from the show, then get in touch! Links: See the series: http://getbook.at/9thingsseries Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes BUY 'COLLABORATION FOR AUTHORS': https://books2read.com/collaboration Find out more about the Great Writers Share podcast at https://danielwillcocks.com/greatwritersshare Become a Patron over at https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare Join the Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare Instagram: https://instagram.com/greatwritersshare OFFICIAL Merchandise available! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare Thank you to my current patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade HB Lyne Meg Jolly Jo  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Autumn Birt is an award-winning and best selling author of almost 20 books. Her second epic fantasy series, Games of Fire, has received tremendous critical reviews and book 2, Gates of Fire & Earth, is also a Fantasia Reviews 2017 Book of Year nominee and winner of Best Worldbuilding. She writes epic and dark fantasy, with a bit of post-apocalyptic mayhem thrown in. Oh, and somehow a few non-fiction books have snuck into life as well, including stories of Yurt living (in Maine, in the winter …) and real-life travel adventures with her husband as well as writing help books co-written with her writing partner, Jesper Schmidt. She is also a graphic artist when not typing away or motorcycling, hiking, paddling, or chasing her small dog through the Vermont woods. In this episode we go deep into: - Autumn’s route to writing via a career in conservation and then art - Learning how to make book covers - How she came to collaborate with her business partner - Going travelling after quitting her job - Business ideas coming to her while hiking in Canada - Talking to her characters in her head - Selling everything to live in a yurt - How the American Dream can kill YOUR dream - Running a business and writing books from the passenger seat of her truck - Cooking with limited facilities - Brainstorming with understanding partners - Writing allowing us to take on other personas - The Ultimate Fantasy Writers Guide course Find out more about Autumn: https://www.autumnwriting.com/ https://www.amwritingfantasy.com/ Links from the show: The Ultimate Fantasy Writers Guide course: https://ultimatefantasywritersguide.com/main/?affiliates=15 The FREE mini-course: http://ultimatefantasywritersguide.com/starter-kit/?affiliates=15 Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/ GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley Jo  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this week’s episode, Dan celebrates 50 episodes of the Great Writers Share podcast by inviting back some old favorite guests of the show to share their one piece of advice they would give to writers to carry them from 2020 into 2021. Featured writers and time stamps: - 00:09:19 – Michael Anderle - 00:11:40 – Craig Falconer - 00:16:25 – Clare Littlemore - 00:21:45 – Sacha Black - 00:23:48 – John L Monk - 00:26:42 – Jonathan Janz - 00:32:04 – Jenna Moreci - 00:34:36 – Rachael Herron - 00:38:03 – J. Thorn - 00:41:16 – Meg LaTorre - 00:42:47 – Joanna Penn New hosts Dan also announces some brand new additions to the podcast, introducing authors Holly Lyne, John Crinan, and Faye Trask to the Great Writers Share team. We also announce how the changes will affect you, and some improvements to the Great Writers Share Patreon page and community. Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/ GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Links from the show: LMBPN https://lmbpn.com/ Million Dollar Outlines by David Farland https://books2read.com/u/4DW0Nr Next Level Author podcast https://pod.link/1508555372 Great Writers Learn https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnHiLyMYRGJmcwsTqpc7D7aBrlJETI8DX The Rebel Author Podcast https://pod.link/rebelauthor How Do You Write Podcast https://pod.link/1122159165 The Author Life https://theauthorlife.com/ Writing with Jenna Moreci https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS_fcv9kBpDN4WWrfcbCrgw Rachael Herron’s Decision Tree https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RlFzFRFUhpyKdpU6qcXvanrZXq47ZVhT/view?usp=sharing iWriterly https://iwriterly.com/ The Creative Penn podcast https://pod.link/309426367 Unstoppable Author Podcast https://pod.link/1403887471 A Nice Chianti podcast https://pod.link/1478166074 Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Meg LaTorre is a bestselling science fiction and fantasy author, YouTube darling and founder of iWriterly, creator of the free query critique platform, Query Hack, co-host of the Publishable show, and blogger. Formerly, she worked at a literary agency, and she has a background in magazine publishing, medical/technical writing, and journalism. Needless to say, words are her thing.  In her free time, Meg enjoys spending time with her husband and son, running, going to Renaissance faires and comic cons, and napping. In this episode we go deep into: - How to take time off when you have a busy platform to maintain - How Meg got into the writing game - The importance of just taking that first step into writing - How Meg’s previous experience at a literary agency gave her a unique lens on publishing her new book, The Cyborg Tinkerer - Why Meg chose to self-publish her book - What are indie authors ignoring that traditional publishers are killing it at - Why Meg dived into the YouTube game and how she found success on the platform - How Meg dealt with imposter syndrome when starting her YouTube channel - The reality of being a writer on YouTube - What type of person you have to be to make it on YouTube - How to successfully manage a busy life as a YouTuber, author, mum, and wife - Meg’s advice for authors looking to YouTube in 2020/21 - Why Meg writes Meg answers questions from Patrons: - Yanni Jade  I love iWriterly! Her episodes are so helpful! Given there is the Pandemic going on...do you know what this would mean for the Traditional publishing side of things? - Sacha Black: How she write such a good 3-way sex scene? Find out more about Meg: iWriterly YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKeBsBrWDtIBrnrCkxHo5MQ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meg_latorre/ https://iwriterly.com/ Links from the show: The Cyborg Tinkerer: https://www.amazon.com/Cyborg-Tinkerer-Curious-Case-Circus-ebook/dp/B089M9YNSB/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+cyborg+tinkerer&qid=1597521785&sr=8-1 Think Media YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGxjDWAN1KwrkXYVi8CXtjQ Think Marketing YTT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKegeYEy0lJxpkjWRthaRMw Eisenhower Matrix: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_91.htm Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/ GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

James Blatch is a former BBC Defence Reporter and a former BBFC Film Examiner. He reported for the BBC on the UK military from, among other places, HMS Invincible, Kuwait, the Arctic Circle as well as covering the UK air offensive during the Kosovo Conflict in 1999.   However, you probably know James Blatch as one of the voices of the incredibly rich and popular Self Publishing Formula podcast which he co-hosts with thriller author Mark Dawson. James is also a director of the Self Publishing Formula Limited, an online course provider for independent authors, of which I have personally benefited from. In this episode we go deep into: - What 3 things James would never leave the house without - Where Jame’s writing journey began - Why NaNoWriMo helped James finish his first project - The challenge between switching from journalistic writing to fiction writing - The evolutionary journey of a 10-year novel - How being surrounded by other writers with the SPF podcast has influenced how James approaches his next works - Why you should always think of writing the next book - The origin of James’ involvement in the Self Publishing Formula podcast - What are the lessons learned from working with Mark Dawson and running the podcast - Getting over imposter syndrome by humanizing other authors - The pressure that comes with launching a first book when you’ve already got a large podcast platform - How to keep the pressure of waiting readers at bay when writing - When are we going to see The Last Flight published? - Why does James write James answers questions from Patrons: - H.B. Lyne: How do you use your journalism background in your writing? - Meg Jolly: James, is the book done yet?!? - Ian J Middleton: I really enjoyed listening to James on Writers Ink the other week. From his experience in journalism, does he have any tips for interviewing people? - Sacha Black: How many pints does James owe me now for not publishing by LBF? Find out more about James: https://selfpublishingformula.com/ https://www.jamesblatch.com/ Links from the show: J Thorn’s “9 Things”series: http://getbook.at/9thingsseries The Creative Penn Episode 500: https://pod.link/309426367/episode/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlY3JlYXRpdmVwZW5uLmNvbS8_cD0zMTc4OA== Ads for Authors course: https://selfpublishingformula.com/courses/ Author Accelerator: https://www.authoraccelerator.com/ Get more from Great Writers Share! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/ GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jeff Adams and Will Knauss are both writers of gay romance fiction, as well as the hosts of both the Big Gay Fiction Podcast (a podcast aimed at sharing their love for gay romance fiction) and the Big Gay Author Podcast (in which they document their journey to full-time writerdom, interviewing successful indies along the way). Jeff and Will are a powerhouse couple in both business and life, residing in Northern California after more than twenty years of marriage. In this episode we go deep into: - How Jeff and Adam got into the writing game - How to keep the flame alive as a writer - What Jeff and Will’s collaboration looked like when they released their co-written novel - What were the pitfalls found in collaborating on a novel? - How to manage expectations on a series when the next book has fallen by the wayside - Marketing your books with content podcasts - The growth journey of a podcast - How to maintain your interest in your podcast after years of publishing - Jeff and Will’s shared experience in writing gay romance fiction - The best place to start when writing gay romance fiction - The truth behind the gay romance reader base and community - How COVID has affected Jeff and Will’s writing process and schedule - How to confidently write gay characters - Why do Jeff and Will write Jeff and Will answers questions from Patrons: - Jenn Mitchell: Even the smoothest of collaborations will occasionally have a difference of opinion so I'm curious how you deal with this. Does the fact that you're not just co-authors but a real life couple impact how you work out a writing related difference. Is it harder or easier since you know each other on a deeper level than most co-authors would. - Sacha Black: What’s your husbands best and worse working trait? Find out more about Jeff and Will: Jeffandwill.com Links from the show: Joanna Penn’s “Business for Authors” https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MQTR9HA/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i7 Romancing the Beat: https://books2read.com/u/4XnNkg Hockey Player’s Heart: https://books2read.com/u/4NL50G Big Gay Fiction podcast: https://pod.link/1055183594 Big Gay Author podcast: https://pod.link/1473717205 https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com/superchargeyourscene/ Get your Great Writers Share merchandise! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne Jo  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One of Horror’s most respected authors, Iain Rob Wright is the writer of more than twenty books, many of them bestsellers. A previous Kindle All-Star and a mainstay in the horror charts, he is a prolific producer of unique and original stories. From his apocalyptic saga The Gates to his claustrophobic revenge thriller ASBO, Iain writes across a broad spectrum of sub genres, creating both beloved series and standalone titles. With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook. In this episode we go deep into: - The reality behind the difficulty of making money in writing in 2020 - An insight into Iain’s writing journey from 2011 until present - How to be certain you can continue afloat as a full time writer - Iain’s attitude towards series and standalone books when it comes to horror - Writing what makes you happy - The importance of calculating read through in your series - Why the mailing list is the central pillar of a sustainable author career - The mess of the horror charts and if there’s an answer - How to serialize horror effectively - Iain’s attitude towards the ‘rapid release’ schedule - Advice to a fledgling horror author looking to start writing in 2020 - Iain’s attitude towards collaboration and how that has changed or not changed since 2017 - What it’s like to bring your spouse into your creative business - What it takes to actually make it into the author game in 2020 - Why Iain writes Find out more about Iain: https://iainrobwright.com/ Links from the show: The Story Studio, Ep 32. Iain Rob Wright (https://pod.link/1140596479/episode/NjRjYWY4NTYtNWViYS00YTA3LTlmOWUtYTEzZjI0YTA1MWEx The Final Winter https://books2read.com/u/4Eo7XM Mark Dawson’s Ads for Authors https://selfpublishingformula.com/courses/ Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kristina Rienzi is a Jersey Shore local, new adult author, certified professional coach, and the former president of Sisters in Crime-Central Jersey. An INFJ who dreams beyond big, Kristina encourages others (and herself) to embrace the unknown through her stories about fierce women risking their lives to become who they were always meant to be.  When she’s not writing or drinking wine, Kristina is spoiling her three fur-beasts, dissecting true crime stories, singing (and dancing) to Yacht Rock Radio, or rooting for the WVU Mountaineers. She believes in all things paranormal, a closet full of designer bags, weekly manicures, the Law of Attraction, aliens, angels, and the value of a graduate degree in psychology. In this episode we go deep into: - Kristina’s experiences with the paranormal - How Kristina’s writing journey started - The power of seeking honest criticism - What Kristina’s writing process looks like as a mother in the middle of a pandemic - Why the writing bug pushes Kristina to write while raising a human being - The battle of tackling parental guilt as a writer - Why Kristina got involved in writing groups, despite being a self-proclaimed introvert - The power of being a perpetual learner - How to keep on pushing when all you want to do is give up - Remembering that writing is supposed to be fun, so enjoy it - The journey from short story to full length novel - Being deliberate with your editors and not hiding from feedback - Protecting your writing time to get it done - Being humble enough to own your shortcomings so that you can continually improve - What it takes to become a writer coach and work with other writers - How to know your worth, instead of questioning it - The science of happy - Why being honest with yourself is the quickest way to success - How Kristina’s writing process has changed since writing her debut novel - How to pitch your novel to agents through Twitter - Why does Kristina write? Find out more about Kristina: https://kristinarienzi.com/ Links from the show: Choosing Evil: https://www.amazon.com/Choosing-Evil-Ensouled-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07GC842F5/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=choosing+evil+kristina+rienzi&qid=1595335356&sr=8-1 https://kristinarienzi.com/coaching/ Twitter pitches (#PITMAD): https://twitter.com/hashtag/pitmad?lang=en More information on Twitter pitching: https://www.bryndonovan.com/2020/03/03/what-is-pitmad-ill-tell-you-and-give-you-some-pitmad-tips/ Get your Great Writers Share merchandise! https://www.danielwillcocks.com/merch/gws GWS Press books: Collaboration for Authors: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure H.B. Lyne Meg Jolly  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Robert J. Sawyer is one of only eight writers ever to win all three of the world’s top awards for best science-fiction novel of the year: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the formerly titled John W. Campbell Memorial Award. He has also won the Robert A. Heinlein Award, the Edward E. Smith Memorial Award, and the Hal Clement Memorial Award; the top SF awards in China, Japan, France, and Spain; and a record-setting sixteen Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards (“Auroras”). Rob’s novel FlashForward was the basis for the ABC TV series of the same name, and he was a scriptwriter for that program. He also scripted the two-part finale for the popular web series Star Trek Continues. He is a Member of the Order of Canada, the highest honor bestowed by the Canadian government, as well as the Order of Ontario, the highest honor given by his home province; he was also one of the initial inductees into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. In this episode we go deep into: - How Robert cut his teeth in fiction - The power of the first generation of British science fiction - The changing landscape of audiobooks - Why artistic ambition is the secret to winning awards - The truth behind the politics of awards - The origin of Robert’s latest book "The Oppenheimer Alternative" - How Robert’s writing process has changed over the year - Why you don’t need to be a scientist to write science-fiction - Why Robert is moving into self-publishing for his latest book - Negotiating the rights for each market with your books - Adopting public domain works to promote the classics - How Robert manages the marketing and promotion of his author business - How Robert ended up receiving his Member of the Order of Canada - Why Robert J Sawyer writes Robert answers questions from Patrons: - Mark McClure: Are science fiction and speculative fiction two sides of the same genre? - How do you reward yourself when you've completed a project? - What would your profession be if you weren't a writer (or writing wasn't an option OR never existed)? Find out more about Robert: https://sfwriter.com/ Links from the show: The Oppenheimer Alternative: https://books2read.com/u/bwdyZv Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gemma Amor is a Bram Stoker Award-nominated horror fiction author, podcaster illustrator, and voice actor based in the UK. Her books include Cruel Works of Nature, the award-nominated Dear Laura, White Pines, and Till the Score is Paid. She's also the co-creator, writer and voice actor for horror-comedy podcast Calling Darkness, starring Kate Siegel.   Gemma's stories feature on the NoSleep podcast, Shadows at the Door, Creepy and the Grey Rooms podcast. You can find her in a number of horror anthologies, too. In this episode we go deep into: - The influence of Stephen King’s “Cujo." - How Gemma cut her teeth in writing - The power of actually finishing a story - The short story medium and getting yourself published - Playing with various mediums of art to satisfy the creative ache - Using Kickstarter to create, publish, and launch your book - The power of keeping things simple when writing a story - How draining it can be to give a story your all - The best ways to deal with criticism - Why does Gemma write Gemma answers questions from Patrons: - Ian J Middleton: what Must Read books would you put on a horror writers reading list? Find out more about Gemma: https://gemmaamorauthor.com/ https://twitter.com/manylittlewords https://www.instagram.com/manylittlewords/ Links from the show: Stephen King’s “Cujo” https://books2read.com/u/boEy60 Gemma’s Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/whitepines/white-pines-a-novel-and-audiobook-from-author-gemm White Pines on Amazon: https://books2read.com/u/mqrXVO Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade H.B. Lyne  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Garrett Robinson is the author of #1 bestselling Amazon fantasy series, “The Nightblade Epic”, a heroic fantasy saga with tens of thousands of avid readers. The epic is set in the land of Underrealm, alongside a second bestselling series, “The Academy Journals.” His imprint, Legacy Books, has published over 2 dozen fantasy titles, showcasing fresh writing talent in the genre. Garrett is also a filmmaker, and successful YouTube talent, with brand new vlogs hitting his channel every Friday.  In this episode we go deep into: - Garrett’s advice for anyone who hasn’t watched Hamilton yet - Garrett’s experience working in filmmaking, screenwriting, and directing, and how that segued into his writing career - The origins of his hit series “Underrealm" - Letting your story grow in your mind until you’re professionally ready to write it - Allowing yourself time to develop as an artist - The experience of writing and releasing serial fiction, and how that has changed over the years - How to come out of bouts of non-writing - Leveraging Patreon to create a sustainable career - Talking yourself through the tough stuff and coming out on the other side - Controlling your use of social media to avoid distraction and procrastination - The realities of living as a full-time creative - How global disruption affects your personal state - Putting yourself first before you reach out and start helping others - Generating real social change with your fiction - How to approach serialization as a writer - Keeping an eye on the long-term when creating your marketing strategies Garrett answers questions from Patrons: - Yanni Jade: "You're currently releasing your novel in episodes like with the previous books, what are the pros and cons to publishing this way?" - H.B. Lyne: Do you have any tips for balancing writing with YouTubing. How does he fit it all in? - Jenn Mitchell: Do you approach the story telling process the same way when writing and making a film? Are there differences between the two for you? Find out more about Garrett: https://underrealm.net/ Links from the show: Garrett’s Episode on “The Story Studio” https://open.spotify.com/episode/67ODq5qyQCZaS7jeUb3DvX?si=hrmrE3FKTUKy_Ej1SR2ciA A Cloak of Red, Brenna Gawain: https://www.amazon.com/Cloak-Red-Underrealm-Tenth-Kingdom-ebook/dp/B083RLS7DK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=a+cloak+of+red&qid=1593612588&sr=8-1 Garrett’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/garrettbrobinson Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Daniel Willcocks is an international bestselling author and podcaster of dark fiction. He is one fifth of digital story studio, Hawk & Cleaver, co-producer of iTunes-busting fiction podcast, 'The Other Stories,’ as well as the host of the 'Great Writers Share' podcast, in which he breaks down the strategies, tricks, and productivity habits of some of the best writers in the game today. Residing in the UK, Dan's work explores the catastrophic and the strange. His stories span the genres of horror, post-apocalyptic, and sci-fi, and his work has seen him collaborating with some of the biggest names in the independent publishing community. In this episode we go deep into: - Where did Dan’s collaboration journey began - Why Dan wrote a book on collaboration - How collaborations have impacted Dan’s career - The key mistakes authors make when they collaborate - What is the biggest takeaway from the book that authors need to understand - How to find a collaborator - How to deal with a collaboration gone wrong - Further resources for authors seeking collaboration Dan answers questions from Patrons: - Yanni Jade: What are some things to look for in a collaborative partner? - Yanni Jade: What are the positives of having collaborative partners? - Jenn Mitchell: How can you tell when a collaboration isn’t a good fit? Find out more about Dan: www.danielwillcocks.com Links from the show: Collaboration for Authors https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn J Thorn’s "American Demon Hunters" https://books2read.com/u/4AKKVK Craig Martelle "Collaborations: When the Whole Is Greater than the Sum of the Parts" https://books2read.com/u/b5ZZ1k J Thorn & Joanna Penn “Co-writing a Book” https://books2read.com/u/m2ZZNR Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Julie Hiner is a writer of dark crime, horror, and non-fiction.  Julie has been fascinated with the complexity of the dark mind of the serial killer and obsessed with trying to understand how murder can occur. Finding inspiration at a talk given by a local homicide detective, Julie surged down her new path to writing a dark, serial killer novel.  Julie's favorite parts of her new found writing process are the detailed research, creating an in-depth character and digging deep into his, her or its mind, and unleashing her inner artist on photos to create the cover and marketing material. In this episode we go deep into: - Julie’s journey into reading and writing - Dealing with anxiety around gaining weight - How “Just A Girl and a Bike” was born - How knowing less reduces the fear - Getting involved in writer’s groups and asking for help - The welcoming arms of other writers - How Julie first approached her publishing process - The differences between writing non-fiction and writing fiction - The reality behind the writing process - Finding yourself as a writer - The secret to creating the writing habit - Where the inspiration for horror and dark crime comes from - Embracing the visual side of horror to build a brand Find out more about Julie: Https://killersanddemons.com Links from the show: Collaboration for Authors https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn Just a Girl and a Bike: https://books2read.com/u/b6Zjnp Final Track by Julie Hiner: https://books2read.com/u/31qPvn Reading of “Twisted”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ezx67ExVdI&feature=emb_logo Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley H.B. Lyne  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jenna Moreci is a half-human, half-weaponized robot hellbent on overthrowing mankind. She’s also a best selling author specializing in so-cute-you-could-barf romance interspersed between extreme violence and bloodshed.  A Silicon Valley native, Jenna hosts a YouTube channel with over 210,000 subscribers (at the time of recording) where she uses her passion for storytelling and background in business to help other creators navigate their writing and publishing journey. When she’s not writing or ’tubing, Jenna enjoys listening to music, cuddling with her dog, and kissing her fiancé’s gorgeous face. Her other talents include prolific cursing, spilling/dropping things, accidentally making people cry, and cooking. In this episode we go deep into: - How Jenna accidentally makes so many people cry - How Jenna first got started with writing - Choosing passion over smarts - Jenna’s introduction into YouTube and how she made it work - What it takes to make it on YouTube - Why ‘being yourself’ is so important online - The success of “The 9 weird habits of writers" - Why you don’t need to wait until you’re published to start a YouTube channel - The importance of honesty - What it means to be a writer on YouTube - The harsh reality of being a woman on YouTube - Why writers should consider YouTube - A platform for superfine and multiple streams of revenue - How long does it take to make film, edit, and upload videos to YouTube - What the conversion rate is from YouTube hits to actual book sales - Targeting the right audiences and sticking with your gut - Jenna’s writing process for her latest books - Preserving mental wellbeing while juggling writing and caregiving - How Jenna keeps the creative well filled - Jenna’s love for Greek mythology and the foreshadowing dream - Why Jenna writes Jenna answers questions from Patrons: Yanni Jade:  How long did it take for you to write The Savior’s Sister and edit it to the point where you were happy with the end result? This week’s question: Based off the content of this week’s interview, I’m posing the question: How successfully do you engage with your readers and/or fans? Find out more about Jenna: https://www.jennamoreci.com/ https://www.youtube.com/jennamoreci https://twitter.com/jennamoreci https://www.instagram.com/jennamoreci/ https://www.facebook.com/authorjennamoreci The Savior’s Champion: https://amzn.to/2MLqzYp The Savior's Sister: https://amzn.to/2MHGPtu Links from the show: https://books2read.com/u/3G2jLn The Nine Weird Habits of Writers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpmE_gtZChY Jenna and Sacha Black, How to Become a Full-time Writer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozs-VRE1mjI&t=361s Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Drew Starling is an Amazon bestselling author of horror and dark fiction, a husband and dog dad who loves strong female leads, martial arts, and long walks in the woods with canine companions. He would like to think his plots are better than his prose, but strives to make his words sound both beautiful and terrifying at the same time. He listens to Beethoven, Megadeth, and Enya when he writes.  His only rule of writing: the dog never dies. In this episode we go deep into: - Why the dog never dies - Drew’s writing journey and how he’s gotten to where he is - How beneficial author communities are online - Why short stories are a great way create emotional insulation - The incredible influence of Stephen King - Whether the TV series of “The Outsider” was better or worse than the book - The power of the short story submission loop - Why short stories are a great way to build an author reputation - How to maximize your chances of getting short stories submitted and published - The benefits of real-time feedback in author communities - Using StoryGrid to edit your novel - Why something must happen in a scene - Drew’s writing process - Why you shouldn’t measure success in words written - Finding a relationship that complements your writing career - Why Drew writes Drew answers questions from Patrons: Ian J Middleton: what Must Read books would you put on a horror writers reading list? This week’s question: What systems do you use to gain real-time feedback? Find out more about Drew: Get your free story https://www.drewstarling.com/dan Links from the show: Https://www.patreon.com/greatwritersshare Https://books2read.com/anatomyofprose https://www.doesthedogdie.com/ https://www.thenosleeppodcast.com/ https://www.cormacmccarthy.com/ https://www.amazon.com/N-K-Jemisin/e/B0028OIVC0/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8550800/ “Guts” by Chuck Palahniuk http://readfulltext.blogspot.com/2013/10/guts-by-chuck-palahniuk.html https://storygrid.com/ The Shining https://www.amazon.com/Shining-Stephen-King/dp/0345806786/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+shining&qid=1591020355&s=books&sr=1-1 It https://www.amazon.com/Novel-Stephen-King/dp/1982127791/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=it&qid=1591020343&s=books&sr=1-1 The Stand https://www.amazon.com/Stand-Stephen-King/dp/0307947300/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+stand&qid=1591020322&sr=8-1 The Elementals https://www.amazon.com/Elementals-Michael-McDowell/dp/1941147178/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+elementals&qid=1591020492&s=books&sr=1-1 Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade Meg Cowley  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Lindsay Weisner is the host of the Neurotic Nourishment Podcast – a show where she talks with smart, sweary women about s**t that matters – and her first book ‘Ten Steps To Finding Happy’ released on March 20th, 2020. Dr Weisner graduated from Georgetown University in 1999 and was awarded a fellowship in child development at the NIH. She received her doctorate from C.W. Post, LIU and pursued post-doctorate training at the American Institute of Psychoanalysis In this episode we go deep into: - How Lindsay defines ‘happy' - The effect of launching a book during the time of the coronavirus - The importance of choosing to find happy - Battling your own habits to improve yourself - Lindsay shares methods to maintain happiness during the coronavirus pandemic - How Lindsay got involved in publishing Ten Steps to Finding Happy - The effectiveness of plunging yourself in at the deep end - Finding your passion, and finding your purpose - Learning to keep going when things don’t go your way - The importance of transparency and understanding yourself - The motivation of being told you can't - How Lindsay approached collaboration for her book - The beginning of the Neurotic Nourishment Podcast and what the plans are - Tackling and talking about the difficult topics - Lindsay’s work with teen suicides - Historical peaks and troughs to suicide rates  - Writing freehand to generate catharsis This week’s question: How do you find your happy? Comment over at https://patreon.com/greatwritersshare, or join the Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare/ Find out more about Lindsay: https://www.instagram.com/psychshrinkmom/ Neurotic Nourishment podcast: https://pod.link/1464366670 Ten Steps to Finding Happy: https://www.amazon.com/Ten-Steps-Finding-Happy-Satisfaction/dp/0996430660/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=ten+steps+to+finding+happy+weisner&qid=1590507483&sr=8-1 Links from the show: Collaboration for Authors pre-order https://books2read.com/collaboration Supercharge Your Scene with J Thorn https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com?aff=willcocksauthor Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/experts/lindsay-weisner-psyd Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Yanni Jade  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Clare Littlemore is a young adult dystopian and sci-fi author who thrives on fictionally destroying the world with a cup of tea by her side. The tea will often be cold, because her characters have a way of grabbing hold of her and not letting go until the final page of their story is finished. They regularly have the same effect on her readers. In this episode we go deep into: - The difference between a dystopian author and a sociopath - Clare’s journey into writing and how she finished her first major work - How life gets in the way, but you can’t let it win - Why Clare chose dystopian fiction when her first foray was a mystery thriller - What keeps people writing when there’s no immediate reward - Celebrating wrapping up a first series - The pitfalls of assuming you don’t have to worldbuild, even in dystopian fiction - Lessons learned from not outlining a series from the beginning - Discovery writers vs planning and finding your preference - The benefits of wrapping up series before you’re moving on to the next project - The effectiveness of digital book tours - The best places to keep up-to-date and learn the latest trends and knowledge in the publishing business - How Clare splits her day to get things done - Finding the advertising platforms that work for you - Building a community with fellow authors - Being deliberate with your platforms - Why it’s important to have a close network of writers - Why Clare Littlemore writes This week’s question: How do you approach outlining your novel? Find out more about Clare: Https://clarelittlemore.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/lastbookcafeonearth/ https://www.facebook.com/clarelittlemoreauthor/ Links from the show: Collaboration for Authors pre-order https://books2read.com/collaboration Supercharge Your Scene with J Thorn https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com?aff=willcocksauthor Mark Dawson’s Ads for Authors https://selfpublishingformula.com/courses/ Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Mark McClure Yanni Jade  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mag Dimond is the award-winning author of BOWING TO ELEPHANTS, Tales of a Travel Junkie (which hit #1 in 5 countries on the day it launched and just won Best Indie Biographies & Memoirs from Kirkus). Her book has been compared to EAT PRAY LOVE in professional reviews and has received accolades from many thought leaders in the mindfulness space, including Jack Kornfield. Having written her first book in her 70s, Mag has also been honored in American Literary Review, Travelers Tales Solas Awards, the Tulip Tree Awards, and the William Faulkner Wisdom Awards. Mag is a practicing Buddhist and dedicated member of Spirit Rock Meditation Center north of San Francisco. The loves of Mag’s life are: her family, playing Bach on her grandmother’s baby grand, meditating, traveling, knitting, watching the wild Pacific Ocean, writing, teaching, reading, and enjoying good food and wine with dear friends. In this episode we go deep into: - Mag’s love for her grandmother’s baby grand piano - How Mag started documenting her life and forming her memoirs - When life gets in the way of writing a book - Overcoming lack of self-worth to put pen to paper - Discovering meditation and the benefits of mindfulness - Mindfulness for writers - Understanding the impermanence of life - Keeping perspective on what life truly is - Mag’s journalling habit through the years - How to select the right passages from life to form into a solid memoir - The elasticity of memory through the years - Submitting to the muse - The power of writing groups - Knowing when a book is ready to publish - Publishing through a small press with a political stance - Mag’s experience throughout the publication process  - Reacting to initial reviews and critical acclaim - Why does Mag Dimond right? Find out more about Mag: Https://magdimond.com Links from the show: Collaboration for Authors pre-order https://books2read.com/u/mKDjYL Supercharge Your Scene with J Thorn https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com?aff=willcocksauthor Bowing to Elephants: https://books2read.com/u/m0OQxY Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure Katie Forrest Yanni Jade  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nick Cole is a former soldier and working actor living in Southern California. When he is not auditioning for commercials, going out for sitcoms or being shot, kicked, stabbed or beaten by the students of various film schools for their projects, he can be found writing books.  Nick’s Book The Old Man and the Wasteland was an Amazon Bestseller and #1 in Science Fiction. In 2016 Nick’s book CTRL ALT Revolt won the Dragon Award for Best Apocalyptic novel.   The Galaxy’s Edge series is his new bestselling series and an Audible smash hit. In this episode we go deep into: - Nick’s love for Stephen King and, specifically, the genius of The Dark Tower - Being financially successful or critically acclaimed - The demanding rapid release market - Maintaining quality while rapid releasing - Serving the readers with what they want - Nick’s publication process - Utilizing your fans to help with your process - The power of stacking books - Learning the power of restraint to maximize marketing impact - What metrics kicked off the journey into building a collaborative universe - Taking what you love and putting your own spin on it - It’s better to do nothing than hurt the brand - Investing money in the right things - Dividing responsibilities across collaborators - Handling the growth as you ‘Ride the Tiger' - Prioritizing and enjoying writing above all else - Nick’s writing daily writing  - Growing your writing muscle by building the writing habit - Creating opportunities to star in your own intellectual properties - Why Nick Cole writes Find out more about Nick: https://nickcolebooks.com/ https://galaxysedge.us/ Links from the show: Sacha Black ’10 Lessons from one year of full-time writing’ https://sachablack.co.uk/2020/05/02/028-10-lessons-from-one-year-of-writing-full-time/ Stephen King’s, “The Dark Tower” https://books2read.com/u/m2VWX6 Nick Cole’s “Wyrd” Series https://books2read.com/u/b55VOw Nick Cole and Jason Anspach "Galaxy’s Edge” https://books2read.com/u/3LD1rN Chris Fox’s "Six Figure Author” https://books2read.com/u/4Az8gA Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure Katie Forrest  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Michael David Wilson is the founder of the popular UK horror website, podcast, and small press, This Is Horror. He's a professional writer, editor, and podcaster, and has worked for such companies as 2000 AD, Terrorizer, and Broken River Books. His brand-new novella, The Girl in the Video will be published via Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing on 28 April 2020, with a second novella, House of Bad Memories, to be published by Grindhouse Press in 2021. Michael's work has appeared in numerous other publications including The NoSleep Podcast, Dark Moon Digest, LitReactor, Hawk & Cleaver’s The Other Stories, and Scream. He is also a professional ESL Teacher and graduate of the University of Warwick’s English Literature and Creative Writing Programme.  In this episode we go deep into: - How Michael cut his teeth with writing - Putting your money where your mouth is as a writer - Using challenges to keep yourself motivated in writing - Sharing the gift of storytelling with those younger than you to pass the torch - The power of building the writing habit - The difference between writing, and writing-tangential activities - Tips for receiving free games, writing journalistic columns, and exercising entrepreneurship - How changing diet and exploring health laid foundations for building writing habits - Not having to wait for luck, taking ownership of your life, and creating your own opportunities - The journey that led to the inception of This Is Horror and its following success - Confronting your fears - The first few weeks of This Is Horror - Mental health and how that can affect your writing - The more you do things, the easier they become - Taking time to recharge when you need to, and prioritizing your health - Giving yourself permission to not be okay - How ’The Girl in the Video’ came to be born - Leaning towards hybrid and finding the rewards of both sides of publishing - Utilizing the bookstagram community to deliver a cover reveal - What impact Michael wants to have from his writing. Michael answers questions from Patrons: - Ian J. Middleton:  are there any common mistakes you see from first time horror writers when it comes to short stories and novels? Find out more about Michael: https://www.michaeldavidwilson.co.uk/ https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/ Links from the show: https://books2read.com/u/3LD6nJ Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure Katie Forrest  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Joanna Penn is an Award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as a writer of non-fiction for authors. She's written over 30 books and sold over 500,000 books in 84 countries and 5 languages. She's an independent author and also runs a small press, Curl Up Press, with her husband and business partner. Joanna is also an international professional speaker and award-winning creative entrepreneur. In 2018, she was awarded Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World. Her show, The Creative Penn Podcast, has been downloaded 3.7 million times in 219 countries. Based now in Bath, Joanna is a travel junkie who also likes hiking, and relaxing with a book and a glass of pinot noir, or a gin & tonic (Hendricks & Fever Tree).  In this episode we go deep into: - How Joanna’s handling herself during the coronavirus lockdown - How Joanna’s writing process and approach to business has changed since she first started writing - Where does Joanna’s information come from to remain ahead of the indie game - Lessons learned from Joanna’s first book - What keeps Joanna accountable to keep delivering on her projects - The struggles of writing while in lockdown - The benefits of routine and creating positive associations in certain places for particular kinds of work - What a typical day looks like for Joanna - The reality of being a full time independent author - How to keep on top of all you need to do - Benefits of working episodically - Being able to learn to be organized - Prioritizing your health and looking after yourself as a writer - Why you should work with experts inside and outside of writing - How Joanna decides which non-fiction too prioritize next - Whether Joanna feels the pressure of being a high profile name in the independent author community - How accolades have affected Joanna’s career and the truth about lists and awards - Getting everything you want, but not at the same time  - Genre awards vs bestseller lists - Why Joanna Penn writes Joanna answers questions from Patrons: Mark Mclure: How are sales for large-print books going (n/f and fiction)? This week’s question What are your highest aspirations with your writing career? Find out more about Joanna: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/ https://www.thecreativepenn.com/podcasts/ https://www.booksandtravel.page/listen/ https://jfpenn.com/ Links from the show: https://www.xero.com/uk/ https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2016/08/20/usa-today-bestseller-ad-stacking/ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6DRwehgHG0BCirKZPXsHo1?si=eEOcQePCTOe9vSH1NvJ8yA Https://patreon.com/danielwillcocks Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure Katie Forrest  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tosca Lee is the multi-award winning, New York Times, IndieBound, and Amazon bestselling author of eleven novels including The Line Between, The Progeny, Firstborn, The Legend of Sheba, Iscariot, and the Books of Mortals trilogy with New York Times bestseller Ted Dekker. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages and optioned for TV and film. She is best known for her meticulous research, masterful prose, unexpected points of view, and high-octane thrillers.  A notorious night-owl, she loves movies, playing video games with her kids, and sending cheesy texts to her husband. She’s also a big fan of her amazing readers.  In this episode we go deep into: - What video games Tosca is currently playing - What makes a good soup? - How Tosca got involved in writing - The naivety that comes with writing your first novel and how to learn the craft - The importance of pushing onward despite failures - Being tenacious and passionate enough to write until you succeed - Key changes along Tosca’s evolution as a writer - Controlling word counts and being economical with your words - Outlining to maximize efficiency of writing - Tosca’s research process for each book - Learning enough to be dangerous - Surrounding yourself with smart people to inform your work - Tracking and taming your research - How accolades can impact your sales and writing - Writing like no one will read your work - Remembering that writing is supposed to be fun - Handling criticism like a champ - Analyzing and finding your ideal reader - The key to making merchandise that sells - Understanding the difference between marketing to readers and marketing to writers - Tosca’s writing schedule and living as a night owl Tosca answers questions from Patrons: - Mark McClure: I liked Tosca's idea of hiding 'easter eggs' in her books. Are you able to measure or track reader engagement with this approach? - Also, what are your view on blogging vs an email newsletter (or both) for a writer with a following? This week’s question: How do you approach the research and planning for your books? Find out more about Tosca: https://toscalee.com Links from the show: Tosca’s merchandise (https://toscalee.com/shop/) Tosca’s blog (https://toscalee.com/blog/) Book Easter eggs (https://toscalee.com/code/) Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure Katie Forrest  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tom (T.W.M.) Ashford is a British novelist. He lives in London with his American wife, not far from where he was born. He’s written hundreds of scripts and copy for some of the biggest companies in the world, and previously published articles on games and films. He has been known to play a bass guitar on more than one occasion, and sometimes well. of course, his main passion is writing fiction. His books include the Blackwater trilogy, the Checking Out series and numerous standalone adventures. In this episode we go deep into: - Adjusting to working around the coronavirus quarantines - How Tom started writing - How writing gets easier over time - Transitioning from writing good prose to telling a good story - How Tom got involved with the Self Publishing Formula gang - Pushing yourself to deliver when you believe in your goals - Taking opportunities where you can and not expecting too much - Behind the scenes of the Self Publishing Formula - Lurking or being vocal in online communities - Thoughts from the Self Publishing Show Live - Curating a strong brand for your books - Tips on cover design - To follow or not to follow trends in covers - How to perform a soft re-launch once you know what you’re doing - Hazards of turning a passion into a career - How Tom unwinds Tom answers questions from Patrons: - What is your favorite place to write (a coffee shop, a corner in the library, a cave, etc.)? - What would your profession be if you weren't a writer (or writing wasn't an option OR never existed)? - How do you reward yourself when you've completed a project? Find out more about Tom: https://www.twmashford.com/ Links from the show: https://selfpublishingformula.com/ Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jonathan Yanez is an author of sci-fi and fantasy fiction. He's the creative mind behind the “Forsaken Mercenary” series and the “Gateway to the Galaxy” series. He is also the author of the non-fiction, “Get it Done: Hard-Hitting Motivation For Authors”, which I’d HIGHLY recommend. This is not where Jonathan’s skills end. He is also a former personal trainer, a part-time model, and an all round inspiring guy. In this episode we go deep into: - How Jonathan started his journey into non-fiction - Jonathan’s 5-year journey from grinding to success - The importance of getting up early to get your shit done - Jonathan’s morning routine and how he gets 4,000 words done a day - Finding a way to keep your routine with the current coronavirus pandemic - The importance of physical health with your writing career - How to build a healthy workout habit that’s easy to keep - Fail early. Fail often. Fail forward. - Why Jonathan writes science-fiction - Leaving the day job with no safety net - Maintaining a healthy social life as a writer - Making friends at the gym - Expanding to foreign markets and film rights - Finding the want. Finding the motivation - How Jonathan defines success - Jonathan’s Rocky Balboa speech for new writers - How Jonathan keeps learning and progressing - Keeping going when you feel like giving up - Surrounding yourself with inspiring people - You don’t need anyone to give you permission to succeed - How does Jonathan reward himself when he’s finished a project - Why does Jonathan Yanez write? Jonathan Yanez’s Quickfire Round time: 25 seconds This week’s question How do you incorporate exercise into your writing routine? Find out more about Jonathan: https://www.facebook.com/JonathanYanezAuthor https://www.facebook.com/groups/jonathansreadingwolves/ Links from the show: Jonathan Yanez’s ‘Get it Done' James Clear’s ‘Atomic Habits' Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jeffrey A. Carver is an American science fiction author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Brown University. He now lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts and his novel Eternity's End was a finalist for the 2001 Nebula Awards.  In this episode we go deep into: - The story behind Jeffrey’s 11-year publishing gap - Bridging the series gap between 2008 and 2019 - Changes in publishing over the last decade - Leaning how to publish and market new books in 2019/2020 - Bringing older properties to a brand new audience - The best way to learn what you need to know - How indie publishers are becoming more savvy than traditional - How elder publishing bodies are opening the doors to indies - Jeffrey’s changing in process given the new publishing culture - Understanding and adapting your personal process, despite what others tell you - Losing yourself in your story and letting your characters speak - Why Jeffrey blogs, and is it worth it in 2020? - How to get past the times when you just want to give up and pack it all in - The importance of support from your partner - Thinking outside the box and finding creative ways to teach - Claiming yourself as an expert in your field as Jeffrey describes his former TV Show - Lessons learned from teaching fiction - Advice for new writers - How writers groups can help you - How Jeffrey defines success This week’s question: How have you found positivity in the unlikely places while adhering to the quarantines? Find out more about Jeffrey: starrigger.net Links from the show: Jeffrey’s Amazon page Jeffrey’s Writing Course Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jonathan Janz is the author of more than a dozen novels and numerous short stories. His work has been championed by authors such as Joe R. Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, and Brian Keene; he has also been lauded by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and School Library Journal.  His ghost story The Siren and the Specter was selected as a Goodreads Choice nominee for Best Horror. Additionally, his novel Children of the Dark was chosen by Booklist as a Top Ten Horror Book of the Year. Jonathan’s main interests are his wonderful wife and his three amazing children.  In this episode we go deep into: - What it’s like to be praised by horror sensation, Brian Keene. - What were the core mistakes that Brian Keene helped him through. - Knowing the value of your own work and shooting for the moon. - The value of mentorship. - How social media strengthens connections and widens the world. - Gravitating towards the people that raise you up, and distancing yourself from those who push you down. - Flipping the switch on positivity. - Jonathan’s entry into reading and what held him back for 14 years. - Types of reading, and the best ways to digest and analyze books and media. - How to cultivate self-definition and accept yourself for who you are - The importance of being transparent and honest, across all areas of your life. - What role does story play in Jonathan’s parenting style. - Why Chris Evans is a boss on and off camera. - How to best hone your craft and create a rich reading experience. - The importance of reading widely, outside of the cultural zeitgeist and giving time for more diverse voices. - What Jonathan’s writing process looks like. - Why does Jonathan write? Jonathan answers questions from Patrons: - What is your top productivity tip or the "go-to" habit that keeps you on track? - How do you reward yourself when you've completed a project? This week’s question: How do you tackle negativity and self-doubt with your writing? Find out more about Jonathan: Jonathan.janz IG Jonathan Janz Twit jonathanjanz.com Links from the show: Carolyn Kepniss Joe R Lansdale Brian Keene Josh Malerman Tananarive Due Stephen King’s 'The Tommyknockers' Chris Evans interview Robert McCammon Ray Bradbury’s ‘Dandelion Wine’ Josh Malerman’s ‘Malorie’ Shark Exorcist Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

HB Lynne and Angeline Trevena are the power duo behind the Unstoppable Authors podcast and the masterminds behind the UK’s Indie Fire Writers Conference. They each write across the science fiction and fantasy genres, and I’d be doing a disservice if I didn’t give each of them a highlight from their respective bios. Angeline Trevena is a British science fiction, fantasy, and horror author. Creator of The Paper Duchess series, she is best known for her feminist brand of dystopia. She's been writing stories since she was old enough to hold a pen, and after gaining a BA Hons degree in Drama and Writing, she honed her craft with horror and fantasy shorts which are published in numerous magazines and anthologies. H. B. Lyne has always lived close to the dark side, never quite mastering the ability to force choke but contemplating it during dark times. These days, when not chasing two chaotic munchkins around, Holly somehow engineers time to write fantasy. Her series, Echoes of the Past, is the tale of one young shape shifter's epic struggle to reconcile her humanity with her inner demon, whilst battling very real demons who threaten both humans and shifters alike. In this episode we go deep into: - How Holly and Angeline got into their collaborations together - What are the benefits of collaboration - Putting your ego aside - Trust versus paper agreements - The difference between collaborating and co-writing - The biggest mistake to make before launching your podcast - Rebranding and streamlining your podcast, content, and its message - Managing difficult conversations when bringing new flavor to someone else’s product - How to hold yourself accountable - Running events and aiming it at indies - Are you the right person to run an event? - Thoughts on independent and traditional publishing Holly and Angeline answers questions from Patrons: - Ian Middleton: Question for Angeline: any book recommendations for someone new to Dystopian Horror? - How do you reward yourself when you've completed a project? - What is your top productivity tip or the "go-to" habit that keeps you on track? - Favorite place to write (a coffee shop, a corner in the library, a cave, etc.)? This week’s question: Are you fiercely indie, hybrid, or determined to go the traditional route? Find out more about Holly and Angeline: https://angelinetrevena.co.uk/ http://hblyne.com/ https://unstoppableauthors.wordpress.com/ https://www.subscribepage.com/indiefire Links from the show: Margaret Atwood ‘Vox’ - Christina Dalcher M.R. Carey The Hunger Games Trilogy Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Brandon Ellis is the bestselling author of the Mars Colony Chronicles, Ascendent Chronicles, and many more sci-fi works. Brandon grew up on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. After being declared an All State Baseball and All League Basketball player, he obtained his state and federal Therapeutic Massage License to become a successful Sports Massage Therapist & Instructor. During his life adventures so far, he has become a father of three and a successful author, and has recently taking the plunge in moving to Bali. In this episode we go deep into: - Brandon’s love for board games - Writing in Brandon’s early years - What kept Brandon motivated when he believed his writing stunk - Building a strong mentality and learning to excel - Lessons which crossed from sports therapy to writing - Why networking is a superpower - Giving, being helpful, and being charitable without expectation - Not being scared to reach out and ask for advice from those you want to learn from - Brandon’s passion to help others who reach out to him - Brandon’s secret formula for making a box set successful - Entering the age of the box set culture - Why newsletter swaps still work - The importance of trust with your readers - Secrets into making sure your emails get read - How to theme your newsletters and make them engaging - Why vision boards are the secret to true success - The difference between affirmations and incantations - The value of ‘yet' - Why does Brandon write? Brandon answers questions from Patrons: - Jenn Mitchell: How have you been able to push through the hard stuff and keep writing? It's the kind of thing we all face and you remain so positive and genuine. So, what’s the secret? - Jon Cronshaw: How do you research the market for your series - Mark McClure: How do you go about improving your writing craft skills? - Mark McClure: How relevant has your author website been to your success? This week’s question: How do you keep yourself motivated to achieve your writing goals? Find out more about Brandon: brandonelliswrites.com Links from the show: Great Writers Share Facebook Group Chris Fox’s ads course Brandon’s Atlantis Quadrilogy Nick Cole & Jason Anspach’s Legionnaire Hugh Howey’s Wool A.G. Riddle Winter World Jackson Dean Chase Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John L. Monk is the creative mind behind such series as The Jenkins Cycle, This Dark Ages, and The Chronicles of Ethan. His work has spanned the genres of science-fiction, post-apocalyptic, with his most recent venture taking him into the genre of LitRPG John lives in Virginia, USA, with his wife, Dorothy. A writer with a degree in cultural anthropology, he boldly does the dishes, roots out evil wherever it lurks, and writes his own stunts. In this episode we go deep into: - What’s changed in the 3 years since John and Dan spoke. - The importance of following up quickly on a success - Emotional and intellectual expenditure and how to manage it when writing about tough issues. - Writing your reality and wondering about reviews later - Experimenting with the fast release with John’s LitRPG series - Why John decided to play in the LitRPG genre - Seizing opportunities when they come - John’s experience working with a small press - The reality of writing three books in a row for rapid release - What does John’s writing process look like? - Making small things big - Outlining versus pantsing - What John is working on next - Why does John L Monk write? John answers questions from Patrons: - PT Hylton: Would you rather fight Bruce Lee in his prime, or an elderly grizzly bear? - What is your top productivity tip or the "go-to" habit that keeps you on track? This week’s question: What is your optimum release schedule? Find out more about John: John-l-monk.com Links from the show: John’s interview on The Story Studio Hell’s Children Hell’s Encore The Chronicles of Ethan Terry Brooks - Sometimes the Magic Works PT Hylton’s Deadlock Trilogy Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Meg Cowley is a USA Today bestselling author of fantasy fiction. She lives in Yorkshire, England with her husband, son, and their two cats, Jet and Pixie. Meg loves everything fantasy, magic, and dragons, and has been a writer and artist since she could pick up a pencil. Meg works best when fuelled by Earl Grey Tea, margherita pizza, and characters who won’t do what they’re told! She’s passionate about writing sweeping fantasies with characters that could step off the page, and worlds that could be as real as our own. In this episode we go deep into: - Meg’s obsession with tea and pizza - Finding and connecting with fellow writers - Coloring books for adults - Becoming a USA Today Bestselling author - Realizing that writing can be an actual career - The reality of the business vs the artistic brain - How Meg structures her day - Balancing writing with the duties of being a mother - Training yourself to rest - The importance of reading and socializing to balance the writing life - Creating a strong author brand, and when to do it - Bringing your readers into your big writing decisions - Managing cover design, and what to look for when taking on clients - Finding authors to promote with and maintaining the quality of your brand - Building trust with your readers and setting expectations - How motherhood has affected Meg’s writing - The power of emotional writing Meg answers questions from Patrons: - Mark McClure: How much research do your books require and how do you do that research? (e.g. while writing, as issues occur or before a word is even written ). Find out more about Meg: megcowley.com Meg’s Instagram Links from the show: Ryan Holiday’s Stillness is the Key Becca Symes Dear Writer, You Need to Quit Meg’s Resources for Branding https://www.yourwriterplatform.com/personal-branding-for-authors/ https://kriswrites.com/category/business-musings/ https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2017/11/10/authentic-author-brand/ Sylvia Mercedes, The Venatrix Chronicles Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Craig A. Falconer is a bestselling Scottish novelist, specializing in science fiction. He has written several widely popular series in his career, including the Not Alone series, Terradox series, and the Sycamore series.  In this episode we go deep into: - What it feels like to win a ‘Best Dressed’ at a ceilidh - Advantages of leveraging a box set - Changing your mindset from minimum work to maximum output - Importance of specializing in one ad platform instead of trying to juggle them all - Best ways to market a box set - Modeling specific success - Finding your ideal writing routine - Going beyond what you believe you’re capable of (writing 113,000 in 13 days) - How speed can help the quality of your writing - Tips to increase your odds of creating a runaway success - Studying trends across mediums to find what could sell - Knowing your genre inside and out - Craig’s research process - Capitalizing on emotional resonance and playing with contrasting lines - Sticking in your own lane and abiding by your own pace - Working with agents on your audio deals - Taking risks and thinking outside of the box to secure success (with audiobooks) Craig answers questions from Patrons: - Jenn Mitchell: What kinds of things did you do to deal with the pressure of trying to write the next few books following such a huge initial success? - Mark McClure: Do you plot, pants, or dance between the two? Find out more about Craig: facebook.com/CraigAFalconer Craig’s Facebook group Links from the show: www.danielwillcocks.com www.facebook.com/groups/greatwritersshare Not Alone by Craig A Falconer Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Steff Green is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author, blogger, metalhead and heavy metal maiden living in an off-grid home on 4 acres of rural paradise in New Zealand with her cantankerous drummer husband, four cats, a menagerie of farmyard animals, and their medieval sword collection. She publishes dark fantasy and science fiction under the name S C Green, and paranormal romance as Steffanie Holmes. Her most popular books are set in the fictional English town of Crookshollow and are described by one reviewer as “dark and steamy … a gothic delight.” All of this success has been found despite Steff being completely colour blind, photophobic, and legally blind. In 2017, she was awarded the Attitude Award for Artistic Achievement, which recognises achievement in the disability sector, and in 2018 she was a finalist for a Women of Influence award in the arts category. In this episode we go deep into: - Why black jellybeans suck - Where Steff’s writing journey begun - Finding what works and doubling down - The mental shift in writing what you think you should be writing versus writing the things which gain traction - Learning to focus on the things which demand the most attention and yield the greatest results - Effective sign-up newsletter sequences - Moving past obstacles and focus on the dream - Importance of habits, and delivering to your own promises - Finding the time to get the words in - Setting boundaries with the day job and remembering what’s important - The choice between making someone else rich, or making yourself rich - Managing two brand names and creating strong brands for each - The reality of co-writing and the importance of setting expectations Steff answers questions from Patrons: - What is your top productivity tip or the "go-to" habit that keeps you on track? - Favorite place to write (a coffee shop, a corner in the library, a cave, etc.)? Find out more about Steff: steffmetal.com rageagainstthemanuscript.com How to Rock Self-publishing Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Katie Forrest is a busy wife and special needs parent, doing her best to juggle this with her work. She runs a boutique law firm, writes cosy mystery under a pen name and is obsessed with cacti. She loves solo-travelling, is a complete time management geek, and is the author of the new non-fiction book, Time Management for Writers In this episode we go deep into: - Katie’s new book, Time Management for Writers - Importance of building habits - Why sleep sucks - How to overcome the burden of ‘doing everything’ and narrow your life down to the key things - Setting boundaries with your loved ones to prioritise your writing - Navigating difficult conversations with your partner - Managing fiction and non-fiction projects around work - Katie’s novel planning process - Benefits of saying ‘yes’ to things - How Katie prepares (or doesn’t) for speaking engagements - Embracing entrepreneurship - How Katie hones her craft before writing her books - Managing a busy life and maximizing outputs. Katie answers questions from Patrons: - Harley Christensen: On time management... For those of us working from home and trying to make the most of our creative time, can you share some tips for setting and especially, reinforcing boundaries with our significant others who work outside the home in non-creative professions? - Harley Christensen: Tell us more about this cacti obsession. As a transplant from the Pacific Northwest (U.S.) who currently lives in Arizona among the Saguaro, Pricky Pear, and has cactus flowers growing in her backyard, I am certainly curious/interested. Find out more about Katie: katieforrest.com Time Management for Writers by Katie Forrest (FB Group) Links from the show: Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bruce Olav Solheim is a distinguished professor of history at Citrus College in Glendora, California. He served for six years in the US Army as a jail guard and later as a hel­icopter pilot. He is the founder of the Veterans Program at Citrus College and co-founded, with Manuel Martinez and Ginger De Villa-Rose, the Boots to Books transition course—the first college course in the United States designed specifically for recently returned veterans.  Bruce has published eight books, one comic book, and has written ten plays—two of which have been produced—and spends time exploring and documenting his experiences with the paranormal. In this episode we go deep into: - Why the paranormal is actually normal - Bruce’s experiences with the paranormal. - Why Bruce chronicled his paranormal experiences in his books - Why it’s key to take risks and go to the other side of fear - Shrugging off critics in favor of unlocking doors for others - Thriving in a supportive environment - How Bruce documents and collects his stories through life - Using poetry to channel and communicate experiences beyond prose - Bruce’s approach to selecting stories for his collections - Finding the narrative which threads in between - Creating the Boots to Books transition course to enable veterans to segue back into education - How the military shaped Bruce’s drive and discipline - Bruce’s daily writing process - Meditative walks and their benefits - Whether Bruce believes that everyone can access the paranormal - Why Bruce writes in so many genres and across so many mediums - How Bruce learned to write plays and create an award-winning show This week’s question: What, if any, have been your experiences with paranormal, and how do you approach the paranormal in your writing? @willcocksauthor or use the #greatwritersshare Find out more about Bruce: bruceolavsolheim.com Timeless Book Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I'm BACK, baby! Welcome to the first episode of the Great Writers Share in 2020. After a 2 month hiatus, Luke Kondor joins Daniel Willcocks to discuss goal-setting for 2020, achieving your dreams, and putting yourself into action to achieve your goals. In an episode which veers off the usual format, the gents motivate and share their top tips for ensuring that 2020 kicks all the ass it can. Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, I sit down alone with my microphone for a public service announcement that the Great Writers Share podcast will be going on a short hiatus. This has been a decision which I have been very hesitant to make. In the full transparency of the show which I value greatly, I am currently dealing with a few monumental shifts in my own personal life which mean that my attention needs to be focused on sorting a few things out. I am currently in the process of moving out of the home I shared with my ex-partner, and there is a 5-year-old in the middle, so my attention needs to be on making sure the situation can run as smoothly as possible while this all occurs over the Christmas period. Since writing is my main income, that’s going to be my work focus, and while I love running the podcast, and will undoubtedly come back to it at the beginning of next year, I need to focus on that. I hope you can all understand. The Patreon and all of its rewards will still be open and anyone currently involved is more than welcome to stay involved. I’ll also be sorting this month’s monthly giveaway and the Q&A as promised. As I say, for me, this is only temporary, but I need to ensure I’m focusing my energies on the right things at the minute, and family definitely ticks that box. Thanks for all of your support so far, this has been amazing. Keep in contact with Dan @willcocksauthor Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Humphrey Hawksley is an author, commentator and broadcaster, who has reported on key trends, events and conflicts from all over the world. His work as a BBC foreign correspondent has taken him to crises on every continent. He was expelled from Sri Lanka, opened the BBC’s television bureau in China, was arrested in Serbia and initiated a global campaign against enslaved children in the chocolate industry. A campaign which continues today. Humphrey is the author of the acclaimed ‘Future History’ series  that explores world conflict.  He has published four international thrillers, together with the non-fiction Democracy Kills: What’s so good about the Vote – a tie-in to his TV documentary on the pitfalls of the  modern-day path to democracy from dictatorship. His work has appeared in the The Guardian, The Times, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, Yale Global and other publications and now he appears as a guest on the Great Writers Share podcast. In this episode we go deep into: - Memories from 30 years as a foreign correspondent - Humphrey’s journey from journalism to author life - The first encounter with an agent, and Humphrey’s first book deal - Making the decision to do whatever it took to get a book out - Establishing the story you want to tell - Humphrey’s ever-evolving method of researching for books - Knowing every element of your story before you tell it - Reader expectations and what you’re aiming to deliver - Where the ideas for Humphrey’s ‘Man on Ice’ came from - Humphrey’s experience of traditional publishing and its changes over the past several decades - How focus groups choose the primary books for trad pub, and how the marketing share is dealt - Content marketing for your books Humphrey Hawkslet answers questions from Patrons: - Mark M: How much research did you have to do for the Future History series? And do you have any tips on how you would do it differently (with benefit of hindsight)? - Jon Cronshaw: What challenges did you find in writing fiction compared to reportage? What makes a good dragon? Find out more about Humphrey: https://www.humphreyhawksley.com/ https://www.manonice.co.uk Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jon Cronshaw is the bestselling author of such fiction titles as the ‘Wasteland' series, the ‘Ravenglass Chronicles’, ‘Blind Gambit’, and the non-fiction ’Stop Booking Around’. Jon’s titles span the genres of post-apocalyptic, epic fantasy, GameLit, and more.  As a former freelance features writer, Jon has had work published in local and national newspapers across the UK, including the Metro, Yorkshire Post and the Guardian. He is also a self-confessed voracious reader, guide dog owner, ex-gamer, and certified geek In this episode we go deep into: - How Jon is embracing the serial story format to write larger works - Jon’s approach to genre-hopping - Looking at the long-game and knowing what your ‘why’ is - Using tarot cards to influence your works - Following your characters, instead of forcing the story - Using podcasts to create your own accountability - Creating personal connections with readers - Using personal experience to write and connect - Overcoming obstacles as a visually impaired writer - Dictation and multi-purposing content - Overcoming Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - Embracing gratitude - How stoicism can create a healthier look on reviews and approaching your writing - How to switch off and find a routine that works for you - Creating a flow state and removing distractions Jon answers questions from Patrons: Ian J Middleton: How has your interest in Stoicism impacted on your writing? Find out more about Jon Cronshaw: Author Diaries Sci-Fi Roundtable JonCronshaw.com Links from the show: Ravenglass Chronicles Paul Teague’s Author Diaries Ryan Holiday’s ‘Perennial Seller' Kevin Kelly’s ‘1000 True Fans’ Streaks App Jon’s UK Indie Author Accountability Group Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sacha Black has five obsessions; words, expensive shoes, conspiracy theories, self-improvement, and breaking the rules. She is the host of the brand-new Rebel Author podcast, and writes books about people with magical powers and other books about the art of writing. This year Sacha also began editing the advice blog and managing the Self-Publishing Advice Conference for the Alliance of Independent authors. When Sacha's not writing, she can be found laughing inappropriately loud, blogging, sniffing musty old books, fangirling film and TV soundtracks, or thinking up new ways to break the rules. In this episode we go deep into: - Why sniffing books brings peace - How being rebellious kickstarted a writing career - Looking into your motivation to make it as a blogger - Useful ways to absorb what you’re reading and remember long after the book is closed - Remaining true to your voice instead of caving to pressure - Self-expression and fighting back against the norms - Why Sacha started the Rebel Author Podcast and what she hopes to achieve - How to become aware of your fears and learning to conquer it - Moving out of your own way - How Sacha uses meditation and karate to focus mental health - Being a night owl writer - The two methods Sacha uses to plan non-fiction and fiction books Find out more about Sacha Black: sachablack.co.uk Instagram @sachablackauthor Twitter @sacha_black 13 Steps to Evil Rebel Author podcast Links from the show: Jack Canfield - Success Principles Tara Mohr - Playing Big Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff Mark McClure  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rachael Herron is the internationally bestselling author of more than two dozen books, including thriller (under R.H. Herron), mainstream fiction, feminist romance, memoir, and nonfiction about writing. She’s a fellow podcaster and is the host of the ‘How Do You Write’ podcast, as well as the co-host of ’The Writers Well’ podcast with previous guest of the show, J Thorn. And Rachael also runs annual writer’s retreats and delivers incredible essays on the creative life to her Patrons on Patreon. In this episode we go deep into: - Growing a successful Patreon and using the rewards to keep you productive - Living on the surface and being fully transparent - Finding the people who drive you - How important connection is to a writer - Creating a personal brand around the things you love - Blogging in 2019/20 - Heading into a new genre under a new pen name - Working with editors and agents in traditional publishing - Attitudes between indie and traditional publishing - Remaining positive and upbeat while looking after your mental health - The perks of meditation - Benefits of the silent retreat Rachael answers questions from Patrons: - Jon Cronshaw: Have you seen a change in the aspirations of your workshop attendees since the growth of indie publishing? Find out more about Rachael Herron: rachaelherron.com patreon.com/rachael Links from the show: Stolen Things Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally bestselling novelist, produced screenwriter, and multiple Bram Stoker Award finalist. While he is best known for horror (and is one of the most successful indie horror authors in the United States), he's also written bestselling thriller, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, humor, young adult, and middle grade works, and Western Romance. As a novelist, Michaelbrent has written dozens of bestsellers that have received critical acclaim, and he and his work have been featured on everything from mom-and-pop podcasts to Publishers Weekly, The San Francisco Book Review, NPR, and he’s recently given his first ever Ted Talk at TedX Rexburg In this episode we go deep into: - How Michael, as a horror author, celebrates Halloween - Genre-hopping dos and don'ts - Working within genres and keeping true to your interests - Keeping on top of reading across so many genres - Acquiring a TedX Talk - The trials of living with mental health issues and finding mechanisms to cope - How mental health issues have influenced Michaelbrent’s writing - How Michaelbrent has created an empire around story - Balancing work and social life as a full-time author - Using parenthood as your break and inspiration - Using humor to convey your story and grab reader’s attention, even in horror - The many different masks of running an independent publishing business - Why does Michaelbrent write? Michaelbrent answers questions from Patrons: - Harley Christensen: What tips do you have for moving beyond the mustache-twirling, cookie-cutter villains to create captivating, compelling and relatable baddies that readers hate to love (but do so anyway)? What are some of your favorite examples of villains done well (and why)? - Ian J Middleton: What was the most challenging genre to write in?" and "what piece of work are you most proud of? - Jon Cronshaw: How do you brand/market himself to so many disparate groups of readers? Find out more about Michaelbrent Collings: http://writteninsomnia.com/ Links from the show: Confessions of a Super-villain TedX Talk Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kealan Patrick Burke is a writer, cover designer, and life-long fan of the macabre. He has written five novels, over a hundred short stories, six collections, and edited four acclaimed anthologies. In 2004, Kealan was honored with the Horror Writers’ Association’s Bram Stoker Award for his novella 'The Turtle Boy', and he now also designs book covers through his design company, Elder Lemon design. In this episode we go deep into: - Diagnosing what’s missing from works in progress - Only delivering your best work - Letting the story tell you what it wants - Percolating ideas to let them mature before you write it - Keeping up with the changes in independent publishing - The slowly evolving landscape of horror - Audiobooks and the increasing demand - The secret power of actually responding to fans on social media - Creating book covers which are instagrammable - Dealing with imposter syndrome and fighting the demons - How to balance book cover design with writing - Where the inspiration comes from for his art style Kealan answers questions from Patrons: - Ian J Middleton: when it comes to writing horror, what do you find the most enjoyable and the most challenging?" - Ian J Middleton: Do you have a particular process when it comes to designing covers? Find out more about Kealan Patrick Burke: - kealanpatrickburke.com - elderlemondesign.net - Twitter - Instagram Links from the show: - Kealan’s Amazon page Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kathrin Hutson is an author of dark fantasy and sci-fi fiction, runs her own editing business, KLH CreateWorks, and is the fiction editor for the Mud Season Review, an international literary journal run by members of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Kathrin’s book ‘Sleepwater Beat’ was a sci-fi finalist in the 2019 international book awards, and her new book, ’The Summoner Thief’, will be available on October 8th of this year. In this episode we go deep into: - Kathrin’s journey from 10-year-old film critic to award-nominated author - Studying creative writing through school to college - Transitioning from writing to editing - When have you learned enough to become a ‘professional’? - How it’s possible to create a career from your creative passion - Advice for anyone who wants to get into editing as a career - Finding mentors to help you develop by putting aside your ego - Finding unique ways to create engagement online with your readers - Building the confidence to promote with video - Stephen King’s ‘Dark Tower’ series - Using your network to overcome your fears Kathrin answers questions from Patrons: - Harley Christensen: What is your favourite place to write? - Harley Christensen: How do you reward yourself when you've completed a project? Find out more about Kathrin: kathrinhutsonfiction.com Facebook page Exquisite... wait, WHAT? (with Kathrin Hutson) Kathrin’s Instagram Kathrin’s Twitter Links from the show: Kathrin’s Dark Tower review video Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton PT Hylton Michael Anderle Jerry Evanoff  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dakota Krout is a well-deserved king of LitRPG fiction. He has amassed literally thousands of 5 star reviews across his collective titles, and his latest release, ‘Raze’, part of the Completionist Chronicles, made it to #14 in the Amazon charts in July 2019. Following his independent success, Dakota is now also the owner of Mountaindale Press – an independent publishing company specializing in fantasy and sci-fi fiction – and a highly sought-after public speaker in the independent author circuit. In this episode we go deep into: - Dakota’s journey from full-time employment, to full-time writer - How to love learning and make it your superpower - Getting the right balance between work and play, particularly in a genre based around video games - Harnessing your tribe and helping others hit their goals - How to ride the wave of success and keep the momentum going - Bringing your partner into your work and complimenting each other’s skillsets - Living your personal brand - Building the infrastructure to expand your author business - How to know when you’re ready to publish other authors - How Dakota structures his working day - What Dakota’s morning routine looks - What the endgame is for Mountaindale Press Dakota answers questions from Patrons: - Ian J Middleton: Who’s your favourite author and why? - Jennie Mitchell: What has been your biggest struggle and also your most pleasant surprise as you've worked to create Mountaindale Press? - Harley Christensen: Profession if you weren't a writer (or writing wasn't an option OR never existed)? - Harley Christensen: What is your top productivity tip or the "go-to" habit that keeps you on track? Find out more about Dakota: Divine Dungeon Facebook page Dakota’s Patreon page Dakota’s Amazon page Links from the show: Piers Anthony books Margaret Weis’ Dragonlance Series Brandon Sanderson books Discord Brainfood Playlist Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton P.T. Hylton Michael Anderle  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jon Freeman is a writer and filmmaker who has worked on a number of blockbuster film sets in a variety of roles. His credits include production assistant on the set of the adaptation of Adam Nevil’s ’The Ritual’, and the thriller ‘Welcome to Curiosity’. He has worked as a runner and extra on a number of sets and has taxied a-listers like Billy Boyd, and worked in close proximity with Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton while on the set of Disney's ‘Dumbo’. Jon is now fiercely working on the editing and production of his brand new feature, ‘Whiskey Tears’, and has had his work heard by thousands of listeners on The Other Stories podcast, in collaboration with Daniel Willcocks. In this episode we go deep into: - How Jon broke into film, and practical steps to start your journey - How to navigate the inconsistencies of paid work when from film to film - Trusting the process and persevering to make the dream happen - Building a network around yourself to keep you going - Tips to help you stand out while working on set - Why saying ‘yes’ is a superpower - What a ’typical’ day on set looks like - Transitioning from production to writing - Finding collaborators and sharing ideas - Tools and resources to improve film-writing Jon answers questions from Patrons: - Harley Christensen What is your top productivity tip or the "go-to" habit that keeps you on track? - Harley Christensen: Favorite place to write (a coffee shop, a corner in the library, a cave, etc.)? - Harley Christensen: How do you reward yourself when you've completed a project? Find out more about Jon: Jon’s IMDB page Links from the show: In a Flash One Last Drink FB: London film group Casting Collective Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton P.T. Hylton Michael Anderle  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ramy Vance is a Canadian who lives in Edinburgh with his wife, three-year-old and imaginary dog. He writes kickass Urban Fantasy thrillers set in the GoneGod World (and elsewhere) and has recently dipped his toes into the LitRPG genre with the Midden3ard series, co-written with Michael Anderle.  Ramy was also the main events coordinator of the 20Books Edinburgh conference, and his greatest aspirations are writing more stories and finally get that real dog so he can have an excuse to go on longer walks.  In this episode we go deep into: - What kind of dog Ramy is looking at buying - What is Urban Fantasy, and why does he write in that genre? - Why it’s beneficial to have your Amazon page 'murder-boarded' - Growing your universe and letting others expand for you - Managing time around collaborators, creation, and the day job - Why readers can sometimes make the best collaborators - How Ramy approaches story creation - Ramy’s 5 milestones of story - Why Bookbub ads are working for Ramy - Testing your ads - Why Ramy writes - Ramy answers questions from Patrons: - David Hines: How do you craft an ending? Is it something you already know or does it develop organically? - Jon Cronshaw: You've got $100 to spend on marketing a new book. Where do you spend your cash? - Jennie Mitchell: Your Gone God World started out with 2 related series but I notice that you recently brought in S W Clarke as a coauthor for a 3rd series and that you've begun some collabration projects with LMBPN and others. Can you share a little bit about your decision to move your Universe and your career in that direction? Find out more about Ramy: Ramy Vance’s House of the GoneGod Damned! Ramy’s Amazon page Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

J Thorn is a top 100 author in Horror, Sci-Fi, Action and Adventure and Fantasy. He’s one of the lead hosts of The Career Author Podcast, alongside Zach Bohannon, and the Writer’s Well podcast, alongside Rachel Herron, as well as a certified StoryGrid editor, writing coach, a part-time radio host and musician.  J is the indie king of collaboration, and now co-runs his publishing company, Molten Universe Media, alongside Zach. Through this company they publish post-apocalyptic fiction, and host events which have taken budding authors all across America. 2020 will also see their first writer’s conference as they take over the Sell More Book Show summit from indie superstars Jim Kukral and Bryan Cohen, and host the first ever Career Author Summit in Nashville. In this episode we go deep into: - J Thorn & Zach Bohannon’s 'Three Story Method' - How to perfect your writing process - How to systematise your life to increase productivity - Choosing a collaborator and levelling up your fiction - The changing attitudes of collaboration - Pros and cons of organising events for writers - Taking over the Sell More Books Show - Pursuing traditional publishing at ThrillerFest - Choosing the right projects and managing opportunity costs - How best to divide your time as a full-time author J answers questions from Patrons: - Jon Cronshaw: What's the value of podcasting? Do you find it's better for engaging readers or as a tool for networking and expanding author services? - Ian J Middleton: Any advice for writing horror in a series? - Jon Cronshaw: What tips do you have for marketing to am audience (such as post-apocalyptic) who just want to be left alone and have no interest in engaging with authors? Find out more about J Thorn: The Author Life Molten Universe Media Links from the show: Three Story Method Aristotle’s ‘Poetics' R.L Stine’s Masterclass Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John Crinan is a writer and podcaster who hails from the rolling hills of Scotland and migrated down to the cobbled smoky streets of London. His work has regularly been featured on The Other Stories podcast, and his new show, The John Crinan podcast, sees John catting with new creators about their work, craft and the difficult business of making stuff and getting shit done. In this episode we go deep into: - Why John switched up the rolling hills of Scotland for the smoky streets of London - Why it’s important to follow through on your word - Lessons learned from John’s first novel - The advantages of short writing courses - Why it’s important to surround yourself with other creatives - What’s the point in getting up early to work? - Finding the time to get the words down. - Why it’s beneficial to find an accountability partner - Rewarding yourself for the work you do - How John is tackling Patreon - Why choose podcasting? - Keeping up the daily writing habit John answers questions from Patrons: Jon Cronshaw: Have you found a way to make consistent money from short fiction? Find out more about John: Johncrinan.com FB & Tw: @JohnCrinan Links from the show: John’s interview with Luke Kondor John’s Patreon Discipline Equals Freedom book Special thanks to : Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons of the show: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens Ian J Middleton  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alison Ingleby is a USA Today bestselling author of sci-fi and fantasy fiction. She loves writing cross-genre books featuring complex characters, twisting plots and fast-paced action with a dash of romance. When not writing, Alison enjoys reading, drinking tea and spending time outdoors. She lives in Yorkshire, England, but her heart loiters by the sea in north-west Scotland. In this episode we dive deep into: - What does Alison get out of going to writing conferences and events - Why having a community of writers is important - Biggest takeaways from conferences over the last year - Tips for introverts to tackle author events - The difference between anthologies and box sets - How to approach publishing an anthology and what you get out of them - Lessons learned from several different types of anthologies - Pros and cons of genre-hopping - Ensuring you’re productive when you know you’re a slower writer - Balancing the ego with the outcome when trying to make a living from your writing - How to hit the USA Bestseller List - Group advertising strategies - Why Alison chooses independent over traditional publishing - How to build a beta reading team and what to look for when choosing who first reads your work Alison answers questions from Patrons: - David Hines: Does one need an MFA do exceed and make a living as a writer? I went to college many years ago and now wish I'd studied English/literature, of course I didn't. Is it necessary to get such a degree? At this point in my life it would be a struggle. Find out more about Alison Ingleby: Alisoningleby.com theplottamer.com Links from the show: BundleRabbit PublishDrive (not yet live at time of publication) Special thanks to: Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell Innes Richens  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Martha Carr is the Amazon bestselling author and co-author of over 100 Urban Fantasy titles, all created in the last 2-3 years. She is the co-creator of the Oriceran universe, a universe containing collaborations with: Sarah Noffke, A.L. Knorr, as well as last week's guest of the show, Michael Anderle, to name a few, creating titles which have dominated the top of the Amazon charts.  Martha is also a regular speaker at many of the 20Booksto50k events across the world, a former New York journalist, a self-confessed geek, and spends her days dreaming of elves, witches, wizards and other magical worlds while hanging out with her two dogs, Lois Lane and Leela. In this episode we go deep into: - How pets can help with your writing - How the Oriceran universe came to be - How Martha selects her collaborators - How to manage a story universe - How to correct course when mistakes are made - Being authentic and managing the relationship with your fans - The importance of author notes - Creative ways to engage your fans - Choosing Facebook groups instead of pages - The importance of seizing opportunities and saying ‘yes' - Knowing your limits - Why does Martha write? - Giving back to the community Martha answers questions from Patrons: - Jon Cronshaw: If you were to start your writing career today, what would be the core things you would do to build up an audience and start selling books. - Jenn Mitchell: What suggestions do you have around reader engagement for new authors trying to build their reader base? - Jenn Mitchell: Do you have any advice for newer authors wanting to participate in anthologies – specifically: what to do and what not to do when approaching the gatekeeper in charge of the anthology. Find out more about Martha Carr: marthacarr.com Links from the show: Oriceran website Martha Carr Fans Facebook group The Maggie Parker series The Career Author podcast Special thanks to : Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alex C Gates is a loving husband, skilled educator, true Gryffindor, dragon-slayer, wizard of the highest order, defender of the realm, Cowboys fan, and connoisseur of cheap beer. He spent four years at California State University studying literature, watching football, and day drinking before obtaining a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Southern California. At the time of recording this interview, his latest horror novel, The Demon of Decay, was a current bestselling Amazon horror title. In this episode we go deep into: - How Dungeons ’n’ Dragons can stretch the creative muscle for writers - How Alex managed the move into full-time writing - Why it’s important to bring your significant other along with your journey - How to find success with BookBub - Why do people write horror? - Tips to stay focused when full-time - How to find an editor - Going analogue to plan your book - The benefits of being in anthologies - The importance of attending author events - Alex’s morning routine - Recommended podcasts for authors Find out more about Alex C Gates: alexcgates.com IG& FB: @alexcgates Links from the show: Demon of Decay by Alex C Gates https://partners.bookbub.com/ https://reedsy.com/ http://the-efa.org/ Undead Tales: 15 Thrilling Tales by Molten Universe Media Sell More Books Show The Creative penn Self-Publishing Show The Career Author Chris Fox’s Marketing series Special thanks to : Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons of the show: David Hines Harley Christensen Jon Cronshaw Jenn Mitchell  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Michael Anderle is the Amazon bestselling author of over 27 series, 4 story universes, and 160 audio books. Of which all of these have been published by his independent publishing company, LMBPN, in the last 3 years. His leading series, 'The Kurtherian Gambit' houses almost 200 books, with collaborations from a multitude of bestselling and leading independent authors, and spans across several genres including; science-fiction, space opera, fantasy, and post-apocalyptia. His Facebook group, 20Booksto50K, is now one of the leading pages for independent writers to share knowledge and ask questions, with the group hosting over 32,000 members at the time of recording. On top of running a smash-house independent publishing company, Michael also finds time to appear and host at events and conferences across the globe, and is gracious enough to spare a small chunk of his very valuable time to join me on this podcast and answering a few of my own burning questions. In this episode we go deep into: - How he manages such a fast-growing publishing company - The difference between publishers and creators - Why you shouldn’t let having no editor slow you down - Moving across genres - Reviews vs sales - The key things to look for when finding collaborators - What exactly is an Australian death lizard? - How to remain so grounded following a meteoric success - The future of independent publishing and traditional publishing houses - The value of the whale reader - Finding out what you do best and finding others to support what you don't - Why Michael doesn’t have a morning routine - Distractions in Dan’s day with personal training - What is the end game with LMBPN? - Publishing across mediums - Michael answers questions from fans - Find out more about Michael Anderle: www.lmbpn.com Links from the show: https://www.facebook.com/groups/20Booksto50k/ https://www.sourcebooks.com/ https://fourhourworkweek.com/ Michael’s previous interview on The Story Studio Special thanks to : Intro vocals: Persephone Rose Show theme: Karl Hughes Become a Patron of the show! Get exclusive bonus content, find your tribe, and get early access to all episodes. Thank you to my patrons of the show: David Hines  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Luke Kondor is a podcaster, comic creator, filmmaker, and bestselling author. His short film ‘Keith’ – a film made with no ideas, no money, and no camera – went on to win the best low-budget short film at the London Film Festival and has since been played the world over. His work with Hawk & Cleaver’s ’The Other Stories’ podcast has brought in over 3 million downloads internationally, and he has dabbled in post apocalyptic fiction, bringing the immensely weird and wonderful ‘El Marvo’ to life through a successful Kickstarter campaign and has reached the top of the Amazon charts with his best-selling series ’The Rot’, written alongside Daniel Willcocks. Luke’s credentials include 2x Vimeo Staff Picks, Grand Prix at the In Short Fest, 1st Prize at Five Lamps 24hr Film Competition, and Audience Choice at Focus Film Festival (not to forget the aforementioned Best Low-Budget Short Film at the London Short Film Festival). Luke is also part-owner of the independent story studio, HAWK & CLEAVER, and happens to be one of my best friends, inspirations and co-writers. In this episode we go deep into: - How Luke kick-started his creative career - His 7-day creative challenges - How to create a film with no camera and no money - How Luke created his morning habits - Why creating an overly curated personal brand can be counterproductive to success - Why Luke thinks of himself as an 'explorer' - What mediums and genres Luke still wants to play with - How experiencing all that life has to offer can inform your art - The links between writing and running - Conquering distractions when writing - How journalling plays into a successful morning routine - How bullet journalling supplements a good productive routine - Luke's proudest achievement to date - Choosing between traditional publishing and independent Find out more about Luke Kondor: www.lukekondor.com www.hawkandcleaver.com Links from the show: Luke's Massive Storytelling podcast Luke's award-winning film, Keith The Hipster from Outer Space book Swiss Army Man  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

And we're live! Welcome to the Great Writers Share podcast, a show which breaks down the strategies, productivity habits and mindsets behind some of the most successful and up-and-coming authors around. In this episode I give the full overview on what the podcast is, why it has found its way onto your podcast feed, who exactly I am, and what to expect over the coming weeks.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.