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Successful writing requires The Write Focus. Hosted by M.A. Lee with occasional forays from Remi Black and Edie Roones, we focus on productivity / tools / craft / process for fiction and nonfiction, entertainment and academic writing.
Episodes
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
JUGGLING JOBS and COZY MYSTERIES
Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries.
Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, and Murder by the Glass. She is a member of Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia, Sisters in Crime – Chessie, Guppies, International Thriller Writers, and James River Writers.
Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers. She earned her BA in English from Virginia Wesleyan University and her MA in American literature from the University of Richmond.
Timings
- 0:15 Opening ~ Heather Weidner’s series
- 0:48 Her publishing journey
- 3:40 1st writing ventures
- 5:38 Her writing process, daily word counts
- 7:20 Newbie mistakes and overcoming them
- 8:44 From idea to end
- 10:25 the Team around the protagonist
- 14:25 Moving to the Beta readers; finding the beginning (and the ending)
- 16:00 Revision; adding humor; off to the editor
- 19:00 Daily writing session (no blank page)
- 21:35 Discovering a niche (glamping) in the cozy mystery genre
- 23:45 Motivation and commitment
- 28:20 Marketing
- 29:12 Best writing tool
- 30:19 Re-charging creativity
- 32:25 Her books; advice to new writers
- 34:13 Closing
Links
- Website and Blog: http://www.heatherweidner.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherWeidner1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherWeidnerAuthor
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_mystery_writer/
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8121854.Heather_Weidner
- Amazon Authors: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HOYR0MQ
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HeatherBWeidner/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-weidner-0064b233?trk=hp-identity-name
- BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heather-weidner-d6430278-c5c9-4b10-b911-340828fc7003
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heather_weidner_author
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyBjyB0zz-M1DaM-rU1bXGA?view_as=subscriber
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is A Mixed Miscellany: Interviews with Writers / Fiction / Poetry / Nonfiction.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
25+ books and counting, Marilyn Levinson is still penning mysteries. With a series recently completing and a new series to start, she is eager to explore new ideas, settings, and situations.
Timings
- 00:15 Opening with Marilyn’s writing journey
- 1:23 the Haunted Library series under her Alison Brook pen name. Newest release Dewey Decimated
- 3:45 Completing the story arc for that series and the beginnings of that series
- 7:00 Setting and Situation for the Haunted Library series
- 9:58 a Series should have novels that feel like a stand-alone so readers can enter at any time.
- 10:25 the Growth of repeating characters in the Haunted Library (avoiding stagnant characters)
- 11:54 Developing the next series, main characters, setting, research, working on the puzzle of the mystery
- 19:45 Adding a cat or a dog to the series, Smoky Joe the library cat of the Haunted Library series
- 22:15 the Title conundrum
- 23:47 Working from Idea to Novel, bringing in the murder
- 25:00 Plotter vs. Pantster, trusting your mind to work it out
- 27:35 After the Draft
- 30:30 Maintaining Productivity, motivation with friends Kaye George and Peg London
- 35:20 Do writers have a natural inclination to write short stories or novels?
- 36:50 Closing
Links
Marilyn’s website:http://www.marilynlevinson.com
Amazon page: https://amzn.to/3mAhjYO
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.levinson.10?ref=ts&fref=ts
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is A Mixed Miscellany: Interviews with Writers / Fiction / Poetry / Nonfiction.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Terri Karsten is writing what she wants. Multiple genres, children’s books to historical mysteries for adults, whatever piques her interest … and she is loving what she’s doing.
And isn’t that the important thing?
Timings
- 0:03 Opening
- 0:46 Finn McCool, a legend of Ireland for Middle Grades
- 2:10 Eclectic in writing and reading, writing in multiple genres
- 4:28 Hybrid publishing: indie for books, traditional for shorter works; the journey along the way
- 7:00 Marketing and agents, self-publishing and an award
- 12:39 Cover designs
- 14:01 Hiring an illustrator for picture books; exploring on Deviant Art for covers
- 16:30 Planning the cover designs for a series: for a Philadelphia tavern in the 1760s and for the world-spanning legends for older kids
- 18:42 Productivity for writing and projects and schedules
- 22:16 Living the writing dream; sparking creativity
- 24:30 Tools for writing (one of them isn’t grammar!); “We are human and not perfect.”
- 29:46 Hard part about writing
- 30:35 Not writing to market
- 32:36 Writing fantasy; mystery in fantasy (her Roscoe Gordon stories)
- 35:25 Terri’s advice for newbies and veterans seeking to improve
- 38:45 Closing
LINKS
Terri’s website http://www.terrikarsten.com/
Her blog: https://bricabrac164.wordpress.com/
Her publishing company website https://wagonbridge-publishing.square.site/
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools.
Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is A Mixed Miscellany: Interviews with Writers / Fiction / Poetry / Nonfiction. For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com . Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
J.V. Caggiano talks writing, her book At Witt’s End, having a “serial killer wall” to plan her books, and overcoming her launch at the start of the pandemic, in this week’s episode of The Write Focus.
Timings
- 0:10 Intro
- 2:00 J.V.’s book At Witt’s End, using emotional connections and items to link to the next books
- 4:35 Her route to indie publishing
- 6:25 Using a copy editor, problems and solutions
- 8:07 Cover designer and development of her novel’s title (series branding with covers)
- 10:02 Starting the story process, character dictating setting, and her “serial killer wall”
- 15:25 Her writing journey and her writing schedule
- 19:41 Creativity help: pen and paper
- 24:16 When the first draft is over
- 26:30 Critique groups
- 30:45 Her trusty notebook
- 33:00 Maintaining motivation
- 35:20 Closing
LINKS
J.V. Caggiano’s website https://jvcaggiano.com/
Her author page https://www.amazon.com/J-V-Caggiano/e/B085M6DRHQ/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084ZR2KXH/
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is A Mixed Miscellany: Interviews with Writers / Fiction / Poetry / Nonfiction.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Sep 07, 2022
Wednesday Sep 07, 2022
For debut author Derek Wheeless, writing is a fun journey of discovery. He’s planted into a niche with his YA noir novel We Planned a Murder, Sam Spade-style, the angsty detective re-invented as a teenager.
Timings
- 1:25 Story structure entering life
- 2:15 Derek’s novel, a YA noir; growing as a writer as the novel grws
- 5:20 Verbosity vs. tight writing: the reason picture books are difficult to write
- 6:50 Using a developmental editor
- 9:18 His current work-in-progress follows the mystery style of Nick and Nora Charles; balancing two protagonists
- 11:50 Outlining; plotter vs. pantster vs. puzzler
- 13:53 Novel construction
- 15:41 Hard part of writing
- 18:30 Finding guidance with a developmental editor; finding the right editor
- 23:27 A writing mistake
- 25:38 Developing reader magnets
- 26:50 Maintaining productivity
- 30:00 Designing a cover and branding a series
- 32:04 Writing books simultaneously
- 34:20 Avoiding contemporary slang and references
- 36:05 Casts of characters, the old Dell map backs, and lists of clues
- 39:50 Writing: the journey of discovery
- 42:25 Closing
LINKS
The direct link to the book in 3 formats on Amazon is https://www.amazon.com/We-Planned-Murder-Murder-Suspects-ebook/dp/B09W8M13SJ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1649875459&sr=8-2
We Planned a Murder was reviewed in a recent issue of Publisher’s Weekly. Here’s the link: https://www.digitalpw.com/digitalpw/20220704/MobilePagedReplica.action?pm=2&folio=74#pg76
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is A Mixed Miscellany: Interviews with Writers / Fiction / Poetry / Nonfiction.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Aug 31, 2022
Wednesday Aug 31, 2022
A paranormal “fixer” and her spirit guide named Raul along with a former spy with a secret cypher at a bookshop: these are just three of the intriguing characters from separate series by Ileana Muñoz Renfroe. Ileana began writing during pandemic lockdown; she doesn’t let her newbie status slow her down.
Timings
- 0:40 Ileana’s cozies and children’s books, esp. Rosa the Cuban psychic and Raul in A Fashionable Bait
- 4:02 Writing multiple story lines simultaneously, heading for a rapid release
- 6:00 Puzzling Pantster with an outline that is tossed
- 6:40 Plotter software: scenes, characters, timelines / Scrivener for actual writing
- 7:41 Ileana’s publishing journey and the Cozy Mystery Village on Facebook
- 9:11 Long-hand writing vs. writing on computer; the flexibility of Scrivener
- 12:17 Her writing planner and a little writing Bible
- 13:30 Idea to End as a Pantstering Puzzler, using real settings to generate ideas
- 17:50 Reaching a work’s end, teasing to the next book
- 22:15 After the first draft
- 23:25 Avoiding negativity
- 24:50 Hybrid on cover designs: some contracted, some indie
- 27:00 Exclusive to Amazon; choosing the indie route over traditionally published.
- 30:00 Maintaining productivity, re-charging by reading
- 34:07 Advice to newbies
- 35:50 Website, upcoming books, Cozy Mystery Village on FB
At the end, host M.A. Lee burbled over a question, which she remembered as soon as the interview ended: Are any books be translated into Spanish? Ileana replied via email, “Not yet,” which means translations will come!
LINKS
Her website imrenfroe
Amazon Author page https://www.amazon.com/Ileana-Munoz-Renfroe/e/B08P2C4DYY/
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is A Mixed Miscellany: Interviews with Writers / Fiction / Poetry / Nonfiction.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Aug 24, 2022
Wednesday Aug 24, 2022
Serendipity is the best word to describe Jane Sloven’s writing.
Timings
- 0:08 Jane’s journey into writing; her focus on problem-solving, relationships, female protagonists, psychotherapists, trauma, and managed care
- 6:00 Real life informing the writing
- 7:00 Blurb for Termination of Benefits
- 8:50 Jane’s original writing process. (complete pantstering)
- 11:00 Her forward path: mentors (“All writing is revision”), critique groups, courses and workshops
- 16:00 Compassionate Journey: Honoring Our Mothers’ Stories, essays with other writers
- 17:44 Publishing with the attendant queries, summaries, and synopses; honesty with agents; editing; and small presses
- 25:52 Working on the sequel Fragment of Doubt and a prequel
- 29:22 Changing her writing procedure, bingeing on writing
- 31:30 Revising to add twists and braiding in other plot threads
- 33:20 Writing should be pleasurable
- 35:45 up to the wire on finding critique groups
- 38:56 Closing
Bio
Jane Sloven started her career doing law reform work, working with juvenile offenders in a program that diverted them from court to counseling, tutoring, and job training. Then she went to law school and worked with a small feminist firm in Boston before moving to Maine to take a position developing services for victims of juvenile crime in a restitution program.
After working in a traditional law practice, she switched careers to social work, focusing on counseling. She says, “I let go of law and never looked back—other than to do training in mediation and do some volunteer mediation. I had a private psychotherapy practice for about 25 years.”
She wrote her first mystery, Termination of Benefits, (published in 2018) to subversively teach about trauma and recovery. Jane also wanted to explore how people come to terms with clairvoyance, which is one of her protagonist’s struggles. She placed her novel in the Portland, Maine, area.
Termination of Benefits was a Foreward Reviews Indies Finalist for Suspense and Thrillers, a 2019 Next Generation Indie Award Finalist for suspense, and the Grand Prize Winner of the Maine Romance Writers 2019 People’s Choice Strut Your Stuff Award.
LINKS
https://maineauthorspublishing.com
https://maineauthorspublishing.com/termination-of-benefits/
More from Jane
An interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83nFFo-onXo
Compassionate Journey: Honoring Our Mothers’ Stories:
https://www.mainewomenmagazine.com/parental-control/
https://www.compassionatejourneyhonoringourmothersstories.com/about.html
http://www.internationalbookawards.com/aboutus/2019awardannouncement.html
Poetry
https://www.riverpoetsjournal.com/The_Signature_Poem_Issue_-_2016.pdf
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is A Mixed Miscellany: Interviews with Writers / Fiction / Poetry / Nonfiction.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Aug 17, 2022
Wednesday Aug 17, 2022
Technology is Sarah E. Burr’s friend. It provided the sub-niche for her cozy mystery series, helped her locate an agent, and offers several side endeavors.
TIMINGS
- 0:43 Sarah E. Burr and her books and series. #FollowMe for Murder is out now.
- 4:58 the hybrid world: both indie and traditionally published
- 7:52 70 rejections before an agent; the wonder of the Twitter writing community
- 11:37 Creating a niche in tech info based on life experiences
- 16:15 Writing process: ideas at the beginning and during
- 19:38 Drafting and revision and a working document as a master book
- 25:14 Indie publishing and Kindle Create
- 29:20 Maintaining productivity
- 36:30 Best tool for writers
Sarah E. Burr is the award-winning author of the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, Trending Topic Mysteries, and Court of Mystery series. She currently serves as the social media guru for the New York chapter of Sisters in Crime and is the creative mind behind BookstaBundles, a content creation service for authors. Sarah is the co-host of The Bookish Hour, a streaming YouTube series featuring live author interviews and book discussions. When she's not spinning up stories, Sarah is singing Broadway tunes, reading everything from mystery to manga, and enjoying walks with her dog, Eevee.
Links:
- Website:saraheburr.com
- Newsletter:https://bit.ly/saraheburrsignup
- #FollowMe for Murder:https://bit.ly/followmeformurder
- You Can’t Candle the Truth:https://bit.ly/glenmyrewhimmysteriesbook1
- Court of Mystery series:https://bit.ly/courtofmystery
- The Bookish Hour: The Bookish Hour -- Episode 1: Judy L. Murray - YouTube
- BookstaBundle, Social Media Content Creative Service https://www.saraheburr.com/bookstabundles
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is A Mixed Miscellany: Interviews with Writers / Fiction / Poetry / Nonfiction.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Aug 10, 2022
Wednesday Aug 10, 2022
History and setting offer rich ideas for Anne Louise Bannon. When characters begin speaking to her, she knows that she has a winning series.
TIMINGS
- 0:04 Opening, Anne Louise Bannon and the turbulent LA County history, the setting of one series
- 2:00 Newest release: Death of an Heiress (see buy links below)
- 3:15 Anne’s interest in LA County’s history
- 7:12 Inspired by a history lecture
- 10:05 Cabot Cove syndrome; stumbling into a rich setting; characters who begin speaking
- 15:15 Anne’s publishing journey, finding the protagonist’s voice
- 20:35 Her writing process
- 23:03 Best tool for writing?
- 26:44 Hard vs. Easy: promotions and visual elements vs. dialogue and character voice
- 31:18 Switching from series to series
- 32:31 Maintaining productivity
- 34:20 the Chicken story
- 37:07 Closing
Record date June 17, Friday; release date for her newest novel June 18, Saturday
Anne Louise Bannon is an author and journalist who wrote her first novel at age 15. Her journalistic work has appeared in Ladies' Home Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Wines and Vines, and in newspapers across the country. She was a TV critic for over 10 years, founded the YourFamilyViewer blog, and created the OddBallGrape.com wine education blog with her husband, Michael Holland. She is the co-author of Howdunit: Book of Poisons, with Serita Stevens, as well as author of the Freddie and Kathy mystery series, set in the 1920s; the Operation Quickline series; and the Old Los Angeles series, set in the 1870s. Her most recent title is book four in the Old Los Angeles series, Death of an Heiress. She and her husband live in Southern California with an assortment of critters.
Website: https://annelouisebannon.com
Buy links:
- https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/death-of-an-heiress
- https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=9AtvEAAAQBAJ
- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-of-an-heiress-anne-louise-bannon/1141254895?ean=9781948616218
- https://books.apple.com/us/book/death-of-an-heiress/id1619307081?itsct=books_box_link&itscg=30200&ls=1
- https://www.amazon.com/Death-Heiress-Anne-Louise-Bannon/dp/1948616211/
- https://www.vromansbookstore.com/book/9781948616218
- https://bookshop.org/a/14104/9781948616218
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is A Mixed Miscellany: Interviews with Writers / Fiction / Poetry / Nonfiction.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
Show your support with a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
A fantastical thread through every mystery with serendipitous finds from daily life inspires the best-selling author Melissa Bourbon. Also writing as Winnie Archer, she has several series, including the Book Magic series, Magical Dressmaking series, and the Bread Shop series.
Paying it forward, Melissa also has the Writer Spark Academy, with a blog and resources on a website and several courses on Teachable, the best place for self-paced and recursive learning online.
Her advice and inspiration is “Write the best book you want to read.”
Timings
- 0:03 Opening, with intros to her three main series
- 8:10 Starting a novel, with the focus on her Bibliomancy series
- 9:35 (Branding) the magical thread in all of her series
- 10:30 Melissa’s publishing journey
- 15:45 Idea to Publication: Melissa’s writing process
- 19:15 A Hybrid of pantster and plotter
- 19:48 Maintaining Productivity
- 20:30 the Writer Spark Academy
- 21:45 Melissa’s daily schedule
- 22:40 more on the Writer Spark Academy: website and Teachable courses
- 25:50 WSA example: Field Guide to Writing a Cozy Mystery
- 27:24 importance of recursive learning and Teachable’s model
- 29:00 workbooks for the WSA courses
- 32:38 Craft Chats on YouTube
- 33:50 Best Tool for Writing; writing out of order
- 36:30 Motivation to keep writing through the hard parts
- 39:54 Switching among different series
- 41:20 Brain FM for focusing and study music on Spotify
- 43:40 Closing
LINKS
https://melissabourbon.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaBourbonWinnieArcherBooks/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/bookishly_cozy
Book Warriors book group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookWarriors
FOR WRITERSPARK ACADEMY
Courses: https://writersparkwritingacademy.teachable.com/
Website: https://writersparkacademy.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheWriterSpark
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writer_spark/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnKN2ZVZwjoAOeHlBO-cRIw
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is A Mixed Miscellany: Interviews with Writers / Fiction / Poetry / Nonfiction.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
Buy a coffee to show your support at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)