The Write Atmosphere: A Podcast for Writers

In this episode, we talk with a former LAPD lieutenant whose unexpected second act as an Uber driver led to more than 10,000 rides—and ultimately to the memoir Chasing the Surge: Ten Thousand Rides into the American Night. What began as a post-career pivot became a powerful lens into the lives, struggles, and surprising moments shared by strangers in the back seat.
We explore how real-life encounters can become compelling storyt...

In this episode, we talk with author James Blakey about two important parts of building a writing career: selling books in person and publishing short stories. James shares practical advice on finding the best venues for authors, such as conventions, libraries, book festivals, and craft markets, along with tips for setting up an engaging table, interacting with readers, and perfecting your pitch. We also dive into the world of shor...

Build a brand, cultivate your audience, always have the next book poised to release: that's all, rather broad advice for authors who want to learn how to write full-time. You hear these things all the time for a reason, though; it's just a matter of figuring out how to do it all. Author and book coach Lisa Daily has collected techniques from various 7-figure authors, and is here to lay out what you need to do to take your a...

Beta reader feedback can be such an important tool to writers as they polish their manuscripts, and it can also be an overwhelming challenge to incorporate. From soliciting readers to receiving feedback, from internalizing conflicting perspectives to inputting the changes you decide to keep, it's a lengthy but invaluable process. Historical fiction author Beth Ford knows her way around the beta reader block, and she's here ...

To get an MFA or not to get an MFA is a question that many serious writers ponder at some point in their writing careers, and there is, of course, no “right” answer; it depends on each individual writer. However, in a time when it seems like an MFA is a necessary step in a writer's career, some voices are cropping up to point out that often the opposite can be true. Acclaimed author and MFA professor Randall Silvis lays out all...

With each new personality test comes a fresh perspective on developing and writing compelling characters for your stories, and the Myers-Briggs Index is no exception. With four axes of personality descriptions combined into 16 distinct personality types, the Myers-Briggs Index can also be used to write character development. A.W. Baldwin, multi-award-winning author, talks through how to shape and sharpen your characters using the M...

Celebrities and social media influencers are the biggest phenomenon in influencing buying practices we've seen yet, and even just one influencer shouting out your book can completely change its sales trajectory for the better. Getting your book in front of celebrities and influencers is an interesting--not impossible--task. Emily Florence, a former entertainment publicist for shows like American Idol and Gilmore Girls as well a...

Publishing a book doesn't tend to pay the bills, so authors are turning more and more to crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter to support themselves and their work. It's not as simple as throwing a campaign up on the site and letting it run itself, though. Luckily, award-winning author and accomplished Kickstarter runner David Hankins has loads of advice on how to maximize your own campaign, so you can jump into the process p...

Some writing tips are specific to genre, but there are at least a few critical tools that writers need to know no matter what kind of prose they're writing. Understanding perspective, utilizing storytelling, and crafting sentence structure and rhythm will all level up your writing. Developmental and copy editor Katie Chambers gives us how-to advice to help you address these elements of your manuscript and take your draft from a...

Whether you pursue traditional or hybrid publishing is an important decision for authors to make, but on top of that it's also worth considering whether to work with a literary agent. Literary agents give authors crucial connections to publishers and are full of key guidance to help you realize your publishing dreams. Agent and editor Amy White explains the role of literary agents, as well as why and how authors should enter in...

The editing process is a crucial step toward publication for authors to take, but it can also be an overwhelming one. There's new jargon to learn, new relationships to build, and new expectations to set. Editor and writing consultant Mary Vensel White has tons of advice for writers to know before they enter into a contract with an editor, so tune in and take notes, because you'll want to have a solid understanding of the ed...

As the podcast market grows, every author is turning to podcasts to promote their books. But with a non-zero learning curve and a novel's worth of podcast types, niches, and angles, it's hard to know where to start. Y. M. Nelson comes at this topic from both sides of the mic as an author and podcaster. She gives us advice on how authors can find podcasts, put together a solid pitch, make your appearance, and market publishe...

We all remember the books that shaped our childhoods, and for many authors, it's a dream to create those childhood-shaping books for future generations. The real challenge these days is actually getting your book into the hands of readers, no matter their age. Peter Felton, a teacher and critically acclaimed writer of chapter books, is here to give his advice on how to reach young readers and deliver exciting and rewarding auth...

Kids have big emotions, but so do adults, and that's where children's literature can come in to help kids process their emotions -- and help their parents facilitate that processing. As a children's book author, writing stories to start these conversations is a big responsibility to carry! Michelle De La Mora is one such author who used her own experiences with her grandson to not only write a gorgeous story about separ...

Jo Sparkes writes in a variety of genres, including children's media, fantasy, YA fiction, and screenwriting, so she's perfected the use of a 360 view to create and write characters so authentic they make readers believe they exist in real life. You can create such dynamic characters yourself using her techniques. Tune in to learn what questions Jo asks her characters, what situations she puts them in, and why it's so i...