Episode 39: Allison Speka, Self-Published Romance Author
Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, Novel Revision, Novel Submission, Craft, Community, Freelance Publishing, Freelance Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Editing, Freelance Outline, Freelance Submission Mary Kole Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, Novel Revision, Novel Submission, Craft, Community, Freelance Publishing, Freelance Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Editing, Freelance Outline, Freelance Submission Mary Kole

Episode 39: Allison Speka, Self-Published Romance Author

Romance author Allison Speka joins the pod to discuss her journey into writing and self-publishing. She talks about her love for the romance genre, and shares her experience with self-publishing, including tips on cover design, book marketing, and the value of learning from other indie authors.

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How to Create Characters
Craft, Writing, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea Kristen Overman Craft, Writing, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea Kristen Overman

How to Create Characters

So often, story ideas begin with characters. Writers have a picture in their mind of a character they’ve never met, and from there a new story is born. How do we create characters that resonate with readers, though? What needs to go into the mix?

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Writing Quotes To Motivate and Inspire
Writing, Novel Draft, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Memoir Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Picture Book Draft, Short Story Draft, ER/CB Outline, Freelance Outline, Memoir Outline, Nonfiction Outline, Novel Outline, Picture Book Outline, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea Amy Holland Writing, Novel Draft, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Memoir Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Picture Book Draft, Short Story Draft, ER/CB Outline, Freelance Outline, Memoir Outline, Nonfiction Outline, Novel Outline, Picture Book Outline, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea Amy Holland

Writing Quotes To Motivate and Inspire

Pithy writing quotes can motivate and inspire with just a few words. We’ve put together some of our favorites to keep you motivated when the going gets tough.

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Writing Under a Pseudonym
Community, Writing, Marketing, Audience, Novel Idea, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing Guest User Community, Writing, Marketing, Audience, Novel Idea, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing Guest User

Writing Under a Pseudonym

Many authors write under a pseudonym, also known as a pen name. If you think writing under an alias is in your future, here are some criteria to help you decide. I’ve also got some tips on how best to come up with one.

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Marketing Your Book With Emily Enger
Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Memoir Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Memoir Draft, Novel Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Short Story Draft, Picture Book Draft Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Memoir Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Memoir Draft, Novel Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Short Story Draft, Picture Book Draft Mary Kole

Marketing Your Book With Emily Enger

Book Marketer and PR Coach Emily Enger joins Mary to talk about some of the aspects of the writing process that might leave a yucky taste in our mouths. Tune in for actionable tips and insights into a publicist and marketer's side of the publishing world.

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Tips for Writing Theme
Craft, Writing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Picture Book Draft, Picture Book Idea, Memoir Draft, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea Amy Holland Craft, Writing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Picture Book Draft, Picture Book Idea, Memoir Draft, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea Amy Holland

Tips for Writing Theme

The act of writing theme is an important ingredient in storytelling, but it doesn’t have to resound with Meaning-with-a-capital-M. In fact, theme works best when it’s subtle and even open to interpretation. Here are three tips that’ll help you incorporate theme into your story.

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40 GOOD IDEAS FOR BOOKS to Get You Inspired
Writing, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Short Story Idea Rhiannon Richardson Writing, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Short Story Idea Rhiannon Richardson

40 GOOD IDEAS FOR BOOKS to Get You Inspired

Uncap those pens, pop open those PCs, and crack your knuckles. It’s time to dive into good ideas for books, and how to brainstorm. Good Story Company is here to help you stay inspired with our quirky list of good ideas for books.

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Moralizing in Books
Craft, Writing, Novel Draft, Picture Book Draft, ER/CB Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Memoir Draft, Freelance Draft, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Short Story Idea, Picture Book Idea Mary Kole Craft, Writing, Novel Draft, Picture Book Draft, ER/CB Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Memoir Draft, Freelance Draft, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Short Story Idea, Picture Book Idea Mary Kole

Moralizing in Books

Think twice before you moralize in your book. Ditch "sharing is caring!" and go for a more nuanced message. Here's how.

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Who Is My Target Audience?
Audience, Market, Writing, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Memoir Idea, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Short Story Idea Amy Wilson Audience, Market, Writing, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Memoir Idea, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Short Story Idea Amy Wilson

Who Is My Target Audience?

Thinking about a “target audience” can sound cold and impersonal, especially for writers who are pouring their hearts into a manuscript. After all, it’s not like we’re lining readers up, eyeing the red circles painted on their torsos, and lobbing our books at them. Or are we?

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The Writing Journey with Leslie C. Youngblood
Writing, Craft, Character, Freelance Publishing, Novel Publishing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Publishing, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Outline, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing Mary Kole Writing, Craft, Character, Freelance Publishing, Novel Publishing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Publishing, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Outline, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing Mary Kole

The Writing Journey with Leslie C. Youngblood

Author and former assistant professor of creative writing Leslie C. Youngblood joins Mary Kole on the Good Story Podcast. She shares her journey through her MFA program, gives tips on crafting interesting character relationships, and weighs in on one of the hottest questions for authors today: traditional or self-publishing?

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Retelling (3 Reasons to Reimagine)
Writing, Market, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea Michal Leah Writing, Market, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea Michal Leah

Retelling (3 Reasons to Reimagine)

Is it just me, or does it seem like retellings and reimagined stories are everywhere you look? Whether I’m on the Kindle page or surfing Netflix, it seems like everyone’s telling familiar tales in different ways. Here’s more about this trend and why it matters.

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How to Write Diverse Characters (And, Also, Are You Qualified?)
Craft, Nonfiction Draft, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Novel Draft, Picture Book Draft, Short Story Draft, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Nonfiction Idea, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea Joiya Morrison-Efemini Craft, Nonfiction Draft, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Novel Draft, Picture Book Draft, Short Story Draft, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Nonfiction Idea, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea Joiya Morrison-Efemini

How to Write Diverse Characters (And, Also, Are You Qualified?)

Wondering how to write diverse characters? Many writers aspire to create worlds that look like a true fusion of personalities and cultures, religious beliefs, and ethnicities. How do we create art that imitates the life we are striving for?

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The Core of a Story with Roz Morris
Writing, Character, Audience, Craft, Novel Idea, Novel Draft, Novel Publishing, Novel Outline, Novel Editing, Memoir Draft, Memoir Editing, Memoir Publishing, Memoir Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, Freelance Publishing, Nonfiction Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, Memoir Outline Mary Kole Writing, Character, Audience, Craft, Novel Idea, Novel Draft, Novel Publishing, Novel Outline, Novel Editing, Memoir Draft, Memoir Editing, Memoir Publishing, Memoir Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, Freelance Publishing, Nonfiction Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, Memoir Outline Mary Kole

The Core of a Story with Roz Morris

Writer, writing teacher, ghost writer, and general literary icon Roz Morris joins Mary Kole for an interview on the Good Story Speaker Series. They dive into the mechanics of storytelling and discuss how to connect with your audience—whether you're writing someone else's story or your telling your own.

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Episode 1: Chris Baty, Founder of NaNoWriMo
Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Memoir Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Memoir Draft, Novel Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Short Story Draft, Picture Book Draft, ER/CB Outline, Freelance Outline, Nonfiction Outline, Memoir Outline, Picture Book Outline, Novel Outline Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Memoir Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Memoir Draft, Novel Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Short Story Draft, Picture Book Draft, ER/CB Outline, Freelance Outline, Nonfiction Outline, Memoir Outline, Picture Book Outline, Novel Outline Mary Kole

Episode 1: Chris Baty, Founder of NaNoWriMo

An interview with NaNoWriMo founder and writing teacher Chris Baty, where we discuss plot, pantsing, not nipping good ideas in the bud, celebrating a hot pile of garbage, and the cult of busyness.

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Brighten Even The Foggiest Story Idea
Craft, Critique, Market, Writing, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, ER/CB Outline, Freelance Outline, Memoir Outline, Nonfiction Outline, Novel Outline, Picture Book Outline Joiya Morrison-Efemini Craft, Critique, Market, Writing, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, ER/CB Outline, Freelance Outline, Memoir Outline, Nonfiction Outline, Novel Outline, Picture Book Outline Joiya Morrison-Efemini

Brighten Even The Foggiest Story Idea

Story ideas don’t always come easily, but sometimes we get glimmers that turn into a list of foggy ideas. How do we decide which new idea to run with? And how do we take steps to make it shine?

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Craft a Killer Fantasy Premise Using Good Versus Evil
Writing, Craft, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea, Picture Book Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, Short Story Draft, Short Story Idea Amy Wilson Writing, Craft, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea, Picture Book Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, Short Story Draft, Short Story Idea Amy Wilson

Craft a Killer Fantasy Premise Using Good Versus Evil

A fantasy premise that doesn’t engage on any themes of good versus evil can feel empty, but when those lines are too stark, it can feel a bit thin. So how do you find the balance?

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Unconventional Writing
Picture Book Idea, Picture Book Draft, Picture Book Publishing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Novel Publishing, Memoir Draft, Memoir Idea, Memoir Publishing, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Idea, Short Story Draft, Short Story Idea, Short Story Publishing Mary Kole Picture Book Idea, Picture Book Draft, Picture Book Publishing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Novel Publishing, Memoir Draft, Memoir Idea, Memoir Publishing, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Idea, Short Story Draft, Short Story Idea, Short Story Publishing Mary Kole

Unconventional Writing

Publishing loves its buckets. In children's books, there are several buckets that you need to fit into, with word count guidelines and all of that. There are buckets and tropes in adult publishing as well. Books that don't lend themselves easily to categorization can be a really difficult sell.

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Someone is Publishing My Idea!?
ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Memoir Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea Mary Kole ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Memoir Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea Mary Kole

Someone is Publishing My Idea!?

We've all heard people who claim that somebody took their idea and is now publishing it, or that somewhere somehow, another writer has come up with basically the same idea, sold it, and now, what does that mean for your idea?

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Permission To Write
ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea Mary Kole ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea Mary Kole

Permission To Write

Writing invariably is a passion for a lot of people that I work with. And they just, for whatever reason, have not been able to sort of devote themselves to it until now. And that's usually when they come to me and I plug into their process.

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