Become A Writer Today

Have you ever considered writing fiction for young adults?In this episode, I chat to Zara Miller, whose first book, I Am Cecilia, is about to be published. It’s a romance aimed at young adults. We talk about her process for writing young adult fiction and romance, and she explains how she also writes fanfiction set in the Riverdale universe, which she says helps her decompress. Zara also talks about what drew her to write young adult fiction and how she landed a book publishing contract. In this episode we discuss:Where the idea came from for a young adult bookThe benefits of having a strong LinkedIn profileWhat is an 'episodic' writerTips for getting the writing process startedLetting off steam through writing fanfiction ResourcesZara Miller on LinkedInThe Teen MagazineSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Journaling is very popular right now, but could you produce a book from your journal entries?I'm writing a parenting book at the moment, and journaling is the approach that I'm using. I wrote journal entries about the sorts of things that my kids got up to, then, when I was ready to write the book, I reorganized the entries and turned them into chapters.Taking this approach works because if you write 300 words in your journal today, chances are tomorrow you'll feel a bit more comfortable about the topic and go past 300 words, and you might write 400 or even 500. If you do that for a week, you'll rack up a couple of thousand words. If you do it for the year, you'll undoubtedly have more than enough for your book or several books.In this episode, I chat with Tom Kreffer. He's the author of Dear Dory: Journal of a Soon to Be First Time Dad, which he initially wrote as a series of journal entries when his partner was expecting their first child, before turning it into a book. In this

Have you ever considered offering something in addition to your book? I've discovered several non-fiction authors who provide coaching, organize events, or facilitate courses that elaborate on their book's ideas.Doing this helps spread your message more widely because not everybody enjoys learning via the written word. It also enables you to earn more from your writing, which you could invest in your business or live off while writing another book.It can also help you clarify your ideas and reposition you in a way that enables more people to engage with you.My guest in this episode has done precisely this. Dr. Trevor Blattner runs a dental practice, and his new book, Redefining the Top 1%, is out now.He's also the hosts a podcast and offers coaching and consulting based on the seven behaviors that drive shepherd leadership, which he explains in his book.In this episode we discuss:What inspired Trevor to write the book Explaining the relevance of the seven principles written about in the bookRed

You may think that as you're the book's author, then you're the best person to edit it, but finding and working with a good editor can help improve the writing that you produce.Not only will editors find and fix errors in your manuscript that you might have missed when you were writing them, but it can also be like having access to your own coach or mentor. Editors are trained professionals who can help you improve your craft and help you spot issues you've missed.A good editor can offer advice specific to the types of problems you have with writing that you won't necessarily find in a book about writing.I caught up with the founder of NY Book Editor, Natasa Lekic. Her company has been in the business of helping authors for over eight years, and they have several high-profile success stories, some of which she talks about in this week's interview. In this episode we discuss: Why Natasa started NY Book EditorWho is NY Book Editor's target market?What is a good editorial fit?H

Like many authors, you probably have a dream of writing and publishing your first book. Chances are, you've also got to work to pay the bills and write the book when you have some time to spare.At least that's what I had to do. I used to get up at 5 or 6 am and spend the first-hour writing before the kids woke up and my working day started. But, I believe that if you spend 30 - 60 minutes per day on your writing project, you can make great progress.My guest in this episode is Conor Bredin, and he did just that. He wrote and self-published his first novel, The Longest Night, while working as a primary school teacher.I wanted to understand what his writing routine looked like, how he balanced writing with a day job, and what steps he took to ensure that he got to a point where he was happy to publish. In this episode we discuss:Making writing your priorityPlanning your day to make time for your writingUsing tools and software to enhance your writingHow Conor structures his writingThe different types o

Have you ever felt the urge to perform your work in front of people? Or do you already love performing your work to others?My guest in this episode of the podcast is Dallas based poet and performer, Tyran Saffold.  He spends a lot of time reading and reciting his work and he also runs a spoken word magazine, has a YouTube channel and his own podcast. I had the pleasure of speaking with Tyran and I wanted to know how he gets himself and his pieces ready for a recital and what it is he loves about performing his work to othersIn this episode we discuss:Defining the spoken wordHow Tyran got into spoken wordGenres and topics that interest TyranHow Tyran gets a piece ready to performIs it possible to earn money from poetryResources:Gods_ink_SpokenwordTyran Saffold JrThe Words I Never Said PodcastThe Ink MagazineGodsInk1Support the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Platforms like Medium make it easier than ever to earn a living from writing.My guest on this episode of the podcast is Michael Thompson,  a career coach and writer from the United States who emigrated to Barcelona, in Spain. He's also the editor of a popular publication on Medium called Entrepreneur's Handbook and has written dozens of articles that have gone viral on Medium.Mike and I chatted about how he found himself moving to Barcelona from the US and how that move set off a chain of events that uncovered a love for writing.We also chat about how he got started with Medium and turned his writing into a full-time profession.In this episode, we discuss:How Mike losing $250,000 ultimately led to him becoming a writerWhy a good title is as important as a good articleHaving options so that not all of your writing is just MediumThe number one mistake writers make when submitting an article to a Medium publicationResources:ConvertKitmikethompsonblog.comSubstackMichael Thompson on MediumMake Money on M

Could you write about your family? And if so, how would you decide what to include and what to take out? I've just finished writing a book about my experiences of being a dad to three children, and I've had to make some decisions about what to leave in and what to take out. After all, I want to be fair to the children. And although my editor has given me some good advice, ultimately the best person to look over it and give their opinion will be my wife!It was whilst researching the book that I came across former school principal Dr Paul Reeves. His book is very cleverly titled A Principal's Family Principles. His book is full of stories of his own family and his experiences as a high school principal.I was interested to know why he decided to write a parenting book, how he got it into the hands of other dads and what it's like to write in this particular type of genre. In this episode we discuss:Where the idea for the book came fromHow to decide what to leave in and what to take outPaul&ap

Have you ever tried to write a short story? I've often felt that short stories are a great way to try out different styles and genres without the commitment of writing a novel. They are also a valuable way of moving your writing away from blogging or journalism.Frank Burton is a podcaster and author. Not only has he produced several novels, but he's also a prolific short story writer.I was interested to know more about his short story writing process and how he comes up with so many different ideas for short stories across genres.In this episode we discuss:How Frank got into writing short storiesHow long it takes to write a short storyInfluences and favourite writersAre there any rules about how long a short story should be?Can anyone write a short story?Dealing with mental health during the lockdownResources:Ragbag Storytelling PodcastScrivenerFrank BurtonSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsTh

What does SEO look like for creatives today?It's a great strategy for building traction for a business or a book, how can you do that without throwing money at Facebook or Google ads?My guest in this episode is the Founder of Lolly Co, Daniel Cooper. His new book, Upgrade, shows business owners how to use key strategies and techniques to grow their business, including producing engaging content.Content can come in many forms, from blogging, writing guest articles, newsletters - in fact, anything where some type of creative writing is involved.But it's not just about producing volumes of content for the sake of it. It's learning how to craft exciting and useful content that will ultimately get you seen.In today's episode we discuss: Writing content that engages the readerThe benefits of creating a newsletterUsing the right tools when crafting your contentWhere to place your content so that you retain full control over itResources:AhrefsClearscopeMarketmuseDashwordHAROUpGrade the bookLolly.c

You may find yourself wanting to write a book based on your life experiences, but where and how do you start? And once you've written it, how do you then get that book published?My guest in this episode is Amanda Cosgrove. After putting her son through drama school, she felt compelled to share her story with other parents who are about to embark on the same journey.Amanda runs a dance and drama school in Wales, so she already had a fair bit of background knowledge in this area, and yet, like many parents, she had no experience of the higher education process.In this episode, we discuss:Why Amanda wanted to write a book in the first placeWho was Amanda writing for?How to deal with rejectionWriting a non-fiction seriesResources:Amanda CosgroveSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

How many times have you been in the full flow of writing or editing, only to be distracted by the doorbell or a phone notification or 101 other things? And how long does it take you to then get back into that flow?My guest on this episode is psychologist and author Phil Dobson. He's an expert in teaching people how to tap into their creativity, manage their distractions, and build resilience.Phil also explains how we can work smarter, not harder, and the importance of having a solid early morning or evening routine. You can learn more about working on your creativity and how to work smarter not harder in Phil's online course, The Working Smarter Programme.In this episode, we discuss: Three steps to better creativityUsing The Disney Technique to realise and tap into your potentialWhat happens when you allow yourself to stop, step back and give your brain some spaceYour relationship with your mobile phonePrioritizing your personal and work-lifeResources:BrainWorkshopsThe Pomodoro TechniqueFreedom The

My guest in this episode is experienced freelance writer Zulie Rane. She is not only a popular freelance writer on Medium, but she also writes for B2B and B2C clients and is also a ghostwriter, all of which provide her with multiple income streams.An excellent place to start your freelance writing career is by posting articles on Medium, and this is something that I discuss in more detail with Adrien Drew in a previous episode.I wanted to know what advice Zulie had for freelance writers who are just starting. Medium is something we talk about, along with other ways that freelance writers can get started.In this episode, we discuss:The importance of having multiple income streams as a writerWays to get yourself noticed as a freelancerWrite what you know aboutWhat to charge for your workShould a writer ever work for freeThe world of ghostwritingResources:MediumConvertKitClearvoiceUpworkZulie WritesSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find

Have you ever considered entering a writing award?I used to enter writing competitions to deal with procrastination and writer's block. And although I didn't win anything, it forced me to finish off pieces of writing, and I also benefitted from the feedback I got from the judges.My guest on this episode knows all about writing awards. Paula Sheridan is an award-winning historical fiction novelist and founder of the Page Turner Awards. The awards are now in their second year and include categories for fiction, non-fiction, screenwriting and other categories that we discuss in the interview. I wanted to know why she launched the awards in the first place, and can an award change a writers life?The awards are open for submission now at The Page Turner Awards.In this episode we discuss:Why Paula founded the Page Turner AwardsWhat makes a good submission for an awardDo awards sell books?Paula's advice for entering The Page Turner AwardResources:The Page Turner AwardsCampfireProWriting AidScrivenerBe

In the episode, I have an interesting catch up with Christina Kaye of Write Your Best Book. I was a guest on Christina's podcast last year, so it was good to switch roles and ask her the questions. Christina has self-published and traditionally published a number of books, most of which fall into the suspense genre. She also coaches new authors about how to overcome some common mistakes that new authors and writers make so that they can publish their best book.In this episode we discuss:How and why Christina set up Write Your Best BookHow Christina came close to giving up writing altogetherWhy you should write what you love to readHow Christina uses advertising on Google and FacebookThe mistakes that new authors makeHow to use TikTok to promote yourself as a writerAn authors mindsetResources:Write Your Best BookScrivenerReedsyTips on Becoming an AuthorBryan Collins on Write Your Best Book PodcastSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can

Brett Godfrey is a multitalented author of the thriller Black Sunrise. He's worked as a lawyer, an engineer, and a pilot, which has given him some hair raising experiences.In this episode, we discuss those experiences and how Brett draws on them to help write his thriller books. He also talks about his writing process and how he spent many years developing the premise for Black Sunrise until he was happy to publish it, and he also touches upon his approach to self-censorship. In this episode we discuss:Why you should hire both a developmental editor and a copy editorGoing back through your manuscript to hone and refine the story Drawing on your own personal experiencesReferring to old diaries and journals for inspirationUsing vivid language to express emotionsStaying faithful to a characterLearning to turn off your inner censor and let the writing flowResources:brettgodfrey.comBlack SunriseSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find m

Goodbye, 2020. Like many, I felt a sense of relief saying those words on New Year's Day.I put off recording  this review for a week or two. The days of 2020 bled into each other, with nothing notable to punctuate the weeks and months, beyond grim news about the virus or elections.But here we are, with a vaccine in sight. When we’ll get it and if life will return to normality in 2021, is a bigger question.So in this annual review, I'll cover what did and didn't go well during 2020 and what's in store for 2021.ResourcesRead my Annual Review (plus check out my Substack newsletter)How to Build a Niche Website That Earns Six Figures A Year with Jon DykstraThe Zettelkasten Method with Sascha FastThe Best Journals to Buy In 2021Masterclass ReviewSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Almost all writers need to jump-start their writing occasionally and using prompts on a daily basis can really help with that.  Personally, I think that daily writing prompts are so useful I wrote a book full of them. If you'd like to try using prompts, and like the idea of them popping up on your phone, there is a fantastic prompt app available called Daily Prompt, and I recently had the chance to catch up with its co-creator Ryan Lindsey. I wanted to understand how he came up with idea for creating such an app in the first place and how writers are using prompts to drive their writing habits. In this interview we discuss: The idea behind The Daily PromptHow they come up with ideas for promptsThe community of writers that's developed within the appGamification within the app to encourage daily writingThe introduction of competitions in the appKeeping all the writing that's done in the app safe and secureResources:The Daily PromptDeviant Art Day One the.fitness.hippieSupport the showIf you enj

This episode is a little bit different in that I'm not interviewing anybody. Instead, I'm going to give you some insights which will help you with your creative writing projects.Experience shows that it's important to write. But why? It's a question that I answer in this week's podcast episode and, I'm not going to give you just one reason, I'm giving you seven.Resources:The Savvy Writer's Guide to ProductivitySupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollinsThanks for listening!

Medium is the number one platform for non-fiction writers who want to find readers, share their message and earn a little for doing it. Members of the partner program regularly earn four and five figures a month.But what if you’re just starting out and don’t have and subscribers, much less a portfolio? Is it too late to start writing on Medium?Adrian Drew is the editor and owner of one of Medium’s top publications Mind Cafe. His publication focuses on personal development and receives over 200 submissions a week. In this interview, Adrian explains:How to get started writing and earning on Medium, even if you have no followersWhat editors of top Medium publications usually look forHow much you can expect to earn as member of the Medium partner programWhat types of images and tags to useHow to drive traffic to and attract readers of your articlesLike the show? Please, leave a short review or rating wherever you're listening to it.Attention Writers!What's the best grammar checker of 2020? Find out in t