Whether you sketch out your characters and know everything about them before you begin writing or learn about your characters as you write, it’s important that they be compelling and individualistic. Prolific crime writer Vicki Delany joins us for Episode 70 to discuss things we can do to ensure that the casts of characters with tell our stories through are interesting and help us achieve our story goals.

Vicki Delany’s website: http://vickidelany.com/
Barbara Hinske’s website: https://barbarahinske.com/
J. W. Judge’s website: https://jwjudge.com

Listen to the episode here on the website. Or tune in to The Write Approach on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Amazon Music, and Audible.

The Write Approach, Episode 70: Creating a Fascinating Case of Characters with Vicki Delany

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel.

We all carry with us the wounds and trauma and scars that are, along with the good things we’ve experienced, integral to the people we’ve become. The same is true for your characters. While their story begins with the first words you put on the page, their backstory precedes your novel. Janet S. Fox joins us to talk about how to use your characters’ backstories to develop and shape them into the person your readers experience.

Janet S. Fox’s website: https://janetsfox.com/
Barbara Hinske’s website: https://barbarahinske.com/
J. W. Judge’s website: https://jwjudge.com

Listen to the episode here on the website. Or tune in to The Write Approach on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Amazon Music, and Audible.

The Write Approach, Episode 69: Developing Characters through Their Backstory Wounds with Janet S. Fox

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel.

You work really hard to make sure you suspense and mystery novels have enough twists and turns to keep your reader guessing about how things will turn out. Samantha Skal joins us this week to talk about things you need to do to make sure you have twists that work, and don’t fall into traps.

Samantha Skal’s website: https://www.samanthaskal.com/
Barbara Hinske’s website: https://barbarahinske.com/
J. W. Judge’s website: https://jwjudge.com

Listen to the episode here on the website. Or tune in to The Write Approach on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Amazon Music, and Audible.

The Write Approach, Episode 68: Don’t Spoil the Twists in Your Suspense Novel with Samantha Skal

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel.

Kyla Zhao wrote her debut novel, The Fraud Squad (link), with no expectations and no pressure. But as it came out with media attention and fanfare, she was writing her second novel in the midst of promoting the first and had to learn to juggle the dueling responsibilities of introducing one novel to the world while writing the next, Valley Verified (link).

Kyla also talks about how the pandemic lockdown in 2020 directly resulted in her authoring her first book, and how she manages her author career alongside a burgeoning job in the tech industry.

Kyla Zhao’s website: https://kylazhao.com/
Barbara Hinske’s website: https://barbarahinske.com/
J. W. Judge’s website: https://jwjudge.com

Listen to the episode here on the website. Or tune in to The Write Approach on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Amazon Music, and Audible.

The Write Approach, Episode 67: Managing the Dueling Responsibilities of Writing and Promotion with Kyla Zhao

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel.

For Episode 66, intellectual property lawyer Jodé Millman joins us to talk about what legal right we have for the written works we create. She helps distinguish between copyright and trademark laws, and what kinds of works fall under each category. She also takes about steps you can take to protect your work.

Jodé Millman’s website: https://jodemillman.com/
Barbara Hinske’s website: https://barbarahinske.com/
J. W. Judge’s website: https://jwjudge.com/

Listen to the episode here on the website. Or tune in to The Write Approach on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Amazon Music, and Audible.

Protecting Your Legal Rights for Your Written Works with Jodé Millman

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel.

Lynne Golodner is a Jewish woman telling Jewish stories. She focuses her marketing efforts and community building on reaching Jewish readers. She is not excluding anyone, but she knows who her core audience is. She knows who will most closely identify with the books she is writing. And she is using her energy and efforts to draw in the people most likely to support her work.

Listen to the episode here on the website. Or tune in to The Write Approach on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Amazon Music, and Audible.

The Write Approach, Episode 65: Embrace Your Niche and Market to Your Audience with Lynne Golodner

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel.

Lynne Golodner’s website: https://lynnegolodner.com/
Barbara Hinske’s website: https://barbarahinske.com/
J. W. Judge’s website: https://jwjudge.com/

Author Yasmin Angoe joins us for an inspiring conversation about perseverance and purpose. J. W. Judge’s high school football coach referred to perseverance as stick-to-it-tiveness, a quality that all writers need to cultivate. Of equal (or possibly greater) importance is knowing why you are endeavoring to do your creative work. Listen to this refreshing conversation, and walk away with encouragement to keep carrying on with your creative work.

Listen to the episode here on the website. Or tune in to The Write Approach on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Amazon Music, and Audible.

The Write Approach, Episode 64: Persevering with Purpose in Your Creative Work with Yasmin Angoe

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel.

Yasmin Angoe’s website: https://yasminangoe.com/
Barbara Hinske’s website: https://barbarahinske.com/
J. W. Judge’s website: https://jwjudge.com/

For Episode 63, Kimberly G. Giarratano joins us to talk about writing mystery novels in a four-act structure. Giarratano gives insights into using Scrivener to set up your story templates and even gives ideas to panters/non-plotters/discovery writers about applying structure after drafting to make sure your novel has the appropriate pacing and hits the right plot points.

Listen to the episode here on the website. Or tune in to The Write Approach on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Amazon Music, and Audible.

The Write Approach, Episode 63: Using a Four-Act Story Structure for Your Novel with Kimberly G. Giarratano

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel.

Kimberly G. Giarratano’s website: https://www.kimberlyggiarratano.com/

Barbara Hinske’s website: https://barbarahinske.com/

J. W. Judge’s website: https://jwjudge.com/

Dreams don’t have to be the strange things that live at the outer rim of your consciousness after you wake up in the mornings. You can use them to inspire you, to guide your writing, and to help you answer questions. Tzivia Gover joins us with practical ideas for incorporating dreams into your writing process and implementing methods that will enable you to capture and utilize your dreams.

Listen to the episode here on the website. Or tune in to The Write Approach on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Amazon Music, and Audible.

The Write Approach, Episode 62: Letting Your Dreams Guide Your Writing with Tzivia Gover

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel.

Tzivia Gover’s website: https://thirdhousemoon.com/
Barbara Hinske’s website: https://barbarahinske.com/
J. W. Judge’s website: https://jwjudge.com/

In Episode 61, Christopher Hoffman joins J. W. Judge and Barbara Hinske to discuss methods of researching literary agents to find those who represent authors in your genre and who you may want to query. The group also talks about the business decisions that go into query selections and whether to accept an offer of representation if one finds its way to your inbox.

Listen to the episode here on the website. Or tune in to The Write Approach on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Amazon Music, and Audible.

The Write Approach, Episode 61: Researching the Right Literary Agent for Your Work with Christopher Hoffman

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel.

Christopher Hoffman’s website: https://copywriteconsultants.com/
Barbara Hinske’s website: https://barbarahinske.com/
J. W. Judge’s website: https://jwjudge.com/