Let’s welcome back columnist Hugh Tipping as he shares with us “The Blank Page Doesn’t Scare Me.” Enjoy! *** The blank page. (dum-dum-DUM!) The Problem To many, the field of white elicits a sensation of dread. Countless pieces have been written about how it feels to stare at the blank page and worry and panic. Oh, the intimidation of the vast nothingness, the fear of “potential,” the infinity that overwhelms. No guide rails on the highway! No wonder people get scared. Yes, it can be tough starting from nothing. Starting itself is a struggle for many, myself included. The Reframing Instead of t ..read more

Today we welcome back Nate Hoffelder to Writer’s Fun Zone. Nate is stopping by to chat with us about “eBook Piracy: How to Respond If Someone Steals Your eBook Online.”  Enjoy! *** Sunday, 16 February 2020, was the day that I became a real author. I had been a writer for over a decade now, but Sunday was the day that I learned that one of the workbooks I had uploaded to KDP had been pirated and was being sold on a pirate site. I didn’t really care that it had been pirated; my blog posts had been pirated so many times that I had grown a thick skin. Furthermore, the workbook was a lead magn ..read more

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “ChatGPT and Creating Fiction” Beth Barany talks about one of the latest AI tools to grab the public imagination, Chat GPT, and discusses some ways you can use it for your story development. Platforms the podcast is available on include Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Buzzsprout | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict  ABOUT BETH BARANY Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fant ..read more

Let’s welcome back Laurel Osterkamp as she shares with us “How to Pitch Your Novel + a Sample Pitch.” Enjoy! *** You’ve finished your novel, and now it’s time to put it out there. Perhaps you’re going the indie/self-publishing route, but if you’re not, you’ll need a pitch. I know a few writers who feel that pitches are harder to write than the novels themselves. In some ways, they are! But there’s a formula you can follow to make it easier. Whether you’re querying an agent or a publisher who takes unsolicited queries, you’ll want to write three to four paragraphs, and follow these guidelines ..read more

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “The Key To Creative Success: The Three Legged-Stool: Getting the Support You Need,” Beth Barany shares her perspective about the key to creative success and invites listeners to share their favorite podcast episode in celebration of the upcoming 30th episode. Platforms the podcast is available on include Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Buzzsprout | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | ABOUT BETH BARANY Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach ..read more

Today we welcome a new guest writer to Writer’s Fun Zone, Lucy Reed who is stopping by to chat with us about “Freelance Writing Tips for Students.” Enjoy! *** Freelance writing is the perfect student side hustle: It offers complete control and flexibility. Since you decide which jobs to accept, it’s easy to work around class schedules and extracurriculars. With the right strategy, you can make extra money while you’re still in school and scale up to a lucrative career after graduation. Building Your Writing Skills As a student, you have access to a wealth of resources that can help you become ..read more

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Fiction Writing Tips: Number One Tip, Worldview and Time Travel,” Beth Barany shares her number one tool for choosing world building details in your story and discusses key elements involved in writing about time travel. Platforms the podcast is available on include Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Buzzsprout | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | ABOUT BETH BARANY Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor ..read more

Let’s welcome back monthly columnist Catharine Bramkamp as she shares with us “Be Nice to Your Future Self – Write Today.” Enjoy! *** You know who you are. You are the person standing before a sink full of dirty dishes because someone last night left them for you. How inconsiderate! Didn’t they know you’d have a hangover this Sunday morning? How did this happen? Again? There are many ways to care for your future self, and one way is to be the friend who does the dishes the night before so you don’t need to deal with them in the glare of the morning sun. What we do today sets us up for success ..read more

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “National Science Fiction Day, plus Fiction Writing Tips: World Building Through Action,” Beth Barany shares how writers can bring their story world alive through the character’s action. Platforms the podcast is available on include Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Buzzsprout | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict  ABOUT BETH BARANY Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy a ..read more

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, Beth Barany shares Fiction Writing Tips and her perspective on how she guides writers feeling overwhelmed with their world building. Platforms the podcast is available on include Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Buzzsprout | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | ABOUT BETH BARANY Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write Th ..read more