The Writer's Cookbook

It’s Time to Say Goodbye

Kristina Adams — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 11:14:13 +0000

A few years ago, over Christmas, I had four Christmas dinners in a week. Different family members cooked each one, but it was the same stuff-yourself-until-you-explode dinner followed by a dessert no one actually likes. I love roast dinners, but that was overkill even for me. After eating far too many roast potatoes, I forced […]

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How to Keep Writing as a Stay-at-Home Parent (Without Losing Your Mind)

Geoff White — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 07:00:00 +0000

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How Much Backstory is too Much Backstory in a Book?

Kristina Adams — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 07:00:00 +0000

This is something I’ve been asked quite a lot. Many writers really enjoy the world building process, and maybe the character creation process, but then they sit down to write and feel like they’ve already said everything. Or, they spend so much time doing all this work, then they feel like they have to use […]

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What Happens When You Don’t Know Your Characters’ Backstories?

Kristina Adams — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 20:48:30 +0000

Backstories are an integral part of your character creation. They inform everything from how your character speaks, to how they think, to how they interact with other people. Sure, you might be able to figure out some of this organically, but it’s a lot harder if you’re not consciously thinking about what’s driving your character […]

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How to Create a Large, Diverse Cast Your Readers Will Love

Kristina Adams — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 07:00:00 +0000

This week on The Writer’s Mindset we share tips on how you can create a large, diverse cast of characters your readers will love just as much as you do. In this episode, you’ll learn: Listen to us discuss writing diverse characters: Powered by RedCircle Support The Writer’s Mindset on Patreon Listen to new interviews […]

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Writing Habits and Accountability (with Clarissa Gosling)

Kristina Adams — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Clarissa has always lived more in the world of daydream and fiction than in reality. In her writing she explores purpose and belonging across worlds. Having never found an actual portal to faeryland, she creates her own fantastical worlds where dragons, fae and other magical creatures rule. She now lives in the Netherlands with her […]

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Analytics for Authors (with Gail Carriger)

Kristina Adams — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Gail Carriger has multiple NYT bestsellers and over a million books in print in dozens of different languages. She writes comedies of manners mixed with urban fantasy (and sexy queer joy as G. L. Carriger). She is best known for the Parasol Protectorate and Finishing School series. She was once an archaeologist and is fond […]

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Plotting Made Simple (with Shane Millar)

Kristina Adams — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Shane Millar is a Fictionary Certified Story Coach and the author of the Write Better Fiction craft guides. He is also the author of the Myth & Magic urban fantasy thriller series. Shane holds a BA in journalism and is a member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). He lives in Buckinghamshire, England. He […]

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Cancer, Writing, and Motivation (with Clare Stevens)

Kristina Adams — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Clare Stevens grew up in Somerset but has lived most of her adult life in Nottingham, with brief sojourns in four other UK cities. She began her career as a journalist with the Nottingham Post group before working as a press officer and communications manager in the Government Communications Network. She began writing her first […]

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How to Juggle Writing and a Full-Time Job (with J.W. Judge)

Kristina Adams — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 06:00:00 +0000

J. W. Judge is a lawyer by day and a novelist in the early morning hours before the sun wakes all the other creatures. His writing is fueled by vivid dreams and an overactive imagination. He is the author of the dark fantasy trilogy The Zauberi Chronicles and has most recently written a book for […]

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Author Burnout (with Becca Syme)

Kristina Adams — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Becca Syme is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and holds a Master’s degree in Transformational Leadership. She is the host of the Quitcast for Writers and the teacher of the popular Write Better-Faster class. Becca has coached 5700+ authors using success alignment and predictive reasoning to help authors write and market better-faster. She lives in the […]

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Writing and Publishing Short Stories (with Matty Dalrymple)

Kristina Adams — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She is the host of THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST and the author of THE INDY AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO PODCASTING FOR AUTHORS. She is also the co-author, along with Mark Leslie Lefebvre, of TAKING THE SHORT TACK: […]

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