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How Debbie Macomber Inspired Me
Last week, at the last minute, I signed up to join a Zoom call through the Baltimore County Public Library with author Debbie Macomber. It was the best thing I did for my writing career last week, and I’ll tell you why. If you don’t recognize the name Debbie Macomber, you may in a minute. She’s a bestselling author. Her genre is women’s fiction/romance. Her stories have been picked up by the Hallmark Channel (if you watched Cedar Cove, that’s Debbie’s brainchild, as are some of the Christmas movies on the network, including Trading Christmas, Mrs. Miracle, and Dashing Through the Snow). Her books can be found everywhere—at libraries, bookstores,…
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Podcast 12: Creating An Author Platform and Press Kit
Hello, Readers! Today’s podcast covers how to create an author platform and a press kit and the reasons why you need both. I’ll be discussing aspects to include on your blogs, how to keep them up-to-date, and the ways in which you should be using all aspects of your platform to brand yourself. I’m sharing these pieces, as well, so that you can see here what I’m talking about (you can also click on my PRESS KIT here to see what I’ve included online on my blog). Feel free to ask me any questions whatsoever as you listen. I am happy to answer anything that’s unclear or provide further guidance.…
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Podcast 10 – A Little About My Books & Storytelling to Help You Write Your Stories
*** So…in this podcast, I recorded it from my back porch, replete with airplanes flying overhead and a noisy crow in the background (I think I even got a little choked up—seriously—and coughed, only briefly). But that’s how we do it here on Steph’s Scribe: we keep it real. Real talk about real stuff with no edits. I thought I would take a moment to talk about my books and my storytelling. The intention here is to share how I got from point A to point B…and it is entirely meant to kick those of you who need it in the ass to get yourselves writing! So often we say…
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Podcast 9 – Building Your Story
Good afternoon! Storytelling and putting it all together—that’s the topic of today’s quick podcast. How do you begin to construct your story? Do you write in a linear fashion? Do you write the ending before you begin? Do you write out-of-order and then piece it all together? That’s the chat we’re having today on the podcast. And I’m sure I’ve left things out as I try to keep these recordings short and sweet. If I’ve neglected a way in which you write, please post in the comments and share with others. As we continue to build this community of writers, it’s important to share and boost others up. As a…
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Dear Fellow Writers
Dear Fellow Writers, Here’s a list of the things we do as independent authors: -write our books -edit our books -publish our books -promote our books -attend book signings -attend book talks -visit book clubs -blog -enter writing contests -support other indie authors -build an author platform -curate social media posts -network with others -create a podcast -join a writing group -learn photography -begin a new story -start all over In addition, we also read a lot. And some of us have full-time and/or part-time jobs. Fellow writers, what am I missing? There’s so much that we do. The list is long, and quite diverse, But I’m sure I forgot…
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Podcast 6 – Joining a Writers Group
I did something new, you guys. I joined a writers group (and got new glasses…but it’s the writing group I want to talk about). It’s a blissful thought to me: a bunch of people who love writing talking about writing. Truthfully, I’ve wanted to join a writers group for a while, and the time has come for me. It’s time to be inspired by others, work with others, share ideas with others, and brainstorm with others who enjoy writing. Our first meeting energized me last night, and you may be able to hear the level of enthusiasm I’m feeling in today’s podcast. But we could use some help: if you…
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Giving In To Creativity
* Sometimes you don’t just need to mentally clear your head, but you also need to clear out your workspace to foster your creativity. It’s like starting over again with a clean slate. I took time yesterday to do just that—and then wrote 1,000 words of a new thing that’s been brewing in my head. It’s a more complicated story with four main characters, and a little darker than what I normally write. At the beginning of a project, it’s always exciting to see where it may take you. Well, truthfully, it’s exciting and scary at the same time. But, it’s taken hold in my brain, and the story seems…
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BIG NEWS! Book Launch Today! The Postcard and Other Short Stories & Poetry
THE POSTCARD AND OTHER SHORT STORIES & POETRY- available NOW! Three years later, and today is the day. It’s a strange feeling to let this work go, because I’ve been holding on to all of it for far too long. At my father’s suggestion, I decided to put all of this work I’ve created over the years into one collection. I’ve included little stories to warm your heart or make you feel less alone; compiled a little book to take with you on vacation for summer reading; created something you can tackle and finish because the stories are all short, so you can read at your leisure. It took a…
