The Misfit's Guide to Writing Indie Romance

Keywords and Metadata

09 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Oh, the dreaded search bar...How do you pick the keywords and metadata that will lead the right readers to your book page. 

Discovery Writing

26 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What do you write before you write Chapter One? Eliza and Adrienne discuss their discovery writing process...and also a dessert brothel for some reaso...

The Basics - So You Want To Write A Romance?

17 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What does it really take to write a romance? In this ongoing monthly series, Adrienne and Eliza go over the steps, from brainstorming an idea to desig...

Bonus Episode - Our Worst Reviews

03 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone gets them, so why not celebrate them? This week Adrienne and Eliza take a trip down Bad Review Lane.

Career Reinvention

27 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes what you need is a fresh start. But how do you know when it's time to pivot or what changes to make? This week, Adrienne and Eliza talk abou...

Kindle Vella with Audrey Carlan

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The folks over at Amazon have a brand new story platform and this week we have bestselling author Audrey Carlan to tell us all about it!

Putting the Romance in Romance Novels

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You'd think it's be easy, after all romance is the name of the genre, but creating genuine emotional connection on the page is harder than you might t...

BB Easton

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Adrienne and Eliza chat with author BB Easton about indie publishing and Netflix deals. Oh...and her reaction to *that* Episode 3 scene in ...

Staying Healthy

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Writing isn't just a solitary business; it's a sedentary one too. This week Adrienne and Eliza talk about staying healthy when you live behind a desk.

Mentorship

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone needs a helping hand from time to time...especially in this business. This week Adrienne and Eliza talk mentorship.

Hooks

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week Adrienne and Eliza dive into hooking readers attention on three levels--chapter, book, and series.

Summer Reading

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for basking in the sun and plowing through that tbr pile. This week Adrienne and Eliza shard what's on tap for their summer reading.

Guest Episode - Things Marginalized Authors Talk About When White Authors Aren't In The Room

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Amy Z. Chan and Kilby Blades step into guest host as we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month with a candid discussion of things marginalized authors ...

Celebrating Success

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Maintaining Mental Health isn't just about dealing with difficult emotions. This week Adrienne and Eliza discuss keeping yourself balanced and celebra...

Writing with Chronic Conditions

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mental Health Awareness Month continues! This week Adrienne and Eliza tackle the challenges of writing while coping with chronic conditions. This week...

Resiliency

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing with Mental Health Awareness Month, this week Eliza and Adrienne discuss how to cope with getting knocked down and how to get back up again...

Maintaining Mental Health

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This week Adrienne and Eliza share their experiences and tips for maintaining mental health while writing. 

Host Hot Seat

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Adrienne and Eliza introduce themselves to a brand new audience as the podcast starts a brand new chapter.

Unpaid Promo

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You need to get the word out about your books, sure, but not every marketing opportunity needs to break the bank. Just remember, sometimes you get wha...

Burnout

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Every now and you just can't. Seriously. Just. Can't.

Comfort Zones

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Oh, the much maligned comfort zone--should you stick with what feeds your confidence or stretch your neck out into the unknown? Adrienne and Eliza hav...

Action

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

So much more than dialogue tags, scene blocking, or fight choreography, action is the energy that makes your story come alive. This week Adrienne and ...

Titles

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What's in a name? Well, depends on which name you mean. Is it the book title? The subtitle? The series title? This week Adrienne and Eliza take on the...

Character Voice

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How a character sounds goes beyond the dialogue they speak. From deep POV to their unique expressions, a character's voice is what makes them come ali...

TV Romance Adaptations

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

They used to be hard to come by, but now there are more romance adaptations than ever on tv. This week Adrienne and Eliza talk about the good, the bad...

Cover Copy

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You've finally finished your book. The hard part is over, right? Not so fast. Turns out those first 100k words were a cake walk compared to the next 1...

Backmatter

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"The End" might be the end of the story, but it's not the end of the book. There's so much that goes into an indie novel after the final scene. This w...

Deadlines

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Every race needs a finish line. Whether you choose the date yourself or it's chosen for you, there comes a time to call a story done. This time around...

2021 Goals

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Well, 2020 was a bust...so it's time for Eliza and Adrienne to move on to their 2021 goals

2020 in Review

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This has been one strange year. This week Adrienne and Eliza recap their highs and lows through 2020.

Eliza's Organization Tips

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Out of these two misfits, Eliza's always been the organized one. So this week she's sharing her tips for keeping her writing life running smooth.

Vendors and Distribution

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Exclusive or wide? E-books, paperbacks and audio. You're done writing your book, and now you need to figure out how best to get it into your readers h...

NaNoWriMo 2020

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's November...again (how can a year go by so fast and so slow at the same time?) Which means it's time to talk about NaNoWriMo!

Secondary Characters

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's hard to hear, but not everyone can be a main character. Some of us...well, we have to content ourselves with living in the shadows of the greats....

Success

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After a long (and unplanned) hiatus, Adrienne and Eliza are back to talk about success. What does it mean to you? How will you know when you've achiev...

Bonus Ep - Astrology

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Eliza and Adrienne need a break, so no book talk this week, just woo-woo astrological fun.

Typos

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Misteaks happen. Hopefully, someone catches them before you hit publish, but sometimes they slip through the cracks. This week Eliza and Adrienne talk...

Fear

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone is afraid of something, and writers are no different. Whether it's failure, or success, or being an imposter, these fears hold us back in sub...

Linear vs Non-Linear Writing

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Do you write your scenes in order or out? And does it really matter how you do it as long as the book gets done? This week, Eliza and Adrienne tackle...

Beta Readers and Street Teams

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Who can you trust to give you honest and useful feedback about your unpublished manuscript? How do you find reviewers who can give the same honest opi...

Story Ideas

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How do you come up with ideas for your books? And how do you organize those ideas? And how in the world do you decide which ones invest the time into ...

Subplots

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It should be simple...it's a story within a story. But when do you know when you need one, or--even harder to figure out--when should you cut one out....

Timelines

13 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Nothing can ruin a good story like time. Not time management. Actual time. Keeping timelines straight can be hard, from the simple (yesterday was Tue...

Research

04 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Oh, rabbit holes. Sure, social media and binge tv can derail a good writing day, but nothing is better at *feeling* like work without actually being w...

Launch Plans

21 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is there anything more nerve-wracking than getting ready to launch a new book. Well...probably. But Eliza and Adrienne can't think of anything, so thi...

Hella Words Update

14 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week Adrienne and Eliza give an update on how their Year to Write Hella Words is going. **spoiler alert** It's not well.

Sequel Bait

07 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When setting up a series you've got to bait the hook if you want to reel in the readers for later books. (oh, fishing metaphors, is there anything you...

Modifying Your Process

30 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What do you do when what used to work no longer does? This week, Adrienne and Eliza discuss how shifting times have led to shifts in their process as ...

Chapters

16 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Cutting a story into chunks is a lot like gift wrapping a present. Or is it? Adrienne and Eliza don't know, but on this episode they talk about both. ...

Discarded Ideas

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Not every idea makes it from the spark of inspiration to The End. Some get tossed along the way. This week, Adrienne and Eliza talk about what story i...

Branding

02 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How do you tell readers who you are as a writer and what kind of experience they can expect from you time and time again? This week Eliza and Adrienne...

Language Style

19 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What you say--and how you say it--says a lot about you. This week Adrienne and Eliza talk about how they make language choices for both their characte...

No Conferences...Now What?

12 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Usually May is the month where we all start dusting off our suitcases, order our swag, and get ready for conference season...but not this year. So, wh...

State of the Market

05 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The book market has always had its ups and downs, but the past few months have been enough to make you want to pull your hair out. This week, Adrienne...

Bonus Episode - Check In

28 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Eliza and Adrienne check in with their highs and lows while staying at home during the pandemic.

Heroines

21 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What makes a great heroine? What do heroines tell us about the times we live in? This week Eliza Adrienne discuss what makes heroines far more than ju...

Heroes

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The world could use a good hero right about now. So that's what Adrienne and Eliza are talking about--their favorite hero archetypes to both write and...

Newsletters with Mel Jolly

07 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The marvelous Mel Jolly joins Eliza and Adrienne this week to help them with their newsletter woes, and she brought freebies for the whole class!

Writing During Difficult Times

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You don't need us to tell you things aren't good, so this week Adrienne and Eliza check in and discuss how they are adapting to the new normal.

Adrienne's Revision Process

24 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Last week it was all about Eliza. Now, it's Adrienne's turn to answer questions about her revision process.

Eliza's Revision Process

17 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week we're taking an in depth look at Eliza's revision process. From the big picture to the nitty gritty, she dives into how she polishes a pile ...

Quitting

10 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Not every project works out the way we planned. Not every story idea is a winner. So how do you know when it's finally time to throw in the towel on t...

**Replay** Taking Time Off

03 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Adrienne had to take some time off this week--thank you flu!--so enjoy this replay of Episode #57 Time Off and enjoy the break.

Advice

25 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Good or bad. Take it or leave it. The dreaded "I told you so". We all get advice whether we want it or now. This week Adrienne and Eliza talk about ho...

Side Projects

18 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Making a living by writing alone--or writing one genre only--can be difficult, if not impossible. This week Adrienne and Eliza discuss the different s...

Organization

11 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Eliza prefers spreadsheets and organizers. Adrienne is a creature of chaos. This week the misfits discuss how they organize (or don't) everything from...

Reviews

04 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Reviews are a part of writing life, from getting over the bad ones to basking in the glow of the good ones to just plain trying to get *more* of any o...

Ambition

28 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

So many of us were raised to view ambition as a dirty word, but it's hard to achieve what you can't name. This week Adrienne and Eliza get real (and r...

Line Edits

21 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Good copy editors are super heroes. That's one thing Adrienne and Eliza can agree on. From overused words, to misplaced body parts, to accidental stre...

Bonus Episode - Hella Words Check In

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's January! That means Write Hella Words is up and running. This week, Eliza and Adrienne check in and talk about their progress. 

New Year's Resolutions 2020

07 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's time to make plans for the new year. Eliza and Adrienne, having learned absolutely nothing from last year, talk about their resolutions. From act...

*Replay* Goals 2019

31 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Let's travel back to a simpler time. All the way back to Jan 1st 2019, and listen to the goals Eliza and Adrienne had for the year. Did they achieve t...

Sagging Middles

24 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Beginnings are exciting, and endings are climactic, but middles...oh, those poor middles can sag. This week Adrienne and Eliza talk about what to do w...

Writing Through Difficult Times with Jolie Moore

17 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week Eliza and Adrienne welcome Jolie Moore to the show, and talk about making lemonade out of life's nasty lemons. Jolie shares the ways she's f...

Author Motivation

10 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How do you keep writing when the blahs hit hard? This week Eliza and Adrienne share some of their favorite short and long-term motivation solutions.

Update on Eliza's Production Schedule

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

NaNo is over, and that means it's time to check in on how things are going with Eliza's second novel. Did she reach her production schedule goals? Wha...

Favorite Current Trends

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Fashions change in books too. What's in now, might be out tomorrow, so this week Adrienne and Eliza talk about their favorite current trends.

Money

19 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Money--some people think it has no place in the arts. Those people obviously don't have to worry about paying the electric bill. But money can also be...

Writing Fashion Faux Pas

12 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Writing styles change. So why do we act like some writing rules are set in stone? This week Adrienne and Eliza give their hot takes on a few of the al...

Series Bibles

05 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Keeping track of every little detail in an ongoing series can drive a writer crazy. This week Eliza and Adrienne discuss how they keep their series bi...

Write Hella Words

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Adrienne has a plan to write hella words in 2020...and she wants you to join her. But first she has to convince Eliza that she should come along for t...

Productivity Tools

22 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week Adrienne and Eliza share their favorite digital productivity tools for everything from getting the words out to researching the marketplace....

Fear

15 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's what holds most of us back. This week Adrienne and Eliza get real about their deepest writing and publishing fears and how they deal with them.

Eliza's Debut

08 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's time to celebrate Eliza's debut launch! This week she tells us how she prepared, how the launch went, and what her plans are going forward.

Setting

01 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

So much more than where your story takes place, setting can show how your characters see their their world and their place in it. Unfortunately, it's ...

Family Support

24 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

No one can do it all...especially not Eliza and Adrienne. This week we talk about getting the help you need from the ones you love.

Finish Your Freaking Book

17 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Perfectionism. Shiny new project syndrome. Procrastination. There are so many reasons (and excuses) that can keep you from finishing your book. This w...

Time Management

10 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Time has a way of getting away from all of us. This week Adrienne talks about the time management project she's focusing on this fall, and how she dec...

Traditional Publishing with Sophie Littlefield

03 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bad weather on the East Coast means Eliza's off this week. So, Adrienne welcomes bestselling author Sophie Littlefield to talk about the world of trad...

Antagonists

27 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Every hero needs a villain. Or do they? This week Adrienne and Eliza talk about all the antagonistic forces that get our character's way.

Top 3 Failures

20 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If you've never failed, you've never tried. Well, if that's true then Adrienne and Eliza have tried *a lot*. This week they break down their top three...

Bonus Episode - Three Favorite Podcasts

13 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Eliza and Adrienne take it easy this week and talk about what they like to listen to.

Multiple Genres w/ Sophie Littlefield

06 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week the show is on the road! Adrienne's on a writing retreat but she's brought her microphone, put Eliza on speaker, and roped Sophie Littlefiel...

Character POV

30 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Getting into multiple character's heads can be daunting. This week Eliza and Adrienne discuss their tips and tricks for diving deep into your characte...

Conflict

23 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There's no story without conflict. So why can be so hard to write? This week Adrienne and Eliza talk about getting the balance right.

*New* - First Drafts

16 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Eliza is back! and she's finished the first draft of her new novel. That means it's time for Adrienne to grill her on what she's learned, how her prod...

*Replay* - First Drafts

09 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

*REPLAY* from 7/17/2018 -- A look back at how Eliza and Adrienne tackled first drafts a year ago before we dive into Eliza's experience finishing up h...

Routine

02 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Some writers have theirs down to a science. Others...not so much. This week Adrienne and Eliza talk about writing routines--how they help, how they ca...

Time Off

25 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Adrienne and Eliza took a week off, and now they're ready to talk about the benefits and drawbacks of getting away from the keyboard.

Pace

11 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you write fast page-turners or atmospheric slow reads, keeping your story's pace steady can be a difficult skill to hone. This week Adrienne a...