In this conversation, authors Nancy Smay and Mona Shroff discuss the process of writing contemporary romance novels, sharing insights into their creative process, inspiration, and the challenges they face. Mona Shroff shares her journey from optometry to becoming a writer, her approach to character development, and the unique way she plots her stor…

In this conversation, Ines Johnson discusses her experience as a romance writer and the changes she has observed in the genre. She talks about her journey as an indie author and the challenges she faced in traditional publishing. Ines also shares her insights on the evolving preferences of readers, particularly the TikTok generation, and how she in…

In this conversation, Nancy Smay interviews Denny S. Bryce, a traditionally published author of historical fiction. They discuss Denny's background as a writer and her passion for craft and research. Denny shares her experience as a fan fiction writer and how it led her to join the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and eventually get an agent. They …

In this episode, Nancy chats with spicy small town romance writer Lena Hendrix. Lena, who began publishing just a few years ago, has found success in KU writing multiple series and focusing on cozy settings, relatable characters, time-tested tropes, and an edge. They discuss the importance of considering marketing before beginning to write, explore…

In this conversation, Nancy interviews Kate Nolan about her writing career and process. They discuss topics such as the different genres Kate writes in, her experience with self-publishing and traditional publishing, her decision to use pen names, her approach to wide distribution, and her writing routine. Kate shares that she is a rabid plotter an…

Summary: Pippa Grant discusses her journey as a writer, from querying agents to self-publishing, and shares insights into her writing process and success. She emphasizes the importance of joining writing organizations, like Romance Writers of America, for learning and support. Pippa also talks about the strategic decision to rebrand under a new pen…

Nancy and Sylvie Stewart discuss their pen names, their family histories, and their writing careers. They talk about how they got started in writing and the genres they write in. They also discuss their experience co-writing a series with Marika Ray and the process they use. The conversation touches on the challenges of self-publishing and the impo…

The conversation between Nancy Smay and USA Today bestselling rom-com author Marika Ray delves into the world of writing and publishing, exploring topics such as book production, genre selection, marketing strategies, and writing processes. Marika shares insights into her journey as an author, her approach to writing, and the challenges she faces i…

In this episode, Nancy and author Kelly Collins delve into Kelly's writing process, book series, and publishing experiences. They also explore the concept of 'steaminess' in romance novels, the challenges of writing, and the importance of backups and market research. The conversation covers a wide range of topics, including the creative process, bo…

We're flipping the script a bit! Listen in as Nancy interviews working authors who run the gamut of genre and renown. First up? A bit of a multiple personality situation - Delancey Stewart! Hear how she gets ideas, plots her books, tools she uses, and how she approaches marketing. Our new focus gives you a look behind the scenes at your favorite au…

Tropes are a storytelling convention that help us let readers know what to expect from our books. Learn how to use them, combine them, and twist them to make your stories fresh!

Why do you need to understand comps as an author? Because you can't market a book without understanding the market. This episode of Story Strategy focuses on helping indie authors figure out how to market their books based on identifying where they fit with other books in the market.

The Story Strategy podcast is back, and in this episode, we explore Deep POV - a fiction writing technique that eliminates the narrator and pulls readers directly into the emotion and action of your story. Want to learn how to do it? Practical tips and examples are inside!

Join story coaches Dawn and Nancy as we talk with bestselling author Melanie Harlow about how she pulls readers into her characters and builds stories that make them care. Melanie is an expert at developing relatable heroines that we want as our best friends and heroes that are often called book boyfriends by her fans. *This episode was originally …

We're rebooting last year's popular blurb episode! Listen as Nancy and Dawn discuss what makes a blurb that sells books -- and how exactly to structure your blurb. Not sure what to include? This episode is for you. At the end, Nancy and Dawn take a listener blurb live and help make it better. Want more help with blurbs? We're launching our first ev…

Learn more about how story coaching works and find out if it's right for you. In this episode, you'll hear story coaches Nancy and Dawn help author Daniela Romero recover her excitement about a story she'd felt stuck on. You'll learn about Daniela's unique writing process, and learn strategies to improve the way you work through your own story prob…

Wonder what story coaches do? Hear Dawn and Nancy work through some story issues with new author Rae Fields as she plots out her first three books. We'll help her solidify her crisis, understand how internal conflicts drive her story forward, and how parallelism can pull story elements together.

Curious about story coaching? Wondering if a quick call with Dawn or Nancy might actually give you what you need to write a better story, tighten your conflict, or build layers of tension into your plot? This episode is for you! Dawn and Nancy chat with two real authors who volunteered to do mini coaching sessions for the show! Meet Erin A. King an…

Last time we talked about how to build a story if you've got a plot in mind. Today we're exploring working from character first. Most writers identify with one strategy over the other, and many use a combination of the two. Which type of writer are you?

Maybe you've got a great idea but you're not quite sure how that idea turns into a full-fledged story. Or maybe you know part of your plot but aren't sure what's missing to get it all the way to a bestselling book. This episode is for you. Story coaches Dawn Alexander and Nancy Smay talk through the process of turning a kernel of an idea into a sto…

You've got your idea and you're ready to write. Or are you? How should you begin? Do you outline? Do you just get going and hope for the best? Story coaches Dawn and Nancy help you get off the ground with actionable advice you can put to use today.

Have you always wanted to write a book? Is this your year to do it? Story coaches Dawn and Nancy talk about the multiple ways a new writer can take their idea and turn it into something wonderful -- a story. Even experienced authors might find tips about how to generate and test ideas. Join us to explore - how to begin!…

Clifton Strengths coach, writer, and writing coach to thousands of writers, Becca Syme, joins Dawn and Nancy to discuss common "wisdom" shared in the writing community. Is it critical that you write every day? Should you be rapid releasing to stay on top? Are Facebook ads absolutely necessary for success? Listen as Becca Syme uses data to examine w…

Do you know who your reader is? Or are you writing books and sending them out into the world, hoping for the best? Learn tips and tricks for figuring out exactly who your audience is or will be as Dawn and Nancy from Evident Ink offer insights gleaned from NYT and USA Today bestselling clients.

We'll chat with USA Today Bestselling Authors Marika Ray and Delancey Stewart about their latest co-writing project, the Digital Dating series. They'll offer some hard-learned lessons and advice for how other authors might set up a co-writing project.

Looking for an idea for your romance novel? Look no further. Dawn, Nancy, and several best-selling romance authors share their real-life love stories and make book recommendations to get your wheels turning. You'll hear from Melanie Harlow, Claire Kingsley, and more! Don't miss this one!

Who didn't know that Angel and Papi would end up dating? How the heck can Elektra sleep with a body in her closet? Why Candy? Is Papi Zaddy or nah?

T-Mogul, Audreyonna and Hendrix Monae discuss the season 2 premiere of Pose!

T-Mogul, Hendrix and Audreyonna talk about Dem Thrones. The ladies flashback to how they were all introduced to Game Of Thrones and discuss their favorite characters, moments and deaths. The ladies give their predictions about who will sit on the throne.