Writers, Ink: Your backstage pass to the world's most prolific authors J.D. Barker, J. Thorn, Zach Bohannon

Eva Lesko Natiello is no stranger to rejection. Despite being unable to secure an agent and having the manuscript of her first book, The Memory Box, rejected eighty-four times, she used her determination and knowledge of marketing to defy expectations and turn her story into a global bestseller. Eva is a NYT bestseller who began her career in the beauty industry before making it big as a writer, and is known for her gripping thriller novels. To order her latest book, Following You, follow the link below.

From Amazon.com:

EVA LESKO NATIELLO is the award-winning, NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author of psychological thrillers, THE MEMORY BOX and FOLLOWING YOU. She is a graduate of UAlbany with a degree in psychology. Eva is a native of Yonkers, NY and currently lives in suburban New Jersey with her family. THE MEMORY BOX, a debut novel, is a global bestseller and has been a #1 bestselling book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes and Kobo and has been translated in multiple languages. Eva has attended over 200 book club discussions of her books. Invite her to yours! When Eva’s not writing suspense novels, she writes humor and satire and posts about writing and self-publishing on her website (evaleskonatiello.com) and for The Huffington Post. She loves the creative process: painting, gardening, singing or re-purposing (though many D.I.Y. projects have been fraught with disaster, it doesn't seem to stop her). She is a thought leader and speaker and is a self-publishing and book marketing coach.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Why Eva never thought she’d become a writer
How she narrowed her audience and chose to independently publish
The power of free sampling
The importance of momentum

Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/

J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/

Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/

Eva Lesko Natiello - https://evaleskonatiello.com/

Following You - https://mybook.to/FollowingYou

Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws

Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/

The Carbon Almanac - https://books2read.com/carbonalmanac

Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com

Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com

Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com

Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus - https://www.atticus.io/

Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep

Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com

Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/

*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.


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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writersink/support

Colton Haynes understands the complexities of approaching a memoir. From learning to navigate difficult and personal life experiences to dealing with the hard process of cutting and editing his work, he used his trust in himself and his editors to push through the challenges and create a moving, well-written account of his life. Colton focused on modeling in his early career before being cast in hit shows like “Teen Wolf” and “The Gates,” and his memoir, Miss Memory Lane, is his first step into the writing world. To purchase Miss Memory Lane, follow the link below.

From IMDb.com:

American actor and model Colton Lee Haynes was born in Wichita, Kansas, to Dana Denise (Mitchell) and William Clayton Haynes. He began modeling at age 15 and his first success came with an Abercrombie & Fitch campaign. He also modeled for J.C. Penney, Kira Plastinina, and Ralph Lauren. He is best known for his role as Jackson Whittemore on MTV's Teen Wolf (2011). He also played Brett Crezski on ABC's The Gates. He has had guest appearances on several television shows, including The Hills, CSI: Miami, The Nine Lives of Chloe King, and Look.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

How Colton started his memoir journey
How to cope with writer’s block
How he coined the title
What surprised him during his first writing project

Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/

J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/

Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/

Write On Con - https://www.writeoncon.org

Colton Haynes - https://twitter.com/ColtonLHaynes?s=20&t=D0FkFMIw8BrKPzQWuOFccA

Miss Memory Lane - https://www.simonandschuster.com/p/miss-memory-lane

Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws

Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/

The Carbon Almanac - https://books2read.com/carbonalmanac

Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com

Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com

Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com

Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus - https://www.atticus.io/

Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep

Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com

Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/

*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.


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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writersink/support

Perseverance and Professionalism with NYT Bestseller Christopher Golden

After decades of consistent, high-quality work, Christopher Golden continues to appreciate every day as a professional writer. From movie-tie ins to his own novels, Golden continues to do the work necessary to stay afloat in the business. Whether it's Bram Stoker Award-winning novels, graphic novels, anthologies, or video games, he is a successful and prolific creative, by any standard.

From Amazon.com:

CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the New York Times bestselling author of such novels as Ararat, Red Hands, Snowblind, Wildwood Road, The Boys Are Back in Town, The Ferryman, Strangewood, and Of Saints and Shadows. Golden co-created (with Mike Mignola) the comic book universe known as The Outerverse, featuring such characters as Baltimore, Joe Golem, and Lady Baltimore. As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies Hex Life, Seize the Night, and The New Dead, among others, and has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, a BBC radio play, and the online animated series Ghosts of Albion (with Amber Benson). A frequent speaker at conferences, schools, and libraries, Golden is also co-host of the podcast Defenders Dialogue, and the founder of the Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival. The winner of the Bram Stoker Award for best novel in 2017 for Ararat, Golden has been nominated ten times in eight different categories, winning twice. He has also been nominated multiple times for the Shirley Jackson Award, sharing a win in 2020 with James A. Moore for the anthology The Twisted Book of Shadows.

Golden was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His original novels have been published in more than fourteen languages in countries around the world.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Where that lost “Sons of Anarchy” sequel might be
How to get the work done, year after year
What Stephen King thought of the cover for ROAD OF BONES

Links:

J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/ 

J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/ 

Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/ 

Christopher Golden - https://www.christophergolden.com/ 

Road of Bones - https://books2read.com/roadofbones 

Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws 

Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/ 

The Carbon Almanac - https://books2read.com/carbonalmanac 

Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com 

Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com 

Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com 

Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus - https://www.atticus.io/ 

Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep 

Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com 

Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ 

*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.


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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writersink/support

David Koepp knows the importance of correctly approaching a new story or project. By consistently outlining his thoughts, writing in a workspace that suits his style, and setting specific targets and goals, he keeps his writing process both efficient and personal. Koepp is a legendary screenwriter who has worked on movies like Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones and is the ninth most successful screenwriter of all time. To purchase his latest novel, Aurora, follow the link below.

From Amazon.com:

David Koepp is a celebrated American screenwriter who's written more than two dozen feature films. He's written with success in a wide variety of genres, including the first two "Jurassic Park" films, "Death Becomes Her," "Carlito's Way," "The Paper," "Mission: Impossible," "Spider-Man," "Panic Room," "War of the Worlds," "Angels and Demons," and "Inferno." Some of the films he's both written and directed are "Stir of Echoes," "Secret Window," "Ghost Town," and "Premium Rush." "Cold Storage" is his first novel. Koepp grew up in the small town of Pewaukee, Wisconsin. He went to a variety of colleges over a leisurely-paced academic career, and recounts his junior year as being "three of the happiest years of my life." He cites the University of Wisconsin at Madison and the film school at UCLA as particular highlights.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

How David became a screenwriter
How he transitioned to writing novels
How to avoid internet distractions
How to write with a narrow setting
How to adapt across mediums

Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/

J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/

Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/

David Koepp (Instagram) - https://www.instagram.com/dgkoepp/

David Koepp - https://davidkoepp.com/

Aurora – https://mybook.to/Aurora

Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws

Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/

The Carbon Almanac - https://books2read.com/carbonalmanac

Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com

Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com

Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com

Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/

Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep

Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com

Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/

*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.


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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writersink/support

Bestseller Emily St. John Mandel is well versed in the realm of writing science fiction novels. Drawing upon decades of story elements from her favorite sci-fi books, she creates stories that are true to herself while sticking to the rules of the genre. Emily has written six novels, winning notable acclaim from people like President Barack Obama, and had Station Eleven adapted for TV by HBO. To purchase her latest novel, Sea of Tranquility, follow the link below.

From Amazon.com:

EMILY ST. JOHN MANDEL is the author of six novels, including Sea of Tranquility, The Glass Hotel, and Station Eleven, which was a finalist for a National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. Her work has been translated into thirty-two languages. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Who is Olive?
How to write yourself into a character
Why does post-apoc do so well?
Why characters are always more important than setting
How involved Emily was with Station Eleven’s adaptation

Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/

J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/

Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/

Emily St. John Mandel - http://www.emilymandel.com/

Sea of Tranquility - https://mybook.to/SeaofTranquility

Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws

Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/

The Carbon Almanac - https://books2read.com/carbonalmanac

Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com

Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com

Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com

Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/

Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep

Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com

Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/

*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.


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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writersink/support

In this monthly q & a session, the guys answer listener questions.

J.K. Rowling was nearly homeless when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. Stephen King penned CARRIE on a small desk wedged between a washer and dryer. James Patterson worked in advertising and famously wrote the Toys “R” Us theme song long before becoming an author. 

Join New York Times best-seller, J.D. Barker, and indie powerhouses J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon as they pull back the curtain on some of the world's most prolific authors. Where did they start? What is their process? The biggest names in publishing all have origin stories, all have a process, all have tips and secrets... What does it take to consistently top the bestseller lists? Get your notepad out. School's in session. This, is Writers, Ink.

Questions asked:


This is a difficult question - I've been pondering this for some time. I suspect you might be unable to answer this. There are a series of TV films starring Tom Selleck based on Robert B Parker novels called the Jesse Stone series. If you could use one word to describe the atmosphere in the films it would be melancholy. It's mostly achieved by music photography and Tom Selleck's slow drawl dialogue. How can one achieve this melancholy feeling in writing?
How do you reconcile multiple streams of income (in multiple author services) and the simplicity of offering ONE thing on your website for clients? I know that in order to build clientele, we need to focus our efforts, time, and attention (and maybe even marketing) on one service so as not to overwhelm the potential client with too many options. But, I receive (small amounts of) income from various author services I perform--editing, coaching, audiobook narration. How can I keep my website, newsletters, and "elevator pitches" simple enough and still allow clients to know what they can hire me to do? For instance, I thought of putting up my signature offer on a featured website page, and then list "other author services" with a link to a different page so it doesn't clutter up the featured page.
If you could go back in time and change one decision you made in your writing career what would it be and why? If you wouldn't change a thing...why not
I'm appreciating more and more the benefits of hybrid publishing through traditional and self. While I start my query process, I'm curious to best practices. How many agents should you submit queries to at one time? If you have two novels in different genres, should you submit both and see which one is picked up or focus on one? Also, where are the best places to meet agents? I write in the fantasy and superhero fiction genres. Where would I find agents that represent my genres? Does a personal meeting help the process of query acceptance?
Sounds like JD has "won" the treadmill that most authors hit in terms of making enough money to retire on without having to work with all his investments.  What keeps him writing?
I think Steven King said that 1 million words published is an achievement to make you a great writer. Do you think that number is correct? if not what is the number?  Or does it mean you need to have an editor and ensure you have deliberate practice in order for the million words to count?

J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/

J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/

Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/

Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/

Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep 

Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com

Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ 

*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.




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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writersink/support