Keystroke Medium

We're almost to the new year and that means a lot of us are going to be making resolutions about our writing. Let's get an early start and talk about how we can give ourselves the best shot at succeeding in 2022!

Today on the Writer's Journey, we've got Evan Gow of StoryOrigin! A metaphorical one-stop author shop for self-publishers. Through StoryOrigin, you can organize your publishing biz, from gathering beta reader feedback to organizing newsletters and newsletter swaps, to sending out group promos and reader magnets, and tracking your word count on your next project--everything’s right at your fingertips. There's so much to dig into, and we’re going to ask StoryOrigin’s developer all about it, right here, live! Hosts: Lauren Moore, Kalene Williams Special Guests: Evan Gow 00:00 Opening remarks and introductions -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ -Use Plottr! https://plottr.com?ref=190 Lauren: Working on a developmental editing project. Evan: Mostly on vacation this week! Learning to fly kites with his child. Kalene: Editing, editing, editing. Working on a murky middle with a client. 03:06 Main Event –

Today we're going to talk about Point-of-view and how you can use it to world build, show character, and much more. Hosts: Josh Hayes, Scott Moon, C. Steven Manley Special: Rhett C. Bruno, Steve Beaulieu/Jaime Castle 00:00 Opening remarks -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ -Use Plottr! https://plottr.com?ref=190 03:20 Weekly update—Promiscuous Collaborator Edition Scott: Finished Reaper #12, working on a couple more projects, hasn’t worked for ten days… Rhett: A lot of editing work. Last solo book was Vicarious. Nothing solo on the horizon. Josh: Finished two chapters in Tranquility #3, one chapter in Weaponized #1, working on three more chapters in Tranquility #3 and an outline for a fantasy project. -Thoughts on the live action Cowboy Bebop. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1267295/ -Comparisons with the anime. -Old fan vs. new fan drama. -‘Bath, shower, bath’ 14:45 Main Event— LIVE! Using PO

What makes for a glorious, rip-roaring tale and what deflates it like a wilting balloon? The Critical Drinker joins us from across The Pond to share his answers to all our burning questions. Hop on the show to chat and ask your questions too on Friday, 11 AM Eastern, LIVE on Keystroke Medium! Hosts: Lauren Moore, Kalene Williams Special Guests: The Critical Drinker, Richard Fox 00:00 Opening remarks and introductions -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ -Use Plottr! https://plottr.com?ref=190 02:05 Main Event – The Critical Drinker Breaks Down Story Forces -How the Critical Drinker got started. -Looking back on his first novel through the lens of his YouTube series. -The importance of imagination. -Writer’s Block is really forcing the characters to do something that’s against their nature. -Plotting or pantsing? -Sound boards, yes or not? -The Critical Drinker’s biggest inspiration. -Inspiratio

Almost the entire KSM crew was in Las Vegas for the 20Booksto50k 2021 Writer's Conference, today we talk about take-aways, experiences, and why standing in bars is illegal. Hosts: Josh Hayes, Scott Moon, C. Steven Manley 00:00 Opening remarks -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ -Use Plottr! https://plottr.com?ref=190 07:47 Weekly update—Hedge Maze Edition Josh: Distracted by a story idea. Chuck: Still working on Jack Dark #2… 10:25 Main Event— LIVE! 20BookstoVegas 2021 Recap Show -Favorite things about the conference. -Talking to Larry Correia. -Scott enjoyed the military scifi and space opera panels. -Chuck’s surprise trip to 20Books. -Chuck enjoyed Chris Fox’s marketing panel, Scott’s police procedural panel, and milSF panel. -‘Hand farts’! -Military Ethos v. Militaristic in milSF. -Baen books panel on sales for print v. ebooks and crossing the divide between ebook only readers and print

It can't be November already!?  

The publishing world promises freedom of expression through your words. Honestly, the galaxy is the limit! But the whispers of what lurks down that long, dark tunnel to publication are truly the stuff of nightmares... ... The unfinished draft. Bleeding manuscripts after the Editor sank her claws into it. Wrong files being uploaded... and only discovered when the 1 stars start blazing in! Today on the Writer's Journey, we're exploring that dark tunnel to uncover all the demons lurking ahead. With the help of Poppa Chuck Manley and Walt Robillard, horror stories of the author realm shall be revealed, live! Eeee-hahaha! Hosts: Lauren Moore, Kalene Williams Special Guests: C. Steven Manley, Walt Robillard 00:00 Opening remarks and introductions -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ -Use Plottr! https://plottr.com?ref=190 04:05 Main Event – Author Horror Stories -Fear of perfection with every scene, eve

New show's every week, ish, unless we don't have one, then it's a new show every other week, unless we're sick, then it's a new show every few weeks, but we're really, really, really, going to have one today. Probably. Hosts: Josh Hayes, Scott Moon, C. Steven Manley Special Guest: Steve Beaulieu/Jaime Castle 00:00 Opening remarks -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ -Use Plottr! https://plottr.com?ref=190 05:10 Weekly update—Don’t Drop the Toilet Seat Edition Steve: Preparing to go to 20Booksto50k conference. Writing an epic fantasy novel with Andy Peloquin. Loves co-authoring. Adventures in Vegas last 20Books conference… Chuck: Wrapping up Jack Dark #2. Promises Steve to finish! Outlined book 3! Scott: Building a new house, writing a lot, wishing he had a beard comb. Josh: Finally has a series titled Weaponized instead of Savage Stars/Sentinel. Writing. Had a Baen interview on The Romanov Rescue

If you've ever managed to get your manuscript published by a traditional publisher, you've probably faced the harsh reality that many publishers aren't interested in editing your novel... and don't plan on it. So how do you get your book reader-ready? Keystroke's resident editors take a chapter from Scott Moon's book straight through the editing process--developmental, line, and copy--to demonstrate, once and for all, that editing is not dead. Hosts: Lauren Moore, Kalene Williams Special Guests: Ellen Campbell 00:00 Opening remarks and introductions -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ -Use Plottr! https://plottr.com?ref=190 01:00 Main Event – Do Editors Still Edit? -Discussion of how the publishing industry is pushing editing towards the author. -Kalene’s developmental edit. -At what point do you need to send back an ms for developmental edit instead of line/copy. -Ellen’s line edit. -When to u

Hot on the heels of episode 47, where I talk about why I decided to take a job, this episode is all about tools and methods you can use to get writing done while still grinding for the man (or lady). //One MAJOR tool I neglected to mention during the recording is Chrome Remote Desktop (remotedesktop.google.com). If you're allowed to use Chrome at work, and VPN (remote connections) are allowed, this is a great tool to allow access to your home computer while away. You need to download a client to your home machine, but once it's running you can connect from just about anywhere.//  

With the coming of fall, and everyone's favorite spooky holiday officially on the radar, TWJ brings you another blood-letting--er, live editing extravaganza! We have on the chopping block KSM's very own Josh and Ken! And back, by popular demand, a few writing bloopers. So get comfy and grab your Keystroke coffee, because we're going LIVE!

Josh, Scott, and Chuck talk about designing weapons in sci-fi. *** -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/  Become a Medium today! https://keystrokemedium.com/mediums/ Don't forget to Like and Subscribe and get involved with the mayhem and shenanigans in the live chat! http://www.youtube.com/c/keystrokemedium If you have any thoughts or ideas for show topics or if you have authors you'd like to see on the show, let us know. Visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KeystrokeMedium For all the latest and greatest KSM Gear, check out our store at: https://keystrokemedium.com/ksm-store/    If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a review and rate the show on iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher, or wherever else you found us!

The Chicago Manual of Style is the guide most publishers use for grammar, spelling, and punctuation choices. But how can authors and editors check their manuscripts for any errors? You can spot errors yourself and flip through a thousand pages of material that may or may not be up to date... or check out PerfectIt's handy new tool. PerfectIt CEO Daniel Heuman is here to tell us all about it. https://intelligentediting.com Hosts: Lauren Moore, Kalene Williams Special Guests: Daniel Heuman, Ellen Campbell 00:00 Opening remarks and introductions -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ -Use Plottr! https://plottr.com?ref=190 *** Daniel: Has returned to New York from England. Ellen: Nothing has caught fire and she continues to be editing. Kalene: Doing a lot of developmental editing and litrpg stat math. 03:30 Main Event – Chicago Manual of Style Editing on PerfectIt -Ellen’s brief summary of the Chicag

Let's talk about writing! Anything and everything are on the table! Hosts: Josh Hayes, Scott Moon, C. Steven Manley 00:00 Opening remarks -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ -Use Plottr! https://plottr.com?ref=190 03:53 Weekly update—Super Secret Edition Chuck: Wrapping up Jack Dark #2. Scott: Writing like crazy. Working on 3 projects at once… operating on negative sleep and 20Books2Wichita. Josh: Working on Sentinel, using a remarkable writing tablet, working on something super super secret (again). Policing! 15:56 Main Event— LIVE! Writing Roundtable #2 - September 2021 -The emotional investment in characters. -Ways to draw a reader into liking a character. -Richard Fox killing characters left and right. -The emotion of loss vs. the loss of the remaining characters. -Foreshadowing the solution. -The Deus Ex Machina or the answer. -Archetypes vs. roles. -Crafted fiction vs. chaotic reality.

Today we’re gonna pick the brain of Shad M. Brooks, creator of the YouTube channel Shadiversity, where he dives deep into all things medieval, fantasy, and storytelling. Have you ever wondered how to properly use sword from hundreds of years ago? If boomerangs really do come back, and how many gold coins an adventurer could carry? We'll find that out and much, much more. So get your mutton and ale ready, roll for charisma, and join us live!

I got a job. My book didn't sell. I got one-star reviews, or or or... Does this mean I'm a failure as an author? Clickbait headlines aside, this episode is about the realities of making a living in a creative career while taking care of your family and getting all those necessities of modern life, including health insurance. I think all that matters is that you keep going, and every day is a new opportunity to not quit, even when life throws obstacles in your way. Mentioned in this episode: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield  

There are countless ways to get readers excited for your next book. Today on the Writers Journey, we're digging into all things Kickstarter--the platform that not only gets the word out, but is used to help fund your project. We all know there's more to publishing a novel than writing the book. Between editing, cover design, formatting, and advertising, it can get expensive QUICK. MG Herron is here to give us insights into how to navigate Kickstarter. His last campaign was fully funded in under two hours! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mgherron/relics-of-the-ancients-a-space-opera-adventure-trilogy/description https://mgherron.com Hosts: Lauren Moore, Kalene Williams Special Guests: Matt Herron 00:00 Opening remarks and introductions -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ -Use Plottr! https://plottr.com?ref=190 04:12 Main Event – Launching a Book Series with Kickstarter | MG Herron -Matt’s for

Let's talk about writing! Anything and everything are on the table! Hosts: Josh Hayes, Scott Moon, C. Steven Manley 00:00 Opening remarks -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ -Use Plottr! https://plottr.com?ref=190 03:53 Weekly update—Major A$$burn Edition Josh: Had a flat tire on his boat and changed his book title again. Working title is My Butt Hurts from the Lake. Listening to The Lord of the Rings. Scott: Writing like crazy. Broke 90k for the first time since August. Finished Reaper 11 and Blue Sun Armada #3. Is marketing and read all the books. Avoided injury while swimming and house buying. Chuck: Wrapping up Jack Dark #2. 20:07 Main Event— LIVE! Let's talk about writing! September 2021 -Novel story telling vs. Studio story telling. -The trouble with SFX budget over storytelling. -Gatekeeping vs. free market. -Subjective vs. objective. -The hate that self-publishing gets. -Problems with

Science fiction writer, Merchant of Death (retired), and valiant leader of the Monster Hunter Nation, Larry Correia, joins us to talk all things writing. Get ready to ASK HIM ANYTHING on this next episode of The Writer's Journey.

Let's talk about writing! Anything and everything is on the table! https://amzn.to/3zCsBRP Hosts: Josh Hayes, C. Steven Manley, Scott Moon Special Guest: Kacey Ezell 00:00 Opening remarks -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ -Use Plottr! https://plottr.com?ref=190 05:00 Weekly update—Fix My Stupid Edition Kacey: Cartwright’s Cavaliers is out now! Still working in the Four Horsemen universe on a couple of projects, including Salvage Mother by Kevin Steverson and KC Ezell, out in September! Chuck: Working to finish Jack Dark #2. Extensively outlined Jack Dark #3. Finishing the last book of the Brace Cordova series. Josh: Started a new job last week which is ruining writing schedule. Skunks in cages. Has to change the name of the Sentinels name AGAIN! Got some feedback on a trad pub pitch. 20:30 Main Event— LIVE! Let's Talk About Writing - Part 2 w/ KC Ezell -Writers write, so you have to write. -