Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Martin Popoff about his latest book ANTHEM: Rush in the 70's as well as a lifetime of passion writing about music. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and some comments from recent episodes, and a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Martin and Mark talk about: Martin's introduction to music when he was six or seven years old Turning people into metal-heads when Martin was working at a record store about the age of fifteen How people learned about music and records prior to the internet How Martin's love and passion for music evoled into life of writing about music, which he started to do full time in 2000 Martin's first book, which was a self-published book of a collection of record reviews, which later got picked up by a traditional publisher in 1997 Writing 9 or 10 music books per year The style of music review that Martin prefers to write The importance of talking about and lauding the art of the entire music production when writing a book about musicians and their work The interesting nature of the narrative of the story of a band and the narrative of a band's concept album How Martin values letting the band speak for themselves in the books he writes about them, relying on actual quotes from lengthy interviews, rather than blatantly injecting his own theory into the narrative The different listening experiences of listening to a full album start to finish from a vinyl LP and listening to it in custom single song chunks in a digital era The recent collaborative Canadian multi-location/self-isolation version of "Lean on Me" from Canada Strong Martin's original 2003 Rush biography: Contents Under Pressure which is now out of date and out of print How the desire to write a single comprehensive updated book about Rush resulted in well over 350,000 words and 3 volumes. Anthem: Rush in the 70s. (May 202) Limelight: Rush in the 80s (Oct 2020) Drive: Rush in the 90s (In the End) (Spring 2021) The use of interview footage from Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage Something that surprised Martin in writing these volumes How there is nobody who sounds like Rush and that are, in many ways, their own unique genre in music What a good gate-way Rush song might be for someone who doesn't think their music is accessible Martin's Podcast: History in Five Songs What music Martin listens to when he is writing After the interview, Mark reflects on the volume of publishing Martin has done, which is atypical for a traditionally published author; he also reflects on the dynamic nature of the relationship and flexibility he has with his publisher. Links of Interest: Martin Popoff's Website Martin's Podcast: History in Five Songs Episode 130 - Grace Under Pressure with Kevin J Anderson Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this solo "thanks for the inspiration" episode, Mark reflects on how Todd Anderson was an important colleague whose influence, mentorship, and leadership resulted in a critical shift in his career. Prior to the main segment, Mark shares a personal update, some comments from recent episodes, and a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Links of Interest: The FISH Philosophy of Customer Service Episode 130 - Grace Under Pressure with Kevin J Anderson Mark's Audiobooks (on sale) at Nook The 7 P's of Publishing Success Evasion Campus Chills Anthology Campus Chills Book Launches Espresso Book Machine / On Demand Books Examining Alternative Futures for Publishing Tell Me About The Early Days of Self Publishing Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Thanks for the Inspiration is a type of show that appears from time to time in the regular schedule for this podcast. As writers, we often absorb elements from the world, the places, and the people around us. We observe, we ask questions, we speculative, we listen, we watch, we feel, and we write so much of that down which gets re-integrated, like some sort of sausage creation, into the stories and words and worlds we share with our readers. Thanks for the Inspiration episodes are an attempt to acknowledge and say thanks to the people, places, and things that have helped to either feed the muse, or perhaps just to feed the very soul and makeup of the writer behind that writing. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this episode Mark interviews author Kevin J. Anderson about dictating his first drafts, about adapting to change in the publishing industry and about writing through personal tragedy, grief, and trauma. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and goes into detail about the challenges he has faced with not being able to focus or write in the past several weeks, falling behind in several writing deadlines. But he talks about how he has continued to be creative, and that creators will always create. He shares a writing warm-up practice he has started again - writing parody lyrics to songs and poetry. He then shares the experience of doing that recently and collaborating with Liz, the opening and closing voice of the podcast, and his fiance. He shares the music video they created on Easter Sunday and how working on that project has reinvigorated his own creative spirit and energy; particularly as a reminder for the fact that the world needs writers, and the smiles this parody song and video have inspired is an example of why writers do what they do. Mark then shares the audio for the song as well as the fact he will be teaching an online class on April 22nd in a series from Jane Friedman. After the song, Mark shares listener comments from recent episodes and then offers a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark and Kevin talk about: Finally getting around to this interview, as it's something they've been meaning to do for years, and are finally getting to How Kevin has always been a dictator when it comes to his writing, dictating while taking long walks or hikes in the Colorado mountains The fact that Kevin can still do his regular writing during these self-isolation times the same way he always has The importance of trying dictation for more than just a short time, or once or twice, paralleling it to the way writers have learned typing and keyboarding skills Tips for getting started in dictation, such as using dictation for a brainstorming session Keeping so many different book projects that are in different stages (as a hybrid author with multiple traditional and indie-publishing projects on the go) How Kevin's first published novel has much of the RUSH album "Grade Under Pressure" woven into it, and how that book is what ultimately connected Kevin to RUSH drummer and lyricist, Neil Peart The thirty-plus year relationship that Kevin had with Neil Peart and the co-authoring they have done together How the recent Drumbeats project of Kevin and Neil's first collaboration is being re-released in a special limited edition print run Managing writing through times of loss, grief, stress and anxiety How the new Dune film, and the paperback release of one of Kevin's traditionally published books are being affected and delayed by Covid-19 The masters in publishing program that Kevin is teaching for Western Colorado University and the publishing projects that the students are working on for that How Superstars Writing Seminars originated with Kevin, his wife Rebecca Moesta, Brandon Sanderson, David Farland, and Eric Flint getting together to figure out the changes in the publishing industry about twelve years ago And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on how he and Kevin had kept putting off doing this interview for years, and the parallel to how Kevin and Neil had always put the Drumbeats special edition project on the back burner. He talks about other projects and things he'd continued to put off, and what thinking about that inspires. Mark then shares an opportunity for listeners to win one of two copies of Kevin's book. A book for writers (On Being a Dictator) and the special limited edition book (Drumbeats). Commenters and Patrons will be entered in a draw for the prizes which will be done after midnight Eastern time on Friday May 1, 2020. Links of Interest: Kevin J. Anderson's Website WordFire Press Kevin in Twitter Superstars Writing Seminars Steve Otis - Artist Mark's Audiobooks (on sale) at Nook The 7 P's of Publishing Success Evasion Jane Friedman's Online Class: Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction Episode 114 - Thanks for the Inspiration, Neil Peart Episode 125 -Simplifying, Streamlining, and Organizing with Janice Savage Episode 128 - Healthy Home Workspaces with Roland Denzel Episode 129 - Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Kevin J. Anderson has published more than 165 books, 56 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes, as well as unique steampunk fantasy novels Clockwork Angels and Clockwork Lives, written with legendary rock drummer Neil Peart, based on the concept album by the band Rush. Kevin's original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series, the Terra Incognita fantasy trilogy, the Saga of Shadows trilogy, and his humorous horror series featuring Dan Shamble, Zombie PI. He has edited numerous anthologies, written comics and games, and the lyrics to two rock CDs. Anderson and his wife Rebecca Moesta are the publishers of WordFire Press. His most recent novels are Stake, Kill Zone, and Spine of the Dragon. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this additional "between episodes" addition, Mark shares a Medium article with the following important message. "From one citizen to another, I beg of you: take a deep breath, ignore the deafening noise, and think deeply about what you want to put back into your life. This is our chance to define a new version of normal, a rare and truly sacred (yes, sacred) opportunity to get rid of the bullshit and to only bring back what works for us, what makes our lives richer, what makes our kids happier, what makes us truly proud. We get to Marie Kondo the shit out of it all. We care deeply about one another. That is clear. That can be seen in every supportive Facebook post, in every meal dropped off for a neighbor, in every Zoom birthday party. We are a good people. And as a good people, we want to define — on our own terms — what this country looks like in five, 10, 50 years. This is our chance to do that, the biggest one we have ever gotten. And the best one we'll ever get." The message is from the article "Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting" by Julio Vincent Gambuto. Mark then reflects on the importance of this moment in time and the "reset" that can happen. This episode contains explicit language which may offend some listeners. Links of Interest: Julio's Medium Article Julio Vincent's Website Patreon for Stark Reflections The son of a bus-driver-slash-bread-baker, Julio Vincent ("Julie") grew up in a large Italian family on New York's Staten Island, where aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered often around Mom's seafoam-green formica kitchen table for "cake and coffee" — always an Entenmann's crumb cake — to tell stories, argue about the Mets, and play cards with the neighbors. After seven years on merit scholarship at the prestigious Staten Island Academy, Julie left the borough for Harvard, where he graduated with a BA in English and American Literature and Language, with honors. He completed his training as a film director at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he was honored as an Annenberg Fellow. Julio Vincent recently completed post-production on his first feature film, Team Marco, and is currently developing the feature family comedy, The Julie Stories. In 2017, Julio founded Boro Five, an independent film and television content production company. He serves as Executive Producer of the company's slate. Julio has written and produced film and television content for Nickelodeon, PBS, E! Entertainment, and James Franco's Rabbit Bandini. Learn more below. Julio lives in New York City. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this episode Mark shares a live chat with Roland Denzel, AKA the Indestructable Author, from April 2, 2020 about Strategies for a Healthy Home Workspace. Roland shares what people can do to maintain health and exercise with limited space and no equipment; fundamentals of creating an ergonomic workspace in your home, and much more. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a reflection on how he feels Covid-19 is going to become a major tipping point for the way that people consume books and move from print-book puritans to eReading adoptions. He also shares the fact that it's likely the major publishers are going to be forced to finally properly dip their toes into the eBook pool. Mark then shares comments from recent episodes and a word from this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark and Roland talk about: Roland's background as a writer and health coach and advocate focusing on the nutrition and habit side of things His plans for writing a series and stacking them for a consistent release schedule Taking a "Supercharge your Protagonist" course with H Claire Taylor to help improve his fiction The side-effects of living behind a keyboard for thirty years that include carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar neuropathy How moving around for as little as 5 minutes every thirty minutes or so can reduce your blood sugar by up to 20% and improve insulin sensitivie by as much as 20% How coffee isn't the big problem that many people say it is, and can be useful because if you drink it, you're likely getting up to go to the washroom more often, and thus moving more The Pomodoro technique which follows 25 / 5 - 25 minutes of work, followed by 5 minutes of a break, or rest How just a little bit of planning can help you maintain better health and productivity Roland's perspective on ergonomics The importance of what Roland calls "the dynamic office" Things people can do to get exercise without equipment, in limited space, or without being able to go to the gym How much people underestimate the value of walking How important it is to make changes from a sedentary lifestyle in small steps or stages In general how the healthier you are, the easier it is to focus Strategies for dealing with anxiety in a limited or shared work space And more... After the interview, Mark shares a few personal updates, including his recent appearance on The Creative Penn and The Indy Author Podcasts, the weekday Draft2Digital Spotlights he has been participating in, and a forthcoming online course he will be teaching in a series from Jane Friedman. Links of Interest: Roland Denzel's Indestructable Author Website Episode 127 - Blaze Ward Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Online Course (via Jane Friedman) - Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction The Creative Penn Podcast - Mark's Appearances Episode 482 Episode 408 Episode 300 Episode 262 Episode 178 Episode 143 The Indy Author Podcast - Mark's Appearances Episode 20 Episode 14 Roland Denzel is a coach, a nutritionist, and a restorative exercise specialist who also happens to be a writer. He has fought off carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar neuropathy, and plantar fasciitis, all while "keeping his butt in the chair" long enough to work a full-time job and release more than ten books. He coaches authors and other awesome humans about ergonomics, healthy lifestyle, balance, and overcoming physical and mental limitations to be healthier, happier, and more productive. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this episode, Mark has an in depth conversation with author Blaze Ward. Blaze Ward writes science fiction in multiple universes. He also writes odd bits of high fantasy with swords and orcs. In addition, he is the Editor and Publisher of Boundary Shock Quarterly Magazine and many other magazines and publishing projects. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes. He also announced the winner of the book and workbook for THREE STORY METHOD from J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon from a random selection of commenters from Episode 123. In addition, the Patreon winner is also announced. In their conversation Mark and Blaze discuss: When Blaze started to kick into full production schedule for his writing Writing 400,000 words a year while he was employed and working full time, and how he ramped it up to 100,000 words a month, which he has consistently reached for the past two years The daily/weekly schedule that Blaze keeps in order to write 4000 words a day Monday through Saturday The plan for Blaze to write 14 novels and 40 stories in 2020 Mal Cooper, who wrote 40 novels in 2018, and makes Blaze look like a slacker The thrill of "getting to go write" when Blaze wakes up in the morning P Time and L Time (Personal Time and Linear Time) The plans for ensuring that his heirs will continue to benefit from the works that Blaze has written The various different novels in different series' that Blaze has written and is working on Why Blaze isn't playing the "exclusive to Kindle" game in publishing and has chosen to go wide Selling short stories that are not available anywhere else directly on his website How Blaze is using Patron (to provide his $5/month patrons content a full year before it is available to anyone else) Boundary Shock quarterly magazine, which Blaze edits, including the inspiration for creating it and the logisitics of filling each issue of that magazine and others with content using a syndicate of fifteen other writers The different newsletters that Blaze sends out Some of the financial changes that Blaze and his wife Leah (also an author), have recently made regarding translations and travel to writer conferences And more... After the conversation, Mark reflects on comparisonitis and discipline. This episode was sponsored by the wonderful patrons of the Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing Podcast who support this show and gain access to additional content over at www.patreon.com/starkreflections. Links of Interest: Blaze Ward's Website Episode 126 - Thanks for the Laughs and Inspiration Episode 125 - Simplifying, Streamlining and Organizing with Janice Savage Episode 123 - Three Story Method with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon Patreon for Stark Reflections The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Thanks for the Inspiration is a type of show that appears from time to time in the regular schedule for this podcast. As writers, we often absorb elements from the world, the places, and the people around us. We observe, we ask questions, we speculative, we listen, we watch, we feel, and we write so much of that down which gets re-integrated, like some sort of sausage creation, into the stories and words and worlds we share with our readers. Thanks for the Inspiration episodes are an attempt to acknowledge and say thanks to the people, places, and things that have helped to either feed the muse, or perhaps just to feed the very soul and makeup of the writer behind that writing. In this bonus episode of the podcast, Mark thanks the creative spirits who have produced musical parodies about Covid-19 and the current global situation. Because laughter is important. Yes, these are dark times, but laughter is important. It connects people. And laughter has been shown to actually stimulate positive activity in a person's immune system. I know we're all scared, we're uncertain, we aren't sure what's coming, for us, and for those we know and love. Things seem to be spinning out of control. But we can always control where we focus and how we respond. I choose love, compassion, and humor. And I choose to thank all of these amazing creative people who took the time to spread their own passion, through humor, to help others find smiles and laughs in these trying times. Mark introduces the following musical parodies in this order: Covid-19 - The Taylor's - Parody of "Come On, Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners. JJ Mason Taylor (The Taylor Family) YouTube Video My Corona - Parody of "My Sharona by The Knack Kevin Brandow Lyrics by Chelsea Brandow YouTube Video Quarantine - Parody of "Let It Be" by The Beatles Joe Cron YouTube Video Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (with new lyrics!) Parody of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke from the movie Mary Poppins Daniel Matarazzo You Tube Video One Week of COVID 19 - Parody of "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies Pepper Coyote Adapted original lyrics by @daniAwesome YouTube Video My Corona Home - Parody of "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys from the movie Cocktail Jon Pumper YouTube Video Coronavirus Rhapsody - Parody of "Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen Adrian Grimes Lyrics by Dana Jay Bein YouTube Video Mark then closes out the show with a thanks to all of the first responders and medical and health professionals on the front lines as well as essential services personnel who continue to risk their own safety and welfare for the good of society. And he again thanks the creative folks who wrote, performed, and shared these songs (and so many others not included here) to help inspire smiles and laughter in others during these trying times. This episode was sponsored by the wonderful patrons of the Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing Podcast who support this show and gain access to additional content over at www.patreon.com/starkreflections. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this episode, Mark interviews Janice Savage, Savvy Concierge about strategies that enable work-life balance which translates into more personal time and less stress. Prior to the interview, Mark reads a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. He then reads comments from recent episodes, reminding listeners they still have a chance to win a copy of THREE STORY METHOD and the accompanying workbook from J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon by commenting on Episode 123 before the end of March 2020. He also shares a brief personal update that includes the adaptation of the Career Author Summit in Nashville in May (where Mark is a featured speaker) to a virtual event, as well as being a guest on the Rebel Author Podcast with Sacha Black. In their conversation, Mark and Janice talk about: How Janice loves being in a position to do something to help other people, which organically grew into her business How Janice pays attention and listens to both what people say, as well as the things that people don't say, as part of her process of helping them The value of being invited into the personal workspace of the people that Janice works with The importance of, before looking at someone's space, you take a look at their values What "clutter" does to us (makes us stressed, takes away our focus) - space, mind, physical clutter How having clutter in our minds and physically, it takes away from the creative process Examining a workspace for all of the things that can cause distraction The importance of making a specific system that works for you, your preferences, your goals, your work space How routine and the right habits build success The complimentary consult that Janice offers her potential clients How small changes can make a huge impact The importance of having an accountability partner The value of SNAP (The "Sunday Night Plan") - which is a written-down plan for the forthcoming week Ideas for managing an email inbox without getting stressed or overwhelmed And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of building up solid habits or an impactful routine. Links of Interest: Janice's Website - Savvy Concierge Findaway Voices Library Promotion Opportunity (Expires after March 29, 2020) Episode 123 - Three Story Method with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon Episode 124 - Lindsay Flanagan on Working with an Editor The Rebel Author Podcast - Episode 21 - How to Get Your Book Into Libraries Patreon for Stark Reflections Janice Savage, founder of Savvy Concierge, is a Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Manager. She alleviates the stress and that feeling of being overwhelmed that her busy clientele experience. Janice has taken the strategies and tips she developed first by raising four kids and then by working one-on-one with her clientele to introduce Savvy Principles to Simplify Your Life. She has recently segued into speaking opportunities, educational presentations and conducting workshops where she shares her expertise with larger audiences. By empowering the audience to attain their goals through an organized and decluttered personal and professional life she is spreading her message – Simplify Your Life. The music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this episode, Mark interviews Lindsay Flanagan, an editor that he had the privilege of working with. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a public service announcement from CDC regarding Covid-19, a number of comments from previous episodes, a new Patron (Katie), and injects a bit of a personal writing update in with those comments. Mark also reminds listeners of their chance to win a copy of THREE STORY METHOD from J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon by commenting on Episode 123 before the end of March 2020. He then shares a tip from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Lindsay and Mark talk about: How Lindsay had always been into writing, studying English Language and Literature, how her career took her away from that, and her eventual return back to the world of writing and editing The role-flip that Lindsay and her husband took about who the main bread-winner would be, and who would do more freelance-style work How Lindsay had been impressed by the professionalism and style of Angela Eschler of Eschler Editing How Lindsay's choice, in editing, always comes back to story and to language The one day a week that Lindsay keeps aside for her personal writing projects A high level review of the different types of editing, such as substantive/developmental, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading How Mark and Lindsay professionally met as writer and editor The things that Lindsay looks for in a writer client and what writers should look for when sourcing an editor The style and genres of fiction that Lindsay prefers to work on when editing How some clients at Eschler Editing are authors who want to ensure their work is polished professionally before they submit it to the traditional publisher market, while others are indie-published authors who want a professional edit before they self-publish the book How two different 80,000 word manuscripts might be given two different cost estimates depending on the shape the manuscript is in when it is turned in, which is why an edit can cost anywhere from $300 to $2000 The important that a writer always gets a sample edit from an editor that they are considering working with Why a professional edit is so important The way that an editor can help a writer understand differing changes in the marketplace for trends within specific genres Some of the most common mistakes that writers often make in their writing That all too important question an editor often asks: "But what is this doing to move your story move forward or your character to grow?" Some of the free resources available for writers at EscherEditing.com And more . . . After the interview, Mark shares his reflections on the importance of working with an editor who is properly aligned to your specifc writing and genre, in the same way that a writer needs to be thinking about their very specific target audience prior to working on marketing their book. Links of Interest: Eschler Editing Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Lindsay Flanagan (Twitter) Angela Eschler (LinkedIn) Findaway Voices Episode 123 - Three Story Method with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon What the Internet Is Doing To Our Brains Patreon for Stark Reflections Lindsay Flanagan is a freelance writer and editor, who, after earning a Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing, left her career of over a decade to pursue her dream job in the publishing world. She joined the Eschler Editing team in 2014 as an editor and project manager. She also edits for Immortal Works and Champagne Book Group. Because she's a glutton for knowledge, she's also interning with Corvisiero Literary Agency. Angela Eschler, founder of the award-winning Eschler Editing and manager of the boutique publisher Scrivener Books, has more than twenty years of experience in the publishing industry, including nearly a decade working in-house at traditional publishers. She now works as a freelance editor and industry coach for authors, editors, publishers, and other organizations and has edited over a thousand manuscripts from diverse genres. A published author herself, Angela's work has been featured on television, radio, and in documentary film. The E. Team is comprised of highly skilled writers, editors, designers and publishing and promotion professionals that hail from diverse segments of the publishing industry. They've amassed advanced degrees in literature or writing, been published, received distinguished awards, and worked additionally in related industry fields as librarians, reporters, or writing professors. Most importantly, as vetted genre experts, they know what it takes to make it in publishing. So no matter if you want to self-pub or get an agent, we'll help you learn to stand out, be discovered, and make a bigger impact. Why? Because filling the world with powerful books is vital. Writers are important; they've changed history, they've changed our lives, and we want to ensure they keep changing the world one reader at a time. That's our story. Now, let's make sure your story is heard. The music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Storytelling doesn't have to be complicated. In this episode, Mark chats with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon about their new book THREE STORY METHOD which proves that storytelling can be straightforward. Bohannon and Thorn are successful co-authors, are the minds behind the Authors on a Train, Vampires of New Orleans, Sci-Fi Seattle, Night of the Writing Dead and Cleveland Rock Apocalypse writing retreats. They also launched their Career Author podcast in January 2018, the same week that the Stark Reflections Podcast was launched. Prior to the interview, Mark waxes poetic about the previous times J. and Zach were on the podcast, including episode 74, where Mark had shared details about how he had proposed to his girlfriend Liz on the 50th birthday during an Alicia Witt concert, with a song Alicia wrote for him to use for the occasion. He also shares a short clip from the chorus of the song. Mark then talks about working on getting a representative from Google Play Books to come on in a future episode, and reminds writers that it's easier than ever to create a direct Google Play account for publishing: New publishers can visit g.co/play/publish and create an account in just a few easy steps There's no longer an invite code or waiting period when setting up a new publisher account Mark also shares a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark, J., and Zach talk about: The origin of Three Story Method and how the process for it was developed over the course of publishing a dozen books together The importance of a having a process that can be used in a similar way for multiple different projects How the book is meant for getting from an idea to a first draft of a manuscript and should be all that a writer needs. There's no up-selling or courses associated with it The accompanying workbook that can either be downloaded for free or purchased for the lowest price they could set on Amazon for it Ongoing dedication to learning, and re-learning, and continuing to refine the craft of writing The importance of starting off with a good book before you even begin or consider heavy marketing The value of the community that comes from running a weekly podcast Why they value tight-knit, intimate groups when it comes to hosting author gatherings The experience of brainstorming a universe for an anthology in a room full of engaged authors J.'s ways and Zach's hacks (a bit they do on their own podcast) ....and more.... After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of life-long learning of both the business and the craft of writing. He then shares how listeners have until the end of day March 31, 2020 to leave a comment on the show notes for Episode 123 at www.starkreflections.ca for a chance to win a free copy of Three Story Method and the accompanying workshop, courtesy of J. and Zach. Mark asks that commenters leave either a "Way" or a "Hack" that they've found useful for either the business or the craft of writing (in honour of the J.'s Ways and Zach's Hacks bit that the two regularly do on their own podcast. Mark also mentions that Patrons who support this podcast over at www.patreon.com/starkreflections are all automatically entered into a drawn to win the same prize. $1 / month patrons will be entered in for one chance. $3 /month patrons will be entered in twice. $5 / month patrons will be entered in 3 times. Links of Interest: The Career Author Podcast Three Story Method Findaway Voices Episode 116 - Taking the Short Tack with Matty Dalrymple Episode 21 - Real World Connections in a Digital World with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon Episode 74 - Perspectives on the Past, Present, and Future of Publishing (with J, Zach, Mark, Jim Kukral and T.W. Piperbrook) Alicia Witt Patreon for Stark Reflections The music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0