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Susan Dennard is the author of the Something Strange and Deadly series as well as the New York Times bestselling books Truthwitch and Windwitch. Susan is one our community’s most requested authors for the show and is known for her really helpful and eye-opening resources for writers. And not to mention, she also has a solid reputation of being known as an author who really cares about the writing community.

This episode is a must for listeners who love conversations about the craft of writing. We cover how to create a successful “plan of attack” for your novel’s revision process, how to develop a strong magic system, advice on crafting a believable male point of view who isn’t a stereotype or a personification of female idealism, and Susan shares the three phases of writing that helps her turn ideas into concrete stories.

We discuss ways for writers to overcome perfectionist tendencies and use it to your advantage, how to discover and fine-tune your writing process to help you reach your writing goals, how a beta-reader or a critique partner can help you avoid info-dumping in your world building, and why it’s crucial to distance yourself from your story idea in order to help it grow.

We also talk about how Susan learned to be self-motivated, how to cope with the loneliness that usually comes along with a writing career, and the importance of sharing your experiences with a writing community who truly understands what you are going through.

Say ‘Hi’ to Susan on Twitter! Check out the books and resources mentioned in her episode by clicking here!

For NaNoWriMo participants, join Susan’s ‘The Mighty Pens” fundraiser by clicking here!

Happy listening!

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!

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If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

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Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your WIP, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things! You can really feel the love and support in our Facebook community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to have a clear profile picture of yourself. If not, send over links to either your Twitter or Instagram. Fill out the 3 questions that pop up as soon as you join. To protect our group’s safe space, these steps help us weed out any spam/fake profiles/creepers. Can’t wait to meet you!

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Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here!

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“What one person likes, is not what someone else is going to like.” 

-Susan Dennard (Click to tweet)

“If it doesn’t feel right, if the cookie is not there, I can’t write it.”

-Susan Dennard (Click to tweet)

“Be kind to yourself. It’s okay if you don’t write everyday.” 

-Susan Dennard (Click to tweet)

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WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE: 

• Ways for writers to overcome perfectionist tendencies and use it to your advantage
• How Susan learned to be self-motivated 
• Where to find affordable writing workshops to help improve your craft
• The importance of doing your research when querying literary agents
• Susan’s advice on how to format your manuscript and query letter
• How to cope with the loneliness that usually comes along with a writing career
• The importance of patience when facing rejection
• How Susan’s travels inspire her story ideas 
• How trusting your instincts will help you learn more about yourself as a writer
• Susan’s three phases of writing that helps her turn ideas into concrete stories
• The importance of sharing your experiences with a writing community who truly understands what you are going through
• How to discover and fine-tune your writing process to help you reach your writing goals
• Why it’s crucial to distance yourself from your story ideas to help them grow
• Writing tips on developing a strong magic system
• Creating a successful plan of attack for your novel’s revision process 
• Tips on crafting a believable male point of view who isn’t a stereotype or a personification of female idealism
• How a beta-reader or critique partner can help you avoid info-dumping in your world building