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USA Today Bestselling author Rhett C Bruno joins the Monday Morning guys to talk about writing and selling in multiple genres and how he manages it all!

Building your personal author platform is an important step in your journey. For many authors, that means jumping on social media. But with conflict broiling, your data being tracked, privacy evaporating, and plain-old social media burnout, you might be looking for a new way to connect with your fan-base--something fun and reliable, and something you control. The answer? Build your own platform. But how? Author coach and business consultant Joe Solari joins us to talk about ways to connect with your fanbase. We’ll chat about why it’s important to have your own platform and lay out a plan for setting one up.

We have coffee!!! Plus we have special guest Jeff Haskell to talk up his latest projects with the help of guest host Mike Lafferty!

Chris Kennedy, best known for his Four Horsemen Universe, returns to KSM to talk about a brand new universe Hit WorldHit W developed with William Alan Webb, the author of The Last Brigade series.

What makes a manuscript sing from the first page, and what sour notes turn the readers away? With more and more readers judging books based on the Look Inside sample, your first page is key to making sales. DAW Editor Sheila Gilbert joins us to respond to six first pages submitted by Keystroke authors. We'll talk about what works and what doesn't, so that we can make our own WIPs even better. *** Today’s spotlight is on Megastructures - Mohs 5.5 Anthology Edited by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne. Get your copy today: https://amzn.to/3bfM0P3 But wait! There's more! Pre-Order your copy of Mars - Mohs 5.5 Vol2 here: https://buy.bookfunnel.com/8qmmyj9dpy 

How sweet do you like your coffee. What kind of things do you put in to take the tang out of the taste? This can be the same with certain types of editors. Are their editors that can make your writing more sweet?

It's 2021 and with the new year brings new opportunities! Let's talk about them! Today's episode will focus on writing goals, motivation, and staying inspired! Join us! 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/ 09:00 Weekly update—I Only Exist in an Office Edition Josh: Finished Tranquility #1! Focused on writing and goals. Started a short story for an anthology and started a writing journal. KeyStroWriMo has started! Email Josh to get in on tracking your yearly wordcount. Trying to also improve his writing process. Scott: Truck shopping! Setting a goal of 3,000 words a day. Finished Orphan Wars #1 with JN Chaney, working on the fourth Invasion Day novel and trying to fix major plot holes, working on a super-secret project, made a new (NEW!) spreadsheet, tweaking some advertising and marketing and personal goals. 32:14 Sponsor: The First Collection by Sarah Lipto-Sidibeh ​ ​https://amzn.to/2X8UwXN 36:50 Main Event— LIVE! Writing in the New Year -Josh is still listening to House to House: A Soldier's Memoir by Sgt. David Bellavia https://amzn.to/3lQdNHn -Scott recommends Mosul and argues SWAT is somewhat universal and the reaction to a mistake where a character was shot by accident. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9252468/ -Reminds Josh of accuracy that he saw in Den of Thieves https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259528/ -Stumbling blocks from 2020 to overcome in 2021. -Josh changing his workflow because of moving and such. -Changing up his production; maybe stream writing or do a morning show. -Segue that Scrivener 3 for Windows is still not released. -Scott is changing some eating habits. -Using finite energy to dedicate to writing. -Continue to dedicate time to writing and not wait for motivation. -Developing a habit over time, rather than sprinting large numbers (500 words over 10 days is better than 5,000 words in one day and nothing in other 9). -Goals need to be incremental and gradual. -Building social media presence. -Discussing concepts like blogging your novel. -Don’t wear pants when you outline! 1:07:44 Closing remarks Coffee and Concepts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRuoHj6opw0 Writer’s Journey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLaFFntB4Q Storytelling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYRzwuQeK9Q 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/ Also, subscribe to Sci Fi Explorations for the best discounted and free books we come across through our contacts: http://www.scifiexplorations.com Keystroke Medium Anthologies      Kingdoms of Iron and Stone - https://amzn.to/2GjbE6I       Horizons Beyond - https://amzn.to/2SrJ6uX      Farthest Reach – https://amzn.to/2UZINeo The Writing Dream – and How to Make it to Happily Ever After – Keystroke Medium’s first non-fiction book. https://amzn.to/2UZINeo If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a review and rate the show on iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher, or wherever else you found us! #ksm #keystrokemedium #coffee #writing #editing #author #books #plotting #pantsing #plantsing #militarysciencefiction #milSF #militarySci-Fi #IndieAuthor #SFF #audiobooks #authorwebsites #goals #writinggoals #2021resolutions

It's a brand new year for change and growth, a good time to look back on the past year and reflect on how we’d like to grow in the year to come. Because as writers, artists, and freelancers, we’re always striving to do better. Author and coach Roland Denzel joins us to discuss that very thing, setting your goals and accomplishing them. And, as we like to do on Keystroke Medium, we’re going to tackle those goals together. You ready?

How was your 2020? Whether it was a slog or a success, hey, we can learn from it. Today, we're chatting about three authors who had very different years. We'll talk about break-out successes after years of hard work, writing through difficult times, experimenting, and taking risks. Ever wanted to pack up your family and moving to Bali? We'll talk about that too, on this episode of The Writer's Journey.

Where do you start your coffee journey? Probably the same place you start your reading or writing journey.

2020 has been a crazy year. Josh, Scott, and Chuck reflect on what they've accomplished, challenges they've overcome, and even what they failed to achieve. Join us for our 2020 Year-End Review

We're talking Camp Coffee... And weather proofing your gear!

Writing is hard enough, when it comes to managing your online presence, trust the experts. Rob McClellan joins the show to talk about author website design and best practices.

What do Patrick Rothfuss, Tad Williams, Mercedes Lackey, C.J. Cherryh, and Nnedi Okorafor all have in common? Besides being A-List fantasy wordcrafters, all were published by DAW Books. Tonight we meet the woman behind one of science fiction and fantasy's most beloved publishing houses, DAW Books' President, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief, Betsy Wollheim. Betsy's here to pull back the curtain on what goes into the traditional publishing process, give you tips on how to get published, and discuss where she thinks the publishing world is headed. So get your questions ready and join us LIVE. We'll snag as many questions as we can from the chat. Cheers!

On this episode, best-selling author Yudhanjaya Wijeratne returns to LIVE! to talk about his new book "The Salvage Crew." https://amzn.to/3mT1Im3   Hosts: Josh Hayes, Lauren Moore 00:00 Opening remarks -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ 08:00 Weekly update—Did Your Parents Love You Edition Josh: Wrote something in the Tranquility series. Moving and packing. Still Reading Sanderson’s Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive #4) https://amzn.to/36LINUy Lauren: Doing a ton of research for The Writer’s Journey and planning out into 2021. Also researching for a historical western romance. Yudhanjaya: Working and spending time on Saturday to write, currently working on a Witcher analog with a twist (and a cat!). 16:51 Main Event— LIVE! Yudhanjaya Wijeratne -Writes only once a week, but really tries to hit 5-7k words. -Uses an Onyx Boox Note Air for focused writing https://www.boox.com/noteair/ -Josh uses the Olympus for dictation (still) https://amzn.to/2JLGasN -Discussing the genesis of The Salvage Crew -Man being replaced and beaten by machine. -Writing code for world building. -Using AI to write poems as well. -Having Nathan Fillion narrate the audiobook and the changes in Indie Audiobook industry. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0277213/ -Comparing the writing of Hurt by Trent Reznor and the cover by Johnny Cash. 42:15 Sponsor: 13 Mercs: A Military SciFi Epic (Brothers in Arms Book 2) by Scott Moon ​https://amzn.to/2Jw7JpZ 43:33 Main Event— LIVE Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, Continued! -Story generation with simulators, which took Yudhanjaya only 3 months. -Using the AI to get out of the middle build slog. -Setting monitor to black and white to reduce notifications. -Unhealthy habits like Hemingway. -Yudhanjaya’s process. Cal Newport’s Deep Work (Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World) https://amzn.to/36OAM1d -Getting a feel of the story after the first chapter is done. -Iteration your writing process. -Writing short stories vs. novels. Ex. Rhett Bruno and Jaime Castle’s Dead Acre https://amzn.to/3mQUYFd -English is the language that goes around in dark alleys and mugs other languages. 1:11:18 Closing remarks Coffee and Concepts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRuoHj6opw0 Writer’s Journey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLaFFntB4Q Storytelling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYRzwuQeK9Q 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/ Also, subscribe to Sci Fi Explorations for the best discounted and free books we come across through our contacts: http://www.scifiexplorations.com Keystroke Medium Anthologies      Kingdoms of Iron and Stone - https://amzn.to/2GjbE6I       Horizons Beyond - https://amzn.to/2SrJ6uX      Farthest Reach – https://amzn.to/2UZINeo The Writing Dream – and How to Make it to Happily Ever After – Keystroke Medium’s first non-fiction book. https://amzn.to/2UZINeo If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a review and rate the show on iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher, or wherever else you found us! #ksm #keystrokemedium #coffee #writing #editing #author #books #plotting #pantsing #plantsing #militarysciencefiction #milSF #militarySci-Fi #IndieAuthor #SFF

Did you find yourself a book buddy? Let's go over some etiquette while sipping some joe.

We get joined by Mr. Paddy Finn to discuss keeping the schedules and making the words during the holidays.

It's a busy time of year, especially for 2020, lets talk about writing, thankfully. 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/ 05:24 Weekly update—Reverse Trucking Edition Scott: Sanderson Intervention Support Group in effect. Working on the Orphan Wars, They Came for Blood #4. Looking to take a teaching position at an academy. Chuck: Closing in on the end of Jack Dark #2 and prepping work for Jack Dark #3, dealing with COVID in his family. Josh: Fell down a rabbit hole of Brandon Sanderson’s Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive #4) https://amzn.to/36LINUy 16:57 Main Event— LIVE! Thanksgiving Roundtable 2020 -Update on The Mandorlorian in terms of letting supporting characters have a bigger role in the story. Episode 12, The Siege. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12981674/ -Scott disagrees with both the length of the show and misnomer for the episode name. -Casting of Gina Carano as a warrior. 22:10 Sponsor: Raising ACEs (ACE Series Book 1) by Chad Boyer https://amzn.to/2HsKhcx 23:10 Main Event— LIVE Thanksgiving Roundtable 2020, Continued! -Scott rails that Stormtroopers were bad in Season 1, but degenerated into trope in Season 2 (The loss of the ‘danger’ element). -Bike Trooper scene and ‘punching’ Baby Yoda. -Loss of buildup of Moff Gideon over the first few seasons. -Star Wars breadth and not depth. -How to get lost in an Imperial Facility. -Bo-Katan’s ‘boob’ armor vs. Joel Schumaker’s Bat ‘nipples’. -More fan theories. Ex. A Game of Thrones children going in different directions. https://amzn.to/2L5yJxi -Chuck asks about using a pen name for mystery thriller v. C. Steven Manley for urban fantasy. -Genre overlap vs. reader overlap. -Exception: A huge author may spill into another genre. Ex. Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files for mystery thrillers https://amzn.to/2VK9UJr Ex. JK Rowling vs. Robert Galbraith to segregate genre readership. -Reasons why authors use initials (ex. men in romance and women in science fiction). -Josh theorizes if Stephen King could write straight science fiction, would it be good? -Chuck points out that he wrote The Running Man https://amzn.to/3lSa8bY -Simplifying things for the reader, not the author. -Naming conventions for kids. 58:11 Closing remarks Coffee and Concepts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRuoHj6opw0 Writer’s Journey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLaFFntB4Q Storytelling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYRzwuQeK9Q 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/ Also, subscribe to Sci Fi Explorations for the best discounted and free books we come across through our contacts: http://www.scifiexplorations.com Keystroke Medium Anthologies      Kingdoms of Iron and Stone - https://amzn.to/2GjbE6I       Horizons Beyond - https://amzn.to/2SrJ6uX      Farthest Reach – https://amzn.to/2UZINeo The Writing Dream – and How to Make it to Happily Ever After – Keystroke Medium’s first non-fiction book. https://amzn.to/2UZINeo If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a review and rate the show on iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher, or wherever else you found us! #ksm #keystrokemedium #coffee #writing #editing #author #books #plotting #pantsing #plantsing #militarysciencefiction #milSF #militarySci-Fi

Charles and Vlas Parlapanides return to the show to talk about their brand-new Netflix series Blood of Zeus. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10009170/   Hosts: Josh Hayes, Scott Moon 00:00 Opening remarks -Discord server is up! https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD -Keystroke Coffee is live! https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/ 09:00 Weekly update—Break Stuff Edition Josh: Blew up a water heater. Almost done with Tranquility book 1 and drafting a new project and a screenplay a la True Detectives Scott: Departure Day (They Came for Blood #3),  Orphan Wars, turned in One for All (Brothers in Arms #3) into Aethon books. RIP iMac. Charles: Finished a pilot for MGM with present day mythology, playing some games. 13:20 Main Event— LIVE! Blood of Zeus w/ the Parlapanides Brothers -Charles answers who would be a dream actor for a show of his. -Charles explains what ‘Pay for Play’ means. -Charles admits what he would give up to be a better writer. -Taste exceeding talent at first vs. learning and grinding and working the craft. -Josh’s critique of the sound editing of Blood of Zeus. -The even slow progression of each character. -Outlining and building the story progression. -Outlining is pantsing. -Charles discusses his favorite character to write in Blood of Zeus. -Anti-heroes Ex. Walter White in Breaking Bad https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903747/ Ex. Tony Soprano in Sopranos https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0141842/ -Overcoming anger as a theme. -Decisions based on emotions vs. the best decision you can make. -Final tips of advice for writers. 1:03:35 Closing remarks Coffee and Concepts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRuoHj6opw0 Writer’s Journey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLaFFntB4Q Storytelling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYRzwuQeK9Q 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/ Also, subscribe to Sci Fi Explorations for the best discounted and free books we come across through our contacts: http://www.scifiexplorations.com Keystroke Medium Anthologies      Kingdoms of Iron and Stone - https://amzn.to/2GjbE6I       Horizons Beyond - https://amzn.to/2SrJ6uX      Farthest Reach – https://amzn.to/2UZINeo The Writing Dream – and How to Make it to Happily Ever After – Keystroke Medium’s first non-fiction book. https://amzn.to/2UZINeo If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a review and rate the show on iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher, or wherever else you found us! #ksm #keystrokemedium #coffee #writing #editing #author #books #plotting #pantsing #plantsing #militarysciencefiction #milSF #militarySci-Fi

It's a special episode tonight--number 100! The Writer's Journey is celebrating with an A-List author's brain to pick. Steven Savile has woven tales in some of the most memorable universes, including Warhammer, Doctor Who, Stargate, and Jurassic Park. He's here tonight to delve deep on genre fiction, writing in established worlds, and satisfying reader expectations when the bar is HIGH.