Christy and Sharon discuss writing routines and processes for writers navigating their creative journeys, including the need for flexibility, embracing imperfection, and finding joy in the process of creating a sustainable and personalized writing routine.

In this special episode, Sharon takes a break while Christy nerds out with fellow Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach Sara Gentry, focusing on project management for writers. They discuss setting practical deadlines, recognizing personal workflows, and the importance of documenting progress. They also emphasize approaching the creative process with intention while being open to discovery.

In this episode, Christy Yaros and Sharon Skinner dive into the world of incorporating quotes and lines from other authors into your own work. They discuss the importance of obtaining permissions, practicing fair use, and being respectful of other people's creative work.

Sharon and Christy interview authors Cheryl Malone and Victoria J. Coe about writing and publishing children's books.

In this episode, Christy and Sharon discuss the balance between showing and telling in writing. They emphasize the importance of understanding the purpose of each scene and using scene and summary to efficiently convey information to the reader. They also highlight the significance of grounding the reader in each scene and using dialogue and setting effectively to reveal character and emotion. They caution against including unnecessary details that can bog down the story and suggest trusting the reader to fill in gaps and understand the story. Throughout the episode, they provide examples and practical tips for writers to improve their use of scene and summary in their writing.

Sharon and Christy are joined by fellow Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach Sam Cameron to discuss how to craft nuanced, authentic LGBTQ+ characters that avoid stereotypes. They provide advice on tropes to avoid, positive examples of LGBTQ+ representation in books, and resources for conducting respectful research. Sam shares her expertise on bringing dimensionality to LGBTQ+ characters

In this episode, Christy Yaros and Sharon Skinner discuss the difference between revising and re-envisioning a manuscript, emphasizing the importance of taking a step back and looking at the big picture. They suggest tools to help writers identify what is working and what is not, such as an Inside Outline, and recommend taking a break before revising to gain a fresh perspective. The hosts stress the importance of knowing the point of the story and being willing to reshape it to achieve that point. They caution against focusing too much on line-level changes and missing the big picture, suggesting that writers should focus on character arcs and plot structure.

In this episode, Sharon and Christy talk with author/illustrator Tanja Bauerle about the joys and challenges of shifting categories from picture books to middle grade, how book coaching helped her level up her novel writing game, and what it's like working on a Revise & Resubmit request from an agent.

In this episode, Sharon and Christy talk about attending workshops and conferences for craft. They discuss why they're important, how to decide which ones to attend, and how to get the most out of the ones you do.

In this episode, Sharon and Christy talk about how to navigate critique groups, the positives, perils and pitfalls inherent in getting and giving feedback, and how to find a critique group that will best serve your needs.

Christy and Sharon talk about plot, different forms of plot/subplot, some of the plotting tools that are available, and dig into plot in KidLit.

Christy and Sharon talk again with guest Cindy L. Rodriguez, as she discusses her experience working with a book coach in multiple capacities on her projects.

Christy and Sharon dive into Coaching KidLit and what exactly this book coaching thing is, which is not a very simple answer, but nonetheless an interesting one because, at its essence, it's all about helping you write, edit, and polish your manuscript, so it's the best it can be.

Christy and Sharon discuss source material, challenges with adhering too close to facts, and ways you can put some distance between you and the “way things really happened” in order to tell a compelling and emotionally resonant story.

Join Sharon and Christy as they welcome their first guest, KidLit author Cindy L. Rodriguez, to talk about her journey to KidLit through journalism and teaching middle school. Cindy’s debut picture book, Three Pockets Full, illustrated by Begoña Fernández Corbalán, comes out September 1 from Cardinal Rule Press.

Christy and Sharon discuss source material, challenges with adhering too close to facts, and ways you can put some distance between you and the “way things really happened” in order to tell a compelling and emotionally resonant story.

People all the time tell us to write what we know, but the most deeply engaging stories are those that contain emotional truth.

So, what is emotional truth? And how can you get it onto the page?

In this episode, Christy and Sharon explore what it means to write emotional truth, to express the voice of your heart instead of the voice of your head, and how, when you write from a place that is emotionally true, the reader will truly connect to that, even if you’re writing about something they have not personally experienced.