Summer is a Season for Readin'

June 15, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

Summer is a season of readin'. As a Midwesterner, this actually doesn’t make much sense to me. I mean, all winter long we sit around, cuddled up inside. I feel like that’s the time we should plow through books the most. It’s not like we have much else to do! But for whatever reason, is seems summer is the season for reading. In fact, I just finished two books this week! Maybe we are vicariously soaking up the freedom vibes of our children who no longer have to go to school everyday. Maybe we are going on more vacations and choose to use our free time to read. Maybe we just want to make better use of the longer daylight. Who knows???But it seems to be true. We read more in the summer.

Hey, I’m not going to argue. I’ll give you a good book recommendation any time of year you want to read. Actually, that’s the purpose of today’s blog post. I’m going to point you over to my WHAT’S AMANDA READING LIST but also give you a recap of a few books I’ve recently read. If you’ve finished something fantastic in recent weeks, I’d love to hear about it too. Drop it in the comments of this post and I’ll be sure to add it to my list.

All my best and happy reading,

Amanda

Concrete Cowboy by G. Neri

(Middle Grade Realistic Fiction, but really, for readers ages 12+ including adults!)

Did you know that all across the United States there are urban cowboys? Specially, urban black cowboys? Before reading this book I had no idea! But apparently, it’s a thing! And a good thing too. These groups of cowboys are not only trying to hang onto the ideals of old west, but also save today’s youth in their neighborhoods by introducing them to horse instead of the many other big city troubles that seem to be available on every street corner. This book is a fictionalized account of a boy who needs to find his way and his dad, a cowboy, who helps him. Trust me when I say there are more than two people who benefit from the outcome of this incredible story. Perfect for reluctant readers and fans of Ghost by Jason Reynolds. First Chapter Friday Read Aloud coming soon! Also, or those of you who love reading the book first and watching the movie second, this story can be found on Netflix under the same name.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

(Adult Fiction)

This book was FASCINATING! Told in the form of interview audio recordings, we are sucked into the life of American’s most famous actress and her ghostwriter. I listened to this story every chance I got and actually, listened to the last chapter twice… just to be sure I got every last bit of goodness out of it. "If you're looking for a book to take on holiday this summer, this book has got all the glitz and glamour to make it a perfect beach read." -- (Bustle)

From the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & the Six--an entrancing and "wildly addictive journey of a reclusive Hollywood starlet" as she reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine. — (PopSugar)

Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling

(Middle Grade Realistic Fiction)

Talk about a book that tugs on the heartstrings! This book is about the power of friendship and the value of self-worth. It’s a survival story, but also, so much more than that. T12 year-old Jolene spends every day she can at the library watching her favorite livestream: The Desert Aviator, where twelve-year-old "Addie Earhart" shares her adventures flying an ultralight plane over the desert. Then, one day, it all goes wrong: Addie's engine abruptly stops, and Jolene watches in helpless horror as the ultralight plummets to the ground and the video goes dark. Jolene knows that Addie won't survive long in the extreme summer desert heat. With no one to turn to for help and armed with only a hand-drawn map and a stolen cell phone, it's up to Jolene to find a way to save the Desert Aviator. I stayed up late finishing this one because I just had to see how it all turned out!

A few of my favorite summer-inspired stories from the past…

To Night Owl From Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer

Middle Grade Realistic Fiction: a hilarious Parent Trap Twist told entirely in emails!

Listen to chapter 1 here and purchase here.

The Lost City of the Monkey Gods by Douglas Preston

Adult Nonfiction: a modern day Indiana Jones adventure to the Honduran jungle to search for an ancient civilization.

Read my blog post about this book here and purchase it here.

Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davit Bell

YA Realistic Fiction: a funny story about a family that tries (and despises) family frontier camp

First Chapter Read Aloud coming soon! Purchase here.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Adult Memoir + Self Help: one woman’s journey to come to grips with what it means to be herself in today’s world. Jam packed with inspiration, advice and loads to think about.

Read my blog post about this book here and purchase it here.

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

YA Realistic Fiction: Get your tissues ready, this one made me ugly cry… in all the best ways. Think cross country road trip on a bus turned tiny house with a cast of memorable characters (Coyote might be one of my most favorite characters ever) and a driver-dad who doesn’t know the destination.

Listen to chapter 1 here, Purchase here.

Five Smooth Stones by Ann Fairbain

Adult Historical Fiction: a super long (but it’s summer, you have the time!) historic fiction love story plus civil rights tension makes this a real page turner. This is my mom’s favorite book of all time!

Purchase here.

You could also read my recently re-released book: Breaking the Surface! :)

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I also NEVER link to products or services that I don't 100% believe in. I will never tout a company or their goods if they are disreputable or if I don't believe them to be worthy of your hard-earned money. In no way are my affiliate links a scam. (Language borrowed with permission from Kristen Kieffer on Well-Storied.com)

The Word Nerd on Audiobooks and Podcasts

June 08, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

I may have taken on more than I can handle. My to-do list is usually quite large, but lately, it feels, almost… insurmountable. I mean, I know it isn’t, but even just the logistics of figuring out how these tasks I’ve agreed to complete is going to take… a lot.

Which means, that my free time is going to be somewhat limited. (Don’t worry, I’ll still get plenty of reading in at the ball field… or ball fields… that I’ll be visiting… almost every night of the week!). But if you aren’t like me and don’t have bleacher time programmed into your life (and time to read during warm ups and pitching changes) then, I’d love to recommend you take up listening to consume stories and knowledge instead.

In fact, if it weren’t for my time at the ball field or during bi-weekly plasma donation, I’d hardly ever have time to pick up a book. Even with those daily practices, most of my literature consumption (not to mention professional learning) happens via my ears. I love, love, love audio books and podcasts. To me, they are multitasking at their finest! I listen while I drive, exercise, fold laundry and get ready each morning.

If you are finding your life short on stories and craving them despite the time constraints in your life, give an audiobook or podcast a try. Or perhaps you are an author and curious about how to make your own audiobook dreams come true. Either way, I’ve got you covered with the information in these three past blog post articles.

Happy reading and listening!

~ Amanda

3 Reasons Audiobooks Rock

Listen Up! How to Create Another Revenue Stream with Audiobooks

Podcasts for Writers

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7 Exercises to do While Reading

June 01, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

Today’s guest post comes from Corey over at Seige Media and is PERFECT for teachers dealing with squirrely students the last week of school or perhaps a fun option for summer school as well. Heck, these bookish exercises are great for any bookworm who has been slacking on their step goal and needs to add a little movement to their life. Let us know in the comments? Which one of these 7 reading exercises is your favorite? (If you prefer to watch, rather than read, check out the video version of this post, here.)

7 Exercises to do While Reading

If you had to choose between a workout and finishing the last few chapters of a book you’ve been wrapped up in, chances are you’d probably choose the book. But don’t put your fitness goals on hold because you can’t put your book down. There are plenty of workouts you can do while you read—supporting your physical and mental fitness.

Mental fitness is just as important as our physical fitness, so what better way to combine the two than by reading while working out? Grab your book, change into your favorite workout leggings and follow the exercises below for the perfect page-turning workout.

1. Literature Leg Raises

Laying down, working out and reading at the same time? Count me in. Leg raises can be done from the gym, your living room and even your bed, but can still make you break a decent sweat. The perfect workout to target your abs and core.

Here’s how:

Start by lying on your back while holding your book in both hands.
Keep your legs straight then lift them toward the ceiling.
Slowly bring your legs back down while keeping your core engaged.
Repeat 10 reps for 3 to 5 sets.

2. Wordy Wall Sit

The wordy wall sit might keep you on your toes more than your favorite thriller novel. This workout is great for targeting your quads, glutes and calves.

Here’s how:

Start by standing with your back against a wall and your legs shoulder width apart.
Hold your book with both hands in front of you while you get in the proper position.
Then, slowly slide your back down the wall until you’re in a seated position.
Keep your back flat against the wall and hold for 1 minute or until you’ve read 1 to 2 pages—bonus points if you can hold it longer!

3. Stationary Book Bike

Got a peloton that’s been collecting dust in your home office? Don’t worry, you can fix that. Grab your favorite book and start pedaling on to the next chapter for a workout that will target your glutes, calves, quads and hamstrings.

Here’s how:

Pick a book and place it on the bike or hold it in your hands.
Start pedaling.
Pedal for 30 minutes or make a goal to stop once you’ve read a certain amount of pages or chapters. For example, ride until you finish 2 chapters.

Here’s a few more!

Combining physical fitness and mental fitness is easy when you have a solid workout routine and your favorite book in hand. It’s never too late to accomplish those New Year’s resolutions and summer fitness goals you set for yourself.

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Destination Duluth: An Authorpreneur's Mini Retreat

May 25, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting with my friend Kelly (owner of Create Happy) at our favorite coffee shop in Holmen (The Grind) talking about how we just wished we could get away for a little bit… for a bunch of reasons, but mostly so that we could focus on a single project without the distractions of every day life. Kelly, in all her infinite wisdom, said, “Well, why can’t we? Let’s just go.” “Where?” I asked. “Duluth**,” she answered. “DONE.”

Just two Wisconsin girls on the road with their Big Buddies. (Thanks for the fuel Kwik Trip!)

So on Sunday we left.

We drove the four hours, talking the whole way. For the next 40-ish hours we came what we did to do… and a little more.

The project I decided to focus on during the retreat was my YA novel in progress (the one about the gymnast that I am working on with my mentor). I need to write about 6,000 more words for a June 9th deadline. On this trip, got about half way there. I also visited a few local businesses (two bookstores and one coffee shop) to pitch my Duluth based series (Champion Chocolatier) for their product line up. (I received mixed results: 1 likely yes, 1 maybe and 1 hard (unfriendly) pass.)

Side note:

one of my favorite things about going in a bookstore, is seeing my friends’ books and saying, “Oh! I know them!”. During this trip I got to see Margi Preus and Bob Allen’s books in Fitger’s Bookstore.

In addition to all of our work, we took in the sights and tourists offerings (especially for the food and beverage variety) of this north shore town. I am happy to report that we will both come home with work completed and also an Instagram feed full of good memories.

Kelly, thanks for inviting me to go on this mini-retreat with you! I’m glad we are entrepreneur friends. I’ll go exploring with you anytime!

I’ll close out this week with a few snapshots of our time in Duluth. If you haven’t ever visited Duluth, or it’s been awhile, perhaps these images will inspire you to take a mini retreat of your own.

Happy travels,

Amanda

** Duluth has always been a city of creative inspiration for me. Both the Champion Chocolatier series and Breaking the Surface series (stay tuned for a revival of this YA series!) were inspired during trips to Duluth. I owe so much of my success as a writer to this city and it was the perfect place to host our mini-retreat.

1: Grasshopper at the Radisson Bar: Apostle. This restaurant is on the top floor of the Radisson Hotel and slowly spins, giving you a 360 degree view of the city and harbor. It’s also 1960’s themed in it’s décor, so just plain fun all around. (See what I did there?!?)

2 & 3: 190 Coffee and Tea is a new to Duluth establishment that has a cool vibe/aesthetic and good coffee too!

4: Mural across the street from 190 Coffee and Tea

5: We ate a delicious brunch t the Duluth Grill. I highly recommend their French toast and loved their witty t-shirt selection.

6: We indulged with ice cream for dinner from Bridgeman’s. I was unable to finish what I ordered, but got to bring home the cool cup! I’ll definitely be bringing my family back to this spot, but I will insist that we share!

7: This chandelier is in the entry way to Bellisio’s, an Italian restaurant on Canal Park Drive. Both the restaurant and the chandelier make appearances in the Champion Chocolatier series!

8: Sunset over Duluth and Lake Superior and seen from Spirit Mountain Ski Resort. We stayed in one of the Spirit Mountain villas, giving us access to this gorgeous view.

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Advice for Beginners

May 18, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

I’ve been in this writing game a long time. Not forever, but over a decade, which after my most recent birthday equates to almost twenty five percent of my life. In the last ten plus years, I have learned a lot. Sometimes, even now, I just wish somebody would TELL ME WHAT TO DO. (Or, in some cases, what not to do.) I am not afraid of hard work or putting in the time… I just want to spend that time doing the right things. Ya know?

I’ve shared with my newsletter followers that I recently hired a mentor for this exact reason. I do not want to experiment with my current novel in progress. I want to do it well, and I want to do “well” in the most direct-as-possible path to success. What better way to arrive at my desired destination than to hire a guide?

It is in this spirit that I share today’s content round up… three pieces that outline some of the very basic, but best advice for newbies in the writing world. Grab a pen and paper and get ready to take some notes because there’s a whole lotta word nerd goodness coming your way!

6 Rookie Mistakes to Quit Making

Doing any one of the six items in this list is a sure fire way to call you out as an amateur! Read it quick before you make one of these dreaded rookie mistakes.

Click the image above to go to the full post, or click the video below to let me read it aloud to you. :)

A Writing World Vocabulary Map

Learn the lay of the land by first understanding the content-specific vocabulary people in the writing and publishing world are using.

Click the image above to go to the full post, or click the video below to let me read it aloud to you. :)

Stop Drinking Through the Fire Hose

Admittedly, I know there is A LOT to learn about this industry. Trying to take it all in can be like trying to drink from a firehose. Impossible. To combat potential feelings of overwhelm and paralysis, read the advice I give in this blog post.

So there you have it. My best writing advice for beginners. Hopefully, with it, you can go out (or sit down) and do good things! All my best and happy writing! - Amanda

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Blog Round Up: Writing Inspiration from the Word Nerd

May 11, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

If you are feeling a little lack-luster about your writing projects or like the work is hard and the days are long (or not long enough to do allllllll the things) I want to tell you, you are not alone. Life in general is a lot of work these days. Showing up consistently to do anything can be a real bugger. But writing - a thing that demands our time, dedicated attention, and whole heart? Showing up to do that can sometimes feel insurmountable.

Today I want to help you by providing a solid dose of inspiration.

This week’s content round up features several posts full of motivational quotes, writing advice and inspiration. I hope that a quick browse through these pieces will give you the boost you need to get back to work on your own project.

Hang in there. You’ve got this! And happy writing. :)

~ Amanda

To be inspired by other amazing writers, check out this middle grade and YA author interview series. The first half of each video is a read aloud, but in the second half of each I ask these amazing authors 5 questions about their writing life, books, and advice for other writers. You’ll be sure to learn something helpful and hopefully be inspired along the way!

Interview line up includes: Jennifer A. Nielsen, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Kate Messner, Wendelin Van Drannen, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Yehudi Mercado, Liza Wiemer, Jamie Pacton, Lisa Fipps, Rajani LaRocca, Helen Frost, Chad Sell, Christina Soontornvat, Margi Preus, Jarrett Lerner, Greg Logsted, Jasmine Warga, Jennifer Donnelly, Erin Entrada Kelly, Michael Buckley and Jennifer Richard Jacobson. (With more coming!)

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The Write Space: Home Office Decor by The Word Nerd

May 04, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

If you've been following my Instagram or Facebook stories lately, you’ll know that we are in the midst of redoing our living room and kitchen. New flooring throughout, some open shelving in the kitchen, shiplap on two walls, a couple new lamps… among other things. It is no secret I adore HGTV (hence an entire novel on the topic - hello Destiny by Design).

But long before I focused on the the main floor, I designed my very own cozy home office space. Back when I was in the trenches of that project I shared a blog series about the process. Today, you can time hop back to that project and check out each step along the way. Then, in the comments, tell me - which room in your house is on your renovation wish list!

Click on each of the images below to see each phase of my office renovation. Maybe you’ll even discover a few new ideas for your own write space!

If you’re more of a video watcher than a reader, watch this video for a full look at the transformation of a dark and cold basement into my wonderful writing office!

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blog titles/links

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The Word Nerd on: WRITING PRODUCTIVITY

April 27, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

True to my word, I’m repurposing some old content, while I create some new.

Here are 4 past posts ALL ABOUT WRITING PRODUCTIVITY and how to increase yours.

Read up and then write on!

~ Amanda

Word Count Calendars
I just made mine for the next 2 weeks. I have to write 18,000 words by May 9, and this strategy is how I’m going to make it happen!

2. Invented Deadlines

Curious? Then click the icon below to learn about this technique.

3. No NaNo for Me (This Year)

Rather than words, think about hours. I tell you how in this post.

4. Getting Out of a Writing Rut

Click the below image for 6 Strategies to get yourself unstuck!

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Out of Office

April 20, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

Today is the first Wednesday in 5 years that I have not posted a piece on my blog. Today, I am officially out of the (blog) office. Curious why? Read last week’s piece, and then, come back next week for something old, but new, different, yet still (hopefully) helpful to you.

All my best,

Amanda

A 5 Year Blogiversary

April 13, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

Last week when I was gathering information for my newsletters I realized I had unknowingly arrived at a milestone. 5 years. I have been writing and sharing a piece on my blog each week for 5 years. Approximately 1,000 words a week, 260 times in a row. Without missing a single one. That’s a lot of words. That’s pretty significant.

Lately, I’ve been debating my choice to continue my blog. It takes me quite a bit of time to pull these thoughts, words, and graphics together each week. (Approximately 4ish hours a week). And while it is something I enjoy, it doesn’t directly make me any money. And as an authorpreneur, that is a major consideration when choosing the tasks I spend time on. I’m my own boss. The CFO as well as the Director of Marketing. For the longest time, the streak was my driving force. I’d done this thing for so long. I didn’t want to quit when things got tough because I’d added additional content creation (hello YouTube) to my agenda. I didn’t want to stop because I like routine and structure. And honestly, I just like writing it.

But I think the time has come for me to truly take stock of this blog and its role in my current authorpreneurship.

Here are the good things

Blogging is a task that brings me credibility and authority in my field.
Blogging creates fodder to share on my social media channels and in my eNewsletters.
Adding a new blog post to my website on a regular basis improves my SEO and Google Rank.
Writing weekly keeps my skills sharp and my knowledge of the industry/best practices/resources up-to-date.

Here are the not-so-good things

Blogging is a time consuming portion of my work week.
I am not sure how many people actually read my blog or have accessed the posts I have written in the past.
My blog is not making me any money.

So what do I do?

As I have now reached the five year mark I don’t feel as badly about ending my streak. I did a thing. I did it well… for a long time. I learned a lot. I improved as a writer. My graphic design has grown leaps and bounds. I’ve reached new readers, writers and teachers and brought them into my word nerd community. Stopping now won’t change any of that. Lots of people change their paths - starting new adventures or ceasing endeavors that aren’t serving them anymore.

At a church vision and leadership meeting I once participated in an activity called “Grow, Hold, Fold” in which we decided which activities and endeavors we wanted to Grow (increase scope/frequency/size), Hold (stay the course) or Fold (quit or scale back). As a one woman show it is impractical for me to think that I can grow in multiple areas (YouTube/new books) while still maintaining everything else that already took up my full time hours (and then some). Perhaps blogging is something I am going to fold?

I guess I’m not ready to commit to that. But instead of creating any new content right now, I think I’m going to dig back into my archive and curate collections of past pieces that I think readers would find beneficial and interesting. I’m doubting there is a single soul that has read all 260 of my posts. By bringing a few of my older pieces back into the spotlight, I will fulfill my mission of helping other writers by giving content already written a second life. These collections will still take time to put together, but likely less time than writing something entirely new. And if I get the itch to write a new post, there’s no one saying I can’t. (I’m the boss, remember?)

I’ll conclude by saying that I do still think blogging is valuable. If you have been thinking about it, I would fully support that choice. (Here is a downloadable guide to get you started!) Blogging is valuable in so many ways… I just think I might have explored and exhausted all of those assets over the past five years and for me… it’s time for a change.

For now, I think I’ll try this new model (repurposing past posts). See how it feels. Keep your eyes peeled on my social media for updates to this new blogging plan and the collections of posts I curate. If you’ve got a particular area of writing you’d like help with, shout it out in the comments and I’ll work on gathering my best tips, techniques, resources and pieces of advice for you.

So, what do you think?

Do you have a long time habit/routine you’ve given up because you don’t feel it served you anymore? How did it go? Did you go back? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

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A Collection of 100 Writing Tips to celebrate my 100th Blog Post A NaNoWriMo Alternative

My very FIRST blog post, way back in 2016.

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Using TV to Improve My Writing Craft

April 06, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

In the past I have written about resources that have helped me write my novels. My line up of recommended resources has included books, movies, and even YouTube.

Books: Review of the Emotion Thesaurus
Movies: Cracking the Conflict Code (using the movie Passengers)
YouTube: Traveling Close to Home - Using YouTube as a Research Tool

Today I’m going to add to this series of resources and talk about TV. Yep, you read that right… as a writer I’m going to share the ways in which watching TV has helped me become a better writer.

In one of the slides from a school visit presentations, I share this statement when I talk about how I got to where I am as a writer.

See that part about not watching TV? I meant it at the time that I wrote it, but the pandemic has… changed things. With more time at home, I actually do watch some TV now. Most days I work from home and take my lunch with a side of HGTV. My husband and I go in streaks of streaming the complete season of a show (usually a dramedy, here’s looking at you Ted Lasso and Friday Night Lights.) I now watch the news while I do Pilates rather than listen to audiobooks at a gym I no longer attend.

Even though our ever changing world has brought these TV habits into my life, I’d still say I watch less than the average American.

“According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube. ”

— http://www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html#tv_stats

The point of this article is not how much TV we watch, but what we watch and how we can use it to improve our writing craft.

** Quick side note. Please do not use this post as permission to binge hours of TV and count it as writing time, because at the end of the day, the number one, most important thing you can do to get better at writing, is to write. If you don’t make time for it, your literary goals and dreams are never going to happen. That’s just the cold hard truth. **

That being said, here are a few channels and shows that I have watched and how I have used their content to improve my writing.

HGTV - Home Improvement Shows

In addition to being highly entertaining and helpful when you need to remodel your house, home improvement shows are a great place to learn how to describe a room. While watching Fixer Upper and Home Town and my absolute favorite Rock the Block, I learned how to describe styles of flooring, point out details like vaulted ceilings and notice complimentary color combinations. I also learned the lingo (aka: the correct vocabulary) to use when talking about interior design, furnishings and styles. These content specific details have seeped into my stories and improved the way in which I describe the the settings of my stories.

I took this one step further and actually wrote about an interior design contest (Destiny by Design) using all the fun tidbits and creativity I witnessed on these shows. I also borrowed the host of My Lottery Dream Home (David Bromstad) and used him as an actual character in this book!

Cooking Shows

The exact same thing that can be said of home improvement shows can be said of cooking shows. Thanks to my friend Jen Barney, three time champion of the Holiday Baking Championship, I am totally hooked on the Food Network. (Did you know Jen’s appearance on these shows inspired my book Reality Bites?!?!)

As a storyteller, food can be an important element in taking your story to the next level. People love food. They connect meals and their sensory experiences they create to events, places, memories and people. Adding in a delicious description to the food being served or eaten in a scene can help bring a story to life. Whether food is an integral part of your plot or not, consider using your time watching the Great British Bake Off (or your own personal favorite cooking competition) wisely. Have a notebook next to you. Write down flavors, the scents and textures the competitors and hosts describe, the food and wine pairings and anything else that grabs your attention. Keep your collection in your project folder or story notebook to reference later on. Then, when faced with writing a foody scene - a dinner party, a picnic lunch, a bridal brunch or a line up of bakery case offerings - whip out your notes and pull your reader in, one tasty description and accurate depiction at a time.

National Geographic

My kids are history buffs. Ancient civilizations and the American Revolution + US presidents top their list of favorite time periods and topics. Occasionally on family movie night, one of them chooses a documentary or show to watch from National Geographic’s line up (available to us through Disney+). Again, we are entertained while we learn new things. If you are writing a historical fiction story, watching a show on a targeted topic might just be the best (and most fun) research tool at your disposal. Travel shows and animal documentaries are also within National Geographic’s repertoire and could provide all sorts of valuable facts and information.

I’m not sure if I mentioned it before, but I have a middle grade novel idea (think magical realism meets kid Indiana Jones) locked away in my brain. I am certain a few episodes from Nat Geo would be just the thing to set my imagination running free with possibilities. I’m confident that on the channel I’d find fascinating facts and historical background and so much more of what I’d need to get this story out of my head and down on to paper. If only there were more hours in the day! Maybe next year!

What about you? What TV shows inspire you? What kind of content do you consume in the name of research and craft development? I’ve only scratched the surface here and would love to hear what other writers do. Tell me in the comments below and then, get writing!

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Brandon Sanderson: A Mind-Blowing Font of Productivity and Story

March 30, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

If you are a fantasy reader, there’s a pretty solid chance that you’ve heard of the author Brandon Sanderson. But, if not, maybe you haven’t. Whether you’ve heard of him or not, isn’t really the point. The point is, Brandon is an author who has completely rewritten what is possible within the writing and publishing industry. Truly, this human and his literary feats are mind-blowing. Today on my blog I’m going to share four facets of him, his work and the ways in which he continues to conquer the writing realm, one new book and idea at a time.

Why? Because successful people inspire others to follow in their footsteps by showing what is possible. Going to the moon, traveling around the world in 80 days, being a mom who also works in a career she loves, building the pyramids, saving enough money to take your family to Disney world, running a sub four minute mile… once we see it is in fact possible, our brain’s ability to journey to that destination becomes just a little bit easier. Sure, we still have to put in the work, but that first step (even though it isn't even our own!) has been taken.

Today I want to share Brandon’s habits and literary talents in hopes that his accomplishments redefine what you as an author deem possible.

Progress Thermometers

Brandon keeps track of his projects via a set of thermometer styled tracking images on his website. These progress-meters let readers know what he is working on and how close he is to sharing each story with the world. I find these ever changing graphics ingenious. In a single swoop Brandon is able to monitor his progress and communicate with his fans. When I’ve used this tool myself I find it motivating to inch closer and closer to my goal. I also find the productivity and sheer magnitude of Brandon’s output awe-inspiring.

Teaching

In addition to writing, Brandon is also an adjunct instructor at Brigham Young University. His ability to do both careers simultaneously, and do them well, gives me hope that I can do the same.

“Once a year, he spends four months teaching a creative writing class at Brigham Young University as an adjunct faculty member. Like most creative writing classes, 80-90 percent of the course is focused on the craft, helping students improve their writing abilities. But the other 10-20 percent is what sets Sanderson apart from the rest — he talks business.”

— https://news.byu.edu/news/brandon-sanderson-launches-new-generation-byu-authors

I know it’s not rare for writers to have a different “day job” but that this man’s path is similar to mine (in the aspect of teaching part time while writing) makes me feel good. Also, know that he doesn’t have to do this for financial security, he just chooses to!

Podcast

Another way Brandon generously shares his writing wisdom with the world, is through his podcast, Writing Excuses. (I wrote more about this podcast here.) This podcast, the tag line of which is: “Fifteen minutes long because you’re in a hurry and we’re not that smart,” is in it’s 15th season. If you are looking for some help in the writing craft department, the show’s archives are a great place to go digging for solid suggestions. If you’d like to say thanks to Brandon for all of this writerly goodness, you can donate via Patreon, here.

Kickstarter

Despite all of the incredible accomplishments I’ve already listed, perhaps the most notable thing Brandon has done is launch the most successful Kickstarter campaign ever. Leaning on his ability to write prolifically, Brandon used the time at home during the pandemic, time he would normally have spent traveling, to write five books in secret. He is now releasing them throughout the year ahead. He launched the endeavor through Kickstarter and to date, has raised 36 million dollars for the project.

For comparison, Suzanne Collins (author of, among many other things, The Hunger Games) has a net worth of 80 million. JK Rowling’s net worth is 670 million. I realize these numbers are quite a bit higher… but think about it, those numbers are a compilation of earnings from a career worth of books and subsequent film adaptations, not to mention merchandise and theme parks built on the foundations of their imaginary worlds. For Brandon to pull in this kind of cash for a one time purchase, is incredible. Even more incredible?!?!? These books will be independently published! The next closest success story when it comes to self-published riches is E.L. James, author of 50 Shades of Grey, who made 10.5 million from book sales.

I know comparison is the thief of joy, but I share these pieces of information simply to show you the magnitude of this accomplishment. No longer do authors need to solely envision vivid daydreams of a traditional publisher writing them a fat check. Brandon has proved, with authority, that massive financial success is possible outside of the institutional publishing boundaries. To learn more about Brandon’s Kickstarter campaign, click here.

To close out this post, I’ll say that I have barely scratched the surface of this inspiring writer, and to do your due diligence, dig in and learn a bit more on his website or pick up one of his books. I promise you’ll leave the experience impressed and hopefully inspired as well.

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Naming Characters: 4 Websites to Help Authors Choose Character Names

March 23, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

I’m in the process of writing a first draft. Actually, it’s a second stab at a first draft (transforming a novel in verse into a narrative form) so it could be considered a second draft?!?!? I dunno. But what I do know is that recently I’ve been thinking about character names.

A common question I get while leading writing workshops and presenting for school visits, is how do you come up with character names? And the answer is … not concrete. A name has to FEEL right to me… and so, often times, I do a little searching… try a few names on… and sometimes change them. More often than that though, a name will have a specific layer of meaning for the story… sometimes significant, other times just tongue in cheek… but either way, for me as a writer, names “come to me” or are chosen… if not in a meaningful way, in a way that has meaning. Am I making any sense?!?!?

To actually help you, rather than just ramble about my own writing process, here are four websites I use when on the hunt for a good character name.

Baby Naming Websites

Despite the fact that I have zero plans to birth more children, I frequently visit baby naming websites. These sites are a treasure trove for categorized names and name meanings. For example on Babynames.com you can search for names by origin or see what names celebrities are choosing for their children. On Nameberry.com you can search for topic specific names, including niches like botanical and biblical names (think Ivy and Zion), or city and musical names (think Brooklyn and Harmony). Honestly, thinking through this lens will tell you more about your character’s parents than them as an individual… unless that you decide their name truly shapes the person they become and you lean into all their chosen name implies. Or, the character could totally rebel against their parent’s namesake wishes and become the complete opposite of what their name stands for. Either way, it’s a lot of fun.

Fantasy Name Generator

I haven’t written a fantasy book for a long time. My most recent attempt (actually not so recent… you can read about my break up with this manuscript in this past blog post) was in 2018. But, despite the fact that I haven’t been naming fairies or dramatic landscapes for almost five years, this website is the one I most frequently recommend for naming characters… mostly because it’s fun! From the main page you can click the type of character or location you’d like help naming and then, the website will generate a list of ten options for you to choose from. Don’t like them? Click refresh and ten new ones take their place. This site also gives you the possibility of searching names by nationality, which is really stinking cool. Bonus, the creator of this website is an enviro-geek like me and uses donations made to the site to plant trees.

Social Security Name Database

Okay, this one is particularly helpful for those people writing historical fiction or who are creating a story world that leans heavily on pop culture and trends. On the social security website you can search their name database to learn the most popular names during a given period of time. Why should you care? Well, for example, the -aden names are super popular right now. My own son’s basketball team has a Caden, Aiden, and Brayden. 3 out of 10 use this currently popular suffix. If you were to use these names in your 1970’s thriller fiction, they might seem out of place. For that you might (according to this website) be better served if you named your characters Michael, Christopher or Jason. Or if you were writing a pre-WWII 1930’s era story, then you’d be better off to choose Robert, James and John. I’ll be real honest, the searching possibilities on this site have the potential to be a time sucking blackhole. Must be the social studies minor in me… there’s just so many good applications of the information it has to offer!

100 Most Common Surnames in the United States

Just like when choosing the name for a child, I want to be sure that my character’s names sound good all the way around. Many of my books live in the realistic fiction genre and so this website, with the 100 most common last names of United States residents, gives me a bunch of last names to choose without relying on people in my own life. Many people assume authors sneak bits and pieces of their real life into their stories and it’s true that I do too… but I don’t necessarily want to call out that fact by using the actual names of people I know. I don’t want readers who know me in real life to think, oh, she picked the last name fill-in-the-blank, because she must have hated her third grade teacher of the same name and so made that the villain’s last name. Am I thinking too deeply about this? Maybe? But like I said, a name has to feel right and so choosing names from the cast of real life characters I’ve encountered doesn’t (for me) feel like a good fit. Thus, I’m grateful for a website like this that will allow me to pick a common name, familiar to the wide world of readers, but emotionally unattached to me. I also like that this website lists the nationalities associated with each last name so I can be authentic in my character portrayals.

One final tip. Do NOT let the act of choosing your character names consume you. While this can be a fun activity that leads you towards writing… some people can get caught up in the act of these pre-writing activities and never actually get to the WRITING. Have fun, but be sure this step adds value to your work rather than detract from the actual creation of the work.

Just for fun, tell me one of your favorite character names in the comments below. Either one you made up or one of your favorites from another author. Also, if you’ve got another character naming tip, technique or resources please share it. I’d love to learn from you too!

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Bouncing in with 4 Great Basketball Books

March 16, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

By now you likely know that I am a WORD NERD, but did you also know that I am a HUGE college basketball fan? It all started back when I was in college and dating a boy obsessed with March Madness. I swear I could have stood in front of the TV with a piping hot pizza and a hundred dollar bill clutched in my outstretched hand and all he would have said is, “Ummm, can you move to the left? The game is on.”

Even though I was a “short girl” who was terrible at ball sports (okay, both of those things are still true) I refused to be left out. I wanted in on the action. So I learned everything I could about the teams involved, the seed ranking process, the history of the tournament, EVERYTHING. (I also learned that this wasn’t the guy for me, but that’s not really the point of this blog post.)

The point is I now love reading and college basketball. I’m not alone. March Madness has become the #1 sporting event in the nation… bigger than the World Series. Bigger than the Super Bowl. Even people who hate sports get into the action, blindly filling out brackets and cheering for teams they’ve never even heard of (much the way I did my first few years following the tournament). The point is… there is a tangible buzz around college basketball this time of year and it can be used as a great tool to hook sports loving readers. Here are 4 amazing middle grade basketball books featuring a wide variety of formats (novel, graphic novel, novel in verse) and casts of characters who all have one thing in common - they LOVE basketball.

The Last Shot by John Feinstein

This first book combines both of my loves… writing and basketball. This story is all about two young writers who win their way to the Final Four by entering a sports writing contest. The winners, Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson, are opposites in about every way, except that they both love writing and basketball. When they arrive at the tournament and stubble upon the BIGGEST SPORTS SCANDAL EVER, they need to pull together to solve the mystery before it wrecks everything. Sports fans will love the name dropping of real coaches, reporters and players. Readers will love how the story keeps them turning the pages. Perhaps the best thing about this book is that it’s the first in the Sports Beat series. If readers enjoy their time with Stevie and Susan Carol, they can join them at the Super Bowl, Olympics, World Series and other amazing sporting events.

Listen to the first chapter here.

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

Okay, I lied. I said all of the characters loved basketball, but Gene Luen Yang is the narrator and main character of his book Dragon Hoops and he didn’t start out loving basketball. In fact, as a kid, he hated it. But when the basketball team at the high school where he taught math was poised to go to the state championship, he got sucked in… not only to the game, but the history of it. Part graphic novel memoir, part sports story, part history book, this basketball book is a slam dunk on all three accounts.

Listen to the first chapter here.

Nikki on the Line By Barbara Caroll Roberts

I loved this book. It has intense basketball action, relatable tween/teen troubles, and characters so real, you’d swear you knew them. The thing Nikki wants more than anything else in life is to make the roster of an elite club basketball team called, The Action. But when she hustles hard and gets her wish, it’s not as great as she thought. Or at least, it was no longer as easy and fun as basketball had always been. Nikki has to decide if all the sacrifices she’s made to get there are worth it. And then there’s the cute boy in science, the best friend drama, her librarian mother who doesn’t get sports at all, and her extremely energetic little brother. R-E-A-L. This book spells out the life of a middle school elite athlete to a T and is an excellent read for anyone striving to excel in their sport of choice, while simultaneously also trying to survive 8th grade.

First Chapter Friday read aloud video releasing on 3/18/21. Check back to my channel then!

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

This is by far the most popular basketball on the list. For a lot of reasons. #1, it won the Newbery Award back in 2015. It’s also unique because it’s a novel in verse… aka: a story told in poems. But it’s not just any novel in verse… its more like a novel in rap. The poems sound like songs, songs you might hear on the radio. It is modern and fresh and unlike any other book I’ve ever encountered. And kids LOVE it. The author, Kwame Alexander, tells a story about going on a school visit and the librarian having to lock up copies of The Crossover, because boys were stealing copies and reading it to girls. Now I don’t know about you, but to me, that is the ultimate level of success as a middle grade/young adult author. This novel in verse about two basketball loving brothers will grab the attention of even your most reluctant readers.

First Chapter Friday read aloud video releasing on 3/25/21. Check back to my channel then!

Do you have any basketball books I can add to my list? Make your suggestion in the comments below.

If you want even more March Madness goodness (and also a few facts to help you fill out your bracket!) give this trivia video a try! Perfect for Trivia Tuesday, Fun Friday or anytime of the week you want to add a little fun to your day.

Happy reading and basketball watching!

Amanda

P.S. Go Bucky!

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6 Small Business Marketing Tips to Make the Most of Your Energy and Efforts

March 09, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

Today I have Regi Publico here as a guest blogger to share all of her best small business marketing tips. I’ve been in this game a while now (10 years!) and still learned a new thing or two. So read on and then take action my authorpreneurs and small business friends!

Small business owners know that effective marketing is essential for success. But with so many different marketing strategies available, it can be difficult to know which ones work best, especially on a limited budget.

In this article, we'll explore the six best small business marketing tips in our experience, with advice on how to implement them into your own marketing strategy.

Be Clear About Who Your Customer Is

As a small business, you must know who your target customer is. You don't have the marketing budget to target everyone, so you need to hone in on who is most likely to buy your product or service. Once you know your target customer, you can create messaging and content that resonates with them.

Questions that can help you narrow down your target customer include:

What problem does my product or service solve for my customer?
Who is my typical customer?
Where do my customers engage with each other online and offline?
What are their interests?

Only after you have a good understanding of your target customer should you start developing your marketing strategy.

Create Useful Content

One of the most effective ways to market your small business is to create useful content that helps your target customers solve their problems. This could be in the form of blog posts, ebooks, whitepapers, infographics, or videos.

When you create genuinely useful content, people will start sharing it with their friends and colleagues, which can help you to reach a larger audience. And the best part is, once you have created the content, it will continue to work for you long after you publish it.

If you have the budget for it, you can also create a video production that promotes your business. You can use video to introduce your team, tell the story of your business, or explain how your product or service works.

Engage on Social Media

Social media is a great way to connect with your target customers and build relationships with them. When you engage with people on social media, they are more likely to do business with you.

In addition, social media can be a great way to drive traffic to your website. By sharing your content on social media, you can reach a larger audience than you would be able to reach with just your website alone.

Make Use of Email Marketing

Email marketing is another great way to connect with your target customers and promote your small business. What makes it a perfect fit is its low overhead cost and the ability to target a large number of people quickly—email marketing generates an ROI of $36 for every $1 spent.

When you send emails to your customers, make sure the content is relevant to them and helpful. You want to provide value to them, not just promote your product or service.

You can start small as you build your email marketing list by sending a monthly newsletter. This is a great way to keep your customers informed about what's going on with your business and introduce them to new products or services. No need to worry about scaling; you can always add more content or send more emails as your list grows.

Shift to Digital Business Cards

Always carry a digital business card with you so you can quickly share your contact information with people, as well as any relevant links you want to share, such as your website or social media profiles.

Digital business cards have several advantages over traditional paper cards. Being able to share all your info electronically means you don't have to worry about losing your card or leaving it behind. And since they're digital, digital business cards can easily be updated with any new information you want to share.

Focus on Repeat Purchases

For many small businesses, repeat purchasing is more important than acquiring new customers. This makes perfect sense as returning customers are cheaper to maintain than acquiring new ones.

Even if the need doesn't arise (in cases where it's a one-and-done purchase), you can still focus on developing ways to get more out of each customer through upselling and cross-selling. This could include offering them a discount for their next purchase or providing them with a bonus for choosing your business.

Another way to focus on repeat purchases is to make it easy for customers to buy from you. Provide multiple payment options, ship orders quickly, and offer great customer service—all these are things that can make it easier for customers to keep coming back.

Being a small business, it's essential to focus on marketing strategies that are affordable and scalable. These six tips will help you reach your target customers and move them closer to a purchasing decision. Feel free to mix and match these strategies to find what works best for your business—and don't be afraid to tinker and experiment to see what produces the results you want!

Regi Publico is a full-time writer who is also an artist for fun. She takes pride in her towering collection of books and loves reading about anything under the sun. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge through every article that she writes.

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3 Reasons Audiobooks Rock!

March 02, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

If I’m being real honest, these days, I don’t have a ton of free time to sit down and read books. Yes, even though I work from home and the globe is still suffering from a pandemic in which many events/travel are canceled. I actually LISTEN to most of my adult fiction. Life is busy, but that doesn’t diminish my desire for books and stories. In fact, it often increases my desire to escape into the “pages” of someone else’s adventure. And more often than not… I do my “reading” through audiobooks. I listen while I drive, while I exercise, while I fold laundry. I’ve even started listening while I get ready in the morning… making the time-sucking tasks of washing my face, putting in contacts, straightening my hair and putting on makeup… both enjoyable and productive. But these reasons only scratch the surface of why audiobooks rock. Check out even more reasons why this modality of reading dominates my bookish experiences.

Reason #1: Audiobooks help you remember what you read.

Alright, we’re gonna start out with the academic… because I’m a teacher. Back when I was earning my Masters Degree (#ViterboUniversity) I did an action research project on audiobooks. I wanted to see if using an audiobook in conjunction to a handheld paper-page-book would increase comprehension and information retention. Spoiler alert. It did.

Here’s why. When you listen to an audiobook while you trail your finger along the text, you are engaging more areas of your brain, increasing the number of electric synapses happening, forging more memory pathways and as a result… increasing the amount the reader remembers from the text. Listening to the words as they are read aloud also does the heavy lifting when it comes to decoding (figuring out how a word sounds). Instead of thinking about how to say a word, your brain is freed up to think about what a word means or how it fits into the context of the sentence/paragraph, thus increasing the reader’s understanding (comprehension).

If you’ve got a struggling or reluctant reader on your hands, putting an audiobook into their ears, is definitely a step I’d recommend. Bonus, often times the technology that delivers the audiobook (a phone, Mp3 player, YouTube video, etc.) is exciting to the reader and further motivates the audiobook’s use and impact.

You might think these benefits only apply to kids or poor readers, but it is for these exact reasons that I listen to science fiction and fantasy books. If my word nerd brain were to have to “lift” the technical terms and theories of Andy Weir or the pronunciations of Brandon Sanderson’s characters and lands all on my own, I’m not sure I’d make it through. Audiobooks let me read books that in a paperback might be “too smart” for me.

Reason #2: Audiobooks help me battle books of beastly size, no matter my busy schedule.

Personally, I choose looooooong audiobooks. I want my $15.99 Audible credit to really count for something! For this reason, I usually listen to my adult books and “old school read” my kidlit books. Before I used audiobooks I’d have to wait until Christmas Break or summer vacation to tackle a Game of Thrones book. Now, I can dive into an epic fantasy any time I want… because I can listen every day, no matter how busy I am. I still have to drop my kids off at basketball and fold clothes and exercise (even when I don’t really feel like it) and I can listen during all of those activities. Sitting down for an hour to read each day doesn’t fit into my schedule and trying to remember multiple plot lines when you only get to read every once and a while is a challenge. Audiobooks eliminate those struggles and simply let me enjoy the story.

Reason #3: Audiobooks put you IN the story.

I love experiencing the accents and emotion expression that are served up in an audiobook. Listening to a story in this way takes everything deeper for me. Sometimes I’ll even find myself making the facial expressions of the characters because I am immersed so deeply into the story. (Am I the only one? I can’t be. Right?) Listening to a story sometimes helps me feel closer to the characters, their endeavors, resulting in stronger connections and an increased enjoyment of the story.

And, going back to that pronunciation thing I talked about in reason #1, with an audiobook, I get all the correct pronunciations of names and places so I don’t have to suffer through three books of HER-ME-OWN before I finally learn it’s HER-MY-OH-KNEE. I get the snippets of foreign languages presented in their correct form and the correct inflection and emphasis on the right syllables of made up words and places… I get the story as the author wanted it, as they designed it to be. (Especially when the author reads it themselves!)

I could go on and on about why I love audiobooks, but then I’d be taking away from your time to just go and enjoy one. Plus, I think you get it. Audiobooks rock. To close out, here are my favorite audiobooks of ALL TIME. These are in no particular order. I LOVED them all.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (adult, nerdy dystopian fiction)
The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley (adult, paranormal fiction… way cooler than it sounds)
From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey Stein (adult, memoir)
The Queen of the Tearling (series) by Erika Johansen (adult, fantasy)
The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes (adult, historical fiction)
Cinder (series) by Marisa Meyer (YA, science fiction/fairy tale retellings)
When Life Gives You LuLu Lemons by Lauren Weisberger (adult, realistic fiction)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Wier (adult, science fiction)
State of Terror by Hilary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny (adult, realistic fiction/thriller)

To check out what I’ve been reading lately, check out my 2022 list!

(Also archived on this page are my 2019, 2020 and 2021 lists!)

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Writing Resource Round Up

February 23, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

It’s been a while since I did a writing resource round up… so today’s the day! Here are 8 go-to resources, tools, courses and all around word nerd goodness that I whole heartedly recommend!

** If you’ve missed past-posts on this topic, you can check out my writing podcast recommendations here and favorite resources for learning about entrepreneurship here. I’ve also linked a few more articles at the bottom for your reading pleasure and writing growth. **

#1 Maggie Stiefvater’s Writing Course

If you’ve been around me and my writing world a hot minute, you know that Maggie Stiefvater is my favorite author. Once upon a time in a pre-covid world I was supposed to go to Washington, D.C. for a long weekend getaway with my husband. The catalyst for the trip… in addition to time with my hubby fresh off another college baseball season… was a one day workshop with Maggie. Obviously we all know that no one was flying anywhere in June of 2020, so instead Maggie created a video series and accompanying notebook of the information she would have presented. I was super sad not to go, but the great thing is that now EVERYONE can learn from Maggie’s brilliance… for only $38. Click here to see the course description and a few sample pages of the notebook.

#2 Story Seedlings

Where at Maggie’s course is more theoretical, mine is more of get your hands dirty and try it out kind of method. This 33 page PDF download includes 6 weeks of daily prompts that will help you construct your story, one scene at a time! Specific story elements that are covered include: Characterization, World Building, Conflict (internal/external) and Resolution. There are lots of tips, resources and advice built in along the way as well. Completing the prompts will also help you build an excellent daily writing habit. You can buy the course here ($79), or purchase the VIP version that comes with a 5,000 word critique upon course completion, here ($179).

#3 Writer’s Craft 3.0

Okay, if that sounded good, wait until you hear about this deal… you can have Story Seedlings, but for 2/3 price… PLUS dozens of additional courses, ebooks and workbooks/planners in the Writers Craft 3.0 Bundle. Seriously, check out all you can get for $49 (until Friday 2/25… then the price bumps up to $67… but still, what a DEAL!).

#4 Take Action Author Plan

I have gathered and shared a lot of authorpreneur advice on my second YouTube channel (Take Action Author Plan). If you are are looking to learn more about book marketing, the steps of self-publishing and a few foundational pieces of information on writing/publishing in general… totally get in on the action, for free! Just click here to browse the selection of videos I have created for you.

#5 Using YouTube to Research Your Fiction

Speaking of YouTube… I wrote a post a couple of years ago about how I used the platform as a research tool for my story set in North Carolina… a place I had never been… and thus was difficult to describe. If you are writing about a faraway place and do not have the budget to travel there, check out a helpful technique and strategy in this post.

#6 Cat Pens

I posted on Facebook about these pens last week… but they are just so good and so cute, that I had to include them today. If you have been on the hunt for a new favorite pen, look no further!

#7 Mini Self-Publishing Course

So, you want to self-Publish a Book? I can help! As an authorpreneur I have self-published 12 books and sold almost 5,000 copies of those books. I want to help you do the same. If you have a manuscript and are ready to DO something with it (other than wait 6 months for a response from an agent, and then another year for a publisher to put it into the world) then this mini-course is going to spell out several helpful next steps for you. In this document you will find blog pieces and videos that will give you some foundational knowledge for this process as well as walk you through some of the important steps. For each step of the process I share tips, techniques and tools to help you on your way. At any time during the course, you can feel free to email me with your questions, so that together we can get you to your desired publishing destination. To learn more and get started, click here.

#8 Self-Love Items for Writers

Maybe you are the kind of person who finds inspiration and motivation through the love language of gifts? Head over to the WordNerdopolis Store and check out a few of my favorite word nerd necessities. I own every one of these items… and each one brings joy to my writing life! Happy shopping and happy writing!

Alright. That’s it! We’ve reached the end of the writing resource round up. I hope you found at least one item that sparked your interest, and that you’ll be back to read again.

All my best and happy writing!

~ Amanda

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Creative Hogwarts-Themed Home Decor for Every Harry Potter Fan

February 16, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

As any word nerd worth her salt, I know which house I’d be sorted into at Hogwarts. Team Hufflepuff all the way! What about you? No matter which house you belong to, here is a fun home décor guide that can help you display your colors and spirit with style! Thanks to Ashely Cottrell for providing this great guest post!

Did you know that Harry Potter recently celebrated its 20th anniversary? It’s hard to believe the first movie came out in 2001 (and the book series before then!). If Harry Potter was a major influence for your love of reading, you can bring that excitement into your humble abode!

Who says Harry Potter decor ideas are just for kids? Using these creative home decor mood boards, courtesy of Angi.com, adults can draw inspiration from the series to create a unique look at home too! No bookworm is excluded from the fun.

You can take the Wizarding World sorting hat quiz to see which Hogwarts House best matches your personality, or read through them all to pull your favorite ideas!

Slytherin

Not all Slytherins are bad, despite the mischievous reputation of a few characters from that house. There were a few honorable Slytherins to remember, including Harry and Ginny’s son, Albus! If you match to this house, here’s how you can incorporate the look for a cool reading nook or bedroom makeover:

Personality Traits: Known to be intelligent, skillful, ambitious, a fellow Slytherin can adorn their walls with awards, trophies, and anything that makes them proud. Consider framing and mounting your college degree on the wall, or a piece of artwork you’ve made!

Colors: The Slytherin house banner colors as green and silver, representing the water element. You can easily work watercolor palettes into the space, such as emerald, turquoise, and gray for wall paint, rugs, and bedding.

Aesthetics: Slytherin is also described to have a dungeon-like common area, with the snake as its mascot. The good news is, don’t have to go creepy gothic to achieve this look. Instead, choose gothic-chic elements like satin fabrics, wooden tables, and metal light fixtures.

Accessories: Since Slytherins are known to be masters of potions, decorative glassware, such as jars and bottles, can represent your “homemade” concoctions. You can even incorporate the snake element by adding snake figurines or photography.

Ravenclaw

Next is the Ravenclaw House, which welcomes the most academically successful Hogwarts students. If you excelled in school or have a love for philosophy and literature (more than the average bookworm), this house is for you!

Personality Traits: Innovative and inventive, Ravenclaws are best known for being logical, clever, and open-minded. They’re wise beyond their years, standing out from the rest. Small collectibles and even chess pieces up on display are clever ways to embrace creativity and individuality in your room decor.

Colors: This house’s key colors are bronze and blue, representing the wind element and eagle mascot. Incorporate these colors using royal blue wallpaper, brown or cream armchairs, and bronze lamps.

Aesthetics: The Ravenclaw common room is described as a circular space, filled with bookcases and vintage furniture. Using a round rug or ottoman as the focal point, consider positioning chairs of your sitting area around it to create a round-room look! You can also decorate your home with books by stacking a few favorites on a coffee table, in a storage basket, and even color coordinated on shelves.

Accessories: Antique items and statues can easily represent the wisdom of a fellow Ravenclaw. Take it a step further with celestial figurines and wall mural designs to show a love of science and philosophy.

Hufflepuff

If many of your peers describe you as friendly and dependable, you most likely match with the Hufflepuff House. This house is described to be a very laid back and cozy lounge (an ideal space for your next book club meeting!).

Personality Traits: Hufflepuffs are known to be welcoming, social, and amicable. Demonstrate this side of yourself through family photos, a display of board games, and inspirational wall quotes.

Colors: The Hufflepuff house colors are yellow and black, where bright sunshine and a clear night’s sky help represent the earth element. Yellow and black make great color palettes, where you can add shades of orange, yellow, and green to make your space warm and lively.

Aesthetics: Comfy and inviting is the goal of a Hufflepuff room, so choosing fluffy pillows and soft cushion seating is great. Also, since Hufflepuffs are skilled in herbology, botanical décor is a fun addition. You can display potted plants and nature photography on bookshelves and coffee tables.

Accessories: Sticking with the cozy aspect, consider a living room or den with plush rugs, a basket of blankets, and coffee mugs as a decorative centerpiece.

Gryffindor

Last but not least is Gryffindor, the honorary house where Harry, Hermoine, and Ron developed a lasting friendship throughout the book series. If you closely relate to Harry and his friends, no need to take the sorting hat quiz—Gryffindor is yours to claim!

Personality Traits: Gryffindors are known for their nobility and bravery (not to mention adventurous!). This means you can take risks with styling your room, living space, or reading nook. Remember, have fun with it!

Colors: The banner colors of the Gryffindor house are red and gold, representing the fire element. These colors are also stimulating and cheerful, which you can easily pair with yellows and browns for a mood-boosting palette.

Aesthetics: Gryffindor’s common room is described to have a lot of antique furniture and medieval accents. You can create a classic look using velvet seating, rustic tables, and patterned rugs.

Accessories: If you have a fireplace mantel, you can hang or display second-hand items above it for an old-fashioned feel. Place a reading lamp and basket of “spell” books next to your favorite armchair as a corner retreat. Finally, DIY projects, such as the infamous “flying” keys, are a fun way to show your love for Harry Potter.

Of course, feel free to add personal touches to make it your own. If you feel as though your personality fits more than one Hogwarts House, feel free to mix and match! Don’t forget to include any favorite Harry Potter memorabilia (like this Platform 9 ¾ Hogwarts Express sign!)

For more literary tips, inspiration, and ideas, subscribe here and receive weekly goodness straight to your inbox!

Images courtesy of Angi.com

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2022 WSRA Recap from the Word Nerd Amanda Zieba

February 09, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

To say it was a joy to be out and amongst fellow educators, readers and writers last week… is an understatement. I had a blast in Milwaukee as I talked, learned, listened, ate, book-gushed (yes, that’s a real verb!), interviewed and taught at the 2022 Wisconsin State Reading Association Conference.

For those who weren’t able to attend, here are just a few of the many, many highlights of this fabulous organization’s 2022 conference, The Art of Literacy. Even though I’m a not usually a numbers girl, I’m going to do this in the form of a count down. 3, 2, 1… here we go.

3 Books I Purchased

Believe me when I say that I could have spent my entire bank account on the books of the amazing presenters of this conference, but I limited myself to three. (Okay, I would have bought 4, but R-E-S-P-E-C-T by Carole Boston Weatherford was sold out before I got to the table.)

First up, was the graphic novel Sidekicks by the ever-entertaining Dan Santat. (I’m thrilled to say he is as nice as he is talented too!) My sons devour graphic novels, so this humorous, full color, personally SIGNED edition was a must-have.

Next I bought Pat Zietlow Miller’s, What Can You Do With a Rock? As a mother who recently cleaned out her nine year old’s closet and returned several rocks back to their natural habitat (the rock bed in front of our house!) I knew this informative and fun book would be a hit. And I was right. Accompanied by delightful and detailed illustrations, this book has already piqued my son’s interest in geology. (“Hey, mom! What is the birth-rock (he means birthstone) for August?)

And finally, I picked up a copy of a fun shaped book of poetry, Falling Down the Page, edited by fellow young writer’s workshop facilitator, Georgia Heard. The uniquely displayed poems are not only fun to read, but get my own writing gears turning. What if we as writers not only question which words we choose, but the way we use them and the way they are displayed on the page? I am certain young writers will be similarly intrigued!

P.S. Thanks Boswell Books for being the conference bookstore!

2 Take-Away Quotes

It was pretty hard to walk away from this event uninspired. I was writing constantly, recording the brilliant thoughts and insights of those presenting. It was a tall task, but I whittled my notes down to two of my most influential takeaways. They come from picture book author Carole Boston Weatherford and MG/YA author Michael Buckley.

1 Interview

Speaking of Michael Buckley, I got to interview him for my YouTube channel! Michael’s newest middle grade series of books feature a character named Finn (after his own son) who goes on all sorts of humorous adventures. In preparation for the interview, I read the first book, Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox and can tell you that this silly series will hook a wide variety of readers in your 4th, 5th and 6th grade classrooms. When I chatted with Michael I asked him about where his story ideas came from, how he deals with writing disappointments and his best tips for writing humor. You’ll be able to listen into the conversation when it comes out on the first Friday in March!

If you don’t want to wait until then, you can grab a copy of the book here, so by the time the interview releases, you’ll know all about Finn and be ready for more. (Psst… there are two other books in the series… so if you like it, more are already waiting for you!)

After the interview, Michael and I went out to dinner with Pat Zietlow Miller and for over an hour I sat and listened to them chat about the writing industry, their favorite authors and their work lives. It was an incredible peek behind the curtain (as Wendelin Van Draanen would say!). I chimed in when I could, but mostly I marveled at their careers and generosity for sharing bits and pieces of advice (and a meal!) with me. Thank you Michael and Pat!

The lesson buried in this last item is to always make the ask. Sure the person you ask might have sold over 9 million books and had his most recent project narrated by Kate Winslet. She might have won numerous awards and have not one or two, but 5 books coming out in the year ahead. He might have done stand up comedy in NYC with headliners and worked for David Letterman. But he or she might also say YES, when you ask. So make the ask!

Alrighty, that’s all I’ve got. Or, more accurately, all I’m going to share for today. I’ve got pages of conference notes, but after that dinner, I’ve decided I’m gonna get real serious. I want to be like Pat and Michael. Like Carole and Dan. I want to write books for a living and sell a lot of them. So you know what… I better get writing… and not just blog posts!

But picture are worth a thousands words, right? So I’ve included a few snapshots below from the weekend to finish off this edition of Writing Wednesday! I hope to attend this conference again next year and that our paths will cross there, if not before!

Happy reading, writing and teaching!

~ Amanda

P.S. If you were unable to attend and would like me to send you my presentation materials (5 GREAT anytime Read Alouds, YouTube and Your Reader, Graphic Novel Creation Workshop for Young Writers, head to the WordNerdopolis Post Office and drop me a note! Also, I’d love to do these presentations for your staff and students!

Wisconsin Floor Mosaic All ready to go! Conference Poster Gala at Discovery World

Carole Boston Weatherford, my SCBWI friend (and conference committee member) Joyce Uglow, and Me

Carole Boston Weatherford 1 of my presentations Pat Zietlow Miller MKE SWAG!

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WSRA - Looking Back (to 2013) and Ahead to This Year's Conference

February 02, 2022 by Amanda Zieba

** This post is a part of a series I’m doing this year… in which I repost articles I wrote years ago for a different platform and are no longer on the internet. These posts have a dual purpose: to reuse quality material in an effort to share solid content with my audience and free up my content creation calendar to make even more great stuff. Each piece includes the — old— post along with some new insights. I hope you’ll enjoy this walk down memory lane with me, which I promise will be both education and relevant! **

They say if you say in teaching long enough, the pendulum will swing back to where you began. When I attended the conference I’m going to recap in this post, I was about six years into my teaching career. Now, nine years later, I can see that sentiment coming true. Sure, sometimes we call it something new, but the theories and ideas circle back. It was fun for me to see that some of the things I was excited about back in 2013 are still some of my all time favorite strategies. It is also interesting to see a few things that were new back then, that have exploded and remain at the front and center of reading education (here’s looking at you graphic novels and Donalyn Miller!). Like unearthing that long dormant notebook in your desk and rediscovering the goodness of a conference of the past, I hope that reading these reflections provide some fun ideas, inspiration to try something new (or again) and the little boost we all need this time of year.

Also, if you’ll be attending the conference this year, I hope our paths will cross! Click here to see the schedule. Maybe you’ll attend one of my presentations/workshops or we can meet up for a stroll through the exhibit hall. Reach out via the WordNerdopolis post office to let me know you’ll be there too!

My Recap of the 2013 Wisconsin State Reading Convention

** This article originally appeared on Yahoo.com through the Yahoo Contributor's Network, which no longer exists. At the time I made $.015 per 100 views. The articles for the YNC were wiped from the internet in 2014, and so I have full permission to repost it here, on my own personal blog, on which I make no money at all. :) **

I think the doorman at the Hilton nailed in on the head when he said, “All jacked up to go get some education today?” As my colleague and I tromped through the snowy streets of Milwaukee on the way to the City Center we smiled and enthusiastically replied, “Yes we are!”.

As a first timer at this major Wisconsin education event I was pretty jacked up. I had my session handouts downloaded, a new notebook and even business cards freshly printed and ready to be handed out as a networking tool.

It was an amazing two days full of learning, laughing, sharing, listening, collaborating and start struck staring (Richard Allington! Cris Tovani! Jack Gantos!) I came away with countless new ideas, good intentions and a renewed sense of purpose. So, in the art of reflection and sharing, here are the top 10 things I learned at the 2013 Wisconsin State Reading Association Convention.

Number 10: Google Search Stories

I learned about Google Search Stories and the way educators can use them to teach deeper level thinking skills. After reading a novel, students unearth new levels of understanding in the areas of theme, setting, and social issues while making connections to literature and life.

Number 9: Teach Them Why You Love It

Keynote speaker Jeffery D. Wilhelm clearly communicated the message: If you want your students to love your subject, then teach they way you love it and how you fell in love with it. Such a simple sentiment, but so true!

Number 8: Freebies

I learned about freebies. An hour in the exhibition hall earned me two sets of six biographies featuring Wisconsin natives, A Lakeshore Learning Language Arts software CD, a Lego learning kit, and an educator’s pass to the Milwaukee Public Museum all at the cost of sore feet and aching arms… both a wiling sacrifice.

Number 7: No Doctors Required

While many of the presenters had more degrees than a July afternoon in Phoenix, some of the speakers were just your plain, old, regular education teacher. I learned that you don’t have to have a doctorate or a book published to lead or instruct others. Several of the presenters were general educators from local schools. How cool is that!?!?!

Number 6: Hold Your Judgement

As a mother of two boys, I was particularly interested in William Brozo’s session: Reading is a Guy Thing. In my hour and a half time I learned (among many other pieces of interesting information) “not to be judgmental about a boy’s reading material because it may be their entry book into active literacy.” So mask your eye rolling and control your urge to groan at Super Diaper Baby and just be glad the boy is reading something… for now. You can broaden his literature horizons later.

Number 5: Twitter

According to Donalyn Miller, author of the amazing book, The Book Whisperer, I learned that using Twitter is like, “being thirsty and trying to drink from a fire hose”. Simply ask a question and receive a deluge of useful information. She also introduced me to Wallwisher, Wonderopolis, and the Reading Zone (a book blog).

Number 4: Graphic Novels

Of course I knew about the popularity gaining genre of graphic novels before I arrived at the conference, but I discovered three new titles in my WSRA wanderings. First, a graphic novel version of A Wrinkle in Time, that I can’t wait to pair with my novel study this spring. Second, a title that was raved about in a lit circle session as a great gateway graphic novel: Amulet. And finally, the graphic novel, Max Axiom: Super Scientist. Check them out and make these great additions to your classroom library ASAP.

P.S. Check out this video of my son and I talking about his favorite graphic novels, why he loves them, and what I, as a mom, writer and educator think is great about each title too.

Number 3: Feedback is a Two Way Street

Cris Tovani taught me that feedback is a two way street. Information student provide for teachers is just as valuable as the comments teachers painstakingly pen on student projects. For example, imagine the feedback you’d get if you simply asked your students: What was hard for you as you worked through this project? Voila! Next week’s lesson!

Number 2: Book Power!

From reading guru, Richard Allington, I learned that $50 worth of books for each student can cure the summer slide (AKA: the set back students accrue during the summer months.) Talk about a big return on a small investment!

Number 1: I have learned I have more to learn.

I have a confession. As an under thirty teacher with a master’s degree and certifications in multiple subjects, I sometimes think that I know quite a bit. As I stood in the presence of educational dynamos and incredible raw brain prowess, I was reminded very clearly, that my educational path is just beginning and I have a long way to journey to total educational enlightenment. Thank you WSRA and thank you to my district for investing in my and my journey.

This year (2022) at the conference I’ll be presenting on YouTube and Your Reader, 5 Great Anytime Read Alouds for Middle Schoolers and a Graphic Novel Writing Workshop. Here’s a little preview!

A few of my favorite summer-inspired stories from the past…

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7 Exercises to do While Reading

1. Literature Leg Raises

2. Wordy Wall Sit

3. Stationary Book Bike

Here’s a few more!

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So on Sunday we left.

Side note:

Happy travels,

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6 Rookie Mistakes to Quit Making

A Writing World Vocabulary Map

Stop Drinking Through the Fire Hose

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Today I want to help you by providing a solid dose of inspiration.

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Word Count Calendars

2. Invented Deadlines

3. No NaNo for Me (This Year)

4. Getting Out of a Writing Rut

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Today is the first Wednesday in 5 years that I have not posted a piece on my blog. Today, I am officially out of the (blog) office. Curious why? Read last week’s piece, and then, come back next week for something old, but new, different, yet still (hopefully) helpful to you.

All my best,

Amanda

So what do I do?

So, what do you think?

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HGTV - Home Improvement Shows

Cooking Shows

National Geographic

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Progress Thermometers

Teaching

Podcast

Kickstarter

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Baby Naming Websites

Fantasy Name Generator

Social Security Name Database

100 Most Common Surnames in the United States

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Listen to the first chapter here.

Listen to the first chapter here.

First Chapter Friday read aloud video releasing on 3/18/21. Check back to my channel then!

First Chapter Friday read aloud video releasing on 3/25/21. Check back to my channel then!

Happy reading and basketball watching!

Amanda

P.S. Go Bucky!

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Be Clear About Who Your Customer Is

Create Useful Content

Engage on Social Media

Make Use of Email Marketing

Shift to Digital Business Cards

Focus on Repeat Purchases

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Reason #1: Audiobooks help you remember what you read.

Reason #2: Audiobooks help me battle books of beastly size, no matter my busy schedule.

Reason #3: Audiobooks put you IN the story.

To check out what I’ve been reading lately, check out my 2022 list!

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#1 Maggie Stiefvater’s Writing Course

#2 Story Seedlings

#3 Writer’s Craft 3.0

#4 Take Action Author Plan

#5 Using YouTube to Research Your Fiction

#6 Cat Pens