writing tips

  • Do You Need Formal Education to Be a Writer?

    ByChris & Gena Maselli Reading Time: 14 minutes

    In this episode of the Writing Momentum Podcast, hosts Christopher and Gena Maselli explore the common question of whether a formal degree is necessary to become a successful writer. They discuss their personal experiences with formal education in writing, highlighting the pros and cons of pursuing a writing degree versus self-education through resources like writers’ conferences and continual learning. They emphasize the importance of continuous education in writing, publishing, and marketing, regardless of one’s educational background. The episode provides insight into the writing industry standards, the publishing process, and the critical role of marketing in a writer’s career. Through their discussion, they reassure listeners that while formal education can be beneficial, it is not a prerequisite for success in writing, encouraging writers to focus on continuous learning and improvement.

  • How Do You Keep Your Head in the Writing Game?

    ByChris & Gena Maselli Reading Time: 15 minutes

    In this episode of the Writing Momentum Podcast, hosts Gena and Christopher Maselli discuss the importance of staying engaged in the ‘writing world’ for both emerging and experienced writers. They explore what constitutes the writing world, including the processes of writing, publishing, and marketing. The Maselli’s emphasize the ease of distraction in today’s world and the necessity of keeping writing goals top of mind. They suggest various methods for staying focused, such as listening to podcasts, reading or listening to books on writing, and participating in writing groups or conferences. The hosts also share personal challenges with maintaining momentum and offer solutions like setting appointments to write and seeking encouragement and advice from fellow writers. Furthermore, they discuss the benefits of attending writers’ conferences to stay abreast of the latest industry trends and technologies. The episode concludes by inviting listeners to join their online writing group and encourages writers to form connections with others in the writing community to share successes, challenges, and to learn from each other.

  • Kickstart Your Writing Career: Emerging Writers’ Guide

    ByChris & Gena Maselli Reading Time: 16 minutes

    Gena and Christopher Maselli host the Writing Momentum Podcast, targeting emerging writers aspiring to write a book. They emphasize that the writing journey is not competitive and there’s space for everyone. The podcast provides practical tips, including choosing a genre, understanding genre specifics, and the importance of knowing the rules before breaking them. They recommend reading extensively within one’s genre, outlining other works, and learning about story structures with resources like Ronald Tobias’s ’20 Master Plots’. The hosts also stress the importance of joining the writing community for support and growth, encouraging listeners to engage with groups, conferences, and online platforms like Writing Momentum. They urge listeners to write daily, read in their genre, and join writing courses or communities. The podcast underscores that identifying as a writer is crucial, encouraging a mindset shift to embrace the writer’s identity confidently.

  • Just Finish Your First Draft

    ByChris & Gena Maselli Reading Time: 14 minutes

    In this episode of the Writing Momentum podcast, hosts Christopher and Gena Maselli discuss strategies for finishing first drafts, acknowledging it as a significant challenge for many writers. They emphasize the importance of completing a draft regardless of its initial quality and suggest focusing on editing afterward to improve it. The hosts share personal experiences, tips for maintaining momentum, including setting writing goals and knowing the direction of your story, whether you’re more of a plotter or a pantser. Additionally, they introduce their Wednesday Writing Moments, an online group writing session for accountability and progress. The discussion aims to encourage writers to keep working towards completing their first drafts by providing practical advice and shared experiences.

  • Habits That will TANK Your Writing – Part 3

    ByChris & Gena Maselli Reading Time: 16 minutes

    In this episode of the Writing Momentum podcast, hosts Gena and Christopher Maselli explore the final habit in their series that can significantly hinder a writer’s productivity: excessive, mindless screen time. They discuss how spending too much time on devices like televisions, computers, mobile phones, and video game screens without purpose can detract from valuable writing time. The Masellis share personal experiences and strategies to reduce mindless screen time, emphasizing the importance of being intentional with how one spends their screen time. They encourage listeners to engage in activities that contribute to their writing goals and suggest ways to reduce mindless screen time to improve focus, creativity, and ultimately, writing output.

  • Habits That Will TANK Your Writing – Part 2

    ByChris & Gena Maselli Reading Time: 18 minutes

    In this episode of the Writing Momentum Podcast, hosts Gena and Christopher Maselli discuss everyday habits that can negatively impact your writing progress. They address the dangers of comparison and disengagement from the writing community, emphasizing the importance of staying connected and involved. The conversation highlights how distractions and perfectionism can halt a writer’s momentum, offering practical solutions like using focus modes on devices and understanding the creative versus technical aspects of writing and editing. Additionally, they talk about the fallacy of the solitary writing venture and advocate for collaboration and networking within the writing community, including the benefits of joining writing groups and attending conferences. The Masellis stress the importance of making small, manageable changes to overcome these detrimental habits and invite listeners to subscribe for more insights.

  • Maintaining Motivation in Writing: Practical Tips

    ByChris & Gena Maselli Reading Time: 14 minutes

    In this episode of the Writing Momentum podcast, hosts Gena and Christopher Maselli explore different ways to stay motivated in writing. They discuss tracking your writing successes, identifying your ‘why’, immersing oneself in the writing world through books, podcasts, and conferences, and the benefits of co-writing and surrounding yourself with writing friends. Chris also describes the benefits of maintaining a ‘to done’ list. The hosts invite audiences to join their writing group, Writing Moments, to further promote a supportive writing community. The episode is designed to help writers find the motivation they need to stay committed to their craft.

  • Avoid These 3 Writing Mistakes in Non-Profit Communications – Part 2

    ByChris & Gena Maselli Reading Time: 13 minutes

    In this podcast transcript, hosts Chris and Gena highlight common mistakes that writers make when crafting content for nonprofit organizations. They discuss the importance of focusing on the benefits to the reader, creating clear calls to action, telling impactful stories of individual beneficiaries, and maintaining consistent branding across all communication channels. The hosts emphasize that these principles can also prove beneficial in other forms of writing, providing examples from their own experiences and from the realm of political speechmaking.

  • Avoid These 3 Writing Mistakes in Non-Profit Communications – Part 1

    ByChris & Gena Maselli Reading Time: 11 minutes

    After 30 years of working with nonprofits, hosts Gena and Chris discuss three common mistakes that writers often make when writing for non-profit organizations. These include the excessive focus on asking for help without celebrating the wins, constantly changing branding messages, and overuse of organization-specific jargon. Insights are also shared on how to execute effective communication strategies for non-profit organizations. This video is beneficial for anyone aiming to optimize their written communication for non-profit fundraising and awareness campaigns.

  • make your hero choose

    ByHenry McLaughlin Reading Time: 3 minutes

    This month I want to share on a topic I first heard Randy Ingermanson teach several years ago. It’s a simple yet powerful tool to improve our stories. Simply stated—force your hero to make a choice. Not just any choice like which burger to order or coffee shop to visit. But a choice with consequences….