Welcome to our new 3-part craft series on building characters in your novel. In this episode we discuss techniques we've found helpful for getting started, as well as for getting through a creative block.Please visit us at FirstDraughtWriting

2018 New Year's Special!

Jan 2nd, 2018 16m 22s

Hello 2018! Welcome to our New Year special! We're sharing our drinks and our motivations for the new year. Hosts: Alexis Anne, Julia Kelly, and Mary Chris Escobar.FirstDraughtWriting.com

Bookbub, Book funnels, & more! (Book Marketing Series Part 3)

Nov 6th, 2017 38m 44s

Part 3 of our Book Marketing Series (3 of3) focuses on BookBub and book funnel services such as BookFunnel and InstaFreebie. FirstDraughtWriting.comHosts: Mary Chris Escobar, Julia Kelly, and Alexis Anne

Email Marketing (Part 2 of Book Marketing Series)

Oct 3rd, 2017 38m 26s

The One Where We Talk About Email Lists (Oct 2017)This month we're adding our voices to the topic "du jour" in the world of book marketing (drumroll, please) ... The Email List. Listen in as we cover the who, what, when, where, why of this mas

Book Launches (Part 1 of Book Marketing Series)

Sep 6th, 2017 29m 55s

What's involved in a successful book launch? From cover reveals to pre-orders, social media to paid advertising, First Draught covers the steps Julia Kelly and Alexis Anne took to get their latest releases to market. (Part 1 of our three part m

RWA Conference Wrap-Up 2017

Aug 15th, 2017 27m 15s

Live from Orlando, Florida at the Romance Writers of America Conference, First Draught wraps up our fifth year at the conference with our experiences, insights, fails, and wins! For more information visit FirstDraughtWriting.com

How to Network at Conferences

Jul 4th, 2017 40m 14s

Networking may be the most important thing you do at a conference, but it may also be the hardest. In our annual July conference show this year we tackle the topic of how to network with guest Laura Von Holt, the master of networking each of he

Scheduling Gymnastics

Jun 5th, 2017 35m 48s

The best laid plans...life laughs at them. So what do you do when you have a career as a writer to keep afloat? You roll with the punches. On this month's show we discuss how some pretty huge life changes have affected our grand plans for 2017

Author Collaborations

May 8th, 2017 30m 9s

Whether it's working on a monthly podcast, or writing an anthology. Planning a local happy hour, or hosting an online community-- it can be hugely beneficial to collaborate with other authors. This month, we're talking about all the ways in whi

Scrivener: Software for Writers

Apr 21st, 2017 34m 55s

This month on First Draught we tackle Scrivener, software designed for writers. It's a complicated program with tons of options that can be confusing and helpful all at the same time. We break down how we use the software and why in the hopes i

I Wish That I Knew What I Know Now ... (March 2017)

Mar 9th, 2017 34m 46s

We've been at this writing and publishing game for a few years now; which means we're far enough in to have learned some big lessons, and close enough to the beginning to remember what it felt like to be new to the arena. This month we're shari

Tackling Revisions

Feb 6th, 2017 37m 27s

Getting back notes from your critique partner can be intimidating! How do you tackle the suggestions, organize the chaos, and plan your attack? Join us for suggestions and tips on this month's First Draught. Hosts: Alexis Anne, Mary Chris Esco

Setting Goals (and how to achieve them) in the New Year

Jan 10th, 2017 39m 22s

Writing is a complicated business and there is no better time than the beginning of the year to sit down an map out your goals for the months to come. But what goals do you set? How do you make them achievable? And how do you mix your persona

Our Favorite Books of 2016

Dec 5th, 2016 37m 5s

It's our annual holiday show and this year we're talking about our favorite books from the last year. The books that moved us, changed us, and taught us more about being a better writer. Get all the details on our website: FirstDraughtWriting.c

Avoiding the Dreaded "Info Dump"

Oct 2nd, 2016 31m 12s

This month on First Draught we're tackling how to tell the "story behind the story" without just dumping it all on the page. When you delve too deeply into backstory (aka, the info dump) you run the risk of losing your reader. We'll talk about

Publishing Journeys: Julia Kelly

Sep 7th, 2016 32m 10s

The first of Julia Kelly's Governess series books launches on September 12. Today she talks to us about how The Governess Was Wicked, The Governess Was Wanton, and The Governess Was Wild came to be, and her experience of moving from indie publi

The Planning Challenge: #ReadWritePlan

Aug 1st, 2016 31m 45s

This month special guests Lindsay Emory and Alexandra Haughton discuss their #ReadWritePlan challenge, a month long Instagram challenge to help writers, readers, and planners share their tips, tricks, experiences, and create some community! L

RWA Three Different Ways: Romance Writers of America 2016

Jul 4th, 2016 32m

For our annual RWA national conference show, we want to help you get the most out of this amazing conference no matter where you are! We're talking about the three different ways we'll be experiencing the conference: as a full registrant, a lob

Our Paths To Publishing

Jun 6th, 2016 38m 31s

This month we talk about our three very different paths to publishing and share some insights into our experiences on both the indie and traditional sides of the business from romance author Alexis Anne, historical author Julia Kelly, and Women

Finding Your Own Truth In The World Of Publishing

May 1st, 2016 32m 56s

Breaking all of "The Rules" in publishing can be just what your writing career is looking for. This month we're giving you some food for thought about why you should always do your research about the "you must do" advice every writer runs acros

The Making Of Book Covers- Indie Vs Traditional Publishing

Apr 5th, 2016 31m 12s

Your book cover is the first and most important marketing tool in an author's toolkit, but the process looks very different depending on whether you are traditionally or self published. First Draught goes over those differences, plus what to lo

Surviving Your Book Launch

Feb 2nd, 2016 43m 5s

We’re talking book launches on the show this month. Not how to launch a book, but how to survive your book launch. Survive your book launch, you ask? Isn’t it the happiest day ever? Your words in the world! People buying them! Everyone congratu

Books That Have Inspired Us

Jan 5th, 2016 1h 20m

We had a fantastic, thoughtful discussion with Laura von Holt Tuesday about the books that have inspired us from novels to non-fiction.It’s a long First Draught, but well worth it because there’s some great advice in there from Laura who’s cu

Favorite Holiday Foods And Books Podcast

Dec 1st, 2015 1h 5m

Happy holidays! We’re right in the middle of the holiday crush which means that it’s time for a First Draught tradition: talking about all the food.This month Elisabeth Lane, the wonderful reviewer behind Cooking Up Romance, joined us to talk

Finding Your People

Nov 3rd, 2015 1h 10m

November’s show is all about finding your support system as a writer. You know, the folks who will encourage you when you’re down, push you forward when you’re stuck, celebrate wins with you, tell you what they love about your writing and what