Now That's a Great Story: Season 2

Now That's a Great Story:

Season 2 is all about the process of writing a book. It's a week-by-week audio diary of not only what I'm learning as I write my second book but how my successes and failures can help you write your own. My wife Sonya co-hosts, and we talk about the teamwork necessary to write a book and offer tons of tips about researching and writing them. We also discuss what it means to research a book on Civil Rights—a book on Black and white relations—as we live modern lives as an interracial couple.

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Each episode is transcribed for our Deaf and Hard-of Hearing audience members!

Episode 5: When to Travel for Book Research

Where to go to do your book research is easy. When to travel is the question to ask, and one we learned the hard way. Tons of stories here and tons of tips to avoid the mistakes Sonya and I made.

February 23, 2021

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Episode 4: Notes Will Keep Us Together

The evolution of our marriage is also the evolution of how I learned to take, with Sonya's guidance, ever better notes. We talk about the various systems we adopted and discarded to arrive at something, with my book on Birmingham, is truly efficient, and in no-small part awesome. The better a writer's notes system, the less frustration he encounters in writing a book.

February 16, 2021

Episode 3: How NOT to Start Book Research

Sonya and I talk about the mistakes I made with my first book and how I've tried to correct those mistakes in the early going of the research phase with my second book. You may think book research is reading as widely as possible. It is actually reading as deeply as possible. Learn from my mistakes.

February 9, 2021

Episode 2: How to Land an Agent, and a Book Deal

This week Sonya and I break down how to find an agent if you don't have one. We cover what you should be looking for in an agent and how to identify the traits that will best help you. We also talk about what happens when your book goes to market, and all the stress and joy that comes with it.

February 2, 2021

Episode 1:
The Proposal

The proposal is the first step to writing a book. Sonya and I break down how we did it for my first book and the different approach we took this time, with my second book. We talk about how to stay motivated during the proposal process, how long the proposal itself should be, and also how, with my new book, we decided the proposal had to include the social justice movement of 2020. It affected our interracial family, which meant it was also relevant to a proposal on Black-and-white relations.

January 25, 2021

Season 2 Trailer: The Process

This season, I do a deep dive into the process of writing a book -- specifically my write forthcoming book. And I'm joined by my wife Sonya who experienced it all first hand, too.