Writing Advice from Angela Breidenbach

What is your favorite writing craft book?
The book that’s helped me the most is The Hero’s 2 Journeys by Michael Hauge and Christopher Vogler. I’ve read quite a few others, but that book fit with me.

Which do you think is the most underrated writing craft book? Why?
Poetry is underrated. For a book to move a reader, it has to speak to them on an emotional level. Poetry, well-written, is a study in emotion. Emotional books sell because they connect deeply in the soul. Emotion captures the reader.  Learning how to use poetic devices, rhetorical devices, takes a lifetime. But a poetic turn of the phrase adds subtle beauty that keeps readers reading often not knowing why. It’s the art behind the indescribable, “I can’t put my finger on it.”

What is your favorite (or most anticipated) writers conference?
A small conference in Helena, Montana called the Montana Writers Rodeo is set for May 2025. I’m excited for this one because the leaders are genuinely interested in helping authors and screenwriters at a lower cost and personal level. There is also an opportunity to submit for reading/performance of your writing. I’ve also enjoyed the new FHL-CW conference. More intimate conferences and/or retreats are both more productive for me and provide a less hectic, overwhelming environment. I learn more and connect with others better because there’s less stress to race around trying to do everything.

What’s your favorite other source (YouTube, podcast, etc.) for writing tips/info?
Screenwriting tips are an awesome source for authors because screenplays have to be tightly written, tight plot line, and powerful characters. I follow a couple of screenwriting experts including Max Timm’s The Story Farm on Substack.

Who is your writing mentor/inspiration? Why?
Margie Lawson taught me how to power up my writing. She helped me with passive to active, back-loading sentences, creating page-turners, and deepening emotional experience for the reader as a writer’s partner in the story.

What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever received?
I’ve never wanted to write mysteries and kill off my characters in every book. I prefer a little more relational drama than tracking or running from a murder through the pages. I was once told to write the genre because it sells better than contemporary or historical romances. I wasted a year of writing in a genre I didn’t want to write because I thought it was the only way to get published. The worst part was feeling disconnected from my writing. It wasn’t me to regularly “kill my darlings”. I love lingering and revisiting characters.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
An oldie, but goodie: Write what you love and learn to write it really well!

What would you say is the best writing tip for new authors?
Start attending the closest small writing conferences rather than the big expensive events. You’ll build friends, learn in a more relaxed atmosphere, and manage your budget with a much smarter view of the future. You’re not ready for agents and editors before your first book is written, but they’re much more approachable at small conferences than crowded and overwhelming events with too many choices.

What is your best self-editing tip or advice?|
Always use a tool like ProWritingAid or Grammarly first. If you’re self-pubbing, save tons of time and money before the editor sees your manuscript. Watch for “red flag” words and phrases. Justified those red flags each time they pop up. My short list (though there are many more) includes: that, very, only, just, every, like, likely, some, wondered/-ing, thought, was, -ing, -ly, it, and more.

Remove the words, “It was”, from the beginning of any sentence. One of my friends kept asking me, “What is it? Get specific!” I love her consistency in asking. She helped me become a better writer!

Please share your most encouraging tip for frustrated/discouraged writers.
Writers get discouraged because we’re hardest on ourselves. We think we’re supposed to be a best-selling author right out of the gate. We compare our rough draft to the 10-million books sold by XYZ author. That author thinks every book they write is awful, too. We’re mentally dramatic. A good trait if used properly. Instead of using that mental drama as negativity on ourselves, we need to harness the inner critic and weave that dramatic flair into our stories. Until you’ve done all the steps, it’s too soon to tell. The art is in the full process,. Michael Angelo did not craft the statue of David without refining the sculpture. He also did not walk up to the first piece of rock he saw and create a masterpiece. I bet he started a few of those sculptures over multiple times, scratched, scraped, and sanded with intense scrutiny on every minute piece as he worked.

The art is never in the rough draft. That first draft is just a boulder waiting to be refined. First comes a rough outline plot with 2-3 sentences per scene. I liken it to my skeleton plot. Then I free flow write the story between my plot points as if the body is now covering the skeleton. Then, on the third pass, I power up the words, switch sentence order, catch grammar errors, look for rhetorical device additions. Basically, the third pass is for the artistic rendition dressing up for a night out in all your story finery. Your story is ready for a good edit using ProWritingAid or Grammarly. Finally, send it off to a professional editor. When it comes back, polish by analyzing each question the editor points out. Now you have a complete story worth publishing.

If a commercial publisher doesn’t pick it up, test it with beta readers. Publishers can only buy what fits their market. You may have a wonderful story that needs to be self-published. Those beta readers will help you decide. You’re not the “worst author ever” if you get a rejection. Your book simply doesn’t fit that publisher’s financial goals in their niche. Publishers have tiny boxes that the authors they choose have to fit into every time. Maybe you aren’t a tiny box writer.

Tell us about your newest release/upcoming release.

My latest release is a 6-book series called Queen of the Rockies starting in 1889. Each book has a light-hearted romance, quirky Americana characters, and forgotten history worth remembering that will pluck your heart strings. Queen of the Rockies, Song of the Rockies, Heart of the Rockies, Flower of the Rockies, Bride of the Rockies, and Flame of the Rockies. If you think you know the Wild West, you have a surprise coming.

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Angela Breidenbach is the executive director for the International Institute of Genealogical Studies, found at GenealogicalStudies.com, where she helps people become professional genealogists and gain their dream career. As a bestselling author of historical fiction, her stories capture true history while she uses her skills as a professional genealogist to weave in the people, place, and time to bring the past to life. Whether in writing or teaching, Angie is a passionate story-telling educator preserving the past for future generations. Find her latest 6-book series set during the gilded age, Queen of the Rockies, at AngelaBreidenbach.com.

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