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LeAnne Bristow

The Back Porch

Whether you're looking for information about writing, or just more about me, grab a glass of sweet tea, pull up a chair and let's chat! 

I want YOU to read!!!!

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.” 

~ George R.R. Martin


Long before I started writing, I was a reader. I loved the worlds that books could take me to. 

I read while I walked, read while I was supposed to be doing homework and got 

ridiculously happy about having to stay inside due to bad weather. 

One of my favorite places to read was the hay loft of our barn. Add the sound of 

rain pattering off the tin roof and I was in heaven. 

Is it any wonder that I eventually become a reading specialist? I want everyone to love reading! 


Here are some of my favorite bookish things: 

Favorite book:

The Bible. Yes, I know that sounds cliche', but I love reading this book. Not just from a religious or 

Christian viewpoint. Read it like you would any book and it opens up a whole new world. 

The Psalms, the Proverbs, the stories! There is so much to enjoy. But I'm betting that you'll 

get a lot more out of it than entertainment. 

Favorite books as a child: 

1. The Secret Garden - By far my all time favorite book, both as a child and as an adult. 
2. The Little House Series
3. The Black Stallion Series
4. Any story written by Beverly Cleary
5. Are you there God? It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume

Favorite Authors:

Janet Dailey. Yes, I know she went through some controversy later in her life, but she was the first 

romance author I discovered and her books inspired me to become a writer. 

There are lots more that I love....but since I know many of them personally, I can't put it on here for 

fear of accidentally leaving one of the list!!!

Favorite Series:

Outlander, by Diana Gabaldan. If you need a book series that will make you forget everything 

around you, this is it. 

Favorite Genre:

Historical. Oh, how I love to read historical romance...sigh. Can I just go back in time, now???


Tips & Links For Writers 

For years I was a "closet" writer. I never let anyone read my writing but talked about it endlessly. I drove my husband nuts and he finally challenged me to "do something about it...or shut up."
Challenge accepted.
Little did he know he would become a writing widower.  He now spends countless hours watching TV alone while I bang on the keyboard, peruse craft books or disappear to workshops and conferences.
I dreamed of becoming a published author as soon as I picked up my first Harlequin book. But it was one of those dreams I kept secret because I never thought it could actually come true. I can say this has been the most marvelous journey I've ever been on. I've made life long friends, met fabulous people, including some of my favorite authors.
If you dream of becoming a writer, my first piece of advice is to find a core group of like-minded writers. They will become your cheerleaders, critique partners and prayer warriors. Professional organizations such as the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), FHLCW (Faith, Hope & Love Christian Writers), NINC (Novelists Inc) and RWA (Romance Writers of America) are just a few of the many groups available. Find one that fits you.
In addition, I read a lot of craft books. Some I read and put aside. Some I use every time I start to write. It is my pleasure to share some of the resources I've come to rely on.

Classes

Tina Radcliffe - For Writers - Tina is a great resource for any writer, beginner or experienced.
Becca Syme has a wealth of information for writers. Her Write Better Faster Academy has helped me on so many levels. Additionally, her youtube videos are amazing!
Discovering Story Magic - I've taken a lot of craft classes....a LOT! But this is one class that I go back to and review again and again.
Michael Hauge's Six Stage Plot Structure was a game changer for the pantser that needed to learn how to plot! You can find out more at Story Mastery and check out his YouTube channel for even more info.
Novel Academy - Your Story Matters, so let Susan May Warren help you achieve your goals!

Craft Books

Gwen Hayes - Romancing the Beat: Do all the different writing processes and structure leave you confused and frustrated? This one is designed especially for romance writers and really breaks things down and make it simple. Download a free PDF beat sheet here. But do yourself a favor and buy the book, too!
Debra Dixon: GMC - Goal, Motivation and Conflict: A MUST! Ever story, no matter what the genre, falls short if it doesn't contain these three essential elements.
Liz Fielding's Little Book of Writing Romance
James Scott Bell: Writing Your Novel From the Middle. Or any of his books on writing.
Angela Akerman & Becca Puglisi: The Emotional Thesaurus. You MUST HAVE this book!!!!!!!!! In addition, they now have multiple thesaurus books that will help you with everything from conflict to setting!
K.M. Weiland: Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success AND Structuring Your Novel
Jodie Renner: Fire Up Your Fiction
Jill Elizabeth Nelson: Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View
Michael Hauge: The Hero's 2 Journeys. The 6 stage Plot Structure really struck a chord with me.
Julie Lessman: Romance-ology 101
Susan May Warren: Conversations with a Writing Coach. Also, The Story Equation. Both of these are fabulous!
Melinda Curtis - Frankly My Dear: Creating Unforgettable Characters
Laurie Schnebly Campbell - Believable Characters: Creating with Enneagrams

Resources & Organizational Helpers

I'm not the most organized person in the world. So I have looked into lots of resources to help me get organized, stay on task and be more productive. The following resources are ones that I've used personally and have found helpful!
*I do not receive any compensation for recommending these tools. I only recommend things that I've tried myself and like. As far as I know, these companies aren't even aware I'm recommending them!

Plottr - I love this tool that not only helps me plot my books, but helps me organize characters, places, ect.
One Stop For Writers - If you love the writing thesaurus books by Angela Akerman & Becca Puglisis, this site is for you! It has every resource you could ever need, including the fabulous thesauruses, plotting helpers and everything in between!
Grammar Girl - Have questions on using affect vs. effect? Where to put that comma? This site is super helpful.
Helping Writers Become Authors - K.M. Weiland always has amazing tips and advice on her blog. She has some great books on writing as well.
Story Sensei - Camy Tang is a wonderful author who has a website that is packed full of worksheets to help writers. Need help with a synopsis? She's got it. Want to deepen your POV? It's covered. She has worksheets from everything from self-editing to the hero's journey. Don't forget to sign up for her helpful newsletter while you're there.
Writers Helping Writers - Another great resource from the fabulous Angela Akerman & Becca Puglisi. This site is packed with tools for writers.
Stephie Smith - great resource for writing and contests
Jami Gold's website is a terrific resource, especially if you're as addicted to beat sheets as I am.
Hiveword - A really great novel organizer to help you turn your book into a reality.
Kanbantools- I have tried everything to keep me organized and on task. I've spent hundreds of dollars on planners that I never open. Kanban boards are one of the few things that I use that word for my weird brain! This website has a digital version that I love. And it's free!!!
Later - If you are like me, you don't want to spend all your time on social media. Later is a great way to manage your social media accounts in one place. They have both a free and paid version and I found the free version more than adequate for my needs!
Zoho - Zoho has a variety of tools for everything from websites (ZohoSites) to social media management (ZohoSocial) to marketing (ZohoCRMplus), newsletters (ZohoCampaigns) to online accounting (ZohoBooks) and everything in between. Some things have a free version and others have different pricing options. Many of their apps are geared more for businesses and offer more things than I personally would ever need, but the company is easy to work with and when I become rich and famous and need more people to help me manage all my stuff, they are the first people I will contact!
Let's Chat!