What have you published in the past ten years? Books, stories, opinions? Ten books with traditional publishers, including Tyndale House, Howard Books, and Atria (an imprint of Simon & Schuster). My most recent book (EVERYTHING WE DIDN’T SAY) was a Book of the Month pick for October 2021, featured in People magazine, and is an Amazon Editors’ Pick.
Baart has appeared on radio, television, and podcasts to discuss writing.
Okoboji Writers’ Retreat Topics
Baart will also appear on panels related to Storytelling, Fiction, and Forming a Writers Group.
- Make Your Prose Sparkle We all know that a gripping plot + likable characters, + a great setting = are the recipe for a good book. But if you want to make your writing really extraordinary, you can’t forget the prose. In this workshop, I’ll give you the tools you need to take your writing to the next level–and help you avoid the pitfalls of overwriting. Knowing how to spice your work with gorgeous prose is a skill you can learn and refine, and this advanced course is guaranteed to level up your writing.
- Marketing & Publicity 101 After writing and traditionally publishing eight books (and feeling at the mercy of a marketing and publicity department that I had little contact with), I decided to take matters into my own hands. In this workshop, I’ll walk you through my “Year of Yes” and share the things that worked (and those that didn’t) on my path to publishing my breakout novel, Little Broken Things. Did my efforts land Little Broken Things in People magazine? Or was it all dumb luck? We’ll explore what authors can do to promote their books, and I’ll let you decide.
- No Such Thing as Writer’s Block: Using Brain Science to Overcome Obstacles. In ancient Greek mythology, the muses were the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were deemed the source of all creativity and inspiration, and without the benevolent attendance of a muse, any artistic endeavor was doomed. Today, we know that the work of imagination isn’t quite so ethereal—and yet we still often pretend that to write well, we need a magical combination of the right mood, headspace, and surroundings, as well as the catalyst of some divine stimulation or intervention. What if you had a toolbox of writing habits—backed by brain science—that could ensure that you are (almost) always ready and eager to write? In this session, we’ll dive deep into how our brains work and how we can harness that power to tell masterful stories.
What Baart has found best about coaching beginners and professional writers?
Flexibility! Sometimes I have an entire presentation ready to go, and when I read the room I realize that my plan has to be completely scrapped. Writers come from so many different backgrounds and experiences, and it’s important to be able to go with the flow.