Meet Betsy

Welcome to my virtual studio. As both a writer and designer, I’m driven by a curiosity about the world. In my studio, I take that curiosity and use it to create new worlds. I write for kids and adults as well as a good deal of freelance non-fiction. Explore to find out more about me, my books, and my thoughts on writing as well as the thoughts of friends who stop by the studio. If you’ve got something you’d like to share reach out to me through the contact form. I’d love to hear from you. Scroll down to read what’s been happening in the studio.

Getting Started On Your Book Trailer
Insight Betsy Ellor Insight Betsy Ellor

Getting Started On Your Book Trailer

If you’re an indie author a book trailer is an attention-getting way to promote your book. An effective trailer can hook potential readers like nothing else. I knew I needed one for Heroic Care, but creating one seemed overwhelming. When I dug in I learned it really wasn’t. I thought I’d share my insight to help you guys get started on your own book trailers.

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Synopsis How-To
Insight Jim DeFilippi Insight Jim DeFilippi

Synopsis How-To

My biggest problem is making my plot seem free-flowing and captivating in the synopsis form. Years ago I got the advice that a good novel needs to be nothing more than, ‘A captivating story told with words that sing.’ The synopsis should reflect that. But how?

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Jumping Into The Right Critique Group
Insight Shawn T. Anderson Insight Shawn T. Anderson

Jumping Into The Right Critique Group

Building your writing community is like throwing a stone into a pond. You, your work, and the act of putting yourself out there is that stone. The outgoing ripples are the connections you make with the world.

Often, finding a reliable critique group is more of a journey than a quick, one-stop transaction. Critique groups are not one-size-fits-all. To find the right group for you, you’ll need to look inward and ask yourself what you want to get out of the collaborative experience. You might need to try on a few groups for size before finding the one that fits you best. 

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Cut the Should
Reflections Betsy Ellor Reflections Betsy Ellor

Cut the Should

Years ago I was rattling off a list of worries to my therapist when she said, “Stop shoulding all over yourself.”

In shock, I said, “But I want to do all these things. They will help me succeed. They will make me happy.”

To which my very patient therapist asked “Will the happiness they bring outweigh the miserable feeling of carrying around a giant pile of should?”

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The Three Camps of Book Publishing
Insight Jim DeFilippi Insight Jim DeFilippi

The Three Camps of Book Publishing

With 38 years of experience, Jim DeFilippi has done it all: traditional publishing with HarperCollins, independent publishing with, The Permanent Press, and direct publishing. So far his total book output is in the 30s— crime, humor, history, screenplays, stage dramas, even some poetry, and even a cookbook. Today, he gives us his take on the world of book publishing.

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Your Hero’s Journey
Wise Words Betsy Ellor Wise Words Betsy Ellor

Your Hero’s Journey

For her recent webinar, Kendra Levin used the Hero’s Journey as a way for creatives to keep their creativity alive through intense times like now. With pandemic, elections, remote-learning, job insecurities and so much more it is easy to undervalue our writing projects and ourselves as writers. Levin says . . .

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