Write Away with Nat & PJ: Recent Episodes
Natalie Lockett
Writers Natalie Lockett and PJ Powell play games, interview guests, and discuss/discover opportunities for writers around the web.
What does it mean to be empowered? In some situations, it's about having literal power, which can take the form of knowledge or skill. In others, it's a quality of strength and belief in self you can cultivate (or receive a sense of from people who love and respect you). As writers and artists, we often flirt with all of the above. We were fortunate enough to interview TWO amazing ladies for our Empowerment & Agency episode, encompassing external and internal empowerment. Considering March is Women's History Month, it sort of felt like kismet. First, we spoke with the creator of the Kickstarter-backed oracle deck Messages from Her, Rachael McKee. From the Kickstarter campaign page "Messages From Her is a vibrantly illustrated 44-card deck and historical guidebook created to bring inspiration to your daily life. The cards and book pay tribute to some of the most world-changing women of the last century! Celebrating the lives of these women - their challenges, triumphs, and the impact they've had is incredibly empowering. Learning about them can help you realize your own strengths and powerful capabilities. All of the women in this deck are amazing role models with so much to share!" We asked Rachael about the process of creating the deck, including how she decided which women to include, and which of the women she considered to be the least well known. Her answer? The first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Jane Addams. Tune in to hear more about her! Rachael explained how oracle decks differ from the traditional 78 card tarot deck. "Oracle decks are sort of like a cousin of tarot. Tarot decks all correlate to a specific meaning [while] oracle decks usually have a [guide] book, and they can be used seriously, or you can just pull a card and grab some inspiration." Which is to say, if you're not into the metaphysical attributed to tarot, you might enjoy the fun and flexible use of an oracle deck--especially this beautifully illustrated homage to women who changed the world. Finally, we talked about the success of her campaign so far. She surpassed her funding goal of $7000 in the first 20 hours! BUT there are still plenty of great early access incentives, including the ability to send ten copies to the nonprofit Step Up Women's Network, that works with girls and gender-expansive teens who face systemic barriers to unlock their potential. Step Up does this through a combination of mentorships and programs that introduce social-emotional learning skills, community and connection, and opportunities for career practice. You can snag your own copy of Messages from Her and a bunch of other goodies HERE until April 7th! And as if that wasn't enough fun, we also got the chance to pick the brain of Nat's literary agent, Tara Gonzalez. Tara is an associate agent at Erin Murphy Literary Agency, where she represents children's fiction from picture books to young adult, with some forays into the adult space. Her taste spans across broad ranges of genres, from contemporary, historical, literary, to adventure and fantasy. She loves characters and stories that resonate, and strong voices. We'd be remiss (and maybe murdered) not to mention our most important guest this month, and possibly this season, Tara's cat Nala, who made several appearances throughout the interview, including a late show bath. Other, less important topics of conversation included: - What makes Tara request a manuscript out of the slush pile - Tara's take on the current state of publishing, and advice for querying authors - Important questions authors should ask on THE CALL - Agent red flags - Which Taylor Swift song she associates with her current list - and so much more!
If you've ever been curious about the newsroom and how to write nonfiction stories that sell, you won't want to miss our conversation with Senior Editor Shannon Palus at Slate, a progressive online magazine that covers current affairs, politics, and culture. Shannon covers health, wellness, science and more for Slate, and her work has appeared appeared many other places including Popular Science, Scientific American, the Atlantic, and Wirecutter. You'll hear about all this and more:
- Ways to break into news writing
- Where to look for work
- Where to find science ideas and how to pitch them
- How to write accessible nonfiction stories about science
- And more!
Most of us love a story with a good romance that drives the plot, but what about good gal-pal drama and growth? USA Today Bestselling author Tif Marcelo writes both, so we invited her to be our guest for our Galentine's episode! You'll hear about all this and more: * How to write friendship triangles that are as compelling as any love triangle * Important moments to capture on the page for gal-pal friendships that are central to the story * How her years as a military nurse and military spouse have inspired her depiction of different types of friendships and romantic relationships * How she juggles multiple deadlines and produces at least one book a year * Some of her favorite writing resources
Join Nat & PJ in conversation with author Gabriela Houston about her latest book The Wind Child.
About the Episode
Jingle bells, jingle bells - ohHi! Nat and PJ are singing because of this episode, where authors and coaches Windy Lynn Harris and Susan Pohlman talked with us about wonderful gifts for writers that we can give and request, including experiences such as writing retreats and coaching.
You'll hear about all this and more:
- Favorite writerly gifts - things you can wrap - that your writer friends and family are sure to love, from items you actually write on or write with, to resources and fun things to adorn one's writing space (Nat and PJ both added things to their lists based on this conversation)
- Writing experiences you could gift to the writer in your life, or ask for from friends & family
- How writing retreats and writing conferences are gifts that keep giving
- Why giving the gift of a writing coach's time might be the best gift of all for aspiring writers in your life and anyone who wants to take their work to the next level
Join Nat & PJ in conversation with award-winning author Charlie Jane Anders to hear more about the importance of creativity in tough times as outlined in her book Never Say You Can't Survive, how to use your fiction writing muscles to craft true stories, and what she thinks is the bravest thing writers can do.
Historical fantasy? YES PLEASE! In this episode, we talked with Laura E. Weymouth about her shiny and spooky young adult novels and how she blends very real places and events from the past with her own versions of old fairytales. A lifelong storyteller who set out to publish when she started her family, Laura shared how she got started and how she now balances her top priority - caregiving - with her career passion. She also shared a ton of advice on using myths and folklore to inspire her writing projects, and how others can do the same. There was also some talk of pets and Riley the bookstore dog...
This episode was originally titled "Wishful Thinking" in homage to the premise of Naz's debut novel THE LOOPHOLE. But after chatting with him we just couldn't help ourselves. NaNoWriLi or National Novel Writing LIFE it became. When we sat down to plan our guest list for the year, Nat proposed reaching out to author Naz Kutub after taking his 4-week Speed Drafting course. If you tune into the episode (which you should!) we have no doubt you'll understand why. Writers who are committed to changing their process, who want to put out more than one project per year will benefit in BIG ways from his formula and wisdom.
Join Nat & PJ in conversation with two-time NYT Bestseller of House of Salt and Sorrows and Small Favors Erin A. Craig!
Tune in for all of this and more:
- Writing community news - the pending book shortage, NaNoWriMo resources for Preptober, what we're reading
- How Erin's previous experience as a stage manager influences her writing
- What draws her to write retellings
- How her writing process has changed from book to book
- How she got her first break (trust us, this is a good one)
- All the mushrooms
- The heavy-hitting critique partner she met by chance
Join Nat & PJ in conversation with Lakesedge (Fierce Reads/Macmillan, Sept 28, 2021) author Lyndall Clipstone!
You'll hear about all this and more:
- Writing Community News - #5amWritersClub Virtual Donut Party theme "Backstory Distillery" on September 17th, NaNoWriMo prep has already started at nanowrimo.org with a six-week idea-generating event, Pitch Wars application window opening this month.
- What We're Reading - P.J. talks about Madeliene Roux's Reclaimed, and Nat goes on a rant about Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake.
- Lyndall's use of her English Literature Ph.D. "The Appeal of the Male Monster" to craft Lakesedge.
- The process of revising Lakesedge in Author Mentor Match, querying, success with a pitch contest, agent calls, and auctions. - What it's like being an international author, debuting during a pandemic, and publishing delays.
- How to approach marketing your book, coming up with social media content, and developing a brand as a writer.
- Books that inspired Lyndall to write Lakesedge, and the homework she gave Nat for Author Mentor Match.
- What makes a book "gothic"?
Join Nat & PJ in conversation with 2021 Pitch Wars Mentor and debut author of Together We Rot (Viking Childrens, 2023), Skyla Arndt! We chat about her publishing journey, the meaning of mentorship, her love of cryptozoology, and more.
Join Nat & PJ in conversation with author and writing coach Windy Lynn Harris. You'll hear about all this and more:
- How to work with your storytelling mind to get the best story idea out in your first draft
- Windy's process for drafting a short story even when she has NO TIME
- How short story pacing is different from novel pacing, and what the critical beats of the short story are
- Why short stories are fun and how writing them can strengthen all areas of your craft and build your confidence
Nat and PJ also swear by Windy's book on writing and selling short stories and essays, which you'll find linked below.
Debut author alert! You won't want to miss this conversation with Tashie Bhuiyan about her debut novel, Counting Down With You, a YA Romance coming out on May 4, 2021. Tashie's story features fake dating, a grandmother/granddaughter relationship, a chaotic friend group, anxiety representation, Bangladeshi and Muslim representation, and the journey of navigating family struggles and first love to find independence. Learn more about Tashie and how this wonderful book came together in this episode of Write Away.
You'll hear about all this and more:
- What inspired Tashie to write this story about family and cultural struggles
- Advice for writing YA - how to stay in touch with the current generation and how to write three-dimensional adult characters when they're not the main focus
- The virtues and vices of TikTok
- What representation means to Tashi and why she wrote the author's note at the beginning of the book
- How to cover a tattoo
- The wildest publishing journey WE'VE heard yet
- Tashie's favorite romance trope and why
- Which scenes she had to wait until last to write
Join Nat & PJ in conversation with streamer and Entangled intern Lillie H about submitting to and working for publishers!
Join Nat and PJ in conversation with author Gabriela Houston in conversation about her debut novel The Second Bell and how she used Slavic folklore to tell a story about human nature.
Join Nat & PJ in conversation with Down Comes the Night author Allison Saft about magic systems and how to build worlds.
Join Nat & PJ in conversation with author Alexa Donne about her new book THE IVIES, Author Mentor Match, and her YouTube channel where she gives advice about leveling up in your writing career.
Join Nat & PJ in conversation with memoirist and writing coach Nadine Kenney Johnstone about ways to make friends with your goals and your creative process so they don't punch you in the face and leave you for dead in the land of broken resolutions.
Join Nat and PJ in conversation with debut author Dana Swift about writing romance and magic that readers will devour.
Join Nat & PJ in conversation with cartoonist and NYT Bestseller Bob Eckstein about 2020 and finding creativity under the rubble of stress.
Join Nat & PJ in conversation with Dr. Georgianna Miller for an episode all about meeting reading goals and gifting books!
Nat & PJ interview Elayna Mae Darcy, 16 year NaNoWriMo participant, and Phillidelphia Municipal Liason. Join the conversation about the changes 2020 brings, and what's staying the same!
In this episode, Nat & PJ discuss media that inspired them to write and the stories they tell.
Come chat with us and EJ Wenstrom about building your author platform and the quest for the ever elusive work life balance.
Join Nat & PJ for an interview with writing coach and memoirist Nadine Kenney Johnstone. Nat describes this one as a balm for your creative soul...so don't miss it!
Join Nat & PJ for the first episode of the season! We try Story Telling On the Spot -- a new segment that follows (poorly) the story of Sheila the Instagram Catnapper. We'll also chat about Writing Community news, including upcoming events like Camp NaNoWriMo and RevPit. And finally, you won't want to miss our interview with writer and founder of Girls Write Out, Julie Owsik Ackerman!
Welcome our new co-host PJ Powell and a new segmented format! Join us as we talk about what we're reading, writing community news (Author Mentor Match submissions, anyone?), and our hopes for the show!