QWERTY Writing Life Podcast: Recent Episodes
QWERTY Writing Life
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith wrap up Season 5 with a grateful and reflective look back and a huge announcement for the future of QWERTY Writing Life Podcast. You will want to catch the news and find out what’s next for the QWERTYs and their friends.
Check out the links referenced in the show:
Joy’s LAM Summer Reading Challenge: https://joyerancatore.com/summer-reading/
Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Berries, Bridges and Books Conference: https://cmwriters.wixsite.com/creativemindswriters/conference
QWERTY Writing Life Season 1, Episode 21, “Allowing Faith in Your Art”: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-jmr7a-c0a873
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Author Joy E. Rancatore muses on the might of mindset in this special QWERTY interview with a creative. Mea Smith asks Joy clarifying and deepening questions to dive well below the surface of the topic and prompts her to share a special QWERTY challenge with listeners.
Tune in to be challenged, enlightened and motivated.
Check out the links referenced in the show:
Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Orna Ross’ three-hat mindset: https://ornaross.com/from-orna/indie-authors-three-hats/
Interview with a Creative: Mea Smith: Creativity and Our Worth
Episode Link: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/interview-with-a-creative-mea-smith-creativity-and-our-worth/YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/rkqe5Cqo_1w
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Author Mea Smith discusses her journey through determining her worth and shares epiphanies about how it connects to creativity in this special QWERTY interview with a creative. Joy E. Rancatore asks Mea foundational and process questions and prompts her to share a special QWERTY challenge with listeners.
Tune in to be inspired, enlightened and uplifted.
Check out the episode about Mea’s poetry book referenced in the show:
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 2, Episode 47: “A Poetic Arc: The Birth of a Poetry Book”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/a-poetic-arc-the-birth-of-a-poetry-book/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith dispel negative emotions toward motivation in the creative life for Episode 15 in Season 5 of QWERTY Writing Life.
They present a QWERTY theory about the aspects of motivation and two QWERTY-identified types of motivation. Personal examples from their recent creative lives show how they arrived at this candid chat. And, they end with ten observations about motivation and a practical implementation that flows into the QWERTY Challenge.
Check out the links referenced in the show:
Mea’s poetry book, Grief Like a River: https://storyswell.net/books
Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Recently, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith met with a group of writers on a college campus. One of the students asked a question that has spurred ongoing conversation between Mea and Joy … and this episode!
“What is your motivation to publish? What keeps your butt in the chair to finish a project and get it out there?”
Listen in as Joy and Mea share specific answers to how they achieved publication of some of their books as well as more general reasons behind why they choose to share in the first place.
They close out with a short but deep QWERTY Challenge that can help you answer these questions in your creative life.
Check out the links referenced in the show:
Mea’s poetry book, Grief Like a River: https://storyswell.net/books
Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Joy’s book Any Good Thing: https://joyerancatore.com/any-good-thing/
QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 5, Episode 12, “Balancing Vulnerability and Memories in Art”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/balancing-vulnerability-and-memories-in-art/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith highlight five benefits of writing across formats and genres in this episode of QWERTY Writing Life. They pull from their work and life experiences to exemplify each point and challenge listeners to add to the conversation.
Check out the links referenced in the show:
Joy’s Summer Reading Challenge: https://joyerancatore.com/summer-reading/
QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 3, Episode 17, “Fundamental Standards for Creatives”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/fundamental-standards-for-creatives/
Mea’s poetry book, Grief Like a River: https://storyswell.net/books
Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith approach a challenging topic in Season 5, Episode 12 of QWERTY Writing Life—how to balance vulnerability and memories in art. They offer five tips to avoid unhealthy bleeding out of emotions in public art while still seizing the opportunity to heal through creativity.
In addition to practical tips creatives can implement, Joy and Mea share personal examples from their own books to show how they’ve used or are using their tips to share emotional pieces with readers.
Check out the links referenced in the show:
Marching North hat tutorial on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GcXlu6eLz-U?si=r1urP90_FO_dVHOl
Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
QWERTY Writing Life Season 5, Episode 9, “What Is the Great Conversation?” https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/what-is-the-great-conversation/
QWERTY Writing Life Season 5, Episode 10, “Why Care About the Great Conversation?” https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/why-should-we-care-about-the-great-conversation/
QWERTY Writing Life Season 5, Episode 11, “How Do We Add to the Great Conversation?” https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/how-do-we-add-to-the-great-conversation/
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 5, Episode 5, Interview with a Creative: Dan Blank on Creative Place & Purpose podcast episode: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/interview-with-a-creative-dan-blank-on-creative-place-purpose/
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 5, Episode 5, Interview with a Creative: Dan Blank on Creative Place & Purpose podcast episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hIvSma0YZXk
Grief Like a River by Mea Smith: https://storyswell.net/books
This Good Thing by Joy E. Rancatore: https://joyerancatore.com/this-good-thing/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
In Season 5, Episode 11 of QWERTY Writing Life, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith answer the question, “How do we add to the Great Conversation?” To do that, they came up with four thoughts on the how of it all to round out this mini series on the Great Conversation.
Check out the episodes and books referenced in the show:
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 5, Episode 5, Interview with a Creative: Dan Blank on Creative Place & Purpose podcast episode: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/interview-with-a-creative-dan-blank-on-creative-place-purpose/
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 5, Episode 5, Interview with a Creative: Dan Blank on Creative Place & Purpose podcast episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hIvSma0YZXk
The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings by Philip and Carol Zaleski: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23526522-the-fellowship
The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29008738-the-bird-and-the-sword
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11337.The_Bluest_Eye
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith dive deeper into the topic of the Great Conversation as they answer the question, “Why Care About the Great Conversation?” They share three primary “whys” and then go further in regards specifically to literature with seven benefits to that creative medium.
Check out the book referenced in the show:
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith begin a few thoughts about the Great Conversation. In Episode 9 of Season 5’s QWERTY Writing Life, they seek to answer the question “What is the Great Conversation?”
Check out the links referenced in the show:
Joy’s 12 Days of Reading
https://www.facebook.com/groups/twelvedaysofreading
Simon Schama, The Power of Art https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19797.The_Power_of_Art
Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/588138.The_Hero_With_a_Thousand_Faces
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith encourage creatives to play this holiday season and jumpstart their creativity with prompts. In this episode of QWERTY Writing Life, they give five types of prompts for creatives and then share examples from their lives of how each can be used.
Check out the links referenced in the show:
Blog Battle: https://bbprompt.com/
Tales of the Faerie Shepherds (stories by Joy, many inspired by Blog Battle prompts): https://joyerancatore.com/my-writings/tales-of-the-faerie-shepherds/
Reedsy has a weekly writing prompt contest you can have fun with: https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/contests/
FOR A BONUS PROMPT AND IMPROMPTU EXAMPLES OF HOW IT’S USED BY BOTH JOY AND MEA:
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith continue season five’s extra candid format in an episode about sacrifice. They discuss people’s natural aversion to the word as well as the importance of it and how it ties into a creative’s life and art.
As with many other introspective topics, asking “What will you sacrifice for your art?” requires a balancing act. Joy and Mea share a few of their tendencies to tip to one extreme or another and some practical steps they have taken or are taking to avoid such imbalance.
Throughout the discussion, the authors weave in ways creatives can prepare themselves to answer the question, “What will you sacrifice for your art?”
Check out this link referenced in the show:
We Can Do Hard Things Podcast with Dr. Brené Brown, Episode 48, “How to Know Ourselves and Be Known by Our People”: https://shows.cadence13.com/podcast/wcdht/episodes/e77b5152-0180-4a59-8540-d8aa59e73c94
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith present perhaps their most candid QWERTY Writing Life episode yet. They don’t have any earth-shattering answers for the questions they pose on the topic of redefining self care. What they do have are honest reflections from their own lives and examples of how to redefine self care, specifically for the creative life.
As shared in the show, this is the QWERTY Definition of Self-Care:
How we care for ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually (all the ways that make us human beings) that enables us to pour into the people in our lives and into the responsibilities and opportunities we’ve accepted, without sacrificing personal peace (our own wholeness).
Check out the links referenced in the show:
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 5, Episode 5, Interview with a Creative: Creative Place & Purpose with Dan Blank: https://youtu.be/hIvSma0YZXk
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Dan Blank, founder of WeGrowMedia, visits QWERTY Writing Life and chats with authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith about Creative Place and Purpose.
He gives practical tips on how to take overwhelming aspects of the creative life—marketing, author platform, author purpose and mission statements, collaborations and audience—and make them manageable, approachable and even fun.
Dan also explains his "human-centered approach to marketing" and shows how it plays out in the lives of authors through real-life examples.
Learn more from Dan at these links:
Subscribe at Substack for his weekly newsletter that is always packed with inspiration and practical steps you can take to improve your creative life: https://danblank.substack.com/
Visit his website for more on his “human-centered approach to marketing” and his consultations for authors: https://wegrowmedia.com/
Follow him on Instagram or X for daily encouragement: https://www.instagram.com/danblank and https://twitter.com/DanBlank
And, of course, get your own copy of his creative life-altering book, Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience: https://bookshop.org/a/95576/9780998645216
(Note: This is Joy’s affiliate link for the book on bookshop.org. Thank you for supporting Dan, Joy and independent bookstores!)
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
In Season 5, Episode 4 of QWERTY Writing Life, Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith bring back a previous question, with a twist.
Where Is Your Art’s Place in the Creative World?
Answering where an artist fits in the creative world is one challenge that comes with easy to follow questions. Placing art, though, can be more complicated. Joy and Mea share three perspectives to ease the task and guide fellow creatives.
Check out the links referenced in the show:
QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 5, Episode 3: “Authors & Readers: Let’s Get Together!”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/authors-and-readers-let-s-get-together/
Joanna Penn’s interview with John Truby on The Creative Penn Podcast: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2022/11/28/anatomy-of-genre/
The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works, by John Truby: https://bookshop.org/a/95576/9780374539221 (This is Joy’s affiliate link for the book on bookshop.org, a fantastic online bookseller that gives back to independent bookstores.)
More on Carolina’s Legacy Collection—”Southern fiction with Christian roots”—by Joy: https://joyerancatore.com/my-writings/carolinas-legacy-collection/
QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 5, Episode 2: “Where Is Your Place in the Creative World?”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/where-is-your-place-in-the-creative-world/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith tackle a huge topic in this episode of QWERTY Writing Life: bringing Authors and Readers together.
They seek to reduce the overwhelm of the topic, though, through a set of six lessons they’ve learned over their years as Creatives.
Check out the links referenced in the show as well as a few suggestions for fellow authors seeking to identify their ideal readers:
QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 5, Episode 1, “Calibrate Your Creative Purpose”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/calibrate-your-creative-purpose/
QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 5, Episode 2: “Where Is Your Place in the Creative World?”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/where-is-your-place-in-the-creative-world/
Suggested Resources for Identifying an Ideal Reader:
Dan Blank’s book, Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience: https://wegrowmedia.com/bethegateway/
Dan Blank, We Grow Media consulting: https://wegrowmedia.com/work-with-us/
Belinda Griffin, Smart Authors Lab: https://smartauthorslab.com/about-smartauthorslab/
Kimberley Grabas, Your Writer Platform: https://yourwriterplatform.com/about/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Since childhood, people ask that loaded question: “Where Do I Fit In?” Creatives still ask that question, but with a twist:
“Where Is My Place in the Creative World?”
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith have asked the same question, and they’ve developed a three-tiered approach to help Creatives answer where they belong.
In this episode, Joy and Mea provide Creatives with 11 questions to answer. These prompts cover the first two tiers of finding your place in the creative world. The third tier—connecting with the right creative audience—will be covered more thoroughly in Episode 3 of Season 5.
To answer Where Is Your Place in the Creative World, decide who you are and what you want as a creative by answering these six questions:
1: What are your fundamental standards? What is your code of conduct or the set of standards that guide what and how you create?
2: Why do you have to create?
3: What do you want to create?
4: What are your goals for what you create?
5: What do you want to make people feel?
6: Envision yourself as a successful artist. Who’s around you? Where are you? How are you holding that success—are you headlining conferences as a keynote speaker or touring bookstores and libraries across the country or traveling while you create?
Next, look outside yourself to who you want beside you on your creative journey, by answering these five questions:
Question #1: Who do you want to support?
Question #2: What do you want to promote?
Question #3: What support would you like?
Question #4: How can you help fellow creatives? How are you willing to do this?
Question #5: What safeguards can you put in place to make sure you engage wisely in ways that are best for you and them?
Check out the links referenced in the show:
QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 3, Episode 17, “Fundamental Standards for Creatives”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/fundamental-standards-for-creatives/
QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 5, Episode 1, “Calibrate Your Creative Purpose”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/calibrate-your-creative-purpose/
Dan Blank’s book, Be the Gateway: https://wegrowmedia.com/bethegateway/
“Writing with Maggie Stiefvater” digital writing course: https://www.etsy.com/listing/806360184/writing-with-maggie-stiefvater-8-hour
Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Writer Moms Inc. Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Writermomsinc/
Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi): https://allianceindependentauthors.org/?affid=7767
Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA): https://www.ibpa-online.org/
Rom-Com Author Sharon Peterson: https://sharonmpeterson.com/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
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Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith have been prepping for a life-changing literary submission. As part of that, they must submit an Artist’s Statement. Neither of them was sure what that was, but after a bit of research, they discovered they’ve been crafting theirs for the past several years.
Listen in as they take this discovery and share how their statements have developed organically over their time as evolving creatives. In reference to their creative purposes, Joy and Mea explain how those important foundational details have adapted over time as they’ve grown as authors.
You will hear four practical steps to intentionally calibrate your creative purpose. The QWERTYs look forward to hearing about your implementation of these tips.
Check out the links referenced in the show:
QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 1, Episode 35, “Goal Planning with 2020 Vision, Part 1”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/goal-planning-with-2020-vision-part-i-template-for-goal-setting/
QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 3, Episode 17, “Fundamental Standards for Creatives”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/fundamental-standards-for-creatives/
Dan Blank’s book, Be the Gateway: https://wegrowmedia.com/bethegateway/
Subscribe to Dan Blank’s weekly newsletter, packed with great information and encouragement for creatives: https://wegrowmedia.com/contact-us/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith reflect on the fourth season of QWERTY Writing Life and celebrate the highlights while announcing plans for the future. Tune in for opportunities to weigh in on upcoming creative opportunities and a challenge to help you plan your next steps.
Check out the book and the previous episodes referenced in the show:
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 4, Episode 7, “Artist as a Work in Progress”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/artist-as-a-work-in-progress/
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 4, Episodes 11 and 12: “Creativity: Are You Sitting or Steeping?”
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creativity-are-you-sitting-or-steeping-part-1/
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creativity-are-you-sitting-or-steeping-part-2/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Season Four of QWERTY Writing Life has been full of productivity, surprises and lessons learned. Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith reflect on the season and the projects they have managed along the way.
Tune in for thoughts on embracing the finiteness of time and the depth we add to our creative selves when we simply live life and much more. The QWERTY Challenge is geared toward helping you celebrate your creative accomplishments.
Check out the book and the previous episodes referenced in the show:
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 4, Episode 13, “When Your Pivot Needs to Pivot”:
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/when-your-pivot-needs-to-pivot/
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 4, Episode 14, “Creatively Redeeming a Time Gap”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creatively-redeeming-a-time-gap/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith got together in person to complete the project they’ve been working on throughout Season Four. Tune in to hear how it went and what else the duo accomplished while they were together.
As usual, the QWERTYs have insights and tips to share through this candid chat from their creative lives.
Check out these links mentioned in the show:
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 4, Episode 14, “Creatively Redeeming a Time Gap”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creatively-redeeming-a-time-gap/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith understand what it’s like to feel stuck or uncertain in the creative process. They propose we all approach our creative endeavors from a new perspective, every now and then.
Tune in for six distinct creative perspectives, complete with examples from various mediums. Accept the QWERTY Challenge to share your own examples, as well as other perspectives you’ve utilized.
Check out these links mentioned in the show:
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Mea’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/measmithwrites/
Every Good Thing by Joy: https://joyerancatore.com/every-good-thing/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith found themselves with an unexpected time gap in their current creative project and found a way to creatively redeem that gift. Tune in for a few tips and tricks for making the most of the gift of time in this episode of QWERTY Writing Life.
Check out these links mentioned in the show:
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 4, Episode 1, “Choosing Your Next Project”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/choosing-your-next-project/
Joy’s New Reader Magnet: https://joyerancatore.com/my-writings/our-good-thing/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith share some words of wisdom for fellow creatives who find themselves in need of a double pivot. Creative processes require flexibility and introspection. When creatives try something new, it may work great; other times, though, that new approach may need some alterations.
Check out these links mentioned in the show:
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races: https://maggiestiefvater.com/novels/the-scorpio-races/
Writing with Maggie Stiefvater Seminar: https://www.etsy.com/listing/806360184/writing-with-maggie-stiefvater-8-hour
QWERTY Writing Life, “Benefits of Short Fiction, Part 1”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/benefits-of-short-fiction-part-1/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith follow up their previous episode with a look at how creative habits can keep us from falling into the procrastination trap and avoid stagnant sitting. From there, they offer practical tips to enhance the steeping stage and get all we can from times of percolation.
Check out these links mentioned in the show:
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
GOOD, Jocko Willink: https://youtu.be/IdTMDpizis8
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith discuss the difference between sitting and steeping, creatively speaking. Creatives can commonly fall into a time of procrastination or of percolation. Often, the line between the two can be a bit blurry, and we may not always recognize which one we are doing.
In episode 11 of season 4 of QWERTY Writing Life, Joy and Mea provide examples of each and leave you with two surefire ways to know which you’re doing.
Check out these links mentioned in the show:
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races: https://maggiestiefvater.com/novels/the-scorpio-races/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith continued discussion about new creative projects coming from past ones makes the perfect starting point for any creative considering a new work-in-progress.
They share the top five needs a Creative should meet in order to begin a new project.
Check out these links mentioned in the show:
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Any Good Thing and Carolina’s Legacy Collection: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/carolinas-legacy-collection
Grief Like A River behind-the-scenes video series: https://youtu.be/wd4YETMssRg
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 4, Episode 6, “How to Drop a Project”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/how-to-drop-a-project/
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 1, Episode 5: “Mea’s Theory of Fear”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/blockades-to-creating-part-5/
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 3, Episode 17, “Fundamental Standards for Creatives”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/fundamental-standards-for-creatives/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith chat about how past projects can fuel new creative works as they consider both internal and external sources for ideas. Packed full of examples, this episode includes the QWERTYs’ tips and suggestions with a two-part Challenge to get creatives started.
Check out the links mentioned in the show:
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Any Good Thing and Carolina’s Legacy Collection: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/carolinas-legacy-collection
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi: https://taherehmafi.com/book/shatter-me/
Grief Like A River behind-the-scenes video series: https://youtu.be/wd4YETMssRg
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith relay a piece of repeated advice from a new perspective. Creatives’ introspection benefits their work, their lives and so much more. Find out how in Season 4, Episode 8 and then go introspect yourself!
Check out these links mentioned in the show:
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith examine the idea of the artist as a work in progress. While Creatives’ products grow and evolve over time, so do the Creators. Joy and Mea discuss some surprising benefits to this reality as well as the source of their epiphany in this episode.
Check out these links mentioned in the show:
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
J.F. Penn’s Arkane series: https://jfpenn.com/book-tag/arkane/
Marie Forleo’s Instagram and quote: https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClKGswAjRCB/
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith asked themselves a tough question for this episode, “Are we willing to drop this project, even after years of blood, sweat and tears.” Their candid answer inspired reflection and epiphanies they had to share with fellow creatives.
For more about NaNoWriMo and the hosts’ book, head to these links:
National Novel Writing Month, AKA NaNoWriMo: https://nanowrimo.org/
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith decide to break it down and hug their elephant project … one small part at a time!
What projects are overwhelming you with their size today? Perhaps you can take the practical tips in this episode to hug your own gentle giant!
For more about the books mentioned in the show, here are the links:
Mea’s book, Grief Like a River: https://storyswell.net/books
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith continue work on their joint project, despite upheaval in their personal lives. Tune in to find out the next steps they’ve taken and decisions they’ve made; plus, you’ll hear a few tips for continuing a project when the wheels fall off!
If you’d like more information on previous episodes and other fun shareables mentioned in the show, here are the links:
Mea’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/measmithwrites/
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
The Relevancy of Creative Potential, Season 4, Episode 3: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/season-four-episode-three-creative-potential/
Creativity and Motherhood, QWERTY Writing Life, Season 2, Episode 49: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creativity-and-motherhood/
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Author Mea Smith takes a solo journey in episode three as she dives into whether defining creative potential is helpful or harmful. The answer might surprise you!
Links mentioned in this episode:
Go & Tell Gals, How Do I Live Up To My Potential?
https://open.spotify.com/episode/40yjvz0Gj5pFnZtlUFo6TW?si=L5NG8HZNSiaiJw7yAkcIOw
QWERTY Writing Life, Created to Create
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/created-to-create-1568658626/
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Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Join authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith as they share a candid conversation on the next step in their chosen project, their creative journeys, and their personal lives.
The following episodes pair well with this one:
Choosing Your Next Project: Season 4, episode 1: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/choosing-your-next-project/
Blockades to Creating, Part 1: Season 1, Episode 1:
https://youtu.be/OLv1RYkGQ-0
Blockades to Creating, Part 2: Season 1, Episode 2:
https://youtu.be/jc5aqcT1rcg
Blockades to Creating, Part 3: Season 1, Episode 3:
https://youtu.be/vfOb5cddZsQ
Blockades to Creating, Part 4: Season 1, Episode 4:
https://youtu.be/Im_OTfy_opk
Blockades to Creating, Part 5: Season 1, Episode 5:
https://youtu.be/lFcDw4i5Eew
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
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Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Season 4 of QWERTY Writing Life kicks off with a productive bang, as authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith share their approach to choosing the next QWERTY project.
Listen in as they recap their challenges, epiphanies, lessons learned and best tips for working together on choosing their next collaborative project.
If you’d like more information on episodes or products mentioned in the show, here are the links:
Fundamental Standards for Creatives, Season 3, Episode 17: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/fundamental-standards-for-creatives/
Alphasmart Neo 2—you have to buy this used, but here is a review we thought would be helpful: https://www.inputmag.com/reviews/the-alphasmart-neo-2-is-the-best-distraction-free-writing-tool-you-can-buy-right-now
FreeWrite: https://getfreewrite.com/
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife
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Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith reflect on their third season of QWERTY Writing Life and share your favorite episodes and theirs. They also share what the winds of change are blowing in for QWERTY Writing Life. Tune in for a peek at what’s coming!
If you’d like to listen to the episodes we mentioned in the show for the first … or fifteenth! … time, here are the links:
QWERTY Workshop: Starting a Story Together: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/qwerty-workshop-starting-a-story-together/
Realistic Creatives: Who They Are: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/realistic-creatives-who-they-are/
Productivity and Efficiency for Creatives: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/productivity-and-efficiency-for-creatives/
Realistic Creatives: How to be One: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/realistic-creatives-how-to-be-one/
Creative Hacks: Efficiency for Craft: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-hacks-efficiency-for-craft/
Creative Hacks: Efficiency for Outlying Factors: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-hacks-efficiency-for-outlying-factors/
Creative Hacks: Efficiency for Time: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-hacks-efficiency-for-time/
Creative Trust: Trusting Yourself in Creative Endeavors
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-trust-trusting-yourself-in-creative-endeavors/
A Creative Approach to Beginnings: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/a-creative-approach-to-beginnings/
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
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Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith answer the question, What’s Saving Our Creative Lives? Their answers come coated in candor and practicality.
Send them a message with your answers as well, and they might just read them on a future episode!
To learn more about the episode’s inspiration and the tools mentioned, visit the following links:
The Next Right Thing Podcast: Emily P. Freeman: https://emilypfreeman.com/podcast/222/
Aqua Notes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A3VJ7UK
Gold Bond Crepe Corrector Lotion: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YQX3SKH
Creative Trinity: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/caring-for-your-creative-trinity/
Remarkable: https://remarkable.com/
Subscribe for monthly QWERTY updates, delivered straight to your inbox: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Creatives tend to spend much of their valuable time “Waiting on the Muse.” Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith debunk some misconceptions and encourage fellow Creatives to journey with the Muse in mind.
Listen to Season 3, Episode 20, Creative Trust: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-trust-trusting-yourself-in-creative-endeavors/
Continue the conversation and stay in the know for all things QWERTY—subscribe to their monthly newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Creatives often discuss fear, but Fear of Success isn’t always up for discussion. The Fear of Success can cripple a Creative. It can render us incapable of producing creative works. It can trick us into not even trying. It can stifle our voice and convince us of every misbelief in the book that keeps us from reaching our full potential as creative entrepreneurs.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith take a stand against this monster and share their experiences, along with a few tips that have helped them create beyond the fear.
If this topic resonates with you, these previous episodes offer more weapons for your arsenal against fear of all kinds:
Creative Trust: Trusting Yourself in Creative Endeavors, Season 3, Episode 20: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-trust-trusting-yourself-in-creative-endeavors/
Fundamental Standards for Creatives, Season 3, Episode 17: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/fundamental-standards-for-creatives/
Mea’s Theory of Fear: Season 1, Episode 5: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/blockades-to-creating-part-5/
Here is the link for another mention in the show:
Emily Freeman and The Next Right Thing Podcast: https://emilypfreeman.com/podcast/
Continue the conversation and stay in the know for all things QWERTY—subscribe to their monthly newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Do you struggle with trusting yourself when it comes to your creative pursuits? Do you doubt your abilities or count your work’s worth short?
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith have been there, too. Tune in to this episode for a candid chat on the dangers of lacking creative trust and some of the misbeliefs that lead to such a mindset. Joy and Mea also share a few tips for how they overcome their self distrust.
Check out links for mentions from this episode:
Anna Bright, author of Beholder and Boundless: https://www.annabrightbooks.com/
Jordan Peterson, professor of psychology and promoter of Future Authoring: https://www.selfauthoring.com/future-authoring
Continue the conversation and stay in the know for all things QWERTY—subscribe to the monthly newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5.
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
How can creatives be prepared at all times for interactions with influencers or consumers of their art?
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith suggest Creative Kits. Investing time and resources into preparing these items—either hard copy or digital or both—allows creatives the freedom to make the most of any opportunity that comes their way.
In this episode, learn more about what these kits are, what they might include, how to put them together, where to house them and what tips Joy and Mea have to make your kits the best they can be.
How about some inspiration for your kits? Check out these links mentioned in the show:
Amy Harmon Book Club Kits: https://www.authoramyharmon.com/book-club-kits.html
Lisa See Book Club Kits: https://www.lisasee.com/about-lisa-see/book-clubs/
QWERTY Writing Life Media Kit: https://qwertywritinglife.com/contact
Joy’s Media Kit Page: https://joyerancatore.com/media-kit/
Joy’s Book Club Page (with Book Club Kit access): https://joyerancatore.com/book-clubs/
For more from the QWERTYs, subscribe to their monthly newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Business owners consider Focus one of the top tools of their trade, regardless of the type of work they do. Creative Business Owners are no different; in fact, as authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith share in this episode, Focus is an ever-changing constant for them. With each new season, they must reevaluate their Focus and determine how to achieve the goals that are most vital to their creativity and business at that time.
Follow these links to dig deeper into the topic:
Dan Blank’s website with more information about Creative Clarity Cards and Finding Your Ideal Reader: https://wegrowmedia.com/
Dan Blank, The Creative Shift Podcast, “Start the Year with Creative Clarity” (creative clarity cards): https://wegrowmedia.com/start-the-year-with-creative-clarity-podcast/
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 3, Episode 17: “Fundamental Standards for Creatives”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/fundamental-standards-for-creatives/
QWERTY Writing Life, Season 1, Episodes 10-12: “Benefits of Short Fiction” https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/benefits-of-short-fiction-part-1/
Mea’s books:
Grief Like a River (poetry): https://storyswell.net/books
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner (nonfiction): https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Writing with Maggie Stievfater Course: https://www.etsy.com/listing/806360184/writing-with-maggie-stiefvater-8-hour
For more from the QWERTYs, subscribe to their monthly newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at https://joyerancatore.com/links/.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith explore the importance of Fundamental Standards for Creatives. These core values or beliefs can be used as a tool to guide reactions to readers, publishers and reviewers or to influence business decisions. Listen in for definitions of Fundamental Standards and Touchstone Affirmations, examples from the authors’ own businesses and four action steps to turn this concept into practical use.
If you’d like to subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter, click this link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
You want to collaborate with a partner to produce something big—maybe a book? In this episode, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith bring you some tips that have helped them launch a nonfiction book, a podcast and a brand together.
In keeping with their candid style, Joy and Mea keep this topic real and raw and fun.
Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
If you’d like to subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter, click this link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith view a new year through a different lens. Join them for A Creative Approach to Beginnings. The key to approaching something new with lessons in tow might rest in spending a few extra moments with past failures or suffering.
Learn more about Abigail Dodds and her book, (A)Typical Woman: Free, Whole and Called in Christ, at her website: https://hopeandstay.com.
Find out more about Mea’s book, Grief Like a River, including where to get your own copy, on her website: https://storyswell.net/books.
If you want a free copy of the goals PDF mentioned at the beginning of the episode, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith take inspiration from the Writing with Maggie Stiefvater seminar and put their QWERTY twist on an exercise for a special workshop—Starting a Story Together.
Tune in for some tips on how to collaborate with a creative friend on a new type of project. How could a creative team-up boost your personal projects or pave the way for new opportunities in the future?
If you’re a writer, check out the highly recommended Writing with Maggie Stiefvater Course: https://www.etsy.com/listing/806360184/writing-with-maggie-stiefvater-8-hour
If you want to stay in the QWERTY know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
In this episode of QWERTY Writing Life, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith consider the topic “Filling the Creative Well” from a different perspective. They examine how consuming entertainment, for the creative, is a deeper pastime. Creative stimulation continues with the reflection afterward. With this combination of consuming entertainment with a creative spirit and a reflection on what it has given comes the incorporation of these new thoughts and ideas into personal creativity.
Check out some of Mea and Joy’s inspiration:
Alexandra Bracken: https://www.instagram.com/alexbracken/
Black Panther: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/
Shang Chi: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9376612/
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25883848
The Hating Game movie: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt8718158/
A Mouthful of Air podcast: https://amouthfulofair.fm
Mary Poppins: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0058331/
Mary Poppins Returns: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt5028340/
Saving Mr. Banks: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt2140373/
Magnolia Network, home of some of Joy’s favorite shows, “Fixer Upper,” “The Cabin Chronicles” and “Self Employed”: https://magnolia.com/network/
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith give thanks for the “little things.” Listen in to their candid chat about how the holidays often cause us to put on blinders to the good things around us. Those blinders keep our focus locked on to whatever big emotions we are feeling and how those feels are affecting us.
When we recognize the blinders for what they are and cast them aside, we can finally notice the “little things”—flowers, a breeze, the sunlight through the trees. Soon, these “little” things grow huge as they swell our gratitude. Living with a grateful heart allows us to approach the holidays without blinders and with a boost to our creativity.
If you’re looking for some gifts that give back, check out Sseko Fellow Laura Kee’s shopping page: https://ssekodesigns.com/laura
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Bingeing craft techniques allows Creatives to immerse themselves in learning or inspiration, but it’s not always possible in traditional ways. Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith color outside the lines with a few unusual ways to accomplish this feat.
They split bingeing into three categories and give examples of each from their own lives. Creatives can binge their craft through creative instruction, practice and consumption. As the co-hosts discuss, it’s important to explore all three to maintain a balanced creative life.
Visit the following links for recommendations from the show:
Writing with Maggie Stiefvater Course
Merriam-Webster Word of the Day
Oxford English Dictionary Word of the Day
NaNoWriMo
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
To close out this three-part series on Realistic Creatives, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith recap what they’ve learned and shared so far in order to answer one final practical question: “How can we alter our mindset to be a Realistic Creative … without wrecking our Dreamer status?”
Listen in to a previous episode mentioned in this show:
Season 1, Episode 35, Goal Planning with 2020 Vision, Part 1
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith continue a three-part series on Realistic Creatives. In this second episode, they identify a few characteristics of who Realistic Creatives are not.
Check out the links we mentioned in the show:
Writing with Maggie Stiefvater Course
Season 2, Episode 4: Getting the Most from Creative Instruction, Part 1
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith begin a three-part series on Realistic Creatives. In this episode, they set a foundation for the topic and identify a few characteristics of who Realistic Creatives are.
Check out these previous episodes that inspired the Realistic Creatives series:
Season 2, Episode 38: Creative Entrepreneurship: Little Steps Every Day
Season 3, Episode 2: Productivity & Efficiency for Creatives
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email to qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Creatives talk a lot about platform and branding. We create things, but we do that for others. If we don’t have a public presence, how will those “others” find our work?
Platform and branding takes time, though, so—you guessed it—authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith are hacking this too! Listen in on a few Creative Hacks to improve efficiency for platform and branding in this final in a five-part series.
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Creative business owners have a unique challenge to use both right and left sides of the brain to create and then to get the product out into the world. Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith share a few Creative Hacks to improve efficiency for business.
When you find ways to streamline tasks or utilize templates, you might find yourself with a little more time and/or mental capacity for the creative side we all prefer.
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
When it comes to their craft, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith love to learn. They may not be able to be students in the traditional sense, but they can wrangle a few creative hacks in order to keep learning while improving their efficiency for craft.
In this episode of QWERTY Writing Life, Joy and Mea share some hacks to deepen craft knowledge in an efficient manner. While their examples are specific to their own writing craft lives, these tips can be easily applied to other artistic mediums.
Want to check out our podcast series on Creative Critique Partners? This episode will get you started: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-defining-critique-partnerships/
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith take a bite out of time with another installment in their Creative Hacks series. Hear a few tips on finding Efficiency for Time. Joy and Mea share hacks that have worked for them and tips they’ve seen work for others.
Check out the links mentioned in the episode:
Tutorials that helped Mea cut her hair:
- https://youtu.be/pkGCgg_kzcE
- https://youtu.be/BPS3Ts_bZVI
Learn-Do-Become: https://learndobecome.com
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith took a deep look at what productivity and efficiency really are in the last episode. That led them to discuss Outlying Factors—those ever-changing, often evolving or unpredictable forces that somehow affect efficiency and therefore productivity.
In this first in a series on Creative Hacks, Joy and Mea tackle ways to improve efficiency where Outlying Factors are concerned. Listen in for a few overall tips, as well as some specific examples from the co-hosts’ creative lives.
Check out the links mentioned in the episode:
https://youtu.be/Q8ApZXWgJq4
https://5secondjournal.com
https://88cupsoftea.com/maggie-stiefvater/
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith set out on a mission to understand productivity and efficiency and how to better harness each for their creative endeavors. What they discovered was that they disagreed with the common use of productivity vs. efficiency and found the conjunction “and” to be a much nicer—and more accurate—joiner.
In true QWERTY style, Joy and Mea set up some QWERTY definitions for each of these words and took it a step further to identify a third category that greatly affects efficiency—and therefore, productivity. They call these “outlying factors” and examine what they are and how they can alter output for creatives.
This episode sets up the foundation for a following series on Efficiency Hacks for Creatives, which will begin with an episode full of hacks specific to these outlying factors.
Check out the links that either influenced or were mentioned in the episode:
Ben Mulholland, “Productivity vs. Efficiency”: https://www.process.st/productivity-vs-efficiency/
James Clear, “The Productivity Guide”: https://jamesclear.com/productivity
Tony Robbins’ Team, “What Is Productivity?”: https://www.tonyrobbins.com/productivity-performance/what-is-productivity-really/
Jeff Goins, “5 Productivity Hacks for Creative Writers”: https://thewritepractice.com/productivity-hacks/
Joanna Penn, “Productivity for Writers”: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/productivewriter/
QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 3, Episode 1, “Maximizing Creative Time”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/maximizing-creative-time/
QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 2, Episode 18, “Caring for Your Creative Trinity”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/caring-for-your-creative-trinity/
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Welcome to Season Three of QWERTY Writing Life!
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith are pumped to be back for a new season, and they’ve made several changes and additions to the QWERTY name. Listen in for the scoop, plus they’ve got some tips for you to Maximize Your Creative Time!
They have found a way to do more in the same amount of time by simply reallocating and maximizing the time they already had. Hear their tips and share your own via any of the new QWERTY links below!
Our new email address: qwertywritinglife@gmail.com
Our new Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/
Our new website: https://qwertywritinglife.com
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.
Join authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith for the final episode of Season Two of QWERTY Writing Life. They revisit your Top Ten favorite episodes and share their favorites as well. They let you know the highlights of their year—personally and QWERTY-ly—and close out with a tease for Season Three—yes, it’s coming!
If you want to stay in the know and help influence future episodes, subscribe to the monthly QWERTY Writing Life newsletter:
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Did you hear about an episode you missed or want to revisit? Find the links to listen below:
Episode 1: Kickstarting Personal Creativity https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/kickstarting-personal-creativity/
Episodes 4-6: Getting the Most from Creative Instruction, Parts 1-3 https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/getting-the-most-from-creative-instruction-part-1/
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/getting-the-most-from-creative-instruction-part-2/
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/getting-the-most-from-creative-instruction-part-iii/
Episode 7: Interview with Two Creatives’ Spouses: Tony Rancatore and Brent Smith
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/interview-with-two-creatives-spouses-tony-rancatore-and-brent-smith/
Episode 8: Take a Creative Page from Kids https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/take-a-creative-page-from-kids/
Episode 9: Learning from Creative Ideals https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/learning-from-creative-ideals/
Episode 13: Just Because: Lessons from Serenity
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/just-because-lessons-from-serenity/
Episode 14: If We Owned a Bookshop …
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/if-we-owned-a-bookshop-%e2%80%a6/
Episode 15: PREP for Success, Part 1 https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/prep-for-success-part-1/
Episode 18: Caring for Your Creative Trinity
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/caring-for-your-creative-trinity/
Episode 20: Interview with a Creative: Alexa Bigwarfe on Creating When Bad Things Happen https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/interview-with-a-creative-alexa-bigwarfe-on-creating-when-bad-things-happen/
Episodes 21-23: Creative Critique Partners
Defining Critique Partnerships: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-defining-critique-partnerships/
Evaluating Yourself: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-evaluating-yourself/
Choosing a Critique Partner: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-choosing-a-critique-partner/
Episode 27: Gratitude Amplifies Creativity
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/gratitude-amplifies-creativity/
Episode 34: Facing Creative Insecurity
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/facing-creative-insecurity/
Episode 36: Interview with a Creative: Chloe Rouse on Finding the Story in Creative Projects https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/interview-with-a-creative-chloe-rouse-on-finding-the-story-in-creative-projects/
Episode 46: Interview with a Creative: Camille Myrick on Capturing NOW Through Poetry and Process
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/interview-with-a-creative-camille-myrick-on-capturing-now-through-poetry-and-process/
Enjoy these other writer resources mentioned in this episode:
Women in Publishing Summit: https://womeninpublishingsummit.com
Alexa Bigwarfe’s Writing Through Grief Challenge: http://sunshineafterstorm.us/free-challenge-writing-grief/
Maggie Stiefvater’s Writing Course: https://www.etsy.com/listing/806360184/writing-with-maggie-stiefvater-2020
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Culinary Manager Tony Rancatore joins his wife, author Joy E. Rancatore, to discuss Culinary Creativity and how anyone can find ways to bring creativity to the kitchen. Listen in as he shares how the kitchen allows him a creative outlet and get some tips for how it could do the same for you.
Watch two of our favorite cooking shows:
Beat Bobby Flay, https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/beat-bobby-flay
Cajun Aces, https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/cajun-aces
Stay in the know about episodes, our speaking engagements and what goes on behind the microphones with our monthly QWERTY Writing Life Newsletter. You’ll also get the chance to influence our show’s content and be the first to know about big events! Here’s the link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Author Joy E. Rancatore reflects on some ways others’ creative legacies have impacted her life and expounds on how she actively seeks to promote creative legacy in her own life. She shares some ways legacy has played a role in her fiction and closes out the episode with a two-part challenge for reflection and action in regards to creative legacy.
Check out these important links mentioned in the episode:
Mea’s website where you can subscribe to her newsletter and be the first to know when her poetry book will be available: https://storyswell.net and her Instagram where you can watch her amazing progress on her book’s illustrations: https://www.instagram.com/storyswelljelly/
Subscribe to Joy’s semimonthly newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/s3k1w3
Read more about Joy’s Press and her grandparents whose creative legacy was a driving force in her entrepreneurship: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/about
For more information on Carolina’s Legacy Collection: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/carolinas-legacy-collection
Stay in the know about episodes, our speaking engagements and what goes on behind the microphones with our monthly QWERTY Writing Life Newsletter. You’ll also get the chance to influence our show’s content and be the first to know about big events! Here’s the link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Authors Kelsey Atkins and Rachael Ritchey join Joy E. Rancatore to discuss a special topic: Creativity and Motherhood. With Mother’s Day approaching in the U.S., they examine how creativity and motherhood complement one another and how children can inspire creativity in adults while adults do the same for children. Stick around for three QWERTY Challenges to send you off on a mission.
Get to know Rachael better:
https://www.rachaelritchey.com
https://www.instagram.com/RachaelRitchey
https://www.twitter.com/RachaelRitchey
https://www.facebook.com/RachaelRitcheyAuthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13513799.Rachael_Ritchey
Get to know Kelsey better:
http://kelseyatkins.com
https://twitter.com/AtkinsAuthor
Check out Rachael’s book design business: https://rrbookdesign.com
Check out Kelsey’s new editing job on Critique Match: https://critiquematch.com
Looking for inspiration? Visit the Blog Battle site: https://bbprompt.com
Stay in the know about episodes, our speaking engagements and what goes on behind the microphones with our monthly QWERTY Writing Life Newsletter. You’ll also get the chance to influence our show’s content and be the first to know about big events! Here’s the link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
As National Poetry Month rolls to a close, author Joy E. Rancatore considers Poetry’s Creative Effects on her life and the lives of others. She dives into some of her earliest memories that made her fall in love with the medium and analyzes some ways poetry has influenced her author life. To round out the month’s poetic emphasis, Joy reads a few of her poems.
If you haven’t watched a QWERTY episode on YouTube, this would be a great one for a switch. Joy will be sharing graphics with her poetry. While you’re there, subscribe to the QWERTY Writing Life channel and never miss an episode!
Check out these important links mentioned in the episode:
National Poetry Month: https://poets.org/national-poetry-month
Mea’s website where you can subscribe to her newsletter and be the first to know when her poetry book, Grief Like a River, will be available: https://storyswell.net
Last episode about Mea’s poetry book: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/a-poetic-arc-the-birth-of-a-poetry-book/
Poetry 101: Masterclass article about 15 types of poetry: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/poetry-101-learn-about-poetry-different-types-of-poems-and-poetic-devices-with-examples
Poem in Your Pocket Day: https://poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day
Find information about Joy’s speaking and teaching topics for kids, teens and adults or to book her for your co-op, school, library or other group or event: https://joyerancatore.com/speaking/
Stay in the know about episodes, our speaking engagements and what goes on behind the microphones with our monthly QWERTY Writing Life Newsletter. You’ll also get the chance to influence our show’s content and be the first to know about big events! Here’s the link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
You may have heard of character arcs, but have you ever considered how poetry books can have arcs? Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith discuss this poetic arc through the birth of Mea’s forthcoming debut poetry book, Grief Like a River. They examine how the shift—or arc—in Mea’s personal life and her understanding of the grieving process lead to this overall theme and arc for that theme and how each choice she’s made along the way (the poems chosen, edits made, publication path followed and title accepted) has brought us this deep book that’s currently in final production.
Check out these important links mentioned in the episode:
Mea’s website where you can subscribe to her newsletter and be the first to know when her poetry book will be available: https://storyswell.net
“Finding Your Creative Medium” QWERTY episode: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/finding-your-creative-medium-1617049715/
“Creative Women: Past, Present and Future” QWERTY episode: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-women-past-present-future/
National Poetry Month: https://poets.org/national-poetry-month
Stay in the know about episodes, our speaking engagements and what goes on behind the microphones with our monthly QWERTY Writing Life Newsletter. You’ll also get the chance to influence our show’s content and be the first to know about big events! Here’s the link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith welcome author, poet and YouTuber extraordinaire Camille Myrick on their spring Interview with a Creative episode. They discuss the themes in Camille’s poetry and how she juggles her creative projects, all while capturing the now through poetry and process. Camille closes out with a simple but powerful QWERTY Challenge for us all.
Get to know more about Camille:
https://www.instagram.com/camillemyrick/
http://youtube.com/camillemyrick
https://twitter.com/camille_myrick
https://www.facebook.com/camillemyrick/
Check out these fine resources, tools and books mentioned in the episode:
Remarkable Tablet: https://remarkable.com
Alphasmart Neo 2 Word Processor: https://www.amazon.com/Neo2-Alphasmart-Processor-Keyboard-Calculator/dp/B00T0ZG06O
A Flash of Words Anthology: http://www.scoutmediabooksmusic.com/a-flash-of-words-2
Ellen Hopkins: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Ellen-Hopkins/20799681
Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi: https://www.goodreads.com/series/65730-shatter-me
National Poetry Month: https://poets.org/national-poetry-month
Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell, folk horror: https://www.littlebrown.com/contributor/daniel-woodrell/
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn: https://www.gillian-flynn.com/books/sharp-objects-movie-tie-in-tr/sharp-objects-mm
The Devil All the Time by Daniel Ray Pollock: http://donaldraypollock.net
The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel: https://amyengel.net
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27161156-hillbilly-elegy
Hell in the Heartland by Jax Miller: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52218496-hell-in-the-heartland
The Current by Tim Johnston: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36387759-the-current
Stay in the know about episodes, our speaking engagements and what goes on behind the microphones with our monthly QWERTY Writing Life Newsletter. You’ll also get the chance to influence our show’s content and be the first to know about big events! Here’s the link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
How do you find your creative medium? In this special throwback episode of QWERTY Writing Life, we’re discussing how it took us a while to land on the one creative outlet that makes our hearts sing. We’ll send you away with a special challenge to help you find yours as well.
Stay in the know about episodes, our speaking engagements and what goes on behind the microphones with our monthly QWERTY Writing Life Newsletter. You’ll also get the chance to influence our show’s content and be the first to know about big events! Here’s the link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
In this throwback episode of QWERTY Writing Life, we highlight the inspiration many women have filled us with as we pay a tribute to the Creative Women of Our Past, Present and Future. They have each found creative ways to make our world a better place now and for the women of the future.
Here are all the amazing links we mentioned in this episode. Talk about INSPIRATION!
Article about books relating to the women behind the moon mission: https://milspousefest.com/7-books-tell-real-story-women-behind-moonshot/
Article about who really invented the cotton gin: http://historyexplorer.si.edu/sites/default/files/Content/Who%20Invented%20the%20Cotton%20Gin.pdf
Article about Margaret Knight: https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/margaret-knight
Lisa See’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: https://www.lisasee.com/books-new/snow-flower-and-the-secret-fan/
Lisa See’s The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane: https://www.lisasee.com/books-new/
Writer Moms Inc.: https://www.writermomsinc.com
Article about Sojourner Truth: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/sojourner-truth
Another article about Sojourner Truth: https://www.nps.gov/articles/sojourner-truth.htm
Kerri Washington interpreting the “Ain’t I a Woman” speech: https://youtu.be/Ry_i8w2rdQY
Article about Hedy Lamarr: https://www.thewonderwomenproject.org/pages/biography-of-hedy-lamarr
Gaman Video: https://youtu.be/qch1YY5oMWE
Amy Tan’s website: http://www.amytan.net
Michelle Keener’s website: https://www.michellekeener.com
Rachael Ritchey’s website: https://rachaelritchey.com
Kelsey Atkins’ website: http://findingthelightseries.com/author/kelseyatkins37/
Write Publish Sell website: http://writepublishsell.co
Maggie Stiefvater’s website: http://maggiestiefvater.com
Mo Willems Lunch Doodles: https://youtu.be/RmzjCPQv3y8
Stay in the know about episodes, our speaking engagements and what goes on behind the microphones with our monthly QWERTY Writing Life Newsletter. You’ll also get the chance to influence our show’s content and be the first to know about big events! Here’s the link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Are you a lifelong learner? Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith proudly claim to be, and they’re giving you four benefits to learning for life in Episode 43 of QWERTY Writing Life. Find inspiration in some quotes they found and consider how you can learn more this week. As with every QWERTY episode, you will leave this podcast with a Challenge to kickstart or continue your own learning journey.
Stay in the know about episodes, our speaking engagements and what goes on behind the microphones with our monthly QWERTY Writing Life Newsletter. You’ll also get the chance to influence our show’s content and be the first to know about big events! Here’s the link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Check out a few friends we mentioned in the show:
Stacie Eirich, author and singer: http://writerstacieeirich.blogspot.com
The Book & the Bean: https://www.thebooknookstore.com
Rachael Ritchey, book designer and formatter extraordinaire: https://rachaelritchey.com/book-design-by-rachael/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Join authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith in Episode 42 of QWERTY Writing Life for a recap of some of what they learned from the 2021 Women in Publishing Summit. They also talk about their current challenges and works in progress and share how their “creative trinity” is looking these days. They close out with a QWERTY Challenge that will help you evaluate how your creative life is going.
Stay in the know about episodes, our speaking engagements and what goes on behind the microphones with our monthly QWERTY Writing Life Newsletter. You’ll also get the chance to influence our show’s content and be the first to know about big events! Here’s the link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Check out these other links mentioned in the show:
Creative Trinity episode: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-am2rh-ed62d1
Getting the Most from Creative Instruction episodes: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/getting-the-most-from-creative-instruction-part-1/
Rachael Ritchey, book designer and formatter extraordinaire: https://rachaelritchey.com/book-design-by-rachael/
Mea’s Story Swell site & newsletter signup: https://storyswell.net
Marie Howe: http://www.mariehowe.com/books-2
Billy Collins MasterClass: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/billy-collins-teaches-reading-and-writing-poetry
Thanks for using our affiliate link to check out the 2021 Women in Publishing Summit: https://joyerancatore--writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/2021-wip-conference/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
How many forms can one story take? What makes a story live and thrive in one medium but not another? Does the answer lie in the consumer of the art, in the producer of the art or in the art itself?
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith discuss some of their favorite books to movies or paintings to books to movies or movies to songs in Episode 41 of QWERTY Writing Life.
Stay in the know about episodes, our speaking engagements and what goes on behind the microphones with our monthly QWERTY Writing Life Newsletter. You’ll also get the chance to influence our show’s content and be the first to know about big events! Here’s the link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Humor, truth and introspection collide in Episode 40 of QWERTY Writing Life. Hear a few examples of What NOT to Say to a Writer, as authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith share some they’ve heard. They continue with a few of the many kind things they’ve been told and discuss some of the purposes behind the good, bad and ugly statements creatives often face.
Subscribe to our monthly QWERTY Writing Life Newsletter!!! Stay in the know about episodes, our speaking engagements and what goes on behind the scenes. You’ll also be the first to know about big events and get the chance to influence our show’s content! Here’s the link: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5
Mea's Newsletter Sign-Up: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/r2r2z1
Joy's Newsletter Sign-Up: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/s3k1w3
Thanks for using Joy’s MailerLite affiliate link: https://www.mailerlite.com/invite/0a3dc8e0a9206
Thanks for using our affiliate link to check out the 2021 Women in Publishing Summit: https://joyerancatore--writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/2021-wip-conference/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Life sometimes throws unexpected curve balls our way. When huge life events alter a creative’s productivity or future, what do they owe their audiences? Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith tackle this issue in Episode 39 of QWERTY Writing Life and offer a few tips to prepare before something big happens.
Visit the links mentioned in this episode:
“Sharing You with the World,” QWERTY Writing Life, Season 2, Episode 12: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/sharing-you-with-the-world/
Mea’s new website, Story Swell: https://storyswell.net
Brené Brown: https://brenebrown.com
Information about the release of the early Hemingway letters: https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/01/16/famous-correspondence/
Thanks for using our affiliate link to check out the 2021 Women in Publishing Summit: https://joyerancatore--writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/2021-wip-conference/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
The world might make us think creative entrepreneurs are all overnight successes, but authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith set the record straight in Episode 38 of QWERTY Writing Life. With the inspiration of some entrepreneurs—including the one and only Dolly Parton—Joy and Mea discuss common themes in successful business owners and the little steps striving entrepreneurs can take every day.
If you’re a creative entrepreneur who struggles with taking those little steps every day and wonders if you should keep going—or get started—here are questions for your reflection as you work on this week’s QWERTY Challenge:
- Are you not capitalizing on the experiences you’ve had or considering ways to use what you know to do what you want?
- Do you listen to the negative Nancys and let them determine your mindset, allowing them to derail your dreams and stop you before you even get started?
- Do you let yourself remain stuck in how you think business should look or do you limit yourself because you don’t know how to do something or you’re scared of technology you don’t understand?
- Do you let yourself get easily discouraged when things take way longer than you think they will?
Visit the links mentioned in this episode:
Dolly Parton’s Q&A with Squarespace: https://www.squarespace.com/5to9
A look at entrepreneurial success: https://www.squarespace.com/blog/from-side-hustle-to-success
Two brothers’ oyster bar empire story: https://www.squarespace.com/blog/how-two-brothers-turned-an-oyster-bar-into-an-empire
Interview with Creative Chloe Rouse Armstrong: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/interview-with-a-creative-chloe-rouse-on-finding-the-story-in-creative-projects/
Jocko Willink’s leadership book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250183863
Jocko Willink’s “Good” video: https://youtu.be/IdTMDpizis8
Kid entrepreneurs: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5051-young-entrepreneurs.html
Mea’s cover designer, Rachael Ritchey: https://rrbookdesign.com
This Good Thing by Joy E. Rancatore: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/this-good-thing
Snail on the Wall pop-up bookseller in Huntsville, AL: https://www.snailonthewall.com
Forged in Fire TV show: https://www.history.com/shows/forged-in-fire
Little Coffee Camper, mobile coffee shop in Slidell, LA (and surrounding areas): https://www.facebook.com/LittleCoffeeCamper1/
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: https://imaginationlibrary.com
Castle TV show: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1219024
Alex and Emma movie: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0318283
Lauren DeStefano, author: https://laurendestefano.com
Rachel Hollis, author: https://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Hollis/e/B00J237V5I
Thanks for using our affiliate link to check out the 2021 Women in Publishing Summit: https://joyerancatore--writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/2021-wip-conference/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Have you found yourself stalled in creative endeavors because of insecurity? Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith reflect on their own experiences in Episode 37 of QWERTY Writing Life. They share the highs and lows of their creative lives, while highlighting the steps they take in Facing Creative Insecurity.
Visit the links mentioned in this episode:
Season 1, Episode 5: Theory of Fear https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/blockades-to-creating-part-5/
Thanks for using our affiliate link to check out the 2021 Women in Publishing Summit: https://joyerancatore--writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/wip-2021-free/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Spoiler alert! Finding the Story in Creative Projects centers around listening and being present in each moment. Multimedia Storyteller Chloe Rouse Armstrong joins authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith in Episode 36 of QWERTY Writing Life to share how she’s learned this important truth and what it looks like in her daily life. As a marketer by day and photographer/videographer all the time, Chloe gets up close and personal with people’s stories. She’s learned the value in setting ego and preconceived notions aside and opening herself up to truly hearing the person before her and seeing their stories from a different angle. Chloe ends this winter "Interview with a Creative" with a QWERTY Challenge that will have you discovering special moments and stories all around you each day.
Visit Chloe and see her inspirational storytelling at these links:
Chloe’s website: http://www.crmultimedia.com
Chloe’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chloerousemultimedia/
Chloe’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChloeRouseMultimediaStorytelling
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith turn their attention to the future in Episode 35 of QWERTY Writing Life. Grab your favorite drink or head out on a jog or snuggle in by a roaring fire to listen in on what Joy and Mea have planned for 2021. Take a moment afterward to drop them a line at the email below to share your words, intentions and affirmations for the new year.
Visit the links mentioned in this episode:
Season 1, Episode 35; Goal-Planning with 2020 Vision, Part 1: Template for Goal-Setting
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/goal-planning-with-2020-vision-part-i-template-for-goal-setting/
Season 1, Episode 36; Goal-Planning with 2020 Vision, Part 2: Goals in Action https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/goal-planning-with-2020-vision-part-ii-goals-in-action/
Season 1, Episode 37; Interview with a Creative: Joanna Penn
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/interview-with-a-creative-joanna-penn-on-evolution-of-creativity/
Season 1, Episode 38; Our Affirmations for the 2020s
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/our-affirmations-for-the-2020s/
Learn, Do, Become dot com: https://learndobecome.com
Season 2, Episode 18; Caring for Your Creative Trinity: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/caring-for-your-creative-trinity/
Season 2, Episode 10; Goals Disrupted: Perseverance Despite a Pandemic
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/goals-disrupted-perseverance-despite-a-pandemic/
Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
The Author Shoppe: https://www.facebook.com/Hemingbear
Little Free Libraries: https://littlefreelibrary.org
Joyce Carol Oates’ short story MasterClass: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/joyce-carol-oates-teaches-the-art-of-the-short-story
Holly Lisle’s courses: https://hollyswritingclasses.com
Joy’s Editing Services for Indie Authors: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/editing
Seizing Creative Success, Part 1: Alterations and Accomplishments: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/seizing-creative-success-part-1-alterations-and-accomplishments/
Seizing Creative Success, Part 2: Lessons Learned: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/seizing-creative-success-part-2-lessons-learned/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
In Episode 34 of QWERTY Writing Life, the second of a three-part series, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith share some of their lessons learned in 2020. They weren’t all about writing, but isn’t all of life connected to our writing? Listen in to their candid confessions and drop them a line or two at the email address below to let them know what 2020 taught you.
Visit the links mentioned in this episode:
Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits; https://youtu.be/Q8ApZXWgJq4
Subscribe to Joy’s newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dxjnzb
Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/books/big-magic/
Boundaries by Henry Cloud: https://www.drcloud.com/books/boundaries
Dare To Lead By Brené Brown: https://daretolead.brenebrown.com/workbook-art-pics-glossary/
Seizing Creative Success, Part 1: Alterations and Accomplishments: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/seizing-creative-success-part-1-alterations-and-accomplishments/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
2020 wasn’t the year anyone thought it would be, but that didn’t stop authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith from altering their plans and accomplishing things anyway. Tune in to Episode 33 of QWERTY Writing Life to hear how their year ended and then let them know how your 2020 went. Were you able to “Pivot!”
Visit the links mentioned in this episode:
Season 1, Episode 35; Goal-Planning with 2020 Vision, Part 1: Template for Goal-Setting
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/goal-planning-with-2020-vision-part-i-template-for-goal-setting/
Season 1, Episode 36; Goal-Planning with 2020 Vision, Part 2: Goals in Action https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/goal-planning-with-2020-vision-part-ii-goals-in-action/
Season 2, Episode 10; Goals Disrupted: Perseverance Despite a Pandemic
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/goals-disrupted-perseverance-despite-a-pandemic/
This Good Thing by Joy: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/this-good-thing
Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find & Keep Your Writing Critique Partner by Joy and Mea: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Thanks for using Joy’s affiliate link to check out the 2021 Women in Publishing Summit: https://joyerancatore--writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/wip-2021-free/
Getting the Most from Creative Instruction, Part I QWL Episode: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/getting-the-most-from-creative-instruction-part-1/
Marie Kondo: https://konmari.com
Maggie Stiefvater’s Writing Course: https://www.etsy.com/listing/806360184/writing-with-maggie-stiefvater-2020
Lindsay Eagar’s 80/20 Course: https://www.lindsayeagarbooks.com/8020
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
In this new year, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith encourage you to be brave, be bold, be … collaborative! Listen to Episode 32 of QWERTY Writing Life for some practical ways you can harness the power of creative relationships and potentially change the course of your creative futures.
Visit these links for a few things mentioned in this episode:
Maggie Stiefvater’s writing course: https://www.etsy.com/listing/806360184/writing-with-maggie-stiefvater-2020
Pomodoro Technique: https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Must you resign yourself to creating at the mercy of fickle inspiration’s timetable? Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith say, “Absolutely not!” In Episode 31 of QWERTY Writing Life, hear some practical tips to lasso your muse and make it work with you, not against you.
Visit the links mentioned in this episode:
MasterClass with Billy Collins, former U.S. Poet Laureate: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/billy-collins-teaches-reading-and-writing-poetry
Billy Collins, poet: https://billycollinspoetry.com
Marie Howe, poet: http://www.mariehowe.com
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Want to plan a creative retreat but think you can’t afford it? Think again! Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith give you some tips to retreat and create in style AND on a budget. Tune in to Episode 30 of QWERTY Writing Life and be sure to share it with all your creative friends.
Visit the links mentioned in this episode:
Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com
The “Chickie’s Roost,” our amazing Airbnb for our QWERTY Writing Retreat: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18835830?s=67&unique_share_id=904f6697-4078-412c-a5c0-3605ce621fc0
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Go behind the scenes to watch a poetry critique in progress. In Episode 29 of QWERTY Writing Life, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith examine a new poem for Mea’s upcoming poetry book.
Visit the links mentioned in this episode:
MasterClass with Billy Collins, former U.S. Poet Laureate: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/billy-collins-teaches-reading-and-writing-poetry
For more information on the book Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers.
QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Creative Critique Partners, Episode 1: Defining Critique Partnerships: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-defining-critique-partnerships/
Merriam-Webster, the preferred dictionary for publishing: https://www.merriam-webster.com
The Chicago Manual of Style, the preferred stylebook for the publishing world: https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
It’s time for tinsel, twinkle lights and traditions, but it’s easy for those traditions to become something we have to do ... just because. Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith decided to share their thoughts on this topic—including some of their own traditions—and discuss some creative ways to keep the spirit in traditions and the Scrooge out.
Visit the previous episode mentioned:
Creating During the Holidays, QWERTY Writing Life Season 1, Episode 33: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creativity-during-the-holidays/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
We can probably all agree this year hasn’t been kind to our creativity. But, how is our gratitude? And, can the second influence the first?
Spoilers: it absolutely can!
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith discuss how Gratitude Amplifies Creativity and share some examples from their lives in Episode 27 of QWERTY Writing Life. Plus, they share their Top Ten Thanks Lists to get us all in the spirit of a gratitude attitude.
Visit Joy’s link mentioned in this episode, plus several articles on the topic of gratitude and creativity:
“What Do You Get to Do?” by Joy E. Rancatore https://www.joyerancatore.com/2018/05/03/what-do-you-get-to-do/
“The Surprising Connection Between Gratitude and Creativity” by Linda Naiman https://www.creativityatwork.com/2015/12/01/what-is-the-connection-between-creativity-and-gratitude/
“How Gratitude Can Make You More Creative and Innovative” by Kate L. Harrison https://www.inc.com/kate-l-harrison/how-gratitude-can-make-you-more-creative-and-innovative.html
Three articles about the correlation between creativity and innovation and gratitude and positivity https://99u.adobe.com/articles/64985/gratitude-goes-a-long-way-to-increase-creativity-and-innovation
Thank Your Muse: Gratitude Enhances Creativity by Grant Faulkner (written to writers specifically) https://medium.com/nanowrimo/thank-your-muse-gratitude-enhances-creativity-88f8e087b60e
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith round out their six-part series on Creative Critique Partners in Episode 26 of QWERTY Writing Life. They close out this topic with some helpful tips for Receiving a Critique, plus a few best practices to ensure your partnership lasts through the seasons of life.
Here are some positive quotes Mea and Joy wrote for you as you go through the critiquing process. Feel free to print them out and tape them to your computer or put them up on a mood board for inspiration. And, of course, you can always write your own!
All criticism burns. The blister is a sign that you care, and caring is a necessary component of good art. ~ Mea Smith
Through a careful un-layering of our writing, we find the precious gems and veins of gold. Put back together without the dirt, our story can finally shine. ~ Joy E. Rancatore
My worth doesn’t hinge on the response to my art. ~ Mea Smith
Thoroughly critiqued now, my work can stand resolute against critics later. ~ Joy E. Rancatore
For more information on the book Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers.
And, check out the other episodes in this series:
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 1: Defining Critique Partnerships: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-defining-critique-partnerships/
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 2: Evaluating Yourself: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-evaluating-yourself/
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 3: Choosing Your Critique Partner: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-choosing-a-critique-partner/
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 4: Preparing for a Critique: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-preparing-for-a-critique/
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 5: Giving a Critique: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-giving-a-critique/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Welcome to this fifth in a six-part series of episodes about Creative Critique Partners. Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith break down how to effectively give a critique in Episode 25 of QWERTY Writing Life. Effectively giving a critique rests in clear communication and our tone.
For more information on the book Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers.
And, check out the other episodes in this series:
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 1: Defining Critique Partnerships: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-defining-critique-partnerships/
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 2: Evaluating Yourself: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-evaluating-yourself/
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 3: Choosing Your Critique Partner: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-choosing-a-critique-partner/
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 4: Preparing for a Critique: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-preparing-for-a-critique/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Preparation and Communication are the two keys to successful critiques. Learn more about how you can prepare for your first critique … or your fiftieth … in Episode 24 of QWERTY Writing Life. Join authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith for this fourth in a six-part series on Creative Critique Partners.
For more information on the book Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers.
And, check out these links mentioned in the episode:
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 1: Defining Critique Partnerships: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-defining-critique-partnerships/
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 2: Evaluating Yourself: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-evaluating-yourself/
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 3: Choosing Your Critique Partner: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-choosing-a-critique-partner/
Cover Designer Rachael Ritchey: https://rachaelritchey.com/book-design-by-rachael/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Now that you have a working definition of what a critique partner can be and you’ve built a foundation of understanding of who you are and what you want in your creative life, it’s time to proceed to Choosing a Critique Partner. Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith take the knowledge they present to writers in their book, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner, and adapt it to all creatives in this series on Creative Critique Partners. In Episode 23 of QWERTY Writing Life you will hear more tips and tools to help you know your creative self better and then to get to know potential critique partners.
For more information on the book Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers.
And, check out these links mentioned in the episode:
The Author Shoppe: https://www.facebook.com/Hemingbear
Alone in a Room with Invisible People with Holly Lisle and Rebecca Galardo, (Mea’s story starts 1 hour and 10 minutes into this episode): https://www.alonewithinvisiblepeople.com/posts/episode-16-halloween-special-listener-edition/
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 1: Defining Critique Partnerships: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-defining-critique-partnerships/
Creative Critique Partners, Episode 2: Evaluating Yourself: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-evaluating-yourself/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith bring you the second in a six-part series on Creative Critique Partners in Episode 22 of QWERTY Writing Life. This week, they’re encouraging you with tips on Evaluating Yourself. The foundation for any healthy relationship or partnership is to first know yourself intellectually, practically and emotionally.
Catch the first episode in this six-part series on Creative Critique Partners: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/creative-critique-partners-defining-critique-partnerships/
Check out Joy’s Time Tips: https://www.joyerancatore.com/2018/02/01/maximize-time-10-ways-to-do-it/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Ready for a new adventure? Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith begin a six-part series on Creative Critique Partners in Episode 21 of QWERTY Writing Life. In this first episode, they’ll be Defining Critique Partnerships. Following the outline of their book, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner, Joy and Mea draw on their experiences as writing critique partners to present tips for all creatives. Listen or watch along and ask questions or share your own critiquing experiences from the perspective of your creative medium.
Be sure to check out these links mentioned in the episode:
More info on the book Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Writer Moms Inc.: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Writermomsinc
Mea’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/measmithwrites/
St. Tammany Parish Library Teen Writing Workshops: https://stpl.bibliocommons.com/events/5f7256c97f19a73900f8401d and https://stpl.bibliocommons.com/events/5f7256c97f19a73900f8401e
Mea’s Trip Locations
Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, Jackson, MS: https://www.mdwfp.com/museum.aspx
The Bridge of Sighs, Natchez, MS: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/mississippi/enjoy-sweeping-views-in-ms-at-natchezs-bridge-of-sighs/
Mississippi Aquarium, Gulfport, MS: https://www.msaquarium.org
Global Wildlife Center, Folsom, LA: https://globalwildlife.com
Orna Ross: https://www.ornaross.com
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Publisher, authorpreneur and activist Alexa Bigwarfe joins authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith in Episode 20 of QWERTY Writing Life for a special Interview with a Creative. In this candid chat, Alexa shares her experiences with Creating When Bad Things Happen. Listen in for tips on coping and ways to rise above the pain to pursue passions.
Grab your FREE Writing Through Grief Challenge from Alexa at this link: http://writepublishsell.co/writing-grief-free-5-day-challenge/
Connect more with Alexa in these online locations:
Women in Publishing website with info on the FREE October 2020 showcase and March 2021 Summit: https://womeninpublishingsummit.com
Kat Biggie Press: https://katbiggiepress.com
Write|Publish|Sell Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/WritePubSell
And, check out these other links mentioned in the episode:
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/97395/bird-by-bird-by-anne-lamott/
Mark Groves, human connection specialist: https://www.instagram.com/createthelove/
Emily in Paris: https://www.netflix.com/title/81037371
Chris Hemsworth motivational video [for the ladies!]: https://youtu.be/YDPrMZr2E1o
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith check in with one another’s creative endeavors in Episode 19 of QWERTY Writing Life. Join them for a candid chat of creative proportions!
Check out these links mentioned in the episode:
Creative Trinity episode: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-am2rh-ed62d1
Writer Moms Inc. Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Writermomsinc/
Writer Moms Inc. website: https://www.writermomsinc.com
Mary Katherine Brown, artist: https://www.instagram.com/legendmary_/
Interview with a Creative episode with Brandon Odom: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-j7kky-c803f8
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Human beings are complex. No doubt about it. What makes us special isn’t just one thing, because we were created with minds, bodies and spirits. When we care for all three of those, we’re able to function at a whole other level in life … and in creativity. Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith delve into the “Creative Trinity” in Episode 18 of QWERTY Writing Life.
Check out the fantastic links mentioned in the episode:
Camille Myrick, author: https://www.instagram.com/camillemyrick/
Dare To Lead By Brené Brown: https://daretolead.brenebrown.com/workbook-art-pics-glossary/
Audra Cummings, fitness instructor: https://www.facebook.com/audra.cummings.98
The Author Shoppe: https://www.facebook.com/Hemingbear
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
We make hundreds of decisions every day. Have you ever considered the layers involved in your creative decisions? Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith examine these layers in Episode 17 of QWERTY Writing Life.
As promised, here are the links mentioned in the episode:
National Library Card Signup Month Information:
http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/card
Kim Howes Zabbia Facebook Live Video that sparked this topic: https://www.facebook.com/1879558628928885/videos/1065841317147500
QWERTY Writing Life Episode with Kim Howes Zabbia: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-48kgb-ba707a
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
If you find yourself uncertain when facing a new opportunity or hitting a wall in an ongoing project, the solution for success in moving forward could be to stop and PREP! Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith share the second half of their practical acronym and personal examples in Episode 16 of QWERTY Writing Life. These principles can apply to day jobs, creative endeavors and much more. Listen to an explanation of the first two steps in Episode 15 and then come back here for the second half.
Check out these mindset links we mention in the episode!
Marie Kondo: https://konmari.com
Mea’s Theory of Fear—Season 1, Episode 5: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/blockades-to-creating-part-5/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Do you find yourself uncertain about what to do when you tackle a new opportunity or hit a wall in an ongoing project? The recipe for success in moving forward could be to stop and PREP! Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith share their practical acronym and personal examples in Episode 15 of QWERTY Writing Life. These principles can apply to day jobs, creative endeavors and much more. Listen to an explanation of these first two steps in this episode and tune back in next week for the second half.
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith imagine themselves as bookshop owners. What do their imaginary shops look like? Find out in Episode 14 of QWERTY Writing Life! Join in the conversation and let them know what’s most important to you in your local independent bookstore or library. Drop them an email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com or shout it out on social media and tag Joy and Mea.
To learn more about Independent Bookstore Day, shop for cute swag and stay in the loop for next year, check out http://www.indiebookstoreday.com.
And, check out the book we mentioned and, of course, our local bookstores!
Ink by Elizabeth Hunter: https://elizabethhunterwrites.com/the-books/7th-and-main/ink/
The Author Shoppe in Hattiesburg, MS: https://www.facebook.com/Hemingbear/
Mary Lou’s Book Sack in Slidell, LA: https://mary-lous-book-sack.business.site
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Hop aboard for a geeky episode as authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith unpack a few of the many lessons they’ve learned from Joss Whedon’s Firefly … just because. Everything’s “shiny” in Episode 13 of QWERTY Writing Life, and you might consider one of your favorite shows, movies, books or other creative products in a different light once you listen.
Here are links to learn more about National Just Because Day, author Michael Rosen and illustrator Helen Oxenbury:
https://nationaltoday.com/national-just-because-day/
https://www.michaelrosen.co.uk
https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Helen-Oxenbury/1298466
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Do you have a public presence online? Have you considered what you should and shouldn’t put out for all the world to see? In Episode 12 of QWERTY Writing Life, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith highlight a few tips of how to handle the spotlight when you’re in doubt.
Here are links to learn more about the two authors mentioned in the episode:
Nadine Brandes: https://nadinebrandes.com
Glennon Doyle: https://momastery.com
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Do you fear losing your passion when your creative endeavor produces a paycheck? You’re not alone! In Episode 11 of QWERTY Writing Life, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith share their experiences with this fear in one creative endeavor where the loss of passion wasn’t worth the paycheck and in another where they’ve discovered habits to keep that creative spark shining brightly all the way to the bank.
Check out Joy’s blog post on a mindset shift from “have to” to “get to” here: https://www.joyerancatore.com/2018/05/03/what-do-you-get-to-do/.
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
How does your 2020 compare to the one you envisioned back in January? If you’re finding yourself discouraged by your lack of progress due to the world’s unrest, tune in to Episode 10 of QWERTY Writing Life for a little lift. Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith reflected on their original goals for the year and decided they couldn’t stay disappointed in themselves. In a year like none other, they present their Goals Disrupted: Perseverance Despite a Pandemic.
Check out Mea’s recently launched (and GORGEOUS) new website, Story Swell: https://storyswell.net.
For more information on the authors’ book, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers.
And, to learn more about the two courses mentioned:
80/20 Course by Lindsay Eager:
https://www.lindsayeagarbooks.com/8020
Maggie Stiefvater’s course: https://www.etsy.com/listing/806360184/writing-with-maggie-stiefvater-2020
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Who is your creative ideal? And, how can you learn from them? In Episode 9 of QWERTY Writing Life, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith share some of their creative ideals and the four-step process they use to learn the most from them. Adapt these steps to your favorite creative medium!
Do your own study with the links mentioned in the show:
Maggie Stiefvater’s course: https://www.etsy.com/listing/806360184/writing-with-maggie-stiefvater-2020
Joy’s blog post and list of fantasy books to read and study: https://www.joyerancatore.com/2020/04/09/training-to-write-fantasy/
The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren: https://christinalaurenbooks.com/books/the-honey-dont-list/
List of books by J.R.R. Tolkien: https://www.tolkiensociety.org/author/books-by-tolkien/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
In Episode 8 of QWERTY Writing Life, join authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith and take a creative page from kids! Joy and Mea have learned many lessons from their children and share some in this episode. As they discuss ways they’ve encouraged creative discovery in their kids’ lives, they realized the same principles applied to their own—and other adults’.
Following the four steps they share might just lead you to discover a new passion or—at the very least—a new appreciation for a different creative medium.
If you have creative kiddos (or you’re up for learning, too), here are a few links Mea mentioned for videos she and her kids enjoyed:
Dav Pilkey: https://pilkey.com
Narwhal and Jelly: https://www.narwhalandjelly.com/books/
Frog and Toad
Frog & Toad The Complete Collection: https://www.amazon.com/dp/000813622X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_X1GfFbQ9DGE11
Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems: https://youtu.be/RmzjCPQv3y8
Dude Perfect: https://www.youtube.com/user/corycotton
Primitive Building: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClo-U5gvXPRy-4VqWEkkRDg
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life.
Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
In Episode 7 of QWERTY Writing Life, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith chat with their husbands about their tips on how to have a relationship with a creative person. Tony Rancatore and Brent Smith impart some gems of wisdom for others who desire to support their creative significant others; plus, they share some great general marriage or relationship advice.
Special thanks to Brent Smith for creating and performing the intro music!
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
In Episode 6 of QWERTY Writing Life, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith share how their process for Getting the Most from Creative Instruction helped them with a recent seminar they took. They share some of the biggest lessons learned from the 2020 Writing with Maggie Stiefvater seminar and how they plan to implement them into their writing lives—and some ways they already have.
Joy was surprised to find herself already putting a few things into practice with her current work in progress. Mea has a brand new plan and goal, thanks to Maggie’s wise advice, combined with the influence of Lindsay Eager’s 80/20 workshop she also recently took.
Check out the two seminars we mention and our previous episodes in this series with the links below:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/806360184/writing-with-maggie-stiefvater-2020
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/getting-the-most-from-creative-instruction-part-1/
https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/getting-the-most-from-creative-instruction-part-2/
https://www.lindsayeagarbooks.com/8020
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
In Episode 5 of QWERTY Writing Life, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith give you some practical tips to get the most from creative instruction. With all the opportunities for learning through webinars, workshops and courses, it’s easy to access knowledge these days. The question is, are you harnessing it?
Joy and Mea grew frustrated with not having a system to unpack creative lessons and then implement them into their daily writing lives, so they developed one to share with you! In this second part, they outline the steps you can take during and immediately after your creative instruction to continue your learning success. They wrap it all up with ways to implement your new knowledge into a working action plan to accompany your future work.
For more about Maggie Stiefvater: http://maggiestiefvater.com
To get Maggie’s 8-hour video seminar for yourself: https://www.etsy.com/listing/806360184/writing-with-maggie-stiefvater-2020
For more about Joanna Penn: https://www.thecreativepenn.com
For more about Helen Scheuerer: https://helenscheuerer.com
To listen to Part 1 of this mini-series, visit the QWERTY Writing Life page: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/getting-the-most-from-creative-instruction-part-1/
If you would like a PDF of the tips and tricks we’ve outlined for Getting the Most from Creative Instruction, email us at editorial@logosandmythospress.com.
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
In Episode 4 of QWERTY Writing Life, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith give you some practical tips to get the most from creative instruction. With all the opportunities for learning through webinars, workshops and courses, it’s easy to access knowledge these days. The question is, are you harnessing it?
Joy and Mea grew frustrated with not having a system to unpack creative lessons and then implement them into their daily writing lives, so they developed one to share with you! In this first part, they explain what led them to create this system and outline the steps you can take before your creative instruction begins to set yourself up for learning success.
For more about Maggie Stiefvater: http://maggiestiefvater.com
To get Maggie’s 8-hour video seminar for yourself: https://www.etsy.com/listing/806360184/writing-with-maggie-stiefvater-2020
If you would like a PDF of the tips and tricks we’ve outlined for Getting the Most from Creative Instruction, email us at editorial@logosandmythospress.com.
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith close out a three-part series on Kickstarting Creativity in Episode 3 of QWERTY Writing Life. This time, it’s all about collaborations. Once you’ve kickstarted your own creativity and helped a friend do the same, how about teaming up for a unique creative collaboration? You might be surprised by what that can look like or where you might find it.
Check out the fabulous creatives we mentioned at all their special links:
Megan Lacourrege: https://www.mysiblingstill.com and https://www.instagram.com/mysiblingstillbook/
Brandee at Green Oaks Apothecary in Slidell, LA: https://www.facebook.com/greenoaksapothecary/ and https://www.instagram.com/greenoaksapothecary/
Whistlestop Brew Shop, Opelika, AL: https://www.whistlestopbrewshop.com
And on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whistlestopbrewshop/
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
In Episode 2 of QWERTY Writing Life, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith challenge you to help a friend who might have lost that creative feeling. Now that you’ve kickstarted your personal creativity after our first episode, it’s time to pay it forward and kickstart others’ creativity.
For more about Maggie Stiefvater check out her website: http://maggiestiefvater.com.
Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
Welcome to Season 2 of QWERTY Writing Life! Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith get the chats rolling with the first in a three-part series on Kickstarting Creativity. Episode 1 focuses on Kickstarting Personal Creativity. Joy and Mea offer some practical examples from their own lives of how to light a fire on the creative torch.
Check out links to the music and movies mentioned during the episode:
Jason Isbell: https://www.jasonisbell.com
Drive-By Truckers: https://www.drivebytruckers.com
Mandy Moore: https://mandymoore.com
Lori McKenna: http://www.lorimckenna.com
Princess Bride Movie: http://princessbrideforever.com
Music created and performed by Brent Smith.
Continue this week’s chat via email at editorial@logosandmythospress.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal or ring the bell on the QWERTY YouTube channel. For more information about the show and the QWERTY Writing Life author resource book series, head over to https://www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Meet the authors at https://www.logosandmythospress.com/authors.
In Episode 56 of QWERTY Writing Life, Mea and Joy bring you your top ten episodes of Season One. They share some of their most memorable ones and what made them stand out. Listen along and see if your favorite made the show.
Here are the episode links we mentioned:
- Episode 14: Interview with a Creative, Kim Howes Zabbia, artist
- Episode 29: Interview with a Creative, Brandon Odom, vocal performer
- Episode 37: Interview with a Creative, Joanna Penn, authorpreneur
- Episode 49: Interview with a Creative, Rachael Ritchey, author and graphic designer
- Episode 5: Blockades to Creating, Part 5: Theory of Fear
- Episode 20: Created to Create
- Episode 21: Allowing Faith in Your Art
- Episode 50: 5 Poetry Types You Might Not Know Exist
- Episode 48: Creative Women: Past, Present & Future
- Episode 22: Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda: Things we Wish We’d learned Earlier
- Episode 23: QWERTY Craft Tips
- Episode 41: Everyday Creativity
- Episode 51: Creative Workshop: Poetry
- Episode 13: Finding the Creative in Your Community
- Episode 38: Our Affirmations for the 2020s
- Episode 40: Creative Trophies
- Episode 10: Benefits of Short Fiction, Part 1
- Episode 11: Benefits of Short Fiction, Part 2
- Episode 12: Benefits of Short Fiction, Part 3
- Episode 44: Finding Your Creative Medium
- Episode 45: Finding a Love for Practice
- Episode 31: Creative Workshop: Perfecting Our Book Description
- Episode 35: Goal Planning with 2020 Vision, Part I: Template for Goal-Setting
- Episode 43: The Three Es of Art
- Episode 42: Cross Your Finish Line!
- Episode 39: One Engaging Story Leads to Another
- Email us your favorites and ideas! editorial@logosandmythospress.com
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
In Episode 55 of QWERTY Writing Life, we’re taking a stroll down memory lane and sharing our biggest lessons from one year of podcasting. We had no idea how much this endeavor would teach us … or grow us.
Here are links to the episodes and other specifics we mentioned, plus our email address so you can follow through on our QWERTY Challenge and let us know what you’ve learned along with us.
Interview with Joanna Penn: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-5qw9m-cf517d
Everyday Creativity: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-yanuw-d33cc8
Nothing New Under the Sun … or Is There?: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-nzn98-dbe443
Finders Keepers: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
Email us your feedback and ideas! editorial@logosandmythospress.com
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
We’ve lived under the notion that there’s nothing new under the sun. While that might be true in life, Joy and Mea turn that statement on its head as it relates to creativity. In Episode 54 of QWERTY Writing Life, they talk about how you are what takes a story or picture or painting and makes it unique … as only you can do.
Here are the links we mentioned, including two fabulous writing classes:
https://www.instagram.com/measmithwrites/
Holly Lisle’s How to Think Sideways Course
https://hollyswritingclasses.com/shop/how-to-think-sideways
Lindsay Eager’s 80/20 Course
https://www.lindsayeagarbooks.com/8020
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
In Episode 53 of QWERTY Writing Life, Joy and Mea go back to the beginning and share their weekly QWERTY Report—the emails and chats that started it all and led to this podcast! They get personal and share the challenges of being creative in the face of COVID-19. Listen in and then email them with your own QWERTY Report!
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Join us for extra-special Episode 52 of QWERTY Writing Life where Joy gets to ask Mea all sorts of questions about her experiences as a poet. Mea’s answers will get your creative juices flowing, whether you’re a poet or not! She might even convince you to try your hand at the medium. As she says, poetry is “a concentrated dose of emotion.” Join us for all the inspiration you can handle as we round out our four weeks of poetry-related episodes in honor of National Poetry Month!
Check out the links we mentioned in the episode:
QWL, Episode 49: Interview with a Creative: Rachael Ritchey https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-4xs7j-d86ab3
QWL, Episode 50: 5 Poetry Types You Might Not Know Exist https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-ieqvb-d91a1a
QWL, Episode 51: Creative Workshop: Poetry https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-5afb4-d9d620
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46796/a-drunk-man-looks-at-the-thistle
http://www.msphilassoc.org/home.html
https://poets.org/poet/mary-oliver
https://amandalinsmeier.com
Allison Chestnut: https://www.facebook.com/Hemingbear/
https://www.oliviagatwood.com
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/natasha-trethewey
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/ron-rash
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/billy-collins
https://kaysarahsera.com
https://www.instagram.com/measmithwrites/
https://www.facebook.com/meathewriter/
https://twitter.com/mea_smith
https://measmith.com
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Mea’s got a challenge for Joy—and YOU!—in Episode 51 of QWERTY Writing Life. It’s all about poetry. This exercise will get you to think past the clichés and your known world. It will make you dig deeper into your thoughts, beliefs and feelings. Will you join in and see how incredible your results can be?
Check out the links we mentioned in this episode:
https://blogbattlers.wordpress.com
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month
https://www.instagram.com/rupikaur_/
https://msbookfestival.com
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
It’s already Episode 50 of QWERTY Writing Life! We’re celebrating this milestone with one of our favorite things—poetry! Mea is sharing five poetry types you might not know exist. Drop us a line and let us know what you think. Did you already know about all five or were some a surprise? Have you found a new favorite?
Check out links for all the people, places, things and events we mentioned in this episode:
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month
https://www.amazon.com/Coram-Deo-K-Gartman/dp/0997203374
https://rachaelritchey.com
https://www.bustle.com/p/what-is-blackout-poetry-these-fascinating-poems-are-created-from-existing-art-78781
https://austinkleon.com
https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Blackout-Games-Totally-Blacked/dp/1440532591
https://www.uipress.uiowa.edu/books/9781609380540/a-broken-thing
https://briefpoems.wordpress.com/tag/monostich/
https://briefpoems.wordpress.com/tag/american-haiku/
http://jackkerouac.com
https://poets.org/text/brief-guide-slam-poetry
https://youtu.be/54ST8bwOVyc A Bird Made of Birds, Sarah Kay
https://youtu.be/0snNB1yS3IE If I Should Have a Daughter, Sarah Kay
https://youtu.be/0xuFnP5N2uA What Teachers Make, Taylor Mali
https://youtu.be/OonDPGwAyfQ The Impotence of Proofreading, Taylor Mali
https://www.bethannfennelly.com
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
You get to meet one of our favorite people … and she brought a guest! We’re introducing you to Rachael Ritchey, author, designer and creative jack-of-all-trades in Episode 49 of QWERTY Writing Life. She’s chatting with us about Creative Balance, which we think fits perfectly with several of our recent topics. It also leads into a fantastic QWERTY Challenge! You’re sure to be just as inspired by Rachael as we are. Plus, Rachael brought her oldest daughter, Kassi, to join in the fun. Kassi helped us kick off our celebration of National Poetry Month by answering some behind-the-scenes questions about her poetry book, Coram Deo. Check out the links below for where you can get your copy!
Here are the links we mentioned in this episode:
Find Rachael on her website: https://rachaelritchey.com
Want to book her design services? We call dibs! https://rachaelritchey.com/book-design-by-rachael/
And, catch up on all her social media pages:
https://www.facebook.com/RachaelRitcheyAuthor
http://www.twitter.com/RachaelRitchey
https://www.pinterest.com/RachaelRitchey/
https://www.instagram.com/rachaelritchey/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13513799.Rachael_Ritchey
https://www.deviantart.com/rachaelritchey
The amazing group of creative writers, Rachael mentioned can be found “blog-battling” here: https://blogbattlers.wordpress.com
The QWERTY “Created to Create” episode: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/created-to-create-1568658626/
Get your copy of Kassi’s book, Coram Deo: https://www.amazon.com/Coram-Deo-K-Gartman/dp/0997203374
Want to read the poem Kassi recommended? Here’s “O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman: https://poets.org/poem/o-captain-my-captain?page=5
For more on Kassi’s other favorite poet, read more about Edgar Allan Poe: https://poets.org/poet/edgar-allan-poe
Learn more about National Poetry Month: https://poets.org/national-poetry-month
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
In Episode 48 of QWERTY Writing Life, we highlight the inspiration many women have filled us with as we pay a tribute to the Creative Women of Our Past, Present and Future. They have each found creative ways to make our world a better place now and for the women of the future.
Here are all the amazing links we mentioned in this episode. Talk about INSPIRATION!
https://milspousefest.com/7-books-tell-real-story-women-behind-moonshot/
http://historyexplorer.si.edu/sites/default/files/Content/Who%20Invented%20the%20Cotton%20Gin.pdf
https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/margaret-knight
https://www.lisasee.com/books-new/snow-flower-and-the-secret-fan/
https://www.lisasee.com/books-new/
https://www.writermomsinc.com
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/sojourner-truth
https://www.nps.gov/articles/sojourner-truth.htm
Kerri Washington interpreting the “Ain’t I a Woman” speech: https://youtu.be/Ry_i8w2rdQY
https://www.thewonderwomenproject.org/pages/biography-of-hedy-lamarr
Gaman Video: https://youtu.be/qch1YY5oMWE
http://www.amytan.net
https://www.michellekeener.com
https://rachaelritchey.com
http://findingthelightseries.com/author/kelseyatkins37/
http://writepublishsell.co
http://maggiestiefvater.com
Mo Willems Lunch Doodles: https://youtu.be/RmzjCPQv3y8
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
In Episode 47 of QWERTY Writing Life, we’re looking at a marriage of mediums. What happens when you put architecture and writing together? What about baking and art? Music and pottery? While many creatives have their primary outlet, most of us have other mediums we enjoy as well. When we find ways to bring those together … well, that’s when the magic can happen, friends!
Here are the links and artists we mentioned in tonight’s episode:
MS Book Festival Artwork Announcement
http://www.buckleystudio.com/home/
QWERTY Writing Life Season 1, Episode 44, “Finding Your Creative Medium”
http://maggiestiefvater.com
https://www.faithpraybooks.com
https://www.oliverjeffers.com
https://rupikaur.com
https://www.colleenhoover.com
Griffin Peterson’s soundtrack for Colleen Hoover’s Maybe Someday
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
In Episode 46 of QWERTY Writing Life, we’re planning some fantastic trips! While we’re not literally packing our bags and pulling out our passports, we are planning some mental vacations. If you’ve got spring fever and no hope of a journey in your near future, you should join us! And, if you do, we’d love to see some selfies or hear all about it. Tag us on social media: #QWERTYpodcast!
Here are all the lovely links we mentioned in this episode:
Christine, AKA The Uncorked Librarian and Uncorked Asheville
Southern Books and Writers List
Michelle Keener
Hidden Scotland
The Outer Hebrides of Scotland
Castles of Scotland
Simply Scotland
Visit Scotland
Iceland Travel
Iceland Explorers
EarthPix
NatGeoAdventure
NatGeoTravel
Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss
Maggie Stiefvater, Scorpio Races
Alison Walsh, A Literary Tea Party
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
How do you feel about practice? In Episode 45 of QWERTY Writing Life, we’re thinking about how our outlook on it has shifted over the years. With that change in mindset, we’ve discovered much to love about our dear friend, Practice. Our hope for this week’s challenge is that you will feel the same way.
As promised, here’s the link to Joy’s blog post that we discussed: http://www.joyerancatore.com/2018/05/03/what-do-you-get-to-do/.
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
How do you find your creative medium? In Episode 44 of QWERTY Writing Life, we’re discussing how it took us a while to land on the one creative outlet that makes our hearts sing. We’ll send you away with a special challenge to help you find yours as well.
Remember: This week is the 2020 Women in Publishing Summit, and we want to Dream BIG with YOU! Thanks for using our affiliate link to sign up for free and, if you add a paid package later, we’ll get a percentage! https://joyrancatore--writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/2020-wip/
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Creative works come from deep within us—a place where we’re trying to understand ourselves or the world around us. For this reason, we explore the “Three Es of Art” in Episode 43 of QWERTY Writing Life. We examine how emotions, experiences and our personal evolutions influence the art we produce. We hope you’ll share your QWERTY Challenge results with us. To do that or to drop us a line, email us any time: editorial@logosandmythospress.com.
We hope to see you at the 2020 Women in Publishing Summit where we want to Dream BIG with YOU! Thanks for using our affiliate link to sign up for free and, if you add a paid package later, we’ll get a percentage! https://joyrancatore--writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/2020-wip/
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via the email address above. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Episode 42 of QWERTY Writing Life focuses on getting you across your finish line. Maybe you’ve got one, ten or a hundred projects started; but have you finished any of them? What’s holding you back? We’ve got some ideas for you to try and theories for you to test that lead straight into this week’s QWERTY Challenge. We look forward to hearing your feedback and cheering you on to CROSS YOUR FINISH LINE!
We mention these previous QWERTY episodes that you might want to check out:
- Goal Planning, Part I: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/goal-planning-with-2020-vision-part-i-template-for-goal-setting/
- Interview with a Creative: artist, Kim Howes Zabbia: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/what-we-chatted-with-an-artist/
- Our Ideas are Not Finite (Featuring the Shiny New Ideas Notebook) https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/our-ideas-are-not-finite/
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
In Episode 41 of QWERTY Writing Life we’re dispelling the theory that creativity and everyday tasks are exclusive of one another. We’ve got some specific ways we bring the two together in our own lives and what we’ve discovered along the way.
Our hope for this week’s QWERTY Challenge is that you will have a mindset change like we did, so you can embrace the creative in your everyday.
Check out links we mentioned in the episode:
- Derek Murphy’s Book Cover Design Tips on YouTube
- Rachael Ritchey’s Book Design and Formatting Site: https://rachaelritchey.com/book-design-by-rachael/
- Joanna Penn’s episode with us: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/interview-with-a-creative-joanna-penn-on-evolution-of-creativity/
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
How do you measure success as a Creative? Mea and Joy share their thoughts in Episode 40 of QWERTY Writing Life. We discuss ways we would each be proud as we move forward in our careers that go beyond the shiny recognitions. It’s not always in the glitz and glamour that we find our trophies. Often, it’s in the simple acknowledgement of who we are as creatives. Interesting tidbit: we recorded this episode a while ago, and Joy has claimed one of the trophies she mentioned. Can you guess which it is?
Check out links we mentioned in the episode:
- The Crux Anthology: https://rachaelritchey.com/the-crux-anthology/
-
LAMBookClub on Joy’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/joyerancatore
In this week’s QWERTY Challenge, we’re encouraging you to think about your own Creative Trophies. So, whether you’re a writer, a painter, a musician, a CEO … or whatever you do, get ready for a challenge that will have you digging deep.
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
If you haven’t always been a reader (or you aren’t currently a big reader), Episode 39 of QWERTY Writing Life is for YOU! We’re chatting about how one engaging read leads to another and how developing a love of reading might be easier than you think.We encourage you to read a book outside your comfort zone. Recommendations are HUGE, both for readers and authors; so share away! We want to hear what you’re reading and we’d love to share some recommendations with you. Check out links for some of the books we mentioned in the episode:
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer: https://stepheniemeyer.com/the-twilight-saga/
Tom Clancy’s books: https://tomclancy.com/products/all#
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling: https://www.jkrowling.com/writing/
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: https://www.tolkien.co.uk
Aim, Blue and Comfort (and Drive) by Joyce Moyer Hostetter: https://www.joycemoyerhostetter.com
Maggie Stiefvater’s books, particularly All the Crooked Saints: http://maggiestiefvater.com/novels/
The Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery: https://www.lmmontgomery.ca/about/lmm/works
In this week’s QWERTY Challenge, we ask that you read outside of your genre norm and tell us what you choose. Share with us what story first engaged you and made you thirst for more. We’d love to hear about it! Also, if you have a book recommendation or need a book recommendation, let us know!
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
In the last episode, Joanna Penn challenged us to declare our affirmations. In Episode 38 of QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, we share those with you. We’ve got big dreams for 2020 and for the new decade and we’ve got plans in place to achieve them.
We’re passing the QWERTY Challenge to you. Follow Joanna’s steps for determining your affirmations and then share them with us. We’ll read them in future episodes of the podcast! While you work on those, be sure to check out these resources we mentioned in the show:
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/podcasts/
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/mindset/
https://www.kateclayborn.com/ (author of Love Lettering and Beginner’s Luck)
http://www.joyerancatore.com/any-good-thing/
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Join us in welcoming Joanna Penn, award-winning entrepreneur and award-nominated (soon to be award-winning; we’re affirming it here!) author of thrillers and nonfiction for authors. In Episode 37 of QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, she discusses with us the evolution of creativity. Joanna walks us through how creativity can change over the years. We examine how, for creativity to be realized or to evolve, we must pull together an internal excavation of sorts and our natural curiosity with action. One key practice for Joanna to move from the introspective side (dreaming and wishing) to action (achieving) is making affirmations.
In this week’s QWERTY Challenge, Joanna wants us to claim our creative affirmations for the 2020s. She maps out a three-step process, and we look forward to making theirs along with you. Share your affirmations with us, so we can encourage one another! We’ll be back for next week’s episode with our affirmations for the 2020s.
Be sure to visit Joanna and thank her for joining our show!
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/podcasts/
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/blueprint-signup5/
https://twitter.com/thecreativepenn
https://www.instagram.com/jfpennauthor/
https://www.booksandtravel.page/listen/
Check out links for resources mentioned in this episode:
http://www.thesuccessprinciples.com/
https://www.thesecret.tv/
http://www.thelawofattraction.com/
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2019/11/25/writing-with-a-family-productivity-andrea-pearson/
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/things-3/id904237743
https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/
https://www.the1thing.com/
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
We are back with the second part of our mini series on Goal Planning with 2020 Vision. Episode 36 of the QWERTY Writing Life Podcast is all about Goals in Action where we show you how the Template for Goal-Setting we presented in the last episode works in our real-life planning. We’ll have some tips for you as well as we each break down one of our Dragon Goals into smaller Cat Sìth and Pixie Goals.
In this week’s QWERTY Challenge, we’re recapping last week’s since it’s a big one! You get to take the tips we’ve presented along with the examples we’ve given and do some fantastic goal planning of your own. Plus, drop us a line at the email address below (or DM either of us on social media) and we’ll send you a FREE PDF to help you work this process!
Here are the fantastic links we mentioned in the show:
https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers
https://www.logosandmythospress.com/any-good-thing
https://blogbattlers.wordpress.com/
https://rachaelritchey.com/the-crux-anthology/
http://www.joyerancatore.com/my-writings/tales-of-the-faerie-shepherds/
https://hollyswritingclasses.com/
https://womeninpublishingsummit.com
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
This isn't your grandma’s annual resolution show! In Episode 35 of the QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, we’re talking goals with a fantastical twist. This week we’re giving you a template of sorts for goal-setting. Next week, you’ll get to see what this looks like for our own 2020 goals and how we plan to achieve them.
In this week’s QWERTY Challenge, we’re sending you off with three steps toward a productive new year!
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
We’ve all experienced it. It’s the battle against the hourglass; the grasping at more time in a day; the neverending list of unchecked boxes. It’s not burnout. We could certainly use the word exhaustion. We’ve decided to call it, “Creative Kryptonite.” Find out what we’re talking about and learn how we defend against ours in Episode 34 of the QWERTY Writing Life Podcast.
Get to know another creative mentioned in Mea’s creative week! Visit Rachael Floyd’s website here: http://sowritesrachael.com/.
In this week’s QWERTY Challenge, we’d love to hear how you handle your own Creative Kryptonite. If you don’t have coping methods yet, try ours and then let us know what works for you!
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Are you planning some special creativity time this holiday season? Are you making a list and checking it twice of all the parties and family obligations that sometimes feel less than nice? With a little creative planning, you may just be able to incorporate creativity into your holiday schedule—without adding unnecessary stress or flinging fruitcakes at your family’s face. We’ll share our tips with you in Episode 33 of the QWERTY Writing Life Podcast.
In this week’s QWERTY Challenge, we’ll guide you to apply a little bit of planning in order to achieve more positive creativity.
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Today, we celebrate! As our co-written book baby flies out into the world, we’re taking a sentimental glance back before we turn our full attention to the future of Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find & Keep Your Writing Critique Partner and QWERTY Writing Life. Listen in to Episode 32 as we share why and how the book came to be and where we see it taking all of us—including YOU!—in the future.
In this week’s QWERTY Challenge, we encourage you to take a page from our playbook and find multiple ways to utilize your work. Check out Rachael Ritchey’s book design page and the site for the 2020 Women in Publishing Summit, plus say hi to our three beta readers and see what they write in the links below:
https://rachaelritchey.com/book-design-by-rachael/
https://womeninpublishingsummit.com
https://candicemarleyconner.com
https://carriedalby.com
http://findingthelightseries.com
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
We’ve struggled through writing two book blurbs so far, but we’ve learned a great deal about them, about ourselves and about our books. Find out all the details and perhaps get some tips to help you in Episode 31 of the QWERTY Writing Life Podcast. Check out these links for more info on what we shared during the workshop:
Blurb’s base template for writing a nonfiction book description:
https://www.blurb.com/blog/how-to-write-a-blurb-for-your-non-fiction-book/
My 4-step Process for Writing a Nonfiction Book Blurb That Sells, from Rainmaker Press:
https://www.rainmakerpress.com/my-musings/2018/10/18/my-4-step-process-for-writing-a-nonfiction-book-blurb-that-sells
ALLi Podcast: Book Blurbs, Book Hooks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw2-rZj4YXc
How to Write a Good Book Description, IngramSpark
https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/how-to-write-a-good-book-description
Back Book Cover Blurb, Kindlepreneur
https://kindlepreneur.com/back-book-cover-blurb/
Rachael Ritchey’s website, cover designer extraordinaire
https://rachaelritchey.com/book-design-by-rachael/
Kim Howes Zabbia, Just Paint, It Ain’t
https://www.kimhoweszabbia.com/books-for-sale
In this week’s QWERTY Challenge, we will send you off with the task of condensing your current body of work, writing or otherwise, into a few lines. We would love for you to share them with us!
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Happy Thanksgiving to our US friends!! In Episode 30, we are reflecting on the first six months of QWERTY Writing Life Podcast. Can you believe it’s been six months already?!?! We have many things to be thankful for in this experience and so many exciting things to come. In fact, we have a gigantic announcement to share that we think you’ll be pretty stoked about as well.
Check out the links we reference in the show and be sure to share with us what you’re thankful for this year.
https://www.logosandmythospress.com
https://womeninpublishingsummit.com
http://brookewarner.com
https://podcast.shewrites.com
https://www.shewrites.com
http://brookewarner.com/green-light-chapter-giveaway/
Episode 14: Interview with a Creative: Kim Howes Zabbia, artist https://youtu.be/DdYyIG84pNs
https://www.kimhoweszabbia.com
Episode 29: Interview with a Creative: Brandon Odom, professional vocal performer https://youtu.be/z-jO6IC-Zqo
https://corovocati.org/
https://www.thecreativepenn.com
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/podcasts/
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Brandon Odom, professional vocal performer for more than twenty years, shares his creative journey and tips of the trade in this Interview with a Creative on the QWERTY Writing Life Podcast. He discusses his experience as a professional performer as well as the benefits and challenges of interpreting an established work of art. Brandon gives us practical tips on how to infuse your creative mark when reimagining these pieces through research and by connecting with the piece through a combination of emotions and personal experiences.
Brandon leaves us with a QWERTY Challenge based on his practical creative tips. You can visit Brandon and hear his incredible voice on his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChULdxMo4xXRhVz8eq59O3g
Learn more about the professional choir Brandon sings with by visiting https://corovocati.org/
At the end of the episode, Brandon sings “Beautiful City” from the Broadway show Godspell.
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our author resource series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
Welcome to Episode 28 of the QWERTY Writing Life Podcast with Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith! November is almost half done, so we’re wondering: Are you still pumped about writing now that NaNoWriMo is almost halfway over? Whether you are participating in NaNo or not, motivation is ALWAYS in the Creative’s conversation. Today’s topic is all about motivation and determination. We’re putting our own definitions to each for the creative context and attempting to answer the frequently asked question of how to maintain motivation with, we hope, some more long-term answers.
Our QWERTY Challenge will have you going deep again and asking yourself some deep questions about who you are so you can decide who you’re going to be and how you’re going to get there.
Subscribe and ring the bell for new episode notifications. Then, continue this week’s chat with us via email. We’d love to hear your reactions, comments and questions to this week’s show! Email us at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com.
For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, subscribe and ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, joyerancatore.com.
Joy mentioned her love for the Photoshop tutorials done by Aaron over on https://phlearn.com. If you’re a photo editing fan, check them out! Also, if you’re in the market for business cards and other marketing materials, give https://www.gotprint.com/home.html a try. Joy loves their products. Her author cards are their Trifecta, and she’s getting standard ones for her Press and square ones for all things QWERTY Writing Life!
We wanted to start off this month of Thanksgiving with an episode of thanks to the mentors in our lives, the people who have helped us get where we are. Find out who we’re talking about in Episode 27 of the QWERTY Writing Life Podcast. Since you’ll want to know more about some of the incredible people we mentioned, here’s where to find them:
https://www.logosandmythospress.com/about
https://rachaelherron.com/
http://howdoyouwrite.net/
https://shows.pippa.io/thewriterswell
http://sowritesrachael.com/
https://www.authoraccelerator.com/momwrites
https://rachaelritchey.com/
https://maggiestiefvater.com/
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/
https://www.michellekeener.com/
https://www.writermomsinc.com/
http://findingthelightseries.com/
https://authordevonharry.com/
https://tauricox.com/
In this week’s QWERTY Challenge, we encourage you to make a list of your mentors or encouragers and take it a few steps further.
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.
November is right around the corner and, for writers, November is synonymous with NaNoWriMo! We decided to share a little about this exciting month of goal-setting and habit-building and to give our best tips to anyone participating. Welcome to Episode 26 of the QWERTY Writing Life Podcast! Check out the links we mentioned during the show and a couple of posts by Joy with more tips and thoughts on the NaNo process:
https://www.nanowrimo.org/
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/healthy-writer/
http://www.joyerancatore.com/2018/07/05/what-is-camp-nano/
http://www.joyerancatore.com/2018/08/02/what-happens-when-you-dont-win-camp-nano/
In this week’s QWERTY Challenge, we’ve got a call to action for NaNo participants and for non-participants.
Please share our podcast with your friends! We’d love for them to be our new friends, too! Questions? Comments? You know what to do! Continue this week’s chat with us via email at editorial [at] logosandmythospress [dot] com. For more information about us, the show and our writing craft book series, head over to www.logosandmythospress.com/qwerty-writing-life. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see our grinning faces, ring the bell on our YouTube channel. Can’t get enough of Mea? Head over to her online home at www.measmith.com. Want to know more about Joy? Check out her site, www.joyerancatore.com.