Conversations with Parents who Write: Recent Episodes
Erin P.T. Canning
Has writing been a dream or passion of yours? Join our community of parents who write, including those who do journaling, are new writers, or are published authors.
This live Facebook series and podcast encourages parents to make time for themselves and embrace their creativity. Host Erin P.T. Canning interviews parents to bring you actionable tips, camaraderie, and inspiration as we discuss how and why we write.
Enjoy the laughs, the writing tips, the parenting stories, the book discussions, and the relief in knowing you're not alone. Episodes release every other Tuesday.
Ready to transform your manuscript from a rough draft into a polished gem? Discover the secrets to navigating the entire editing process, whether you're working with a professional editor or sharpening your skills to self-edit your book!
In this episode, join Erin P.T. Canning and special guest Allyson Wilkins, an expert editor for YA and adult fantasy and fairy tale retellings, as we demystify everything you need to know about getting your book ready for readers. Learn how to know if your manuscript is truly ready for professional eyes, debunk common myths about working with editors, and get practical and actionable tips you can apply right away!
What you’ll learn:
- Understanding Editing Stages: The key differences between developmental editing, line editing, and proofreading, and when your manuscript is ready for each phase.
- Finding the Right Editor: How to choose a great editor who enhances your unique author voice, not changes it, and what happens once your manuscript leaves your hands.
- Editor Rates & Time: Get transparent insights into how editors charge, what goes into their work (the 1K–3K rule!), and realistic turnaround times.
- Self-Editing Masterclass: Actionable strategies for self-editing your own book, including the power of beta readers, show, don't tell, avoiding LY adverbs, and unique proofreading techniques.
- Common Mistakes to Avoid: Learn common pitfalls authors make before and during the editing process, and how to set your book up for success.
- Pacing Your Publication: Honest advice on managing publishing deadlines and preventing burnout.
Guest Spotlight — Connect with Allyson:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getitwrite_editing
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getitwriteedit
- Website: https://getitwrite-editing.com
Resources discussed:
- Editorial Freelancers Association: https://www.the-efa.org/
Connect with us:
- Website: https://erinptcanning.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinptcanning/
Send us a text
READY TO TAKE YOUR WRITING FURTHER?
Join our Patreon community and access our vibrant Discord writing group to get writing prompts, participate in sprints, download free resources, and more:
https://www.patreon.com/erinptcanningeditor
Ever wonder what makes a massive novel like Callie Hart's Quicksilver tick … or maybe a struggle?
Join Erin P.T. Canning for a fascinating dual review, breaking down this popular book from both a writer/editor's analytical perspective and a reader's honest opinion.
In this episode of Embracing the Fiction Author Journey, Erin dives deep into Quicksilver. You'll hear insights on plot structure, character arcs, industry guidelines, and Erin's personal reading experience with this captivating, yet challenging, book.
What you'll discover:
- The Anatomy of a Massive Book: Insights into Quicksilver's number of chapters and total word count, and thoughts on the placement of pronunciation guides and the surprising absence of specific pages.
- Word Count & Industry Standards: A breakdown of Quicksilver's estimated word count and how it compares to the typical book length recommendation for new fantasy/romantasy authors.
- Inciting Incidents & Character Goals: Analysis of how Quicksilver handles the inciting incident and character motivation within the crucial first few chapters.
- The Reader's Journey: Erin's honest struggles with the protagonist Saeris's anger and the male lead, Kingfisher, in the first half of the book, and why she continued reading.
- The Impact of Book Size on Pacing: How the book's length might affect the "enemies to lovers" trope and overall reader engagement.
- World-Building & Comic Relief: Highlights of the phenomenal world-building and the essential comic relief provided by secondary characters.
- The Value of Persisting: Why, despite initial struggles, Erin’s glad she finished reading the book, leading to excitement for the sequel.
Mentioned in this episode:
- Book Review: Quicksilver by Callie Hart
- Free Guide: Download Erin's guide, "Four Steps to Help You Finish a First Draft," to help you write your first book without struggling to get words on the page: https://subscribepage.io/erinptcanning-podcast-newsletter-sign-up
Connect with Erin P.T. Canning:
- Website: https://erinptcanning.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinptcanning/
Send us a text
READY TO TAKE YOUR WRITING FURTHER?
Join our Patreon community and access our vibrant Discord writing group to get writing prompts, participate in sprints, download free resources, and more:
https://www.patreon.com/erinptcanningeditor
Do you start writing fervently but get lost in the murky middle? Or have you ever had an idea for a story but you're not sure where to start? And sitting down to write a massive number of words feels intimidating?
In today’s episode, learn how discovery drafts can help you capture your story idea much more quickly—and provide flexibility for pantsers.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Two case stories
- What is a discovery draft?
- What goes into a discovery draft?
- Many benefits
- Structuring your discovery draft
- Developmental edits vs manuscript evaluations
- Join writing sprints and get my prompts
Resources discussed:
- Document navigation with styles: https://youtu.be/qjbMeZBrrOA
- Different types of editors: https://erinptcanning.com/book-coaches-and-editors-whats-the-difference/
Send us a text
READY TO TAKE YOUR WRITING FURTHER?
Join our Patreon community and access our vibrant Discord writing group to get writing prompts, participate in sprints, download free resources, and more:
https://www.patreon.com/erinptcanningeditor
Big changes are in store for Parents Who Write.
In this episode, I'm excited to announce a new chapter for my podcast! I'll share the inspiration behind the name change and how it better reflects the show's current focus.
Get ready for a fresh start with engaging discussions and valuable insights.
Connect with Erin P.T. Canning:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanningeditor
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/erinptcanningeditor
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call to learn about my editing services: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, the Creative Writing Collective, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativewritingcollectivegroup.
Send us a text
READY TO TAKE YOUR WRITING FURTHER?
Join our Patreon community and access our vibrant Discord writing group to get writing prompts, participate in sprints, download free resources, and more:
https://www.patreon.com/erinptcanningeditor
Have you ever read a book and the world falls away?
Pay attention to those moments. Because as writers, we can learn a lot from the books that inspire us.
We should study what works and why. We can also explore what didn’t work for us and learn how that knowledge can also shape us into the writers we want to be.
In today’s episode, host Erin P.T. Canning discusses The Witch Collector, a fantasy romance novel by Charissa Weaks. Learn what made this book unique with its use of magic and sign language, what the author used as her hook, and Erin’s overall impression of the story.
You’ll also gain tips for world building, introducing several characters, and avoiding the all-too-easy info dump. We’ll also analyze the length of time before we reach the inciting incident (call to action).
Learn more about Charissa’s book:
- The Witch Collector: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09H6894GR
Connect with Parents Who Write:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parentswhowrite
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/parentswhowrite
Send us a text
Feeling stuck in your author journey? As an experienced editor, I specialize in helping writers like you, especially parents juggling family and creativity, finish and publish their books.
Take action on your writing dreams! Book a FREE 30-minute discovery call to discuss how I can help you implement these strategies and finally achieve your author goals.
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Bonus! Book your call and mention this episode for a free publishing check list.
Juggling motherhood, writing, and career aspirations?
Join Erin as she chats with author and editor Jessica Dale about her journey from fan fiction to publishing historical romance and romantasy.
Discover the challenges and rewards of balancing writing and editing, as well as the unexpected twists and turns of motherhood and creativity.
You’ll also learn valuable insights into the research process, the importance of support systems, and the power of perseverance in the writing world.
Key takeaways:
- The unique paths writers and editors take to their careers
- Balancing writing and editing as a creative professional
- Overcoming challenges like postpartum depression and finding support
- The importance of research and authenticity in historical fiction and romantasy
- Tips for managing writer's block and pushing through creative hurdles
Get Jessica’s books:
- https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jessica-Dall/author/B004G5527Q
Connect w/ Jessica:
- Website: https://jessicadall.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicadall
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicadallauthor
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessicadallauthor
Send us a Text Message.
Feeling stuck in your author journey? As an experienced editor, I specialize in helping writers like you, especially parents juggling family and creativity, finish and publish their books.
Take action on your writing dreams! Book a FREE 30-minute discovery call to discuss how I can help you implement these strategies and finally achieve your author goals.
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Bonus! Book your call and mention this episode for a free publishing check list.
Ever wondered what makes a bestselling book tick?
In this episode, we dive deep into the world of genre analysis and why having this knowledge is vital to your author career.
Learn how to identify and leverage the key components that make your genre resonate with readers. You’ll also discover how understanding those components can unlock your writing potential.
Tune in today so you don’t make the same mistakes I did… Oops.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Why you’re not selling out
- Technical considerations
- The power of tropes
- Reading book reviews
- Studying book covers
- Learning the hard way
Connect with Parents Who Write:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parentswhowrite
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/parentswhowrite
Feeling stuck in your author journey? As an experienced editor, I specialize in helping writers like you, especially parents juggling family and creativity, finish and publish their books.
Take action on your writing dreams! Book a FREE 30-minute discovery call to discuss how I can help you implement these strategies and finally achieve your author goals.
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Bonus! Book your call and mention this episode for a free publishing check list.
Every feel like a fraud? Imposter syndrome can plague even the most successful writers.
In this episode, host Erin P.T. Canning chats with developmental editor and life coach Charlotte Chipperfield about strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome and building self-belief.
Listen in as they explore the root causes of imposter syndrome and practical tools to silence that inner critic. You’ll also learn how to build confidence through achievement and prove to yourself that you can be an author too.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Origins of imposter syndrome
- The female perspective
- 4 questions to understand your imposter syndrome
- Tips for managing imposter syndrome
- Fighting perfectionism
Connect with Charlotte:
- Free Novel Writing Checklist: https://www.hernarrative.com/novel-writing-checklist
- Website: https://www.hernarrative.com
- IG: https://www.instagram.com/charlottechipperfieldwrites
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorcharlotte
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hernarrative
Feeling stuck in your author journey? As an experienced editor, I specialize in helping writers like you, especially parents juggling family and creativity, finish and publish their books.
Take action on your writing dreams! Book a FREE 30-minute discovery call to discuss how I can help you implement these strategies and finally achieve your author goals.
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Bonus! Book your call and mention this episode for a free publishing check list.
Do you ever feel like you're drowning under the pressure to be a perfect parent, spouse, and—on top of that—a creative writer?
In today’s episode, host Erin P.T. Canning and fellow Fantasy Author Michelle Summers share their experiences and strategies for balancing writing with family life.
Through this conversation, listeners will discover how Michelle and Erin combat the pressure to do it all, how to prioritize tasks in a way that refills your creative cup, and how to jump start the creative writing process.
Bonus: Listeners will learn about the concept of a discovery draft, a technique between outlining and a first draft that allows for flexibility and exploration.
Get Michelle’s books:
- The Guardian Series: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Michelle-Summers/author/B0BZQH7FT6
Connect with Michelle:
- FB page: https://www.facebook.com/msummerswriter
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msummerswriter
- Website: https://msummerswriter.com
Books discussed during the show:
- How to Keep House While Drowning by K.C. Davis
- Ruins and Redemption by Erin P.T. Canning
- Author Liane Moriarty
- Author Phoebe Ravencraft
Feeling stuck in your author journey? As an experienced editor, I specialize in helping writers like you, especially parents juggling family and creativity, finish and publish their books.
Take action on your writing dreams! Book a FREE 30-minute discovery call to discuss how I can help you implement these strategies and finally achieve your author goals.
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Bonus! Book your call and mention this episode for a free publishing check list.
Curious about transforming journaling entries into a published memoir?
Joining us today is Sarah Birnbach, author of the memoir "A Daughter's Kaddish." Sarah shares her surprising journey from journal facilitator to published author and how journaling helped her heal through grief.
But the question remains: How do you take those raw, personal entries and turn them into a compelling memoir?
In this episode, Sarah shares her secrets! You'll hear:
- Tips for overcoming overwhelm and getting your ideas on the page
- The unexpected ways grief can inspire powerful narratives
- Strategies for crafting a memoir that resonates with readers
Get ready to hear Sarah's top journaling tips and advice for crafting a memoir from your own journal entries.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Top 3 tips for journaling
- Writing about grief
- 22 years from start to finish
- Surprises about writing a memoir
- Dialog tips
- Finding a good writing group
- Books on craft
Get her book:
- A Daughter’s Kaddish: https://sarahbirnbach.com/books/a-daughters-kaddish/
Connect with Sarah:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarah_birnbach
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahsheilabirnbach/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahsheilabirnbach
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.birnbach/
Books discussed during the show:
- The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface by Donald Maass
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
Have you ever wondered about audiobook opportunities for authors?
In this episode, we explore the booming audiobook market and its potential benefits for authors. You’ll learn about the pros and cons of creating audiobooks, including pricing considerations, narration options, and distribution channels.
But wait, there's more!
We'll also address some key questions to help you decide if audiobooks are a good fit for you at this stage in your writing journey.
Tune in and discover if there's an audiobook waiting to be brought to life from your written work!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Market trends
- When to consider audiobooks
- Pricing your audiobooks
- Narration options
- Tools for self-narration
- Distribution
- Audiobook cover art
- Is this right for you?
- Narration tips
- Example narration speed
- Cleaning up narration
Editing w/ Parents Who Write:
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript? As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
Resources discussed during the show:
- Dynamic microphone: https://a.co/d/aYOnbZy
- Descript: https://www.descript.com/
- BookFunnel: https://bookfunnel.com/
Books discussed during the show:
- Promises and Possibilities: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/j5f6y5ub4u
Connect with Parents Who Write:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call to learn about my editing services: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
What happens when have twenty million ideas all jumbled up in your head, and you struggle with multiple projects—or worse, multiple, multivolume series?
Joining us today is Edward Green, who is a prolific writer.
During this episode, Edward shares not only his writing journey but also the answers to questions that used to plague him too. Like, when you have so many ideas screaming for attention all at once, how do you keep track of all those random scenes that pop into your head?
You’ll also learn how to keep track of hundreds of characters and know if you’re on the right track with your story when it could go in so many directions?
Oh, and by the way, if you were ever curious to know why authors enjoy writing erotica or erotic romance, then you’re in for a bonus treat. Edward’s answer might just surprise you.
Topics discussed in this episode:
•Edward’s writing journey
•Biggest difference in his writing career
•Character richness
•Balancing feedback
•Craft game changers
•How to head hop effectively
•The inspiration and joys of writing erotica
•Roadblocks overcome
•Keeping track of tons of characters
•Pros and cons of scheduling your pre-orders
•BONUS: Top tip & learning the craft
About Edward:
Edward Green writes erotica, fantasy, and science fiction with an understanding of the chaos that life, insecurity, and personal goals impose on characters and the sweetness, humor, and tragedy that can result. He writes due to the accident of having begun and then found it is a part of his identity. His imagination creates characters, and he takes tremendous joy in bringing their stories to life and sharing them. As well as writing, Edward is the designer for the Him and Her Erotic Steel range of adult toys.
Get his books:
•Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Edward-Green/author/B001KCK1J2
•Meeting Him: https://a.co/d/0DCaGz3
•Meredith’s Journey Begins: https://a.co/d/9mKji7M
Connect with Edward:
•FB page: https://www.facebook.com/EdwardGreenEroticAuthor
•Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erotic_author
•Website: https://www.edwardgreenauthor.com/
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
Do you want to spend months, maybe even years, toiling away at the keyboard, birthing characters, perfecting your story, and publishing your writing—only for no one to read it?
No, of course not. We want our words to find our ideal readers because we love writing—most days.
But in order for our words to find those ideal readers, you have to learn the marketing side of this business too, regardless of whether you self-published or signed a contract with a traditional publishing house.
In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to leverage your social media platforms.
More specifically, you’ll discover how to find your ideal readers online, how to stop them from scrolling past your posts, how to encourage readers to engage with your content—maybe even share your posts too.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Every author’s marketing responsibility
- Don’t try to be on every social media platform
- Choosing your platform
- Befriending your readers, not other writers
- Posting content that reflects your author brand
- Five primary types of content to engage your idea readers
- Promoting your books effectively
- Planning and scheduling your weekly content
Connect with Parents Who Write:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parentswhowrite
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute strategy call to learn about my editing services: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Resources mentioned:
- Cara Dion: https://www.instagram.com/caradion.author/
- Ginny Moore: https://www.facebook.com/GinnyMooreAuthor
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
Have you ever started writing a story, and the words rush onto the page. But then you start worrying that your writing or your ideas aren’t good enough.
You start rewriting chapters over and over again. You can’t shake that voice in the back of your head that says you’re doing this wrong. Something isn’t right, but you can’t pinpoint what that is.
Or worse—you scrap the whole project and give up.
In today’s episode, Erin shares how finding the right editor can help you avoid or blow through all of that confusion and doubt. You’ll also learn the major differences between development editors, inline editors, and proofreaders.
Erin also shares when beta readers fall into the picture and what type of feedback to watch out for. You’ll also get the answers to what these editors do, when’s the right time to use their services, how much they cost, and what you should look for in order to find a quality editor.
So stay tuned to find out which editor you might need right now and how you can find your right editor.
Editing w/ Parents Who Write:
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript? As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
Connect with Parents Who Write:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parentswhowrite
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call to learn about my editing services: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Resources discussed during the show:
- Reedsy.com
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
Have you ever dreamed of writing all day long—and getting paid to do so? But then reality sets in, and you start wondering how that’s feasible? How you’d even get started?
In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Sarah Werner, who shares how she planned to leave her full-time job in marketing, how she discovered the worth of her work, and how she trudged through painful writing gigs that still taught her valuable lessons.
You’ll also learn how experimenting with your creativity can lead to surprise opportunities and how to connect with your ideal audience.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Sarah’s journey
- Starting a fictional podcast
- Making money as a full-time writer
- Learning about structure, voices, and characters through ghostwriting
- Using Patreon
- Acknowledging the worth of your work
- The power of next steps
- Marketing your author self
- Using social media effectively
- Why you shouldn’t fear sharing your struggles
Connect with Sarah:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahRheaWerner
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahRheaWerner
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahrheawerner/
- Substack: https://sarahrheawerner.substack.com/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXs-eisO1DWhkgAY4kzQ9yw
- Website: https://www.sarahwerner.com/
About Sarah:
Sarah is a writer, speaker, podcast creator, and executive producer whose mission is to help creators find confidence, success, and ultimately delight in their work. In addition to writing and podcasting, she is also a national public speaker who has been invited to talk about creativity, podcasting, marketing, and leadership for TEDx, Austin Film Festival, Podcast Movement, PodFest, PodCon, and more, from her community YWCA to YouTube headquarters.
Books discussed during the show:
- If You Want To Write by Brenda Ueland
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
Are you struggling to figure out where to focus next in your writing journey?
From navigating various publishing paths to juggling writing workshops, marketing courses, and more, the confusion is real.
In this episode, host Erin P.T. Canning reflects on the challenges she faced in previous years with balancing parenthood, editing, and writing. Despite releasing her first fantasy romance novel in 2023, she felt overwhelmed trying to balance her priorities.
Find out how Erin found focus for 2024 and how that focus will help her to combat overwhelm as she grows her author business and navigates the indie author publishing industry.
You’ll also discover how Erin’s goals for 2024 will directly benefit the Parents Who Write community and its listeners.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Looking backward, not forward
- Choosing my big 2024 goal
- Two main ways to achieve my goal
- Goal one: Publishing more books
- Goal two: Learning about the indie author industry
- Sharing my findings and journey with my listeners
- Your challenge
Connect with Parents Who Write:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parentswhowrite
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call to learn about my editing services: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Books discussed during the show:
- Ruins and Redemption: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CG84P1N8
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
It’s that time of year again when we ponder what we want to achieve in the new year. For parents who write, our lives are exceptionally busy, so planning our writing goals is crucial to our success. However, we also need to intentionally set writing goals that we can realistically achieve.
So if you haven’t already sat down to plan out your writing goals for the new year, use this template that is tried, tested, and true. Help set yourself up for success and ensure that whatever story is living inside of you does, in fact, come to life.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Digging deep into why you write
- Setting realistic goals
- Tracking your progress
- Planning ahead
- Identifying potential obstacles and solutions
- Finding the right accountability community
- Conquering self-doubt
- Telling your inner judge to wait their turn
- Identifying your audience
- Connecting with one person
- Redefining what it means to be a writer
Editing w/ Parents Who Write:
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript? As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
Connect with Parents Who Write:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parentswhowrite
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call to learn about my editing services: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
Have you contemplated designing your own book cover, or wondered what to expect if you hire a professional?
Joining today’s conversation is Katia Balab, who has joined the MiblArt family, a book cover design company that's based in the Ukraine. They have been helping self-publishing authors and publishers create book covers that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also an effective marketing tool.
Thanks to Katia’s expertise, you’ll learn about the science behind effective cover design practices, how to foster a good working relationship with your designer, and a plethora of online resources to help you tackle as much as you want.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Why book cover design matters
- Pros & cons of designing your own cover
- Establishing expectations with your cover designer
- Creating your creative brief
- Communicating effectively with your designer
- Understanding bleed size and trim
- Science behind a good cover
- Typography, don’t underestimate it
- The good and bad of AI images
- Getting feedback
- Online tools and resources
- Special offer for PWW listeners
Connect with Katia:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katiabalab/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katia.bookcoverdesign/
- Website: https://miblart.com/?ref=nmy2owv
Resources discussed during the show:
- Learning resources: Udemy, Skillshare, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, YouTube tutorials like Bring Your Own Laptop
- Software: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Book Brush, and Affinity Publisher, Canva
- Stock images: Adobe Stock, Deposit Photos, Pexels, Unsplash, Pixabay
- Fonts: 1001 Free Fonts, Font Squirrel, DaFont, Google Fonts, Font Gig
- Discount code for MiblArt: PWW10
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
As your story expands, do you find keeping track of the evolving ideas and details overwhelming? What about if you’re writing not just one book but a whole series?
In today’s episode, you’ll learn how you can maintain consistency and track story threads, regardless of whether you’re working with professional editors or beta readers.
You’ll walk away knowing how to better communicate with your editor about their offerings, including whether they’ll create a style sheet for you. Erin also shares the importance of using style tags in writing programs like Microsoft Word or Google Docs for seamless navigation, both in your manuscript and style sheet.
Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting, this episode provides valuable tools to enhance your storytelling journey.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Why style sheets make all the difference
- Which sections to include in your style sheet and why
- How to track story threads across a series
Connect with Parents Who Write:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parentswhowrite
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/parentswhowrite
- Website: https://parentswhowrite.com
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call to learn about my editing services: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Resources / books discussed during the show:
- Episode 25 for details on how to use style tags in MS Word and Google Docs
- Ruins and Redemption: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CG84P1N8
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
Ever wonder how some authors are able to cover come the hurdles that most, if not all, writer’s face?
Welcome back to part 2 of our journey through the 2023 Write Women Book Fest in Bowie, Maryland.
In this episode, you’ll hear from seven women writers, each with their own compelling tales, as they offer insights into their passion for writing, the challenges they've overcome, and the messages they're eager to share with you.
From holiday contemporary romance to high school fiction, fantasy, children's literature, poetry, and contemporary fiction, we uncover the unique voices behind these diverse genres.
Their stories will rekindle your creative spirit and remind you that, with passion and dedication, you can do this too.
Authors included in this episode:
- Katie Eagan Schenck, https://keschenckauthor.com/
- Liv Macy, https://livmacy.com/
- LT Kodzo, https://www.kodzobooks.com/
- Meg Edson, https://www.zigzagzeph.net/
- Sandra Dee, https://www.facebook.com/simplysandradee/
- Sarah Birnbach, https://sarahbirnbach.com/
- Terri Simon, https://fallentreepress.com/ & https://www.terricsimon.com/
Connect with Parents Who Write:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parentswhowrite
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/parentswhowrite
- Website: https://parentswhowrite.com
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call to learn about my editing services:
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
Ever wonder what fuels the creative fire of women authors?
In today’s episode, you’re going to hear from seven incredible women authors who attended The Write Women Book Fest 2023 in Bowie, Maryland.
We'll dive into their inspiring journeys and explore what ignited their writing passions, the lengths of their literary careers, and whether they always envisioned themselves as authors. We'll also uncover what makes their chosen genres special to them.
Whether you're a fellow parent-writer looking for inspiration and camaraderie or simply someone who appreciates the art of storytelling, these interviews are bound to offer insight and wisdom.
So, let's dive into the worlds of these talented women and discover how they've harnessed the power of imagination to pen incredible tales.
Authors included in this episode:
- Cheryl Woodruff Brooks, https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07P45YFQS
- ER Griffin, https://ergriffin.site/
- Eden Appiah-Kubi, https://edenawrites.com/
- Heather M., https://www.amazon.com/stores/Heather-M/author/B0813YGJ6V
- Jeaniene Frost, https://www.jeanienefrost.com/
- KL Richardson, https://www.amazon.com/stores/K.L.-Richardson/author/B0CGP19D62
- Laurisa Brant, https://laurisabrandt.com/
Connect with Parents Who Write:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parentswhowrite
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/parentswhowrite
- Website: https://parentswhowrite.com
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call:
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
In this episode of Parents Who Write, Michelle Summers shares her inspiring journey as an urban fantasy author who brought mythological characters to life through the power of human beliefs.
Listen to her discuss her experience as a mom of three, her background in studio art and martial arts, and how she transformed her writing dreams into a reality.
But here's a delightful twist: Michelle and your host Erin share a long history, going back to their high school days, making this episode a nostalgic journey through decades of friendship.
We're diving into Michelle's journey as a writer, her experiences, and the development of her Guardian series. You'll hear about her early attempts at writing, her struggles with getting started, and the turning point that led her to embrace her passion for storytelling.
And be ready to discover the touching story behind a significant revision in Michelle's book and how real-life inspiration found its way into her fantastical world.
Michelle's story is filled with determination, resilience, and a touch of humor, making it a must-listen for aspiring writers and parents who share her passion for storytelling.
Get her books:
- The Predecessor: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/4hbaitb32j
- The Chosen One, My Ass! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZQCQ68P
- The Chosen . . . Two (forthcoming Nov. 16, 2023): https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BZQH7FT6
Connect with Michelle:
- FB page: https://www.facebook.com/msummerswriter
- FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/michellesummerssuperheroes
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msummerswriter
- Website: https://msummerswriter.com
More about Michelle:
Michelle Summers writes urban fantasy / paranormal romance with strong female main characters who save the day and their love interests. As an author, she finds catharsis in writing the situations that arise when human characters have to handle fantastical elements in their everyday world. Family dynamics and relationships play a big role in Michelle’s stories, as do sarcasm and humor.
Michelle is a mom of three inspiring (and exhausting) children whom she is raising to be their own superheroes. In addition to having a blue belt in karate, she is PTA president and an avid crocheter, and while technically a stay-at-home mom, she likes to think of herself as a domestic goddess instead.
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
For many parents, moms in particular, society perpetuates the idea that we should sacrifice everything for our children. So how do we push that aside and give ourselves permission to write now and pursue our creative dreams?
In this episode, you’ll hear how Megan Clancy did that—not only for herself but also the writers she coaches. Megan is a writer of upmarket women's fiction and queer contemporary romance, a book coach, a former high school English teacher, and a mother of two young children.
Needless to say, she has a lot to say on this topic.
So stay tuned to learn how she’s overcome these obstacles. And bonus: Find out how to own your identity as a writer today.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Losing yourself and writing in parenthood
- Fighting against societal norms
- Changing your mindset
- Setting boundaries with the family
- Owning your identity as a writer now
- Addressing the impossibility of writing dreams as mothers
- Getting past mom guilt
- Finding your confidence
- Sapphic women’s fiction
- Favorite books
About Megan:
Megan Clancy is a writer of upmarket women's fiction and queer contemporary romance. She has a BA in English/Creative Writing from Colorado College, an MFA from the University of Melbourne, and worked as a high school English teacher before becoming a full-time writer and book coach. She loves to travel, which frequently inspires her writing, and has lived and worked in Australia, Nepal, and the United States. She currently lives in California with her husband and two young children.
Get her book:
- The Burden of a Daughter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937818993/
Connect with Megan
- Website: http://www.meganaclancy.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mclancyauthor
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mclancyauthor/
Books discussed during the show:
- The No-Show, by Beth O’Leary
- Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
- Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, by Ashley Herring Blake
- The Magic Treehouse, by Mary Pope Osborne
- Dragon Masters, by Tracey West
- I Built a House, by Chris Van Dunsen
- Maybe, by Kobi Yamada
- The Remember Balloons, by Jessie Oliveros
- Robin and Her Misfits, by Kelly Ann Jacobson
- Tinkerbell and Wendy, by Kelly Ann Jacobson
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
Ever wondered if journaling can lead to more than dear diary entries?
Joining today’s conversation is Erin Leigh, a writer, author, and mother of four. In this episode, Erin shares how a lifetime of journaling not only strengthened her writing but also lead to her publishing her first nonfiction book and becoming an author.
Bonus: She also shares the positive impact journaling has had on her family, as well as two tips from her award-winning parenting book, Navigating the Newborn Months and Beyond: A Mother’s Guide to Routine, Sleep, Fussiness, and Self-Care.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- A lifetime of journaling
- The shift in journaling as a new parent
- Different forms of journaling
- Journaling tips for parents
- How journaling helps our creative writing
- Self-care through journaling
- Writing a manuscript and referencing old journals
- The learning curve of self-publishing
- Two parenting tips from Erin’s book
- BONUS: Asking for help
About Erin Leigh:
Erin Leigh has enjoyed nonfiction writing since she was a child. Her passion for research and writing were the primary reason she pursued a career in law. Finding writing to be rewarding, challenging, and fulfilling, Erin writes nonfiction pieces about parenting, motherhood, self-care, and outdoor adventures, and is also a contributing writer for Her View From Home, Motherly, and Motherzing magazine. She also writes a monthly author newsletter.
Erin is the proud mother of three sons and one daughter. She and her family reside in Northern California. Prior to having children, Erin practiced health care law in the legal department of Stanford University. She enjoys swimming, running, reading, hiking, playing the piano, and spending time outdoors as much as possible.
Get her book:
- Navigating the Newborn Months and Beyond: A Mother’s Guide to Routine, Sleep, Fussiness, and Self-Care: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578361868
Connect w/ Erin Leigh:
- Articles: https://linktr.ee/erineileenleigh
- Website: http://www.erineileenleigh.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erineileenleighauthor
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/erineileenleigh
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/erineileenleigh-author
Resources discussed during the show:
- Reconnecting with Myself: A self-reflection journal for parents, by Erin P.T. Canning, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJDJ67XY/
- SPARC plan article, “Good Parenting During Stressful Holidays – Dayna Abraham,” https://www.happilyfamily.com/good-parenting-during-stressful-holidays-dayna-abraham/
Ready to stop circling around your manuscript?
As an experienced professional editor, I can help you finish your book with confidence and direction. Learn more by visiting ParentsWhoWrite.com/editing, and book a free 30-minute call with me to discuss what’s right for you.
Have you ever wondered if a seed of an idea could become a whole book? What would that process look like? How would you even go about verifying if you have enough content?
In today’s episode, you’ll find out how Hilary Kinney figured out the answers to those very questions and successfully published her first book.
Hilary is a blogger, nonfiction author of Project Management for Parents, and a mom to one pre-teen.
So stay tuned to discover how you can turn a blog post into a book.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- When a non-writer gets an idea
- Taking action and actually writing
- Blog post triggering a book idea
- Moving past the TOC
- Writing while the kid is home
- Compiling a marketing plan
- Tip: Know your audience
- Time and organization hacks for parents
- Favorite books
- BONUS: Books that influence our writing
About Hilary:
Hilary Kinney is an award-winning blogger and author of the non-fiction book Project Management for Parents. She wrote this guide to teamwork and organization during the pandemic, to help families reduce stress and streamline life at home.
Her day job is as a corporate executive where she has spearheaded global projects across The Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels. She is also the proud mother of an elementary school student. Her recent parenting accomplishments include teaching him to plan his day independently, make dinner, and get his chores done without complaining—most of the time.
Hilary earned a BS from Cornell University and holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification from the Project Management Institute. She lives with her family in the Washington, D.C. area.
Get her book:
- Project Management for Parents: https://www.projectmanagementforparents.com/book
- Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Project-Management-Parents-Teamwork-Together/dp/1631956337
Connect with Hilary:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParentsProjects
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pmforparents/
- Website: https://www.projectmanagementforparents.com/
Books discussed during the show:
- Ruins and Redemption by Erin P.T. Canning, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CHDFWHBC/
- Song Yet Sung by James McBride
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
What makes a sentence strong? How do you create concrete images for your readers? How do you make sure your prose won’t put your readers to sleep?
In today’s episode, you’re going to learn the answers to those questions with four easy tips that have a powerful impact on your sentences. In fact, they’re so easy that you can start implementing them today.
So tune in to learn how to strengthen your sentences—and discover how zombies can help you.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Watch out for filler words
- Eliminate abstract words
- Get creative with the word it
- Watch out for zombies
- When to worry about these 4 tips
Get Erin's book:
- Ruins and Redemption: https://www.amazon.com/Ruins-Redemption-Aerytol-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B0CG84P1N8
- Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/erinptcanning
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinptcanning
- Website: https://erinptcanning.com
Connect with PWW:
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/parentswhowrite
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parentswhowrite
- Looking for editing help? Book a free 30-minute discovery call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Are you looking for organic marketing tips that will help you grow your social media audience? In this episode, you’ll learn six ways to do just that, without spamming other groups or turning potential readers away with only “buy my book” posts.
Today’s guest, Chad Miller, a writer of dark fiction and horror and a single father to three tweens, also shares the pros of working with indie publishers and why Chad argues there’s no such thing as writer’s block.
So stay tuned and also enjoy a fun conversation at the end about Chad’s love for classic horror and his thoughts about certain horror movies.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Chad’s writing journey
- Making the most of limited writing time
- Choosing the indie publishing route
- End goals for being an author
- Marketing tips for social media
- Tip #1: Don’t take on too many social media platforms
- Tip #2: Build your audience organically
- Tip #3: Connecting with reviewers
- Tip #4: How to engage your audience
- Tip #5: Creating useful, fun content
- Tip #6: Commenting and inviting followers
- Favorite horror books and movies
- BONUS: Don’t give up hope
About Chad:
Chad Miller is a writer of dark fiction and horror. Most of his inspirations are derived from dark concepts in art, music, and literature, and Miller expresses these themes in his own work. He finds much to explore in the despair, horror, and pain in the human condition and is intrigued and mesmerized by these elements.
Miller lives in Delaware with his daughters, ages 12 and 9, his girlfriend, Natasha, and her daughter, age 12. He dreams of living in cities across the world and exploring culture and art with his favorite people.
Get his books:
- The Prisoner of Fear: https://www.amazon.com/Doyle-Braham-Prisoner-Chad-Miller/dp/1957913266
- Doyle and Braham in: A Paroxysm of Fear: https://www.amazon.com/Doyle-Braham-Paroxysm-Chad-Miller-ebook/dp/B0BT5TBKGL
- The Void short stories: https://www.amazon.com/Void-Chad-Miller/dp/1957913223
Connect with Chad:
- Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/chadmillerauthor/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chadmillerauthor/
- Website: https://www.chadmiller-author.com/
Resources mentioned:
- Tips on growing a social media audience: https://www.chadmiller-author.com/2023/02/17/here-are-some-tips-on-growing-your-social-media-audience/
Books discussed during the show:
- Dracula, by Bram Stoker
- Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
- The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas
- The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas
- Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle
- Professor Dowell’s Head, by Alexander Belyaev
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Do you have a story idea that doesn’t fit neatly into one genre?
If you’ve ever considered writing cross-genre, then stick around and learn how one author managed to successfully combine travel writing, memoir, and young adult into a single book.
You’ll also know the key benefits of researching your idea compared to the others who’ve already published, and you’ll learn how to find quality editors who support your goals.
As a bonus, you’ll also hear about Kellie’s and Erin’s travels abroad.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Trying to write during maternity leave
- Traveling the world and blogging with her middle schoolers
- Binging YouTube writing craft videos
- Reading one-star reviews for similar books
- Writing the first draft in three months
- Hiring three different editors when writing cross-genre
- Finding good editors and avoiding bad experiences
- Telling her family she’s writing a memoir about them
- Don’t fret not having a formal writing degree
- Favorite books
- BONUS: Entering middle school curriculums
- BONUS: Percentages of drafted and published books
About Kellie:
Kellie McIntyre is a Southern girl with a passion for cultural and adventure travel. She has explored 50 countries across six continents and will finally make it to Antarctica in November 2023.
In 2013, Kellie, her husband, and their two daughters traded middle school for a global adventure. That experience led to a first-class education from economy seats. And that education has turned into her new book. It is a “Dork Diaries meets The Amazing Race” family travel memoir with a unique twist—it’s written from her 14- and 12-year-old daughters’ perspectives.
Kellie also shares tips for planning and surviving global family (mis)adventures on her travel blog, 4 Worn Passports.
Kellie’s daughters are now young adults, and Kellie and her husband are empty-nesters in Alabama. They work in real estate.
Get her book:
- The Passport Project: Two Sisters Ditch Middle School for a Life-Changing Journey Around the World: https://www.amazon.com/Passport-Project-Sisters-Life-Changing-Journey/dp/1737743817
Connect w/ Kellie:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/4WornPassports/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4WornPassports
- Travel blog: https://4wornpassports.com/
Books discussed during the show:
- The Girl with Seven Names, by Hyeonseo Lee
- Escaping from Camp 14, by Blaine Harden
- A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah
- First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers, by Loung Ung
- From the Land of Green Ghosts, by Pascal Khoo Thwe
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
The traditional publishing route can feel overwhelming. Query letters and manuscript evaluations and book agents—oh, my!
In this episode, you’ll learn how one author entered Dante’s inferno, her words, not mine, and took initiative to get her narrative nonfiction novel published.
You’ll also walk away not only better understanding the twists and turns of the traditional publishing route but also learn 5 tried and true tips for shopping your manuscript with book agents.
So stay tuned to find out how this author never gave up and finally published her book after 17 years!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- 17 years of drafting / shopping a narrative nonfiction book
- How Maria kept going and found her co-author
- Making tough revision decisions
- Shopping the manuscript and entering Dante’s hell
- The challenge of not being famous
- Query letters, manuscripts, and book proposals
- Exiting Dante’s hell with positive manuscript reviews
- 5 tips for attending writing workshops
- Making dad’s dream come true
- Changing the narrative of our own stories
About Maria:
A narrative nonfiction writer, Maria Costanzo Palmer is also a Page Turner Award Finalist for her co-authored book On the Rocks (Koehler Books). Her writing has been published in OC87 Recovery Diaries, and she has made a number of media appearances.
She also serves as the grant writer for St. Paul's Community Development Corporation in Paterson, NJ, where she helps fund programs that support "a hand-up, not a hand-out." She lives in New Jersey with her husband and college sweetheart Joe, their two children, ages 9 and 7, and her two rescue pit bulls, Luna and Stella.
Get her book:
- · On the Rocks: http://visithei.nz/primadonna-book
Connect w/ Maria:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoeCostanzoPrimadonna/
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/joecostanzoprimadonna
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mariacpalmer
- Website: http://www.mariacpalmer.com
- LinkTree: linktr.ee/mariacpalmer
Resources discussed during the show:
- Writing Day Workshops: http://www.writingdayworkshops.com/
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
One year ago, I released my first podcast episodes. Since then, I have had the privilege of speaking with 26 other writers who have shared their lessons learned and inspired more parents and writers to pursue their writing dreams.
I've noticed some reoccurring themes among my guests and myself, choices and ways of thinking that shift the needle from dreaming about writing to taking action.
So, I've compiled these clips with the hope that when you're done listening to this, you not only will know you can do this too, but you'll also pick up a pen or sit down at a keyboard and write.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Nancy McCabe on shaping her life around writing
- Dominique Snedeker on letting us be ourselves
- Sara Burnett on writing and parenting simultaneously
- Amanda Schiller on teaching herself writing
- Melissa Puritis on taking herself off the shelf
- Gina Colegrove on writing fearlessly
- Esme Iris on finding the right support
- Linnea March on fighting self-doubt
- Camisha Broussard on transparency and judgment
Connect with Parents Who Write:
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/parentswhowrite
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Have you started revising your story only to feel like you're going in circles? Does the revision process feel overwhelming and you don't know what to tackle next?
In today's episode, you are going to learn how you can use different lenses to review your work and how this method can help make the revision process less chaotic.
Tune in to learn 6 different editing lenses for the revision process that you can start using today.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Changing your focus
- Simplifying overwhelm
-
- Time and location
-
- Showing emotions
-
- Character arcs
-
- Chapter purpose
-
- Plot
-
- Mood
- The four stages of the writing process
About Erin:
Erin P.T. Canning has worked for more than 15 years as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals.
She always planned to write a book. Then she had kids. While she focused on them, she stopped writing—for six years. Something deep inside was missing. Depression, anxiety, and anger forced her to search for herself, both for her sake and her family’s.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. One journal entry led to one blog post that led to her creating her podcast, Parents Who Write. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help others pursue their writing dreams.
Finally, she finished writing her own shitty first draft and will release her first novel in 2023. She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she lives with her husband and their two boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
How often do you read romance novels in which mental health issues are a normal part of the main characters?
Joining today’s conversation is Ginny Moore, a romantic historical fiction author, middle school assistant principal, and mother to three kids.
In this episode, you’ll hear Ginny share not only why her postpartum anxiety and depression went undiagnosed for far too long but also how subconsciously funneling her mental health issues into her main characters has helped her to know herself better, heal, and save her marriage.
So tune in to hear more about how Ginny uses romantic historical fiction to push boundaries—both externally among a more formal, ridged society and internally as characters wrestle with their worst sides.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Struggling with depression, anxiety, and ADHD
- Using writing to cope with mental health struggles
- Using two lead characters to reconcile different sides of yourself
- Forcing characters to reckon with their worst sides amid history
- Oxford University’s unwanted, first female students
- How car notes evolved into a full novel
- The non-career goal of one writer
- Finding a great writing buddy
- Sharing your other hobbies with your audience
- Reaching burn out, again
- Favorite books
About Ginny:
Ginny B. Moore was the kid who loved kissing scenes in movies and always rooted for Mulder and Scully to hook up. Her first piece of writing was a horrendous fanfic romance based on The Three Musketeers when she was thirteen years old.
Ginny started reading romance during the pandemic. In an effort to avoid doom-scrolling social media, she decided to put her own stories to paper. She is a middle school assistant principal and has been in education for eighteen years. Most of her writing is done on her phone or in the parking lot of her kids' extracurricular activities.
When she is not writing, Ginny is a slow long-distance runner. She is the mother of three kids, two exceptionally stupid dogs, two codependent cats, and the grandmother to a hermit crab.
Get her books:
- Adding Up to Love: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSB9G8BS
- The Countess and the Casanova: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2N89ZGW
Connect w/ Ginny:
- Website: https://www.ginnymooreauthor.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ginny_moore_writes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GinnyMooreAuthor/
Books discussed during the show:
- Author Sarah MacLean
- Author Tessa Dare
- Thornchapel series by Sierra Simone
- Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
- Matilda by Roald Dahl
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Are you curious how writing can foster healing, which practices you might try, and how to protect your well-being if you tackle difficult memories?
Joining today’s conversation is Rebecca Evans, a memoirist, poet, essayist, and professor of creative non-fiction. In this episode, you’ll discover how Rebecca uses creative writing and journaling not only to reconnect with herself daily but also to find purpose in her traumatic experiences.
You’ll also learn how to set up a safety dismount practice for those emotionally difficult writing sessions. And you’ll hear how journaling helped Rebecca to connect with her struggling teenager.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Bookending our days with journaling
- Losing the use of her hands for years
- Safely dismounting from writing as therapy
- The power of funding your voice
- Connecting with our kids via journals
- How art informs life, and life informs art
- The challenges of staying intentionally present
- Being open to exploring someone else’s POV
- Favorite books
About Rebecca:
Rebecca Evans is a memoirist, poet, and essayist. In addition to writing, she teaches Creative Nonfiction at Boise State University and mentors high school girls in the juvenile system. In her spare time, she co-hosts a radio program, Writer to Writer, offering a space for writers to offer tips on craft and life.
Rebecca is also disabled, a Veteran, a Jew, a gardener, a mother, a worrier, and more. She has a passion for sharing difficult stories about vulnerability woven with mysticism. She’s earned two MFAs, one in creative nonfiction, the other in poetry, both from the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe. She lives in Idaho with her sons, her Newfies, and her Calico.
Connect w/ Rebecca:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccawrites33
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/rebeccawrites
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhPAJcZV0CEtlCwr_UuMvDuQIm8-UW_ME
Get her books:
- Tangled by Blood: A Memoir in Verse: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1957799080
- When There Are Nine: https://www.moontidepress.com/books
Links to her essays, poems, and more:
- Website: https://rebeccaevanswriter.com/published-work/
Books discussed during the show:
- The Warrior of Light, by Paulo Coelho
- Come the Slumberless to the Land of Nod, by Traci Brimhall
- The Book of Nightmares, by Galway Kenk
- The City in Which I Love You, by Li-Young Lee
- The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
- Jude the Obscure, by Thomas Hardy
- All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr
- Lemon, by Kwon Yeo-sun
- Garlic Ballads, by Mo Yan
- The Monster at the End of This Book, by Jon Stone
- Peanut Butter and Brains, by Joe McGee
- Moby-Dick, by Herman Melville
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Do you struggle with spreading the word about your writing and growing your audience organically? Do you fear people just scroll past your “buy my book” or “read my writing” posts?
In this episode, you’ll learn how to reach your ideal readers and why spamming other groups doesn’t convert users into readers.
Best of all, you’ll walk away knowing how to create content that users actually want to consume AND share.
So, stay tuned to learn the secrets for gaining a following of raving fans who love your posts and voluntarily spread the word about you and your writing.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Conquering the purpose of social media
- Finding your ideal readers
- Knowing what to post and NOT post in other groups
- Creating your own consistency
- Using the three main types of content
- Posting content people want to consume and share
- BONUS: An affordable resource for generating your ideas
About Erin:
Erin P.T. Canning has worked for more than 15 years as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals.
She always planned to write a book. Then she had kids. While she focused on them, she stopped writing—for six years. Something deep inside was missing. Depression, anxiety, and anger forced her to search for herself, both for her sake and her family’s.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. One journal entry led to one blog post that led to her creating her podcast, Parents Who Write. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help others pursue their writing dreams.
Finally, she finished writing her own shitty first draft and will release her first novel in 2023. She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she lives with her husband and their two boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Resources discussed during the show:
- Parents Who Write writing workshops: https://lifebeyondparenting.com/courses/
- Rachel Miller’s Set-and-Forget Social System: https://moolah.life/social-system46939416
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Have you had that moment when your words flow effortlessly onto the page and what you write completely surprises and delights you?
Joining today’s conversation is Jackie Amsden, an indie comedy author, podcaster, and mom of two. In today’s episode, you’ll hear about how tapping into creative space helped Jackie reconcile her struggle with becoming a mother and the loneliness she felt throughout that transition.
You’ll learn why a writing habit doesn’t have to be done a certain way and how having kids can make our creativity more efficient. Tune in to also find out how Jackie has began reshaping the identity of mom through her writing.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Feeling alone a new mom who also writes
- How Jackie thought writing had to be done, before having kids
- Tapping into that creative space and feeding the soul
- How passion and motivation change after becoming a parent
- How to not forget your creativity
- Using writing to play with the identity of mom and reshaping it
- Jackie’s desire to connect with more writers
- Using podcasts to connect with specific communities
- Favorite books
- BONUS: Using Fancy Nancy as an example for a strong voice
- BONUS: Advice on digging deeper into why you’re not writing
About Jackie:
Jackie Amsden is an indie comedy author and host of These Mums Write podcast. She is currently working on a MomCom about a stay-at-home mom who needs to pretend to be an ex-con to get a job.
She has children, ages 6 and 13, who provide an endless source of hilarious one-liners and also a great deal of lower back pain. She lives in Vancouver, the Canadian one.
Connect w/ Jackie:
- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jackieamsden
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackieamsden/
Books and resources discussed during the show:
- Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, by Elizabeth Gilbert
- You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, by Jen Sincero
- Midlife Bites: Anyone Else Falling Apart, Or Is It Just Me?, by Jen Mann
- Welcome to the Neighborhood, by Lisa Roe
- Confessions of a Forty-Something F##k Up, by Alexandra Potter
- The Wayside School series, by Louis Sachar
- Pinkalicious series, by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann
- Fancy Nancy, by Jane O’Connor
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Can you recall a book that inspired you to become a writer? What about a book that fundamentally changed your view of the world or yourself?
Never underestimate the power of reading books you love—and books you hate.
Joining today’s conversation is Maria Secoy, a romance fiction author, former English teacher, and book coach for those who self-publish literary romance novels.
In this episode, you’ll enjoy a combination of banter and insight into writing techniques as two good friends discuss the books that taught them how to recognize that people (and stories) have layers, what it means to show and not tell, and how people can read the same book but have completely different experiences.
Tune in to enjoy these two good friends bantering while they challenge each other to consider a different point of view.
Whenever Maria and Erin are together, you’re guaranteed to learn something while laughing. A lot.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Books that change the trajectory of our lives
- The book at showed Maria we’re all human
- The book that taught Erin show vs tell
- The trauma of being forced to read the “right” book
- The book that showed Erin the worst in people
- Rosenblatt’s theory of reader response
- The perfect example of satire
About Maria:
Maria Secoy has a BA in English and an MEd in Secondary English. She spent more than a decade in the classroom helping students grow as authentic writers.
She wrote and published her first romance novel in February 2022, which has since reached #4 on the Amazon Best Sellers List.
After hearing stories of editors gone wrong, flopped cover designs, marketing struggles, and anxiety over the entire self-publication process, she launched All Write Well, which has grown to include a team of supportive experts who meet all the self-publishing needs of writers.
Get her books:
- Alongside Lucy: https://www.amazon.com/Alongside-Lucy-Trail-Adventure-Adventures-ebook/dp/B09WKYLVVZ
- Gloria’s Gumption: https://www.amazon.com/Glorias-Gumption-Maria-Secoy/dp/B0BRH2F7WZ/
- Standing by Stephanie: https://www.amazon.com/Standing-Stephanie-Trail-Love-Adventures-ebook/dp/B0BY3SWRW7/
Connect with Maria:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msecoywriter
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/awwromance
- All Write Well (self-publishing support services): https://allwritewell.com/
Books discussed during the show:
- Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going
- Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
- The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sherlock Holmes
- Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
- Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
- The Chosen One, My Ass, by Michelle Summers
- A Modest Proposal, by Jonathan Swift
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Have you heard this advice read like a writer but have wondered what does that actually mean?
In today's episode, you are going to learn how this practice helps strengthen your writing, which books you should apply this approach to, and how to actually read like a writer.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Books that resonate
- Subconsciously learning through imitation
- Deciding what lessons and techniques to keep and not keep
- Identifying what you don’t like
- Recognizing the patterns of storytelling
- Choosing books to read like a writer
- Understanding decisions regarding structure
- How to look at the book’s big picture
- How to study the first chapter
- How to observe the way the author handles transitions
- How and why you should track predictions and breadcrumbs
- How to study passages that suck you into the story
- How to study passages you find boring
- What to notice regarding how chapters tend to end
About Erin:
Erin P.T. Canning has worked for more than 15 years as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals.
She always planned to write a book. Then she had kids. While she focused on them, she stopped writing—for six years. Something deep inside was missing. Depression, anxiety, and anger forced her to search for herself, both for her sake and her family’s.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. One journal entry led to one blog post that led to her creating her podcast, Parents Who Write. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help others pursue their writing dreams.
Finally, she finished writing her own shitty first draft and will release her first novel in 2023. She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she lives with her husband and their two boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
We all fight imposter syndrome. But some of us have better weapons.
In this episode, you’ll learn to fight off imposter syndrome by living the true life of a writer and the keys to building that life for yourself, regardless of where you’re at in your writing journey.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Becoming a writer later in life
- The importance of validation
- Facing rejection after writing that first book
- Published books aren’t written in stone
- The vulnerability of releasing your first book
- Unique challenges of women writers
- The differences of writing & publishing book 2
- Fighting that negative self-talk of imposter syndrome
- Doing it scared rather than not at all
- Living like a writer
- About the Write Women Book Fest
- Handling parenting stuff and writing stuff
- Balancing writing value, worth, and self
- Favorite books
- Bonus: Struggling to slow down our minds
- Final advice: Don’t be so hard on yourself and find support
About Heather:
H.L. Brooks writes dark fairy tales with dashes of sex, romance, and erotic short stories. More recently she's been working on a cozy witch mystery series. Founder of The Write Women Book Fest and The Write Women Network author salons, H.L. places an emphasis on strong female characters of various ages and body types.
H.L. lives in Maryland with her husband William. Her daughters Amber and Jade are now grown up, but are still an almost daily part of her life. She's looking forward to her daughter Amber's first child coming in 2023 and is thinking of all the ways to fit in being an active grandmother.
Get her books:
- Shifters of Mahigan Falls series (Red August, Red Archer & Red Hunter): https://www.amazon.com/H-L-Brooks/e/B01F2ALPV0/
Connect with Heather:
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/hlbrookswrites
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hlbrookswrites
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hlbrookswrites
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/hlbrookswrites
- Website & newsletter: http://www.hlbrooks.com
Resources discussed:
- The Write Women Network: https://facebook.com/groups/1800921360129064/
- The Write Women Book Fest: https://www.thewritewomenbookfest.org
- Wide for the Win: https://facebook.com/groups/wideforthewin
Books discussed during the show:
- The Art of Asking, by Amanda Palmer
- Abridged Shakespeare books
- Author Dr. Seuss
- Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon, by Jules Bass
- Charlie the Caterpillar, by Dom Deluise
- Busy Town, by Richard Scarry
- Blubber and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Bloom
- Grimm’s Fairy Tales
- The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood
- Author Neil Gaiman
- Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Do you have personal moments of your life that you want to write about, but you're not sure how to approach difficult memories? Or you fear backlash from the people you'd have to write about in order to tell that story?
In today's episode, I'm going to share how I navigate those issues, after I read for you one such story that I wrote.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Reading of Erin’s personal essay, Erin Go Brách: How My Irish Heritage Found Me
- Why Erin wrote this personal essay about her father and heritage
- Three ways to prepare writing about difficult memories
- Waiting until the right time
- Gaining internal permission to write these stories
- Knowing when you’re ready to face and share your wounds
- Returning to our big why for telling this story
- Writing to help yourself
- Writing to help others and overcoming fear of judgment
- Addressing fear of backlash
- Identifying your intention behind telling this story
- Notice what language you’re using
- Exploring the other person’s point of view
- Play worst case scenario and make a plan
- If you fear physical harm
- Changing details to conceal your identity
- Approaching writing about these moments with caution
- Have a TLC plan in place post-writing
About Erin:
Erin P.T. Canning has worked for more than 15 years as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals.
She always planned to write a book. Then she had kids. While she focused on them, she stopped writing—for six years. Something deep inside was missing. Depression, anxiety, and anger forced her to search for herself, both for her sake and her family’s.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. One journal entry led to one blog post that led to her creating her podcast, Parents Who Write. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help others pursue their writing dreams.
Finally, she finished writing her own shitty first draft and will release her first novel in 2023. She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she lives with her husband and their two boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Resources discussed during the show:
- Read my personal essay here: https://lifebeyondparenting.com/Erin-go-Brach
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Have you ever written a sentence that just feels off? And you’re not sure how to rearrange the words or phrases to create a stronger sentence?
Today’s episode plants the first seeds for gaining this knowledge. Just listen, and let these concepts grow roots. And when you come back and listen again, you’ll strengthen these ideas, which in turn will begin to strengthen your writing.
Why? Because no matter how many words a sentence contains, whether that’s 3 words or 100, every sentence boils down to 5 basic patterns. And when you know how the patterns should flow, you’ll be better able to identify and fix those awkward sentences that muddy your ideas and confuse your readers.
So stay tuned and familiarize yourself with the bigger picture.
Also, if you want a visual version of this episode, you can read the article version online: https://lifebeyondparenting.com/sentence-patterns.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Know your puzzle pieces
- When to implement this in your writing
- Pattern one: subject + verb + subject complement
- Pattern two: subject + verb
- Pattern three: subject + verb + direct object
- Pattern four: subject + verb + indirect object + direct object
- Pattern five: subject + verb + direct object + object complement
- How this helps you
About Erin:
Erin P.T. Canning has worked for more than 15 years as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals.
She always planned to write a book. Then she had kids. While she focused on them, she stopped writing—for six years. Something deep inside was missing. Depression, anxiety, and anger forced her to search for herself, both for her sake and her family’s.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. One journal entry led to one blog post that led to her creating her podcast, Parents Who Write. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help others pursue their writing dreams.
Finally, she finished writing her own shitty first draft and will release her first novel in 2023. She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she lives with her husband and their two boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Have you pondered writing children’s book but aren’t sure how to pull the whole project together, from prose, to illustrations, to publication?
In this episode, Sheryl Bass discusses various resources that can help you write and publish your book, how to handle illustrations, and what to consider when pondering traditional or self-publishing.
You’ll also learn more about social emotional learning and how you can incorporate these messages into your books to help foster positive messages for children. Also enjoy hearing an excerpt of Sherly’s rhyming storybook.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Being a midwife to others’ creativity
- The sneeze that inspired a children’s book
- The importance of rhyme vs what’s fashionable
- The challenge of being an unknown author
- Holding onto an idea for years
- Creating your own author’s brand
- Incorporating SEL into children’s books
- Pros to self-publishing
- Cons to self-publishing
- Finding self-publishing services, such as editors and illustrators
- Four tips for writing children’s books
- Our children provide us with built-in resources
- How your kids can help you choose an illustrator
- Writing isn’t a race
- The benefits of reading your story aloud
- An excerpt from Baby Dragon’s Big Sneeze
- Adding more kindness to the world
About Sheryl:
Sheryl Bass holds a master’s degree in Social Work and has studied child development, and she uses these insights to inform her picture book writing. Her goal in creating Be-Kind Publishing is to produce lighthearted rhyming stories with gentle themes of teamwork and friendship.
Sheryl also holds a master’s degree in Journalism and is currently working in public relations. Sheryl resides just outside of Chicago, IL with her husband and two terriers.
Get her book:
- Baby Dragon’s Big Sneeze: https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Dragons-Big-Sneeze-Children/dp/B0BJTFPQ55
Connect with Sheryl:
- Website: http://www.be-kindpublishing.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087176800294
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/be.kind.publishing/
Resources discussed during the show:
- April Cox, coach, Self-Publishing Made Simple
- Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
- Laura Bontje, children’s book editor
- Children’s Book Insider
- Remesh Ram, illustrator, Prayan Animation
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Do you keep toying with an idea for a novel, but you’re not even sure what constitutes a chapter?
In today’s episode, you’ll learn not only why we use chapters but also what to include in them, their average length, and different ways to end chapters.
So tune in to find out how to identify the purpose or goal of your chapter and thus what to write next.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Defining chapter
- Including internal and external conflict
- The average length
- Different ways to end chapters
- Identifying your chapter’s purpose or goal
- A challenge for your chapters
- Know at least this when starting a new chapter
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Are you curious about writing romance stories, but you’re not sure what qualifies as romance?
In this episode, you’ll get a deeper look into what constitutes the romance genre. You’ll learn what makes a romance novel literary and what distinguishes the 50+ subgenres from each other.
Joining this conversation is Maria Secoy, a literary romance author and writing coach. Today, Maria shares three story development tips that help you know whether you’re writing a romance story, a love story, or a tragedy.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- What makes a romance book literary
- What the Library of Congress has to say about romance
- How many subgenres exist under the romance category
- What distinguishes erotica from romance
- Where to find the LGBTQ+ romance subgenre
- M/M romance and the inadequate classification of LGBTQ+ romance
- What’s happening with the newer subgenre sapphic romance
- The need for more LGBTQ+ categories
- An overview of 35 other romance subcategories
- Further breaking down historical romance
- Cross listing books in subgenres
- Fantasy vs paranormal romance
- Three tips for romance writers
- What character development means for romance
- The only two ways to develop love
- What romance requires
- How to show happily ever after
- Clarifying happily for now endings
- Does happy for now imply a sequel
- What’s a dealbreaker in the romance genre
About Maria:
Maria Secoy has a BA in English and an MEd in Secondary English. She spent more than a decade in the classroom helping students grow as authentic writers.
She wrote and published her first romance novel, Alongside Lucy, in February 2022, which has since reached #4 on the Amazon Best Sellers List. And she released Gloria’s Gumption January 2023.
After hearing stories of editors gone wrong, flopped cover designs, marketing struggles, and anxiety over the entire self-publication process, she launched All Write Well, which has grown to include a team of supportive experts who meet all the self-publishing needs of writers.
Get her books:
- Alongside Lucy: https://www.amazon.com/Alongside-Lucy-Trail-Adventure-Adventures-ebook/dp/B09WKYLVVZ
- Gloria’s Gumption: https://www.amazon.com/Glorias-Gumption-Maria-Secoy/dp/B0BRH2F7WZ/
Connect with Maria:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msecoywriter
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/msecoywriter
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/awwromance
- All Write Well (self-publishing support services): https://allwritewell.com/
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Have you contemplated creating a writer’s profile, but you aren’t sure if that’s necessary, what the benefits might be, or when would even be the right time?
In this episode, you’ll not only learn the answers to these questions but also walk away with tips like what to beware of so that your second profile doesn’t get shut down AND how to set up your writer’s profile so that you maximize its potential.
Think this doesn’t apply to you (yet)? You may be surprised.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Keeping personal and public information separate
- Networking and collecting fans
- How you present yourself
- What about pen names
- Using a writer’s profile with a writer’s page
- When you should set up a writer’s profile
- Creating a new email
- Using an alternative phone number
- Choosing your writer’s profile name
- The repercussions of sending too many friend requests
- How to maximize your profile
- What to include on your cover photo
- Tips for your profile picture
- Uses for an author logo
- Streamlining your info on your profile
- Reviewing Erin’s writer’s profile as an example
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Resources discussed during the show:
- Canva
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
When postpartum depression strikes, escaping those feelings can seem impossible. But finding a way to overcome the impossible and turn what we view as a weakness into our strength is part of what draws us to superheroes.
Joining today’s conversation is Samantha Bryant, an author of horror and superheroes. This mom of two returned to creative writing as a means to help herself through postpartum depression.
Learn how Samantha established healthy boundaries with her children to safeguard her writing time. You’ll also hear about the evolution of her children adjusting to her writing needs and becoming her biggest supporters.
So, if you want to hear how Samantha turned a forgotten hobby into a writing career that includes superheroes, tune in today’s episode.
Topics discussed:
- Writing to process the world
- The slow decline of writing post-childbirth
- PPD and getting back into writing
- Weekend family team meetings
- Pursing writing beyond being a hobby
- Implementing a daily writing habit
- The kids’ reactions to mom writing
- How healthy boundaries change as kids grow up
- Writing has no age limit
- Looking back at our earlier writings
- For the love of superheroes
- No right way to go about a writing life
- Favorite books
- Don’t wait to start writing again
About Samantha:
Samantha writes half-hero and half-horror, depending on whether she wants to save the world or watch it burn. Her superhero series comprises four novels, two novellas, and a collection of shorts and will conclude with the fifth novel in 2024. Her short-form horror work appears in several anthologies.
She parents an adult daughter and a teenage non-binary kid with her patient husband. La Casa Bryant is in a small town in North Carolina.
Get her books:
- Menopausal Superhero series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074CHNLQ2
- Anthologies with her horror stories: https://bit.ly/SamanthaBryant
Connect w/ Samantha:
- Website: http://samanthabryant.com
- FB: https://www.facebook.com/samanthadunawaybryant
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/samanthabwriter
- IG: https://www.instagram.com/samanthabwriter
Books discussed during the show:
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- Comic books: Spider-Man, Underdog, Archie, Red Sonya, X-Men, and Uncanny X-Men
- The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Blck
- Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
- Pajama Time and Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton
- Junie B. Jones by Barbra Park
- Franny K. Stein by Jim Benton
- Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
- The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
- David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie
- Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
How do we push through moments that feel like epic failure?
In this episode, Erin shares with you her pain from a recent failure and her own process for getting through moments such as these when we feel we haven’t lived up to our potential and didn't reach our goal.
More importantly, you’ll hear Erin find her motivation again as she keeps things in perspective, with the hope that both you and she will keep trying and learn from your mistakes.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Facing failure
- Feeling those big feelings
- Putting things in perspective
- Making a list of potential solutions and next steps
- Reframing failure as a setback
- Keep learning, growing, evolving
- Finding that spark of inspiration again
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call:
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
How do we show what we or our characters are feeling so our readers can experience those emotions for themselves as the scene unfolds?
In this episode, you’ll learn eight questions you can ask yourself so you can better visualize what those emotions look and feel like and thus how to show your readers.
Tune in so you can also gain tips on how to identify when you’re telling, instead of showing, and when that’s okay. This episode will not only help you to finish your first draft but also learn another revision technique.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Erin’s perfectionism while painting stairs
- Capturing a snapshot of emotions during the first draft
- Filling in details during revision
- Identifying when you’re telling emotions
- Questions to prompt showing emotions
- An example of a scene revised based on those question
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
As parents, we tend to read a lot of children’s stories. In fact, for many years, those were the only types of books I had time to read. I wish I had known then that children’s stories actually provide writers, of all genres, with simpler means for observing writing techniques.
Joining today’s conversation is Maria Secoy, a writing coach, romance author, and former middle school English teacher.
In this episode, Maria explains what questions writers can ask themselves, and their children, to expand their understanding of what makes a story. She even walks you through how Finding Nemo perfectly exemplifies the plot structure of the classic hero’s journey.
Tune in to find out how writing enables Maria to better handle her hormonal teenager’s behavior and how your teens can continue to inspire your writing.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Maria’s journey from teacher to author
- Gaining the language to express ourselves
- How children’s stories can teach us all universal writing techniques
- A walk through of the hero’s journey plot structure via Finding Nemo
- How to study plot, voice, dialogue, cause and effect, etc., using children’s stories
- The power of fan-fic practice
- Our kids as storytellers
- How teens shift to telling nonfiction stories
- Using writing to deal with hormonal teens
- How to gain loyal fans via a reader magnet
- How our teens can exemplify “show, don’t tell”
- Defining queer vs MM romance
About Maria:
Maria Secoy has a BA in English and an MEd in Secondary English. She wrote and published her first romance novel in 2022 and her second in 2023.
After hearing stories of editors gone wrong, flopped cover designs, marketing struggles, and anxiety over the entire self-publication process, she launched All Write Well to meet all the self-publishing needs of literary romance writers.
Get her books:
- Alongside Lucy: https://www.amazon.com/Alongside-Lucy-Trail-Adventure-Adventures-ebook/dp/B09WKYLVVZ
- Gloria’s Gumption: https://www.amazon.com/Glorias-Gumption-Maria-Secoy/dp/B0BRH2F7WZ/
Connect with Maria:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msecoywriter
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/msecoywriter
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/awwromance
- All Write Well (self-publishing support services): https://allwritewell.com/
Books/movies discussed during the show:
- Robin Hood (1973)
- Finding Nemo (2003)
- Return of the Jedi (1983)
- David series by David Shannon
- Slacker by Gordon Korman
- The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer
- Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Author Tau Bauer
- Erie Elementary series by Jack Chabert
- The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
After becoming a parent, tackling the mental and emotional changes that arise is no small feat. Once you’ve worked through those feelings of self-doubt and being stuck, creativity once again flows. And before you know it, that idea in your head has turned into a finished story. But what comes next?
Joining today’s conversation is Stephanie Brandt, an author, photographer, and mother to a boisterous preschooler. Like all of us, Stephanie experienced these changes when she became a parent, and she became disconnected from her creativity in her new adventure of motherhood.
However, with time and perseverance, Stephanie overcame this loss and got her writing groove back. She shares how she did so and what’s next now that she’s on the verge of finishing her first book. You’ll also hear how she’s enticing readers into the series before its release.
To get helpful advice on book marketing from both Stephanie and Erin, tune in!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Stephanie’s writing journey from childhood to parenthood
- What sparked her to start writing again
- Working through the roadblocks in her mind
- Finding the time to write
- Stephanie’s writing process and what she’s currently working on
- What is a reader magnet, and why is it helpful for writers?
- Erin’s advice to Stephanie for her newsletter
- Marketing on social media
- The author struggle with TikTok
- Some of Stephanie’s favorite books
About Stephanie:
Stephanie Brandt, who writes under the pen name Hunter Knight, is a first-time mom to a 2.5-year-old. She has always been a creative soul since early childhood, refining her skills through college and beyond.
She has been a full-time professional photographer on beautiful Cape Cod for almost a decade and now finds the familiar comfort in telling fantastic stories again. Her characters whisper sweet nothings all day into her brain until that fateful nap time hour appears and she is able to write down all of their adventures.
Connect with Stephanie:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunterknightauthor/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HunterKnightAuthor/
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/505690424218547
Books discussed during the show:
- The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
- The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
- The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind
- The Sherlock Holmes Compendium by Peter Haining
- Play Hide & Seek with Tiger by Sam Taplin
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
It’s that time of year again when we ponder what we want to achieve in the new year. For parents who write, our lives are exceptionally busy, so planning our writing goals is crucial to our success. However, we also need to intentionally set writing goals that we can realistically achieve.
So if you haven’t already sat down to plan out your writing goals for the new year, use this template that is tried, tested, and true. Help set yourself up for success and ensure that whatever story is living inside of you does, in fact, come to life.
In today’s episode, Erin shares 6 specific steps on how to set your writing goals for the new year. These steps include digging deep into your big why, identifying pragmatic and quantifiable approaches, creating a new perspective on writing, and thinking out of the box.
Even if you take only one of the six steps when planning your writing goals for the new year, the chances of your success will go up exponentially.
So tune in to today’s episode and ensure your writing success this new year!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Digging deep into why you write
- Setting realistic goals
- Tracking your progress
- Planning ahead
- Identifying potential obstacles and solutions
- Finding the right accountability community
- Conquering self-doubt
- Telling your inner judge to wait their turn
- Identifying your audience
- Connecting with one person
- Redefining what it means to be a writer
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin P.T. Canning has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
What makes someone a writer? Do you need to be published or a true storyteller at heart? Or is a love for the written word enough?
Joining today’s conversation is Jennifer Bozarth, a writer searching for a genre and the motivation to prioritize her writing. Erin coaches her on the importance of making time for her own goals and happiness amidst their discussion on what it means to be a writer.
As Jennifer says in this episode, the suffix "-er'' literally means a person or thing that does an action. So, whether you journal every day or have unpublished manuscripts sitting in your drawer, you ARE a writer. And as parents who write, our time is limited, and we must be intentional with how we spend it.
Erin helps Jennifer make a plan for her writing, and her advice can help you too, so tune in!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Jennifer’s origin as a writer
- Subconscious loss of her own identity
- Getting back into writing
- Writing as a coping mechanism
- Erin coaches Jennifer through imposter syndrome
- What it means to be a writer without a genre
- Finding places to submit your writing
- How a brain dump works
- Prioritizing using the rock, pebble, sand theory
- Consequences of not writing
- Favorite books of Jennifer’s and her family
About Jennifer:
Jennifer Bozarth has been creating stories since the third grade. After she had a family, she put her writing aside for years—until she realized she had lost herself. Writing helped her find herself again. As long as characters are willing to tell her their stories, she's going to keep writing.
Married for 25 years to a man who hates to read but always encourages her writing, she has two grown children—the boy who made her a mom and the girl who added "special needs" to that title. Jennifer also enjoys crocheting and collecting T-rexes.
Connect with Jennifer:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferBozart1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.bozarth1
Books discussed during the show:
- Rolling in the Deep series by Seanan McGuire
- Newsflesh series by Mira Grant
- More Bears! by Kenn Nesbitt
- The 13-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths
Resources mentioned:
- Deadlines for Writers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/242122619564906
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Did you know that you don’t have to sit down and write a story from beginning to end? You can start with an idea for a specific storyline or scene, skip the exposition, and get right to the good stuff.
Writing like this will fuel your creativity. But how do you avoid a jumbled mess?
In today’s episode, you’ll learn the advantages of using Google Docs to craft your story whenever you get inspired to write.
With specific examples, Erin highlights the built-in features in Google Docs and Word that will help you organize your ideas and make it easy to jump from chapter to chapter or scene to scene.
You’ll also get easy instructions for formatting Word documents, which will make prepping for submission a painless process. Tune in to get started!
Watch the full video tutorial via YouTube: https://youtu.be/qjbMeZBrrOA
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Discovering the benefits of writing with Google Docs
- Naming your documents for easy filing and version control
- Styling your text to create an automatic outline
- Navigating to specific chapters and scenes
- Using key words to identify the focus of your chapters at glance
- Incorporating unwritten scenes as placeholders
- Changing the default fonts for styles
- Formatting documents in Word
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Many writers dream of publication, but you can’t fine tune your piece of writing, let alone pitch it to the right publisher, until you have a finished writing that draft.
If only 5% of writers finish their first draft, how can you set yourself up for success to ensure you’re part of that group?
In today’s episode, Erin is sharing how she finished her first draft in 2022! Her biggest piece of advice is to understand how you personally can motivate yourself, because we all have those moments when we lose steam, even when writing a story we’re excited about.
Erin also covers the topics of positive reinforcement and creating a rewards system, tracking progress, and sharing your wins. Tune in for all this and more to finish that first draft!
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute discovery call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Have you ever written something you love, that you’re feeling so excited about, but you find yourself unable to get past a certain scene or finish a full draft?
Spending the time to really carve out your character’s personality and identity will give you great insight into their motivations and desires, making it easier to craft a story around them. This knowledge develops a deeper understanding of any hero, villain, or supporting character. Instead of wondering where the story is going next, you’ll have a clearer direction to work with.
Three-dimensional characters that ring authentic to readers usually have a depth that readers connect to, resulting in them becoming more invested in the characters’ fates. In short, readers will care more, and writers will be more motivated to tell their characters’ story.
To learn how character development can help you get past doubt and feeling stuck to finally finish the first draft, tune in to this episode!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Surface-level character development
- 3 things to help you dive deeper into your characters
- Benefits of knowing your characters through and through
- Reverse engineering your plot
- Why it helps to know your character for marketing purposes
- Don’t forget about the villains!
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin P.T. Canning has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute discovery call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Getting back into writing as a parent can be difficult. Add the fact that only 5% of writers finish their first draft, and things can feel a bit dire.
Although this statistic may look scary, it’s not all doom and gloom! There is hope; as long as we can pinpoint what is getting in our way, there is a path to a solution.
In today’s episode, your host, Erin P.T. Canning, wants to share her journey in battling with finishing her first draft and what she learned along the way. Fear, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, losing confidence in herself and her abilities were all common themes in her journey. But she found a way to combat these heavy obstacles, and she wants to share how she did it with you!
Tune in to hear how to take the pressure off of yourself by making things easy and uncomplicated with straightforward steps you can implement today, such as setting parameters in your writing, knowing when to write and when to daydream, remembering to celebrate your wins along the way, and much more.
This episode is filled with actionable tips that can help any parent finish the first draft, so be sure to tune in today!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Erin’s journey getting back into writing and finishing her first draft
- Removing the pressure of perfectionism: Tell, don’t show in your first draft
- Identifying goals and learning average stats for your genre
- Benefits of using a tracker
- Use placeholders to keep moving forward
- Getting passed the first chapter
- Setting up rewards for yourself along the way
- Exciting announcement!
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Parenthood brings unmeasurable joy, but it’s also possible to simultaneously feel lost in a new world of responsibility. For writers, this radical shift in priorities can move writing to the bottom of their list.
In today’s special episode, Erin’s friend and colleague, Maria, interviews her. Erin shares the lead up to losing her identity and her motivation for writing after parenthood, as well as how she found the resources to get back to expressing herself through writing, dreaming, and being the kind of parent she’s proud of.
Erin and Maria also discuss breaking the cycle of generational trauma. You’ll hear what led Erin to create this podcast and her future dreams.
Vulnerability is key to self-awareness and change, so take the first step to reconnect with yourself by tuning in now.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Erin describes her journey as a writer and editor
- When and why Erin lost her motivation for writing
- Struggling with undiagnosed ADHD and anxiety
- Erin’s breaking point and impetus for change
- Breaking the cycle of trauma and its constant work
- What helped Erin reconnect with herself and her writing
- Erin’s favorite way to eat a potato!
- Where does Erin see herself in 15 years?
- Progress in Erin’s relationships, fulfillment, and self-nourishment
- Why Erin is sharing her story and how she’s already meeting her goals
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor. When she became a parent, she set aside her writing aspirations to focus on her family.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again, which helped her to unearth her identity beyond being mom. She then shared her journey through her blog, Life Beyond Parenting. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Book a free 30-minute discovery call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
About Maria:
Maria Secoy has a BA in English and an MEd in Secondary English. She spent more than a decade in the classroom helping students grow as authentic writers.
She wrote and published her first romance novel, Alongside Lucy, in February 2022, which has since reached #4 on the Amazon Best Sellers List.
After hearing stories of editors gone wrong, cover designs that flopped, struggles with marketing, and anxiety over the self-publication process, she launched All Write Well to support writers who want to self-publish. Since then, All Write Well has grown to include a team of supportive experts to meet the publishing needs of writers.
Connect with Maria:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msecoywriter
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/msecoywriter
- Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/awwromance
- All Write Well (self-publishing services): https://allwritewell.com/
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
If you ever thought getting back into writing after a long hiatus is too difficult, you're not alone. It’s easy to fall out of the habit and go years at a time without writing, which can make taking that first step feel incredibly daunting.
The good news is that it’s never too late to get back to your craft and start writing again, no matter how long it has been. Just ask Erin. After years of disregarding her own dreams and focusing on the needs of her family, she finally managed to rebuild her writing habit—and you can too!
In today’s episode, you'll learn seven easy-to-implement steps to help you reanimate those writing muscles, such as pausing your to-do list, creating rituals that get your creative juices flowing, giving yourself permission to experiment, setting SMART goals, and more. The next 30 minutes are jam-packed with actionable tips and advice.
These recommendations are not only based on the experience Erin gained during her 15 years as a professional editor and the classes she took while earning her MA in Writing, but also from her personal experiences when she thought her writing skills had atrophied after she became a parent.
Reclaiming your writing skills may take a bit of effort. But by putting these achievable guidelines in place, you’ll be writing again in no time!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- The importance of mindset and giving yourself permission to write
- Facing parenthood guilt and finding creative outlets
- How to set small daily writing goals
- Using rituals to form regular writing habits
- What to do when you don’t know what to write about
- The power of embracing shitty first drafts!
- Shifting your definition of success using SMART goals
- Why finding good support is invaluable
About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her writing skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
- Parents Who Write Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
- Book a free 30-minute discovery call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
"All my life is doing something for somebody else...Whether I’m being a good daughter, a good mother, a good wife, a good lover, a good teacher...The only thing I do for me is writing. That’s really the real free place where I don’t have to answer."
This quote by Novelist Toni Morrison says it all. For parents, the responsibility for our kids plus the rest of life’s challenges can be overwhelming. But the people we were before don’t completely disappear. So how do you nurture these different parts of yourself and fulfill the responsibilities of parenthood?
Joining today’s show is Sara Burnett, an author, former English teacher, and mom of two little ones. After a traumatic event, she discovered that writing poetry helped her process her emotions. This encouraged her to make writing a focus in her life—even through motherhood.
Sara challenged her assumptions about parenting and writing and implemented habits that supported letting these two identities exist simultaneously. By attending writing-related events, she found a supportive community and gained the confidence to push past rejection letters and finally publish her book of poems.
Get valuable advice on learning to believe in yourself and tips on submitting your work in this episode. Plus, you’ll hear two special readings from Sara’s new poetry book, Seed Celestial.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Sara’s writing journey
- How she fell into poetry to process trauma
- Learning to write as a parent
- Defining a close reading
- Sara’s first poem reading followed by a close reading
- Advice on sharing or submitting your poetry
- Embracing the spirit of rejection
- Finding community at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference
- Erin’s experience attending the Dodge Poetry Festival
- Inspiring quotes from female writers who are also moms
- What Sara is working on now
- Books she loves and books she’s reading to her kids
- Sara’s second poem reading
About Sara:
Sara Burnett is the author of Seed Celestial, winner of the 2021 Autumn House Press Poetry Prize. She has published in Barrow Street, Copper Nickel, Matter, PANK, and elsewhere. In addition to writing poetry and essays, she also writes picture books.
Sara also worked as a public high school English teacher. She holds an MFA from the University of Maryland and an MA in English Literature from the University of Vermont. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two kids, ages 5 and 2.
Get her book:
- Seed Celestial: https://amazon.com/Celestial-Autumn-House-Poetry-Prize/dp/163768052X/
Connect with Sara:
- Website: https://www.sararburnett.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sara.burnett.52
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sararburnett
Books discussed during the show:
- Stephanie Burt
- Natasha Trethewey
- Mark Doty
- Naomi Shihab Nye
- Emily Dickinson
- Shell Silverstein
- The Baby on the Fire Escape: Creativity, Motherhood, and the Mind-Baby Problem by Julie Phillips
- Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
- Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented by Thomas Hardy
- The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Douglas Carlton Abrams and Jane Goodall
- There Are Still Woods by Hila Ratzabi
- Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
- Take Five and The Magic Moment by Niall Breslin
Download your free copy of 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
We’ve always been told to “show, don’t tell.” As such, we’ve become predisposed to want to show more, which is understandable because too much telling can feel dull and one-dimensional. But this predisposition is where writers can get lost.
While showing feels like an intimate experience with the reader, sometimes it can also cause a scene to feel long and drawn out when it has little to do with the overall story. On the other hand, telling can feel too abrupt and possibly be a missed opportunity to expand on the plot or character development.
I know how confusing this can be.
That’s why I—your host, Erin P.T. Canning, a writer, editor, and mom of two—want to show you how to maximize these methods to elevate your writing.
In this episode, you will learn exactly what showing and telling are, when to use them, and how to transition between the two. You will hear concrete yet simple examples of best-use cases, a detailed list of different ways to use telling, and a list of different types of showing.
Making the distinction between showing and telling is the foundation to guiding your reader’s imagination into your world and eliciting the emotions needed for your reader to sink into the story.
So tune in to this quick yet informative episode to learn about these methods and how to use them.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- The difference between showing and telling
- Should you show more than you tell?
- Examples of transitions between telling and showing
- When to use time in telling and showing
- When to show vs. tell in various scenarios with examples
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
The process of writing can be joyful, freeing, and nourishing to the soul. But when you become a parent, everything changes. The love for writing does not waiver, but the time to dedicate to your writing does.
Joining today’s conversation on shaping a life around writing is author Nancy McCabe, a single mom and accomplished professor who has published several books. She grew up loving to tell and read stories but didn't think she could make a career out of writing.
With an intrinsic desire to write, Nancy had to intentionally carve out time to write her numerous books. She found fun ways to integrate her love of writing into motherhood, such as having her daughter come along on book signing and reading events, thus enabling Nancy to find a balance that worked and inspired her writing.
Erin speaks to Nancy about her writing projects, the writing process, and important female authors. They also discuss how many films and television shows miss the mark on capturing the spirit of a novel’s story, and they touch on the lack of diversity in classic children’s books.
Tune in for even more — including book recommendations for you and the kids!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Learning to love teaching
- Shaping a life around writing
- Deciding to be a single parent through adoption
- Folding our kids into our writing lives
- Rereading children’s books from an adult perspective
- Nancy’s book, Little Houses to Little Women: Revisiting a Literary Childhood
- Female authors and characters who love to write
- Joe’s new ending in the Little Women film
- Embracing the messy first draft as part of the writing process
- Erin details her current WIP fantasy book
- Advice on revision techniques and feedback
- Missing the mark from book to screen
About Nancy:
Nancy McCabe, an author and a Pushcart winner, directs the creative and professional writing program at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and teaches in the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing at Spalding University.
She became a single parent by choice when she adopted her daughter from China in 1999, writing two memoirs about China adoption and homeland travel while her daughter was growing up and dragging her along on research trips and book tours.
Get her books:
- Can This Marriage Be Saved? A Memoir
- Following Disasters: A Novel
- From Little Houses to Little Women: Revisiting a Literary Childhood
- Crossing the Blue Willow Bridge: A Journey to My Daughter’s Birthplace in China
- Meeting Sophie: A Memoir of Adoption
- After the Flashlight Man: A Memoir of Awakening
- Vaulting through Time (forthcoming)
- AMAZON PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/Nancy-McCabe/e/B001K8OBBA
Connect with Nancy:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancy.mccabe.92
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancygmccabe
- Website: https://www.nancymccabe.net/
Books discussed during the show:
- Betsy Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace
- Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery
- Rilla of Ingleside by Lucy Maud Montgomery
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
- When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
- Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
- Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners List
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
- Author and Poet Gloria Whelan
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Discussing or even acknowledging our struggles can feel like a taboo topic for many, especially people who feel the pressure of being the perfect parent for their children. Taking care of little ones requires a lot of energy, and there’s not always enough left over for yourself. Throw in feelings of shame and embarrassment, plus a lack of knowledge and support, and you have a well-shaken coke bottle ready to explode.
On today’s episode, Erin gets personal and shares her experience with anxiety and loss of identity and ways these struggles have manifested in her life as a parent. She also talks about the effects of her childhood, the need for support, and self-awareness being the first step to change.
As writers, we can use our love of writing to heal and find a way back to ourselves. Similar to when a child has a tantrum after a long day filled with big emotions, adults also get easily overwhelmed and don’t always recognize or understand their feelings and actions. Writing can help us identify our patterns and triggers, making it easier to manage our mental health.
Stories, whether in a book or shared between friends, are a powerful tool that have the ability to connect us. They can create understanding, relieve loneliness, and build empathy toward ourselves and others. In sharing her own story on this episode, Erin hopes she can help anyone else struggling and bring awareness to an underrepresented issue.
Listen to this episode for an intimate conversation on parenting, mental health, and solutions.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Hidden signs of anxiety and how it showed up in Erin’s life
- How her ADHD exacerbated her anxiety
- Lacking support and prioritization skills
- Why self-awareness is key
- Embarrassment and shame surrounding struggling parents
- How writing can help reduce anxiety and aid healing
- Writing and changing your perspective
- Mind dumps to release mental exhaustion and thought traps
- Writing prompts for anxiety and depression
- Writing your hero’s journey
- Writing prompts for exploring your identity beyond being a parent
Resources discussed in this episode:
- Calm the Chaos community by Dana Abraham: https://www.facebook.com/people/Calm-the-Chaos-Parenting-by-Lemon-Lime-Adventures/100064305355198/
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
Parents have an unparalleled understanding of imposter syndrome. While many find writing to be a cathartic experience, facing the fear of rejection and failure stops many from pursuing their passion. Is 30 years old too late to become brave? Can you be an intern and a mom at the same time? Can you resurrect passions that used to feel impossible?
Joining today’s conversation on balancing writing and parenting is Danielle Hayden, freelance writer and mother to a young daughter. She gives valuable advice on freelancing, her new focus on creative writing, and making time for herself and her writing goals.
In working on their biggest obstacles in writing, such as procrastination and self-doubt, our host and Danielle have been able to help their own children combat negative self-talk. Even when mom guilt comes creeping in, they are able to remind themselves of the importance of meeting their own needs.
Danielle started her freelancing career with an internship at age 30 and has since had more than 80 pieces published — with more to come. Now, after focusing on nonfiction and journalistic writing, she’s pushing past her fears and turning to her childhood passion of fiction writing. She’s able to relish these moments while living a busy life as a parent.
Danielle is proving it’s never too late to chase after your dreams!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Danielle’s background and self-published children’s book
- Why she loves to write and her favorite type of writing
- How to succeed as a freelance writer
- Tips for pitching ideas
- Danielle’s journey with fiction writing
- Danielle details her WIP essay collection and historical fiction book
- Putting pen to paper
- One pivotal lesson Danielle learned about writing
- Learning to “kill your darlings”
- Roadblocks Danielle has overcome in writing
- Conquering procrastination
- Writers and sleep deprivation
- Mom guilt
- 3pistolary, Danielle’s letter writing project
- Favorite books
About Danielle:
Danielle Hayden writes mostly creative nonfiction and journalistic pieces but also dabbles in fiction. She is currently working on an essay collection and a novel. She published her first children's book, A is for Aria, which she wrote as a gift to her daughter. In 2021, Danielle launched the website 3pistolary to help build connection and community via the practice of letter writing. She lives in Seattle with her techie husband and kindergartener daughter.
Get her book:
- A is for Aria:
https://www.lulu.com/shop/danielle-hayden-and-nithini-wathsala/a-is-for-aria/hardcover/product-gm4gve.html?q=&page=1&pageSize=4
Connect with Danielle:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniellehaydenwriter
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_daniellehayden_/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/wordsaremything
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-hayden-writer/
- Website: https://www.3pistolary.com/
- Website: https://www.daniellehayden.com/
Books discussed during the show:
- Pigeon Presents series by Mo Willems
- White Oleander by Janet Fitch
- Wicked by Gregory Maguire
- Abandon Me: Memoirs by Melissa Febos
- Whip Smart: The True Story of a Secret Life by Melissa Febos
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
What does editing a book and parenting have in common? A ton, actually!
As an editor, your job is to excavate through what you are given and pull out the best from the author. Same goes with good parenting. Your job is to direct your children, but allow them to have their voice heard where they can still shine.
Your writing and editing skills crossover with parenting more than you would think. You can use the concepts and skills you’ve refined over time to not only guide your children, but to advocate for them as well. Whether that be writing to your local school board or having challenging conversations with policy makers to create positive change in your community.
Having children doesn’t mean you need to stop writing or using your skills. If anything, you can elevate your abilities by having children by getting creative with how you use your skills.
Not to mention, kids’ imaginations are endless, so if you’re ever stuck on a story plot, you can always turn to your little ones for some brilliant inspiration.
Joining us on today’s episode is Emily Popek, a journalist, school communications professional, and mom of one pre-teen. Emily joins us to discuss how parenting and writing can intertwine, as well as how parenting has changed over the years, and how to reframe struggles in parenting and writing into opportunities, and much more!
This is an enlightening conversation with so many nuggets of wisdom that you don’t want to miss.
Tune in to learn more!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- How children are great resources of inspiration
- The concept of a “throwaway book”
- Why Emily started writing a newsletter
- The importance of removing the idea of perfection when writing
- The camaraderie in the writing community
- The direction Emily wants to see her newsletter go
- Struggles in parenting in today’s society
- Just because parenting is hard doesn’t mean it is being done the wrong way
- The power in having challenging conversations in your local communities
- How strong communication skills can make an impact
- How and why Emily became a journalist
- Writing the elusive headline and catchy hooks
- Erin’s joy of editing
- Importance of finding an editor that allows you to showcase your voice
- The crossover between editing and parenting
About Emily:
Emily Popek is a journalist and school communications professional. Her newsletter about the intersections of parenting and education is at thinkofthechildren.substack.com. Emily and her husband are both graduates of Bennington College; they live in upstate New York with their 10-year-old daughter.
Get her newsletter:
- Think of the Children, https://thinkofthechildren.substack.com/
Connect with Emily:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmilyPopek
- FB page: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyFPopek
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilypopekwriter/
Books discussed during the show:
- Mother Nature: Maternal Instincts and How They Shape the Human Species by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy
- Smile by Raina Telgemeier
- Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
- Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Petersen
- Cairo in White by Kelly Ann Jacobson
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Marginalized voices need space to speak their truth.
On the show today is Iris Imaginoria, director of a story-based theater camp, performing arts and writing teacher, cancer and mental health survivor, and parent of a gender-fluid teen.
In this episode, we rethink our definitions of success, especially in terms of helping kids, including those who have lost their heroes and others who think they can’t be creative.
She also shares her journey from dramatist to author and what prompted her to write a fictionalized version of her memoir where her younger and older selves have the opportunity to interact.
Iris then shares with us what she wished she had known before self-publishing her first book and what advice she’s received to help her correct course.
⚠️ Content warning: On a deeply personal note, Iris shares how writing has helped her process her struggles with cancer and mental health as well as suicidal thoughts that both she and her teen have struggled with.
What’s more, she reads a touching and inspirational excerpt from her book that encourages all readers to preserver because of what awaits them on the other side.
Get her books and plays:
– Imagine the Key: The Rainbow Path, Book One, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QT6FD8Q/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_ZP52RVE24Y4NQZSA402N
– Dramatic Wizardry: Collected Plays, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VWN1FY7/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_DD87XYH470C7YHQB0CQW
– The Day Tears Turned to Stone, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5NP9XH3/ref=cm_sw_r_api_i_NTYS9T7GP4TPKAC5FA9N_0
Connect with Iris:
– Camp website: http://www.imaginethekey.com
– Links: linktr.ee/irisimaginoria
– Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrisImaginoria
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrisImaginoria
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irisimaginoria/
– TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iris_imaginoria
Books discussed during the show:
– The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
– The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
– The Wizard of Oz series by L.F. Baum
– Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
– The Nightmare before Christmas by Tim Burton
Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Join my Facebook group, Parents Write Now, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswritenow.
This week on Conversations with Parents who Write, I’m going to share with you a variety of revision techniques that are applicable for articles, blog posts, essays, books, and more.
Specifically, what steps we can take to make revisions less overwhelming? To not lose momentum? And to organize our thoughts more easily?
To answer these questions, I’m going to share tips and tricks I’ve learned during my 14 plus years as a magazine and book editor.
In this episode, I share which methods worked best for me and my clients to help us see more clearly the structure of our projects. I also discuss how following this progression and using these techniques breaks down the revision process into easier chunks.
Don’t forget to free your creative self too. Download your free copy of 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
And let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Write Now, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswritenow.
Both of these ladies didn’t realize that confidence was the key to get them writing.
Angel Trusty, a mom of four, writing coach, and editor, AND her daughter, Rachel Trusty, author of four novels, are on the show today.
In this episode, Angela shares how writing lessons through homeschooling helped her to parent better, how she's tackling imposter syndrome, and what she absolutely loves about the editing process.
Rachel discusses why she initially hated writing and how she turned that dislike into a passion. She also talks about what she finds fascinating about character development and the various genres she experiments with. And Rachel shares what surprised her most about self-publishing and what mindset she adopted that’s helped her to absolutely love the revision process.
And all three of us shared some major discoveries that became game changers for us in terms of the writing process.
Get their books:
– Homeschool Connection Journal:
https://www.amazon.com/Homeschool-Connection-Journal-Angela-Trusty/dp/B097SPGP7P/
– Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B073Q6W6TM
Connect with Angela:
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeschoolparadigm/
– Podcast (coming soon): https://homeschoolparadigm.com/coming-soon/
– Website, Homeschool Paradigm: https://homeschoolparadigm.com
– Website, Editing: https://mywritingcheck.com
– Schedule a coaching call: https://calendly.com/angela-trusty-hw/60min
Connect with Rachel:
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ByRachelTrusty/
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byracheltrusty/
– YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHLjn84eIPlihPqxva4__2w
Books discussed during the show:
– Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield
– Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
– Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
– The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
– Georgana's Secret by Arlem Hawks
– Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
– Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
– The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
– Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
For more content on writing, parenting, and life, visit LifeBeyondParenting.com.
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Writing & Life Beyond Parenting, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/writingandlife.
Making time to write, especially for us busy parents, is something I talk a lot about here on Conversations with Parents who Write.
And that’s because we all need a safe space where we can return to just being ourselves. Nothing more. Nothing less. For me, that safe space involves writing, because giving myself a chance to indulge my imagination and create something from nothing refills my cup, which ultimately helps me to be a happier, more patient parent.
In this flash episode of CPW, I’m going to share 7 ways you can make time for your writing and thus yourself. Plus, I’ll share how these methods link together and help set you up for success.
Don’t forget to free your creative self too. Download your free copy of 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today, at https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Writing & Life Beyond Parenting, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/writingandlife.
She’s far more excited about exploring the millions of ways a romance can go wrong, rather than right. Amanda Jane Schiller, a mom of one preteen and contemporary romance novelist, is on the show today.
In this episode, Amanda discusses the book that completely altered her previous views about writing and became the catalyst for her own writing style. She not only defines books about “romance gone wrong” but also gives us a sample of the psychological curiosities she gets to play with as she explores her character’s past.
Amanda also shares how she prepared herself for self-publishing so that the process wasn’t overwhelming, as well as what resources helped her most. And I give detailed examples of what it means to “read like a writer” and some of the other best writing advice I learned at university.
We also have an in-depth conversation about pursing our passions as adults, the roundabout ways we got here, and the messages we’re passing on to our kids. And, as always, we discuss which books we and our kids love most.
Get her books:
– Wicked Games and Wasted Years: Part 1:
https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Games-Wasted-Years-Part/dp/B0962N9JTX
– Wicked Games and Wasted Years: Part 2:
https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Games-Wasted-Years-Part/dp/B09WCJWNPS
Connect with Amanda:
– Blog: https://www.patreon.com/amandajaneschiller
– Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/ajschiller
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.schiller.9
Books discussed during the show:
– The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah
– The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
– Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
– The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
– The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
– Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
– The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
– Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
– The Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey
– Dead Boy by Laurel Gale
– Fearless series by Francine Pasco
– The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Resources mentioned during the show:
– Reedsy.com
– Vellum
– KDP (Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing)
– Draft2Digital
For more content on writing, parenting, and life, visit LifeBeyondParenting.com.
Free your creative self too. Download your free copy of my guide, 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today: https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
Where story ideas come from is something I talk a lot about here on Conversations with Parents who Write.
And that’s because I firmly believe in the importance of cultivating our imagination. The same goes for our kids. Having a strong imagination not only helps keep our kids entertained without electronic devices, but also improves our ability later in life to seek creative solutions to problems and further develop our communication skills.
In this flash episode of CPW, I’m going to share 7 easy ways you can encourage your kids’ imaginations and storytelling. Plus, I’ll share examples of how I implemented these methods with my own kids, their reactions, and the results I never anticipated.
If you want a visual list of these 7 methods, read the detailed blog post here:
https://lifebeyondparenting.com/kids-imaginations
Don’t forget to free your creative self too. Download your free copy of 5 Steps to Help You Start Writing Today.
She started writing again as a means to process her infertility struggles. Linnea March, a parent of two boys, former educator, and author of Faultless Notion, is on the show today.
In this episode, Linnea shares how fanfiction helped her through her infertility struggles and what she learned from that experience. She also tells us what prompted her to not only finish but also publish a story she wrote seven years ago, which how-to books transformed her writing, and which part of the book publishing process she finds the hardest.
We also learn how Linnea sets manageable writing goals while keeping up with family responsibilities, and we share which mindset shifts made all the difference in permitting ourselves to set aside that time to write. And don’t miss Linnea’s methods for overcoming imposter syndrome.
Fun fact, Linnea also surprises us with her connection to author Stephanie Meyer. And, as always, we discuss which books we and our kids love most.
Get her books:
– Faultless Notion:
https://smile.amazon.com/Faultless-Notion-Rockstar-Romance-Prevalent-ebook/dp/B09Q84DWQW/
– Reckless Liar:
https://smile.amazon.com/Reckless-Liar-Ridgewood-Novel-Book-ebook/dp/B0B584XF3Y/
Connect with Linnea:
– FB: https://www.facebook.com/authorlinneamarch
– IG: https://www.instagram.com/linnea_writes/
– Twitter: https://twitter.com/Linnea_writes
– TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMR3aN4ad/
– Website: http://www.linneamarch.com
Books discussed during the show:
– Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
– Launch, by Jeff Walker
– Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented, by Thomas Hardy
– Romancing the Beat: Story Structure for Romance Novels, by Gwen Hayes
– Author Jane Austin
– Shakespeare
– Author Tessa Bailey
– Author Julia Quinn, Bridgerton Series
– Author Kahlil Gibran
– Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
– East of Eden by John Steinbeck
– Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austin
– Authors Christina Lauren
– The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
– Stardust by Neil Gaiman
– Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
– Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Resources mentioned:
– Set and Forget Social System by Rachel Miller
– DomesticBlisters on TikTok
For more content on writing, parenting, and life, visit LifeBeyondParenting.com.
Free your creative self too. Download this free writing & journaling poster pack: https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-steps-start-writing.
She uses poetry to immortalize precious moments with her children and the myriad of emotions they contain. Dominique Snedeker, a poet, U.S. Air Force veteran, and at-home parent of three young boys, is on the show today.
In this episode, she shares how motherhood has reshaped her identity and how she used poetry to process that change. She also talks about how our memories have evolved because of technology and how poetry resembles sticky notes.
We discuss how poetry and writing enable us to move through experiences so we can reach different, new conclusions. And toward the end, we allow ourselves to open up and share the struggles we’ve faced with the hope of helping others to process and release similar challenges.
Dominique also treats us to three of her poems. They explore how becoming a parent can include a loss of identity, how our kids in fact shape and mold us, and how we moms are a treasure.
Get her books:
– Motherhood: The Crucible of Love:
https://www.amazon.com/Motherhood-Crucible-Love-Dominique-Snedeker/dp/B09VWKJS55
– Cold (forthcoming)
Connect with Dominique:
– Blog: https://www.dmsnedeker.com/
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmsnedeker/
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmsnedeker/
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmsnedeker/
– TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dmsnedeker
– Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/dmsnedeker
Books discussed during the show:
– “There’s a Certain Slant of Light,” by Emily Dickinson
– On the Night You Were Born, by Nancy Tillman
– Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You, by Nancy Tillman
– Maybe: A Story About the Endless Potential in All of Us, by Kobi Yamada
– “The Bells,” by Edgar Allen Poe
– Like Butter on Pancakes, by Jonathan London
For more content on writing, parenting, and life, visit LifeBeyondParenting.com.
Free your creative self too. Download this free writing & journaling poster pack: https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-writing-posters.
After years of silence, she finally resumed writing for the sake of mental health. Esme Iris, a homeschooling mom of five, spiritual life coach, and soon to be author, is on the show today.
In this episode, we discuss how much ADHD is undiagnosed among women and what that feels like. She also shares when her writing didn’t feel safe anymore, how she managed to start writing again after a long hiatus, and what that process looked like over time.
And she talks about how a potential writing idea starts itching, how she makes time to write regularly, and how writing has made her a better parent. Esme also reveals what she enjoys most about magical realism.
We also get the inside scoop on her forthcoming Spellbound Smoothies recipe book and Divinely Domestic, which provides housekeeping tips and tricks through the lens of spirituality.
Connect with Esme:
– Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/esmeiriswellness
– Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/595791738114482/
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamesmeiris/
Books mentioned during the show:
– Garden Spells, by Sarah Addison Allen
– The Sugar Queen, by Sarah Addison Allen
– The Peach Keeper, by Sarah Addison Allen
– The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
– Practical Magic series by Alice Hoffman
– Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children series, by Random Riggs
– The Salamander Room, by Anne Mazer
– Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon, by Jules Bass
– If I Built a House, by Chris Van Dusen
– The Giver, by Lois Lowry
For more content on writing, parenting, and life, visit LifeBeyondParenting.com.
Free your creative self too. Download this free writing & journaling poster pack: https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-writing-posters.
Who doesn’t enjoy a good love story?
Gina Colgrove, an at-home mom of two girls, former healthcare worker, and author of Until There Was You, is on the show today.
In this episode, we discuss the history and legitimacy of serial romance novel apps and the ways in which these platforms help writers. Gina also shares what she’s learned by looking back at her first book, what her writing habits and daily goals look like, and what experiences she had with self-publishing and what portion of that surprised her.
We also talk about the ways in which our writing has inspired our kids and laughed about our 80s and 90s boy band obsessions.
Get her book, Until There Was You:
https://www.amazon.com/Until-there-was-you-Colgrove-ebook/dp/B09R8Q6R73/
Preorder her book, Love Me Later:
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Me-Later-G-Colgrove-ebook/dp/B0B468T31W/
Find Gina’s books on Dreame:
– Teacher’s Pet
– The Millionaire’s Obsession
– The Millionaire’s Weakness
– The Alpha’s Redemption
– The Hellhound’s Crusade
Connect with Gina:
– Website: https://www.gcolgroveauthor.com/
– Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/watch/GColgroveAuthor/
– Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/653443792428877
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/g_colgrove_author/
– TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@g_colgrove_author
– Twitter: https://twitter.com/gcolgroveauthor
– YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkTUISVejBHU7AOW2mqgOYA
– Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60230795-until-there-was-you
Books mentioned during the show:
– Twilight series, by Stephanie Meyer
– Midnight Sun, by Stephanie Meyer
– Jewels of the Sun, by Nora Roberts
– House of Night series, by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
– Fallen series, by Lauren Kate
– Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children series, by Random Riggs
– Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
– Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, by Rick Riordan
– Chronicles of Narnia series, by C.S. Lewis
– Shadows by the Lighthouse, by Melissa Puritis
– The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo
– Inkheart (and the Inkworld series), by Cornelia Funke
– The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke
For more content on writing, parenting, and life, visit LifeBeyondParenting.com.
Free your creative self too. Download this free writing & journaling poster pack: https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-writing-posters.
She turned tragedy into an opportunity to openly discuss mental health with her own child.
Camisha Broussard, a mom of four, English college professor, and author of Daddy Issues, A Memoir, is on the show today.
In this episode, she shares how she met her current husband, the love of her life, late in life. She discusses what pulls her to write, what gets her to keep coming back, and how writing has enabled her and her son to have an open discussion about his depression and thoughts on suicide.
Camisha also offers inspiration on how to keep writing despite fear of judgment from others or yourself.
⚠️ Warning: This episode discusses depression and suicide. ⚠️
Get her book, Daddy Issues, A Memoir:
https://www.camleypublishing.com/product/Daddy-Issues-A-Memoir-Camisha-Broussard/1
– 25% off coupon code: PWW25ERIN (expires 31 DEC 2022)
Connect with Camisha:
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MishasThyme/
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mishasthyme/
– Twitter: https://twitter.com/MishasThyme
– Website: https://www.camishabroussard.com/
Books mentioned during the show:
– The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold
– Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens
– How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, by Jane Yolen
– Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
For more content on writing, parenting, and life, visit LifeBeyondParenting.com.
Free your creative self too. Download this free writing & journaling poster pack: https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-writing-posters.
This single mom chose to share her journey to help moms all over the world. Shauntay Armstead, author of the Enrich Mom MAB (Mom Abundantly Blessing) eBook Galleria, is on the show today.
During this episode, she discusses how her father taught her the power of writing, what motivated her to create her parenting mini eBook series, and how writing has made her a better parent.
We also talk about why parents need to give themselves permission to follow their passions and how we both use writing as a way to support other parents.
Get her books:
https://enrichmom1.gumroad.com/
Connect with Shauntay:
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enrichmom1
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enrichmom1
– Twitter: https://twitter.com/enrichmom1
Books mentioned during the show:
– Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kowazaki
– The Bible
– Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
For more content on writing, parenting, and life, visit LifeBeyondParenting.com.
Free your creative self too. Download this free writing & journaling poster pack: https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-writing-posters.
Done with waiting, she took herself off the shelf by writing and publishing her mystery book in less than a year.
Melissa Puritis, a single mom, middle school English teacher, and author of Shadows by the Lighthouse, is on the show today.
In this episode, she discusses the large gap between young kids’ books and young adult novels, as well as the lack of time for student creative writing. Melissa also shares how she manages to sit down and write and why writing makes her a better parent.
We also talk about why it's important for parents take themselves off the shelf and pursue their own dreams. Melissa shares what she experienced while pursing the typical publishing route, why she chose to self-publish, and how she made that happen. And we discuss many of our and our kids’ favorite books.
Get Melissa’s book, Shadows by the Lighthouse:
https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Lighthouse-Melissa-Puritis/dp/057834503X
Connect with Melissa:
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Summerset-Mystery-Series-107130935242604
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissa.reads.it.all
– Website: https://melissapuritis.weebly.com/
Books mentioned during the show:
– The Hardy Boys series, by Frank and Joe Hardy
– Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
– A Court of Thorns and Roses series, by Sarah J. Maas
– The Awakening, by Kate Chopin
– Less Than Zero, by Bret Easton Ellis
– Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak– Pirate Boy, by Eve Bunting– I Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch– The Bad Guys series, by Aaron Blabey
– Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey
– Dog Man, by Dav Pilkey
– I Survived audio books, by Lauren Tarshis
– Paddington audio books, by Michael Bond
– Magic Tree House series, by Mary Pope Osborne
– Dragon Masters series, by Tracey West
– Appleblossom the Possum, by Holly Goldberg Sloan
For more content on writing, parenting, and life, visit LifeBeyondParenting.com.
Free your creative self too. Download this free writing & journaling poster pack: https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-writing-posters.
A soul-crushing breakup led her to start writing about her healing process with the hope of helping others.
Angel Norvell, a U.S. soldier & author of Hey Girl, Fix Your Crown, is on the show today.
In this episode, she walks us through how writing gave her the tools to take ownership over the breakup and move forward. She also discussed what experiences served as a catalyst for turning her healing process into a self-help book.
She also shares tips for making time to write while working and parenting full time, and she introduces us to her work in progress regarding a young-adult fantasy series about Greek gods.
Connect with Angel:
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AJNorvelloffical
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajnorvell_/
– Website: https://authorajnorvell.com/
Books mentioned during the show:
– The Instant Millionaire, by Mark Fisher
– One Thousand and One Nights, also known as The Arabian Nights– Author Barbra Kingsolver
– Author C.S. Lewis
– Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
– Percy Jackson series, by Rick Riordan
– Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
– Legendborn, by Tracy Deonn
– The Lost Gate, by Orson Scott Card
For more content on writing, parenting, and life, visit LifeBeyondParenting.com.
Free your creative self too. Download this free writing & journaling poster pack: https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-writing-posters.
Even a resilience coach approaches writing a memoir with caution.
Lori Peters, founder of Starfish Resilience Coaching & author of Be Still and Be Bold: 31 Meditations for Trauma Survivors, is on the show (via chat) today. (We had some tech issues for our first episode.)
In this mini episode, Lori shares what motivates her to write and when her passion for writing began. She also shares what types of books she’s thinking about writing next, how parenting has made her a better writer, and which books are some of her favorites (for herself and her kids).
Get Lori’s book, Be Still and Be Bold: https://www.amazon.com/Be-Still-Bold-Meditations-Survivors-ebook/dp/B09LTJC6QR
Connect with Lori:
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063630595893
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starfish_resilience_coaching/
– Website: https://www.loriapeters.com/
Books mentioned during the show:
– Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
– Appleblossom the Possum, by Holly Goldberg Sloan
– Magic Tree House series, by Mary Pope Osborne
– Author Dr. Seuss
– Hoot [board book], by Jonathan Litton
– Author Shel Silverstein
For more content on writing, parenting, and life, visit LifeBeyondParenting.com.
Free your creative self too. Download this free writing & journaling poster pack: https://lifebeyondparenting.com/5-writing-posters