Wild Words

I wasn’t sure I’d be able to record this episode, but I found a margin to record my thoughts about how to navigate creativity during coronavirus. Spoiler: my suggestions include doing less, releasing expectations, wrapping up projects, and clearing the decks. This is all temporary, but we have to support ourselves in *this moment* and adjust as we go. If you’re a blogger, can you blog less frequently? Sending a weekly newsletter? Make it every other week (or monthly!). Producing a podcast? Maybe end the season early. Drafting your novel? Keep going, but remove the pressure. Writing 1,000 words per day? Try 250.  Basically, it’s time for a radical reorganization of our time and energy. Some of this will force our hand in ways that are endlessly frustrating. We won’t be able to meet the page as frequently, or give our characters undivided attention. Yet within these daily discomforts, we might have the opportunity to feel out what we truly need, step away from a piece, only to return with fresh eyes, make way for something new we might not have expected. Pick up a copy of Wild Words wherever books are sold and head here to join a nurturing writing community. You’ll get access to my newsletter and an invitation to our private Facebook group, The Wild Words Collective.

What happens when you achieve a dream, then want to change your life? Writer Sonia Ruyts answered this question—and waded through liminal space—when she decided to close her brick-and-mortar yarn shop to pursue writing. On today’s episode she shares fresh ideas for establishing consistency in your writing practice, how she navigates self-doubt, the exercise she always starts her writing day with, and the intersection between slow fashion and creativity. Show notes: thewildwords.com/podcast.

Did you know what you wanted to do after college? Neither did writer Kate Spring. My guest today took a winding path to becoming a farmer in Vermont, and today she’s running a farm, raising a family, and figuring out (through trial and error) the grounding practices that make it possible for her to return to the soil and the page year after year. Join The Wild Words Collective, a private Facebook group for writers. Get your invitation here. Show notes: http://www.thewildwords.com/podcast.

Have you ever wanted to write a children’s book? Heidi Fiedler has worked on more than 300 titles, and she’s an approachable and insightful resource on both the magical and business elements of writing for children. In our chat, Heidi shares the unique relationship between stories and illustrations that you only find in children’s books, the most important practice to build into your writing process that will help you grow (besides writing, of course), and how she quiets her inner editor.  Join the community for writers at thewildwords.com/community to sign up for my newsletter and get your invitation to our private Facebook group, The Wild Words Collective.

How do we build a community around our work? For writers seeking long-term support for their craft, this is an essential question and one I believe can be answered, in part, with newsletters. It’s an intimate, direct channel to readers who are eager to hear from you, and one of the best ways I know to build relationships that stand the test of time. I started back in 2013 with no strategy and no plan and really just winged it for a year before I got my act together. In January I surveyed 100 writers about newsletters and most responded with comments like: I don’t know where to start. I’m waiting until I finish my book. I don’t have anything to share right now. I’m afraid people will unsubscribe. They (81%) also said they’d either written a book or wanted to write a book, which begs the question: Who will read it? People who know you. People who you’ve invited into your world. People who have followed your journey. The truth is, we need to build trust and nurture relationships long before we have something to sell or promote, and on today’s episode, I’m sharing 3 mistakes writers make when starting a newsletter + announcing my free masterclass to help: Nurture Your Newsletter. | Show notes: thewildwords.com/podcast

We’re conditioned to do more—more blogging, more guest posting, more podcasting, more newsletter writing, more publishing, more speaking—but what if there was another way to get where we want to go? In 2016, a stack of sticky notes and an empty wall helped me decide what to do next creatively. Today I’m walking you through this simple exercise, and sharing how an essentialist mindset (aka “less but better”) has can bring more ease to your writing life. Show notes: http://www.thewildwords.com/podcast. Get your invitation to our private FB group for writers --> http://www.thewildwords.com/community

Do you really need an MFA? No, but you do need a framework for making progress. DIY MFA is a book and community created by author, speaker, and entrepreneur Gabriela Pereira. On today's episode we chat about the key pillars—write with focus, read with purpose, and build your community—and tackle topics like self-doubt, guilt, and how to survive conferences as an introvert. | Show notes: http://www.thewildwords.com/podcast. Join our private Facebook group for writers, the Wild Words Collective by visiting thewildwords.com/community.

Big dreams are popular these days. Write the bestseller! Speak in front of thousands! Get 1 million downloads! How about we take a hard pass and focus on our inner knowing instead? The fear of missing out (aka FOMO) is a powerful force in our creative lives, but when we intentionally choose small (like serving the audience we already have) and focus on staying present, it’s a lot easier to weather self-doubt when it arrives. Show notes --> http://www.thewildwords.com/podcast. Get your invitation to our private FB group for writers --> http://www.thewildwords.com/community

Alisha Sommer and her family recently moved to California from the Midwest, and it was a dream six years in the making. We talk about the challenges (and surprising benefits) of liminal space, learn about a daily writing ritual she’s been doing for nearly three years, why she gets up so early, navigating the “both/and” space, and the art of the evening bath. | Pick up a copy of Wild Words wherever books are sold. Join the community for writers at thewildwords.com/community to sign up for my newsletter and get your invitation to our private Facebook group, The Wild Words Collective. Show notes: http://www.thewildwords.com/podcast

Every book, story, or poem has a point of entry. Inspired by Jane Hirshfield’s poem “The Envoy,” (“there are openings in our lives of which we know nothing”) we’re starting Season 2 with an exploration of how things start. I’m sharing examples from my own writing life, plus suggestions for accessing even more awareness in your own endeavors. | Pick up a copy of Wild Words wherever books are sold. Join the community for writers at thewildwords.com/community to sign up for my newsletter and get your invitation to our private Facebook group, The Wild Words Collective.

Every December there are two things I like to do to support my creativity in the year ahead: conduct a writing annual review, and choose a word for the year. | To download your own Writing Rituals Bundle, visit thewildwords.com/ritual for a PDF with everything you need.

Media bombards us every second of every day. With so much noise stimulating our brains, nervous systems, and hearts, how might we return to ourselves? The answer, in part, is rewilding. My guest today is writer Lily Diamond, who shares her take on the essential practice of remembering who we are, and offers suggestions for how to cope with the world around us.

A favorite notebook, a delicious tea blend, a piece of software, a trusty pen. These are all standard tools a writer needs in her toolbox. But for the past two years, I’ve relied on something else to ignite my writing practice, and it’s a meditation technique that involves little more than lying down and taking a restorative nap. Learn more about this life-changing and non-negotiable tool in my writing life on today’s episode! | Sign up for Write With Intention, a FREE 7-day e-course introducing writers to yoga nidra meditation.

Today’s guest is Andi Cumbo-Floyd, a writer and editor from Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains. She’s written 11 books—10 are self-published—so we talked about the learning curve, self-publishing tips, how to promote your book, what to share in a writing newsletter, and what Andi would do differently if she were just starting out today. Andi also shares a big life decision she recently made that helped her make more space to write. Join a nurturing community for writers & get your invite to our private Facebook group: http://www.thewildwords.com/community.

My work isn’t good enough. No one but me cares about what I have to say. People will think the story is true. I’ll be judged. I’m not original. These are real fears from real writers, and on today’s episode I’m tackling them one by one, offering suggestions for how to reframe our thinking when self-doubt holds us back. | Join a community for writers at thewildwords.com/community.  

How can you share your message without burning out? That’s the question I’ve been working to answer for the past several months. Learn the three areas I’m focusing on this time around, plus recommendations and reminders for the introverts among us. | Pick up a copy of Wild Words wherever books are sold and visit wildwordsbook.com to download a free book bundle to help you go deeper.

Writers like to stay behind the screen, but part of our work requires getting out there and embodying The Season of Visibility. If you’re feeling unsteady, Sonja Overhiser is a writer worth knowing. She’s built a creative business with her husband, Alex, and today she’s sharing tips for surviving live television spots, why she hired a publicist (even though she had a traditional book deal), and how writing helped her cope with a difficult adoption journey. 

If sending your work into the world makes you feel simultaneously elated and anxious, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, rejection is par for the course in the writer’s life, but I believe there are some tangible ways we can navigate it with more grace and less of an impact to our sensitive writer’s heart.

After finishing her manuscript for Motherland, author Elissa Altman posted a hard truth about the writer’s life on Instagram: doing this work can take a physical toll on your body. Our conversation explores this important topic, including how she’s putting her body back together again after finding it left in shards from an emotional writing process.

Navigating a love/hate relationship with social media? You’re not alone. This episode explores how you can use social media intentionally to enhance your writing career without draining your creative energy. I’m sharing some of the benefits of using social media for your writing life, what prompted me to take a 30-day social media break, 10 questions to help you understand the heart of your social media use, and five tips for showing up while still keeping your sanity.

Ready to reevaluate your relationship with social media? Today I’m talking with Christianne Squires, who recently decided to deactivate her Facebook account and focus on Instagram to grow her community. On this episode, Christianne shares steps to navigate your own decisions, plus advice for how writers can engage with social media in ways that feel authentic to them. Pick up a copy of Wild Words wherever books are sold, then visit wildwordsbook.com to download a free book bundle to help you go deeper.

Have you ever had a creative project idea that starts out feeling exciting and electrifying but quickly turns frustrating or anxiety-producing? It’s not you, it’s the timing. Today, Nicole shares the backstory of how The Wild Words Podcast came to life, with a universal lesson about trusting the seasons of your own creativity.

It’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, compare our journey to others who are two steps ahead of us, and forget to listen to the voice inside that knows what we need. Seasonal creative living is the antidote to the hamster wheel, and the best philosophy I’ve found that honors where I’ve been, where I’m headed, and most importantly, where I’m planted right now. Consider this episode “required listening” for The Wild Words Podcast. I’m sharing 10 seasons of the writer’s life and what to expect from each of them so you can begin putting a name to common experiences we all encounter on the writer’s path. Join the community for writers at: thewildwords.com/community.