Writing on Wednesdays

Circumstances have changed a lot for Nicole and Sarah – and probably for most listeners too – so we’re sharing what our current writing lives look like. We’re also taking a pause on Writing on Wednesdays for the time being until our jobs (and Sarah’s childcare situation) return to a calmer place. As always, you… Read more The post A Covid-19 Writing Update – And a Pause for the Time Being (Ep 046) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

We recorded this before COVID-19 became a big deal, but gratitude is more relevant than ever! In this episode we talk about the connection between gratitude and writing, Nicole’s new gratitude journal, plus Sarah shares a tip about Instagram and we both talk about books we’ve read recently. Books we mention in this episode: Nicole’s… Read more The post You know how it’s hard to be grateful? (Episode 045) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Looking for a calming refuge from the dizzying developments around the COVID-19 pandemic? This Middlesode is for you. Settle in for instrumental music, a soft discussion about what COVID-19 lockdown looks like in Nicole’s neck of the woods, and an extended reading from Viktor Frankl’s famous book, Man’s Search for Meaning. How are you doing… Read more The post Finding Calm in COVID-19 (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Sometimes downtime surprises us, but sometimes we can plan ahead to make the most of it. Sarah and Nicole share how they planned (or didn’t) for downtime this winter, plus how Nicole is shaping her work around concerns about the Coronavirus. Resources we mention in this episode: How to Be an Indistractable Creative (Ep 039… Read more The post Planning for Downtime, Plus a Special Announcement! (Ep 043) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Every few months, Sarah does an at-home writing retreat. Here’s what she learned from this retreat (and why it was more “creative” than “writing”). Resources We Mention Otter Temi Sarah’s Instagram Why You Need a 5-Year Plan, on The Professor Is In podcast Join the conversation in the Writing on Wednesdays Facebook Group! Until next week,… Read more The post A Winter Writing Retreat (Middlesode 042) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Racism, death, money, faith: if it's a difficult topic, we've probably written about it. Along the way, we've learn some valuable lessons on vulnerability, self-awareness, and accepting that criticism is usually not about us. The post Writing About Difficult Topics (Ep 41) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Say hello to the single best strategy for countering distraction and boosting time- and energy- management throughout your day The post Time Blocking for People with Crazy Lives (MIDDLESODE 040) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Is canceling all our social media accounts and throwing away our smartphones the only way to beat distraction? Talking about Nir Eyal's helpful new book, _Indistractable_. The post How to Be an Indistractable Creative (Ep 039) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

What does it mean to stay nimble in life and work? Nicole reflects on the inspiration behind her 2020 theme word. The post Being Nimble in Life, Work, and Writing (Middlesode 038) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Nicole and Sarah talk about their recent website changes, from design to structure to SEO. The post Writer Websites (Ep 037) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

On today's Middlesode, Sarah breaks down her monthly planning process. The post Monthly Planning (Middlesode 36) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

From book proposals to sabbaticals to buying mascara to finally visiting a dentist after twelve years: Nicole and Sarah talk about their 2020 goals. The post Strong and Nimble: Our Goals for 2020 (Ep 035) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Nicole and Sarah share strategies and tips for writing during this very crazy season, plus a new transcription tool and Nicole asks for Sarah's forgiveness on a calendar-related matter. The post Writing for the Holidays (Ep 034) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Looking for some shiny new reads? Sarah shares her favorite reads of 2019, plus how she got back into fiction by reading on her phone. Book Links: Favorite Novel: Circe by Madeline Miller Favorite Journalism: She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey Favorite Memoir: Educated by Tara Westover and Inheritance by Dani Shapiro Favorite… Read more The post My Favorite Books of 2019 (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Writing about religious topics isn’t the same as writing for a religious audience. Listen in to learn what makes writing for a religious audience different – and why Nicole and Sarah have both written on religious topics and for religious audiences (but not always at the same time). Resources we mention in this episode: The… Read more The post Writing for Religious Audiences (Ep 032) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Launching a book or curious about the process? Last week on the Writing on Wednesdays episode, Sarah and I talked about book launches. We threw a lot of ideas out there, so I compiled them all (and more) into a free marketing checklist specifically intended for authors publishing with a small to medium-sized press. You… Read more The post Launch Your Book: A Free Checklist (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

At the time this episode was recorded, Nicole was days away from the release of her second book (in realtime, it’s already here!). She compares the strategies she used to launch her first book with what she hopes to do differently this time around. Plus, a tip and tool from Sarah about appointment software. Resources… Read more The post A Tale of Two Book Launches (Ep 030) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Do your routines need a reset? Sarah shares how she has changed her routines to suit a new season of life. Even when routines have served us well, they don’t necessarily serve us forever (especially with a busy holiday season around the corner). Join the conversation in the Writing on Wednesdays Facebook Group! Until next week,… Read more The post Routine Reset (Ep. 29) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Three strategies for making the most of your evergreen content. Plus, how to identify what makes content evergreen, and how to decide when to create evergreen content. Resources and Reads Nicole’s Leke Sky bag Jennifer Polk’s Twitter What to Do When Someone You Love Is Depressed by Susan K. Golant and Mitch Golant Blueberries for… Read more The post Evergreen Content (Ep. 28) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Battling fears and scarcity mentality? Lean into generosity to cultivate more abundance in your writing life! The post Abundance Mentality and Generous Writing MIDDLESODE (Ep 027) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Fun ways to keep those creative muscles fresh without even breaking a sweat (unless you want to!). The post Creative Crosstraining (Ep 026) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

This summer, Sarah did a mini writing retreat at her home. Here’s how she did it, why, and how you can create something similar for yourself. Join the conversation in the Writing on Wednesdays Facebook Group! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/WritingonWednesdays/)  Until next week, Nicole Roccas – www.nicoleroccas.com Sarah Bereza – www.sarah-bereza.com The post Writing Retreats At Home (Ep 025) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Why use social media as a writer? Nicole and Sarah discuss two ways to approach the wild west of FB, Twitter, Instagram and more. The post Social Media for Writers (Ep 024) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Despite being relatively depression savvy in other areas of my life, it’s taken me a while to recognize the unique ways depression affects my writing. In this week’s middlesode, I share my experience of being a writer who struggles with depression. If that’s you, too, I hope you’ll share your journey! Resources Writing with Depression… Read more The post Writing with Depression MIDDLESODE (Ep 023) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

In this episode, Sarah and Nicole talk about their writing summers and share what they’ve recently learned about submitting book proposals and finishing book projects. Plus, a tip and tool about Google Voice. Resources we mention in this episode: Nicole’s new blog series on writing with depression: https://www.nicoleroccas.com/1240-2/ Google Voice: https://voice.google.com Alternatives for people outside… Read more The post We’re Back! (Ep 022) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

This is our last episode until the fall! We’ll miss you! Check out our episode archives here: www.writingonwednesdays.com  On to today’s episode… When you’re writing for your job, start with your why–why do you write for this organization? What’s the purpose of your writing, for you and for them. 4 Challenges in Work-Related Writing You… Read more The post We’re Going on Summer Break, Plus Strategies for Work-Related Writing appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Sarah shares how she wrote her non-fiction book proposal over the course of 8 months (she’s not a full-time writer!) and gets into the specifics of writing in an industry where authors pitch directly to publishers, not agents. Resources we mention in this episode: “Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal” by Jane Friedman … Read more The post Writing a Non-Fiction Book Proposal (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

If you’re writing without a boss or editor setting parameters or waiting for your draft, how do you cultivate motivation and momentum? Writing for yourself (not your job) requires self-direction and a focused sense of why you’re writing. Sarah and Nicole share about their work and non-work writing and what keeps them on their writing… Read more The post When Writing *Isn’t* Your Day Job (Ep 019) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

The other night, I popped in my earbuds and proceeded to type nearly 700 solid words of a book chapter. While standing up. On a moving bus. Packed to the brim with other commuters. How did I write under these circumstances? In short: with a tablet. In this episode I talk about why I ditched… Read more The post Ditching a Laptop Saved My (Writing) Life (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

How do you stay sane and keep a sense of balance when heading into dangerous deadline territory? In this episode we talk about ten strategies that have helped us over the years, including fried kalamari. Because Greeks.   Here’s a summary of the ten strategies to stay sane when finishing a book: Double down on… Read more The post 10 Ways to Stay Sane When Finishing a Book (Ep 017) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Sarah shares how she organizes her research notes, starting with the number one takeaway: research notes go in one place, and one place only. Resources we mention in this episode: WOW Episode on book weights: nicoleroccas.com/005 WOW Episode on low-hanging fruit: nicoleroccas.com/008 The #amwriting podcast: http://amwritingpodcast.com Join the conversation in the Writing on Wednesdays Facebook… Read more The post The One Rule for Organizing Research Notes MIDDLESODE appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Does summer feel like a special season for you? It is for me. Summer is for spending lots of time outside – and for creativity. This summer, Sarah’s making writing her #1 creative priority. (Meanwhile, I’m making RELAXATION and GOOD FUN mine.) On this episode of Writing on Wednesdays, we talk about summer writing (and… Read more The post Summer of Writing (Ep 015) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

"If you stop typing for more than five seconds, all progress will be lost." --The Most Dangerous Writing App The post The Most Dangerous Writing App: Nicole’s Ridiculous Experiment (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

We all know that “being real” sells. But can there be too much of a good thing? How can you “be yourself” while both being true to yourself and serving your readers well? Nicole and Sarah reflect on these questions, particularly as Nicole gears up to submit a book manuscript on a fairly sensitive (and… Read more The post Vulnerability in Writing: How Much is Too Much? (Ep 013) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

In this week’s middlesode, Sarah talks about strategies for writing (or maybe NOT writing?) on vacation. Join the conversation in the Writing on Wednesdays Facebook Group! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/WritingonWednesdays/) Until next week, Nicole Roccas – www.nicoleroccas.com Sarah Bereza – www.sarah-bereza.com The post Writing on Vacation (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

It’s that time of the week again! Today we’re talking about the strategy of batch-writing blog posts, plus Nicole will share about an app she uses to avoid getting sucked into Facebook, and we’ll both give a brief update of our respective writing lives. So get your pens ready, pull up a chair, and join… Read more The post Batch-Writing Blog Posts: Ideas and Strategies (Ep 011) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

How the Headspace app can help writers battle the restless energy of creativity. The post Headspace for Writers: Mindfulness and Creativity (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

We know boundaries are important, but what do they mean for writers? The post 5 Boundaries Every Writer Should Have (Ep 009) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Here’s one way to decide when to do easy tasks, a.k.a. low hanging fruit: postpone them for as long as possible, and do them when you have a low-energy day. If they are something you need to do sooner rather than later, then save them for a time of day when you have lower energy.… Read more The post The Strategy of Low-Hanging Fruit (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Here’s how Sarah and I manage big writing projects using planners and calendars, and how those tools integrate with time cycles like days, weeks, and quarters (or *not* quarters). And Nicole shares how a pre-book talk helped her get a fresh take on her book manuscript. Join the conversation in the Writing on Wednesdays Facebook… Read more The post Getting Big Projects Done, and the Strategy of Pre-Book Talks (Ep 007) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Do you ever get sucked into the minutiae of writing projects? This week Nicole reflects on the dangers of cognitive tunneling and how to beat it. Join the conversation in the Writing on Wednesdays Facebook Group! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/WritingonWednesdays/) Until next week, happy writing! Nicole Roccas – www.nicoleroccas.com Sarah Bereza – www.sarah-bereza.com The post Getting Sucked In: The Dangers of Cognitive Tunneling (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

A weird but useful writing strategy, especially for crunch times! The post Write Like an Onion! (Ep 005) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

It’s difficult to keep multiple creative projects moving ahead at the same time. In this episode, Sarah explains one tool she uses to make distinct times to work on different projects: giving each day (or half) day of the week its own theme. Resources we mention in this episode: Sarah’s blog post: Theme your days… Read more The post Theme Your Days (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

You need mental space. So how can you shape your life to create more of it? Think about these five areas and how they can be a friend – or a foe – to your mental space: time, location, attention, emotion, and other creative projects. Resources we mention in this episode: Michael Hyatt’s concept of… Read more The post Making Mental Space for Writing (Ep 003) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Like it or not, the messy middle is where we spend most of our time as writers. If you don’t find something to love about it, you’ll burn out pretty quickly. In the thick of Book #2, in this episode of the WoW podcast, I share what I’ve come to appreciate about the middle phase.… Read more The post Ep 002: 3 Things to Love About the Messy Middle appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

In this episode, we discuss what inspired us to start the podcast: our 10+ year friendship that has revolved around writing, our mutual passion for self-improvement and refining processes, and this quote from Scott Belsky's book The Messy Middle. The post Welcome to Writing on Wednesdays! (Ep 001) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

So excited to announce that the Writing on Wednesdays podcast will launch on February 13, 2019! If you’re looking for a way to make your writing life more actionable, sustainable, and just plain pleasant, this podcast is for you.  Writing on Wednesdays is a podcast about building a healthy and sustainable writing process from beginning… Read more The post Introducing: The Writing on Wednesdays Podcast! appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.