Podcasts about Writing

In today's episode, Megan and Sarah (from AfterNoona Asks) discuss Black Out, an unforgettable 2024 drama with more twists than a pretzel. Just a note, we recorded this podcast in July of 2025. Sorry for the delay in getting it out!Ready to download your first audiobook? Don't forget to click HERE for your free Audible trial.*Audible is a sponsor of Afternoona Delight Podcast*Are your family and friends sick of you talking about K-drama? We get it...and have an answer. Join our AfterNoona Delight Patreon and find community among folks who get your obsession. And check out www.afternoonadelight.com for more episodes, book recs and social media goodness. And don't forget about the newest member of our network: Afternoona Asks where diaspora Asians living in the West find ways to reconnect to Asian culture via Asian/KDramas.Last but CERTAINLY not least....love BTS? Or curious what all the fuss is about? Check out our sister pod Afternoona Army for "thinky, thirsty and over thirty" takes on Bangtan life. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2 Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson There is a certain type of atmospheric (usually) indie game that gets praised for its tone, vibes and emotional impact, but sometimes criticized for underbaked or limited gameplay mechanics. Walking sims used to get the brunt of this, but the same could also be said for games like Sword of the Sea director Matt Nava's most famous works, Journey and Abzu. Sword of the Sea may not be an intentional response to those criticisms, but it does add more "involved" gameplay into the fold, incorporating sand surfing and tricks into your verb set. It then begs the discussion- on paper, adding more involved gameplay is good, right? But is that always the case? Guest info: AndresPlays (he/him) * Twitch, Writing and More https://linktr.ee/andresplays93 * Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/andresplays.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:19 Introductions * 4:50 Our Histories With Matt Nava's Games and Sword of the Sea * 7:43 Opening Thoughts About Sword of the Sea * 14:35 Game Setup and Visual Presentation * 20:00 Speed and Sand Surfing * 36:16 Music and Visual Presentation * 39:54 Lack of Punch and Impact * 56:01 Top-Level Story Thoughts * 1:01:05 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations * 1:06:24 AndresPlays- Writing, Streaming and Little Victories * 1:11:37 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous * 1:14:28 Spoiler Section- Story Interpretations * 1:28:05 Hype Moments and Ending Music used in the episode is credited to Austin Wintory. Tracks used: From a drop, a flame, One drop remained, Unpredictable and joyous, Swimming in the sky, Sacred River, A city where none live Check out Dave on Geeks & Grounds analyzing Final Fantasy X https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/ Check out Dave on Pixel Project Radio analyzing NieR: Automata https://linktr.ee/pixelprojectradio Check out Dave on the King of Games 1999 https://linktr.ee/retrohangover Social Media: BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/ Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Too many men today aren't struggling because they lack information. They're struggling because they're drowning in noise. And, I think it's time we start unpacking why the "modern masculinity" space has become obsessed with hot takes, call-outs, online outrage, and performative "accountability" - and why none of it builds strong men, meaningful connection, or lasting improvement. Today I'm joined by my friend, Jack Donovan, to talk about why gossip masquerades as moral authority, how "calling men out" often replaces real accountability, the difference between integrity, honor, and reputation, why social media rewards division, not leadership, the dangers of pedestalizing others—and why men need a code to live by. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 - Studio Setup & Creative Work 02:24 - Why the Right Needs to Create Culture 04:22 - The Problem With Hot Takes 06:06 - Engagement vs. Building a Movement 08:17 - Writing as Intellectual Discipline 10:16 - AI Art, Aesthetics, and Snobbery 12:01 - Giving People the Benefit of the Doubt 14:11 - Funding Art and Leaving a Legacy 17:07 - Storytelling as Masculine Power 19:33 - Integrity as Aesthetic Congruence 21:09 - Integrity vs. Disintegration 23:14 - Faith, Ritual, and Mental Wholeness 25:16 - Philosophy as a Code of Conduct 26:50 - Honor as Reputation 30:13 - Tribalism and Dehumanization 33:18 - Why Men Gossip 36:49 - Malicious Gossip vs. Accountability 41:14 - Reality TV Culture and Privacy 44:43 - Judging Without Context 46:22 - The Danger of Moral Pedestals 49:32 - Hubris and Public Failure 52:31 - The Trust Recession 55:29 - Projection and False Narratives 58:51 - Redemption and Change Battle Planners: Pick yours up today! Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto. For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood. Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready  

The world needed Marcus Aurelius to become the person we admire and study today. This required conscious and consistent effort on his part. You're no different. And you know it.Make 2026 the year where you finally bring yourself closer to living your best life. No more waiting. Demand the best for yourself. The Daily Stoic New Year New You challenge begins January 1, 2026. Learn more and sign up today at dailystoic.com/challenge.

Unlock the clarity you need to write smoothly, avoid constant restarts, and finish a stronger first draft in less time.If you've ever tried to draft quickly and ended up with pages that feel unsalvageable, this episode will help you understand why that happens and what to do instead. You'll learn what makes fast drafting possible, how clarity speeds up your process, and why a little prep work often saves months of rewriting. You'll also hear how my writing students used this approach to finish their drafts with a lot less overwhelm. This is what I talk about:[02:25] Why following common first-draft advice leads to writing that feels impossible to fix, and how this one shift saves months of frustration.[03:50] The deeper reason you feel slow and stuck while drafting, even when you're writing regularly, and why fixing it builds intentional forward momentum.[06:45] The story foundations most writers skip and how having them in place keeps you from second-guessing or rewriting the same chapters.[08:50] How a simple, flexible roadmap gives you clarity, confidence, and momentum so you stop wandering through your first draft and start moving forward.[09:25] What writing feels like when you're no longer guessing and how this clarity helps you finish a stronger first draft.Fast and good don't have to compete. With the proper prep work, you can draft briskly and end up with a story that works from beginning to end.

On the 4th Nightmare Before Christmas… On a quiet Florida night, a patrolman sees two cars pulled over. Inside one, a clean-cut man and a woman who whispers, "I'm okay." The officer drives away, unaware he's just left a victim alone with her future killer. That moment was just the beginning. Oscar Ray Bolin left a trail of terror that stretched across Florida. He seemed ordinary, friendly, unassuming, someone you'd never suspect, but his dark side hid in plain sight. Join Cam and Jen as they discuss “In the Shadows: Oscar Ray Bolin.” We have the most incredible team: Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen Executive Producers/Music by @theinkypawprint Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Kvw2k42XT0 https://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/bolin-oscar.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Ray_Bolin https://allthatsinteresting.com/oscar-ray-bolin https://law.justia.com/cases/florida/supreme-court/2004/sc02-37-1.html https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156825804/oscar_ray-bolin https://www.newspapers.com/image/321261395/?match=1&clipping_id=182527083 Obit for Natalie Holley https://www.newspapers.com/image/321261105/?match=1&clipping_id=182527381 discovery of Natalie's body https://www.newspapers.com/image/337978474/?terms=%22Natalie%20Holley%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/337978488/?match=1&terms=%22Natalie%20Holley%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/323050173/?terms=%22Natalie%20Holley%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/323050378/?terms=%22Natalie%20Holley%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/337973028/?terms=%22Natalie%20Holley%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/336703396/?match=1&terms=%22Stephanie%20Collins%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/336703435/?terms=%22Stephanie%20Collins%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/336717960/?match=1&terms=%22Stephanie%20Collins%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/321153755/?match=1&terms=%22Stephanie%20Collins%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/321153750/?terms=%22Stephanie%20Collins%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/336829954/?match=1&terms=%22Stephanie%20Collins%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/336830012/?terms=%22Stephanie%20Collins%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/336830111/?article=66114aac-0352-4e6f-87b5-71ee705b3b80&terms=%22Teri%20Lynn%20Matthews%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/321151367/?terms=%22Teri%20Lynn%20Matthews%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/336704359/?terms=%22Teri%20Lynn%20Matthews%22 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156205949/natalie-blanche-holley https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34937887/stephanie_anne-collins https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156206232/teri-lynn-matthews https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/fl-supreme-court/1720993.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I'm joined by Shada Brazile, barrel racer, horsewoman, business owner, mom, and someone I deeply admire. From growing up in a rodeo family to building one alongside her husband, Shada has lived a life steeped in the Western lifestyle. In our conversation, she opens up about the realities of balancing rodeo life, marriage, motherhood, horses, and hustle, and how she's learned to do it all without chasing perfection. In this episode, we talk about the highs and lows and everything in between. Shada's story is proof that you can pursue your own path and still show up fully for the people and passions that matter most. Resources & Links: Join The Directory Of The West Get our FREE resource for Writing a Strong Job Description  Get our FREE resource for Making the Most of Your Internship Get our FREE resource: 10 Resume Mistakes (and how to fix them) Get our FREE resource: How to Avoid the 7 Biggest Hiring Mistakes Employers Make Email us at hello@ofthewest.co Subscribe to Of The West's ⁠Newsletters List your jobs on ⁠Of The West Connect with Shada: Follow on Instagram @shada_brazile Connect with Jessie: Follow on Instagram @ofthewest.co and @mrsjjarv Follow on Facebook @jobsofthewest Check out the Of The West website Be sure to subscribe/follow the show so you never miss an episode!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Gallucci joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about being the child of a teen mom, early influences on our ideas of love and relationships, pressure to have sex, having nothing left to give a relationship, feeling like you need to getting sex over with, manipulative sex, coercive sex, giving a partner a hall pass, when relationships become incredibly messy, nonconsensual sex that becomes coercive sex, TEDx talks, blogging and going viral, the hey day of mommy blogging, pivoting from journalism to reporting on our own life, when the culture shifts, writing real sex, strategies to writing about sex, why writing real sex is imperative to literature for safety, going viral, how we experience pleasure, inaccurate, writing about real sex, measuring the brokenness of a marriage, when family stops speaking to us after publication, writing from a raw, unprocessed place, writing when you're in the thick of it, choosing self-publishing over traditional publishing, the autonomy of self-publishing, the aftermath of divorce, and Laid: A Memoir of Love, Sex, and Marriage.   Also in this episode: -trusting your truth Books mentioned in this episode: -Hunger by Roxanne Gay -Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay -Wild by Cheryl Strayed -Pushed by Sapphire   Sarah Gallucci is the author of Laid: A Memoir of Love, Sex, and Marriage. She has written reported features for CNN, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Harper's Bazaar, among others. Sarah works as a professor at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is also a speaker, and has given two TEDx talks. Most importantly, Sarah is the mother of two with storytelling, creative healing, and pasta in her blood.   Connect with Sarah: Website: www.SarahGallucci.com Instagram: @_Sarah_Gallucci_ TikTok: @_Sarah_Gallucci_ Threads: @_Sarah_Gallucci_ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Laid-Memoir-Love-Sex-Marriage/dp/B0DVCBXVZ7/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0 Talks: https://www.sarahgallucci.com/speaking   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book.   More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank   Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Mystery isn't just a genre. It's a storytelling skill that every author can use to keep readers turning pages, no matter what they write.In this month's episode, USA Today bestselling mystery author Sara Rosett reveals how writers of any genre can use elements from the mystery genre to keep readers hooked.Whether you write mystery, fantasy, romance, or nonfiction, this conversation will change the way you think about story structure and reader engagement.You'll discover:Which genres benefit from using elements of mystery writingHow to hide clues and red herrings in a way that feels natural but surprisingCommon mistakes new mystery writers make and how to avoid themIf you want to build stories that feel more immersive, compelling, and satisfying, listen in or read the blog version and make your next story un-put-down-able.Support the show

How should Christian faith shape work in an era of pluralism, fear, and systemic inequality? Sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund (Rice University) is presenting new insights for faith at work through data, theology, and lived experience. "People love to talk about individual ethics … but what was really hard for them to think about was, what would it mean to make our workplace better as a whole?" In this episode, Ecklund joins Mark Labberton to reflect on moving from individual morality toward systemic responsibility, dignity, and other-centred Christian witness at work. Together they discuss faith and work, the gender and race gaps created by systemic injustice, fear and power, religious diversity, rest and human limits, gender and racial marginalization, and the cost of a credible Christian witness. Episode Highlights "People love to talk about individual ethics." "What would it mean to make our workplace better as a whole?" "People are much more apt to take us seriously if we first take them seriously." "Suppression of faith in particular is not the answer." "God is God and I am not." About Elaine Howard Ecklund Elaine Howard Ecklund is professor of sociology at Rice University and director of the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance. She is a leading sociologist of religion, science, and work whose research examines how faith operates in professional and institutional life. Ecklund has led large-scale empirical studies on religion in workplaces and scientific communities, supported by the National Science Foundation, Templeton Foundation, and Lilly Endowment. She is the author or co-author of several influential books, including Working for Better, Why Science and Faith Need Each Other, and Science vs. Religion. Her work informs academic, ecclesial, and public conversations about pluralism, justice, and moral formation in modern society. Learn more and follow at https://www.elaineecklund.com and https://twitter.com/elaineecklund Helpful Links And Resources Working for Better (IVP): https://www.ivpress.com/working-for-better Why Science and Faith Need Each Other (IVP): https://www.ivpress.com/why-science-and-faith-need-each-other Elaine Howard Ecklund website: https://www.elaineecklund.com Rice University Boniuk Institute: https://boniuk.rice.edu Conversing with Mark Labberton: https://comment.org/conversing Show Notes Sociological study of religion, work, and group behavior Christian faith taken seriously at personal and academic levels Ecklund's former research focus on science as a workplace environment Expanding faith-at-work research beyond scientific communities Compartmentalized Christian faith and the fear of offending colleagues Friendship and collaboration emerging from leadership retreats Large-scale data-driven study on religion in changing workplaces Religious pluralism at work and changing workplace demographics Writing for Christian audiences shaped by empirical research From individual ethics toward systemic responsibility at work "People love to talk about individual ethics." Systemic injustice blind spots Moral shorthand focused on time sheets and office supplies Organizational leadership and culture change Difficulty imagining organizational or structural workplace change Fear of retaliation when confronting unjust systems Responsibility for workplace realities Power underestimated by those holding leadership positions Costly examples of speaking up against workplace injustice Christian fear of marginalization in pluralistic environments Suppression of religious expression as common workplace response Suppression versus accommodation: "Suppression of faith in particular is not the answer." Religious diversity as unavoidable reality of modern work Other-centered faith rooted in dignity of every person Imago Dei shaping engagement across religious difference "People are much more apt to take us seriously if we first take them seriously." Racialized religious minorities: the double marginalization of racial minorities of faith Gender inequity and underexamined workplace power dynamics Faith-based employee groups Fear masquerading as anger in cultural and religious conflict Workplaces as rare spaces for meaningful civic encounter Justice beyond activism Rest as theological foundation for justice and leadership Limits, Sabbath, and resisting productivity as ultimate value "God is God and I am not." Human limits in leadership Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment magazine and Fuller Seminary. #FaithAndWork #ElaineHowardEcklund #ChristianEthics #WorkplaceJustice #ReligiousPluralism #RestAndFaith

The bestselling Irish author grew up on a farm set on “50 acres on the side of a hill”. Growing up, she witnessed a harsh, misogynistic country that convinced her she would never marry. Claire shares what she has learned about writing from a litter of newborn piglets.Her works Small Things Like These and Foster have both been made into movies.Claire's stories often take place in the landscape where she grew up — the farms and small towns of Wexford in Southeast Ireland.Claire was the youngest of six children, and when she was born their farmhouse had no running water and few books.Instead, Claire fell in love with horses.As a small child she would go to the wood with her brother, who was a lumberjack.Amongst the chainsaws and workmen, little Claire would drive a harnessed horse from behind, to the roadside, to help clear the heavy trees. And as she grew older, she developed a fierce determination to live life on her own terms.This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. Conversations Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. Presented by Sarah Kanowski.This episode of Conversations touches on marriage, Magdalene laundries, contraception, Ireland, Catholicism, big Irish families, horsemanship, starting brumbies, skewbald Connemara pony, New Orleans, writing, literary prizes, farms, personal stories, epic life stories, family dynamics, Cillian Murphy and modern history.Further informationListen to Sarah's interview with Queensland horseman, Ken Faulkner.

We're sitting down with Rachael Eckles. In this conversation, Rachael shares her journey to becoming child-free, her career evolution from law and bioethics to fiction writing, and her advocacy for women's health. She discusses the impact of her education and health experiences on her life choices, the importance of diverse voices in publishing, and her desire to empower women through her writing and publishing platform. Rachael Eckles discusses her journey as an independent author and publisher, emphasizing the importance of providing access to publishing for others. She shares her experiences in building Aphrodite Books, her motivations for writing, and the impact of her childfree lifestyle on her creative process. Rachael also highlights the significance of empowering diverse voices in literature and the freedom to choose one's own path in life.Connect with Rachael on Instagram Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode — it helps people find the show!Merch is here!!! Get your merch NOW!Erika is taking a group of childfree travelers to VIETNAM — and it's an artsy adventurer's dream itinerary! Buy your tickets while they last. Wanna get your finances in order? Use our link to sign up for a FREE 34 day trial of YNAB (You Need A Budget) and support the show. Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Substack, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads at @dinkypod. Follow us on YouTube.If you have a question or comment, email us at dinky@dinkypod.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support.

On this week's episode of Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity, host & producer George Sirois sits down with author, memoirist, speaker, and coach Wendy Dale. Ever since she wrote and released "Avoiding Prison & Other Noble Vacation Goals," Wendy has been a strong advocate for memoirs and she has committed herself to making sure those who get into this genre of writing are giving their very best. Learn more about Wendy and her book "The Memoir Engineering System" by clicking HERE.Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity exists primarily as a platform for creatives of all kinds (authors, filmmakers, stand-up comics, musicians, voice artists, painters, podcasters, etc) to share their journeys to personal success. It is very important to celebrate those voices as much as possible to not only provide encouragement to up-and-coming talent, but to say thank you to the established men & women for inspiring the current generation of artists.If you agree that the Excelsior Journeys podcast serves a positive purpose and would like to show your appreciation, you can give back to the show by clicking HERE.Excelsior Journeys: The Road to Creativity is now a proud member of the Podmatch Podcast Network, and you can access all shows in the network by clicking HERE.

Mary B is joined by Kat Armas to discuss her new book, Liturgies for Resisting Empire: Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World. This episode begins with Armas offering an invocation — as she does at the start of each chapter of her latest book. Her invocation is aptly a liturgy for resisting empire. Armas focuses on the important of community as resistance because as she says, “friendship… is the death of empire.” It is in community where one finds new ways to resist and care for their neighbor. Empire insidiously convinces us to think in binary and Armas urges the listener to hold on to complexity in a world that often demands simplicity.Kat Armas (MDiv, MAT, Fuller Theological Seminary) is a Cuban American writer and podcaster and the recipient of Fuller Seminary's Frederick Buechner Award for Excellence in Writing. She is pursuing a ThM at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Armas is the author of three books, Abuelita Faith, Sacred Belonging, and Liturgies for Resisting Empire. She has written for Christianity Today, Sojourners, Relevant, Christians for Biblical Equality, Fuller Youth Institute, Fathom magazine, and Missio Alliance.Get Liturgies for Resisting Empire wherever you buy books (check Baker Books to see if it's still on sale there!). Follow Kat on socials @kat_armas. Check out Kat's Substack at katarmas.substack.comJoin the Found Family crew over on Substack and get your free copy of the Found Family Cheat Sheet! Support the show

Show Notes:In this deeply moving episode of The Human Experience, host Jennifer Peterkin sits down with Rebecca (Becky) Faye Smith Galli in her Maryland home for a powerful conversation about loss, resilience, faith, and the courage to keep moving forward. Becky shares her life journey marked by profound hardship, including the death of her teenage brother, raising children with special needs, divorce, and sudden paralysis from transverse myelitis—a rare spinal cord inflammation that left her wheelchair-bound just days after her marriage ended. Through it all, Becky reflects on grief, uncertainty, and the strength she found through faith, family, community, and storytelling. She also discusses founding Pathfinders for Autism, navigating evolving autism awareness, and how writing became both a lifeline and a calling—allowing her to connect with others and offer hope through shared experience. Becky’s story is a testament to compassion, perseverance, and the belief that life can still be good—no matter what. ⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of death, chronic illness, disability, and grief. Listener discretion is advised.     Key Takeaways:● Personal experiences of profound loss and lifelong grief.● The impact of a sibling’s death on family dynamics and identity.● How different family members grieve in different ways.● The challenges and rewards of raising children with special needs.● Coping strategies for repeated adversity and unanswered questions.● The importance of community, support systems, and shared understanding.● The evolution of autism awareness and access to resources.● Balancing personal health challenges with parenting and purpose.● The role of faith, optimism, and mindset in resilience.● Storytelling as a powerful tool for healing, connection, and hope.     Timestamps:00:00:00 — Podcast Introduction: Jennifer introduces the show and its mission.00:00:44 — Meet Becky: Background and life in Maryland.00:02:08 — The Loss of Forrest: Losing her brother at age 17.00:03:32 — Learning to Grieve: Family coping and lessons on grief.00:06:20 — Grief & Social Expectations: Pressure to “move on.”00:11:10 — Living with Uncertainty: Accepting unanswered questions.00:13:13 — College & Healing: Journaling and support systems.00:16:15 — Marriage & Motherhood: New joys and health challenges.00:17:31 — Raising Children with Special Needs: Epilepsy and autism.00:19:01 — Coping with Repeated Hardship: Finding purpose through writing.00:21:45 — Healing & Mindset: The non-linear journey of resilience.00:23:08 — First Encounters with Disability: Navigating medical systems.00:25:00 — Discovering Autism: A lack of resources sparks action.00:27:23 — Founding Pathfinders for Autism: Building community support.00:29:03 — Isolation & Community: The need for connection.00:30:36 — Autism Awareness: How times have changed.00:31:45 — Managing Fear: Living one day at a time.00:34:20 — Faith & Family: Foundations of strength.00:35:34 — Marriage, Divorce & Co-Parenting.00:37:59 — Sudden Paralysis: Transverse myelitis diagnosis.00:39:58 — Life in a Wheelchair: Adapting to a new reality.00:44:44 — Parenting Through Disability.00:45:43 — Writing as Healing: From columns to books.00:48:29 — Children’s Resilience & Adaptation.00:49:29 — Looking Back: Adult children and continued connection.     Rebecca (Becky) Faye Smith Galli’s Bio: Rebecca (Becky) Faye Smith Galli is an author and columnist who writes about love, loss, resilience, and healing. After surviving a series of life-altering losses—including the death of her 17-year-old brother, her son’s degenerative illness and death, her daughter’s autism diagnosis, divorce, and paralysis from transverse myelitis—Becky discovered an unexpected but prolific writing career. In 2000, The Baltimore Sun published her first column about playing soccer with her son—from the wheelchair that inspired her long-running column, From Where I Sit. Her website now houses over 400 published columns. Becky is the author of Rethinking Possible: A Memoir of Resilience (2017) and Morning Fuel: Daily Inspirations to Stretch Your Mind Before Starting Your Day (2024). She continues to publish Thoughtful Thursdays—Lessons from a Resilient Heart, sharing insights that help others stay grounded in hope. A Morehead-Cain Scholar at UNC Chapel Hill, Becky previously worked at IBM, where she received the Golden Circle Award for marketing excellence. She lives in Lutherville, Maryland, outside of Baltimore. Her guiding belief: “Life can be good—no matter what.”   Connect with Becky Galli:

Award-winning author and Hollywood veteran Kay A. Oliver joins Was It Chance to unpack a career shaped by creative persistence, hard-earned reinvention, and the courage to walk away from systems that no longer fit. With more than three decades in Hollywood—spanning writing, production, consumer products, and studio work—Kay shares what it really takes to survive (and stay sane) in an industry driven by power, timing, and compromise. After being laid off during a breast cancer diagnosis, Kay made a pivotal decision: stop waiting for permission and start telling stories on her own terms. That choice led her to novel writing, where her work has earned more than 30 literary awards and sparked interest from streaming platforms for adaptation. In this episode, Kay breaks down the creative and business realities of Hollywood, the difference between writing for screen versus page, why failure is a prerequisite for success, and how trusting yourself can be the biggest creative risk of all. This conversation is candid, sharp, and deeply grounded in lived experience—proof that sometimes the most important “chance” is deciding not to play by someone else's rules. Connect With Us:

Joseph Nguyen discusses the hidden relationship between thinking and suffering—and offers a powerful framework for achieving peace of mind. — YOU'LL LEARN — 1) How to spot and stop negative judgments 2) How to PAUSE overthinking 3) How to beat procrastination with SPA Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1045 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT JOSEPH — Joseph Nguyen is the author of the #1 international bestselling book, Don't Believe Everything You Think, which has been translated into 40+ languages. He is a writer who helps others realize who they truly are beyond their own thinking and conditioning to live an abundant life free from psychological and emotional suffering. When he's not busy petting his three cats that he's allergic to, he spends the rest of his time writing, teaching, speaking, and sharing timeless wisdom to help people discover their own divinity from within and how they are the answer they've been looking for their entire lives.• Book: Don't Believe Everything You Think: Why Your Thinking Is The Beginning & End Of Suffering (Beyond Suffering) • Website: JosephNguyen.org • YouTube: @itsjosephnguyen — RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Study: "A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy One" by Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert • Book: Outwitting the Devil: The Secret to Freedom and Success by Napoleon Hill • Past episode: 429: A Navy SEAL's Surprising Key to Building Unstoppable Teams: Caring • Past episode: 1037: A Better Approach to Chasing Goals: Tiny Experiments with Anne-Laure Le Cunff— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Vanguard. Give your clients consistent results year in and year out with vanguard.com/AUDIO• Quince. Get free shipping and 365-day returns on your order with Quince.com/Awesome• Taelor. Visit Visit taelor.style and get 10% off gift cards with the code PODCASTGIFT• Cashflow Podcasting. Explore launching (or outsourcing) your podcast with a free 10-minute call with Pete.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome into the Young Dad Podcast — whether you're outside grilling, mowing the lawn, changing dirty diapers, or maybe you got a moment to sit back and relax — thanks for being here and thanks for tuning in.Today, I'm joined by Randall Strain — Air Force veteran, father of two, children's author, and the founder of Neil Marie Publishing. By day he's a traveling salesman; by night, he's a storyteller on a mission to help parents stay connected through the power of bedtime stories. His journey from writing goofy tales in hotel rooms to publishing books for families — and his mission to get them into foster homes — is one you won't want to miss.Grab your juice box, grab a snack, and let's jump in.Randall, thank you so much for joining us today — your story is an incredible reminder of how small acts of connection can make a big difference.Listeners — you can check out Randall's work and his mission at:

How can you be more relaxed about your writing process? What are some specific ways to take the pressure off your art and help you enjoy the creative journey? With Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre. In the intro, Spotify 2025 audiobook trends; Audible + BookTok; NonFiction Authors Guide to SubStack; OpenAI and Disney agreement on Sora; India AI licensing; Business for Authors January webinars; Mark and Jo over the years Mark Leslie LeFebvre is the author of horror and paranormal fiction, as well as nonfiction books for authors. He's also an editor, professional speaker, and the Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. Mark and Jo co-wrote The Relaxed Author in 2021. You can listen to us talk about the process here. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights, and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why the ‘relaxed' author Write what you love Write at your own pace Write in a series (if you want to) Schedule time to fill the creative well and for rest and relaxation Improve your writing process — but only if it fits with your lifestyle You can find The Relaxed Author: Take the Pressure Off Your Art and Enjoy the Creative Journey on CreativePennBooks.com as well as on your favorite online store or audiobook platform, or order in your library or bookstore. You can find Mark Leslie Lefebvre and his books and podcast at Stark Reflections.ca Why the ‘relaxed' author? Joanna: The definition of relaxed is “free from tension and anxiety,” from the Latin laxus, meaning loose, and to be honest, I am not a relaxed or laid-back person in the broader sense. Back in my teens, my nickname at school was Highly Stressed. I'm a Type A personality, driven by deadlines and achieving goals. I love to work and I burned out multiple times in my previous career as an IT consultant. If we go away on a trip, I pack the schedule with back-to-back cultural things like museums and art galleries to help my book research. Or we go on adventure holidays with a clear goal, like cycling down the South-West coast of India. I can't even go for a long walk without training for another ultra-marathon! So I am not a relaxed person — but I am a relaxed author. If I wanted to spend most of my time doing something that made me miserable, I would go back to my old day job in consulting. I was paid well and worked fewer hours overall. But I measure my life by what I create, and if I am not working on a creative project, I am not able to truly relax in my downtime. There are always more things I want to learn and write about, always more stories to be told and knowledge to share. I don't want to kill my writing life by over-stressing or burning out as an author. I write what I love and follow my Muse into projects that feel right. I know how to publish and market books well enough to reach readers and make some money. I have many different income streams through my books, podcast and website. Of course, I still have my creative and business challenges as well as mindset issues, just like any writer. That never goes away. But after a decade as a full-time author entrepreneur, I have a mature creative business and I've relaxed into the way I do things. I love to write, but I also want a full and happy, healthy life. I'm still learning and improving as the industry shifts — and I change, too. I still have ambitious creative and financial goals, but I am going about them in a more relaxed way and in this book, I'll share some of my experiences and tips in the hope that you can discover your relaxed path, too. Mark: One of the most fundamental things you can do in your writing life is look at how you want to spend your time. I think back to the concept of: ‘You're often a reflection of the people you spend the most time with.' Therefore, typically, your best friend, or perhaps your partner, is often a person you love spending time with. Because there's something inherently special about spending time with this person who resonates in a meaningful way, and you feel more yourself because you're with them. In many ways, writing, or the path that you are on as a writer, is almost like being on a journey with an invisible partner. You are you. But you are also the writer you. And there's the two of you traveling down the road of life together. And so that same question arises. What kind of writer-self do you want to spend all your time with? Do you want to spend all your time with a partner that is constantly stressed out or constantly trying to reach deadlines based on somebody else's prescription of what success is? Or would you rather spend time with a partner who pauses to take a contemplative look at your own life, your own comfort, your own passion and the things that you are willing to commit to? Someone who allows that all to happen in a way that feels natural and comfortable to you. I'm a fan of the latter, of course, because then you can focus on the things you're passionate about and the things you're hopeful about rather than the things you're fearful about and those that bring anxiety and stress into your life. To me, that's part of being a relaxed author. That underlying acceptance before you start to plan things out. If the writing life is a marathon, not a sprint, then pacing, not rushing, may be the key. We have both seen burnout in the author community. People who have pushed themselves too hard and just couldn't keep up with the impossible pace they set for themselves. At times, indie authors would wear that stress, that anxiety, that rush to produce more and more, as a badge of honor. It's fine to be proud of the hard work that you do. It's fine to be proud of pushing yourself to always do better, and be better. But when you push too far — beyond your limits — you can ultimately do yourself more harm than good. Everyone has their own unique pace—something that they are comfortable with—and one key is to experiment until you find that pace, and you can settle in for the long run. There's no looking over your shoulder at the other writers. There's no panicking about the ones outpacing you. You're in this with yourself. And, of course, with those readers who are anticipating those clearly communicated milestones of your releases. I think that what we both want for authors is to see them reaching those milestones at their own paces, in their own comfort, delighting in the fact their readers are there cheering them on. Because we'll be silently cheering them along as well, knowing that they've set a pace, making relaxed author lifestyle choices, that will benefit them in the long run. “I'm glad you're writing this book. I know I'm not the only author who wants peace, moments of joy, and to enjoy the journey. Indie publishing is a luxury that I remember not having, I don't want to lose my sense of gratitude.” —Anonymous author from our survey Write what you love Joanna: The pandemic has taught us that life really is short. Memento mori — remember, you will die. What is the point of spending precious time writing books you don't want to write? If we only have a limited amount of time and only have a limited number of books that we can write in a lifetime, then we need to choose to write the books that we love. If I wanted a job doing something I don't enjoy, then I would have remained in my stressful old career as an IT consultant — when I certainly wasn't relaxed! Taking that further, if you try to write things you don't love, then you're going to have to read what you don't love as well, which will take more time. I love writing thrillers because that's what I love to read. Back when I was miserable in my day job, I would go to the bookstore at lunchtime and buy thrillers. I would read them on the train to and from work and during the lunch break. Anything for a few minutes of escape. That's the same feeling I try to give my readers now. I know the genre inside and out. If I had to write something else, I would have to read and learn that other genre and spend time doing things I don't love. In fact, I don't even know how you can read things you don't enjoy. I only give books a few pages and if they don't resonate, I stop reading. Life really is too short. You also need to run your own race and travel your own journey. If you try to write in a genre you are not immersed in, you will always be looking sideways at what other authors are doing, and that can cause comparisonitis — when you compare yourself to others, most often in an unfavorable way. Definitely not relaxing! Writing something you love has many intrinsic rewards other than sales. Writing is a career for many of us, but it's a passion first, and you don't want to feel like you've wasted your time on words you don't care about. “Write what you know” is terrible advice for a long-term career as at some point, you will run out of what you know. It should be “write what you want to learn about.” When I want to learn about a topic, I write a book on it because that feeds my curiosity and I love book research, it's how I enjoy spending my time, especially when I travel, which is also part of how I relax. If you write what you love and make it part of your lifestyle, you will be a far more relaxed author. Mark: It's common that writers are drawn into storytelling from some combination of passion, curiosity, and unrelenting interest. We probably read or saw something that inspired us, and we wanted to express those ideas or the resulting perspectives that percolated in our hearts and minds. Or we read something and thought, “Wow, I could do this; but I would have come at it differently or I would approach the situation or subject matter with my own flair.” So, we get into writing with passion and desire for storytelling. And then sometimes along the way, we recognize the critical value of having to become an entrepreneur, to understand the business of writing and publishing. And part of understanding that aspect of being an author is writing to market, and understanding shifts and trends in the industry, and adjusting to those ebbs and flows of the tide. But sometimes, we lose sight of the passion that drew us to writing in the first place. And so, writing the things that you love can be a beacon to keep you on course. I love the concept of “Do something that you love, and you'll never work a day in your life.” And that's true in some regard because I've always felt that way for almost my entire adult life. I've been very lucky. But at the same time, I work extremely hard at what I love. Some days are harder than others, and some things are really difficult, frustrating and challenging; but at the end of the day, I have the feeling of satisfaction that I spent my time doing something I believe in. I've been a bookseller my entire life even though I don't sell books in brick-and-mortar bookstores anymore—that act of physically putting books in people's hands. But to this day, what I do is virtually putting books in people's hands, both as an author and as an industry representative who is passionate about the book business. I was drawn to that world via my passion for writing. And that's what continues to compel me forward. I tried to leave the corporate world to write full time in 2018 but realized there was an intrinsic satisfaction to working in that realm, to embracing and sharing my insights and knowledge from that arena to help other writers. And I couldn't give that up. For me, the whole core, the whole essence of why I get up in the morning has to do with storytelling, creative inspiration, and wanting to inspire and inform other people to be the best that they can be in the business of writing and publishing. And that's what keeps me going when the days are hard. Passion as the inspiration to keep going There are always going to be days that aren't easy. There will be unexpected barriers that hit you as a writer. You'll face that mid-novel slump or realize that you have to scrap an entire scene or even plotline, and feel like going back and re-starting is just too much. You might find the research required to be overwhelming or too difficult. There'll be days when the words don't flow, or the inspiration that initially struck you seems to have abandoned you for greener pastures. Whatever it is, some unexpected frustration can create what can appear to be an insurmountable block. And, when that happens, if it's a project you don't love, you're more likely to let those barriers get in your way and stop you. But if it's a project that you're passionate about, and you're writing what you love, that alone can be what greases the wheels and helps reduce that friction to keep you going. At the end of the day, writing what you love can be a honing, grounding, and centering beacon that allows you to want to wake up in the morning and enjoy the process as much as possible even when the hard work comes along. “For me, relaxation comes from writing what I know and love and trusting the emergent process. As a discovery writer, I experience great joy when the story, characters and dialogue simply emerge in their own time and their own way. It feels wonderful.” — Valerie Andrews “Writing makes me a relaxed author. Just getting lost in a story of my own creation, discovering new places and learning what makes my characters tick is the best way I know of relaxing. Even the tricky parts, when I have no idea where I am going next, have a special kind of charm.” – Imogen Clark Write at your own pace Mark: Writing at your own pace will help you be a more relaxed author because you're not stressing out by trying to keep up with someone else. Of course, we all struggle with comparing ourselves to others. Take a quick look around and you can always find someone who has written more books than you. Nora Roberts, traditionally published author, writes a book a month. Lindsey Buroker, fantasy indie author, writes a book a month of over 100,000 words. If you compare yourself to someone else and you try to write at their pace, that is not going to be your relaxed schedule. On the other hand, if you compare yourself to Donna Tartt, who writes one book every decade, you might feel like some speed-demon crushing that word count and mastering rapid release. Looking at what others are doing could result in you thinking you're really slow or you could think that you're super-fast. What does that kind of comparison actually get you? I remember going to see a talk by Canadian literary author Farley Mowat when I was a young budding writer. I'll never forget one thing he said from that stage: “Any book that takes you less than four years to write is not a real book.” Young teenage Mark was devastated, hurt and disappointed to hear him say that because my favorite author at the time, Piers Anthony, was writing and publishing two to three novels a year. I loved his stuff, and his fantasy and science fiction had been an important inspiration in my writing at that time. (The personal notes I add to the end of my stories and novels came from enjoying his so much). That focus on there being only a single way, a single pace to write, ended up preventing me from enjoying the books I had already been loving because I was doing that comparisonitis Joanna talks about, but as a reader. I took someone else's perspective too much to heart and I let that ruin a good thing that had brought me personal joy and pleasure. It works the same way as a writer. Because we have likely developed a pattern, or a way that works for us that is our own. We all have a pace that we comfortably walk; a way we prefer to drive. A pattern or style of how and when and what we prefer to eat. We all have our own unique comfort food. There are these patterns that we're comfortable with, and potentially because they are natural to us. If you try to force yourself to write at a pace that's not natural to you, things can go south in your writing and your mental health. And I'm not suggesting any particular pace, except for the one that's most natural and comfortable to you. If writing fast is something that you're passionate about, and you're good at it, and it's something you naturally do, why would you stop yourself from doing that? Just like if you're a slow writer and you're trying to write fast: why are you doing that to yourself? There's a common pop song line used by numerous bands over the years that exhorts you to “shake what you got.” I like to think the same thing applies here. And do it with pride and conviction. Because what you got is unique and awesome. Own it, and shake it with pride. You have a way you write and a word count per writing session that works for you. And along with that, you likely know what time you can assign to writing because of other commitments like family time, leisure time, and work (assuming you're not a full-time writer). Simple math can provide you with a way to determine how long it will take to get your first draft written. So, your path and plans are clear. And you simply take the approach that aligns with your writer DNA. Understanding what that pace is for you helps alleviate an incredible amount of stress that you do not need to thrust upon yourself. Because if you're not going to be able to enjoy it while you're doing it, what's the point? Your pace might change project to project While your pace can change over time, your pace can also change project to project. And sometimes the time actually spent writing can be a smaller portion of the larger work involved. I was on a panel at a conference once and someone asked me how long it took to write my non-fiction book of ghost stories, Haunted Hamilton. “About four days,” I responded. And while that's true — I crafted the first draft over four long and exhausting days writing as much as sixteen hours each day — the reality was I had been doing research for months. But the pen didn't actually hit the paper until just a few days before my deadline to turn the book over to my editor. That was for a non-fiction book; but I've found I do similar things with fiction. I noodle over concepts and ideas for months before I actually commit words to the page. The reason this comes to mind is that I think it's important to recognize the way that I write is I first spend a lot of time in my head to understand and chew on things. And then by the time it comes to actually getting the words onto the paper, I've already done much of the pre-writing mentally. It's sometimes not fair when you're comparing yourself to someone else to look at how long they physically spend in front of a keyboard hammering on that word count, because they might have spent a significantly longer amount of a longer time either outlining or conceptualizing the story in their mind or in their heart before they sat down to write. So that's part of the pace, too. Because sometimes, if we only look at the time spent at the ‘writer's desk,' we fool ourselves when we think that we're a slow writer or a fast writer. Joanna: Your pace will change over your career My first novel took 14 months and now I can write a first draft in about six weeks because I have more experience. It's also more relaxing for me to write a book now than it was in the beginning, because I didn't know what I was doing back then. Your pace will change per project I have a non-fiction work in progress, my Shadow Book (working title), which I have started several times. I have about 30,000 words but as I write this, I have backed away from it because I'm (still) not ready. There's a lot more research and thinking I need to do. Similarly, some people take years writing a memoir or a book with such emotional or personal depth that it needs more to bring it to life. Your pace will also shift depending on where you are in the arc of life Perhaps you have young kids right now, or you have a health issue, or you're caring for someone who is ill. Perhaps you have a demanding day job so you have less time to write. Perhaps you really need extended time away from writing, or just a holiday. Or maybe there's a global pandemic and frankly, you're too stressed to write! The key to pacing in a book is variability — and that's true of life, too. Write at the pace that works for you and don't be afraid to change it as you need to over time. “I think the biggest thing for me is reminding myself that I'm in this to write. Sometimes I can get caught up in all the moving pieces of editing and publishing and marketing, but the longer I go without writing, or only writing because I have to get the next thing done instead of for enjoyment, the more stressed and anxious I become. But if I make time to fit in what I truly love, which is the process of writing without putting pressure on myself to meet a deadline, or to be perfect, or to meet somebody else's expectations — that's when I become truly relaxed.” – Ariele Sieling Write in a series (if you want to) Joanna: I have some stand-alone books but most of them are in series, both for non-fiction and for my fiction as J.F. Penn. It's how I like to read and write. As we draft this book, I'm also writing book 12 in my ARKANE series, Tomb of Relics. It's relaxing because I know my characters, I know my world; I know the structure of how an ARKANE story goes. I know what to put in it to please my readers. I have already done the work to set up the series world and the main characters and now all I need is a plot and an antagonist. It's also quicker to write and edit because I've done it before. Of course, you need to put in the work initially so the series comes together, but once you've set that all up, each subsequent book is easier. You can also be more relaxed because you already have an audience who will (hopefully) buy the book because they bought the others. You will know approximately how many sales you'll get on launch and there will be people ready to review. Writing in a non-fiction series is also a really good idea because you know your audience and you can offer them more books, products and services that will help them within a niche. While they might not be sequential, they should be around the same topic, for example, this is part of my Books for Authors series. Financially, it makes sense to have a series as you will earn more revenue per customer as they will (hopefully) buy more than one book. It's also easier and more relaxing to market as you can set one book to free or a limited time discount and drive sales through to other books in the series. Essentially, writing a book in a series makes it easier to fulfill both creative and financial goals. However, if you love to read and write stand-alone books, and some genres suit stand-alones better than series anyway, then, of course, go with what works for you! Mark: I like to equate this to no matter where you travel in the world, if you find a McDonald's you pretty much know what's on the menu and you know what to expect. When you write in a series, it's like returning to hang out with old friends. You know their backstory; you know their history so you can easily fall into a new conversation about something and not have to get caught up on understanding what you have in common. So that's an enormous benefit of relaxing into something like, “Oh, I'm sitting down over coffee, chatting with some old friends. They're telling me a new story about something that happened to them. I know who they are, I know what they're made out of.” And this new plot, this new situation, they may have new goals, they may have new ways they're going to grow as characters, but they're still the same people that we know and love. And that's a huge benefit that I only discovered recently because I'm only right now working on book four in my Canadian Werewolf series. Prior to that, I had three different novels that were all the first book in a series with no book two. And it was stressful for me. Writing anything seemed to take forever. I was causing myself anxiety by jumping around and writing new works as opposed to realizing I could go visit a locale I'm familiar and comfortable with. And I can see new things in the same locale just like sometimes you can see new things and people you know and love already, especially when you introduce something new into the world and you see how they react to it. For me, there's nothing more wonderful than that sort of homecoming. It's like a nostalgic feeling when you do that. I've seen a repeated pattern where writers spend years writing their first book. I started A Canadian Werewolf in New York in 2006 and I did not publish it until ten years later, after finishing it in 2015. (FYI, that wasn't my first novel. I had written three and published one of them prior to that). That first novel can take so long because you're learning. You're learning about your characters, about the craft, about the practice of writing, about the processes that you're testing along the way. And if you are working on your first book and it's taking longer than planned, please don't beat yourself up for that. It's a process. Sometimes that process takes more time. I sometimes wonder if this is related to our perception of time as we age. When you're 10 years old, a day compared to your lifetime is a significant amount of time, and thinking about a year later is considering a time that is one-tenth of your life. When you have a few more decades or more under your belt, that year is a smaller part of the whole. If you're 30, a year is only one-thirtieth of your life. A much smaller piece. Just having written more books, particularly in a series, removes the pressure of that one book to represent all of you as a writer. I had initial anxiety at writing the second book in my Canadian Werewolf series. Book two was more terrifying in some ways than book one because finally, after all this time, I had something good that I didn't want to ruin. Should I leave well enough alone? But I was asked to write a short story to a theme in an anthology, and using my main character from that first novel allowed me to discover I could have fun spending more time with these characters and this world. And I also realized that people wanted to read more about these characters. I didn't just want to write about them, but other people wanted to read about them too. And that makes the process so much easier to keep going with them. So one of the other benefits that helps to relax me as a writer working on a series is I have a better understanding of who my audience is, and who my readers are, and who will want this, and who will appreciate it. So I know what worked, I know what resonated with them, and I know I can give them that next thing. I have discovered that writing in a series is a far more relaxed way of understanding your target audience better. Because it's not just a single shot in the dark, it's a consistent on-going stream. Let me reflect on a bit of a caveat, because I'm not suggesting sticking to only a single series or universe. As writers, we have plenty of ideas and inspirations, and it's okay to embrace some of the other ones that come to us. When I think about the Canadian rock trio, Rush, a band that produced 19 studio albums and toured for 40 years, I acknowledge a very consistent band over the decades. And yet, they weren't the same band that they were when they started playing together, even though it was the same three guys since Neil Peart joined Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. They changed what they wrote about, what they sang about, themes, styles, approaches to making music, all of this. They adapted and changed their style at least a dozen times over the course of their career. No album was exactly like the previous album, and they experimented, and they tried things. But there was a consistency of the audience that went along with them. And as writers, we can potentially have that same thing where we know there are going to be people who will follow us. Think about Stephen King, a writer who has been writing in many different subjects and genres. And yet there's a core group of people who will enjoy everything he writes, and he has that Constant Reader he always keeps in mind. And so, when we write in a series, we're thinking about that constant reader in a more relaxed way because that constant reader, like our characters, like our worlds, like our universes, is like we're just returning to a comfortable, cozy spot where we're just going to hang out with some good friends for a bit. Or, as the contemplative Rush song Time Stand Still expresses, the simple comfort and desire of spending some quality time having a drink with a friend. Schedule time to fill the creative well and for rest and relaxation Mark: What we do as writers is quite cerebral, so we need to give ourselves mental breaks in the same way we need to sleep regularly. Our bodies require sleep. And it's not just physical rest for our bodies to regenerate, it's for our minds to regenerate. We need that to stay sane, to stay alive, to stay healthy. The reality for us as creatives is that we're writing all the time, whether or not we're in front of a keyboard or have a pen in our hand. We're always writing, continually sucking the marrow from the things that are happening around us, even when we're not consciously aware of it. And sometimes when we are more consciously aware of it, that awareness can feel forced. It can feel stressful. When you give yourself the time to just let go, to just relax, wonderful things can happen. And they can come naturally, never feeling that urgent sense of pressure. Downtime, for me, is making space for those magic moments to happen. I was recently listening to Episode 556 of The Creative Penn podcast where Joanna talked about the serendipity of those moments when you're traveling and you're going to a museum and you see something. And you're not consciously there to research for a book, but you see something that just makes a connection for you. And you would not have had that for your writing had you not given yourself the time to just be doing and enjoying something else. And so, whenever I need to resolve an issue or a problem in a project I'm writing, which can cause stress, I will do other things. I will go for a run or walk the dogs, wash the dishes or clean the house. Or I'll put on some music and sing and dance like nobody is watching or listening—and thank goodness for that, because that might cause them needless anxiety. The key is, I will do something different that allows my mind to just let go. And somewhere in the subconscious, usually the answer comes to me. Those non-cerebral activities can be very restorative. Yesterday, my partner Liz and I met her daughter at the park. And while we quietly waited, the two of us wordlessly enjoyed the sights and sounds of people walking by, the river in the background, the wind blowing through the leaves in the trees above us. That moment wasn't a purposeful, “Hey, we're going to chill and relax.” But we found about five minutes of restorative calm in the day. A brief, but powerful ‘Ah' moment. And when I got back to writing this morning, I drew upon some of the imagery from those few minutes. I didn't realize at the time I was experiencing the moment yesterday that I was going to incorporate some of that imagery in today's writing session. And that's the serendipity that just flows very naturally in those scheduled and even unscheduled moments of relaxation. Joanna: I separate this into two aspects because I'm good at one and terrible at the other! I schedule time to fill the creative well as often as possible. This is something that Julia Cameron advises in The Artist's Way, and I find it an essential part of my creative practice. Essentially, you can't create from an empty mind. You have to actively seek out ways to spark ideas. International travel is a huge part of my fiction inspiration, in particular. This has been impossible during the pandemic and has definitely impacted my writing. I also go to exhibitions and art galleries, as well as read books, watch films and documentaries. If I don't fill my creative well, then I feel empty, like I will never have another idea, that perhaps my writing life is over. Some people call that writer's block but I know that feeling now. It just means I haven't filled my creative well and I need to schedule time to do that so I can create again. Consume and produce. That's the balance you need in order to keep the creative well filled and the words flowing. In terms of scheduling time to relax instead of doing book research, I find this difficult because I love to work. My husband says that I'm like a little sports car that goes really, really fast and doesn't stop until it hits a wall. I operate at a high productivity level and then I crash! But the restrictions of the pandemic have helped me learn more about relaxation, after much initial frustration. I have walked in nature and lain in the garden in the hammock and recently, we went to the seaside for the first time in 18 months. I lay on the stones and watched the waves. I was the most relaxed I've been in a long time. I didn't look at my phone. I wasn't listening to a podcast or an audiobook. We weren't talking. We were just being there in nature and relaxing. Authors are always thinking and feeling because everything feeds our work somehow. But we have to have both aspects — active time to fill the creative well and passive time to rest and relax. “I go for lots of walks and hikes in the woods. These help me work out the kinks in my plots, and also to feel more relaxed! (Exercise is an added benefit!)” –T.W. Piperbrook Improve your writing process — but only if it fits with your lifestyle Joanna: A lot of stress can occur in writing if we try to change or improve our process too far beyond our natural way of doing things. For example, trying to be a detailed plotter with a spreadsheet when you're really a discovery writer, or trying to dictate 5,000 words per hour when you find it easier to hand write slowly into a journal. Productivity tips from other writers can really help you tweak your personal process, but only if they work for you — and I say this as someone who has a book on Productivity for Authors! Of course, it's a good idea to improve things, but once you try something, analyze whether it works for you — either with data or just how you feel. If it works, great. Adopt it into your process. If it doesn't work, then discard it. For example, I wrote my first novel in Microsoft Word. When I discovered Scrivener, I changed my process and never looked back because it made my life so much easier. I don't write in order and Scrivener made it easier to move things around. I also discovered that it was easier for me to get into my first draft writing and creating when I was away from the desk I use for business, podcasting, and marketing tasks. I started to write in a local cafe and later on in a co-working space. During the pandemic lockdown, I used specific playlists to create a form of separation as I couldn't physically go somewhere else. Editing is an important part of the writing process but you have to find what works for you, which will also change over time. Some are authors are more relaxed with a messy first draft, then rounds of rewrites while working with multiple editors. Others do one careful draft and then use a proofreader to check the finished book. There are as many ways to write as there are writers. A relaxed author chooses the process that works in the most effective way for them and makes the book the best it can be. Mark: When it comes to process, there are times when you're doing something that feels natural, versus times when you're learning a new skill. Consciously and purposefully learning new skills can be stressful; particularly because it's something we often put so much emphasis or importance upon. But when you adapt on-going learning as a normal part of your life, a natural part of who and what you are, that stress can flow away. I'm always about learning new skills; but over time I've learned how to absorb learning into my everyday processes. I'm a pantser, or discovery writer, or whatever term we can apply that makes us feel better about it. And every time I've tried to stringently outline a book, it has been a stressful experience and I've not been satisfied with the process or the result. Perhaps I satisfied the part of me that thought I wanted to be more like other writers, but I didn't satisfy the creative person in me. I was denying that flow that has worked for me. I did, of course, naturally introduce a few new learnings into my attempts to outline; so I stuck with those elements that worked, and abandoned the elements that weren't working, or were causing me stress. The thought of self-improvement often comes with images of blood, sweat, and tears. It doesn't have to. You don't have to bleed to do this; it can be something that you do at your own pace. You can do it in a way that you're comfortable with so it's causing you no stress, but allowing you to learn and grow and improve. And if it doesn't work but you force yourself to keep doing it because a famous writer or a six-figure author said, “this is the way to do it,” you create pressure. And when you don't do it that way, you can think of yourself as a failure as opposed to thinking of it as, “No, this is just the way that I do things.” When you accept how you do things, if they result in effectively getting things done and feeling good about it at the same time, you have less resistance, you have less friction, you have less tension. Constantly learning, adapting, and evolving is good. But forcing ourselves to try to be or do something that we are not or that doesn't work for us, that causes needless anxiety. “I think a large part of it comes down to reminding myself WHY I write. This can mean looking back at positive reviews, so I can see how much joy others get from my writing, or even just writing something brand new for the sake of exploring an idea. Writing something just for me, rather than for an audience, reminds me how much I enjoy writing, which helps me to unwind a bit and approach my projects with more playfulness.” – Icy Sedgwick You can find The Relaxed Author: Take the Pressure Off Your Art and Enjoy the Creative Journey on CreativePennBooks.com as well as on your favorite online store or audiobook platform, or order in your library or bookstore. The post The Relaxed Author Writing Tips With Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre first appeared on The Creative Penn.

How do you know what to believe online?In this re-run episode of Remarkable People, Guy Kawasaki talks with Mike Caulfield, research scientist at the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public, about the SIFT method—a practical framework for evaluating online information.Mike explains how to stop, investigate sources, find trusted coverage, and trace claims back to their origins, drawing from his book Verified: How to Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make Better Decisions about What to Believe Online.We're revisiting this conversation because its insights are just as relevant today, offering clear, actionable tools to help you navigate misinformation and become a more discerning consumer of digital content.---Guy Kawasaki is on a mission to make you remarkable. His Remarkable People podcast features interviews with remarkable people such as Jane Goodall, Marc Benioff, Woz, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Bob Cialdini. Every episode will make you more remarkable.With his decades of experience in Silicon Valley as a Venture Capitalist and advisor to the top entrepreneurs in the world, Guy's questions come from a place of curiosity and passion for technology, start-ups, entrepreneurship, and marketing. If you love society and culture, documentaries, and business podcasts, take a second to follow Remarkable People.Listeners of the Remarkable People podcast will learn from some of the most successful people in the world with practical tips and inspiring stories that will help you be more remarkable.Episodes of Remarkable People organized by topic: https://bit.ly/rptopologyListen to Remarkable People here: **https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guy-kawasakis-remarkable-people/id1483081827**Like this show? Please leave us a review -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!Thank you for your support; it helps the show!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Who's ready to take a breath, pause, and REFLECT with me during this busy, yet beautiful holiday season? This week's episode is a POWERFUL and timely one that can absolutely change the trajectory of your next year. Before you sprint into 2026 with new goals, new plans, and big dreams, I want you to PAUSE. Because clarity, confidence, and courage doesn't just come from looking forward — it comes from looking BACK and extracting the GOLD from 2025 also. And that's exactly what we are doing today. This episode is all about the transformational power of reflection and why it is STEP ONE in creating your BEST YEAR YET. You ready?! WHY REFLECTION MATTERS (5-GAME-CHANGING REASONS): 1. Reflection creates clarity amid the chaos. Life is loud. Fast. Busy. Reflection slows the noise, shifts you from autopilot to intentionality, and gives you crystal-clear focus. Clarity is jet fuel for your goals. 2. Reflection builds confidence by celebrating wins. Most people forget how far they've come. Reflection forces you to capture the GOOD, celebrate the wins, and remember this truth: YOU are capable, resilient, and stronger than you think. 3. Reflection turns challenges into wisdom. Challenges don't break you — they SHAPE you. When you write them down, pain turns into purpose and lessons become leverage for the future. 4. Reflection reduces stress and anxiety. Writing is therapeutic. When thoughts stay in your head, they create pressure. When they hit paper, they create perspective. Lighten the load. Breathe. Release. 5. Reflection realigns you with purpose and values. Reflection reconnects you to what matters most — faith, family, mission, calling. It's a recalibration of your internal GPS. 10 POWERFUL QUESTIONS TO REFLECT ON IN 2025: Take time with these. Don't rush them. Write them out. 1. What were your TOP 5 wins or highlights of 2025? 2. What were your biggest challenges — and what did they teach you? 3. In what ways did you grow the most this year? 4. What did you START in 2025 that you want to AMPLIFY in 2026? 5. What did you tolerate in 2025 that you will NO LONGER tolerate in 2026? 6. What relationships mattered most — and how can you be more intentional with them? 7. What habits FUELED you? What habits DRAINED you? 8. What are you most PROUD of in 2025? 9. Where did you feel the presence of God the most this year? 10. If 2025 were a chapter in the book of your life, what would the TITLE be? These questions are where breakthroughs happen. Not only do I share many of my answers, I ask you to answer them as well. When you start with reflection, your goals become more meaningful, your vision becomes clearer, and your drive becomes PURER. ACTION STEPS: Please Block out 30–60 minutes this week, find a quiet space, grab your journal or Annual Strategic Plan, and start writing. Breathe. Reflect. Don't overthink it. When you take time to pause and look back, you extract the wisdom of 2025 and create a powerful launchpad for what's next. If this episode hit home, please share it with a friend, teammate, or family member. If you post it on your IG/FB Stories, please tag me at: IG: @ToddDurkin FB: @ToddDurkinFQ10 *** ANNOUNCEMENTS: My "GOD-SIZED DREAMS System 2026" is NOW Available!!! Y'all know how powerful of a system this is if you are looking to DREAM BIG, PLAN out your BEST year yet, and work on your LIFE-goals. This is my specific and exacting system that I have used for over 15-years to keep my passion and purpose ALIGNED and stay on track with what you really want to create and manifest in your life. The God-Sized Dreams System is broken down into 2 different products: 1. The Annual Strategic Planner. This is a MUST-DO if you want to maximize your success in 2026. These are my must-answer, deep questions that are broken into "10" categories. The first 3-sections are MANDATORY… The last 7-sections are "Bonus" sections" if you would like to complete the entire system. There are no if's, and's, or but's about it….This is a MUST-HAVE!!! Additionally, this year, the Annual Strategic Planner (A.S.P.) is completely digital so you will get immediately upon ordering. ORDER NOW! 2. The Monthly & Weekly Scheduler & Calendar. I personally can't live WITHOUT this. It contains the following things: Monthly Calendar 10-Forms of Wealth (13 of them) "3-in-30" (13 of them) 365-days for 2026 from 7am-7 pm (that includes 'To Do's, Appointment times, and Notes/Reminders) My favorite "Quotes" throughout the Calendar/Scheduler If you are looking to get more organized and definitely more PROductive, this is your system that you will want with you by your side ALL THE TIME! Order NOW You can ORDER BOTH of them NOW in a BUNDLE and also get a brand new IMPACT JOURNAL as a free gift as well…all for UNDER $100! (You essentially will get 3-products for the price of 2). THIS is my complete system that I personally use. It is worth 25+ years of experience and thousands of dollars. And you can get ALL OF IT NOW for just $99.00 No joke. It's the holidays and I WANT you to have access to my God-Sized Dreams System. ORDER it today and get WURKIN on your Annual Strategic Plan immediately. The other 2-products you will receive in the mail after ordering. ORDER NOW   #2. JOBS AVAILABLE at IMPACT-X Performance (SAN DIEGO)!! (If you apply for any of the positions, please share in the Subject Line what role you are applying to): GENERAL MANAGER. This key position will be leading IXP-San Diego with Todd and have a key leadership role in building and growing our local brand. If you are serious about changing lives, great with customer service, and have leadership experience in health/fitness, sales, or a retail/customer service related- industry, please consider applying… (Fitness managerial experience is a Plus, but NOT mandatory) More Details / Apply Now HERE! Personal Trainer/Coach Positions. While we are not opening until February 2026, we are currently accepting applications as we prepare to Build a World-Class Team of Trainers starting in January 2026. If you are trainer/S&C coach who is looking for a great opportunity to change lives in San Diego, CA, now is your opportunity to be part of our team. I will be personally leading this group of coaches who will serve in both personal training AND large-group training roles. More Details / Apply Now Here! Stretch Therapists. We will have our signature hands-on "IMPACT Stretch Flow" sessions complimenting our training & recovery services. If you are already certified in FST or other stretch therapy (or you're a coach who wants to learn hands-on manual stretching of our clients/members), APPLY TODAY Massage Therapists. Massage therapy has been part of my fitness offerings since Day 1 over 25-years ago. And it's only MORE important now. We WILL have incredible Massage Therapy available at IXP-San Diego and we are exciting to share the power of touch. APPLY TODAY Directors of First Impressions. We love our "Directors of First Impressions" as they play a crucial role in setting the culture and offering extreme positivity, encouragement, and support to our clients/members. If you feel you could be a great addition to our San Diego location, please apply. APPLY TODAY Visit this page to get all the information or to APPLY today… HERE!

Christian Beckwith is the former editor of The American Alpine Journal and Alpinist Magazine, and the creator of the award-winning podcast, Ninety-Pound Rucksack. We talked about the formation of the 10th Mountain Division in WW2, the breaking of Hitler's Gothic Line, stories of mountain gorilla warfare, gear innovations that changed climbing forever, and much more. You can listen to Christian's podcast at christianbeckwith.comThe Nugget Training App | 3 NEW Bouldering Programs (14-Day Free Trial)thenuggetclimbing.com/app-boulderingMad Rock (Shoes & Crash Pads)madrock.comUse code “NUGGET10” at checkout for 10% off your next order.Rúngne (Chalk & Apparel)rungne.info/nuggetUse code “NUGGET" for 10% off and "SHIPPINGNUGGETS" for free shipping.Become a Patron:patreon.com/thenuggetclimbingShow Notes:  thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/christian-beckwithNuggets:(00:00:00) – Intro(00:01:48) – Ninety-Pound Rucksack(00:10:46) – Birth of the 10th Mountain Division(00:22:00) – Ghosts in the trees(00:35:23) – New ropes & belay techniques(00:49:45) – Boots(00:54:00) – New vs. old climbing gear(00:57:49) – The Ninety-Pound Rucksack Challenge(01:05:35) – Breaking Hitler's Gothic Line(01:19:18) – Coal to diamond(01:25:05) – Writing the story of the 10th(01:34:32) – Teaching GIs to climb(01:41:45) – What's next for this story(01:47:30) – Wrap up

This week we welcome writer/director/producer MAR on the show to talk about how he got his next feature Dresden Sun made starring Chrisitina Ricci, MAR also talks about why he likes taking on multiple roles as a filmmaker. After that we read a apple podcast review and talk about the current statuses of our projects, enjoy! Don't forget to support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/mmihpodcast Leave us a Review on Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-movies-is-hard-the-struggles-of-indie-filmmaking/id1006416952 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

BONUS SESSION: WRITING THE VISION - How to Merge Your God-Given + Prophetic Dreams with Strategic Goals While Conquering Inadequacy & Prosperity BlocksLearn how to MERGE God-given dreams and goals while moving past imposter syndrome and prosperity blocks. You'll be CASTING a vision with the Lord for your future.5-Day Free Challenge: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ashleyjuneco.krtra.com/t/fXqGCuWKerYf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join Facebook Group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/setapart⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Selah Collective: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.wildandradiant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book Free 15-minute call (serious candidates only): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ashleyjuneco.as.me/selahcollectiveSAL

Learn how and why to write your own obituary as a legacy project. My guest Gail Shapiro is a seasoned writer and editor and also a professional organizer who has guided many people through the details of end-of-life planning. She also helps people write memorable obituaries for themselves and othes and today discusses why this… Continue reading Ep. 532 Writing Your Obituary as Part of End-of-Life Planning with Gail Shapiro

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman chat about Tasha's newest season of Tomb Raider: the Legend of Lara Croft now on Netflix, how the idea for the season came together, and behind-the-scenes writing stories.    TWIW: The Blacklist 2025: Who's Who and trends Josh is seeing / Tasha went to a BAFTA Games Mixer and sweated profusely / If you can spot the reference to Tasha & Josh's favorite movies in S1 of The Mighty Nein on Amazon Prime, you win a prize! Hint: there are 2 references.   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

The Last Time is officially OVER, the career of John Cena is officially over and Clyde reflect's on his career. Furthermore, we dive into clyde's thoughts on the finish of the match and what 2026 can look like for "The Ring General" Gunther. Visionary Minds Public Relations and Media is a founding supporting sponsor of the CAMedia PodcastMake sure you get your Publicity, Digital Marketing, Writing, Media Consulting Services at visionarymindsny@gmail.com where Tammy Reese is the owner.You can listen to the podcast on the following platforms:Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ca-media-podcast/id1534508960SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0T1qlQvvRNpBjrFz4N5X26?si=7a873afde9ed4e34You can follow the podcast atFacebook: ⁠facebook.com/CAMediaPodcast⁠Instagram: ⁠Instagram.com/CAMediaPodcast⁠Blue Sky:⁠https://bsky.app/profile/camediapodcast.bsky.social⁠X: ⁠https://x.com/CAMediaPodcast⁠IF you want to be on the podcast you can email the podcast at ⁠camediapodcast@gmail.com⁠ or book on linktree at linktr.ee/CAMediaPodcast and click in the booking link.

ABOUT THE EPISODEListen in as David Schrock and Stephen Wellum interview Levi Secord on his COA Longform Essay: "Law is King: How the BIble Shapes Our View of Law & Civil Government"Timestamps00:30 – Intro03:38 – The Background Behind Servant Not Savior05:11 – What are Some Things that Need to be On Our Radar as We Discuss This Subject?08:15 – Walking Us Through the History from the King to the Law10:27 – The Place of Natural Law13:15 – Where in the Bible Do We Encounter Rutherford's Ideas?15:49 – Nations Making Covenants21:00 – What is the Responsibility of Christians to Remind the Government of Their Role Before God?22:57 – Who's Role is it to Preach Before the Government?29:00 – Political Theology is not Just from the Old Testament31:32 – How Should We Read the OT Law to the King and Apply It Today?36:50 – How Does Progressive Covenantalism Apply the Law?40:22 – The Principle of General Equity42:03 – What Can Nations Learn from Israel? From the Church?47:20 – Good Government is the Exception to the Rule51:25 – The Case for Bringing the Bible to the Public Square54:50 – Natural Law is Not Devoid of Special Revelation56:10 – Levi Secord's Final Encouragements57:40 – OutroResources to Click“Law is King: How the Bible Shapes Our View of Law & Civil Government” – Levi Secord136: Political Islam – Just Thinking Podcast2026 National Founders Conference: Make DisciplesTheme of the Month: Christmas BuffetGive to Support the WorkBooks to ReadServant Not Savior: An Introduction to the Bible's Teaching about Civil Government – Levi SecordDefending the Declaration: How the Bible and Christianity Influenced the Writing of the Declaration of Independence – Gary AmosA Christian Manifesto – Francis SchaefferHow Should We Then Live? – Francis SchaefferHe Is There and He Is Not Silent – Francis SchaefferLex Rex: The Law is King – Samuel RutherfordThe Origins of American Constitutionalism – Donald LutzColossians and Philemon (ZECotNT) – David W. PaoThe Gospel of Matthew (NICNT) – R.T. FranceThe Mission of God: A Manifesto of Hope for Society – Joseph BootThe Emergence of Liberty in the Modern World – Douglas F. KellyDominion – Tom HollandThe Book that Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization – Vishal MangalwadiMere Christendom – Douglas Wilson

This week we are joined by Rachel Van Dyken. Rachel Van Dyken the #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching guilty-pleasure TV. Her new romantasy FALLEN GODS from Red Tower Books is out now.In this episode, Rachel discusses her diverse writing career, which spans multiple genres including fantasy, romance, and mafia stories, and explains the importance of research in her work. Rachel also opens up about the pressures of being an author, managing her own business, and the impact of stress on her health. Throughout the conversation, she reflects on her Norwegian heritage and how it inspired her latest book, "Fallen Gods," dedicated to her grandfather. Rachel's story is one of resilience, creativity, and the pursuit of passion.Recommendations From This Episode: Girls5evaThe Vikings!: Crash Course World HistoryNathan Hill - The NixFollow Rachel: Instagram: @rachvd  TikTok: @rachvdRachel's Facebook Group: Rachel's New Rockin' ReadersFollow Carly: @carlyjmontagFollow Emily: @thefunnywalshFollow the podcast: @aloneatlunchpod Please rate and review the podcast! Spread the word! Tell your friends! Email us: aloneatlunch@gmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Diary of a CEO's Director of Trailers, Anthony Smith, on capturing attention in the first few seconds, building cliffhangers and emotional momentum that keep audiences watching (or reading), and testing hooks and packaging without losing trust or story.You'll learn:Why you only have 3–5 seconds to earn attention, and what that changes about your opening lines and first scenes.How to take the guesswork out of hooks by testing titles and thumbnails to see what audiences actually care about.Ways to pull a more compelling later moment forward and work in reverse when the early material is setup.What makes a cliffhanger work across books and videos, and how to raise the stakes so people feel “gutted” not knowing the answer.How to build an “emotional rollercoaster” so the narrative never flatlines.Why sound and silence can help storytelling work, creating intensity and then giving the audience space to breathe.How to balance intrigue with respect for your audience by offering a “moment of value” instead of holding everything back.Why giving away too much can kill curiosity, and how to protect the reason someone keeps reading or watching.Resources and Links:

Angelo Flaccavento has long been one of fashion's most distinctive critical voices — sharp yet empathetic, rigorous yet imaginative, always willing to question his own certainties. In this conversation, he traces his path from a Sicilian childhood spent absorbing magazines in boutique backrooms to becoming a writer whose clarity and candor designers both fear and admire. We discuss the formative power of self-doubt, the responsibility of the critic in an era shaped by branding and algorithms, and why genuine surprise has become fashion's rarest commodity. Angelo reflects on taste as a lifelong education, the tension between fantasy and reality, and the importance of staying fluid rather than defined in a moment obsessed with categorization. “I'm a dreamer, but not an escapist. Fantasy has to somehow crash to the ground in order to become reality.” - Angelo Flaccavento  Episode Highlights: A Sicilian childhood shaped by boutiques and early fashion literacy Angelo grew up in Ragusa surrounded by family-run boutiques at the height of Italy's fashion boom. Magazines, Versace dresses, Guy Bourdin images, and the glamour of the early '80s became his first education in style and visual culture. Discovering i-D and turning Ragusa into his personal London Getting a subscription to i-D as a teenager becomes a defining moment. He reads each issue obsessively, treating it as a window into a world he hasn't yet reached — the foundation of his sharp, culturally attuned eye. From aspiring designer to critic: finding the right medium Though he once dreamed of being a designer, he realized he was more drawn to ideas, imagery, and interpretation. Writing became his path, encouraged by teachers who sensed his voice before he did. A voice that evolves rather than settles Angelo talks about tone and style as living entities — shaped by constraints, sharpened by editors, and never fixed in place. He values clarity, concision, and atmosphere, always pushing himself toward more precision. Doubt as a creative engine He sees doubt not as insecurity but as momentum, calling it “the essence of progress.” Self-questioning keeps him open, curious, and resistant to stagnation. Criticism as decoding, not destruction For Angelo, the critic's role is to cut through PR storytelling and help readers understand what they're actually seeing. He believes in honesty delivered with generosity — critique as illumination, not cruelty. Maintaining integrity in a political, PR-driven industry He speaks openly about the emotional and professional navigation required each season, from access issues to difficult conversations, and why seeing shows live is essential to telling the truth. Fashion's power to surprise Angelo celebrates the rare, electric moments when a show shifts the mood of the entire industry — reminders of why fashion still matters and how a collection can rewire the cultural conversation. Taste as instinct refined over a lifetime For him, taste is a mix of instinct and education — shaped by art history, architecture, vertical lines, trial and error, and everything one has ever seen. Taste is biography turned into perspective. What is contemporary now: resisting definition Angelo concludes that the most contemporary stance is fluidity — refusing to let algorithms, labels, or nostalgia define us, and staying open enough to see the world anew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special solo episode of The PR Podcast, host Jody Fisher steps into the hot seat to respond to real, unfiltered questions from the public relations community — pulled straight from Reddit.From emotional career crossroads to practical visibility questions, this episode tackles what PR pros are really thinking but don't always say out loud. Topics include burnout, confidence, internal vs. external communications, knowing when to go on a PR tour, where you belong in the industry, and how to recognize opportunity when it shows up.Some of these posts are raw. Some are tactical. All of them are deeply relatable for anyone navigating a career in public relations.If you've ever wondered:• Is this normal in PR?• Am I on the right path?• Where do I go next?This episode is for you.Reddit threads discussed in this episode:• Writing this with tears in my eyes• Career advice: corp comm to internal comm• Should I go on a PR tour?• I love my career but don't know where to settle• My local news says they want to feature me — now what?Questions or topic ideas? Send them our way.The PR Podcast is a show about how the news gets made. We talk with great PR people, reporters, and communicators about how the news gets made and strategies for publicity that drive business goals. Host ⁠⁠Jody Fisher⁠⁠ is the founder of Jody Fisher PR and works with clients across the healthcare, higher education, financial services, real estate, entertainment, and non-profit verticals. Join the conversation on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ at @ThePRPodcast.The PR Podcast: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ThePRPodcast/Twitter - https://x.com/ThePRPodcast1Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theprpodcast_/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theprpodcast?

#312 | Jess Lytle (Head of Marketing at Exit Five) hosts a roundtable with a group of email experts on what's actually working in email, SMS, and in-app messaging right now. They dig into AI's impact on the inbox, how to sound human when everyone's using the same tools, and why relevance beats volume. The group also breaks down how to personalize without being creepy, what to do with “lurkers” who never click but still convert, and how to build messaging that survives the AI slop era. It's a sharp look at how B2B marketers can cut through the noise, earn attention, and actually get people to respond.Timestamps(00:17) - — Jess welcomes everyone (02:30) - — Why email and messaging aren't dead… bad messaging is (05:58) - — How AI changed the inbox and why standing out is harder than ever (06:34) - — Why human senders beat brand senders in email (10:03) - — Writing emails like you were invited into someone's personal space (12:18) - — Balancing stakeholder requests vs. what your audience actually wants (15:28) - — Real talk on AI personalization, enrichment, and where it actually works (21:33) - — Subject lines, preview text, and how people really decide what to open (23:08) - — Email stories and empathy-driven content that outperform (29:03) - — SMS, in-app, and email orchestration: what to use when (36:20) - — Measuring impact when email is assist, not hero (44:20) - — The future: AI-driven workflows, data challenges, and what's coming (53:00) - — Favorite tools (Claude, NotebookLM, etc.) and how people use them Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.It's the only way you can truly “own” your audience.But when it comes to building the emails - if you've ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. That's why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.Tired of ‘hoping' the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more

This episode features the stories "The Kid and the Footrace," "Discovering the Columbia," "Flying Mustanger" and "Missouri Mule," as well as the poem "Liberty." Used by permission of the author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal Stonecipher opens the Matinee this week with Christmas bells! This week we have Sonic Society #746, Behold the Beauty: Part 3, and Writing the West: Episode 6! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we take a hard look at Die Hard and strip away the nostalgia to examine its writing choices. From convenient coincidences and thin character logic to plot armor and questionable motivations, we break down where the script cuts corners—and why those flaws often get a free pass. Whether you see Die Hard as a flawless action classic or a deeply messy screenplay held together by charisma and explosions, this episode asks one question: does it actually hold up on the page?

Laurel Boivin sits down with bestselling author, podcaster, and intuitive astrologer Molly McCord to explore astrology not as a belief system, but as a practical, compassionate language that helps us understand ourselves, navigate change, and trust our inner wisdom. Molly shares her journey from curious teenager to internationally respected astrologer, the tools that supported her through fear and visibility, and how astrology can help us to deepen self-acceptance, confidence, and purpose. Laurel and Molly talk about personal cycles, collective themes, and the power of community. Molly also offers simple ways for anyone curious about astrology to begin. This conversation feels like sitting down with two wise friends who remind you that you're not alone, you're not behind, and you are deeply supported by the universe you're part of. In this episode, we explore: Why astrology is an energy system of consciousness rather than a belief system How astrology can validate our lived experiences and support inner work Using cycles—like the New Moon and Mercury Retrograde—as supportive guides Learning to trust intuition and navigate fear when stepping into your purpose Making peace with your strengths, challenges, and soul patterns How collective astrology reflects global themes and why awareness matters Molly's journey to becoming an astrologer and the community that has grown around her work Simple, practical steps to get started with your own chart How aligning with cycles can help create a more beautiful, intentional life Journaling prompts are suggested to further your exploration: When did you first feel curious about something others didn't fully understand or value? What drew you toward it? Is there an area of your life where you feel a quiet pull or whisper calling you forward? What might it be asking of you? Which tools—journaling, nature, tapping, meditation, conversation—help you reconnect with yourself when you're moving through fear or uncertainty? Is there a part of your life that feels ready for a New Moon moment—a fresh start, a new intention, or a shift in direction? What parts of yourself have you judged or tried to change that might actually be invitations for compassion or acceptance? What strengths or passions have you tucked away because they weren't valued in your environment? How might you welcome them back? How does your intuition speak to you—and where do you tend to doubt it? What would trusting it look like this week? Where in your life do you feel most seen and understood? What kind of community helps you feel grounded, creative, and connected? Links/Books mentioned: McCord, Molly. Awakening Astrology: Five Key Planetary Energies for Personal Transformation, by Molly McCord, Hierophant Publishing, 2022. Soul Growth Astrology: A Workbook for Realizing Your Heart's True Desires, by Molly McCord. Hierophant Publishing, 2024. The email to send questions to Laurel Boivin is laurel@fluxflowcoaching.com and for Laurel Holland - laurel@liveyourinnerpower.com The link to our private Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/beautifulworkbeautifullife Host/Cohost/Guest Info Guiding others to become effective leaders of their own lives, Laurel Holland has been on a journey of awakening and transformation throughout her life. Writing about inner work, Laurel has authored four books, including Crossroads and Love's 8 Laws. Her books, Live Your Inner Power, the Journal, and Courageous Woman, introduce, share, and explore the eight foundational practices for creating transformation from the inside out. Through her books, programs, and innovative talks, Laurel's great desire is to lift others up and courageously step into the life they came here to live. You can learn more about Laurel Holland at www.liveyourinnerpower.com. Laurel Boivin is a leadership coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Founder of Flux+Flow Professional Coaching, Laurel works with high-performing professionals and mission-driven organizations to shift from achievement to alignment — helping them connect deeply to purpose, lead with confidence, and create environments where people thrive. You can learn more about Laurel Boivin at www.fluxflowcoaching.com.

Trump and MAGA see European values and societies as the real enemiesNick Cohen talks to the leading US commentator Charlie Sykes about the impact of the highly controversial US National Security Strategy 2025 which has overturned 80 years of post-war security strategy and threatens the very social and political fabric of Europe, as well as its security.Incredibly, in this document, the US says it will support nationalist far right parties in overturning European governments and says it will do all it can to destroy the European Union. The document - described as "obscene" by one former US ambassador to the EU - also strikes a dagger to the heart of NATO, clearly marking out its former security partners in the Alliance as the real enemies while failing to criticise the brazen illegality and aggression of Putin's Russia.The US has "switched sides" to stand shoulder to shoulder with our enemiesCharlie's stark conclusion: "This is what they're saying to the entire world. And again, the loathing for the democracies of Western Europe, the loathing for the allies who have been with us since World War II really can't be overstated. It is deep and, quite frankly, there has to come a moment when I think the rest of the world has to say that the United States has switched sides."Discussion summaryCharlie and Nick discuss the implications of the new strategy for American foreign policy, particularly regarding relations with Russia and Europe. The discussion explores how the strategy aligns with Moscow's vision and promotes radical right-wing parties, while contrasting conservative reactions between the US and UK. The conversation concluded with an examination of Trump's presidency and its potential dangers, including immigration policies, weaponisation of justice departments, and the broader implications for American democracy and political norms.Read all about it!Charlie Sykes @SykesCharlie is a leading highly respected United States conservative political commentator who was formerly editor-in-chief and founder of the highly influential website The Bulwark. Charlie has been a leading Never Trump Conservative since Trump stood for the presidency in 2015. Charlie's Substack - To the contrary is a must read, and his regular podcast - also called To the contrary - a must listen. He has also been a columnist and author for the progressive channel MSNBC.Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Diana Harmon Asher is an award-winning author of the middle grade novels Sidetracked and Upstaged. Her latest novel, Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitz, is distributed to 9- to 12-year-olds across North America through PJ Library's program for older readers, PJ Our Way. Co-hosts: Jonathan Friedmann & Joey Angel-Field Producer-Engineer: Mike Tomren Diana's websitehttps://dianaharmonasher.com/ Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitzhttps://dianaharmonasher.com/books/trouble-finds-evie-lefkowitz/ Amusing Jews Merch Storehttps://www.amusingjews.com/merch#!/ Subscribe to the Amusing Jews podcasthttps://www.spreaker.com/show/amusing-jews Adat Chaverim – Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, Los Angeleshttps://www.humanisticjudaismla.org/ Jewish Museum of the American Westhttps://www.jmaw.org/ Atheists United Studioshttps://www.atheistsunited.org/au-studios

Poet and educator Dorian Hairston encourages all writers—from his high school students to adults—to make their writing fresh and new.Dorian believes "if we can just find ways as artists to be interesting... we give ourselves a fighting chance at allowing love to blossom in our lives and surviving whatever we must."Keep your writing interesting with help from Dorian's favorite writing prompts. He uses these exercises in his own work as well as with students.About Dorian HairstonDorian Hairston is a poet, educator, and former college athlete from Lexington, KY. His first collection of poetry, Pretend the Ball is Named Jim Crow, explores the life and legacy of Josh Gibson, the greatest catcher to play the game of baseball. He is an Affrilachian Poet, and his work has appeared in Anthology of Appalachian Writers and Black Bone: 25 Years of the Affrilachian Poets. While he enjoys reading and writing poetry, what he loves most is cooking for his family, playing some good music, and dancing often.

In this festive episode of The Writing Life Podcast, crime writer Nicola Upson delves into the themes and appeal of crime novels set at Christmas.   Nicola Upson's debut, An Expert in Murder, was the first in a series of crime novels to feature Josephine Tey — one of Britain's finest Golden Age crime writers – and was dramatised for BBC Radio 4. Several of Nicola's novels have been listed for the CWA Gold and Historical Daggers, and Sorry for the Dead was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month. Praised as a ‘perfect Christmas crime story' by Elly Griffiths, her latest novel The Christmas Clue was published in September 2025.   She sat down with NCW's Caitlin Evans to discuss The Christmas Clue, and how she tackled balancing festive cheer with page-turning twists and deceptive characters. Together, they touch on writing fiction inspired by real people, what drew her to writing a Christmas crime novel, and how to develop the ideal festive setting for a murder mystery.

On the 2nd Nightmare Before Christmas… In November 1987, Korrina Malinoski disappears without a trace, leaving her family and a quiet South Carolina town full of questions. Almost a year later, her eleven-year-old daughter, Annette Sagers, vanishes from a bus stop in Monck's Corner. She leaves behind a short, mysterious note, but no other clues. No evidence. No witnesses. Only decades of unanswered questions.  Join Cam and Jen as they discuss “Like Mother, Like Daughter: Korrina Malinoski & Annette Sagers.” If you have any information about the disappearance of Korrina Korri Lynne Sagers Malinowski or her daughter, Annette Sagers, please contact the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office at 803-761-7190 or 803-737-9000. We have the most incredible team: Listener Discretion by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edward October ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Research & Writing by Lauretta Allen. Executive Producers/Music by @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://theinkypawprint.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sources: https://www.newspapers.com/image/1037365115/?match=1&terms=%22Korrina%20Malinoski%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/195218856/?match=1&terms=%22Korrina%20Malinoski%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/665856682/?match=1&terms=%22Korrina%20Malinoski%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/665856682/?match=1&clipping_id=176116906 https://www.newspapers.com/image/665856683/?clipping_id=176116947 https://charleyproject.org/case/korrina-lynne-sagers-malinoski https://charleyproject.org/case/annette-deanne-sagers https://www.oxygen.com/up-and-vanished/crime-news/steven-malinoski-denies-involvement-korrina-malinoski-disappearance https://fox28savannah.com/news/local/bring-them-home-secrets-in-the-swamp-explores-the-story-of-a-missing-mother-daughter-wciv-annette-korrina-sagers https://abcnews4.com/news/local/experts-take-new-look-at-berkeley-county-cold-case-of-missing-mother-11-year-old-girl https://youtu.be/TsGgOY_4c1A?si=YrjpQlaqjDbvPPOE https://youtu.be/7JgGm_sOG3o?si=BOd5LPVJLLPNR1vj https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina_Lowcountry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reinventing yourself after retirement is an option we all have. It doesn't need to be a flashy, public spectacle. It can be as simple as deciding you're going to start choosing YOU first for a change. Maybe you've always wanted to take a pottery class; well, now you can!Or maybe you have a book hiding inside you, clawing to get out. Now's the time!You don't need anyone's permission... just follow what makes your eyes light up and your heart sing.

✨ 私のポッドキャストの内容について話したいですか?Do you sometimes feel stuck, lonely, or unsure how to keep going? Then Japanese Together might be just what you need.https://japanese-together.mn.co

Christmas Diner, Episode 4: Is Gremlins a Christmas Movie? Buster explains what Christmas is really all about. Writing, Sound Design, and Musical Arrangement by Jeremy Ellett. STARRING: Zane Schacht as Buster. Peter Lewis as the Narrator. Blythe Renay as Erica. Josh Rubino as Douglass and Harold. Lauren Grace Thompson as Lauren. Sarah Golding as Greta. Damon Alums as Reggie. Addison Peacock as Kathy. Jeremy Ellett as Alex. Danyelle Ellett as Holly. Tucker Bettez as The Pisser Goblin. Mason Amadeus as Stump Tooth and Pig Finger Goblin. Haberlin Roberts as Knot Boy Goblin. MUSIC: We Wish You a Merry Christmas by United States Marine Band. Christmas Theme by Music for Creators. Drops of Melting Snow by Axletree. Funny Orchestra Music by Darkash28. Special thanks to Mason, Habe and Tucker from PODCUBE for joining us on today's episode as The Goblin Brothers! PATREON: ⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/GoodPointe⁠⁠⁠ CONTACT: info@goodpointepodcasts.com STITCHES: The Fiction Podcast Home for Satirical Dark Comedy. Find and support our sponsors at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fableandfolly.com/partners⁠⁠.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hang out with Sandy as she discusses the joint statement from WGA East and West about the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Netflix and the hostile takeover by Paramount. Plus, an update on Carl Rinch, the writer/director who embezzled $11 million from Netflix. Carl Rinch's trial just wrapped up last week. We also share an inspiring story about resilience involving Meryl Streep and Dino De Laurentiis.  Executive Producer Kristin OvernExecutive Producer and Host Sandy AdomaitisProducer Terry SampsonMusic by Ethan StollerNovelium: Write With an Editor at Your Sidehttps://novelium.so

The Writers Advice Podcast is bought to you by Booksprout. Booksprout is my go-to platform to share my stories with readers to engage with reviewers before they are launched with the rest of the world. Head to booksprout to increase your online reviews today!This week on the Writers Advice Podcast I am joined by Author, Emma SloleyOn this episode Emma and I talk about:- Writing and working for Harpers Bazaar- What it takes to be a travel writer- Moving from Journalism to Fiction- Creating High Concept Ideas- and all of his advice for up and coming writers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BILLIONAIRE ISLAND PAPERBACK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BILLIONAIRE ISLAND KINDLE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your copy of the Limited-Edition WRITERS JOURNAL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠THE WRITING PROMPT CARDS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠JOIN THE WRITERS ADVICE FACEBOOK GROUP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a part of my ARC TEAM HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@writersadvicepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact Me:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: oliviahillier.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @oliviahillierauthor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@oliviahillierauthor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact Emma:Website: EMMA SLOLEYInstagram: @emmasloley

Opinion writing in grades K–6 is more than just persuasive essays. It lets kids express what they really think and see their ideas matter on the page. In this episode, we look at what makes opinion writing special: children sharing real opinions on topics they care about, building their sense of self, and bravely taking risks with their words. You'll hear how opinion writing grows from simple preferences with pictures and labels to more thoughtful arguments that consider other viewpoints. We also share a list of mentor texts you can use to lift the level of your students' opinion writing. Finally, we offer ways to celebrate students' work, like author's chair, hallway displays, family mailings, and online publishing, all focused on giving students a voice and the joy of sharing their opinions with real audiences.Go Deeper Doug KaufmannTracey LafayetteBeth Moore's website for paperThe New York Times' Writing ContestsBooks We Mentioned:1,000 Awesome Things by Neil PasrichaBreakfast on Mars and 37 Other Delectable Essays: Your Favorite Authors Take A Stab at the Dreaded Essay edited by Brad Wolfe and Rebecca SternDon't Feed the Bear by Kathleen DohertyCan I Be Your Dog by Troy CummingsEating to Save the Planet by Ann BroylesOur Favorite Day of the Year by A.E. AliThe Black Mambas by Kelly CrullThanks to our affiliate, Zencastr! Use our special link (https://zen.ai/mqsr2kHXSP2YaA1nAh2EpHl-bWR9QNvFyAQlDC3CiEk) to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan. Send us a textPlease subscribe to our podcast and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district. Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

Send us a textI'm overjoyed to be bringing you episode 97 Finding Our Way with Tom Bober, Michelle Cusolito, Valerie Bolling, and Cindy Jenson-Elliott. Before I release an episode, I always listen to it. Today, I listened while wrapping Christmas gifts, which truly filled my afternoon with cheer.If you're wondering what this episode will bring you, you can count on hearing about mentor texts, bullet journals and leaning into what you love. Thank you for taking time out of your day to listen to this podcast–whether you listen on your commute, on a walk or a run, or while you're doing your dishes, I'm so grateful to you. I look forward to talking with you again three more times in 2026. I'm not sure when exactly the next episode will release or what it will be about, but I am sure it will be jam packed with inspiration that will keep you twirling along on your writing and teaching journey. Until next year, happy teaching and happy writing.Support the show

Did you know that Meditations wasn't the only book that Marcus Aurelius wrote?