If you’re sailing on stormy seas (literally, writerly, mentally, or otherwise), you’re going to want Jarod K. Anderson as your guide. Author, poet, and creator of The CryptoNaturalist podcast, Jarod shares his insights with us this week on his writing process, the impact of mental health on creativity, and his unconventional path to publishing success.
If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in an endless loop of edits, rewrites, and revisions, this episode is for you. We’ll explore how fear can sneak into our writing process via perfectionism, the difference between necessary and compulsive rewrites, and how to build gentle systems to finish your work and move forward with confidence.
What is a writer’s most important asset? A good teacher? A quiet room? An infinite book budget? An expensive pen? While all of these are nice, today I’m focusing on the one asset that everyone can access, freely and easily: their sense of curiosity. Even if you believe your curiosity has been stomped out long ago, we’ll talk about how to rekindle and cultivate this amazing ability.
Sometimes, when things get tough, when the haters hate and the doubters doubt, it can be difficult to summon the motivation, courage, energy, or inspiration you need to write. And sometimes, when that happens, the only thing we have left to turn to is SPITE. Find out why — and why it’s not necessarily a bad thing!
We say that writing is our passion… so why do we spend so much time and energy avoiding it? | A retrospective of my very first podcast episode
Whether you’re a seasoned novelist or a newcomer to the craft, we all come to the page and need to BEGIN. It’s easy to say “Just start,” but it’s often not that simple. This week, I have some fresh encouragement and practical tips to help you start writing with confidence.
How do you decide when to publish your creative work? Is there a point at which you say it’s “good enough”? Or do you have a tendency to polish and play around with those “last final tweaks” indefinitely? This week, we’re talking about what it means to do your best in a world where “best” is subjective and perfect doesn’t exist. Get ready!
Have you ever felt hopeless, helpless, or disillusioned about goal-setting, or found yourself asking, “Why bother?” This week, we’re looking at what happens to make us feel that way, and how to set our writing lives on the path to success going forward.
Have you ever wondered if you should self-publish your book, or go through a traditional publisher? This week, we’re weighing the pros and cons of each to figure out which method is best for you.
Do you ever struggle to focus on your writing — even on a project you actually enjoy? Whether due to internal or external factors, distraction comes to us in many different forms, for many different reasons. This week, we’re talking about tools, strategies, and habits we writers can use to find our focus again.
Have you ever noticed a disconnect in what you say you want to do, and what you actually end up doing? Because I have! This week, I’m talking about some of the reasons we might experience a gulf between our desires and our actions — and what to do about it.
This week, we’re talking about expectations and how they tint our reality and shape our experiences… and what we can REALLY expect if we want to write full-time.
No matter how much coffee I drink, I’m never able to write as quickly as I want to. This week, we’re taking a look at what it means to be a “slow writer” — and all of the baggage that comes along with it.
(Doubles as a gift guide if you like to give hugs)
Creating consistently strengthens your command of the craft and builds trust with your audience. But if you’re anything like me, creating on a consistent basis feels impossible. Why are we like this? What do we do when we fail to live up to our own — and others’ — standards?
Whether you’re doing NaNoWriMo or not this year, it’s a good idea to have an honest conversation with yourself about what you need to thrive as a writer.
What do we do with those irritating things about ourselves that we can’t change?
On making money from your work — and… not.
What happens when your childhood dream feels like it’s no longer achievable? What does it mean if (and when) your 5-year plan goes off the rails? Today we’re talking about what happens when our writing dreams change — and what it means for us as creators.
A letter about seasonal change and beginning when it feels right.
What is writing to you — a hobby, a second job, a meditative practice? Something else? All of the above? This week, we’re talking about the role of writing in our lives and how we can feel more satisfied and fulfilled in doing what we love.
How should we navigate selling our creative work? I speak with Asa Merritt about pitching a project, which hill(s) to die on, and the pros and cons of telling a personal story on a commercial platform.
What is it that’s REALLY toxic here?
Like all marketing, social media is only a means to an end. Let me explain…
No matter how sophisticated it gets, A.I. will never replace you — and here’s why.
Is there value in admitting that we’re bad at something? Must we improve ourselves in every way?
In defense of writing slowly, and thoughts on the blurry line between “writing to sell” and “writing to survive”. (Content warning: Death and dying)
Writing — or any creative act, really — is just a chain of beginnings, one after the other. (Does that make you feel better, or worse?)
We tend to talk about being brave as this positive, empowering thing, but… is it?
We’re not machines, as much as we sometimes wish we were (or maybe that’s just me). What do we do as creators when our brains and bodies fail us?
Back in 2019, I signed a deal with Netflix for a “Girl In Space” TV show. So… whatever happened to that?
The story of one time when I called someone a bad word (it rhymes with “ditch”). You’ve been warned.
The social consensus seems to agree that social media is bad for us. But… is it?
A gentle reminder that suffering is not a virtue, even when society tells us it is.
The twelve days of a possibly terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Christmas BUT ALSO HOPEFULLY SOME INSIGHTS.
On creative flow, creative guilt, and why we give into distractions. (Or, if you’re the kind of person who easily resists distractions, please tell me your secrets immediately.)
Maybe you’ve heard before that perfectionism is a form of fear. So… what should we be aiming for instead?
Why are endings so darn hard to write? Is it just because it’s difficult to wrap up all of the loose ends… or is there something more going on? What makes for a truly satisfying ending, and how do we create one?
I returned from speaking at the Austin Film Festival two Mondays ago, and then promptly went into hiding. I don’t necessarily think I did it on purpose, thinking to myself, “Ha ha! Now no one will be able to find me!” At least, not this time.
Why did I ditch my laptop and start writing everything by hand? What are the benefits — and what have I learned from it about the craft of writing?
If you’ve ever been curious about how live-action roleplaying game podcasts are planned, created, recorded, and produced, or if you have any interest in RPGs like D&D, Pathfinder, or improv in general, give this episode a listen. Cat is an expert in plucking meaningful narrative from a scattered story and provides tons of great advice on how to clarify your own creative work.
No matter who you are, Kate Wallinga’s story of wielding creativity to take back agency in her life will inspire and astound you.
I’m really struggling with what to write to you in this week’s letter. Not because there’s nothing going on in my life, but because I keep telling myself that I can’t tell you what’s going on in my life.
I don’t know where this impulse is coming from, even though I’ve been sitting here mulling it over for a while. So maybe I’ll tell you the things, and in doing so hopefully figure out why I’m so resistant.
In this episode I’m asking why might creatives we hold onto regrets? What are we punishing ourselves for? Why do we spend so much time and energy focusing on our regrets and what purpose might they serve?
What is your ideal balance or imbalance? What would it take to actually get there? What can you drop in your life that does not feed your purpose?
Can you believe the Write Now podcast has been running for seven (7) years?! Because I can’t!