Author Diary Entries

Get a sneak peek of Small Town Stilettos: a modern marriage of convenience! This episode features a reading from Chapter 1.

Resources & links mentioned in this episode: 

• Pre-order Small Town Stilettos: https://www.amazon.com/Small-Town-Stilettos-marriage-convenience-ebook/dp/B0C776DB4M
• Add Small Town Stilettos to your Want to Read list on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55302931-small-town-stilettos
• Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast 
• Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ 
• Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 
• Check out Sagan’s YouTube channel to watch the video versions of these podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/user/SaganMorrow 
• Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching 
• Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse 
• Work with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/workwithme/ 

Let’s chat about this episode:

• @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram
• Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly
• Email: [email protected] 
• Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question

Send fan mail! Click HERE to leave Sagan a voicemail & share your thoughts about this episode.

Support the show

Today is a special day, because it is COVER REVEAL DAY for my upcoming romance novel, Small Town Stilettos: a modern marriage of convenience! In this episode I want to share more about that novel!

Here’s the working blurb…

Aunt Eleanor fully intends to arrange a marriage for me from beyond the grave—to my childhood sweetheart, no less—and she doesn’t seem to have considered that I might be falling for my other childhood best friend! 

But her inheritance is the only chance I have to make my dream a reality: to create a fashion line for bodies like mine. I would almost be willing to give up that dream, if Aunt Eleanor hadn’t stipulated in her will that my inheritance will go to my cruel cousin unless I marry a man I barely know. 

There’s no way around it: a modern marriage of convenience is my only option. Now I just need to convince my “intended” that this is a good idea...

Tropes: 
Modern marriage of convenience
Small town contemporary romance
Love triangle, second chance, friends to lovers, only one bed.
Fat positive, sex positive, ethical non-monogamy positive.

RELEASE DAY: Tuesday July 25 2023

ADD TO YOUR WANT TO READ LIST ON GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55302931-small-town-stilettos

PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Small-Town-Stilettos-marriage-convenience-ebook/dp/B0C776DB4M

Resources & links mentioned in this episode: 
Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast 
Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ 
Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 
Check out Sagan’s YouTube channel to watch the video versions of these podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/user/SaganMorrow 
Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching 
Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse 
Work with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/workwithme/ 

Let’s chat about this episode:
@Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram
Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly
Email: [email protected] 
Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question 

Send fan mail! Click HERE to leave Sagan a voicemail & share your thoughts about this episode.

Support the show

I was originally going to publish Small Town Stilettos: a modern marriage of convenience a couple years ago… so, why has it taken so long to actually publish it?? In this episode, I’m sharing a few of the obstacles that have gotten in my way — plus the story behind the delays I experienced with the cover design, and how that has contributed to my procrastination. 

We discuss… 

• Why the book cover design was such a big roadblock (backstory to the cover design saga of Small Town Stilettos)
• The customer service “red flags” that led to me choosing a different cover designer
• The importance of being an active participant in the decision-making process as a self-published author
• How I was using the book cover design delays as an excuse to procrastinate on doing book edits

Resources & links mentioned in this episode: 

• Add Small Town Stilettos to your Want to Read list: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55302931-small-town-stilettos
• Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching 
• Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast 
• Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ 
• Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 
• Check out Sagan’s YouTube channel to watch the video versions of these podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/user/SaganMorrow 
• Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse 

Let’s chat about this episode:

• @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram
• Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly
• Email: [email protected] 
• Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question 

Send fan mail! Click HERE to leave Sagan a voicemail & share your thoughts about this episode.

Support the show

In this episode, I want to follow up on recent episodes where I shared about my writing experiment of doing 4,000 words/day for a full week. You can learn about the background of this experiment in Episode 145, and the results from my first attempt in Episode 147. I’d also recommend tuning into Episode 148, in which I also share all about how I mapped out the entire story and chapter outline in great detail.

So in this episode, I want to share with you the results from my second attempt of writing a chapter/day for a full week (working on Book 8 in my Polyamorous Passions series).

We discuss...

• Why I changed the official experiment from 4,000 words/day to 3,500 words/day.
• An important method for successfully "killing your darlings" (this makes it SO MUCH EASIER).
• Daily breakdown of how the week went (including actual word count achieved each day).
• Problems I ran into along the way over the course of this week — and what I did about those struggles.
• Powerful mindset shifts I experienced (plus invaluable life lessons that came up). 
• How I handled distractions and the importance of minimizing barriers.
• Final results from this writing experiment and my next plans moving forward with making good progress for this book

Resources & links mentioned in this episode: 

• Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching 
• Grab the Anti-Hustle Mindset Bundle for just $29: https://saganmorrow.com/programs/ 
• Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast 
• Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ 
• Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 
• Check out Sagan’s YouTube channel to watch the video versions of these podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/user/SaganMorrow 
• Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse 

Let’s chat about this episode:

• @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram
• Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly
• Email: [email protected] 
• Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question 

Send fan mail! Click HERE to leave Sagan a voicemail & share your thoughts about this episode.

Support the show

Curious about how an author organizes themes, plots, scene ideas, chapter outlines, etc? We’re covering all of that in this behind-the-scenes look at my current work-in-progress, Book 8 of the Polyamorous Passions series! 

This episode includes:

• Follow up to Episode 147 — re: going back to the drawing board with my current romcom work-in-progress novel (Book 8 in the Polyamorous Passions series)
• The 3 main plotlines and 2 core themes featured in Book 8
• 4-step process for how I mapped out the parallel plot lines with incorporating the core themes throughout the story
• My colour-coded sticky note method for mapping out major plot lines with the themes for the beginning, middle, and end of the story, as well as my colour-coded sticky note method for organizing scenes into the chapters
• How I use a Google doc for organizing my chapter outlines with the parallel plot lines, core themes, and additional subplots and scenes

Resources & links mentioned in this episode: 

• Book 7 in the Polyamorous Passions series: "Her Bad Idea"
• Episode 147 of the Indie Author Weekly podcast: results from my 4,000 words/day book writing experiment
• Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ 
• Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 
• Check out Sagan’s YouTube channel to watch the video versions of these podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/user/SaganMorrow 
• Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching 
• Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast 
• Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse 

Let’s chat about this episode:

• @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram
• Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly
• Email: [email protected] 
• Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question 

Send fan mail! Click HERE to leave Sagan a voicemail & share your thoughts about this episode.

Support the show

This episode gives you an update on the book writing experiment I recently tested! We discuss:

• UPDATE on my book writing experiment that I told you about in Episode 145 of my Indie Author Weekly podcast (writing 4,000 words/day for a full week, and not doing any other business tasks)
• How I prepped for writing the actual book itself
• Daily breakdown of how that first week of the experiment went
• 3 reasons why I decided to go back to the drawing board with my book
• An important reminder we can all keep in mind when it comes to prioritizing our creative pursuits
• Navigating mindset drama when allowing ourselves to work on creative projects and outlets
• Was this experiment a success? Overview of results and what I learned from this experience, plus what I’ll be doing next…

Resources & links mentioned in this episode: 

• Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching 
• Episode 145 of this Indie Author Weekly podcast (background and details about this book writing experiment)
  Episode 144 of this Indie Author Weekly podcast (how my writing process works with the Notes & Scenes document)
• Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast 
• Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ 
• Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 
• Check out Sagan’s YouTube channel to watch the video versions of these podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/user/SaganMorrow 
• Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse 

Let’s chat about this episode:

• @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram
• Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly
• Email: [email protected] 
• Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question 

Send fan mail! Click HERE to leave Sagan a voicemail & share your thoughts about this episode.

Support the show

Let’s talk about the importance of being earnest as a writer and getting comfortable with potentially embarrassing yourself! In this episode, we cover…

• The self-consciousness → self-compassion spectrum that many of us experience as writers, and the importance of embracing earnest along the way.
• How I reviewed my high school creative writing assignment where the professor didn’t understand that my “grammatical error” was actually a stylistic choice, not a grammatical error (and how I was very indignant about it!) — and the importance of knowing the rules before you break them.
• The worries and fears we might have about “Will readers understand my writing style and storytelling choices?” — and why it’s okay if people don’t “get it.”
• Consequences of being true to ourselves, our messages, and our voices: Who benefits from us NOT being vocal and true to ourselves? What is true for me? If I wasn’t worried about how I’d be perceived, what would I want to say? Or, if I knew that people would really appreciate whatever my truth happens to be, what would I say? 
• What I LOVE about the work I do nowadays: How I write about characters who are working through this exact type of issue, AND how I get to coach people working through these issues as well.

Resources & links mentioned in this episode: 

• Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast 
• Book your 1:1 life coaching session with me so we can work through your feelings of self-consciousness, embarrassment, hiding your true self, and other mindset issues that are holding you back: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching 
• Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ 
• Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 
• Check out Sagan’s YouTube channel to watch the video versions of these podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/user/SaganMorrow 
• Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching 
• Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse 
• Work with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/workwithme/ 

Let’s chat about this episode:

• @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram
• Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly
• Email: [email protected] 
• Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question 

Send fan mail! Click HERE to leave Sagan a voicemail & share your thoughts about this episode.

Support the show

All about a new writing experiment I’m testing out to make a lot better progress with my novels! We discuss…

• Why I’m doing this new experiment, what my schedule will look like, how I plan to make it happen, and my expected results with writing for a larger, dedicated period of time
• 2 reasons why I’ve been struggling with writing, and the problem that can come up with trying to find time to write novels (including feelings of guilt and concerns that it’s “self-indulgent”)
• The deep sense of relief and fulfillment I had when I finally got around to writing my book after procrastinating on it all day long (and how this is a really good reminder!)
• “I should be working on other parts of my business” — how this is a very real problem for business owners, and the way that this actually has a NEGATIVE effect on your business! More on this (including the top 3 questions to ask yourself if this is a struggle for you) in the “How to Balance Passion and Profession” video on my solopreneur tips YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/WH4cAaC0Vq0 
• Difference between writing for a specific amount of time vs writing a specific amount of words (and how focusing on one vs the other will be more useful in different circumstances)
• How I had an initial plan to write 2,000 words/day for a week, but having other tasks on my plate completely threw me off — and specifically WHY this was such a problem for me (this is what led me to decide to do the 4,000 words/day book writing challenge for a full week)
• Why you should ALWAYS pay attention to any stagnation or “stuckness” that arises — keep in mind that just because a strategy used to work for you, doesn’t mean it always will continue working! 

Resources & links mentioned in this episode: 

• "How to Balance Passion and Profession” video on my solopreneur tips YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/WH4cAaC0Vq0 
• Book your 1:1 life coaching session with me so we can work through your feelings of guilt, procrastination, and other mindset issues that are holding you back from writing your book: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching
• Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast 
• Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ 
• Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 
• Check out Sagan’s YouTube channel to watch the video versions of these podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/user/SaganMorrow 
• Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse 
• Work with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/workwithme/ 

Let’s chat:

• @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram
• Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly
• Email: [email protected] 

Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question 

Send fan mail! Click HERE to leave Sagan a voicemail & share your thoughts about this episode.

Support the show

“How do you write your books? By hand, by typewriter?” In this episode, we’re answering THAT question! Get ready for a full recap of the logistics and practical side for how I write my books…

0:00 Intro

0:20 Answering a question from a friend: “How do you write your books? By hand, by typewriter?” — and a few other logistics when it comes to the practical side of how I write books

0:50 When it comes to writing books, here’s why I do NOT use a typewriter, and why I do NOT write by hand 

3:40 My process for writing my novels — outlining my books on paper and a Google doc (plus a quick explanation about what my chapter outline looks like)

5:35 The 3 types of Google docs I always use for writing my novels

9:30 Keeping tabs open vs not, and using external monitors while working on the computer

11:50 A few additional types of Google docs I like using when working on books

12:50 How I usually “write” large portions of my books without actually writing them

16:45 Writing in various environments

17:50 How I use music when writing my books

23:00 Bookmark giveaway!

25:05 Wrap up

WIN BOOKMARKS featuring Sagan’s novels when you publish a review of any of her books between now and April 30, 2023! All you need to do is write and publish a review of any of her books on Amazon, Goodreads, Kobo, etc (any book platforms of your choice), and then email hello[at]saganmorrow[dot]com with the link and your mailing address — and then Sagan will mail you bookmarks!

Resources & links mentioned in this episode: 

• Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast 
• Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ 
• Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 
• Check out Sagan’s YouTube channel to watch the video versions of these podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/user/SaganMorrow 
• Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching 
• Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse 
• Work with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/workwithme/ 
• Tune into the Polyamorous Passions soundtrack: https://saganmorrow.com/polypassionsplaylist 

Let’s chat about this episode:

• @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram
• Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly
• Email: [email protected] 
• Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question 

Send fan mail! Click HERE to leave Sagan a voicemail & share your thoughts about this episode.

Support the show

A year ago, I experienced an EXTREME case of imposter syndrome in my author career… which led to a TON of procrastination! In this episode, I’m sharing all about that experience and how I navigated it. 

In this episode, we discuss…

• How my imposter syndrome came about
• What I did to work through imposter syndrome (including some of the specific ways I did self-coaching for this, and the type of questions I asked myself to get to the root issues).
• 3 things I did to actively navigate procrastination (and how you can apply that to your own situation if you’re struggling with procrastination).
• How imposter syndrome and procrastination affects us all (plus what you need to know about EFFECTIVELY and SUCCESSFULLY managing imposter syndrome, and what we can do together to help YOU work through these issues, too)

Are imposter syndrome and/or procrastination holding you back (in your personal life or your professional life), too? This episode is for you!

WIN BOOKMARKS featuring Sagan’s novels when you publish a review of any of her books between now and April 30, 2023! All you need to do is write and publish a review of any of her books on Amazon, Goodreads, Kobo, etc (any book platforms of your choice), and then email hello[at]saganmorrow[dot]com with the link and your mailing address — and then Sagan will mail you bookmarks!

Resources & links mentioned in this episode: 

• Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast 
• Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ 
• Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 
• Check out Sagan’s YouTube channel to watch the video versions of these podcast episodes: https://www.youtube.com/user/SaganMorrow 
• Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching 
• Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse 
• Work with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/workwithme/ 

Let’s chat about this episode:

• @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram
• Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly
• Email: [email protected] 
• Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question 

Send fan mail! Click HERE to leave Sagan a voicemail & share your thoughts about this episode.

Support the show