The Resilient Writers Radio Show

How to Find Joy in Writing, with Kat Caldwell


Listen Later

Send us a text! We'd love to hear your thoughts on the show.

In this episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show, I sat down with the wonderful Kat Caldwell — and let me tell you, it was such an energizing, heartfelt conversation that I just know you’re going to love.

Kat is the host of the Pencils&Lipstick podcast, a multi-genre indie author, and someone who’s passionate about helping writers like us stay creative and resilient. 

She’s been on this writing journey for over a decade, and together, we dove into the realities of what that path actually looks like — spoiler alert: it doesn’t magically get easier after you publish your first (or third!) book.

Kat opened up about how she first fell in love with stories as a kid, rewriting endings and imagining new adventures. But like so many of us, she struggled to figure out how to “make writing a real thing” when it came to careers and degrees. 

One thing that really stuck with me was how honest Kat was about the mental hurdles we face. She described the fear of finishing one project and worrying there might not be another idea after it. I could completely relate — I’ve been there too! 

But Kat reminded me (and all of us) that even when you switch genres or work on a new type of project, it’s always a fresh beast to tackle. Each book, each story, demands its own unique approach, and that’s part of what keeps this work exciting (and yes, sometimes maddening!).

We talked about the importance of joy in the writing process — how crucial it is to write what you love, without judgment. Kat encouraged writers to let go of the idea that every word or every story has to be “literary” or world-changing. 

Whether you’re passionate about romance, sci-fi, or even writing short flash fiction pieces just for fun, it’s all valuable. Not every word needs to be published — sometimes writing just for yourself is what keeps the spark alive.

Kat also shared some smart advice about learning to toss out what isn’t working (including, in her case, tossing a whopping 60,000-word draft!) and recognizing that not every review or piece of feedback matters. What truly matters is creating work you’re proud of.

She even gave us a sneak peek into her resource: 10 Ways to Bring Joy Back Into Your Writing Life — which you can grab at the link. 

If you’re feeling stuck or disconnected from your writing right now, this is the episode for you.

I walked away from this conversation feeling re-energized and reminded that we are resilient writers — we keep going, not because it’s easy, but because we love the process and the stories we’re here to tell. I hope you tune in and feel the same spark of inspiration I did!



...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Resilient Writers Radio ShowBy Rhonda Douglas Resilient Writers

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

27 ratings


More shows like The Resilient Writers Radio Show

View all
Selected Shorts by Symphony Space

Selected Shorts

2,828 Listeners

The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers by Joanna Penn

The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers

613 Listeners

Helping Writers Become Authors by K.M. Weiland

Helping Writers Become Authors

985 Listeners

The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience by Kelton Reid

The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

214 Listeners

Writing Excuses by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler

Writing Excuses

1,297 Listeners

Writer's Routine by Dan Simpson

Writer's Routine

300 Listeners

Fiction Writing Made Easy | Top Creative Writing Podcast for Fiction Writers & Writing Tips by Savannah Gilbo

Fiction Writing Made Easy | Top Creative Writing Podcast for Fiction Writers & Writing Tips

1,431 Listeners

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing by Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

753 Listeners

NPR's Book of the Day by NPR

NPR's Book of the Day

604 Listeners

Essential Guide to Writing a Novel by James Thayer

Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

355 Listeners

Writers on Writing by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett and Marrie Stone

Writers on Writing

77 Listeners

Story Magic by Golden May

Story Magic

39 Listeners

Handsome by Headgum

Handsome

12,453 Listeners

The Whole Writer by Nicole Meier

The Whole Writer

40 Listeners

PLOT TWIST by Soman Chainani and Victoria Aveyard

PLOT TWIST

13 Listeners