Never Giving Up on The Dream with Mystery Author Joshua Moehling 

On this episode of the Write it Scared podcast, I talk with Joshua Moehling, author of the Ben Packard mysteries and Lammy award nominee. 

Josh shares his journey, from his early childhood dreams of being Stephen King to facing reality and rejection from the publishing world to eventually succeeding in accomplishing his dream of becoming a published author. 

We talk about the importance of perseverance, finding internal motivation beyond external validation, and the role of community and encouragement in a writer’s journey. 

Josh’s experience offers valuable insights into the challenges and triumphs of writing, underscoring the necessity of doing the work, despite setbacks, to achieve one's dreams. Josh is completely transparent about his journey through the query trenches and how perseverance landed him his agent.  

Listeners also get a glimpse into Josh’s writing process, how he evolved from a pantser to a plotter when faced with publishing deadlines, and how he found no loss in creativity or serendipity because of that decision. So, be not afraid of the outline writers! He offers his perspective on the balance between creativity and discipline and how it’s okay just to write it badly. 

This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom and encouragement for writers at every stage in the writing game. It highlights the importance of sticking with it not for external validation but for the internal pride of knowing you did what you set out to do and the joy you get from the process.  

00:00 The Heartbreak of Starting Over

01:26 Special Guest: Joshua Moehling's Writing Journey

08:16 The Challenges and Triumphs of Writing a Novel

10:42 The Query Process and Breaking Into Publishing

12:58 Crafting Mysteries and Thrillers: A Creative Process

20:31 Balancing Writing with Life and Other Commitments

26:06 The Importance of Community and Perseverance in Writing

30:35 Looking Ahead: Future Projects and Where to Find Them

32:32 Final Thoughts and Encouragement for Fellow Writers

Learn more about Josh and his books at https://www.joshuamoehling.com/

And make sure you follow him on Instagram

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.

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