Notes in the Margin

This week, we're flashing back to when Vicky and Joe had a conversation about doing Hard Things, and why it's valuable. They rambled their way around writing books, running businesses, winning competitions, and how getting to the top of your tree can often be boring and unpleasant—so we need to suck it up and do it—but also make it as much fun as possible. Do a hard thing today!

Key Takeaways:

[2:40] Why should you write a book?

[6:00] What types of hard things has Joe had to face recently?

[7:45] Vicky explains what Trad Rock Climbing is. You will probably die.

[11:45] Vicky made it to the top of the mountain and cried.

[13:15] You should write a book because it's hard and it will make you realize you are completely capable!

[16:10] The important things in life are difficult. Renovating The Dingle is really hard work, but so rewarding.

[20:00] If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!

[21:50] Want to write a book? Join Vicky's Write Night!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Creative Book Coaching

Join Vicky's Power Hour

Join Vicky's Masterclass

Buy Vicky's Book

That's What She Said: Tales of Business Success from Women Just like You by Vicky Fraser & Audiobook

Join Vicky's Weird and Wonderful Writing Society

Banish the Blank Page of Doom Fast

Grab Vicky's Book Template Bundle

Come Join Vicky's Writing Challenge

Come Join Vicky's Write Night

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: [email protected]

This week Vicky and fellow book coach Emma Dhesi talk novels, time, and our reluctance to put ourselves first when it comes to writing our books. Tune in and hear Emma's strategy for making time to write—and her proven framework for creating scenes that work. Emma is a fiction coach but even if you're non-fiction only, you'll enjoy this episode!

Key Takeaways:

[2:00] A little bit about Emma and the kind of coaching work she does with authors.

[5:00] Emma always wanted to be a writer, but life kept getting in the way.

[7:40] How does Emma and her clients find the time to write a book?

[12:50] Emma offers tips on how to set boundaries with your little children at home.

[15:35] 100% of your book is not just about writing it. There are other parts to consider like research and character development.

[19:00] How do you set a scene in a fictional story?

[23:25] Be open to completely taking out a scene you've written if it's not working.

[25:00] Interested in hiring Emma for your fiction book? Reach out!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Creative Book Coaching

Join Vicky's Power Hour

Join Vicky's Masterclass

Buy Vicky's Book

That's What She Said: Tales of Business Success from Women Just like You by Vicky Fraser & Audiobook

Join Vicky's Weird and Wonderful Writing Society

Banish the Blank Page of Doom Fast

Grab Vicky's Book Template Bundle

Come Join Vicky's Writing Challenge

Come Join Vicky's Write Night

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: [email protected]

Emmadhesi.com

Emma's Facebook Group

Emma's summit recordings: Emmadhesi.teachable.com/p/be-a-bestseller-structure-your-story-for-success1

This week we're giving you the second half of Vicky's Weird + Wonderful Author Showcase, in which you'll hear Melanie Osborne talking about her love for trees and nature, and Hillary Weiss reading from her manuscript about BIGNESS. Seriously, if you're exhausted, Mel's excerpt will be a balm for your soul. And if anyone's ever made you feel like you're too much, you need Hillary's book. Listen, enjoy, and remember: you can do this too! You can write your book.

Key Takeaways:

[2:05] Vicky welcomes Melanie to the podcast! What's her book all about?

[5:25] Melaine reads an excerpt from her book.

[13:25] You don't have to be a writer to tap into your passion and share it with others!

[14:35] Vicky introduces Hillary and tells the audience a little bit about her book.

[18:05] Hillary reads a little bit from her upcoming book!

[24:50] So many of Vicky's students are writing on a wide variety of topics. She hopes it inspires you, too, that you can write that 'odd' book!

[26:40] Not everyone who came into this writing group were self-proclaimed writers.

[28:55] Are you interested in writing your book? Vicky's got a write night event happening on Feb 24!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Creative Book Coaching

Join Vicky's Power Hour

Join Vicky's Masterclass

Buy Vicky's Book

That's What She Said: Tales of Business Success from Women Just like You by Vicky Fraser & Audiobook

Join Vicky's Weird and Wonderful Writing Society

Banish the Blank Page of Doom Fast

Grab Vicky's Book Template Bundle

Come Join Vicky's Write Night

Join Vicky's Newsletter

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: [email protected]

Author Showcase

Jocelyn Brady on Instagram

Kenda Macdonald on Instagram

Sarah McGuire on LinkedIn

Melanie Osborne on LinkedIn

Hillary Weiss Presswood on Instagram

Something a little different this week as Vicky brings you the first half of her Weird + Wonderful Author Showcase! Join Jocelyn Brady, Kenda Macdonald, and Sarah McGuire as they read excerpts from their manuscripts—and knock Vicky's socks off with their performances. Tune in and find out what's possible for you to achieve—even if you worry you're "not a writer".

Key Takeaways:

[2:00] Everyone's story is crucial and Vicky is excited to highlight some of these stories for you today!

[4:40] A quick introduction to Jocelyn and what her upcoming book is all about.

[13:10] When does Jocelyn plan to release her book?

[14:45] A quick introduction to Kenda and she offers a teaser by reading an excerpt from her second book.

[27:40] A quick introduction to Sarah and her book.

[37:00] Sarah's book about writing your will is not going to be your everyday estate planner kind of book!

[37:25] Stay tuned for part 2 next week!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Creative Book Coaching

Join Vicky's Power Hour

Join Vicky's Masterclass

Buy Vicky's Book

That's What She Said: Tales of Business Success from Women Just like You by Vicky Fraser & Audiobook

Join Vicky's Weird and Wonderful Writing Society

Banish the Blank Page of Doom Fast

Grab Vicky's Book Template Bundle

Come Join Vicky's Writing Challenge

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: [email protected]

Author Showcase

Jocelyn on Instagram

Kenda on Instagram

Sarah on LinkedIn

Melanie on LinkedIn

Hillary on Instagram

Join Vicky and Joe as they talk ludicrously expensive oak doors, poo disasters, and why shoes in the house are UNACCEPTABLE. Then marvel at the smooth link to this week's topic—the power of What If? What if you tried this thing? What if... you wrote your book? Tune in and get the pep talk you've been waiting for.

Key Takeaways:

[6:10] Casa Dingle update! Lots of poo happening.

[9:10] What if you made your own door? What if you just….did?

[11:35] It can be so easy to compare yourself to what you can't yet do, but look at the progress you've made thus far.

[17:20] Give yourself permission to do something badly!

[19:10] When was the last time you wrote without a purpose? Just for the fun of it?

[22:10] New year, new me. There's a better way to go about it.

[22:20] What if you wrote your book…this year? What if?

[25:35] Don't compare your insides to other people's outsides.

[27:30] Need a community? Vicky's got another writer's round opening up for you!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Creative Book Coaching

Join Vicky's Power Hour

Join Vicky's Masterclass

Buy Vicky's Book

That's What She Said: Tales of Business Success from Women Just like You by Vicky Fraser & Audiobook

Join Vicky's Weird and Wonderful Writing Society

Banish the Blank Page of Doom Fast

Grab Vicky's Book Template Bundle

Come Join Vicky's Writing Challenge

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: [email protected]

Mistborn: The Final Empire, by Brandon Sanderson

Please Don't Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes: Essays by Phoebe Robinson

Through the Language Glass by Guy Deutscher

Join Vicky and Joe as they talk about worldviews, tiny stories, and the enormous cost of bathrooms. If you've ever thought "who am I to write a book, I have nothing interesting to say" this episode is for YOU friend! Our hosts talk about why a 1,000 year old diary is still relevant today, why we're addicted to soap operas, and how we can change the world step by tiny beetle step with the stories of our lives. Enjoy!

Key Takeaways:

[4:40] Vicky got her booster shot and was so ill from it!

[8:45] Why does the world need your story?

[11:00] Vicky wants you to pay attention to headlines. How do news articles write things to get a reaction out of you?

[13:35] Do our stories need to have big grand gestures?

[16:35] Diversity is important. The world is a big place and everyone needs to be out of their bubble.

[18:20] People are walking up to these 'common facts of life' and are questioning why we do what we do, and if it still makes sense to do it.

[20:40] We don't change the world from the top down.

[23:45] Your story can transcend time. Vicky talks about The Diary of Lady Murasaki.

[26:45] How do you get started writing your own story?

[28:20] Start publishing your own stuff, even if it's just on Instagram!

[29:20] Join Vicky's writing program! Link in the show notes.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Creative Book Coaching

Join Vicky's Power Hour

Join Vicky's Masterclass

Buy Vicky's Book

That's What She Said: Tales of Business Success from Women Just like You by Vicky Fraser & Audiobook

Join Vicky's Weird and Wonderful Writing Society

Banish the Blank Page of Doom Fast

Grab Vicky's Book Template Bundle

Come Join Vicky's Writing Challenge

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: [email protected]

Throne of the Crescent Moon, by Saladin Ahmed

The Diary of Lady Murasaki by Shikibu Murasaki

The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker

Davidsedarisbooks.com

This week Vicky and Joe get extremely confused about what day it is, it being that weird time between Christmas and New Year, and wonder if you'd prefer a podcast about their cottage renovations. Write in! Then they get to the good stuff: Vicky's top 5 favourite creative writing thingies. They're fun, they're useful, and they'll make you a more joyful writer. Happy new year!

Key Takeaways:

[1:00] Vicky and Joe share their predictions for 2022, including when this episode will come out.

[02:24] Between Christmas and New Year, Vicky will mostly be in her pajamas reading books. What's on her reading list?

[03:35] Vicky and Joe share updates on Project Dingle. Shout out to Ken for their new door frame!

[04:30] Joe calls Vicky out for choosing the most expensive tiles in the world. Vicky explains herself.

[06:30] Vicky and Joe ask, should they start a Project Dingle podcast?

[06:55] Vicky shares her 5 favorite creative writing exercises!

[07:25] Creative vs technical vs academic. Which kind of writing is boring?

[09:00] There is a lot to be had from noticing the tiny details. Vicky shares how to look closely and some examples on how to incorporate it into writing.

[12:30] Pick an animal or object and write a biography about it. Vicky shares an unusual tip with this one.

[12:50] Vicky also mentions the podcast, Everything is Alive and how interesting interviewing objects can be.

[14:35] Vicky shares an exercise she did for her MA where she wrote an A-G (on the way to Z) of her life digressions and how it helped broaden her thinking.

[16:30] Writers are really great at noticing stuff. Find out how this relates to Vicky's 4th exercise.

[18:20] Not all writing is actual writing. Vicky shares what you can do to expound on your thinking and exploring to spark an idea.

[20:45] Vicky recommends another book called, The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker, for more ways to spark creativity and discover joy.

[21:17] Vicky's last exercise focuses on being really specific. She shares what this actually means and some examples.

[24:25] We can't connect with vagueness, details make people more interested.

[25:30] Vicky is relaunching her 3 month book writing program by the end of January! Find out more through the links below.

[28:00] What's in store for the next episode? Find out if Joe and Vicky figure out the day of the week for you to tune in to that.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Creative Book Coaching

Join Vicky's Power Hour

Join Vicky's Masterclass

Buy Vicky's Book

That's What She Said: Tales of Business Success from Women Just like You by Vicky Fraser & Audiobook

Join Vicky's Weird and Wonderful Writing Society

Banish the Blank Page of Doom Fast

Grab Vicky's Book Template Bundle

Come Join Vicky's Writing Challenge

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: [email protected]

Download Vicky's Advent Calendar

Annals of the Western Shore, by Ursula K. Le Guin

The First Woman: Winner of the Jhalak Prize, by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker

The Art of Noticing, by Rob Walker

Join Vicky and Joe as they talk for 9 whole minutes about pickles, swear at UK politicians, then move onto a brief anecdote about Idi Amin. If you can sit through all that, you'll get a well-organised, valuable, and helpful podcast about how to figure out if your book idea is any good. And we wish you a very merry Christmas, so there's that, too.

Key Takeaways:

[5:55] Hey! Merry Christmas everybody!

[7:00] Vicky and Joe love pickled things during Christmas.

[9:45] Why do people gather? And how do you design a good gathering?

[14:20] How do you know if you have a good book idea?

[16:10] Don't write 50k words only to realize you have a terrible idea!

[19:15] Vicky offers some questions to ask yourself to help you validate your idea.

[21:00] If there's lots of information on the topic you're writing about, that's a good thing!

[25:00] Do some digging in Amazon. What are people also buying when they're interested in your topic?

[27:10] Making your whole book a big sales pitch is rude!

[29:15] Have an email newsletter? Which emails get the most replies?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Creative Book Coaching

Join Vicky's Power Hour

Join Vicky's Masterclass

Buy Vicky's Book

That's What She Said: Tales of Business Success from Women Just like You by Vicky Fraser & Audiobook

Join Vicky's Weird and Wonderful Writing Society

Banish the Blank Page of Doom Fast

Grab Vicky's Book Template Bundle

Come Join Vicky's Writing Challenge!

Moxiebooks.co.uk/calendar

1000 Authors Podcast Episode 228: Research Like A Nerd

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: [email protected]

Download Vicky's Advent Calendar

Annals of the Western Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin

The First Woman: Winner of the Jhalak Prize by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

Vicky and Joe talk about all the water in their house and get far more excited than you probably are about their new loft space. It's so middle-aged it's painful. And then—you'll get a rundown of how long it might take you to write your nonfiction book! No BS, no false promises, no conveniently leaving out details that take bloody ages... just a realistic timeline to aim for. Enjoy!

Key Takeaways:

[4:35] Joe fell through the ceiling at the Dingle! Ouch!

[9:00] How long will it take to write a nonfiction book?

[11:10] If you write everyday…well Vicky did some math calculations for you!

[15:25] Where do you start when it comes to writing your book?

[17:10] If you want to write the best possible book in the world, you need to be able to know what the opposition's points are.

[20:00] Sometimes writing involves just starting out at a window.

[21:50] Your book is now ready for editing! In an ideal world, it'll take about four months to get to this point.

[24:15] Remember to grab yourself a set of beta readers to help you refine your book!

[26:05] Vicky estimates it'll take about 29 weeks to get yourself your very own book!

[27:25] Grab Vicky's free advent calendar! Link in the show notes.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Creative Book Coaching

Join Vicky's Power Hour

Join Vicky's Masterclass

Buy Vicky's Book

That's What She Said: Tales of Business Success from Women Just like You by Vicky Fraser & Audiobook

Join Vicky's Weird and Wonderful Writing Society

Banish the Blank Page of Doom Fast

Grab Vicky's Book Template Bundle

Come Join Vicky's Writing Challenge!

Moxiebooks.co.uk/calendar

Moxiebooks.co.uk/episode-228/

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: [email protected]

Download Vicky's Advent Calendar

Thud! Novel by Terry Pratchett

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

Annals of the Western Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin

This week, in homage to all the intrepid writers embarking on a big project right now, we're revisiting research. It's a crucial activity—but it's also a handy procrastination tool. So this week, tune in and travel back in time to August 2020 when your intrepid hosts got their nerd on and talked about how to research efficiently, effectively, and without disappearing down an internet wormhole of fascinating but ultimately useless information. Join us to find out how to cut your research (and writing) time dramatically without doing a half-arsed job of it.

Key Takeaways:

[2:50] How do you avoid going down a research blackhole?

[3:55] Get your big idea down on paper first.

[5:45] Make a note to yourself on things you need to research further.

[7:25] Use your books before you use Google.

[10:05] Joe offers Google tips and tricks to help you find what you want!

[13:55] Use your browser in offline mode!

[14:45] Give yourself a time limit for your research.

[17:35] Please leave a review and Vicky and Joe would love to read it outloud on the show!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Website

Creative Book Coaching

Join Vicky's Power Hour

Join Vicky's Masterclass

Buy Vicky's Book

That's What She Said: Tales of Business Success from Women Just like You by Vicky Fraser & Audiobook

Join Vicky's Weird and Wonderful Writing Society

Banish the Blank Page of Doom Fast

Grab Vicky's Book Template Bundle

Come Join Vicky's Writing Challenge!

Moxiebooks.co.uk/calendar

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast

Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: [email protected]

Download Vicky's Advent Calendar