Hey there! I had big dreams of doing freelance work full-time so I can quit my old job.  Well, thanks to a pandemic, it went on hold. Why? Part of it was uncertainty, another part was I went to WFH and I had less time to work on freelancing. I was super stressed about all of that, then another job came along and I'm super happy. That also meant I had to learn new things, and freelancing was nonexistent.

If you feel that way, don’t feel bad. In this episode, I’m encouraging you to be positive, even if you didn’t hit a freelance goal this year. I want us to look forward and make SMART goals for 2021. That’s Smart, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant (lol I said reasonable in the clip, just go with it), and Time-Specific. It’s less than 15 minutes of a virtual hug and prepping for the new year now.

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If you liked this episode, please give it a review on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, and now Amazon Podcasts! I wanna reach as many listeners as I can!

Where I hang on the internet:

 [Pen to the Paper]

Email: [[email protected]] | Instagram: [pentothepaper81] | Twitter: [pentothepaper]

Music: "Werq" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Today I’m looking back at my novel writing progress in 2020.

And there was hardly any.

It was really tough for me to do any writing, and you know what? Instead of beating myself up about it, I am making a few changes so I can complete it in 2021.

And if you’re feeling like you didn’t accomplish your novel writing goals, then listen to how you can also get ready for the new year.

Sign up and get free goodies! 

If you liked this episode, please give it a review on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, and now Amazon Podcasts! I wanna reach as many listeners as I can!

Where I hang on the internet:

[Pen to the Paper]

Email: [[email protected]] | Instagram: [pentothepaper81] | Twitter: [pentothepaper]

Music: "Werq" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Whoo hoo! We are almost done with 2020! I tell ya, it’s been a hell of a ride!

Before we dive into 2021, I wanted to take a look back at 2020 for Pen to the Paper. This week, I go over my website, podcast, and social media stats. What I liked, what needed to be improved, and what you can expect from me in the new year.

And I’d love to know your writing plans for 2021, so let me know on social media! Just click either the Instagram or Twitter links below, and send me a message!

Sign up and get free goodies! 

If you liked this episode, please give it a review on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, and now Amazon Podcasts! I wanna reach as many listeners as I can!

Where I hang on the internet:

 [Pen to the Paper]

Email: [[email protected]] | Instagram: [pentothepaper81] | Twitter: [pentothepaper]

Music: "Werq" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

You guys, I’m excited. I have my first guest on the podcast, and it’s the lovely and talented XIMXIA!

While I’ve listened to (almost) any genre of music, I didn’t know much about electro pop.

By chance, I read about XIMXIA (pronounced shem-shee-ya) on matchmaker.fm, a site that connects podcasters to guests. After hearing “Anywhere But Here” a bajillion times, I totally needed to have her on the pod.

Technical glitches aside (because Dumpster Fire 2020), this episode digs into the process she goes through to keep her pen to the paper. I found out it’s similar to a novel writer!

She also goes into how to find the groove when writing a song, the benefits of writing solo vs. a group, and thoughts on the music industry and female songwriters, and much more. 

I had so much fun doing this! Also, I just said whatevs and jumped right in without any intro (LOL), so I added it here.

She is such a breeze to talk to! I literally wanted to talk for hours and hours about writing and life. I hope to have her back again!

Be sure to check out her new song and video “Anywhere But Here,” which is linked below!

Listen to “Anywhere But Here” on Spotify!

Follow XIMXIA on Instagram!

I've got a products page! check it out!

If you liked this episode, please give it a review on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, and now Amazon Podcasts! I wanna reach as many listeners as I can!

Where I hang on the internet: 

[Pen to the Paper]

Email: [[email protected]] | Instagram: [pentothepaper81] | Twitter: [pentothepaper]

Music: "Werq" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

This might be the shortest episode of this (short) podcast history, but it is the most impactful: do not edit while you’re writing. 

You’re going to lose your groove, and may also want to redo your WIP (work in progress). Don’t lose your momentum!

Listen to me remind you about that for the first half, and get details about products I have on my website to motivate you and help you create a website. 

I've got a products page! check it out!

If you liked this episode, please give it a review on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Amazon Podcasts! I wanna reach as many listeners as I can!

Where I hang on the internet: 

[Pen to the Paper]

Email: [[email protected]] | Instagram: [pentothepaper81] | Twitter: [pentothepaper]

Music: "Werq" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Hello again! We’re almost done with 2020! Can you believe it!

November is also National Novel Writing Month, AKA NaNoWriMo. This is where writers sprint to write a novel in 30 days.

Whether you’re doing that challenge, or reaching any other goal, fear will creep up and try to stop you.

But, instead of ignoring it, what if you acknowledged it?

I’m giving you a couple reasons why you should in this episode.

I've got a products page! check it out!

If you liked this episode, please give it a review on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Amazon Podcasts! I wanna reach as many listeners as I can!

Where I hang on the internet:

 [Pen to the Paper]

Email: [[email protected]] | Instagram: [pentothepaper81] | Twitter: [pentothepaper]

Music: "Werq" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Hello there! We are closing in on the end of October, and in this episode, I’m giving you reasons why you should add a journaling practice if you are freelancing or novel writing.

It’s important to set goals when you’re writing, but there’s an added benefit of journaling about your progress. You see how far you’ve come, and what you did to overcome any obstacles. 

Check out my NEW products page!

If you liked this episode, please give it a review on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, and now Amazon Podcasts! I wanna reach as many listeners as I can!

Where I hang on the internet:

[Pen to the Paper]

Email: [[email protected]] | Instagram: [pentothepaper81] | Twitter: [pentothepaper]

Music: "Werq" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Hey there!

So I’ve been telling you about the best journaling techniques and how they help you become a better writer.

In today’s podcast, I’m going to tell you why I started journaling and how it has not only helped me expand my writing, but also helped me mentally. It’s a little deep but so worth it. 

If you liked this episode, please give it a review on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, and now Amazon Podcasts! I wanna reach as many listeners as I can!

Where I hang on the internet:

[Pen to the Paper]

Email: [[email protected]] | Instagram: [pentothepaper81] | Twitter: [pentothepaper]

Music: "Werq" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Hey there! I know you wanna get started on a journaling practice, and that’s great!

But you think you’re short on time, and wanna use your computer to write your thoughts down. I gotta stop you there.

Using an actual pen and paper to journal forces you to slow down with your thoughts, and you process them better. This quick episode is me stating my case on writing in a journal.

If you liked this episode, please give it a review on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, and now Amazon Podcasts! I wanna reach as many listeners as I can!

Where I hang on the internet:

[Pen to the Paper]

Email: [[email protected]] | Instagram: [pentothepaper81] | Twitter: [pentothepaper]

Music: "Werq" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Hello lovelies! Do you journal? Or would you rather not take the time to write your thoughts out?

Let me tell you: journaling has a lot of benefits. You feel better getting things out, and it helps you get into a writing habit.

But, what if you're not the "dear diary" type who doesn't have the time to write paragraph after paragraph?

Not to worry!

In this episode, I give you different techniques you can use to start a journal practice. And you can do this 5 minutes a day!

Give one (or all) of these a try, and do them everyday. 

If you liked this episode, please give it a review on iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, and now Amazon Podcasts! I wanna reach as many listeners as I can!

Where I hang on the internet:

 [Pen to the Paper]

Email: [[email protected]] | Instagram: [pentothepaper81] | Twitter: [pentothepaper]

Music: "Werq" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License