Patience is linked to perseverance, well-being, and creativity--all things writers need to successfully write and publish without compromising their mental health. Tune in to learn how you can build your patience levels to keep creating amidst the uncertainty of a writing life.

For more on the the writing craft and crafting a writer's life join Polly and the Simply Write Community at https://simplywrite.substack.com

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J.F. Penn, the award-winning author of Blood Vintage and other books and podcaster at The Creative Penn, kicks off Simply Write's third season with a great conversation about "flipping the script" and allowing your creativity and writing to evolve as your interests grow and change. After creating an extensive nonfiction library for writers, J.F. Penn is now focused on writing edgier, darker fiction and nonfiction that explores the psychology of religion and other topics. In this episode she explains how and why she shifted her writing and publishing focus and why she's having so much fun. She also explains why writers shouldn't fear AI but learn how to use those tools to enhance their work.

Learn more about J.F. Penn and find her books at https://JFPenn.com

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In nonfiction essays, memoirs, and other forms, you've got to stick to the truth and discover the real-life characters in the story you are telling. But whether that's you, someone you are profiling, or a person in a service piece you encountered, it's up to you to observe their unique behaviors, details, and traits to create layered characters that readers care about and relate to. Characters are what drive the story and connect readers. In this episode, we talk about how to reveal authentic characters in your nonfiction.

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Ghostwriter Maggie Mills has written books for celebrities, athletes, preachers, and scores of other people who have overcome challenges, built businesses, survived mental illness, and have other incredible stories to tell. She's driven by curiosity, the desire to tell interesting stories, and make a living. In this far-reaching episode, she fills us in on the nuts and bolts that she uses to fulfill all of those things through her work as an in-demand ghostwriter. And she offers tips for how we can do it too.

Find Maggie Mills at maggiemills.com and don't forget to say Simply Write w/Polly Campbell sent you.

And join our Simply Write community at https://simplywrite.substack.com and become a paid subscriber to access our upcoming popup class Master the Techniques of Writing Better Nonfiction, on Oct. 25 at 10 a.m.

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Rough drafts can help us clarify our ideas and structure, build momentum, expand our creative process, and develop new and innovative ideas in our work, but only if we can allow ourselves to abandon the drive for perfection and write freely. In this episode I share some ways to do it and why we must give ourselves permission to write trash. Only then, do we have the materials on the page that we need to create art.

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Veronica Llorca Smith, author of The Lemon Tree Mindset talks about how to grow your writer's brand and business so you can amplify your voice, build your ecosystem, and build your reach. This is a way not only to reach more readers but also to develop a platform that will help you create more publication opportunities. To start developing your writer's brand, consider what you want to be known for and listen to this podcast. You aren't selling only your book or newsletter, you are also selling yourself. An authentic brand helps you do that. Listen to this episode to learn how to start.

Contact Veronica Llorca Smith and learn more about The Lemon Tree Mindset here: https://veronicallorcasmith.com

Join Polly and the Simply Write community at https:simplywrite.substack.com where paid subscribers get full articles and archives, access to pop-up classes at discounted rates

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Creating a sustainable writing practice is as much about mindset as it is about marketing and craft. Beat yourself up and you're likely to experience creative blocks and even more self-doubt. Self-compassion is actually a way through those blocks and bad feelings. In today's episode, I'll explain why it's so helpful to writers and how you can develop your own more self-compassionate approach. It won't make you soft, it will make you better.

For more, join our Simply Write community at https://simplywrite.substack.com for early-bird class discounts, feedback on your work, and essays, and encouragement.

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Michael Hearns, an author, retired police, detective, and undercover agent who investigated drug cartels, money laundering networks, homicides, and other crimes in the shadows of sunny South Florida talks about the real-life details he writes into his detective fiction so that his novels feel authentic. He calls this genre of gritty realism Dark Tropics and says writing characters with emotional depth and getting the details accurate from street names to menu items are essential to respecting the readers and keeping them engaged.

Find more about Michael at MichaelHearns.com

Join our Simply Write community, at https://simplywrite.substack.com, for more on the writing craft and crafting a writer's life.

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Whether you want to publish a novel or nonfiction book, essay, or article, you will need a query letter to sell your idea and yourself to agents and editors. In this episode, we cover the things that need to be in that letter as well as a couple of tips that can help you sell your work.

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Dianne Pearce loves reading so much that it seems natural that she would become a writer and publisher. Now as the founder of Current Words, an indie publisher, she has some suggestions for authors to keep in mind if they truly want to publish and release their work.

For more on Dianne Pearce and Current Words, https://currentwords.com

For more on the writing craft and crafting a writer's life, join our Simply Write community at https://simplywrite.substack.com.

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