Have you ever met a fan of your work and walked away wondering… Was I a letdown?

I’ve been there (more than once). It’s a weird space to navigate. As fiction authors, we pour years of emotion, imagination, and experience into our books. Readers get to know us across thousands of words. And yet, when they finally meet us in person, we’re just… human.

That brief moment can never live up to the world we've created on the page. And that can feel awkward, even disheartening.

In this week’s podcast episode, “Managing Reader Expectations: What Every Author Should Know,” I share some simple ways you can handle those moments with confidence and grace.

These moments don’t have to shake your confidence. You can use them as an opportunity to make your reader’s day.

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Free resources for you:

The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit

Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation

Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide

5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

If you’re a fiction author who hasn’t felt like a reader in a while… you’re not alone.

Between writing deadlines, life demands, and constant distractions, it’s easy to fall out of the habit of reading for joy. But if you want to write powerful fiction, you need to feed your creative well.

In this week's podcast episode, I walk you through simple, doable ways to fall back in love with reading—even if it’s been a while:

📖 Choose the Format That Works for You – Audiobooks, eBooks, paperbacks—it all counts.
🗓️ Add Reading to Your Schedule – What gets scheduled gets done.
📊 Track the Number of Books You Read – Yes, watching your progress is motivating.
🏕️ Plan a Reading Retreat – Whether it’s a weekend getaway or a cozy corner at home, unplug and get lost in stories.

The goal isn’t to add pressure—it’s to bring back the joy of being a reader first, writer second.

If you’ve been craving that deep-in-a-book feeling again, this episode is your invitation.

Your best writing starts with inspired reading.

Let’s get you back to it!

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Free resources for you:

The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit

Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation

Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide

5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

Let’s face it: crisis doesn’t knock—it crashes in.

Maybe it's a family emergency, a health scare, or some other chaos that pulls you away from your writing desk. I’ve been there recently—seven intense weeks deep after a car accident—and I finally feel like I’m coming up for air with my fiction writing.

In this week’s podcast episode, “How to Make Mental Adjustments in a Crisis to Keep Writing (Part 2),” I’m sharing three real-world ways to keep writing even in the middle of a crisis.

These strategies aren’t abstract mindset shifts—they’re tangible actions that helped me publish Book 5 in my Choctaw Tribune series… from my cousin’s hospital room.

Here’s what we cover:
✅ Crisis Packing: What to grab so you can write anywhere—yes, your phone counts.
✅ Making Notes: How to capture thoughts and emotions in the thick of it.
✅ Giving Yourself Grace: This is a season—and you will come through it.

Plus, I’ll show you how simple tools like a spiral notebook, earbuds, or a printed outline can keep your creativity alive when life feels like it’s falling apart.
We may not choose the timing of a crisis—but we can choose how we stay connected to our creative selves.

You’ve got this. 💛

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Free resources for you:

The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit

Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation

Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide

5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

Most authors are concerned about getting it wrong when writing about other cultures or anything they've not personally experienced, including disabilities and traumas.

When it comes to cultural differences especially, many authors are feeling the pressure to hire a sensitivity reader.

But should you?

That's the question I'm going to answer in this episode, because I get this question quite a bit.

I teach authors how to accurately and respectfully include Native American characters in their stories through my digital course, Fiction Writing: American Indians. I’ve even been asked by authors if I would be a sensitivity reader for their work.

In this episode, I’m going to get into why I'm not a sensitivity reader for hire, along with the pros and cons of hiring sensitivity readers, and what to do if you do decide that hiring a sensitivity reader is the route you need to go.

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Free resources for you:

The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit

Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation

Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide

5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

There’s a candle on my stove that I once treated like treasure. I’d light it only on “special” days—afraid that once I'd burned it down, I'd lose that treasure.

One day, I realized something simple but powerful:

I could burn the candle, enjoy it fully, and then… buy another one.

There is no shortage of lovely candles, but I was subconsciously stuck in thinking that I needed to be careful not to burn through that one too fast.

That’s what a scarcity mindset looks like.

And you know what? It shows up in our writing lives, too—especially when it comes to story ideas.

Maybe you’ve clung to your first novel a little too long, polishing and perfecting out of fear that this might be the only good idea you’ll ever have.

But what if that’s not true? What if your creativity is renewable—like candles on a shelf, waiting to be chosen?

In today’s podcast episode, I’m exploring the difference between scarcity and abundance thinking when it comes to your stories. You’ll hear:

• How to build confidence that new ideas will come
• Why you shouldn't "fear the world too much" ("A Christmas Carol")
• 3 actionable ways to cultivate an open, idea-rich mindset

And if you already do have too many ideas? This episode will help you write those stories in ways that feel fresh, inspired, and doable.

Listen to this week's episode and let’s burn the candle, yes?

***

Free resources for you:

The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit

Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation

Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide

5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

If you're a regular listener of my podcast, you know I love to dictate my fiction, and you know I love to teach my fellow authors how.

And that's the key.

I heard so many authors gush about the huge wordcounts they were racking up simply by speaking their words. They were doing it while out on hikes or loading groceries into their car.

It sounded like the coolest thing, but every time I heard a story and tried to dictate fiction, I failed.

Fast forward years later, and I was finally able to train myself to dictate my fiction. I made the decision to start teaching authors how to dictate fiction after I was on a podcast and being questioned about my process. I realized I had learned so much that would shortcut the learning period for my fellow authors that I decided I should start sharing that knowledge in detail.

In this week’s episode of the Confident Fiction Author podcast, I'm unveiling my methods of dictating fiction so you can take the first steps toward doing it yourself.

This is a powerful episode. I can say that with confidence because of a fellow author, Anna, who is now doing my podcast episodes. After editing this one, she dictated for the first time and garnered 1,100 words...more fiction than she'd written all year!

A caution: While I was super excited to hear of Anna's success, you should know that it takes time and training to fully make the shift from typing to dictating your fiction. 

That's why Anna is joining my Dictation Bootcamp for Authors that kicks off Tuesday, April 29, 2025!

There is much more for her to learn, and the same will be true for you after you listen to this episode. So I hope you'll join Anna and me in the bootcamp.

Registration is now live. Enroll for just $37: https://www.fictioncourses.com/dictationbootcamp

***

Free resources for you:

The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit

Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation

Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide

5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

In January of this year, I flew an airplane. As in, a real airplane.

How?

Because I was able to borrow a skilled pilot’s confidence.

And I needed to borrow it, because I had no confidence in my ability to even try (I know, because this was a second-chance for me to be daring!).

I wouldn’t have even tried, except for one thing:

The pilot was confident I could do it with his instructions.

So I borrowed that confidence and flew the plane.

That experience stuck with me, because so many times in the writing life, we feel unsure. Stuck. Unqualified. But you don’t have to do it alone.

You can borrow someone else’s confidence until you build your own.

In this week’s episode of the Confident Fiction Author podcast, I go into 4 powerful ways you can borrow confidence as a fiction author through:

📚 Craft books

🧠 Writing mentors

🎓 Digital courses

🗣️ Live coaching

Listen to this week’s episode to hear the story of what it was like to fly a small plane through borrowing the pilot’s confidence, and how you can borrow confidence from fellow fiction authors until you build your own.

***

Free resources for you:

The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit

Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation

Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide

5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

Are health issues holding you back from living your best creative lifestyle?

When I first started teaching authors how to dictate their novels, I thought the main reason authors would want to learn dictation would be to write faster. 

But now, after teaching dictation to thousands of authors, I’ve discovered that writing faster is taking a backseat as the number one reason authors want to dictate. 

More and more, authors are turning to dictation because of health struggles—chronic pain, repetitive strain injuries, even fatigue from long writing sessions.

This week on the Confident Fiction Author podcast, I’m diving into three essential ways to protect your physical health as an author.

While this episode isn't all about dictation, the conversations I've had and the health conditions I see authors coping with inspired me to tackle methods you can use to take care of your physical health.

Whether you are currently dealing with health issues that are preventing you from living your best creative lifestyle or you're looking for prevention, this episode will help you stay creative and keep writing for years to come.

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Free resources for you:

The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit

Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation

Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide

5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

Remember the days when places of business were closed on Sundays? That was in my lifetime. In the days before pay at the pump when you had better make sure your tank was on full Saturday because the gas stations were closed on Sundays.

Even now in the small country town where I live, some businesses are closed on Sunday, including the hardware store and even restaurants. 

Sunday was once that standard day every week when, as a society, we truly rested. We enjoyed a quiet walk, a mid-afternoon nap. Just not do much of anything, like the country music song says in “What I Love about Sundays.”

Are we better or worse for not taking every Sunday off to rest our bodies and our brains?

In this week’s podcast episode, we’ll explore the answer to that question together. I cover how rest makes us more creative, then I get specific with solutions for how you, as an author, can get rest in a non-stop world. 

Here’s to recapturing a little more Sundays in your life so you can live your best creative lifestyle!

***

Free resources for you:

The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit

Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation

Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide

5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

Be honest—when was the last time you updated your author headshot? If the answer is “I don’t remember” or “I had bangs back then,” it’s probably time for a refresh.

As fiction authors, we want to show up with confidence—whether it’s for a book launch, podcast feature, or guest blog post. But if your only headshot is a blurry crop from a family reunion, you’re probably cringing every time someone asks for one.

Spring is the perfect time to fix that! 🌸

But if you’re like me, getting your picture taken isn’t exactly your idea of fun. (I procrastinated ten years between author headshots—yes, really.) But just like we talked about in Episode #21 of The Confident Fiction Author podcast, making things effortless is key to getting them done.

That's what this week's episode is all about! Listen to learn how you can prepare for a successful photoshoot and get some fresh, professional shots that reflect the amazing author you are.

And then, next time someone asks, “Can you send your headshot?” instead of cringing, you’ll get to send it over to them with confidence.

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Free resources for you:

The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit

Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation

Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide

5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes