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.

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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

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.

***

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.

***

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’ve spent any time writing fiction, you might be laughing at the idea of it being effortless. 

After all, there is: 

Writer’s block.
The struggle to find the right words.
The frustration of making stories come alive.

Fiction writing is hard, right?

That’s the perception I had—until I came across the book Effortless by Greg McKeown. His ideas challenged me. Could writing really feel less like a battle?

To be clear: effortless doesn’t mean easy or lazy. But too often, we make fiction writing harder than it needs to be.

In my latest podcast episode, I dive into this wild concept: What if fiction writing could actually feel... effortless?

Let’s rethink the struggle.

***

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

I want to start off with acknowledging that you may not be a morning person. That's okay! When I read the book, "Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod, he shared that some 75% of his readers come into his book as declared not-morning people. That changes for them once they read this book.

While I’m not here to convince you to become a morning person, I can say that developing a solid morning routine - after spending my teen and young adult years without one - has changed my life.

Wherever you land on the spectrum of being a morning, afternoon, or evening person, I hope that sharing the details of my morning routine with you is enlightening and encouraging.

If you are ready to rethink your mornings, I encourage you to listen in for practical tips and insights. 

Don't forget to check out my "Morning Pages Mini Course," which equips you with one of my favorite tools for a powerful start to the day!

You can enroll in my "Morning Pages Mini Course" at fictioncourses.com/morningpages. Use the coupon code "ConfidentMorning" to get it for just $9 (regular price $49. Ends March 17, 2025)

***

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

Time for a deep breath. Then come in close, my friend. 

The past few weeks on The Confident Fiction Author podcast, we've talked a lot about decluttering your life to make room for creativity, and flat-out quitting on projects because you may be approaching burnout.

But today, I'm tackling one of the most difficult conversations we can have as authors. It all starts with a question you may be asking right now:

"What should I do if I feel like quitting fiction writing altogether?"

This may be the hardest question you ever ask of your career. So we are going to ask it together so you can decide what's right for you.

If this is where you are at, if you are dealing with burnout and discouragement, I know you’re hoping for a solution or secret to love writing again. My goal is that you will find that solution by the end of this episode, like why and how to take a sabbatical from fiction writing before you make your final decision.

Know you are not alone. I’m sharing from my personal experiences, and many authors are hitting this point. It’s my hope this episode will guide you to the right answer to this difficult question.

***

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

Have you heard the saying, "Mama didn't raise no quitter?" 

I think we all grow up hearing, “Don’t be a quitter!” But what if there were times and circumstances when quitting was a good thing? 

The truth is, you most likely have too much on your plate. But "quitting” a project takes courage. 

I’m going to give you tools you can use to decide when it's time to quit and how to do it in the right way.

In this episode, I cover:

- How to change your mindset about quitting 

- How to handle the fear of letting others down

- How to eliminate a commitment in a positive way

Living your most confident writing life means knowing when to quit—and how to quit.

Listen to this week's episode as I take you into how to be a confident quitter while still honoring others. 

***

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 a world of information overload and analysis paralysis, what if I told you there was a formula to help you decide which things were most worth your time? 

I’ve said it before: creative confidence starts with clarity. But how can you find clarity, especially when evaluating your time? 

Today I’m going to share a remarkable tool for evaluating anything - from time to energy to the money you invest in your author career. Unlocking this tool will change the way you understand your own efforts.

In this episode, I go into:

√ What is the 80/20 rule or “Pareto principal”? (Don't worry, this isn't a math lesson!)

√ How to apply the 80/20 rule to your writing life: habits, investments (time, energy, and money), choosing what to write next.

√ Applying the 80/20 rule in reverse. Use this trick to determine your top 20%.

Listen now to learn how to apply this formula to your author career!

***

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