The Merry Writer Podcast

By Ari & RachelBusiness Entrepreneurship Education Arts Books

The Merry Writer Podcast episodes

September 17, 2025How Can You Make Your Characters Relatable? | Ep. 286 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
You can't please everyone, but your readers should be able to relate to some of your fictional babies. But how do you do that? Well, that's what we're discussing this week.
In this episode, we cover:
What "relatable characters" mean
How to develop your characters in a relatable way
Keeping track of your characters
Related Episode - How Do You Create Character Profiles?
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
23 min
September 10, 2025How Important Is Handwriting For Novel Writing? | Ep. 285 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Do you handwrite any of your novel? Maybe the outline? How about the notes? Do you do any handwriting, outside perhaps the odd birthday card? Well, in today's episode, we discuss why it might be a good idea to write by hand more often.
In this episode, we cover:
What the science says
Our thoughts on the growth of technology (yes, we went on tangents)
Suggestions for things to handwrite
Accessibility acknowledgement
and more
Source
Frontiers
National Library of Medicine
Springer Nature
BBC
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going, and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
24 min
September 03, 2025Who Is Liz Shipton? | Ep. 284 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
This week, we're back with another author interview! Liz Shipton, a speculative fiction author, joins us to discuss her work.
In this episode, we cover:
Liz's creative process
Themes she covers in her books
How she sells her books direct
and more!
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
ABOUT LIZ SHIPTON
Liz Shipton is a writer a fully off-grid liveaboard sailor. She's currently sailing around the world with her partner and her dog, turning her real-life adventures into speculative fiction. She's also known for her viral comedy videos on Booktok and Bookstagram.
Website | Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | YouTube | Threads
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
53 min
August 27, 2025What Is A Style Sheet And Why Do You Need One? | Ep. 283 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Today, we are looking at keeping consistent within our manuscripts, which is why we are all about Style Sheets
In this episode, we cover:
What is a style sheet?
Why is it used?
What can you add to your style sheet?
and more!
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take a moment to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are currently accepting submissions.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going, and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
35 min
August 20, 2025What Aesthetics Can You Create For Your WIP? | Ep. 282 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
We all need to procrastinate on our writing once in a while, so why not create fun aesthetics for your WIP? This week, we discuss cool things for you to make that your readers will most likely enjoy, too!
In this episode, we cover:
Types of aesthetics you can make
How you can make them
How (and where) you can use them
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
26 min
August 13, 2025How Do You Keep Your Creative Well? | Ep. 281 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Sometimes, even the most prolific writers feel themselves struggling with inspiration and ideas. So what can we do when our creative well runneth dry?
In this episode, we cover:
What is the creative well
What depletes the creative well
Some methods for refilling the well
and more!
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take a moment to review our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are currently accepting submissions
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going, and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
35 min
August 06, 2025Who Is LB Carter? | Ep. 280 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
This week, we interview author LB Carter on her and her work. She talks about her many works, themes in her books, and more.
In this episode, we cover:
LB's start with writing
Her writing process and routine
Advice on promoting your work
and more!
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
ABOUT LB Carter
L.B. Carter is a multi-award-winning, internationally bestselling author, dancer, scientist with a PhD in volcanoes, and cat-mom who loves hot chocolate, fairy lights, foxes, and morally gray characters. She writes a mix of haunting paranormal urban fantasy, gripping suspense, chilling mystery, and dark humor with a dash of light romance. Expect unique magical realism with lore twists told by quirky anti-heroes.
Website | Amazon | Goodreads | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Check out Body Snatcher
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
1 hr 2 min
July 30, 2025Is Writing Daily A Good Habit? | Ep. 279 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
We're back with another mini writing challenge. We've all heard the advice about the importance of writing daily. So, we decided we would take 30 days and writing every day.
In this episode, we cover:
How we had thought it would go
Discussing weeks 1-5
What we learnt from this challenge
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going, and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
29 min
July 23, 2025How Do You Create A Book Press Release? | Ep. 278 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Recently, we discussed creating an author media kit. To go along with that, we thought it'd be a good idea to discuss book press releases. This week, we're talking about how to create one for your latest release.
In this episode, we cover:
What a book press release is
Why you should have one
What to include in your press release
Where (and how) to share it
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
20 min
July 16, 2025Do You Need A Time Budget? | Ep. 277 | The Merry Writer Podcast
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
We are back to talking about Productivity as we look at ways to find more time to write. We could all use more time, right? So, today we are discussing the benefits of a Time Budget.
In this episode, we cover:
What a time budget is
How long to track your time
Tracking your energy
The importance of rest time and wiggle room
and more!
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going, and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
19 min