A long writing session may sound tantalising, like the “perfect” time for writing. But there is no perfect time to write, and the very idea keeps us from making progress. In fact, it can even send us down the rabbit hole of creative anxiety. 

But Short Time writing sessions are our friend—they allow us to stay consistent and connected to our work. All we have to do is find the time, which is easier than you might think! 

When we’re looking for a new writing project, it might crop up in an unexpected place. At least, that’s what Rona Maynard discovered. 

She needed a new writing project after leaving behind her role as an editor with a major women's magazine, and she found her inspiration through fresh eyes after adopting her dog, Casey.  But Rona didn’t realize she'd found her new project, or even that it was a memoir in essays, until much, much later. After all, who would start writing a memoir through Facebook posts?

You might want an MFA, but is attending an MFA program right for you? 

They aren’t for everyone, and for some, programs aren’t even accessible with barriers like location, cost, and regular life responsibilities getting in the way. 

But Gabriela Pereira has the solution. She’s the founder of DIY MFA—born from her love of attending an MFA program herself and recognizing these barriers—the MFA for those who aren’t served by the traditional MFA system. 

Inspiration can come from many places, but what really matters is how we writers choose to use it. 

Take Anita Lahey, poet and nonfiction writer, who let her inspiration drive her poetry to new heights. And this led her to co-create a new project, FIRE MONSTER, one unlike anything she’d previously done: a graphic novel in verse, created in collaboration with an artist/illustrator. 

Remember, there is so much more to writing than just what words we are able to put on the page.

Some stories come along and take us over. It feels like we're compelled to write them, almost as if we had no choice. Historical fiction can have that sense of urgency for some writers, and because the historical reality comes with such high stakes -- as in the case of the Second World War, for example -- these stories also make for fabulous novels.

This week on The Resilient Writers Radio Show, award-winning author Natalie Morrill takes us behind the scenes in writing historical fiction. We talk research, knowing when it's your story to write, sensitivity readers and more!

Feedback is a great writing tool—if you get it at the right time. Writers have a bad habit of asking for feedback way too early in the first draft process, when often they’re not really looking for feedback, but something else entirely...

But this is something we can avoid, as Rhonda Douglas tells us in this Episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show. All it takes is knowing when you’re actually ready for feedback, and what kind of feedback you might actually find most useful.

Self-publishing gives us a lot of freedom, but it also means we have a lot of learning to do. Especially when it comes to marketing our own books. 

In today’s internet age, we can reach countless people. But how do we reach the ones who want to buy our books? Shelby Leigh, book marketing strategist, has the answer, and all the tips you need to use TikTok (BookTok) to get your story the attention it deserves. Shelby is a bestselling poet, so she definitely knows whereof she speaks! (For those in The Writer's Flow Studio, Shelby's also our Visiting Writer for August 2023!)

If you knew your writing personality, it would make developing a writing routine a lot easier. And thanks to Brooke Adams Law of We Are Writing Brave, you can learn your writing personality through a simple quiz.

Besides writing routine know-how, Brooke also has a wealth of knowledge on hybrid publishing. As a book coach, Brooke was introduced to the world of hybrid publishing thanks to a question posed by a client—which led her to become a publisher herself. She shares her journey with us in this episode.

Tempted as you may be to break the mould, sometimes sticking with the classics is the way to go. Specifically in today’s episode of The Resilient Writers Radio Show, we’re talking about a classic story structure—the essential three act structure.

In this first episode of Season 2, Rhonda Douglas explains in some detail how the three act structure works, and how it helps with everything from plots to scenes to helping us avoid a passive protagonist. Readers love a story that wraps up neatly, and we can use the structure to ensure we don’t leave important threads hanging. 

Thanks for being with us for Season 1 of The Resilient Writers Radio Show! We've loved being on this journey with you and hope you have enjoyed it too.

We're now preparing Season 2 for you which will air in early July 2023. So stay tuned! And if you haven't yet written a review, would you take a second and do that now? Thank you! And we'll talk again soon.