The Word Weaver Podcast

Show Notes

It was an honour to speak with the talented, thoughtful, and truly lovely Emma Knight, author of the buzzy debut, THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE COMMON OCTOPUS (just announced as Read With Jenna’s first book club pick of 2025). A Toronto-based writer and co-founder of Greenhouse Juice (with two cookbooks under her belt), Emma’s debut novel takes place in Scotland, where Penelope Winters navigates her first year at Edinburgh University while untangling a family mystery. Striking every chord I love in a good book — coming-of-age, friendship, motherhood, romance, and intrigue — plus the introspection that comes with finding ourselves while unearthing the past lives of those who came before us — I think you’ll adore this one, too (trust 🤝)

We chat about everything from the publication process, to the imaginary characters living rent-free in our heads, to the advice she gave her daughters on what constitutes a good life: “choose something you always want to get better at and something that makes you feel like yourself.” Putting her own words into action, she finally plucked up the courage to put pen to paper and follow her dream of becoming a published author.

Emma is, without a doubt, a writer to watch 🐙🖋️🫶

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus is available for pre-order now and will be out on January 7, 2025 (CAN/U.S.) and April 2025 in the U.K.

CONNECT WITH EMMA

Instagram: @emma.knightwrites

Buy the Book:THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE COMMON OCTOPUS

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast/emmaknight

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

🎧 Listen on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes, Spotify,YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave a review, and share with your friends, family, and on social media, as it helps more people find out about the Word Weaver! I appreciate it so much. ☺️

Show Notes

In today's episode of the Word Weaver Podcast, I share the ONE THING you can do RIGHT NOW to start achieving your wildest writing dreams and become the successful published author you've always wanted to be. Becoming your future self involves the law of attraction, manifestation, and visualization, but the 'Act As If' technique goes a step further and puts those thoughts into action. This cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) strategy is backed by science and allows you to tap into the mindset and behaviours of the person you aspire to be, even when imposter syndrome or self-doubt strikes. You have to BE in order to BECOME.

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

🎧 Listen on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes, Spotify, and now on YouTube

🆕 NEW episodes weekly

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the #WordWeaverPodcast with your friends, family, and on social media, as it helps more people find out about it! I appreciate it so much. ☺️

Show Notes

On today’s episode of the Word Weaver, I’m joined by New Orleans author Marguerite Sheffer, winner (!!!) of the Iowa Short Fiction Award, for her debut short story collection, The Man in the Banana Trees. The 18 works of speculative fiction veer toward the weird and whimsical and have already garnered Marguerite comparisons to George Saunders and Claire Keegan for the playfulness and precision of her prose, as well as her use of metaphor. In one story we meet an ice cream consultant in 2036 who predicts a devastating flavor trend, while in “Rickey” a high school counselor works with a troubled student who happens to be an anthropomorphic felt puppet.

Marguerite’s foundations are in academia, as both a student (she holds an MFA and BA in English/Creative Writing) and as a teacher (she taught AP English to high schoolers for nearly a decade prior to becoming a Professor of Practice at Tulane University).

There are so many nuggets of writing wisdom dropped throughout our conversation as we chat about everything from how to handle endless rejections as an emerging writer, to how to stop feeling selfish for prioritizing your writing practice (or at least try…).

You also will likely be inspired to re-watch Cool Runnings, add New Orleans to your bookshop bucket list, and treat yourself to some new writing notebooks and Pilot P-700 pens.

CONNECT WITH MARGUERITE SHEFFER

Website: margueritesheffer.com

Instagram: @mlensheffer

Bluesky: @mlensheffer

Buy the Book: 📖 THE MAN IN THE BANANA TREES

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

🎧 Listen on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes, Spotify, and now on YouTube

🆕 NEW episodes weekly

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the #WordWeaverPodcast with your friends, family, and on social media, as it helps more people find out about it! I appreciate it so much. ☺️

Show Notes

In the latest episode of the Word Weaver, I share my top five productivity tips and tricks to help you become a more efficient writer. From the pomodoro technique to eat the frog to the eisenhower matrix to the 3-3-3 method to learning how to say no…there is a lot to unpack, but these tried and true hacks will no doubt help you to get out of your head, stop procrastinating, and motivate you to write the book you've always dreamed of writing!

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

NEW episodes weekly every Word Weaver Wednesday. Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes, Spotify, and now on YouTube.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the #WordWeaverPodcast with your friends, family, and social media, as it helps more people find out about it! I appreciate it so much.

Show Notes

Honduran-Canadian Author Anna Julia Stainsby joins me on the pod to discuss her debut novel, THE AFTERPAINS, a tender and heartbreaking portrait of two families coping with grief, isolation, and the generational, multi-facets of motherhood.

Stainsby shares how her manuscript, which began as a university thesis (largely written during lockdown), ultimately landed her her dream literary agent, publisher, and became long-listed for the Toronto Book Award.

We also touch on magical realism, if the generational curse she writes about is fact or folklore from her ancestry, having triple threat pen names, and how play (be it in the drafting or when taking author photos) is an important part of the writing process.

Don’t miss her favourite local haunts (including Toronto bookshops and watering holes) at the end of the episode.

CONNECT WITH ANNA JULIA STAINSBY

Website: ajstainsby.com

Instagram: @ajstainsby

Substack: The Neophyte Newsletter

Her Book: 📖 THE AFTERPAINS

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

🎧 Listen on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes, Spotify, and now on YouTube

🆕 NEW episodes weekly

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the #WordWeaverPodcast with your friends, family, and on social media, as it helps more people find out about it! I appreciate it so much.

Show Notes

This week's episode is coming to you live from Lisbon, Portugal where I dish on all things Bookshop Bucket List, including an exclusive teaser…

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

NEW episodes weekly every Word Weaver Wednesday. Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes, Spotify, and now on YouTube.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the #WordWeaverPodcast with your friends, family, and social media, as it helps more people find out about it! I appreciate it so much.

Show Notes

One of my favourite conversations to date! I adore Chelsea Bieker and her latest bestseller, MADWOMAN, is a masterpiece. Praised by the New York Times as a “brilliant depiction of the long shadows cast by domestic violence,” her new novel, which was selected as a Book of the Month and Indie Next pick — despite being a work of fiction (think: propulsive, darkly funny, page-turner) touches on Chelsea’s own turbulent childhood growing up amidst addiction and abuse, dealing with post weaning mood disorder, and how the pursuit of wellness became a subconscious survival mechanism. “Grocery is the opposite of violence,” as her protagonist, Clove, says.

In our chat, we cover everything from: how to encode the DNA of your book into a provocative first line, motherhood and identity, how to protect your mental health while revisiting memories — plus, what it means to ‘live well,’ how to make the best matcha latte, and why short kings and hot rodent men are having a moment.

CONNECT WITH CHELSEA

Website: chelseabieker.com

Instagram: @chelseabieker

Substack: Make Up Your Life

Buy Her Books:

📖 MADWOMAN (2024)

📖 HEARTBROKE (2022)

📖 GODSHOT (2020)

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

🎧 Listen on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes, Spotify, and now on YouTube

🆕 NEW episodes weekly

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the #WordWeaverPodcast with your friends, family, and on social media, as it helps more people find out about it! I appreciate it so much. ☺️

Show Notes

In this episode of the Word Weaver Podcast, I'm sharing the secret sauce to writing success (and no, it doesn't involve cooking pasta! lol) Tune in for the three key traits that I believe every aspiring author needs to cultivate to unleash your creativity and build a long-lasting, fulfilling career as a writer. ✍️✨

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

NEW episodes weekly every Word Weaver Wednesday. Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes, Spotify, and now on YouTube.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the #WordWeaverPodcast with your friends, family, and social media, as it helps more people find out about it! I appreciate it so much.

Show Notes

Join me for a candid chat with author Charlene Carr on self vs. traditional publishing, how her 10th book made it big, the mindset shift you need while querying literary agents, managing impostor syndrome, juggling motherhood and writing, maintaining your mental health while writing about deeply personal topics, and the shifting goalposts of success.

connect with charlene

Website: charlenecarr.com

Instagram: @charlenecarrauthor

Books:

WE RIP THE WORLD APART

HOLD MY GIRL

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

NEW episodes weekly every Word Weaver Wednesday. Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes, Spotify, and now on YouTube.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the #WordWeaverPodcast with your friends, family, and social media, as it helps more people find out about it! I appreciate it so much.

Show Notes

In this episode, I dive into the essential steps for crafting your perfect solo writing retreat. Whether you're seeking solitude to brainstorm a new project or looking to complete a draft, I cover how to choose the right location, set achievable goals, and create a distraction-free environment. Join me as I share my tried and true tips on scheduling, packing essentials, and maximizing your writing time, ensuring you leave your retreat inspired and accomplished. Tune in for practical advice and motivational insights to help you make the most of your writing escape!

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

NEW episodes weekly every Word Weaver Wednesday. Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes, Spotify, and now on YouTube.

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the #WordWeaverPodcast with your friends, family, and social media, as it helps more people find out about it! I appreciate it so much.