The Word Weaver Podcast

SOPHIA JUNE is a culture writer in NYC (formerly NYLON magazine and the New York Times) and the co-founder of Language Arts, a literary newsletter about the books you actually want to read. We chat about her viral article, The Makings of a Literary It Girl, the best advice Ottessa Moshfegh and Caroline Calloway gave her, and the process of finishing the first draft of her novel (it includes a convent with nuns upstate, treating writing sessions like clocking into a bar shift, and dirty gin martinis in the standard hotel lobby). She takes us inside the Belletrist book launch party for Intermezzo by Sally Rooney, sharing all the juicy details left out by VOGUE, like the tiny Shepherd’s Pies passed around on trays and arriving to Emma Roberts on a step-and-repeat. Sophia also doles out her best book recommendations, most anticipated reads, and the next literary trends on her radar.

connect with sophia

Instagram: @sophiajune

Website: sophiajune.party/about

Language Arts Substack: languagearts.substack.com/

“The Makings of a Literary It Girl” in NYLON: https://www.nylon.com/life/the-makings-of-a-literary-it-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.

New York Times Bestselling Author Carley Fortune is our generation's Taylor Swift of the literary world. She's taken the romance genre by storm with over 2 million books sold worldwide and 4 books in 4 years (plus, she rocks a red lip like nobody's business). Fresh off of her global book tour where readers ("The Fortunates") exchanged friendship bracelets, I caught up with Carley in-between home renovations in her new writing office on the heels of announcing her next romance novel (a return to Barry's Bay with One Golden Summer!). We dish on everything from postpartum anxiety, to social media as an author, to Fortune's formula for success (hint: audience & authenticity are paramount). Smart, savvy, and sweet as summer, I hope you love this convo with Carley as much as I did.

Carley Fortune’s Books:

Every Summer After

Meet Me at the Lake

This Summer Will be Different

One Golden Summer

Carley Fortune’s Links:

Website: carleyfortune.com

Instagram: @carleyfortune

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.

It's Virgo Season! Happy September! The Fall Equinox isn't until September 22, so still time to enjoy the last gasps of summer, but to kick off my favourite month/season, I thought it'd be fun to do a "what's in my tote bag" edition of the podcast. In this episode, I share all of my favourite writing stationary essentials with a heavy dose of back to school supply nostalgia.

LINKS MENTIONED (not sponsored, just generally sharing what I use):

My Literary Line (Bookish Merch): https://louiseclairejohnson.com/thebo...

Reading Material Tote Bags: https://louiseclairejohnson.com/thebo...

Bookshop Bucket List Passport: https://www.bookshopbucketlist.com/sh...

Owala Water Bottle (24oz "Shy Marshmallow"): https://amzn.to/3z8z5Nb

Simple Modern (50z "Sea Glass Sage"): https://amzn.to/4dVKCyy

Organika Electrolytes (Pink Lemonade): https://amzn.to/4cYuSt5

Organika Electrolytes (Classic Lemonade): https://amzn.to/3MBrgCG

Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm: https://amzn.to/3zdaPcC

Rosebud Salve: https://amzn.to/3TnV21L

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream: https://amzn.to/3AZ53Mr

Mini Post-Its: https://amzn.to/4eeVxmH

Blue Calculator (couldn't find my exact one so this is similar): https://amzn.to/3ZBiHjd

Japanese Premium Black Gel Pens 0.5mm: https://amzn.to/3z9X1je

BIC Brite Line Grip Pastel Highlighters: https://amzn.to/3ZcnN58

HB 2 Pencils: https://amzn.to/3ZcnN58

Moleskine Classic Notebook (XL Hardcover): https://amzn.to/3Zi6mjJ

Moleskine Clasic Notebook (L Hardcover): https://amzn.to/3Zi6mjJ

Leuchturm1917 Hardcover Notebooks: https://amzn.to/4e1zJve

Floral Habit Tracker Calendar Planner: https://amzn.to/3Toy8qZ

Olympus E-PL3 Camera (Black): https://amzn.to/3ZjyUcG

Fujifilm Instax Mini Polaroid Camera ("Blush Pink"): https://amzn.to/3MA6uU6

Fujifilm Disposable Camera: https://amzn.to/3MELcoj

Paddywax Edgar Allan Poe Library Collection Soy Wax Candle: https://amzn.to/3MBHID9

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

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

I’ve been struggling behind the scenes to find my balance as a new mom and a solo “authorpreneur.” An honest chat about writer’s burnout, how it differs from writer's block, how to get through it, and how to prevent it (as much as possible)…

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

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

I caught up with international bestselling author Bryn Turnbull at her cottage in the week leading up to the launch of her fourth historical fiction novel (and part psychological thriller), THE BERLIN APARTMENT, on August 27, 2024 (pre-order yours now!)

Bryn's novels expertly blend historical accuracy with emotional depth (no easy feat) and we chat about everything from her research process for writing about the Berlin Wall during the Cold War, to the risk and rewards of being a full-time writer, plus what motivates her to keep writing after contemplating quitting being an author. Bryn also shares the scoop on where to find the best fountain pens and how she marries the practice of writing long-hand with scrivener.

All Toronto readers! You're invited to the book launch party for THE BERLIN APARTMENT at Type Books (across from Trinity Bellwoods) on Tuesday, August 27 at 7pm with Bianca Marais. Catch Bryn at the Grimsby Author’s Festival in November and at A Different Drummer bookshop in Burlington. Keep an eye on the events page for brynturnbull.com.

Where to Find Bryn Turnbull & Buy her Books!

📖Pre-order the berlin apartment (out august 27, 2024)

Website: brynturnbull.com

Instagram: @brynturnbullwrites

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast/authorbrynturnbull

Podcast: Context with Bryn Turnbull

Other Titles:

📖 The Woman Before Wallis

📖 The Last Grand Duchess

📖 The Paris Deception

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

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

Why is it that we often have our most creative ideas while in the shower? Or on the subway? Or while taking a walk? Well, apparently there is a name for this phenomenon and there are a few things we can do to invoke "the shower thoughts effect," sparking inspiration for creative projects, on a more regular basis.

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

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

On this episode of the Word Weaver Podcast, I chat about an affliction that affects almost every writer I know. I, myself, have succumbed to a bad case of shiny object syndrome on more than one occasion. Today, I'm talking about what is shiny object syndrome? Why does it happen? And how can we overcome it (or at least learn to live with it)?

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Apple iTunes

Spotify

YouTube

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 today's chapter of the Word Weaver podcast, I attempt to work through my own thoughts on the latest revelations that have rocked the literary landscape about Alice Munro following her daughter, Andrea Robin Skinner's, first person essay in the Toronto Star and allegations about Neil Gaiman in Rolling Stone. It's the age old debate of can you, and should you, separate the artist from their body of work?

LINKS MENTIONED:

A Secret in Alice Munro's House by Andrea Robin Skinner in The Toronto Star

Neil Gaiman in Rolling Stone

Brandon Taylor's Sweater Weather Substack “What I’m Doing About Alice Munro”

Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Apple iTunes

Spotify

YouTube

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

I’m sure you’re wondering what in the Dolly Parton do the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have to do with writing? Well, if you tune into today’s episode I’ll tell y’all how binge-watching America’s Sweethearts on Netflix was a lesson in how to respond to criticism and rejection as a writer.

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Apple iTunes

Spotify

YouTube

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.