The Word Weaver Podcast

On today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m sharing my candid discussion with Calissa, the founder and host of The First Step Podcast (previously aired on that podcast!) For the first book club pick, we discussed Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman.

It’s the story of two friends (also hosts of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast), Aminatou and Ann, on the art of friendship maintenance and how these relationships ebb and flow over time.

In this episode, we recap the book, give our reviews and go deep into how the book’s themes, from shine theory to stretching for your friendships have affected our own lives.

We’ll be doing a book club review every month until April 2020! Our next book club pick is Monogamy by Sue Miller, so grab a copy and read along with us!

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

#wordweaverpodcast

Intro Song: Late July by Shakey Graves

Outro Song: Way With Words by Bahamas

NEW episodes are posted weekly.

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.

Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Stitcher.

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

#wordweaverpodcast

On today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m talking about Chekhov’s Gun — firstly, what the hell is it? Secondly, how can you employ it in your writing? I took this concept WAY TOO LITERALLY for a long time, but have come to love the setup and payoff it brings to add dramatic significance to my plot.

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

#wordweaverpodcast

On today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I share a lesson that took me a long time to fully grasp and is one of the key's to success in any field, but especially when it comes to writing a book and becoming a published author.

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

#wordweaverpodcast

Today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast is part 2 (of 2) where I go into more detail about how to plot a thriller and outline a mystery/suspense novel with 27 different story beats using the 3 Act Structure. There’s a lot of information in here, so you might want to grab a notebook and pen beforehand, but hopefully it provides a semblance of structure when you’re outlining or hit writer’s block in your plot.

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

#wordweaverpodcast

Today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast is part 1 of 2 where I share my findings on how to plot a thriller / murder mystery / suspense novel — and it starts by working backwards! The plotting principles could also be useful for writers of all genres to think about when outlining their current or future book projects. Hope everyone’s #NaNoWriMo is going well! Happy Writing :)

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

#wordweaverpodcast

Intro Song: Late July by Shakey Graves

Outro Song: Way With Words by Bahamas

NEW episodes are posted weekly.

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.

On today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I chat with Travis King (who joins me from Mexico City) on his new travel memoir, Not That Anyone Asked: A Travel Memoir about Sex, Drugs, Love and Finding Purpose.

After finishing his Master’s Degree at the age of 28, Travis couldn’t bring himself to follow the traditional American blueprint laid out for success, so he took off to South America. That first flight was the start of an adventure around the world—an adventure that his friends didn’t understand and of which his father openly disapproved.

Travis shares how his father feels about the release of his raw and revealing book, how he learned to create his own version of success and the importance of following through on the promises we make to ourselves.

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

#wordweaverpodcast

Intro Song: Late July by Shakey Graves

Outro Song: Way With Words by Bahamas

NEW episodes are posted weekly.

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.

On today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m sharing my recent speech for the University of Toronto’s “How to Become Published” panel to journalism and creative writing students.

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

#wordweaverpodcast

Intro Song: Late July by Shakey Graves

Outro Song: Way With Words by Bahamas

NEW episodes are posted weekly.

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.

On today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I have the honour of speaking with 13-year-old bestselling thriller author and mental health writer for Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global, Kristina Naydonova.

Wise beyond her years, it was a treat getting to chat with Kristina about her debut thriller, The Black Sisterhood Files, her writing process, how she balances school and authorhood, her thoughts on social media, advice for writers of all ages, her dreams for the future and how she came to be such a prolific writer and speaker.

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

#wordweaverpodcast

Intro Song: Late July by Shakey Graves

Outro Song: Way With Words by Bahamas

NEW episodes are posted weekly.

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.

Today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast was inspired by a trend I noticed a couple years ago that still seems to prevail—and that is the use of the word GIRL in book titles! Gone Girl, Girl on a Train, THe Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest…you’ve probably noticed and wondered about it too!

I’ve also typed into google such questions as: “What are the most popular book titles?” and “What are bestselling book titles?” — I was curious to see if the most popular and bestselling novels out there fit a particular pattern, and lo and behold, yes they do! Many use repetitive, cliché words and often fall into a mold based on genre.

Selecting a book title is a great opportunity to indicate plot, character and the overall aura or atmosphere. Readers like to know what they’re getting into and a book title is a key way to capture their attention.

I discovered eight (8) general trends that the most common book titles *usually* possess. In today’s chapter, I discuss in more detail the following:

Female Names

Male Names

The Weighty Words

The (followed by a) Noun

The Noun Sandwich

The Fragmented Sentence

The Run-On Sentence

The Biblical Reference

I also touch on specific popular WORDS (i.e. “Girl” “Woman” “Life” “House”) that are trending in each genre.

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

#wordweaverpodcast

Intro Song: Late July by Shakey Graves

Outro Song: Way With Words by Bahamas

NEW episodes are posted weekly.

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.

Today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast was inspired by a trend I noticed a couple years ago that still seems to prevail—and that is the use of the word GIRL in book titles! Gone Girl, Girl on a Train, THe Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest…you’ve probably noticed and wondered about it too!

I’ve also typed into google such questions as: “What are the most popular book titles?” and “What are bestselling book titles?” — I was curious to see if the most popular and bestselling novels out there fit a particular pattern, and lo and behold, yes they do! Many use repetitive, cliché words and often fall into a mold based on genre.

Selecting a book title is a great opportunity to indicate plot, character and the overall aura or atmosphere. Readers like to know what they’re getting into and a book title is a key way to capture their attention.

I discovered eight (8) general trends that the most common book titles *usually* possess. In today’s chapter, I discuss in more detail the following:

1. Female Names

2. Male Names

3. The Weighty Words

4. The (followed by a) Noun

5. The Noun Sandwich

6. The Fragmented Sentence

7. The Run-On Sentence

8. The Biblical Reference

I also touch on specific popular WORDS (i.e. “Girl” “Woman” “Life” “House”) that are trending in each genre.

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

#wordweaverpodcast

• Intro Song: Late July by Shakey Graves

• Outro Song: Way With Words by Bahamas

NEW episodes are posted weekly.

Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.