The Word Weaver Podcast

On today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m talking about visualization and how you can use it as a transformational tool for achieving your wildest writing goals.

Visualization, on its own, is picturing in your mind the outcome of something BEFORE it has happened. By utilizing all five senses to vividly imagine your idealized outcome, it brings your desired goal into the realm of possibility.

Our thoughts are energy, they are so powerful! Your amygdala, the part of our brain responsible for the fight or flight response (our survival instinct), has trouble distinguishing between something that is being seen in your mind during a visualization and something that is actually happening in real time. Simply by visualizing it, you are bringing it into your reality.

When you consistently practice visualization, you’re engaging the familiarity effect, where your wildest writing dreams suddenly seem less scary or impossible and more tangible!

Olympic athletes, like Michael Phelps, have leveraged the powers of visualization (often up to two hours a day) in psychological preparation for big competitions and events. Michael would see himself winning, feel the weight of a gold medal around his neck, smell the chlorine in the pool, taste the water on his lips, hear the sound of the gun going off and the crowds cheering.

As writers, we can employ the same techniques in order to be mentally fit for the marathon of writing and publishing a book. That could be envisioning yourself typing “THE END” on your first draft, getting a phone call from your agent with a book deal, walking into your favourite bookstore and seeing your novel on the Hot New Releases table or opening up the newspaper and seeing your name in print on the bestseller list.

Along with helping to manifest your book goals faster, 8 other benefits of visualization are:

Improved performance (incl. word count output)

Increased focus

Decreased levels of stress and anxiety

Insomnia relief

Boosted immunity

Alleviate migraines and chronic pain

Decreased depression

Boosted confidence

Visualization through meditation, or simply by sitting cross-legged with your eyes closed for five minutes, can start off feeling silly and as though nothing is happening (we are so used to instant gratification) — but through consistent practice, I have noticed the benefits only in hindsight, they happened almost invisibly over time. If you can BELIEVE IT, you can ACHIEVE IT!

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 talking about visualization and how you can use it as a transformational tool for achieving your wildest writing goals.

Visualization, on its own, is picturing in your mind the outcome of something BEFORE it has happened. By utilizing all five senses to vividly imagine your idealized outcome, it brings your desired goal into the realm of possibility.

Our thoughts are energy, they are so powerful! Your amygdala, the part of our brain responsible for the fight or flight response (our survival instinct), has trouble distinguishing between something that is being seen in your mind during a visualization and something that is actually happening in real time. Simply by visualizing it, you are bringing it into your reality.

When you consistently practice visualization, you’re engaging the familiarity effect, where your wildest writing dreams suddenly seem less scary or impossible and more tangible!

Olympic athletes, like Michael Phelps, have leveraged the powers of visualization (often up to two hours a day) in psychological preparation for big competitions and events. Michael would see himself winning, feel the weight of a gold medal around his neck, smell the chlorine in the pool, taste the water on his lips, hear the sound of the gun going off and the crowds cheering.

As writers, we can employ the same techniques in order to be mentally fit for the marathon of writing and publishing a book. That could be envisioning yourself typing “THE END” on your first draft, getting a phone call from your agent with a book deal, walking into your favourite bookstore and seeing your novel on the Hot New Releases table or opening up the newspaper and seeing your name in print on the bestseller list.

Along with helping to manifest your book goals faster, 8 other benefits of visualization are:

1. Improved performance (incl. word count output)

2. Increased focus

3. Decreased levels of stress and anxiety

4. Insomnia relief

5. Boosted immunity

6. Alleviate migraines and chronic pain

7. Decreased depression

8. Boosted confidence
   

Visualization through meditation, or simply by sitting cross-legged with your eyes closed for five minutes, can start off feeling silly and as though nothing is happening (we are so used to instant gratification) — but through consistent practice, I have noticed the benefits only in hindsight, they happened almost invisibly over time. If you can BELIEVE IT, you can ACHIEVE IT!

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 taking you on a trip down typography lane and chatting about the best fonts for books.

Did you know, on average, a bookstore browser spends 8 seconds looking at the front cover, 15 seconds reading the back cover and about 5 seconds flipping through a book? Not only are people judging a book by the imagery on the cover, they’re also subconsciously judging the typography!

I found myself down a research rabbit hole looking up the best fonts to use for my manuscript (if you take nothing else away from this episode, always use Times New Roman 12pt font for your manuscript!) — then I got curious about the typography of my favourite books.

In this episode, I discuss the history of typefaces produced just after the invention of the printing press, the five (5) most popular fonts by genre for the interior body of a book, fun fonts for book covers and the difference between a serif and sans serif font.

After listening, you likely won’t be able to pick up a book without investigating the typesetting, as hopefully you find the psychology as fascinating as I do!

Book fonts are important for two (2) main reasons:

Readability — the font has to be easy on the eyes for the reader to absorb for a long period of time (includes the spacing between letters, the height and thickness and the size of the serifs)

Elicit emotion — the typesetting of a book can drastically change how a reader receives your words. When choosing font for your own finished book, ask yourself what message is your book trying to send and what do you want readers to feel?

The Most Popular Five (5) Fonts for a Book By Genre:

Literary Fiction: Baskerville

Romance Novels: Sabon

Thillers and Airport Page-Turners: Garamond

Academic Non-Fiction: Caslon

General Interest: Utopia

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 taking you on a trip down typography lane and chatting about the best fonts for books.

Did you know, on average, a bookstore browser spends 8 seconds looking at the front cover, 15 seconds reading the back cover and about 5 seconds flipping through a book? Not only are people judging a book by the imagery on the cover, they’re also subconsciously judging the typography!

I found myself down a research rabbit hole looking up the best fonts to use for my manuscript (if you take nothing else away from this episode, always use Times New Roman 12pt font for your manuscript!) — then I got curious about the typography of my favourite books.

In this episode, I discuss the history of typefaces produced just after the invention of the printing press, the five (5) most popular fonts by genre for the interior body of a book, fun fonts for book covers and the difference between a serif and sans serif font.

After listening, you likely won’t be able to pick up a book without investigating the typesetting, as hopefully you find the psychology as fascinating as I do!

Book fonts are important for two (2) main reasons:

1. Readability — the font has to be easy on the eyes for the reader to absorb for a long period of time (includes the spacing between letters, the height and thickness and the size of the serifs)

2. Elicit emotion — the typesetting of a book can drastically change how a reader receives your words. When choosing font for your own finished book, ask yourself what message is your book trying to send and what do you want readers to feel?

The Most Popular Five (5) Fonts for a Book By Genre:

1. Literary Fiction: Baskerville

2. Romance Novels: Sabon

3. Thillers and Airport Page-Turners: Garamond

4. Academic Non-Fiction: Caslon

5. General Interest: Utopia

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 surreal experience of speaking with ANOTHER author named Louise Johnson on the launch day of her debut memoir, Lou Who?

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to speak with my literary doppelgänger and I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did!

Louise moved from Scotland to Vancouver following a traumatic divorce and turned her transformative six-year period into a self-reflective memoir: detailing her discovery of selfhood, personal health, sexuality and ultimately her gratitude for this land she now calls home, which has returned her to the essence of herself.

Her writing style is unabashed and her stories are anything but sugarcoated. As a writer, Louise believes in conveying her experiences using a mixture of stark reality and dark humour; and as a woman, she’s not afraid to tell the truth, especially if that truth is hard.

If you’re considering self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, Louise has some great insight on her positive experience with The Self Publishing Agency.

Happy listening!

Connect With Louise

Website: louisejohnsonauthor.com

Instagram: @_louise_johnson_

Facebook: /louisejohnsonauthor

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 surreal experience of speaking with ANOTHER author named Louise Johnson on the launch day of her debut memoir, Lou Who?

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to speak with my literary doppelgänger and I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did!

Louise moved from Scotland to Vancouver following a traumatic divorce and turned her transformative six-year period into a self-reflective memoir: detailing her discovery of selfhood, personal health, sexuality and ultimately her gratitude for this land she now calls home, which has returned her to the essence of herself.

Her writing style is unabashed and her stories are anything but sugarcoated. As a writer, Louise believes in conveying her experiences using a mixture of stark reality and dark humour; and as a woman, she’s not afraid to tell the truth, especially if that truth is hard.

If you’re considering self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, Louise has some great insight on her positive experience with The Self Publishing Agency.

Happy listening!

• Website: louisejohnsonauthor.com

• Instagram: @_louise_johnson_

• Facebook: /louisejohnsonauthor

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 talking about how to plan a productive solo writing retreat and sharing my 7 tips to maximize your experience.

I’m going on a solo writing retreat in a few weeks to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia ( SO excited) and wanted to share how I prepare, so you can smash your word count goals and leave feeling accomplished and motivated.

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 talking about how to plan a productive solo writing retreat and sharing my 7 tips to maximize your experience.

I’m going on a solo writing retreat in a few weeks to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia ( SO excited) and wanted to share how I prepare, so you can smash your word count goals and leave feeling accomplished and motivated.

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 speak with my dear friend Bryn Turnbull in the midst of launching her debut historical fiction novel, The Woman Before Wallis.

If you’ve ever dreamed of writing and traditionally publishing a book (with a big 5 publisher to boot), Bryn gives us a real-time glimpse into the emotions and behind-the-scenes happenings of not only what it takes to write a book, but what it’s like to market and launch that book into the world!

RIGHT before we recorded the podcast she found out that in her first week she was a #1 National Bestseller…by the time you’re listening to this episode, she’s still running strong at six weeks and counting as a Toronto Star and Chapters Indigo Bestseller.

Bryn’s journey to becoming a bestselling debut author will inspire and motivate every word weaver out there to KEEP GOING until you actualize your dream of writing a book.

Make sure to check out Bryn’s WORD WEAVER IN RESIDENCE Author Q&A and buy a copy of The Woman Before Wallis, if you haven’t already, wherever books are sold.

Connect with Bryn

Website: brynturnbull.com

Instagram: @brynturnbullwrites

Twitter: @brynturnbull

Facebook: /brynturnbullwrites

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 speak with my dear friend Bryn Turnbull in the midst of launching her debut historical fiction novel, The Woman Before Wallis.

If you’ve ever dreamed of writing and traditionally publishing a book (with a big 5 publisher to boot), Bryn gives us a real-time glimpse into the emotions and behind-the-scenes happenings of not only what it takes to write a book, but what it’s like to market and launch that book into the world!

RIGHT before we recorded the podcast she found out that in her first week she was a #1 National Bestseller…by the time you’re listening to this episode, she’s still running strong at six weeks and counting as a Toronto Star and Chapters Indigo Bestseller.

Bryn’s journey to becoming a bestselling debut author will inspire and motivate every word weaver out there to KEEP GOING until you actualize your dream of writing a book.

Make sure to check out Bryn’s WORD WEAVER IN RESIDENCE Author Q&A and buy a copy of The Woman Before Wallis, if you haven’t already, wherever books are sold.

• Website: brynturnbull.com

• Instagram: @brynturnbullwrites

• Twitter: @brynturnbull

• Facebook: /brynturnbullwrites

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.