The Write Mindset with T.C. Burr Change your mind. Write your book.

Yet Podcast Episode 37

This week on the Yet podcast I sat down with author Katie Galvin to discuss her writing journey.

After working on her legal thriller for 8 years, Katie is now in the process of building an agent list to query her work.

She shares that in her experience, how a story begins isn't always how it will end, but that it's incredibly important to stay true to your story.

Katie's always been artistic, starting off in musical theater and falling in love with the art of storytelling. A personal experience with someone close to her led her to start writing her novel, a legal thriller exploring mental health and the pharmaceutical industry.

At first, like many of us, Katie was afraid to let others read her work. The author's journey, she notes, is closely connected to the novel's journey. But eventually she started to join writing communities, and with some encouragement from her supportive family and friend group, she began to open her story up to the world.

Now, as she works to have that one published, she's already begun working on book #2.

For Katie, celebrating even the small wins is incredibly important, and so is connecting emotionally with your characters.

Listen as Katie and I discuss:

Connect with Katie:

@_katiegalvin_ on Instagram

Mentioned in this episode:

The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maas

Some links are affiliate links

About T.C. Burr

After years of putting it off, I have started writing my debut novel—a story about friendship, and about growing up. It follows the lives of a group of young men as they navigate the world between two mountainous seasons of life, with all the twists, turns and trials that come with growing up.

Through this podcast, I aim to highlight inspiring stories from fellow writers, entrepreneurs, and creatives, offering encouragement and practical advice for those pursuing their own creative and business ventures.

A dream left on the shelf is one of life's greatest regrets.

Today's a great day to get started.

It's not that you haven't done it, it's just that you haven't done it yet.

Review & Subscribe: If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review to help others discover it. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode!

Connect: I'd love to connect! Send me a note at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠tcburr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@yetpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and Threads for updates and inspiration.

Yet Podcast Episode 36

This week I sat down with author Nathaniel Chaney.

Nathaniel has been writing for over a decade, focusing primarily on fantasy and sci-fi novels.

He wrote short stories in high school and college, but his writing journey really started to take off after finding inspiration during a long motorcycle trip.

At age 27, he decided he wanted to take his writing seriously, so he started writing it during his lunch breaks. He jumped in with little knowledge or planning, but with an innate sense of story.

He learned a ton from that first novel, and he credits his wife for encouraging him to keep going until it was finished - a major milestone that has kept him going, even several books later.

Listen as Nathaniel & I discuss:

Mentioned in this episode:

Some links are affiliate links

About T.C. Burr

After years of putting it off, I have started writing my debut novel—a story about friendship, and about growing up. It follows the lives of a group of young men as they navigate the world between two mountainous seasons of life, with all the twists, turns and trials that come with growing up.

Through this podcast, I aim to highlight inspiring stories from fellow writers, entrepreneurs, and creatives, offering encouragement and practical advice for those pursuing their own creative and business ventures.

A dream left on the shelf is one of life's greatest regrets.

Today's a great day to get started.

It's not that you haven't done it, it's just that you haven't done it yet.

Review & Subscribe: If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review to help others discover it. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode!

Connect: I'd love to connect! Send me a note at⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠tcburr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@yetpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and Threads for updates and inspiration.

Yet Podcast Episode 35

Reasons not to write your book

It's been said that 80% of Americans say they want to write a book, but only about 1% ever actually do.

I'm no math major, but those stats lead me to believe that lots of would-be authors have stories to tell that never make it to seeing the light of day.

I think it's time we change that.

There are many reasons NOT to write your book, and in this mini-series, I'm going to focus on three that I believe are common among many writers.

*Spoiler alert* - none of these reasons are good ones :)

Reason #3 - Lack of Community

People may not fail to start writing because of a lack of community, but I do think that many a writer has failed to keep writing because of it. 

Many of us naturally view writing a book as a solitary endeavor, but it’s not all sitting in a quiet cabin with a pipe and a fireplace and rain falling in the forest outside. 

To complete and publish a book, it truly does take a village. Writing coaches, You may need Alpha readers, Beta readers, ARC readers, editors, agents, publishers, a launch team - the list goes on. 

If you’re going to end up with a published book, you’ll need to truly rely on quite a few other people to make it happen. 

And that’s to say nothing of the real heroes - the encouragers. 

When fear of failure kicks in, when your imposter syndrome gets the best of you, when writing just gets really hard - who do you have in your corner who can offer consistent feedback, accountability, and encouragement? 

I’ve become convinced that a lack of encouragement is a huge book-killer, and in this episode we’ll tackle the role and value of community, and how to find it. 

A good, healthy community will likely look like a combination of close family and friends, other writers, and hired professionals. 

What your community will look like is negotiable. That you have a community in your corner is essential. 

About T.C. Burr

After years of putting it off, I have started writing my debut novel—a story about friendship, and about growing up. It follows the lives of a group of young men as they navigate the world between two mountainous seasons of life, with all the twists, turns and trials that come with growing up.

Through this podcast, I aim to highlight inspiring stories from fellow writers, entrepreneurs, and creatives, offering encouragement and practical advice for those pursuing their own creative and business ventures.

A dream left on the shelf is one of life's greatest regrets.

Today's a great day to get started.

It's not that you haven't done it, it's just that you haven't done it yet.

Review & Subscribe: If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review to help others discover it. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode!

Connect: I'd love to connect! Send me a note at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠tcburr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@yetpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and Threads for updates and inspiration.

Yet Podcast Episode 34

Reasons not to write your book

It's been said that 80% of Americans say they want to write a book, but only about 1% ever actually do.

I'm no math major, but those stats lead me to believe that lots of would-be authors have stories to tell that never make it to seeing the light of day.

I think it's time we change that.

There are many reasons NOT to write your book, and in this mini-series, I'm going to focus on three that I believe are common among many writers.

*Spoiler alert* - none of these reasons are good ones :)

Reason #2 - (Perceived) Lack of Time

When I tell people I'm writing a book, one of the most common responses I hear is "where do you find the time?"

The truth is, you can't "find" time the way you might find a quarter on the sidewalk - you have to actually look for it!

But if you look, I think you'll find that there's more of it there than you think.

In her book 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, author and time management expert Laura Vanderkam points out that each of us has 168 hours in a given week. Even after you factor out 40 hours for work, and 56 hours for sleep (8 hours a night X 7 nights a week), that still leaves you with 72 hours.

72 hours! 

What are you doing with that time? 

A great exercise to help you make the most of your time is this:

Once you’re armed with these two pieces of information, you’ll be able to more easily match up those 15 minute tasks with the 15 minute windows that naturally occur in your schedule. You’ll feel better about how you’re managing your time, and progress toward your book will really start to pick up. 

If you accomplish a 15 minute task each day for a month, that’s nearly 8 hours of working toward your book - almost a full work day! - that is likely passing by without notice currently. 

Mentioned in this episode:

168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam

Before Breakfast podcast

About T.C. Burr

After years of putting it off, I have started writing my debut novel—a story about friendship, and about growing up. It follows the lives of a group of young men as they navigate the world between two mountainous seasons of life, with all the twists, turns and trials that come with growing up.

Through this podcast, I aim to highlight inspiring stories from fellow writers, entrepreneurs, and creatives, offering encouragement and practical advice for those pursuing their own creative and business ventures.

A dream left on the shelf is one of life's greatest regrets.

Today's a great day to get started.

It's not that you haven't done it, it's just that you haven't done it yet.

Review & Subscribe: If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review to help others discover it. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode!

Connect: I'd love to connect! Send me a note at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠tcburr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@yetpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and Threads for updates and inspiration.

Yet Podcast Episode 33

Reasons not to write your book

It's been said that 80% of Americans say they want to write a book, but only about 1% ever actually do.

I'm no math major, but those stats lead me to believe that lots of would-be authors have stories to tell that never make it to seeing the light of day.

I think it's time we change that.

There are many reasons NOT to write your book, and in this mini-series, I'm going to focus on three that I believe are common among many writers.

*Spoiler alert* - none of these reasons are good ones :)

Reason #1 - Fear of Failure

In this episode we will explore the first obstacle that keeps many people from writing their book - and it's a big one - the fear of failure.

Authors, creatives, entrepreneurs, and goal-setters of all types have been wrestling with fear of failure probably as long as goals have existed.

The fear of failure has the power to stop us in our tracks, prevent us from ever putting pen to paper, plotting an outline or typing the first paragraph.

But what exactly defines failure in writing? In its simplest terms, failure is a lack of success. You set out to do something, and it doesn't come to fruition.

But I think we have an opportunity to rethink and redefine what failure and success can look like, and in so doing, we'll see much more progress, and have a lot more fun in the process.

Join me for this episode as we invalidate the fear of failure, covering topics like:

About T.C. Burr

After years of putting it off, I have started writing my debut novel—a story about friendship, and about growing up. It follows the lives of a group of young men as they navigate the world between two mountainous seasons of life, with all the twists, turns and trials that come with growing up.

Through this podcast, I aim to highlight inspiring stories from fellow writers, entrepreneurs, and creatives, offering encouragement and practical advice for those pursuing their own creative and business ventures.

A dream left on the shelf is one of life's greatest regrets.

Today's a great day to get started.

It's not that you haven't done it, it's just that you haven't done it yet.

Review & Subscribe: If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review to help others discover it. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode!

Connect: I'd love to connect! Send me a note at⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠tcburr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@yetpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and Threads for updates and inspiration.

Coming Monday, October 28: Bad Reasons not to write your book

It's been said that 80% of Americans say they want to write a book, but only about 1% ever actually do.

I'm no math major, but those stats lead me to believe that lots of would-be authors have stories to tell that never make it to seeing the light of day.

I think it's time we change that.

There are many reasons NOT to write your book, and in this mini-series, I'm going to focus on three that I believe are common among many writers.

*Spoiler alert* - none of these reasons are good ones :)

In this 3-part miniseries I’ll tackle three of the biggest things that keep would-be authors from writing their books, and what what you and I can do to counteract them.

You won’t want to miss this! 

About T.C. Burr

After years of putting it off, I have started writing my debut novel—a story about friendship, and about growing up. It follows the lives of a group of young men as they navigate the world between two mountainous seasons of life, with all the twists, turns and trials that come with growing up.

Through this podcast, I aim to highlight inspiring stories from fellow writers, entrepreneurs, and creatives, offering encouragement and practical advice for those pursuing their own creative and business ventures.

A dream left on the shelf is one of life's greatest regrets.

Today's a great day to get started.

It's not that you haven't done it, it's just that you haven't done it yet.

Review & Subscribe: If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review to help others discover it. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode!

Connect: I'd love to connect! Send me a note at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠tcburr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@yetpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and Threads for updates and inspiration.

Yet Podcast Episode 32

On this short episode I discuss the importance of doing what you love, and how that can sometimes yield unexpected results.

From writing the first draft to finding beta readers to publishing to marketing, it's easy to get caught up in "hustle culture" and get quickly overwhelmed.

The book you're writing can quickly turn into a job, a chore. It can very quickly become....not fun.

The business you're building can turn into all work and no play.

Your marketing efforts can very quickly turn into a hassle and a headache - especially if you're spending more time doing things you don't enjoy.

But focusing your energy on the things you love can have some amazing impacts, including:

If you're doing something you love, in the end, it's going to be worth it.

About T.C. Burr

After years of putting it off, I have started writing my debut novel—a story about friendship, and about growing up. It follows the lives of a group of young men as they navigate the world between two mountainous seasons of life, with all the twists, turns and trials that come with growing up.

Through this podcast, I aim to highlight inspiring stories from fellow writers, entrepreneurs, and creatives, offering encouragement and practical advice for those pursuing their own creative and business ventures.

A dream left on the shelf is one of life's greatest regrets.

Today's a great day to get started.

It's not that you haven't done it, it's just that you haven't done it yet.

Review & Subscribe: If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review to help others discover it. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode!

Connect: I'd love to connect! Send me a note at⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠tcburr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@yetpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and Threads for updates and inspiration.

Yet Podcast Episode 31

This week on the podcast, my guest is lifelong reader and self-proclaimed "nerd from way back," author Don Mewha.

Don began writing several years ago, has published his first novel Bishop's Crossing, with more books on the way!

Bishop's Crossing was rejected 86 times before it was finally picked up and published.

Don's advice to new writers is to "get good at" facing rejection, because in the world of writing it's bound to happen.

After being rejected so many times, he was ready to give up. But with some encouragement from those close to him he persevered, and it has paid off for him in a big way, as he plans to publish two more books - including a sequel to his debut - within the next 6 months.

Listen in as Don and I discuss:

Connect with Don

www.donmewha.com

@stories_by_don on Instagram & TikTok

www.facebook.com/StoriesbyDon/

About T.C. Burr

After years of putting it off, I have started writing my debut novel—a story about friendship, and about growing up. It follows the lives of a group of young men as they navigate the world between two mountainous seasons of life, with all the twists, turns and trials that come with growing up.

Through this podcast, I aim to highlight inspiring stories from fellow writers, entrepreneurs, and creatives, offering encouragement and practical advice for those pursuing their own creative and business ventures.

A dream left on the shelf is one of life's greatest regrets.

Today's a great day to get started.

It's not that you haven't done it, it's just that you haven't done it yet.

Review & Subscribe: If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review to help others discover it. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode!

Connect: I'd love to connect! Send me a note at⁠⁠ ⁠⁠tcburr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@yetpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and Threads for updates and inspiration.

Yet Podcast Episode 30

On this week's episode, I'm celebrating a huge milestone with episode 30!

I read recently that 90% of podcasts never make it past 3 episodes, so I am incredibly thankful to find myself among the 10% who have decided to keep going.

Speaking of celebrating milestones...If you are a writer, a creative, an entrepreneur or any type of goal-setter, it is critical to celebrate the achievements you make, even the small ones.

There's a reason why in life we celebrate big moments like anniversaries and birthdays. We mark moments because we want to celebrate the growth and the achievement and the longevity of staying committed and the growth that comes along with that.

Think about all the things that you're doing, all the work that you're putting in, and take the time to recognize what you've accomplished and celebrate those wins.

On this episode I encourage you to:

In doing this, you'll get used to seeing yourself win, recognize how far you've come, and ward off imposter syndrome with objective evidence of your success.

And if you need it, keeping track of your successes will help you feel like you've "earned" your seasons of rest.

How do you celebrate your milestones?

About T.C. Burr

After years of putting it off, I have started writing my debut novel—a story about friendship, and about growing up. It follows the lives of a group of young men as they navigate the world between two mountainous seasons of life, with all the twists, turns and trials that come with growing up.

Through this podcast, I aim to highlight inspiring stories from fellow writers, entrepreneurs, and creatives, offering encouragement and practical advice for those pursuing their own creative and business ventures.

A dream left on the shelf is one of life's greatest regrets.

Today's a great day to get started.

It's not that you haven't done it, it's just that you haven't done it yet.

Review & Subscribe: If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review to help others discover it. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode!

Connect: I'd love to connect! Send me a note at⁠ ⁠⁠tcburr.com⁠⁠⁠, and follow⁠ ⁠⁠@yetpodcast⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and Threads for updates and inspiration.

Yet Podcast Episode 29

This week on the podcast, I interviewed a retired 20+ year stay at home mom turned empty nester, turned self-published author Carol Wyllie. 

Carol thought she would jump right into writing when she became an empty nester, but things took a detour when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. 

Carol’s been a lifetime writer and has always dreamt of writing and publishing books. After her dream of raising a family had come true, she shifted her focus to writing full time. 

When her kids were younger, she wrote a series of children’s books on social graces. 

After going through her cancer treatment, with some encouragement from a friend, a seed was planted for her to share her journey in a nonfiction book. 

In 2021, Chemo Pissed Me Off went from a blank page to published in five and a half months and “wrote itself.” 

As Carol says, “why waste something like this - put it down so that others can have this resource.” 

Listen as Carol and I discuss:

Resources Mentioned in this episode

⁠Save the Cat! Writes a Novel⁠ by Jessica Brody

⁠Dave Chesson / Kindlepreneur⁠

Connect with Carol

⁠wylliegirl.com⁠

⁠@thewylliegirl ⁠on Instagram and Threads

Buy Carol's books

⁠Chemo Pissed Me Off⁠

Mad Dog Books

⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3Y7VYK4⁠

⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BX4PK6MD⁠

⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSR2F5QY⁠

About T.C. Burr

After years of putting it off, I have started writing my debut novel—a story about friendship, and about growing up. It follows the lives of a group of young men as they navigate the world between two mountainous seasons of life, with all the twists, turns and trials that come with growing up.

Through this podcast, I aim to highlight inspiring stories from fellow writers, entrepreneurs, and creatives, offering encouragement and practical advice for those pursuing their own creative and business ventures.

A dream left on the shelf is one of life's greatest regrets.

Today's a great day to get started.

It's not that you haven't done it, it's just that you haven't done it yet.

Review & Subscribe: If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review to help others discover it. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode!

Connect: I'd love to connect! Send me a note at⁠ ⁠⁠tcburr.com⁠⁠⁠, and follow⁠ ⁠⁠@yetpodcast⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram and Threads for updates and inspiration.