The Writing Coach

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #84 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with Elizabeth Atkins and Catherine M. Greenspan.

Elizabeth is a best-selling author, actress, TV host and award-winning journalist who uses a multimedia platform to inspire people to unlock their infinite potential and live with passion, prosperity, health, and happiness. Elizabeth has written more than 20 books.

Catherine created the first-ever series of young adult novels featuring a biracial girl. The Veronica Series follows the 14-year-old girl along a tricky terrain of friends, boys, school, and family in a race-obsessed world.

Together, Catherine and Elizabeth are the siblings behind Two Sisters Writing and Publishing, where they publish meaningful books by authors of color, women writers, and those who celebrate diversity through their stories and characters.

During our discussion, Catherine and Elizabeth describe:

How their father's journaling habit influenced their lives and approach to writing

Why they became writing coaches, ghostwriters, and eventually publishers

How their Power Journal program combines journaling with meditation to help by-pass writers' inner critics

Why it's important now more than ever to promote diverse voices in the book world and how independent publishers can step up to plate

How Elizabeth came to co-write a book with Billy Dee Williams of Star Wars fame

And much more!

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach #84 Show Notes

Visit the Two Sisters Writing and Publishing website: https://www.twosisterswriting.com/

Follow Elizabeth and Catherine on social:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TwoSistersWriting/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/2sisterswriting

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Join Alexis Cohen and Kevin T. Johns for The Awakening Through Art event starting December 3, 2018.

Click here to register now. 

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Enjoy this podcast? If so, you'll love my book Novel Advice: Motivation, Inspiration, and Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring Authors. Grab a FREE copy by clicking the image below:

Download the podcast here:

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #83 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with Blaine Bradshaw.

Blaine is a freelance editor with 10 years experience that started in the Army. While initially his scope was limited to geographic reports and briefings he expanded to novels and opened Superior Story in 2014. Over the years he has worked with dozens of writers to develop compelling stories while maintaining their unique voice.

During our discussion, Blaine describes:

Why a single typo led to him having to do 1000 push-ups

How he stumbled upon a vibrant writing community on the Deviant Art platform

Why his experience with a factory-style editing service ultimately led to his personalized approach to working with writers

The complexity involved in defining different types of editing

The role empathy plays in the editing process

And much more!

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach #83 Show Notes

Visit Superior Story here.

Follow Blaine on Twitter and Facebook.

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Join Nikól Peterman and Kevin T. Johns for The Unstoppable Artist Formula summit from October 29 to November 8, 2018.

Click here to register now. 

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Enjoy this podcast? If so, you'll love my book Novel Advice: Motivation, Inspiration, and Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring Authors. Grab a FREE copy by clicking the image below:

Download the podcast here:

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #82 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with Michelle Cornish.

Michelle is a mom, author, illustrator, and former accountant on a mission to prove accountants are just as exciting as lawyers. After spending almost 20 years in the public accounting industry, Michelle sold her accounting practice to spend more time with her family and pursue her dream of writing. In 2017, she published Keep More Money, a guide to help business owners find a trustworthy accountant. Her debut financial crime thriller Murder Audit will be released on October 31, 2018, and is available for pre-order now. 

During our discussion, Michelle describes:

What she learned from publishing a non-fiction book that she then applied to her new novel, Murder Audit

How her frustration with the stereotypical portrayal of accountants led to the creation of her novel’s protagonist Cynthia Webber

Why she thinks publishing a novel is so much scarier than publishing a non-fiction book

 How she found writing a novel to be similar to solving mathematical puzzles

Why she is so passionate about seeking out learning opportunities

And much more!

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach #82 Show Notes

Grab your copy of Michelle's brand new novel:

Grab Michelle's non-fiction book on how to find the perfect accountant:

Visit Michelle's website: www.michellecornish.com

Check out Michelle's Amazon Author Page.

During the interview, Michelle mentions participating in programs from Chandler Bolt and Alexa Bigwarfe. Check their Alexa's appearance on episode 57 The Writing Coach here, and listen to Chandler's appearances on episode 14 here and episode 41 here.

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Join Nikól Peterman and Kevin T. Johns for The Unstoppable Artist Formula summit from October 29 to November 8, 2018.

Click here to register now. 

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Enjoy this podcast? If so, you'll love my book Novel Advice: Motivation, Inspiration, and Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring Authors. Grab a FREE copy by clicking the image below:

Download the podcast here:

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #81 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with artist success coach Nikól Peterman of Zen Red NYC.

Nikól is a certified empowerment coach who works with leading creatives who struggle to attract their perfect audience, feel amazing in their performance, and see themselves as valuable. She empowers professional artists, speakers, entrepreneurs, and presenters to be fearless, embodying a powerful presence that allows them to connect deeply with their audience, and stand out from the crowd. She specializes in skills for overcoming fear, overwhelm, and the constant roller coaster of ups and downs that come with putting your work out to the world.

During our discussion, Nikól describes:

How letting go of perfectionism and sharing vulnerability actually draws people towards us

The role creative writing played in her transition from performer and choreographer to empowerment coach for artists

The importance of looking at our art through the lens of a professional

How she encourages her creative clients to ask themselves what they are holding back

What she means when she says marketing is all about belonging

Why right now is an amazing time to be an artist

And much more!

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach #81 Show Notes

Join Nikól Peterman and Kevin T. Johns for The Unstoppable Artist Formula summit from October 29 to November 8, 2018.

Click here to register now. 

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Enjoy this podcast? If so, you'll love my book Novel Advice: Motivation, Inspiration, and Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring Authors. Grab a FREE copy by clicking the image below:

Download the podcast here:

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #80 of The Writing Coach podcast, I answer some important questions about author platform building and book marketing.

This week one of my former clients, Kathryn Roy, posted a number of fantastic marketing-related questions in a private Facebook group that I run. I had some pretty in-depth responses in mind for her questions, so I decided to share them here on the podcast.

During the episode, I cover:

Why your author platform doesn't necessarily have to be blog-based

How to go about building an email list

My thoughts on how writers should approach blogging

Who I turn to when seeking advice and tips on book marketing

And much more!

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach #80 Show Notes

The following book marketing experts mentioned in this episode have all appeared as previous guests on the podcast:

Tim Grahl - Ep. 3

Tom Morkes - Ep. 17

Jeff Goins - Ep. 13 and Ep. 53

Derek Murphy - Ep. 47

Chandler Bolt - Ep. 13 and Ep. 41

Joanna Penn - Ep. 56

Joanna Wiebe (Copy Writing Expert) - Ep. 25

Dave Chesson - Ep. 42

Training resources mentioned:

Fizzle.co

The Author Transformation Alliance

CreativeLive

Books mentioned:

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Enjoy this podcast? If so, you'll love my book Novel Advice: Motivation, Inspiration, and Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring Authors. Grab a FREE copy by clicking the image below:

Download the podcast here:

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #79 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with publicity coach and founder of the Build Your Brand Academy Chris Well.

Chris is a media veteran who has worked more than 30 years in professional media. He’s been a magazine editor, columnist, journalist, broadcaster, and college instructor, with field experience covering music, publishing, human interest, and more. Also a published novelist, Chris has written suspense and mysteries for traditional publishers and as a self-published author. He and his wife live in Tennessee.

During our discussion, Chris describes:

Why he feels compelled to help authors understand and navigate the media outreach process

What he has learned working on both sides of the fence as both a media professional and an author

How, after landing a traditional publishing contract, he was forced to lower his expectations regarding what a publisher has to offer when it comes to publicity and marketing

The major differences between old media (magazines, newspapers, TV, and radio) and new digital media platforms (online videos, podcasts, and blogs)

His surprising advice about "leading with the book"

How book marketing is similar to farming

And much more!

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach #79 Show Notes

Chris offers a free Author Publicity Blueprint: Get it here.

Visit Chris's website here.

Follow Chris on Facebook and Twitter.

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Enjoy this podcast? If so, you'll love my book Novel Advice: Motivation, Inspiration, and Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring Authors. Grab a FREE copy by clicking the image below:

Download the podcast here:

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #78 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with Lauren Sapala.

Lauren is the author of The INFJ Writer, a guide for sensitive intuitive writers, and Firefly Magic: Heart Powered Marketing for Highly Sensitive Writers, as well as The West Coast Trilogy, an autobiographical fiction series. She currently lives in San Francisco.

During our discussion, Lauren describes:

Why she considers her coaching a form of healing work

How the structure and energy of academia can often lead to overly critical writing instructors and teachers, and how the world of creativity and art differs completely

Why she doesn't shy away from discussing her time dealing with alcoholism

How self-publishing The INFJ Writer was such a pleasurable experience that she ceased seeking an agent for her fiction and started-indie publishing those books as well

The way the Meyers-Briggs personality types have given her a greater understanding of her writing clients and how she can better help intuitive introverts achieve their artistic goals

How transgressive fiction combines darkness with humour, and the challenges she has faced as a writer working in that genre

And much more!

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach #78 Show Notes

Follow Lauren on social:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/LaurenSapala/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/losapala

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Enjoy this podcast? If so, you'll love my book Novel Advice: Motivation, Inspiration, and Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring Authors. Grab a FREE copy by clicking the image below:

Download the podcast here:

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #77 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with Jennifer Blanchard.

Jennifer a multi-passionate author, screenwriter, blogger, and coach who is on a mission to change the way writers think and challenge what they believe is possible. In early 2009, after years of struggling with her stories, she learned about story structure, which changed everything for her. She published her debut novel, SoundCheck, in 2015, and she's been writing nonfiction books, novels, and screenplays ever since.

During our discussion, Jennifer describes:

How being a multi-passionate creative can be energizing and freeing

The role her blog played in helping her transition from a chronic procrastinator to an incredibility productive writer

How stumbling upon an article about story structure by Larry Brooks changed her life forever

Why she challenged herself to write and publish nine books in nine months (!)

What she offers in her Multi-Passionate Mastermind

The importance of a daily mindset practice

And much more!

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach #77 Show Notes

Get Jennifer's free Story Secrets audio series  www.jenniferblanchard.net/storysecrets

Visit her website: www.jenniferblanchard.net

Join her free Facebook group, The 1% Writers Club: www.facebook.com/groups/emergingauthorincubator

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Enjoy this podcast? If so, you'll love my book Novel Advice: Motivation, Inspiration, and Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring Authors. Grab a FREE copy by clicking the image below:

Download the podcast here:

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

Writing is often solitary work.

The most exciting moments in the process of drafting a book or screenplay are largely internal moments that take place within the writer's head.

There's no mad-eyed painter throwing colour at the canvass, no drugged up rock star struggling to stay on their feet while performing before tens of thousands of adoring fans.

A writer sitting in front of a keyboard is not the most visually dynamic of artistic experiences.

People, therefore, assume the process of writing and the lives of writers would make for poor cinema, but this couldn't be further from the truth!

In episode #76 of The Writing Coach podcast, guest host Laura Morano and I debunk the myth that there are no good movies about writing. We discuss more than a dozen fantastic films featuring writer protagonists dealing with the highs and lows of putting words to the page and trying to create something beautiful in the world.

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach #76 Show Notes

Here's the list of movies we discuss in this episode (in no particular order). Click the title of the movie to watch the trailer.

Wonder Boys (2000, Curtis Hanson)

 Misery (1990, Rob Rhiner,)

The Shining (1980, Stanely Kubrick)

Barton Fink (1991, Coen Brothers)

Moulin Rouge (2001, Baz Lurhman)

Sunset Boulevard (1950, Billy Wilder)

Almost Famous (2000, Cameron Crowe)

Naked Lunch (1991, David Cronenberg)

The Hours (2002, Stephen Daldry)

Midnight in Paris (2011, Woody Allen)

Adaptation (2002, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman)

Fear and Loathing (1998, Terry Gilliam)

Where the Buffalo Roam (1980, Art Linson)

The Rum Diary (2011, Bruce Robinson) 

Shakespeare in Love (1998, John Madden)

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Enjoy this podcast? If so, you'll love my book Novel Advice: Motivation, Inspiration, and Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring Authors. Grab a FREE copy by clicking the image below:

Download the podcast here:

Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors who help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work.

In episode #75 of The Writing Coach podcast, I speak with Elisa Doucette of Craft Your Content.

Elisa is a writer, editor, and entrepreneur who currently travels the world looking for great stories to live, interesting tales to share, and new ways to make words sexy.

She has worked for over a decade creating compelling content and writing for various businesses and publications. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Small Business, The Shine Network, The Huffington Post, and Brazen Careerist among others, including syndicated columns on Forbes.com and Maine Today Media. Her short stories have been published in numerous literary magazines and websites, and she has appeared as a guest on radio shows and podcasts around the web, such as Frommer’s Radio, Entrepreneurs on Fire, and The Chris Hahn Show. She also hosts a podcast for writers and creatives, called Writers' Rough Drafts.

As the owner and executive editor of the editing and writing coaching agency, Craft Your Content, Elisa oversees the acquisition and cultivation of a talented team of word and content geniuses while also encouraging the development of clients’ writing and thought prowess. CYC serves as a champion for each writers’ unique voice and vision, while helping them to publish their best content.

During our discussion, Elisa describes:

Why (despite living abroad and running a digital company) she doesn't consider herself a typical "lifestyle entrepreneur"

How challenges making friends in her youth led to a passion for literature and writing

The unique relationship between music technique and writing

How she met Stephen King in person (!)

Why she invested hundreds of hours in her online course, Become a Master Writer, and how you can benefit from enrolling regardless of what type of writing you do

And much more!

Click below to listen now:

The Writing Coach #75 Show Notes

Check out Elisa's great content:

Craft Your Content: https://www.craftyourcontent.com/

ElisaDoucette.com (personal site): http://www.elisadoucette.com/

Become a Master Writer course: https://craftyourcontent.teachable.com/p/become-a-master-writer/

Writers' Rough Draft: https://www.craftyourcontent.com/podcast

Elisa on Twitter (best social network to reach her): https://twitter.com/elisadoucette

Elisa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisa_doucette/u

As discussed in the interview, Elisa and I are both fans of Trello. Here's a video discussing how I use Trello in my work as an author:

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Enjoy this podcast? If so, you'll love my book Novel Advice: Motivation, Inspiration, and Creative Writing Tips for Aspiring Authors. Grab a FREE copy by clicking the image below:

Download the podcast here: