Wild Words

I managed to find a margin to record my thoughts about how to navigate creativity during coronavirus. Spoiler: suggestions include doing less, releasing expectations, wrapping up projects, and clearing the decks. Now's the time for a radical reorganization of our time and energy. We won’t be able to meet the page as frequently, yet within these daily discomforts, we might have the opportunity to feel out what we truly need and make way for something new we might not have expected.

What happens when you achieve a dream, then want to change your life? Writer Sonia Ruyts answered this question—and waded through liminal space—when she decided to close her brick-and-mortar yarn shop to pursue writing. On today’s episode she shares fresh ideas for establishing consistency in your writing practice, how she navigates self-doubt, the exercise she always starts her writing day with, and the intersection between slow fashion and creativity. Show notes: thewildwords.com/podcast.

I'm waiting until I finish my book. I don't know what to write. I'm not sure where to start. I'm afraid people will unsubscribe. If this is how you feel about newsletters, let's chat. The truth is, we need to build trust and nurture relationships long before we have something to sell or promote, and on today’s episode, I’m sharing 3 mistakes writers make when starting a newsletter + announcing my free masterclass to help: Nurture Your Newsletter.

Media bombards us every second of every day. With so much noise stimulating our brains, nervous systems, and hearts, how might we tune in and hear ourselves think? The answer, in part, is rewilding. My guest today is writer Lily Diamond, who shares her take on the essential practice of remembering who we are, and offers suggestions for how to cope with the world around us.

Today’s guest is Andi Cumbo-Floyd, a writer and editor who's written 10 self-published books. We talked about the learning curve, self-publishing tips, promotion, and what Andi would do differently if she were just starting out today.

Join a nurturing community for writers & get your invite to our private Facebook group: http://www.thewildwords.com/community.

Writers like to stay behind the screen, but part of our work requires getting out there and embodying The Season of Visibility. If you’re feeling unsteady, Sonja Overhiser is a writer worth knowing. She’s built a creative business with her husband, Alex, and today she’s sharing tips for surviving live television spots, why she hired a publicist (even though she had a traditional book deal), and how writing helped her cope with a difficult adoption journey.

If sending your work into the world makes you feel simultaneously elated and anxious, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, rejection is par for the course in the writer’s life, but I believe there are some tangible ways we can navigate it with more grace and less of an impact to our sensitive writer’s heart.

After finishing her manuscript for Motherland, author Elissa Altman posted a hard truth about the writer’s life on Instagram: doing this work can take a physical toll on your body. Our conversation explores this important topic, including how she’s putting her body back together again after finding it left in shards from the emotional writing process.

Navigating a love/hate relationship with social media? You’re not alone. This episode explores how you can use social media intentionally to enhance your writing career without draining your creative energy. I’m sharing some of the benefits of using social media for your writing life, what prompted me to take a 30-day social media break, 10 questions to help you understand the heart of your social media use, and five tips for showing up while still keeping your sanity.

Ready to reevaluate your relationship with social media? Today I’m talking with Christianne Squires, who recently decided to deactivate her Facebook account and focus on Instagram to grow her community. On this episode, Christianne shares steps to navigate your own decisions, plus advice for how writers can navigate social media in ways that feel authentic to them. Pick up a copy of Wild Words wherever books are sold, then visit wildwordsbook.com to download a free book bundle to help you go deeper.