Write Now with Sarah Werner

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It's November--and you know what that means! Or maybe you don't, in which case I'll tell you: it's NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH! And the way I see it, November is a time to celebrate all writers, not just novelists. That includes you. Get ready for the writing frenzy with episode 027 of Write Now.

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month (because who wants to say that over and over?), and over the years this has become a sort of marathon for writers. The challenge? To write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days, from November 1-30.

Yes, that's nearly 1,700 words per day. Yes, that's insane. But it can also be kind of fun, and a great way to get into a daily writing habit.

Keeping NaNoWriMo realistic.

That's why I advocate participating in NaNoWriMo without the expectation of winning (i.e., reaching the 50,000 word count by November 30).

Instead, set a daily writing goal that is more reasonable for your situation (e.g., 170 words a day, 800 words a day) and focus on reaching that goal every day in the month of November.

Thinking about giving it a try? Friend me on the NaNoWriMo site and we'll do this together.

And don't forget to enjoy the pep talks by some of your favorite novelists along the way.

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong is the tale of 16-year-old Maya -- or at least it's the beginning of her tale.

Because as much as I adored Maya's character (for once a whip-smart, funny, and likable heroine so much unlike Bella Swan), I had a hard time grappling with the fact that I was essentially reading 25% or 33% of a story.

I love YA series, and I love cliffhangers. But I have really little patience with partially-told stories.

A full book's worth of story should establish expectations that it then follows up on. If it ends on a cliffhanger, that's fine, as long as the reader feels satisfied (if tense, and excited for the next installment) by the final page.

But with The Gathering, none of my expectations were met or fulfilled, and the abrupt, anticlimactic ending wasn't a cliffhanger so much as a "meh." It wasn't enough to lure me in to buying the next book (of which there are currently three).

Keep up-to-date with my book-related adventures on Goodreads.

Submit your own thoughts or questions on my contact page, or simply email me at hello [at] sarahwerner [dot] com. I can't wait to hear from you.

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Episode 004: Dave Booda It's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy another episode of Coffee Break.

Dave Booda (that's him, with the magnificent man-bun) of the Darken the Page podcast got in touch with me a while ago about recording a podcast episode together, and I thought it sounded like a great idea.

SO THAT IS WHAT WE DID. Enjoy our banter about the creative process and all the STUFF that comes with it. :D

Please note: This episode originally aired as Episode 43 of the Darken the Page podcast, but Dave very generously let me use it for today's Coffee Break as well. Thanks, my friend! Interested in Coffee Break? I'm always looking for exciting people to showcase with casual conversations about creativity, writing, and work/life balance. Send me an email at hello [at] sarahwerner [dot] com or contact me if you're interested in a guest appearance. WOOOO, email! Find out all of the latest haps when you sign up for my email newsletter! I promise I won't spam you. :) Subscribe to Coffee Break (& Write Now). You can listen to the full Coffee Break episode using the controls at the beginning of this post.

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Episode 026 of the Write Now podcast is once again sponsored by my good friend Dave Booda at the Darken the Page podcast. Check it out!

Sometimes the Powers That Be decide that juggling the usual work/life/writing balance just isn't hard enough, and sends us fun new things to deal with on top of it all. Things like illness, depression, toxic people, and bad situations at work.

So what's a writer to do?

Keep yourself from getting lost.

But you're stronger than that. Today we're going to talk about that, and about how to stay true to yourself during the toughest times.

Submit your thoughts or questions on my contact page, or simply email me at hello [at] sarahwerner [dot] com. I can't wait to hear from you!

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The post When Life Kinda Sucks – WN 026 appeared first on The Write Now Podcast with Sarah Werner.

Episode 003: Matt Paulson Hey friends. It's time for another Coffee Break!

Today, I'm speaking to my good friend Matt Paulson, the author of two books and finance blogger-turned-entrepreneur.

Matt is a smart dude who did something really interesting. He built a software program to gather financial data and generate blog posts about it. So today he's talking to us as the writer who literally built his own robot replacement.

It's like science fiction, but it's REAL LIFE! And Matt has seen an incredible amount of success.

That left Matt the writer with nothing left to write -- so he started writing books. One of those books he wrote in just 18 days (which you'll hear more about in this episode), and it's about an aspect of being a writer that often gets overlooked or pushed to the sidelines -- marketing.

Matt's newest book, Email Marketing Demystified, is a great and accessible way to gain a following for bloggers, novelists, and writers of all kinds. He spills some secrets in this episode about when to start collecting email addresses through your website, how to use them, and more. I think you'll agree it's pretty cool stuff. Get a free copy of Matt's book! Want to learn how, as a writer or a blogger, to get started with email marketing? Matt's book, Email Marketing Demystified, is available free on Kindle through October 4, 2015, and if you'd still like a free copy after that, please contact him through his website.

And while you're there, you can sign up for his email list. :) Interested in Coffee Break? I'm always looking for exciting people to showcase with casual conversations about creativity, writing, and work/life balance. Send me an email at hello [at] sarahwerner [dot] com or contact me if you're interested in a guest appearance. Receive incredibly exciting emails from me. Find out all of the latest haps when you sign up for my email newsletter! I promise I won't spam you. :) Subscribe to Coffee Break (and Write Now). You can listen to the full Coffee Break episode using the controls at the beginning of this post.

Or! You can listen and subscribe using your favorite app/website/podcatcher:

Help support this podcast! >> I'm on social media. Connect with the Write Now and Coffee Break podcasts on your favorite social media platform(s): Twitter | Facebook | Ello | Google+ | Pinterest | Tumblr

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Episode 025 of the Write Now podcast is sponsored by my good friend Dave Booda at the Darken the Page podcast for creatives of all kinds. He's a smart and funny dude. Check it out!

In this episode, you'll learn about the remaining five, as well as the reasons why they're so important to me:

My remaining 5 favorite books!

All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

The Ape Who Guards the Balance by Elizabeth Peters

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

I'm so excited to share these books with you!

Have you read any of the 10 books on my list of favorites? What did you think of them?

Submit your own thoughts or questions on my contact page, or simply email me at hello [at] sarahwerner [dot] com. I can't wait to hear from you!

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The post My 10 Favorite Books (Part 2) – WN 025 appeared first on The Write Now Podcast with Sarah Werner.

Episode 002: Mad Like Alyce

Welcome to another episode of Coffee Break! This week, I'm talking to lifestyle blogger Mad Like Alyce, who offers a special focus on living a healthier life with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and chronic pain.

This is a great podcast episode for any writer who has a blog or is thinking about starting a blog!

In our conversation, Alyce & I talk about the importance of selecting a niche for your blog without letting it confine or label you, how to draw inspiration from other bloggers while maintaining your own voice, how much time to spend writing a post vs. how much value it provides to your readers, and so much more.

Alyce is not only a writer but a tech geek like myself, and so you'll also get some tips on starting your blog on a shoestring budget, using Google Analytics to understand and grow your blog traffic, and finding the right blogging platform.

I hope you enjoy it. Visit Alyce's blog. You'll find Alyce online at madlikealyce.com, where she blogs about living a happier and healthier life with PTSD and chronic pain. She also offers fun lifestyle features highlighting new music, fashion, recipes, and more. Check it out. Interested in Coffee Break? I'm always looking for exciting people to showcase with casual conversations about creativity, writing, and work/life balance. Send me an email at hello [at] sarahwerner [dot] com or contact me if you're interested in a guest appearance. Receive riveting weekly emails from me. Find out all of the latest haps when you sign up for my email newsletter! I promise I won't spam you. :) Subscribe to Coffee Break (and Write Now). You can listen to the full Coffee Break episode using the controls at the beginning of this post.

Or! You can listen and subscribe using your favorite app/website/podcatcher:

Help support this podcast! >> I'm on social media. Connect with the Write Now and Coffee Break podcasts on your favorite social media platform(s): Twitter | Facebook | Ello | Google+ | Pinterest | Tumblr

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DID YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE BOOKS? This is a good thing, because episode 024 of the Write Now podcast is all about books. Hooray!

This week's episode is sponsored by my good friend Dave Booda at the Darken the Page podcast. Dave is passionate about exploring the creative process, and his interview-style podcast lends some great perspective. Check it out!

But we still have our favorites -- those books that we've had since childhood, books that comforted us when we were afraid, that kept us company when we were lonely. Those books that contain characters we count closer than our friends and remind us of all the possibilities life can bring.

Here are 5 of my 10 favorite books, along with the reasons why.

My favorite books!

Pattern Recognition by William Gibson

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I'm super excited to share these books with you!

Submit your own thoughts or questions on my contact page, or simply email me at hello [at] sarahwerner [dot] com. I can't wait to hear from you. :D

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The post My 10 Favorite Books (Part 1) – WN 024 appeared first on The Write Now Podcast with Sarah Werner.

A truly delightful conversation with the author of the Thornleigh Saga about crafting a real page-turner.

Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/sarahrheawerner 

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Oh man. Episode 023 of the Write Now podcast is about SUCCESS. Get ready  for some kind of MONTAGE or MOTIVATIONAL POSTER, probably!

...Or, you know, a nice earnest discussion on what it means to find success as a writer.

I think that a lot of writers interpret success as a "luck of the draw" type fate, and to a certain degree, that's true. But I think those writers also tend to underestimate the power of strategic planning and goal-setting.

It all starts with understanding and defining what success means for and looks like to you as a writer.

For you, is success:

Changing the way your society operates?

Or is it something else entirely?

So have hope. Take heart. And get to work. I'll give you the rundown on what to do in today's podcast episode.

Book of the week.

Originally given as a commencement speech in 2005 to the graduating class at Kenyon College, this brief book takes up about 100 pages and 20 minutes of your time, but will leave a lasting impression that will keep you thinking throughout the week.

I'd never read David Foster Wallace before (I know, shame shame), and this seemed a bit more digestible than The Infinite Jest. But now I've got a taste for it and can't wait to dive in to his heavier works.

Keep up-to-date with my book-related adventures on Goodreads.

Submit your own thoughts or questions on my contact page, or simply email me at hello [at] sarahwerner [dot] com. I can't wait to hear from you.

Or! You can listen and subscribe using your favorite app/website/podcatcher:

Help support this podcast! >>

The post What Does Success Look Like For You? – WN 023 appeared first on The Write Now Podcast with Sarah Werner.

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Hey friends. Have you ever questioned your writer-ly destiny? Then Episode 022 of the Write Now podcast is for you.

Her letter affected me so much that I decided to dedicate this episode to exploring the topic.

Amanda writes,

...But I spend maybe 5% of my writing time actually writing. The rest of the time, I am in misery. I agonize over my faults until I can barely move, let alone be creative...

I'm just wondering if I should even be writing at all. Can someone maybe have a passion for writing but then shouldn't do it anyway?

There is no "should".

When you wonder whether you were "meant" to be a writer, or whether you "should" be writing, whose mandate are you following? Who is imposing those "shoulds"? Fate? God or a higher power? A teacher, professor, or friend? Yourself? That feeling of enjoyment/satisfaction/joy when you're able to write?

I went through a time when my own "shoulds" seriously conflicted with what I wanted and needed to do with my life. I would bet that you have been through something similar as well.

What's hard to remember amidst all those "shoulds" is that your life is not just one pre-determined path. Your life isn't just point A to point B. It's point A to LITERALLY ANYWHERE. There are thousands of possibilities, and thousands of choices you make in any given day that will determine the course of your life.

You were given (or have, depending on your perspective) a talent for writing. And it's up to you to decide what you want to do with that talent.

Do you want to write as a hobby? As a career? Or do you not want to write at all?

The only person who can make that choice is you.

I read all five books in some sort of fever of my own, often staying up significantly past my bedtime to read just one more chapter.

The premise? MacKayla Lane travels to Dublin, Ireland to identify the body of her sister and best friend, Alina.

While she's there, she notices that things aren't quite right, and embarks on an adventure to not only identify her sister's killer but prevent the extinction of humanity at the hands of the warring Seelie and Unseelie Fae courts.

Read this series if you love urban fantasy, mysterious strangers, Dublin, tightly knit plots, bookshops, self-aware heroines with swords and spears, saucy brooding heroes, and epic storytelling.

Do not read this series if you are sensitive to foul language or graphically depicted adult situations. (Seriously. I'm not kidding. It's graphic.)

Otherwise... I hope you don't have to get up early for work the next morning.

Keep up-to-date with my book-related adventures on Goodreads.