Writing and Editing

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My guest on this episode is Erin Ollila. She calls herself a “Conversion copywriter. Copywriting coach. Word slinger. Wing woman.” She has over 15 years of publishing experience and (backed by an an MFA in Creative Writing), she creates and implements smart SEO website copy and strategic content campaigns. She also hosts her own podcast called Talk Copy to Me. Please listen.

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Dr. Heather Davis is a storyteller, certified book coach, copy editor, and an author platform expert. She has a B.S. in biology from Salisbury University, a PhD in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and has spent over ten years as a teacher. She also has a creative writing certificate from Stanford University, and loves helping passionate writers make the life-changing leap from dreamer to published author.  Heather also writes about the writing process (here, here). Please listen.

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As a professional writer since the age of 20, ROmana supports people who want to get started with their own writing. She offers different programs on how to get started with your first book—how to persist and publish it. Her online workshops strive to give writers a happier mindset. She has written 8 books and has 3 more on the way. She helps a writer get past the overwhelming feeling of just getting started. Please listen.

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Marjorie Turner Hollman has completed four Easy Walking guide books, and the backstory is essentially her memoir of learning to find joy in the face of difficult life circumstances. Partially paralyzed, she gets outdoors using hiking poles for support. She is now a writer and editor and book coach. Please listen.

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Nita Sweeney is the award-winning wellness author of the running and mental health memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink. She has written other books since, but is also a certified meditation leader, mental health advocate, and ultramarathoner. Nita founded Mind, Mood, and Movement to support well-being through meditation, exercise, and writing practice, and another group called The Writer’s Mind, to share writing practices in order to produce publishable work. She lives in central Ohio with her husband, Ed, and their yellow Labrador retriever, Scarlet. She was a really informed guest, and exuded a feeling of calm and content. Please have a listen to our conversation.

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Wayne discusses the case of standup comedian Andrew Schulz. He bought his standup special back from Amazon for $1 million (his life's savings) after they requested that he delete some "wild" jokes about abortion. The special is now being shown as a pay-per-view event on July 17. Wayne is offering to pay the price of the show to the first 10 listeners who contact him. Email [email protected]. Text 613-884-8953.

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Pete Zaborszky is a serial entrepreneur who previously founded a privacy advocate organization, and now is the CEO and founder of Retalk.com. He was born in Soviet Hungary, and grew up in both the UK and Hungary. Pete strongly believes in individual liberty and freedom of speech. This led him to create Retalk, a new social network for people frustrated with censorship. Retalk is built to encourage civil discussion. It is run by people who welcome conservative/right-wing and center-right views. I had an excellent conversation with Pete, who is smart and thoughtful at the same time as he is modest. Please listen.

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Hannah Lyon is a professional editor who has assisted dozens of authors in both fiction and nonfiction, working with them to achieve successful publication. Some of the books she has edited or ghostwritten have made it to #1 bestseller lists both nationally and internationally. Hannah practices what she calls “comprehensive editing,” and I was curious to find out from her what exactly she meant by that. She has also been a guest expert on writing and editing at virtual and in-person conferences and writers’ retreats. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Please have a listen to our conversation.

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Deb Courtney hosts the popular Write Drunk, Edit Sober Improv Writing sessions online and  in-person in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The sessions focus on microskills in fiction writing to improve how writers make progress on what they’re writing. She frequently speaks on Project Management for Writers, The Procrastination Myth, and the psychological and chemical underpinnings of procrastination. Deb herself has also published many short stories and her book on Write Drunk, Edit Sober is forthcoming. She was a pleasure to talk to, and I learned a thing or two. Please listen. 

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Based partly on his interviews of many writers over the past month or so on the podcast, Wayne offers his opinions and thoughts about literary fiction and genre fiction. Their differences, what they have in common. He provides some definitions and examples, including an extended analysis of Vladimir Nabokov's novel, Pale Fire (1962).