Writing Easy

These days, it can be hard to find the motivation to write. Today we discuss how you keep writing during a global crisis when everything around you may seem (or actually be) out of control. Some writers have found themselves being super productive, and other writers are panicking because their work has come to a screeching halt. Tune in as Mary and Melissa share some tips and tricks they are using to keep the words flowing. Shout out to LiteraryHub and Emily Gould for the newsletter that inspired this conversation.

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Have tips for other writers on how to manage during this time - share with us on social media!

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@geekymary @melissaannlong @writingeasypod1

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@WritingEasyPodcast @writewithmelis

These days it feels like you have to say no to everything. So today, Mary and Melissa are going to talk about saying yes. Join us as we explore Shonda Rhimes' book, Year of Yes,  how that impacted Melissa's own "Yes" journey.  We also explore ways you can say yes in your writing with practices like "follow the fear" and learning to listen to your gut.

You can grab your own copy of Year of Yes here and if you're interested in learning more from Shonda Rhimes, check out her TV Writing Masterclass.

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@geekymary @melissaannlong @writingeasypod1

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@WritingEasyPodcast @writewithmelis

We're catching up on our reading and have another "craft book" report to share with our readers. Today we're talking about Story Genius by Lisa Cron. If you're looking for an interactive book of exercises on how to develop stronger characters and plots driven by those characters, we encourage you to listen to this episode and check out the book!

http://wiredforstory.com/story-genius-1

Let us know if you've read the book and what your thoughts are on social media!

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@geekymary @melissaannlong @writingeasypod1

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@WritingEasyPodcast @writewithmelis

Last week, Mary and Melissa discussed the financial challenges of being a writer. This week we're celebrating how writers and creatives are giving back to support each other while self-isolating. We dig into the virtual workshops, online courses, and free resources that you can leverage when the Netflix binge becomes tiresome.

Resources mentioned during the episode:

Clarion West Online Writer's Workshop - https://www.clarionwest.org/workshops/online-workshops/april-online-workshop-series/

Screencraft Screenwriter's Summit - https://screencraft.org/virtualsummit/

#StayHomeWriMo (by NaNoWriMo) - https://nanowrimo.org/stayhomewrimo

Find is on the interwebs for some inspirational reminders...

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@geekymary @melissaannlong @writingeasypod1

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@WritingEasyPodcast @writewithmelis

This week, Mary and Melissa go deep undercover to reveal a dirty little secret about writing. At least, that is what the article in The Guardian claims. We're talking about money, and how writing may be a career only for the privileged. Is this true? Does starting from a place without privilege give you an advantage. Listen and weigh in.

You can read The Guardian article we discuss here. 

Curious about the 1,000 true fans theory? Check out the article here by Kevin Kelly.

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@geekymary @melissaannlong @writingeasypod1

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@WritingEasyPodcast @writewithmelis

It's one of the most common pieces of advice given to an aspiring author or screenwriter. Read. Read anything. Read everything. Read often. Yet few people actually talk about what that means. Today, Mary and Melissa discuss their process for doing a critical read of material (books or scripts) to help increase the quality of their writing and how you might be able to do the same.

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@geekymary @melissaannlong @writingeasypod1

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@WritingEasyPodcast @writewithmelis

This week, Melissa and Mary continue their conversation on what it means to revise your writing, and Melissa shares one of her hacks for making the process a little easier. If you find yourself navigating the "revision hell" terrain, this might be the episode for you.

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@geekymary @melissaannlong @writingeasypod1

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@WritingEasyPodcast @writewithmelis

This week, Melissa and Mary dig deep into the ever popular saying, "Write drunk, edit sober." What does this mean? Does it actually work? How can you apply the core tenet of the saying without actually becoming an alcoholic? We also explore the complexities of the inner critic and how to turn it off so that you can write more freely and organically. 

Looking for ancient technology to write with? Try the Alphasmart NEO. It's a fun portable word processor that only allows you to see three lines of text at a time and limits the amount of editing you can do as you are writing. 

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@geekymary @melissaannlong @writingeasypod1

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@WritingEasyPodcast @writewithmelis

In today's episode we learn all about the writing brain! We are doing a recap of the book Firing Up Your Writing Brain by Susan Reynolds. As always, we encourage you to take what makes sense for you, be open minded and test out new things, but don't make this advice gospel. Do what works for you.

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@geekymary @melissaannlong @writingeasypod1

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@WritingEasyPodcast @writewithmelis

Where to start? Where to start? In this week's episode we discuss how to get started when you know you want to write, but have no idea how to begin. This episode is perfect for our writing newblets, who may get overwhelmed or intimidated by the blank page. We'll talk about writing prompts, fan fiction, and NaNoWriMo. Also, take a breath. You can do this.

Find is on the interwebs...

TWITTER

@geekymary @melissaannlong @writingeasypod1

INSTAGRAM

@WritingEasyPodcast @writewithmelis