In this episode of the Writing Momentum podcast, Chris and Gena discuss common habits that can impede a writer’s progress or productivity. They share insights about the traps of comparison and the need to stay engaged with the writing community. The episode encourages writers to embrace their unique voice, style and journey, and stresses the importance of continuous reading and learning within the genre they are writing. The hosts also talk about maintaining a strong presence and active participation in the 'writing world,' including online forums, writer’s conferences and book clubs, to keep the creative juices flowing and to stay on top of market trends.

• 00:00 Introduction: The Biggest Danger to Your Writing Time
• 00:31 Everyday Habits That Can Tank Your Writing
• 02:23 The Dangers of Comparison in Writing
• 11:14 The Importance of Staying in the Writing World
• 16:15 The Power of Reading and Learning from Your Craft
• 18:59 Conclusion: Overcoming Writing Challenges

LINKS:

• Liz Wilcox's Email Marketing Membership at http://wmdeal.com/liz
• Get your FREE Move the Needle goal-setting for authors ebook at https://www.writingmomentum.com
• Write with us! Join Chris, Gena, and Rene each Wednesday at noon Central and let's get our writing DONE! https://www.writingmoments.com

In this episode of the Writing Momentum podcast, hosts Gena and Christopher Maselli explore different ways to stay motivated in writing. They discuss tracking your writing successes, identifying your 'why', immersing oneself in the writing world through books, podcasts, and conferences, and the benefits of co-writing and surrounding yourself with writing friends. Chris also describes the benefits of maintaining a 'to done' list. The hosts invite audiences to join their writing group, Writing Moments, to further promote a supportive writing community. The episode is designed to help writers find the motivation they need to stay committed to their craft.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:25 The Challenge of Staying Motivated

01:48 Tracking Your Successes

02:57 The Power of a 'To Done' List

07:17 Finding Your 'Why'

09:03 Keeping Your Head in the Writing World

10:06 The Benefits of Co-Writing

12:44 Surrounding Yourself with Writing Friends

15:27 Summary and Conclusion

LINKS:

• Liz Wilcox's Email Marketing Membership at http://wmdeal.com/liz
• Get your FREE Move the Needle goal-setting for authors ebook at https://www.writingmomentum.com
• Write with us! Join Chris, Gena, and Rene each Wednesday at noon Central and let's get our writing DONE! https://www.writingmoments.com

In the Writing Momentum Podcast, Christopher Maselli and his wife, Gena, share practical tips for finding time to write in a busy world. With over 30 years of writing experience, they tackle the challenge many writers face - finding time to pursue their passion amid various life commitments. They suggest keeping a reminder of your writing vision in front of you, scheduling your writing time, employing the Pomodoro technique, using deadlines, and adopting habit stacking where writing is added to an existing routine. They elaborate that consistency is key and even short bursts of writing can lead to a complete manuscript over time. They also encourage listeners to share and subscribe to their podcast for more insightful content.

• 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and the Topic
• 00:14 The Challenge of Finding Time to Write
• 02:47 The Importance of Keeping the Vision
• 05:57 The Power of Deadlines
• 08:45 The Strategy of Time Blocking
• 11:05 The Pomodoro Technique
• 12:44 Habit Stacking for Writing
• 15:17 Recap and Conclusion

LINKS:

• Liz Wilcox's Email Marketing Membership at http://wmdeal.com/liz
• Get your FREE Move the Needle goal-setting for authors ebook at https://www.writingmomentum.com
• Write with us! Join Chris, Gena, and Rene each Wednesday at noon Central and let's get our writing DONE! https://www.writingmoments.com

In this podcast transcript, hosts Chris and Gena highlight common mistakes that writers make when crafting content for nonprofit organizations. They discuss the importance of focusing on the benefits to the reader, creating clear calls to action, telling impactful stories of individual beneficiaries, and maintaining consistent branding across all communication channels. The hosts emphasize that these principles can also prove beneficial in other forms of writing, providing examples from their own experiences and from the realm of political speechmaking.

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Setup

00:46 Defining Non-Profits and Their Writing Needs

02:57 Common Mistakes in Non-Profit Writing: Part 1

04:05 Common Mistakes in Non-Profit Writing: Part 2

07:02 Common Mistakes in Non-Profit Writing: Part 3

10:22 The Power of Storytelling in Non-Profit Writing

12:58 Consistency Across All Channels

14:00 Recap and Conclusion

LINKS:

• Liz Wilcox's Email Marketing Membership at http://wmdeal.com/liz
• Get your FREE Move the Needle goal-setting for authors ebook at https://www.writingmomentum.com
• Write with us! Join Chris, Gena, and Rene each Wednesday at noon Central and let's get our writing DONE! https://www.writingmoments.com

After 30 years of working with nonprofits, hosts Gena and Chris discuss three common mistakes that writers often make when writing for non-profit organizations. These include the excessive focus on asking for help without celebrating the wins, constantly changing branding messages, and overuse of organization-specific jargon. Insights are also shared on how to execute effective communication strategies for non-profit organizations. This video is beneficial for anyone aiming to optimize their written communication for non-profit fundraising and awareness campaigns.

00:00 Introduction to Non-Profit Writing Mistakes

02:28 Mistake 1: Overemphasis on the Ask

06:14 Mistake 2: Inconsistent Branding Message

09:45 Mistake 3: Overuse of Jargon

12:08 Recap and Preview of Next Episode

13:29 Conclusion and Sign Off

LINKS:

• Liz Wilcox's Email Marketing Membership at http://wmdeal.com/liz
• Get your FREE Move the Needle goal-setting for authors ebook at https://www.writingmomentum.com
• Write with us! Join Chris, Gena, and Rene each Wednesday at noon Central and let's get our writing DONE! https://www.writingmoments.com

Self-publishing on Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is accessible and easy. Professional editing and formatting are essential. Use PDF and EPUB formats for both print and ebook versions. Consider specialized software or hiring a professional formatter. Design an eye-catching book cover. Create a KDP account and connect your bank account. Write a compelling book description, choose relevant categories, select keywords, and set a competitive price. Develop a marketing strategy. Join a writing community for support. Your book will go through a review process before being published on Amazon.

LINKS:

• Liz Wilcox's Email Marketing Membership at http://wmdeal.com/liz
• Get your FREE Move the Needle goal-setting for authors ebook at https://www.writingmomentum.com
• Write with us! Join Chris, Gena, and Rene each Wednesday at noon Central and let's get our writing DONE! https://www.writingmoments.com

Join us in this episode as we delve into the fascinating world of pen names. We discuss the definition of pen names and explore the various reasons why authors choose to use them, such as protecting their identity, exploring different genres, and maintaining privacy. We also highlight how pen names can help separate writing styles and target specific audiences, while overcoming bias and stereotypes. Tune in to hear the intriguing story of Stephen King's pen name, Richard Bachman, and be inspired to share your thoughts and funny pen names with us. Don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and share this podcast!

LINKS:

• Liz Wilcox's Email Marketing Membership at http://wmdeal.com/liz
• Get your FREE Move the Needle goal-setting for authors ebook at https://www.writingmomentum.com
• Write with us! Join Chris, Gena, and Rene each Wednesday at noon Central and let's get our writing DONE! https://www.writingmoments.com

Henry McLaughlin shares his research process for historical fiction novels, focusing on his latest book, "Emily's Trials." He emphasizes the significance of thorough research to create an accurate and authentic historical setting. McLaughlin's writing process involves "pantsing" and allowing the characters to shape the story. He encourages writers to revise and rewrite their work fearlessly. McLaughlin believes in the importance of supporting local bookstores and highlights the relevance of his stories of hope and reconciliation in today's world.

LINKS:

• Buy Emily’s Trials by Henry McLaughlin on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uaL5e5
• Liz Wilcox's Email Marketing Membership at http://wmdeal.com/liz
• Get your FREE Move the Needle goal-setting for authors ebook at https://www.writingmomentum.com

Hosts Christopher and Gena reveal their words for 2024, "extreme" and "flow," while writer friends and newsletter subscribers also share their chosen words. These words can be categorized into commitment, appreciation, and strength. Examples of commitment words include "commitment," "get her done," and "structure," while appreciation words include "mindfulness," "enjoy," and "magic." Strength words encompass "resurgence," "abide," and "brave." Listeners are encouraged to share their own words for 2024.

LINKS:

• Liz Wilcox's Email Marketing Membership at http://wmdeal.com/liz
• Get your FREE Move the Needle goal-setting for authors ebook at https://www.writingmomentum.com
• Write with us! Join Chris, Gena, and Rene each Wednesday at noon Central and let's get our writing DONE! https://www.writingmoments.com

Has it really been 100 episodes?! Yes!!

In this episode of the Writing Momentum podcast, Chris and Gena celebrate their podcast's third year and 100th episode by taking a look back at their top five most listened to episodes. They discuss the importance of avoiding cliches in writing, explore the wide range of materials that can be written for children, highlight the benefits of using an email newsletter for marketing, delve into the different types of editing needed for a manuscript, and provide a step-by-step guide on self-publishing on Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing. They also give an honorable mention to an episode on making time to write based on listener feedback. Listeners are encouraged to subscribe, review, and share the podcast, and are provided with a goal-setting planner and information on an upcoming membership site.

Episodes we talk about:

• 62: https://www.writingmomentum.com/writing/avoid-this-writing-trap-like-the-plague/
• 80: https://www.writingmomentum.com/podcast/all-you-can-write-for-children/
• 60: https://www.writingmomentum.com/marketing/our-best-kept-email-marketing-secret-2/
• 75: https://www.writingmomentum.com/podcast/why-your-manuscript-needs-editing-four-times/
• 4: https://www.writingmomentum.com/publishing/what-you-need-to-self-publish-on-amazons-kindle-direct-publishing-kdp/
• 9: https://www.writingmomentum.com/writing/how-to-make-time-to-write-your-answers/

Links:

• Join Liz Wilcox's Email Marketing Membership at https://wmdeal.com/liz
• Get your FREE Move the Needle goal-setting for authors ebook at https://www.writingmomentum.com
• Write with us! Join Chris, Gena, and Rene each Wednesday at noon Central and let's get our writing DONE! https://www.writingmoments.com

Prefer to watch it on YouTube? Visit https://www.youtube.com/@writingmomentum