#AmWriting
Episodes
Episode 211 #WriterGoals, Pandemic Version
15 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Back in December 2019, we set #WriterGoals for 2020.We had no idea. This week, we go back in and revisit—which goals still stand? Which do we have t...
Minisode: Don't Make the Same Mistakes Twice
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Check out this Minisode where Jess discusses the mistakes she made writing her first book, and her new tricks to avoid making them again.Usually, Mini...
Episode 210 #DontOverthinkIt
08 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Anne Bogel, most recently the author of Don’t Overthink It, which came out on March 3, 2020. Followers of this podcast who’ve t...
Episode 209 #StartYourWriterThing
01 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s Jess and I (KJ) talking to Olivia and Meghan from the Marginally podcast, which we love for its frank conversations about challenges...
Episode 208 How to Blend a #CozyThriller
24 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Do mystery and thriller writers ever “pants” their stories? What’s it like to give a dark protagonist some elements of your own history? How muc...
Episode 207 #ProfessionallyMarried—for life
17 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hey #AmWriting Listeners. It’s April 13, 2020, and this episode, like the last, is a throwback to a simpler time, when we left our homes without mas...
Episode 206 #YouCanDoIt (even now)
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hey campers, KJ here. In this week’s episode, we talk to the brilliant Jessica Abel, a creativity coach extraordinaire, about how to get past whatev...
Episode 205 How to Create #MarketingMojo
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hey writers—super-practical episode this week! Call it part two of the Sarina coaches KJ through her book launch series. This week, it’s the #Mark...
Episode 204 #HowtoGetPastWritersBlock(slowly)
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Feeling a wee bit stuck? Struggling to get anything on the page? Well, we all are—and not only does this week’s guest know from writer’s block (...
Episode 203 #HowtoWorkAnyway
20 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Well, fellow writers, when we recorded this we were just at the beginning of it all. It’s safe to say things have already changed—all of us have f...
Episode 202 #WebsiteRevampHowto
13 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hey listeners! It’s been a mad mad mad week here (all of you in the future, check the date), and I bet there too. Result: there are no shownotes for...
Episode 201: #Creatinga(Fictional)DysfunctionalFamily
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
And you thought our shelves full of self help books were just to manage our own issues! Nope, there’s another use for them. Our guest this week, Ka...
Episode 200 #ShouldYouStartaPodcast
28 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s our 200th episode! In all that time, we’ve never missed a week and never regretted our choice to spend 40 minutes (ish) together—and with y...
Episode 199 #HowtoLovePromotingYourWork
21 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today, Dan Blank, sure seems like a man who loves his work. On his own podcast, the Creative Shift, he’s a warm and engaged interviewer. I...
Episode 198 #RoomforTwoPrincesses
14 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’re interviewing Julie Lythcott-Haims this week and you won’t want to miss it, because 1) she wrote an amazing, best-selling book called How to ...
Episode 197 #HowtoWinatPR
07 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Marika Flatt is the founder of PR By the Book, an independent publicity firm dedicated to working with authors, publishers and books. Their tagline is...
196 #WhereDoestheTimeGo
31 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It started with a question in the #AmWriting Facebook group: How do you get it all done?And the answer was, of course—we don’t, no one does, we pu...
Episode 195: #FromPeopletoSciAmerican
24 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do you become a science writer? What if you didn’t even think you liked science as a kid? What if, instead of “serious journalism”, you spen...
Episode 194: #PutAPriceOnIt
17 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Struggling to put a price on your time? Jess and Sarina (an economist and former trader on Wall Street) help your find that elusive number. A listener...
Episode 193: #WriterDreamsComeTrue
10 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
She writes Emmy-winning television comedy, bestselling children’s books, plays, and sentences for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Is there nothin...
192 #HowtoBeaBookCoach
03 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“Every writer,” book coach Jennie Nash tells us, “ thinks at some point that they just cannot do this. That’s just part of the process.” It’...
Episode 191 #2020Goals
27 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Whoa. Fellow writers, 2020 is upon us. And here at #AmWriting HQ, we love setting annual goals. We really do. We adore everything about it, from the a...
Episode 190: #DeclaringGoalsMet*
20 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re reviewing our 2019 goals. Did we gloriously achieve? Live up to our words of the year by focusing on the worthy? Check every box and climb eve...
Episode 189: #WhatWritersWant(thatmoneycanbuy)
13 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We all know you can’t really buy the things we writers want: inspiration, the power to spend as much time writing our books as we do thinking about ...
Episode 188 #HowtoJudgeaBook(byits)Cover
06 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Turns out you should judge a book by its cover, and readers do. Which means authors need to consider that (and not our own taste) when we think about ...
Episode 187 #TheThankYouProjectProject
29 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The infamous how-to meets self-help meets memoir-with-a-dash-of-stunt genre. It may be awkwardly named, but we love it.This week’s guest didn’t re...
186 #TheJoyofHolidayRomCom
22 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We wanted to talk holiday writing—as in, writing ABOUT holidays, not writing during the holidays. So we went strolling through the holly-bedecked ha...
Episode 185: #AudioExplosion
15 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Here’s one way to learn how to write books that work in audio: narrate over 700 of them, like our guest this week, Tanya Eby. If that sounds a littl...
Episode 184 #BeforeYouStartthatNonFictionProject
08 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Every nonfiction book starts out as a glimmer of an idea. A topic. An area of interest or expertise. But you can’t just pitch a book about beekeepin...
Episode 183: #FacebookforWriters
01 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Writers need a page, a profile and a whole lot of patience and persistence to even feel like we’re close to getting Facebook “right.”The questio...
Episode 182 #WriteFlailRepeat
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Novelist Abbi Waxman makes us laugh talking process and inspiration almost as much as we do when reading her books, with emphasis on using settings yo...
Episode 181 #NaWhateverWriMo
18 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Maybe you’re drafting a novel, maybe you’re not. Either way, we vote for seizing on the community energy generated by NaNo and getting some work d...
Episode 180 #CharacterEnneagramRabbitHole
11 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Shortcut to finding our characters’ worst flaws and deepest fears? Yes, thank you.All Sarina had to do was say “protagonist character analysis” ...
Episode 179 #ShouldWantCanAmWriting
05 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Not writing what your inner parent says you “should” be writing? How to get over it.Fellow writers, KJ here. I have gathered you here today to dis...
Episode 178 #WriteFaster
27 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
More words, better words, in less time? Sometimes. In this episode, finding your own path to write faster.If only we could write as fast as we type! Y...
Episode 177 #AudioWriter
20 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Joshilyn Jackson doesn't just write best-selling thrillers. She narrates them, too. Should we?Episode links and a transcript follow—but first, a pre...
Episode 176 #FallProductivity
13 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Fresh fall starts or pressing fall deadlines? Here's how to make the most of that new season, sharpened pencils, back-to-school mojo. Even when a pres...
Episode 175 #HowtoUseaBurnChart
06 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The burn chart mindset, whole book project management, and a how-to for finding a progress tracker that works for you. KJ’s an avid user of burn cha...
Episode 174: #WhenIt'sReallyHard
30 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Writing through chronic illness and other challenges, with Karen Lock KolpThis writing thing often feels hard. A common text among the three of us (J...
Episode 173, #LiteraryMagsandPopularAcademics
23 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Medicine, literature, academic writing, submitting to literary journals: we wander all over the map with guest Danielle Ofri. Funny thing—writers fo...
172: #BucketGoals
16 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Big dreams, and how to achieve them. (Jess likes to be told she can do it. KJ prefers to be told she can't.)#AmReading (and watching) Other People's ...
171: #WritingWithandAboutFaith
09 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The risks and benefits of writing about religion in any genre, with author Phoebe Farag Mikhail.Phoebe's publisher: Paraclete Press (https://paraclete...
170: #YourFreelanceBusiness
02 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tracking your why, your how, your money and your time with Katherine Reynolds Lewis.A few assorted links, comments and toolsToggl time tracker (http...
169: #SummerReading
26 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jess is going gangbusters on her summer writing, and KJ may be struggling, but they’re both plowing through some serious recs for your summer read...
168: #LuckFavorsTheBold
19 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As the wheel of fortune spins, Jess gives us the blow by blow of this week’s celebrity endorsement - spoiler alert...it wasn’t entirely luck! When...
167: #ChangeAndRearrange
12 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Book Coach Jennie Nash returns to tackle some effective strategies for revising; it can be a tortuous process, but it can also be where some of the fu...
166: #SummerWriting
05 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tips for getting the work done when the season shifts around you. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or ge...
165: #Twitter#@*!Storm
28 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes, the internet turns against you. What to do, what not to do, how to ride it out and remember--the loudest voices aren't necessarily the most...
164: #WhoIsThisHelping
21 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Subscription services like Kindle Unlimited and Audible do make books—some books—cheaper for readers, but what do they do for authors—and what a...
163: #BookTourReality
14 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Laura Philpott tells all. It's glorious. It's embarrassing. Nobody told you you'd be sitting on a barstool in front of a crowd in a short skirt.M...
162: #HalfwaytoGoal
07 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Remember those goals you set with Jess and KJ back in January? Neither did they, but they dug them out and sort out how the year’s going so far.In E...
161: #WritingAtMyNightmare
31 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We welcome Shane Burcaw. You thought writing was hard? Try doing it with no muscles.Shane Burcaw is the author of three books: Laughing at My Nightmar...
160: #10MonthsfromStarttoDeadline
24 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Parkland author Dave Cullen on everything you ever wanted to know about pitching and writing a topical nonfiction book at top speed (and going broke d...
159: #StoryGenius
17 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Story expert Lisa Cron joins Jess and KJ to dig into the mechanics of a good book, including the difference between plot and story, and looking beyond...
158: #WhyStickers
10 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jess and KJ extemporize on the power of stickers - where the only thing that matters is getting into the work, and getting the words out. And some bon...
157: #ExcitedAboutWords
03 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Podcasting from Mom 2.0 Conference with podcaster, journalist and author, Nicole Blades. She tells us about the pros and cons of skipping an agent, us...
156 #WhenFansPay
26 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's hard enough to start a subscriber email. But what if--like freelance writer Lyz Lenz, who has two books coming out in the next twelve months--you...
155: #GetUnstuck
19 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Uber-Coach Jennifer Louden on finding your "enough" and letting it power you forward. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with oth...
154: #MathandDictationAreFun
12 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Math storyteller [Steven Strogatz](http://www.stevenstrogatz.com/) makes both calculus and dictation seem approachable and fun. #notkiddingJess, we le...
153: #GrammarGirl
05 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mignon Fogerty on Pet Peeves, riding a wave and what to do if you're a writer--and grammar still scares the bejabbers out of you.Plenty of writers #fa...
152: #ContinueHereforEmailLists
29 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Part 2 continues with Sarina Bowen's guidance about what you should put in your email list, and how to market your email before, or after, you’re pu...
151: #StartHereforEmailLists
22 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sarina Bowen guides us through where and how to start up an email list, how to grow it and how to keep it healthy in the first part of a two parter on...
150: #NeverReady
15 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Laura Philpott on how to launch a book into the world, with a few regrets and ideas for do-overs. This is a public episode. If you'd like to disc...
149: #PlagarismVersusJustWrong
08 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Accusations of plagiarism and general bad behavior are everywhere in the writing world. Sarina Bowen joins the conversation about what plagiarism is a...
148: #GreenEyedMonster
01 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Omitting wan words to tighten your writing, and battling the inevitable arrival of professional jealousy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to d...
147: #GoodNewsandHowIGotThere
22 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You heard it here first: KJ sold her novel. We talk about how the deal happened, why she took a pre-empt, and building a career. This is a public epis...
146: #AnthologyWriting
15 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ share tips about about answering calls for anthology submissions This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with ...
145: #DethroneThePhone
08 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ talk with computer science professor, and author, Cal Newport on the concept of digital minimalism and the benefits it can hav...
144: #ReadingWhileWriting
01 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ tackle a classic writing question: can you read in your genre while you’re writing in it without absorbing other voices and ...
143: #AlwaysBeHustling
25 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
…in which successful freelancer Kimberly Moran describes how she has created a home and work life that feeds her writing, and how she's always hustl...
142: #SixYearsOfWork
18 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
…in which Jess and KJ talk with award-winning biographer, Ruth Franklin, author of Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, and find out what it take...
141: #ItsTrueSoWriteIt
11 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ talk raw honest memoir with Janelle Hanchett, author of I'm Just Happy to Be Here. It's not easy to write memoir, or to put it...
140: #2019Goals
04 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ open the new year with their goals and words for the upcoming year. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this wi...
139: #GoalReview
28 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ take stock of 2018 with a review of their goals and their words of the year. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discus...
138: #WhatsYourGenre
22 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ weigh the many ambiguous definitions of fiction genres with Emily Tredowe, and her short-story path to novel writing. This is ...
137: #SocialProofMatters
14 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ speak with author Sarina Bowen about how to get Amazon reviews and why you want them. This is a public episode. If you'd like ...
136: #GiftShow!
07 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
…in which Jess and KJ are in the same place! And sharing all the perfect gift ideas for you and your writerly friends. This is a public episode. If ...
135: #SteppingBack
30 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
…in which Jess and KJ are joined by book coach, and fan favorite, Jennie Nash to answer the question: What do you do when you wake up with 50,000 wo...
134: #WritingAroundFamily
23 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ share tips about making space for writing even around the holidays, when family is seemingly everywhere. They tackle a listene...
133: #WorkingBackwards
16 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ speak with entrepreneur, author, and speaker, Seth Godin about how to market and promote your own writing by thinking about th...
132 #ThePitchCameFirst
09 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Jess and KJ interview Jennifer Miller and Jason Feifer, the married co-authors of Mr. Nice Guy, a book with the perfect elevator pitch: What if two co...
131: #RelentlesslyHelpful
02 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
…in which Jess (fighting thru a cold) and KJ highlight the opportunities panels present, and the importance of choosing your sponsorship carefully. ...
130: #HorseKick
26 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ update us on how their respective projects are coming along, including Jess's research and KJ's public speaking, all as someth...
129: #Don'tGetBuzzed
19 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ are joined by actor, author, podcaster and science advocate Alan Alda to discuss reaching readers with good storytelling, and ...
128: #PlanItOut
12 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
…in which Jess and KJ speak with author and podcaster Virginia Sole Smith, who somehow did everything “in order”, about how to plan everything. ...
127: #AmBranding
05 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ ask Carol Blymire what the heck personal branding is, why you need one, and how you build it. This is a public episode. If you...
126: #PubDay3
28 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ review KJ’s recent Pub Day marketing strategy, and what worked and what didn’t. This is a public episode. If you'd like to...
125: #FindingAnAgent
21 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ welcome Laurie Abkemeier, agent extrodinaire, to discuss what you should do to get an agent, and what an agent can do for you....
124: #NomDePlume
14 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ Sarina Bowen about the advantages and consequences of using a pseudonym, and an update on CockyGate. This is a public episode....
123: #ChasingTheAntelope
07 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ sit down with best-selling author Tim Grahl about how becoming a writer of any quality is not a sprint but a marathon. This is...
122: #PubDay2
31 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ discuss prepping for PubDay, all the pub feels, and that fall feeling of getting back to work. This is a public episode. If yo...
121: #ABillionsTimesNo
24 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
…in which Jess and KJ speak with _Billions_ producer and screenwriter Brian Koppleman about how you sometimes have to say no when you’d rather say...
120: #IsolationIsForWimps
18 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ examine the jump from journalism to novels with Jo Piazza, and of course some tips for writing your novel. This is a public ep...
119: #BestSellers
10 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ, by popular request, speak again with USA Today Best Selling author Sarina Bowen about the nitty gritty of best seller lists. ...
118: #BooksAboutWork
03 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ speak with Alysin Camerota about the shifting from writing TV news to writing a novel, finding time to write and the value of ...
117: #BookLaunchTimeline
27 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ tackle a bunch of listener questions about building a timeline to give your book the best chance for commercial success. This ...
116: #YouHaveTime
20 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ speak with author Laura Vanderkam about how to find time in even your busy schedule to write. This is a public episode. If you...
115: #TellingStories
13 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ discuss the importance of stories in non-fiction, and absolve you for taking some time for yourself this summer. This is a pub...
114: #AudioBooks
06 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ talk us through some of the ins and outs of recording your audiobook. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this ...
113: #DestinyThief
29 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
...in which Jess and KJ chat with Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo in a bustling bookstore about writerly life, inspiration and the work. This is a...