Romance Writer's Therapy

116: The 2025 Closing Out

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is our season 5 finale! Thank you so much Listener for sticking with us through 2025's bumps and bruises, we'll see you after our hiatu...

115: Hindrance of Perfection Seeking

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:Magical Worldbuilding BluesDon't Ruin Your Brain Doing the Things That Haven't Been Getting ResultsWhat I Feel I Should Be Ca...

114: [email protected]

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights of this episode got eaten by Kate's computer restarting, so you're on your own with this one, Listener. Pre-order Kate Prior...

113: The Subject That Has Been Everything

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:Kate's Written Logan's Breakup SceneMarty's Finished Writing Remi and Alicia!Putting Less Pressure On Release Date Revie...

112: We Know Our Patterns And Yet Cannot Escape Them

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:Disrespecto the PestoTen Years of Being Bad At FrenchWe Keep Coming Back to Kate's Fridge ThingAudible Sandwhich ASMR At 14:15 Min...

111: 20 Minute YouTube Compilation of Kissing Scenes

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:Consensually Cuffed to the TableIntellecting About Kissing ScenesNot In A Weird Way, In a Hot WayKate Won't Let Go of the Bad Penc...

110: Cheap Smut Crossover Episode

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode we have Katie from from the Cheap Smut podcast joining us, lending us her perspective on the many bookish world topics and tangen...

REPOST: Are You Happy About the Stress You Have?

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kate has been working hard on our next episode of this season, but the silly file is causing her trouble. So, enjoy this repost, and know that we&apos...

109: 40,000 Words Before A Single Kiss

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The HighlightsTake One Was Just Primal Screaming For A BitThe Problem With Looking Back At Where You WereMarty's Had A YearPondering On SetbacksR...

108: The Most Adhd Conversation Ever

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:AI DogwhistlesTestimonial MarketingFucking Ai Invading Every Facet Of Our Lives AND FOR WHATAccutely Aware of Perception Being Affected...

107: Envision Your Last Breath

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:Nintendogs Wasn't RealProof That You're FunnyAndrew Could Do Heart Surgery, ProbablyFear of A Free ChairMarty's Soliloqu...

106: Hot Potato Braincell

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pre-order Kate Prior's new-release, Be My Bad Guy, where the superhero's ex girlfriend falls for the supervillain's henchman.Marty Vee&...

105: Everything Book Event Prep

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

*The book events discussed are BookHarvest2025 which both Marty and Kate pulled out of later in the year, and Monsterotica2025. **Apologies for Kate&...

104: Totally Tonally

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:Boob Assisted DeviceDon't Take That Tone With Me, BookGenre-Specific Writing Advice, RevisitedParallel RailsThey Don't Know T...

103: The Quit-Your-Dayjob Gremlin

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:We've Been Corny the Whole TimeYour Woo Stuff is Different from My Woo StuffFactually Correct Jokes Are Always Funnier2025 Bingo R...

102: The Shoot Yourself In the Foot Machine

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights: Get Your Vitamin DBooks Finally Getting TitlesThe Worst Draft Marty's Ever Written It Can Have A Bad Ending The First Time Arou...

101: That's Almost a Whole Book

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:Weirdly Aggressive Towards Other KatesI Love It But I Hate ItDish Towel Scootin'Working Out Timeline Issues On AirComing Back to a...

100: Character-Driven Dirty Talk

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:Mushrooms, Menoras, GnomesJanuary is Too Short, ActuallyYear Long Calender...2!!!Not Kool Aid Man Shenanigans The Fear of "No One...

99: Writing Advice You Can Throw Away

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was recorded back in January, but Kate ADHD'd for like 6 months straight, in true Kate fashion. We're so back. But writing adv...

98: To-Do Lists ABOUND (Season Finale)

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This year's Finale Episode, we've looked at each other and tried to imagine what we want to see what directions we want to see each other&ap...

97: You're Not Putting a Hat on That Hat

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:I'm Being Productive, I PromiseKate Rambles for 5 Minutes to Tell You She's Working On Something NewDoes Anyone Read Antholog...

96: This Episode Is Just For Kate to Sound Out Plot Problems

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

TW: Rabies, Bites, ShotsThe Highlights:Edits Back from HeathitorMarty Just Keeps Writing (Overshot by 40k Words)No One Thinks They Like Second Chance ...

95: Friends Enable Each Other's Hyperfixations

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:East Coasters Are Weird About FallTreating Plot Like the Steel Armature Holding Up These Twelve Raccoons In a TrenchcoatMarty's Be...

94: Repetition, Social Media, and Tri-Pronged Strategy

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights: There are No Right Directions, but There are Wrong OnesThe Suspense of WritingGoodreads Review Sheild for AuthorsYou Don't Have ...

93: Heather, Editing, and Everything Else

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Marty and Kate bring Heather the Editor (Spellboundedits) on the show to talk about last minute edits, both sides of the process, how to find a qualif...

92: Erasing the Words on The Whiteboard of My Brain

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights Include:Insert Yourself with Some FanfictionWhen You're Unsatisfied with Your Happy Ending (That's What She Said)How To Make ...

91: The Try-Fail Cycle Is Actually A Good Thing

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:The Novelty of Finishing Things On TimeSocial Media Calendar SoftwareCharacters Failing Makes them More InterestingTry-Fail CyclesThe I...

90: You're Just Gonna Have to Go Get the Horse

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:Getting Vaguely Technical About Air ConditioningWeekly Reminder Kate is Bad at MathIt (Was) Too Dang HotWhen Did 40k Words Get In HereT...

89: Plot Second, Thirst First

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:How Romance Readers Play Minecraft Use Your Half-Started Ideas For a ChangeTheory about TikTok Theories Kate and Marty List Some Real...

88: Lowest Possible Threshold for a Successful Online Shop

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The girls record their first episode together in Michigan! It's important to start this episode with a reminder with just how bad we are at math...

87: Technically About Social Media

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:New Recording Time, Who DisMarty's Dilemna: Two Books, One HEAKate Recaps the 2019 Tumblr Nose-DiveVanity Metrics VS. Backlog Awar...

86: Career Deathtraps Disguised as Opportunities (and Some Marketing on the Side)

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:Sometimes It's Better that an Opportunity Missed YouPublishing Is Intensely CyclicalStatistically, How Are You Doing?The Fruits of...

85: A What's Left in Our Fridge Kind of Episode

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:We Don't Care for Episode TopicsGaslight Yourself Into Thinking Your Book is GoodMarty Forgot Her Dog Outside But It's FINEFO...

84: We Ramble, Continuous

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Highlights:Kate Can't Rawdog a Movie5 Minutes Straight of Explaining The AboveIt's Andrew's Podcast NowMarty's Plans for Relea...

83: Bitchin about Bridgerton... Thrice

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Katerina Stone is back! Kate, Marty and Katerina chat about the last four episodes of Bridgerton season 3. They have some mixed feelings and hot takes...

82: Jami Albright On the Author Brand

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jami Albright joins Marty in this episode about understanding and presenting your author brand!Jami shares her expertise on the promise an author make...

81: Bitching About Bridgerton... TWO!!

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're back with our lovely friend Katerina Stone, to do what we did last time. This time it's about season 3 (the first four episodes).Pre-o...

80: What is Time with Lauren Connolly

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode, Marty talks with guest author Lauren Connolly about time management. Pre-order Kate Prior's new-release, Be My Bad Guy...

79: Planning Out Our 2024 (We Know It's Almost Q3)

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode contains little Vingettes of:The Ritual Is Simple, Are You Recording?Marty Outlines her Year Long Plan (this is from february)In Your Hea...

78: Nobody Puts Baby's Brand In a Corner

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Marty and Kate are back after a longer than expected haitus, and we're kicking off season 4 the only way we know how-- a long, rambly, conversati...

77: Just Make It Sexier (Season Finale!)

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Marty and Kate have a special episode for this season finale: reading ~1500 words of their current projects, and then giving critiques to each other. ...

REPOST: To Critique or Not Critique

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this repost! Kate and Marty are feeling the pressure of time and they weren't able to record this week. BUT next week will be the season fi...

76: The Meaning of Love (One Hundred Times Over)

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kate wrote a prompt for this episode about what it is to dissect the meaning of love over an over again as a romance author, Marty interprets it as a ...

75: Business Strategy On Minimum Brain Cells

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Apologies for Sounds of Opening Mail in the first few minutes of the episode.Kate and Marty discuss:Progress by Wordcounts and NanowrimoShelving Proje...

74: Kate Asks Marty Every Question She Can Think of About Her Current Project

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This was an idea for an episode we had a while back. Think of it as a demonstration of soundboarding, something we end up mentioning really late in th...

73: Giving Your Characters Personal Growth

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's all in the title this episode, Marty and Kate talk about the myriad of different ways a character can grow, what growth can look like and ho...

72: Things I Did Wrong with My Book Release

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The girls are both a little sick in this episode so the pacing is slower, but this week Kate tells Marty things she realized she did wrong with her mo...

71: Giving Second Chance Romances Another Try

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week Marty and Kate dissect the Second Chance Romance trope, since they realized they're both writing books with it at the same time. We cov...

70: Undoing Hustle Culture

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is mainly about building your author business without giving in to hustle culture, but we also go off on a number of tangents, such as:Ma...

69: Are You Happy About the Stress You Have?

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode, Marty and Kate talk about:The Outside Is Attacking Us (Allergies)Marty Isn't DNFing Out of SpiteMarty F's Around with Prequels...

68: Maybe Your Neuroses Affect Your Writing Process

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode, we talk about:When the ADHD Hyperfixation Wears Off / BurnoutIs Self Publishing Actually Democratizing the Industry? Or Are we Creating ...

67: Romantasy's Balancing Act - Interview with Shoshana Rain

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The podcast starts off talking about Shoshana's new book, The Desert Heiress, when the conversation immediately takes a turn into video games. We...

66: Narrating is Our Coping Mechanism

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today's episode is at least partly about writing while life is happening, but also:BEEFY chapters and Amazing Critique Group DynamicsThe Glorific...

REPOST: You Always Remember Your First

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy this repost:They're back! In this episode, Kate and Marty discuss the age-old advice of "throwing out" the first book you write. ...

65: You're Not My Real Writer Rules!

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kate and Marty chat about writing rules; and why there are no laws while using loosely accurate examples and saying the wrong term. Enjoy their new us...

64: Bummed Out About Burnout

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If the girls sound a little low energy, it's because we're talking about Burnout. We talk about:The Sims and Melting ComputersTaking Time Aw...

63: On Characters Climaxing after the Story's Climax

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We Discuss:Checking the Pulse of Your BookTitling your Book AND your Fictional TownsKate Struggles against the Idea of Fictional National Parks Bone T...

62: Interview with Darcy Monroe

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Marty talks about twists with Darcy Monroe. As well as being the nerdiest little nerds in their hometown, their love of cinnamon roll heroes, and read...

61: Blast from the Past

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hey listeners, this week, Kate dug this episode from the back of the fridge, under the bed, behind the dishwasher, and some forgotten corner of her ha...

60: Marty and Kate Talk Book Release Budgets without Ever Using Numbers

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode, Marty and Kate tell you they're on a time crunch. Don't believe their lies-- buckle in for an hour and a half of them talking ...

59: Book Ends

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Marty and Kate dive into the best strategies for playing Stardew Valley, the much lauded timesuck, and do math on just how many hours they&...

The 'Meh, Fuck It' Method

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episodes starts out being about editing while you're writing, things that slow you down, and somehow becomes about saying "meh, fuck it...

58: All About Audiobooks

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Marty and Kate talk about Kate's recent forray into the world of audiobooks and the process with Tantor Audio. They also go over Marty...

57: Steamy Romance and Scene Structure with Isabelle Drake

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join us this week with author Isabelle Drake, as Marty fangirls over how much she enjoyed Drake's class on scene structure.  They take little si...

56: Enemies to Lovers with E.F. Dodd

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode, Marty invites E.F. Dodd dissent the enemies to lovers trope, and discuss Dodd's new 2023 release,  A Higher Standard.Follow E.F. D...

55: Are You There Kate? It's Me, Marty

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode we talk about something that genre romance tends to take for granted-- that the leading characters should fall in love. Why these two, an...

54: Back from Our Break

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is a little relaxed, Kate and Marty talk about some of the things they got up to during their haitus, and recap the things the authory th...

53: Trope Battles: The Kidnapped, the Forbidden Brother and the Grumpy

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Marty: loves winning, hates clapping. That's all you need to know.Kate: makes a lot of references to romcoms she barely remembers watching or has...

52: Character Creation

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode Marty and Kate weren't really sure what they were going to talk about, but they ended up talking mostly about how they create charac...

51: Sometimes You Just Have to Describe Things, Unfortunately

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Marty and Kate talk about something they each think the other has a strength in, imagery and character voice. Which really just boils down ...

50: Interviewing DJ Russo and Her Re-Covered Book

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode, we talk to guest DJ Russo, an indie alien/sci-fi romance author, and her experiences with re-doing her book cover and the changes she sa...

49: Fake Dating & Layering Tropes

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

CW: Somewhere around 30 minutes in Kate and Marty take a hard left into an abstract talk about parasites.Kate and Marty continue their series on trope...

48: Forbidden Love and All Its Layers

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is like a time capsule, despite only happening ~ 1 1/2 months ago. Pretend it's at some point in December 2022, listener, to achieve...

47: Troy Lambert Talks Plottr with Us

24 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, guest author Troy Lambert talks to Marty and Kate about his platform Plottr, how it helps writers figure out and visualize their story arcs...

46: Dumping on Toxic Mascalininty with Courtney Clark Michaels

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Marty talks with Courtney Clark Micheals about toxic masculinity and how the genre of romance is breaking that nonsense down.Find Courtney on Instagra...

45: Surprise Baby Trope! It's an Episode

10 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Listener, apologies, but we start off with some stories about throwing up a lot. Skip to 6:40 if that's not your jam. We intended to have this ep...

44: 2023, Be Gentle On Our Wordcounts

03 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're kicking off this year with some year-long planning! Marty shares with us how she builds a year long plan with smaller quarterly goals, whil...

REPOST: All About the Bedroom Making

27 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy a relisten to this episode from last season.Kate and Marty make talking about sex as unsexy as possible. Enjoy while they talk about the struggl...

43: Merry Cringemas; Past Projects Blesses Everyone

20 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kate and Marty try (and possibly fail) to share embarrassing excerpts from past project to celebrate this precious time of year!Marty's New Year&...

42: Having Grace with Coralie Moss

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Coralie Moss and Marty talk mindset, longevity, and T-boning.Important note: since this interview Coralie has had a successful Kickstarter!Find Corali...

41: Life Happens Must Hit Pause!

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Marty is here to tell you it's okay to hit pause, and she and Kate will be back and normal next week! Thanks for hanging out for a few!Unfortunat...

40: Tasha L. Harrison Interview -The Wordmakers, Patreon, and Pacing Yourself

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week Marty interviews Tasha Harrison, Black Romance writer, creator of Wordmakers and #20kIn5Days. Tasha talks about the writing community she&ap...

39: Nano, Week Three, Limping Along

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week Marty and Kate talk about the ways we're kinda not really doing Nanowrimo anymore, and what trying to do Nano has revealed about our pr...

38: Lions, Tigers and Barely Formed Metaphors

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kate and Marty chat about their NaNo, hair, and writing process. Get Marty's latest novel Just Fake Married.The Orc from the Office is Kate Prior...

37: NaNo Chat

08 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Prior and Marty Vee chat about their first day of NaNo 2022, using scissors and the use of the word “reskinning.”Get Marty's latest nove...

36: Nanowrimo2022 Kickoff

01 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One writer sits on your shoulder, telling you to finish Nanowrimo at all costs, and to be ready for the grueling nature of churning out 2666 words eve...

35: We are Not in HR

25 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kate and Marty discuss marketing, which of their efforts paid off and setting their mindsets. (Sorry this episode is a day late.)You can read Rebecca&...

34: Rebecca Conrad Shares her Anthology Experiences

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Marty and Kate chat with Rebecca Conrad about her anthology experiences. Tangents abound.You can read Rebecca's anthology Under Your Spell, and p...

33: Rebecca A. Corio Talks Vulnerability

11 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Marty and Rebecca discuss the importance of vulnerability in romance.Find Rebecca A. Corio at www.rebeccaacorio.com and Instagram @rebeccaacorioGet Ma...

32: Pencil Pushing

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy Kate and Marty's dive into the mini tropes within the Office Romance Trope!Get Marty's debut novella Truth or Daire.Get Love, Laugh, L...

31: Indie Publishing 101 with Kaylin Peyerk

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Marty talks with paranormal romance author Kaylin Peyerk about indie publishing, what she's learned from the rigors of quick release, how to obta...

30: You Always Remember Your First

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

They're back! In this episode, Kate and Marty discuss the age-old advice of "throwing out" the first book you write. They talk about th...

29: Romancing the Madlibs

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Had enough of Gwen Hayes' Romancing the Beat? Kate and Marty haven't! Enjoy as they cackle at the brilliant Madlibs Ms. Hayes has created.Th...

28: Roxie Noir Can Parallel Park (Interview with Roxie Noir)

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kate and Marty are joined by Roxie Noir to chat about the Wild West of Indie Publishing, the Meat Grinder, and of course parallel parking. Enjoy as Ma...

27: An Ode to Beat Romancing (Pt.5)

02 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Who needs the series to be put in order? Clearly, Marty and Kate don't. In this episode, they discuss phase three from Gwen Hayes' Romancing...

26: Carly Spade and Contemporary Romantic Fantasy

25 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Marty and Carly talk about reader expectations for contemporary romantic fantasy and Carly's book series Contemporary Mythos. Ch...

25: The Economy of Storytelling

19 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week Kate and Marty discuss pacing, and knowing readers’ expectations in your genre and trope.Congratulations to Cat Giraldo! Click here to dow...

24: The Storytelling Slime that Holds it All Together

12 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kate and Marty discuss their writing process and the elements of themselves that make their way into their booksGet Love, Laugh, Lich, Kate Prior&apos...

23: Bitching About Bridgerton; and Other Things We Love

04 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

SPOILERS ABOUND! Watch Bridgerton season two before listening, but don't forget to listen. (And maybe read the first 5 books in the series… &ap...

22: An Ode to Beat Romancing (Pt.4)

28 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Who needs the series to be put in order? Clearly, Marty and Kate don't. In this episode, they discuss phase three from Gwen Hayes' Romancing...