Writer Craft Podcast

Ep114: Manifesting What You Want for Your Business

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Show Notes:  No single path to author success. No prescription.  1. Having idea 2. Writing it down so RAS (Reticular Activating System) can work.Wri...

Ep113: How to Give and Receive Feedback from Critique Groups

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor   Show Notes:  Use the story rubric at ...

Ep112: What's Wrong with My Story?

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Show Notes:  Use the Rubric (available at valerieihsan.com for free) after drafting to have shared vocabulary to use with your critique partners and ...

Ep111: Writer's Block

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Writer's Block is a real thing, but I believe it is a symptom of something else. Whether it is procrastination, the story is broken, or you are trying...

Ep110: Marketing from the Ground Up (Part 3 of Marketing That You Own series)

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Show Notes:  How do you start? FOMO creates stress. How do I do all of it?    Marching order:  1. Real estate (website--build your house);  2. Pu...

Ep109: SEO for Authors (Part 2 of Marketing That You Own series)

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 109 of the podcast and it's April 5, 2023  as we record this....

Ep108: Website Basics (Part I of Marketing That You Own series)

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 108 of the podcast and it's March 28, 2023  as we record this...

Ep107: Jennie Komp Interview on Anthologies

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jennie's Bio:  J. Komp, of Just Key Edits, has been taking apart stories, to explain why we love or hate them, for over 30 years. A Behavioral Scienc...

Ep106: Setbacks

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 106 of the podcast and it's March 22, 2023  as we record th...

Ep105: Reflection as an Indie Author Tool

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 105 of the podcast and it's March 8, 2023  as we record thi...

Ep104: Launch Day and Living in an Upside-Down World

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 104 of the podcast and it's March 1, 2023  as we record this....

Ep103: Mailing List Maintenance

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 103 of the podcast and it's February 22, 2023  as we record t...

Ep102: Professional Relationships

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 102 of the podcast and it's February 15, 2023  as we record...

Ep101: CEO Check-In Strategy for Authors

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 101 of the podcast and it's February 8, 2023  as we record th...

Ep100: Landmark Episode, with love and outtakes

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Landmark Episode 100 of the podcast and it's January 18, 2023  as we ...

Ep99: Overthinking Your Writing

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 99 of the podcast and it's January 11, 2023  as we record thi...

Ep98: Monthly Gamechangers

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 98 of the podcast and it's January 4, 2023  as we record th...

Ep97: Accountability for Authors (So You Can Focus and Finish)

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

New Author Action Plan Group Coaching cohort starts next week. Tuesday, January 3, 2023; 2:00-3:00 p.m. Pacific. Email [email protected] f...

Ep96: Tarot for Your Business

22 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 96 of the podcast and it's December 21, 2022  as we record ...

Ep95: A Year in Review

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 95 of the podcast and it's December 14, 2022  as we record ...

Ep94: How To Decide On Your Next Project

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

  Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 94 of the podcast and it's December 7, 2022 (and a full moo...

Extra Extra Ep93.5: ANNOUNCEMENT: New Pricing for Writer Craft Writing Retreat

06 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

New Pricing: Shared Lodging $650 (Must sign up together.) Alumni/Patrons $775 Early Bird $800 (through January) Sleepy Bird $850 (through April) Regul...

Ep93: Failure (In Order to Succeed)

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 93 of the podcast and it's November 30, 2022 as we record th...

Ep92: Gratitude for the Author Life (plus Covers and Cohesion)

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 92 of the podcast and it's November 23, 2022 as we record this...

Ep91: The Nitty-Gritty of Self-Publishing

17 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

  Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 91 of the podcast and it's November 16, 2022 as we record t...

Ep90: Receiving Feedback

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 90 of the podcast and it's November 9, 2022 as we record this....

Ep89: Celebrating Successes

01 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I'M READING: South of the Buttonwood Tree by Heather Webber (magical realism) Erick's Reading:  Dowery of Blood ST Gibson When Skippy Dies Interview...

Ep88: Submissions

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 88 of the podcast and it's October 19, 2022 as we record thi...

Ep87: How to Prepare for and Stay Balanced Through a Busy Season

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast, and we can make a...

Ep86: Short Stories and Patreon

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Still reading The Yard. Show Notes: How to set up a Patreon Page Patreon Header: defines what you do (Erick talks about his favorite elements of myste...

Ep85: Partner or Spousal Support at Home

22 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 85 of the podcast and it's September 21, 2022 as we record thi...

Ep84: Production and Publication Schedules

15 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 84 of the podcast and it's September 14, 2022 as we record t...

Ep83: Author Services Side Hustle

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 83 of the podcast and it's September 7, 2022 as we record th...

Ep82: Email List Care and Onboarding Sequences

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 82 of the podcast and it's August 31, 2022 as we record this...

Ep81: Focus and Productivity

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 No new patrons this week, but a big heartfelt jolly dance for existing patrons. You mean the world to me. Thank you for believing in me and in the p...

Ep80: Crowdfunding

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 80 of the podcast and it's August 17, 2022 as we record this. ...

Ep79: Planning Your Creative Path

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 79 of the podcast and it's August 10, 2022 as we record this...

Ep78: Finding the Core of Your Memoir

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters, this is Episode 78 of the podcast and it's August 2, 2022 as we record this. Main Topic: finding the core message of yo...

Ep77: Erick Mertz, the Sequel

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 77 of the podcast and it's July 27, 2022 as we record this. ...

Ep76: Marketing You Can Do While Writing Your Book

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 76 of the podcast and it's July 14, 2022 as we record this. ...

Ep75: Erick Coaching

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 75 of the podcast and it's July 6, 2022 as we record this. M...

Ep74: How to Catch Up When You're Drowning

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 74 of the podcast and it's June 29, 2022 as we record this. Ma...

Ep73: Editing Passes and A.I. Software

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 73 of the podcast and it's June 22, 2022 as we record this. ...

Ep72: Global Conflict, Choice, and Consequence

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 72 of the podcast and it's June 14, 2022 as we record this. Ma...

Ep71: How to Find Time to Write When Your Kids are Home During Summer

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 71 of the podcast and it's June 7, 2022 as we record this. M...

Ep70: Passive Voice and Sentence Structure

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan and this is Episode 70 of the podcast, and it's May 31, 2022 as we record this. Main Topic: Passive Voic...

Ep69: Writing Full-Time

25 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, and this is Episode 69 of the podcast and it's May 24, 2022 as we record this. Main Topic: Full-Time Wr...

Ep68: Pacing

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, (Pause) and this is Episode 68 of the podcast and it's May 19, 2022 as we record this. Main Topic: Paci...

Ep67: Editing vs Ghost-writing

12 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Erick’s free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n   I wanted to announce that my friend, colleague, and mentor, J Thorn, just...

Ep66: Filling the Creative Well

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Resources: How to Book Challenge   Valerie’s Services: https://valerieihsan.com Valerie’s Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com Valerie’...

Ep65: Showing vs Telling

27 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Resources: How to Book Challenge Books We Talked About: Thinking in Pictures by John Sayles Story by Robert McKee Valerie’s Services: https://valer...

Ep64: Theme and Story Hypothesis (with JP Rindfleisch)

20 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Valerie’s Services: https://valerieihsan.com Valerie’s Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com Valerie’s Facebook Page and Instagram accoun...

Ep63: Emotional Tone

13 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Valerie’s Services: https://valerieihsan.com Valerie’s Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com Valerie’s Facebook Page and Instagram accoun...

Ep62: Writing Tools

06 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What tools and services do you use as an author? Valerie’s Services: https://valerieihsan.com Valerie’s Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.c...

Ep61: How to Write a Villain

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Monsters are needy, y'all. So, how do we write them? We hear about writing protagonists, but how do we write the villains? Valerie: https://valeriei...

Setting and World-Building

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How is world-building different than writing setting into your books? Do you world-build the same when writing series vs standalones? And what about ...

59: Writers Retreats and Residencies

15 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What's the difference between a retreat and a residency? Valerie: https://valerieihsan.com Erick: https://erickmertzwriting.com Patreon: https://pa...

Ep58: Genre Expectations

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Valerie: https://valerieihsan.com Erick: https://erickmertzwriting.com Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan Retreat tix: https://valerieihsan...

Ep57: Character Arc

02 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Valerie and Erick talk about character arc, how to make it believable, and how the character's internal struggle fits in. Resource: The Art of Dramati...

Ep56: Book Launch Fundamentals

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Erick and Valerie talk shop about launching the publication of a new book. (We tried to hit the very basics, but there are a few tips even seasoned pu...

Live Scene Analysis (featuring Crys Cain)

17 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Crys helps Valerie workshop a scene she wrote for her current work in progress, a memoir. Valerie: https://valerieihsan.com Erick: https://erickm...

Maintaining Positivity in Your Author Life

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Valerie: https://valerieihsan.com Erick: https://erickmertzwriting.com Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan Retreat tix: https://valerieihsan.com...

Dialogue Doctor Jeff Elkins Interview: Writer Craft Ep 53

02 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Valerie's site: https://valerieihsan.com Erick's site: https://erickmertzwriting.com Jeff's site: https://dialoguedoctor.com Patreon: https://patreon....

Reading Like a Writer

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Writer Craft Ep 52 We talk about why reading is important to writers and their Voice, how to be intentional in your reading, and improving reading hab...

Memoir Myths

12 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Previously heard at the Essential Gathering of The Author Success Mastermind group. Find out more about this online mastermind group here: https://the...

Protagonist's Needs and Wants

12 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"Readers get invested in characters that have well-developed, realistic, relatable wants and needs, driving them to continue reading and seeing what h...

Fracturing of the Writing Community

06 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We get Real on this episode and talk about what's changed in the writing community in the past two years, and how we manage it. erickmertzwriting.com ...

Characterization

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What makes a good character? How do you write one that readers will think about after they've put down the book, or even dress up as cosplay-style? ht...

Writer Craft Podcast, S4, Ep 47

19 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do you prepare for the coming year? Resources: Valerie uses Passion Planners to plan out her year (and does a check in (Passion Roadmap) two times...

Writer Craft S4, Ep46

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Meet the new co-host! www.erickmertzwriting.com https://valerieihsan.com https://patreon.com/valerieihsan  

Writer Craft Ep 45

21 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

1. We're getting a co-host! 2. A new name for new times, and new content. 3. August 11-14, 2022 writing retreat. Early Bird Price: $680 Check out retr...

Strategies for Authors and Other Entrepreneurs, Ep44

16 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I get a little choked up in this episode.   For more info about the retreat, go to valerieihsan.com/retreat.  

Strategies for Authors and Other Entrepreneurs, Ep43

16 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We all want to take charge of our situations. Here's one way to do that.

Strategies for Authors and Other Entrepreneurs, Ep42

03 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How to fit in All the Things in a pandemic. Plus, best tips for entrepreneurs that have little time. Learn more about Sarina at sarinadorie.com.  

Strategies for Authors and Entrepreneurs

07 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After my personal and professional update, we launch into an interview with author and advocate, Kim Johnson. Find out more about her and her book at ...

Side Hustle Strategy #1: CEO Control Journal

20 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I have a lot of goals. But I need systems like this CEO Control Journal to keep me in the game.

Using Personality to Build Habits and Change

04 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I want to tell you about a book I read. It was so fabulous, I think I might just have to read it again. Better Than Before: Mastering the habits of ou...

Taking a Step Back to Thrive in Life and Business

22 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes you just need to take a step back.

Voice Double

15 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I was just playing around with Overdub and created a voice double of myself. I'll use it for editing audio on my podcast files. Have a listen! The fut...

Why Monthly Reviews Are Important For Your Business

08 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For me, a monthly review is super important to do every month, for personal health and for business health. So that I can make sure that I'm on track,...

Business Action Plan, Case Study 1, Ep35

24 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A step-by-step accounting of how I create an action plan for a coaching client.

Pivots, Ep34

24 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Every entrepreneur needs to be able to pivot these days. Things change fast in this world, including the business world, and if you want a sustainable...

Healthy Grieving When Things Aren't Great

18 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Indie Authors! I'm Valerie Ihsan, and Episode 33 of the podcast and it's April 17, 2020 as I record this. Main Topic: Healthy Grieving When Th...

The Difference Between Getting Organized and Getting Focused, and other myths about productivity

10 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Indie Authors! I'm Valerie Ihsan, and Episode 32 of the podcast and it's April 8, 2020 as I record this. Main Topic: Myths About Productivity Bu...

Focus and Productivity

05 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

 Hello Indie Authors! I'm Valerie Ihsan, and Episode 31 of the podcast and it's Feb 5, 2020 as I record this. Main Topic: Focus and Productivity with...

The Indie Author Mentor Show, Ep 30

08 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

An email question came in: "I just published my first book. How do I promote it?" All marketing plans will be different based on your plans for the bo...

The Indie Author Mentor Show, S2, E29:

31 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

erickmertzauthor.com erickmertzwriting.com Portland-based author Erick Mertz talks about his upcoming talk, Monsters Are Needy, and his new fiction se...

The Indie Author Mentor Show, S2, E28:

17 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

No intro or outro today, as my newest iOS won't play with Audacity. I need to learn a new software for making podcasts! (Gasp!) The main topic is all ...

IAM Show, S2/E27

03 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Valerie goes over five tips to getting back on track when you've fallen off of it.   Show Notes:  Hello Indie Authors! I'm Valerie Ihsan, and This i...

The Indie Author Mentor Show, S2, E26

26 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Valerie interviews author Jessica Cagle-Faber and they talk about rejection and Writing by the Numbers.

The Indie Author Mentor Show, S2, E25

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Author Valerie Ihsan gives tips on filling the creative well.

The Indie Author Mentor Show, S2, E24

11 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hello Indie Authors! I'm Valerie Ihsan, and This is Season Two, Episode 24 of the podcast and it's 9/11/2019 as I record this. Main Topic: monthly ref...

The Indie Author Mentor Show, S2, E23

03 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How do you deal with the fear of judgment as a writer? Show Notes: Hello Indie Authors! I'm Valerie Ihsan, and this is Season Two, Episode 23 of the...

The Indie Author Mentor Show, S2, E22

28 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Valerie interviews Cai Emmons about her new book, her writing process, and her brain hack tip for more productive writing. Cai will be giving a talk o...

The Indie Author Mentor Show, S2, E21

21 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Procrastination and Writer's Block might just be the same thing around here. What about you? Show Notes: Hello Indie Authors! I'm Valerie Ihsan, and T...

The Indie Author Mentor Show, S2/Ep20

15 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The definition of perfectionism, how it shows up in a writer's life, and what to do about it.   Show Notes:   Hello Indie Authors! I'm Valerie Ihsan...

The Indie Author Mentor Show, Season 2, Ep 19

08 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Valerie goes over some of her highlights from the conference this year.

Indie Author Mentor Show, Season 2, Episode 18

24 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What's the difference and does one work better than the other?   Show Notes:  Hello Indie Authors! This is Episode 18, Season Two, and it's 7/24//20...

Indie Author Mentor, Episode 17

18 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ideas for managing overwhelm and burnout.   Show Notes: Hello Indie Authors! This is Episode 17, Season Two, and it's 7/17//2019 as I record this. In...

The Indie Author Mentor Show, Season 1, Episode 16

19 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Valerie offers multiple strategies for launching your book and talks about ad stacking.   Show Notes: Hello Indie Authors! This is Episode 16, and it...