The Novel Writing Podcast

In this slightly ranty raw podcast brought to you by a weekend sunrise hike, I talk about how to maintain high expectations but not feel terrible if you don't meet them. What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

Comic book author and serial Kickstarter Caleb Palmquist joins me to talk about what he's learned from running over 20 Kickstarters. He has a lot to say about failure and finding your audience, both of which are important parts of the "successful creator" journey. This was a follow-up episode to Halie's interview with Caleb on the YouTube Channel, which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFCgDNLxBx4 What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

What happens when you're in the middle of your draft and the plot has gone out the window, or you have no idea where to go next? The danger is "procrastiplotting" which I think is just a fancy word for writer's block. Learn how I deal with Procrastiplotting and how to identify when it's ACTUALLY a problem. What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

Did you know you lose up to 23 minutes of attention every time you get distracted? This is the reality: you can't do two things at once, and if you try, your attention pays for it. Multitasking has been a myth for years, and yet we all believe we're immune to the actual cognitive cost of task switching, which is what really happens when we think we can write and research at the same time. Find out more about task switching and what we can do instead in order to make faster progress on our books. https://www.apa.org/topics/research/multitaskinghttps://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-wise/201209/the-true-cost-of-multi-taskinghttps://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/1455586692What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

What are you saying "no" to in order to write? We all make tradeoffs in life, and definitely in writing. If you've ever had the urge to blame something else for "stopping" you from writing, this episode is for you. What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

How would you write a better relationship portrayal? Not necessarily "better" as in "good", but rather, more realistic. We all have good and bad examples of relationships in real life, but I think we all get sucked into the temptation to idealize written relationships. This episode is a prompt to reevaluate the idealizing, and lean into reality a bit more when writing relationships, no matter what genre you're in. What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

What's an ARC reader? What do ARC readers even do? And why do you need to know about them before your book is even done? As much as many authors hate to admit it, building a readership before you even release is one of the things successful authors do (both indie and traditional), and ARC readers are a key part of that. Listen to this episode to find out what ARCs do, why they're important, and what to expect when planning an ARC campaign. What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

Sunk cost is the time, effort, money, or energy invested in something that ultimately doesn't work. Sunk cost FALLACY is when we believe that we have to keep doing that thing because if we don't, all that investment is WASTED. But the investments you make into things that ultimately become sunk costs are never wastes, and this episode details why. So if you've ever felt like you can't give something up but you know it's not the right thing to continue doing, listen to this episode. Resource: https://www.scribbr.com/fallacies/sunk-cost-fallacy/What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

Last week's episode may have left you with some questions, primarily this one: How do you recruit alphas, betas, and critters? You can find these magical people in several places, but it can feel like hunting unicorns at times. In this episode, I list a few places you can find ABCs. What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

What are alphas, betas, and critters (aka critique partners)? Are they different? The same? What exactly do they do? In this episode, I talk about how I define each of these types of feedback partners, and whether you need any of them at all. What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

Have you ever made a decision, started working on it, and then realized that you probably should have chosen something else? But then you feel like you HAVE to keep going because if you don't, then your integrity is at stake, or you'll feel like a failure if you "quit"? Insert a decision pivot. You don't have to remain beholden to the decisions you made in the past, and this episode details how. What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

What do you do to prepare yourself for a writing session? Whether it's lighting candles, playing music, or completely secluding yourself in a dark and mysterious library office, those things are probably your writing ritual. Writing rituals can make all the difference with finishing your book. What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

In this follow-up episode to the one on the difference between personality and temperament, I break down the four types of temperament traditionally known by their "Greek Humor" names: We can use the temperaments not only to better know our characters, but to better know ourselves. Resources: https://psychologia.co/four-temperaments/https://fourtemperaments.com/what-are-the-four-temperaments/https://psychcentral.com/quizzes/temperament-testWhat to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

Can you spot the lie in this episode? Our guest has a passion for storytelling, dinosaurs, and inspiring young people to write more. Actually, none of those are lies. You'll have to listen to the episode for the real two truths and a lie! Shanna P. Lowe, author of Candy Sky Tells a Lie, joins me to talk about her experience with The 60 Day Novel Writing Challenge, Professional Premium, and the importance of getting to the root of what gets in the way of writing. (It may or may not be laundry.) Connect with Shanna: Her author website (with the Imagineer's Library)Instagram & Threads @author_shanna.p.loweWhat to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

There are things in life that propel you forward, much like an engine moves a boat through water. These are the things we turn to when we need a boost of energy or inspiration, including when we write. Do you know what your writing engines are? This episode includes examples of writing engines which might help you galvanize your writing life. What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

Quitter's day is that day just a few weeks into the new year when most people who set New Year's Resolutions feel like quitting. Don't let the natural entropy of excitement and motivation keep you from achieving your writing goals this year. You can make it past Quitters Day! Listen to the episode for tips on how to do this. What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

Halie Fewkes Damewood joins me to talk about the different types of publishing: big press, small press, hybrid, and self-publishing, where self-publishing is split between print on demand and ebooks, and what's known as offset printing. As we get into in the episode, choosing the right kind of publishing for you depends on your preferences, and where you want your difficult to be. What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

Writing is somewhat of an isolated endeavour if you are not already part of a writing community. Advice from other authors is really valuable, because we can see what's working for other people, and to take those ideas to test out in our own writing lives. In part one of top tips for writers, we have advice from the authors listed below. Christina Vourcos - https://www.authorchristinavourcos.com Sarah Zama - https://theoldshelter.com/ Sidney Raven - https://sidneyraven.com Beth Savoie - https://bethsavoie.com Stefanie Parks - https://www.sparkswriting.com/ Ellia Wollaston doesn't have a website quite yet! Shanna P. Lowe - https://www.shannaplowe.com What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

Going into a new year (or a new month) is a natural time to think about goalsetting, especiall writing goals. How you set and approach tthose goals makes all the difference in whether you accomplish them at the end, but it's not always easy to do. In this episode, I break down how to set yourself up for success, and share a bit about my 2024 goals. Click here to read more about The Chronicles of Talahm series Click here to read the first 4 chapters of my novel, Mark of Stars, for free What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm

You’ve heard it at the end of every episode: the first draft is supposed to be garbage! But if the first draft is supposed to be garbage, what is the SECOND draft supposed to be? Slightly more polished garbage? This episode breaks down the role of the second draft, how to approach your rewrite, and how I prepare my second draft for review (whether by alphas or a developmental editor) once it’s done. What to do next… Get the first 5 days of the challenge + worksheets for FREE (trial challenge)Sign up for The 60-Day Novel Writing ChallengeSign up for the next round of Professional PremiumJoin The 60-Day Novel Writing Challenge Facebook GroupFollow the 60-Day Challenge on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below: Secrets of the TallyThe Chronicles of Talahm