The Word Weaver Podcast

Show Notes It was an honour to speak with the talented, thoughtful, and truly lovely Emma Knight, author of the buzzy debut, THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE COMMON OCTOPUS (just announced as Read With Jenna’s first book club pick of 2025). A Toronto-based writer and co-founder of Greenhouse Juice (with two cookbooks under her belt), Emma’s debut novel takes place in Scotland, where Penelope Winters navigate...

Show Notes In today's episode of the Word Weaver Podcast, I share the ONE THING you can do RIGHT NOW to start achieving your wildest writing dreams and become the successful published author you've always wanted to be. Becoming your future self involves the law of attraction, manifestation, and visualization, but the 'Act As If' technique goes a step further and puts those thoughts into action. Th...

Show Notes On today’s episode of the Word Weaver, I’m joined by New Orleans author Marguerite Sheffer, winner (!!!) of the Iowa Short Fiction Award, for her debut short story collection, The Man in the Banana Trees. The 18 works of speculative fiction veer toward the weird and whimsical and have already garnered Marguerite comparisons to George Saunders and Claire Keegan for the playfulness and pr...

Show Notes In the latest episode of the Word Weaver, I share my top five productivity tips and tricks to help you become a more efficient writer. From the pomodoro technique to eat the frog to the eisenhower matrix to the 3-3-3 method to learning how to say no…there is a lot to unpack, but these tried and true hacks will no doubt help you to get out of your head, stop procrastinating, and motivate...

Show Notes Honduran-Canadian Author Anna Julia Stainsby joins me on the pod to discuss her debut novel, THE AFTERPAINS, a tender and heartbreaking portrait of two families coping with grief, isolation, and the generational, multi-facets of motherhood. Stainsby shares how her manuscript, which began as a university thesis (largely written during lockdown), ultimately landed her her dream literary a...

Show Notes This week's episode is coming to you live from Lisbon, Portugal where I dish on all things Bookshop Bucket List, including an exclusive teaser… Word Weaver Podcast Links Show Notes : louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast Instagram : @wordweaverpodcast NEW episodes weekly every Word Weaver Wednesday. Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes , Spotify , and now on YouTube . If...

Show Notes One of my favourite conversations to date! I adore Chelsea Bieker and her latest bestseller, MADWOMAN, is a masterpiece. Praised by the New York Times as a “brilliant depiction of the long shadows cast by domestic violence,” her new novel, which was selected as a Book of the Month and Indie Next pick — despite being a work of fiction (think: propulsive, darkly funny, page-turner) touche...

Show Notes In this episode of the Word Weaver Podcast, I'm sharing the secret sauce to writing success (and no, it doesn't involve cooking pasta! lol) Tune in for the three key traits that I believe every aspiring author needs to cultivate to unleash your creativity and build a long-lasting, fulfilling career as a writer. ✍️✨ Word Weaver Podcast Links Show Notes : louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast...

Show Notes Join me for a candid chat with author Charlene Carr on self vs. traditional publishing, how her 10th book made it big, the mindset shift you need while querying literary agents, managing impostor syndrome, juggling motherhood and writing, maintaining your mental health while writing about deeply personal topics, and the shifting goalposts of success. connect with charlene Website: charl...

Show Notes In this episode, I dive into the essential steps for crafting your perfect solo writing retreat. Whether you're seeking solitude to brainstorm a new project or looking to complete a draft, I cover how to choose the right location, set achievable goals, and create a distraction-free environment. Join me as I share my tried and true tips on scheduling, packing essentials, and maximizing y...

SOPHIA JUNE is a culture writer in NYC (formerly NYLON magazine and the New York Times ) and the co-founder of Language Arts , a literary newsletter about the books you actually want to read. We chat about her viral article, The Makings of a Literary It Girl , the best advice Ottessa Moshfegh and Caroline Calloway gave her, and the process of finishing the first draft of her novel (it includes a c...

New York Times Bestselling Author Carley Fortune is our generation's Taylor Swift of the literary world. She's taken the romance genre by storm with over 2 million books sold worldwide and 4 books in 4 years (plus, she rocks a red lip like nobody's business). Fresh off of her global book tour where readers ("The Fortunates") exchanged friendship bracelets, I caught up with Carley in-between home r...

It's Virgo Season! Happy September! The Fall Equinox isn't until September 22, so still time to enjoy the last gasps of summer, but to kick off my favourite month/season, I thought it'd be fun to do a "what's in my tote bag" edition of the podcast. In this episode, I share all of my favourite writing stationary essentials with a heavy dose of back to school supply nostalgia. LINKS MENTIONED (not s...

Show Notes I’ve been struggling behind the scenes to find my balance as a new mom and a solo “authorpreneur.” An honest chat about writer’s burnout, how it differs from writer's block, how to get through it, and how to prevent it (as much as possible)… Word Weaver Podcast Links Instagram : @wordweaverpodcast Show Notes : louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast NEW episodes weekly every Word Weaver Wednesd...

Show Notes I caught up with international bestselling author Bryn Turnbull at her cottage in the week leading up to the launch of her fourth historical fiction novel (and part psychological thriller), THE BERLIN APARTMENT, on August 27, 2024 (pre-order yours now!) Bryn's novels expertly blend historical accuracy with emotional depth (no easy feat) and we chat about everything from her research pro...

Show Notes Why is it that we often have our most creative ideas while in the shower? Or on the subway? Or while taking a walk? Well, apparently there is a name for this phenomenon and there are a few things we can do to invoke "the shower thoughts effect," sparking inspiration for creative projects, on a more regular basis. Word Weaver Podcast Links Instagram : @wordweaverpodcast Show Notes : loui...

Show Notes On this episode of the Word Weaver Podcast, I chat about an affliction that affects almost every writer I know. I, myself, have succumbed to a bad case of shiny object syndrome on more than one occasion. Today, I'm talking about what is shiny object syndrome? Why does it happen? And how can we overcome it (or at least learn to live with it)? Word Weaver Podcast Links Instagram : @wordwe...

Show Notes In today's chapter of the Word Weaver podcast, I attempt to work through my own thoughts on the latest revelations that have rocked the literary landscape about Alice Munro following her daughter, Andrea Robin Skinner's, first person essay in the Toronto Star and allegations about Neil Gaiman in Rolling Stone. It's the age old debate of can you, and should you, separate the artist from...

Show Notes I’m sure you’re wondering what in the Dolly Parton do the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have to do with writing? Well, if you tune into today’s episode I’ll tell y’all how binge-watching America’s Sweethearts on Netflix was a lesson in how to respond to criticism and rejection as a writer. Word Weaver Podcast Links Instagram : @wordweaverpodcast Show Notes : louiseclairejohnson.com/podcas...

Show Notes Join me for a candid conversation with my friend, Northwestern grad and Brooklyn-based author of FRIENDS FROM HOME and WHO WE ARE NOW , Lauryn Chamberlain on how to build literary community by shooting your shot and sliding into author DMs, the literary scene in Brooklyn vs. Toronto, launching a debut during the pandemic, how to structure a book with multi-POV, third person limited, the...

Show Notes Did you know that flamingos lose their pink colour while caring for their young, but as the children grow and mature they eventually get their pink back? In today's episode, I share how this (new to me) concept relates to my life lately and share my tips on how to get out of a writing slump, beat writer's block, and make writing a priority again after taking time away from your manuscri...

Welcome back to a brand new season of the Word Weaver Podcast! It's been a VERY hot minute since I last recorded an episode...and by hot minute, I mean it's been THREE YEARS since we last spoke. I'm excited to be joining the SickBird Productions roster, a female-founded Forbes 30 under 30 company with a mission to amplify female-centric voices and a focus on showcasing women-led content. My first...

On today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I share three things that have changed my writing life for the better lately including: 1. Kanban Board 2. Setting not only a daily, but also weekly word count target for my WIP (and of course, stickers!) 3. Scrivener (desktop version for writers ~ not sponsored!) The Word Weaver Podcast is available on all podcast platforms and now on YouTube . Word We...

On today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I share how using the rule of three in your writing to create compelling character arcs can help raise the stakes in your novel. The Word Weaver Podcast is available on all podcast platforms and now on YouTube . Word Weaver Podcast Links Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast #wordweaverpodcast NEW episodes weekly on Word...