The Word Weaver Podcast

Today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast is short and sweet, but imperative for a great story. Learning how to write a book premise, logline, and define your book’s elevator pitch is the first step to writing a book. The second step is structuring, outlining, and plotting — but first, you need to understand your book’s central idea/theme, what drives the plot. Typically, a premise needs to contai...

On today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I have the pleasure of chatting with author Lindsay Zier-Vogel about her debut novel, LETTERS TO AMELIA. In our conversation, we discuss (amongst many things): the transformative power of letter writing, what it’s like to launch your first book during a pandemic, the research process into the undocumented parts of Amelia Earhart’s life, dealing with dev...

On today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I chat about ways to handle constructive criticism and negative feedback as a writer. Writing and publishing books requires a level of vulnerability that can make the harsh sting of criticism hurt on a personal level, but learning how to deal with criticism is crucial for a long-lasting career as an author. In this episode I talk about differentiating b...

On today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I chat with Colby Sharma, speaker and author of THE CURVEBALL: A Story of Grit, Adversity, and Winning the Game of Life . Colby discusses his debut book, the heroic vs. egoic self, and shares valuable insights on what it means to live a life of impact. We also discuss the importance of mentorship, failure, family support (his father is motivational spea...

On today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I share my top five tips on how to write a great book blurb. Your title and cover can grab a potential reader’s attention, but it’s your book description that does most of the heavy lifting in enticing a reader to buy your book. Think of your book description as a movie trailer in written form. It’s not a play-by-play summary, but in a few compelling pa...

On today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I have the pleasure of chatting with bestselling historical romance (and mystery) author, Rachel McMillan. Rachel has published over 16 books and counting, including bestseller THE LONDON RESTORATION and THE MOZART CODE (available for pre-order, forthcoming in March 2022). She is also a literary agent, fierce author advocate, and a wealth of literary wi...

On today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I give a very brief (we are talking the briefest of brief) life update before I delve into why internal conflict is a necessary ingredient to any good story and how it drives character development. I touch on the different types of internal conflict including: religious, moral, societal, existential etc., the five (5) main triggers for a protagonist’s i...

On today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I chat with Liselle Sambury , the Simon & Schuster debut novelist of BLOOD LIKE MAGIC , also an Indigo Staff Pick. Liselle is a wealth of knowledge on the traditional publishing industry and I loved hearing her thoughts on publishing in a pandemic, her writing and querying process (including why books take so long to hit shelves after a book deal),...

Today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast is a short solo episode where I talk about why I’m currently taking a writing break and the importance of refilling your creative well. 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 Weaver Wednesdays. Don...

On today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I reunite with a Harvard classmate, Liz Hauck, the author of HOME MADE: A Story of Grief, Groceries, Showing Up, And What We Make When We Make Dinner , published in June 2021 by Penguin RandomHouse. Reading HOME MADE brought me back to our nonfiction writing class six years ago, when I was lucky enough to read the burgeoning beginnings of what would bec...

On today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I share a few tried and true tips 'n tricks on how to motivate yourself to write (even when you don’t want to). It’s summer and we’re slowly emerging from a long pandemic-induced season of hibernation, so it’s natural to feel unmotivated to sit at your desk and write. We all need a little kick in the pants sometimes and hopefully this episode inspires y...

On today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I get the chance to chat with the beautiful and brilliant Marlowe Granados . She’s a writer, filmmaker, and author of the debut novel HAPPY HOUR . I loved getting to hear about her writing process, journey to publication, and the importance of trusting your creative vision (even when no one else does). Connect with Marlowe Website: marlowegranados.com I...

Today’s chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast is short, but sweet. I wanted to introduce the new updated podcast branding and design look ~ a little sleeker, chicer, simpler and give a general life update post publication of my first book. In a way, it feels like things are only just beginning! Word Weaver Podcast Links Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast #wordweaver...

On today's chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I’m fresh from the launch of my debut book, BEHIND THE RED DOOR, and giving you my raw, real, honest answers to your book launch Q&A. Thank you for asking such great questions — and for sharing & supporting BTRD. I love you all so much it hurts! Word Weaver Podcast Links Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast #wor...

On today's chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I explain why everyone needs a DONE LIST in their lives and how writing one has helped decrease my stress/overwhelm from my never-ending To Do List. My motivation and mood has been amplified by seeing the small wins in a neat list on a daily basis. It has also helped me wind down for the evening without looking at my To Do list and seeing what I haven’t...

On today's chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I’m sharing five ways to come up with book ideas and what to do with them when inspiration strikes! Word Weaver Podcast Links Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast #wordweaverpodcast Intro Song: Late July by Shakey Graves Outro Song: Way With Words by Bahamas NEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, lea...

On today's chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I’m giving a little author life update as I gear up for my book launch this spring. I also talk about why we self-sabotage right before we’re about to achieve a goal and how to stop getting in the way of our own success. Word Weaver Podcast Links Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast Website: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast #wordweaverpodcast Intro Song: Late J...

On today's chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I’m talking about how to stop procrastinating on writing your book and start prioritizing “To Do” tasks that move the needle closer to achieving your big goals. Preparing to write instead of actually writing can seem “productive,” but stems from fear of facing the blank page and ultimately preventing you from finishing your manuscript. Word Weaver Podca...

On today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m diving headfirst into a highly Googled topic for most writers and aspiring authors, and that is how to land your book on the coveted New York Times bestseller list. For many of us, the credibility, ego boost, bragging rights, external validation and readership that come along with this prestigious credential after years of toiling away behind a key...

On today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I chat with Toronto-based writer and art curator, Tatum Dooley . Her writing has appeared in the Globe & Mail, Artforum, The Walrus, Vogue UK, Lenny Letter , TeenVogue and more. She is also the founder of Canadian Art Forecast , showcasing upcoming and mid-career Canadian artists. I loved getting to talk shop with Tatum! As we’re currently in anoth...

On today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m answering the burning questions every (Canadian) author asks themselves or types into Google: how many books do you have to sell to be a bestseller in Canada and how can you become a bestselling author? In next week’s episode I’ll do a deep dive into the crown jewel, the gold standard of bestseller lists, and share everything I know about how to ge...

On today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m sharing the second book club episode from The First Step Podcast where Calissa and I discuss the novel Monogamy by Sue Miller. We also discuss our favourite books from 2020. These book club episodes originally air on The First Step Podcast. Our next read is Off Script by Marci Ien! Word Weaver Podcast Links Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast Website: lo...

On today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m talking all about pen names, aka. nom de plumes, and whether or not you should publish under a pseudonym. Overall, it’s a personal choice and there really is no right or wrong answer, but in this episode we’ll dissect some reasons why a writer might want to use a pen name and things to think about if you choose to use a nom de plume in your publish...

On today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m sharing my personal annual review process for reflecting on the past year and my planning process for how I set and achieve goals (hint: think quarterly, not annually!) Can you believe we are in the last week of December 2020?! This year will go down in history…and WOW, guys, we made it. Mentally, emotionally, physically, financially it was a true...

On today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m sharing six ways you can read more with a busy life. It can be hard to get back into the habit of reading, especially with digital technologies like social media vying for our (vastly shortened) attention spans. We all only have 24 hours in a day and it can be hard to find pockets of time to justify reading a book when we have a million other tasks...