How Women Write

The Myth of the "Shitty First Draft" and How It's Damaging Your Writing I'm sharing why the common advice to expect your writing to be "crap" is doing serious damage to new writers. I get the sentiment behind the phrase "shitty first draft" (SFD) — a term Anne Lamott coined in her book Bird by Bird . I was a fan of the SFD for years, even referring to it in my own book, Intuitive Writing . I used...

Stepping Into My 'Medicine Woman Writer' Identity and Sharing the Deeper Work I'm so happy to share what's been unfolding in my writing life lately. None of this was planned by the way. This is the work of staying present and allowing what wants to unfold, to unfold.  I had planned to write a simple intro post about turning paid subscriptions on for my Substack. Well, that was my plan, but the wor...

Silence Your Inner Critic: How to Write and Publish a Book Fast I was so excited to welcome Neera Mahajan, author, book coach, and founder of The Author Circle, to the podcast. We connected on Substack, and I was immediately drawn to her story. Neera shared how a critical comment about her written English from her IT manager during a performance review became the catalyst for her incredible writin...

The Power of Subtraction I recently joined a professional networking group. Which you might find cringey. I find many of them cringey, too, so I get it.  Sure, there are "those people" in every room, handing you a business card even when you didn't ask. But for every pushy person, there are people there who are waiting for you — and your clear, authentic signal.  Which proved itself when one lady...

Stop Forcing the Words and Flow With Pisces Season Energy Does writing feel "hard" for you lately? I know the feeling, but I've reframed this story in my mind — it's not hard, it's different .  In this episode, I'm sharing how the current energy of Pisces season — the final season of the Zodiac, could be influencing our writing flow. With Mercury in retrograde and the mutable water sign of Pisces...

When Fear, Identity, and Inevitability Collide at the Writing Threshold Maybe you've felt this: wrestling with a big decision around a writing project that you know is an inevitable "yes" somewhere deep inside.  This creative conflict feels like fear, doubt, and even excitement. I recently sent out some personal invitations to the Spring cohort of The Living Draft to founders who were circling it...

Stop Blaming Discipline: How Safety Unlocks Your Creative Writing Flow Today, we're diving deep into a concept I've never believed in: writer's block. If the words aren't flowing, it's not a block —it's actually your nervous system running the show. When your nervous system feels unsafe, your creative energy takes a detour into survival patterns, and the symptom is that you stop writing (or don't...

Navigating the Liminal Space What do you do when you're in a liminal space—that in-between psychological, emotional, or spiritual threshold where your old identity is shed but the new one hasn't fully formed? It can feel unsettling, unmotivating, and distracting. In this episode, I break down what a liminal space is and share practical, intuitive advice on how to continue your writing practice and...

Coherence in Writing: How to Write with God, Not Your Ego Today I'm talking about coherence and clarity in our writing — what it is and how it's the opposite of writing from your ego, brain, AI, or even consulting tools and people outside ourselves. For years after my departure from organized religion and the Catholic church, I unknowingly outsourced my intuition to external tools like oracle card...

Behind the scenes of my January roundup, writing wins, and what flowed when I  stopped forcing. Welcome to a behind-the-scenes peek into my writing life and business as I share my January roundup. As a writer and business owner for over a decade, I track my stats and key performance indicators (KPIs) with both heart and brains. Every month, I review my metrics, including website traffic, social gr...

I n this episode, I share the winding journey of my relationship with blogging and newsletter platforms, and why I've returned to Substack … for the second time.  You'll hear some useful insights about the common fears writers face when choosing a platform for their writing, and mostly about why it's okay to change your mind, evolve your opinions, and trust your work.  I've learned that changing m...

I can't tell you how excited I am to introduce you to the first comedian I've had on the podcast, Lady Q!  When I realized that comedians are, at their heart, storytellers, I knew I had to have her on, and I can't wait for you to be delighted. Lady Q is a clean comedian and inspirational speaker who blends humor, faith, and healing.  She shares her incredible journey with us, starting with her tim...

In this episode, we explore the subtle, often-justified reasons writers wait to start or finish their work—and why that waiting carries a significant relational cost. We dive into the difference between true writing resistance and the need to simply honor the work by giving it a proper container, rather than forcing it with pressure and deadlines. Key Takeaways: Waiting is a Decision: The decision...

This is a special episode for me. In 2017, as I first stepped into freelance writing, Naomi reached out, looking for support in transforming her 2009 journal entries into a book. I didn't set out to work on books, but the work found me — and I'm so glad it did. Listen in as I chat with Naomi D. Williams, the author of And God Remembered Noah: A mother's heart-opening journey through 22 weeks in th...

Are your writing plans built for your body and nervous system, or a rigid schedule? Today, I explore the "energy-first" and "body-first" approaches to writing plans. As writers, we think we have two choices: 1) the strict, color-coded calendar or … 2) the unpredictable pull of pure inspiration Discover how to create a surrendered structure —a flexible creative container that holds your writing goa...

What if your writing block isn't about discipline, confidence, or follow-through—but timing? In this episode, I'm inviting you to step out of the race you didn't consciously agree to and into kairos : the right time, the alive moment, the moment when your words actually want to emerge. This is a conversation about writing that honors cycles, nervous systems, and lived wisdom — rather than forcing...

There are affiliate links on this page. If you click something and make a purchase, I might earn a small commission. When You're Hiding, Not Blocked: Finding Your Authentic Voice Through Story When I published my book, Unfussy Life , I was also publishing the stories I almost didn't tell. I started my writing journey safely, with plant-based recipes, occasionally sneaking in a small family moment....

Why Your Personal Newsletter is Your Product Business's Highest Converting Tool. I'm excited for you to get to know my friend Nicole Pond. She's a passionate entrepreneur, homeschooling mom of three, and CEO behind the family-owned skincare businesses The Yellow Bird and The Soap Bar. She's the founder of The Yellow Bird, established in 2015 to make clean, natural, and simple-ingredient skincare a...

Stop Forcing It: How Energy-First Planning Transforms Your Writing In this episode, we challenge the persistent advice that "to call yourself a writer, you must write every day." Absolutely not. I used to think that I needed to write every day to make progress, get seen, and practice. Even top athletes don't practice daily, so why should you as a writer? You'll hear me share what writing every day...

13 Holy Nights of Intuitive Writing: Slowing Down for an Intentional 2026 Three years ago, I discovered the 13 Holy Nights while looking for a special way to pause and honor the holiday season. In this episode, you'll hear my personal experience with the powerful practice of the 13 Holy Nights of Intuitive Writing, observed from Christmas Eve (December 24) through Epiphany (January 6). I fell in l...

As soon as I read her Substack article on future-self journaling, I knew I wanted to invite Magdalena on the show. I've used similar tools in the past, but I just love how she simplified the journaling process and explained it in such practical terms.  Magdalena shares her incredible journey, from being told she would never walk again at age 14, having been affected by Chernobyl radiation, spendin...

It's easy to lose momentum on your writing project during the holidays, but getting back on track is easier than you think. This episode dives into the three core habits that will help you reestablish your writing flow: BEing the Writer who makes consistent progress, prioritizing your writing Repetition — regular writing sessions, even in small 30-minute chunks (this adds up!) Leveraging disciplin...

An Author-Entrepreneur's Journey with Jodi Brandon I'm excited for you to meet Jodi Brandon. We connected in person years ago, and she's one of my favorite humans in the book world.  If you want to DIY your book writing, self-publishing, and marketing, Jodi literally wrote the book on the topic. With more than 20 years of experience in book publishing and editing, she's helped 850+ business owners...

Writing as a Life Craft: Dissolving Blocks by Embracing Self-Improvement What could be blocking your writing?  Chances are, it's not actually the classic "writer's block" or surface-level worries about grammar and word count. The real barriers often run deeper — unconscious baggage from academic or corporate conditioning (sometimes both) that may have taught you to write to "prove" something or fo...

We're a week into November, and if you're participating in a writing challenge this month, I hope you're happily plugging away. In this week's episode, I explore the reality of how writing projects confined to only one month out of the year typically unfold.  Now, if you're like many hopeful authors, you might feel the pressure to write during this month, spurred by challenges like NaNoWriMo.  The...