The Edit: Writing Your Book Without Losing Your Voice

"Easy reading is damn hard writing." — Nathaniel Hawthorne Finishing your first draft is a huge accomplishment—but it's not the finish line. It's the beginning of revision. In last week's episode, we celebrated typing The End . This week, we're opening that manuscript again and answering one of the biggest questions every writer eventually asks: "Where do I even start?" The answer may surprise you...

Finishing your first draft is one of the biggest accomplishments in a writer's journey. Yet for many writers, those two words—The End—don't bring relief. They bring uncertainty. Now what? Do you start editing immediately? Rewrite the first chapter? Send it to beta readers? Hire an editor? Or quietly close the document because you're afraid of what you'll find? In this episode of The Edit, Holly wa...

What can two third-grade girls, a card table, and a stack of handwritten stories teach us about writing? More than you might think. In this episode of The Edit , Holly shares a childhood memory that helped shape her beliefs about storytelling, editing, and authentic voice long before she knew those words would become part of her career. Back in the 1970s, Holly and her best friend, Anne Marie, ope...

In this special bonus episode of The Edit: Writing Your Book Without Losing Your Voice, Holly takes a step back from her conversation with author Hadley Kibbe to explore the writing, editing, and publishing lessons hidden within Hadley's story. While Hadley's books were inspired by ranch life, motherhood, faith, and her son, the lessons behind her writing journey apply to every writer—whether you'...

What happens when a ranch-raised cowgirl, rodeo competitor, songwriter, photographer, wife, mother, and follower of Jesus decides to write books for her son? In this heartfelt conversation, Holly sits down with Hadley Ann Kibbe, a former student-turned-author whose life is deeply rooted in faith, family, and the Western way of life. Together, they explore the stories behind The Cow Kid Series, the...

Have you ever sat down to write and spent more time deleting words than actually putting them on the page? You're not alone. In this episode of The Edit , Holly explores one of the most common habits that keeps writers stuck: editing while they write. While it may feel productive, constantly revising, rewriting, and second-guessing every sentence can quietly prevent a story from ever being told. H...

Have you ever sat down to write and found yourself wondering if you're actually a writer at all? In this episode of The Edit, Holly tackles a question that stops countless writers before they ever finish a manuscript: Am I having trouble writing—or am I dealing with impostor syndrome? While writing challenges and impostor syndrome can feel similar, they're actually very different obstacles. One is...

In this episode of The Edit: Writing Your Book Without Losing Your Voice , Holly explores one of the biggest mistakes nonfiction writers make: trying to write for everyone. What starts as a desire to reach more people often leads to writing that feels watered down, overly polished, and disconnected from the heart of the message. Holly shares a real conversation with a writer whose manuscript was t...

Bonus Episode: What Writing a Hard Story Really Teaches You What happens after you finally decide to tell your story? In this bonus episode, Holly takes a deeper look at the writing and editing side of storytelling, inspired by her recent conversation with an author and coach. But this episode isn't about the details of one person's story. It's about what so many writers experience emotionally whe...

Finding My Voice Again with Deborah Griffiths   "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." — Maya Angelou What happens when writing your story becomes part of your healing? In this deeply honest and emotional episode of The Edit: Writing Your Book Without Losing Your Voice, Holly sits down with bestselling author, speaker, life transition coach, and podcast host Deborah G...

Episode 3: Why Your Story Matters (Even If You Think It Doesn't) Opening quote is very powerful and by Michelle Obama—"Your story matters—but if you don't see that, chances are no one else will either." So many people believe their story isn't "important enough" to tell. But often, behind those words are stories filled with resilience, grief, reinvention, courage, healing, and survival. In this ep...

Episode 2: Keep Your Voice in Your Writing The quote at the beginning of the podcast is, "Finding your voice is mostly having the courage to speak and letting it be enough." This came from an article by Dan Cumberland on the website https://themeaningmovement.com/finding-your-voice/ , which is an interesting read. If you are interested, you should check it out. In this episode of The Edit: Writing...

The Edit: Episode 1"The Edit That Changes Everything" Holly starts this podcast season with a powerful quote by Joseph Kanon, "When you're editing, you want to be the perfect appreciator, not another writer." Holly tells us that this quote changed her perspective on editing and made her fall in love with helping others share their stories. What happens when editing starts to erase the very thing t...

This episode explores the transition from Teaching Yourself to Learn to The Edit: Writing Your Book Without Losing Your Voice through the lens of storytelling, nonfiction writing, and finding your authentic voice. If you've ever struggled with writing your story, editing your work, or feeling like your words don't sound like you anymore, this podcast will resonate. In  Teaching Yourself to Learn ,...

Welcome to The Edit: Writing Your Book Without Losing Your Voice In this trailer episode, I'm sharing what this podcast is really about—helping writers, entrepreneurs, and business owners shape their stories without editing out the very thing that makes them powerful: their voice. If you've ever looked at your writing and thought, "This doesn't sound like me," you're in the right place. Because yo...

When we think about the stages of a rose from seed, to bud formation, to swelling and anthesis, until it finally wilts. Through each stage of the lifecycle it can be a slow and steady journey that can test the patience of even the most advanced gardeners. Today I want to share with you a beautiful story inspired by my grandson Noah. Listen in as I reflect and think about: The third half of life is...

It does not matter what you have been through, where you have been or what has happened up to the third half of your life, you can make a change. And my guest today is Professor Theresa Agostinelli who shares her story of resilience, grit and fortitude. Join with me as I chat with Theresa about: Her journey from anxiety, shyness and depression and the healing journey she gifted herself to make sig...

Beth Brown has had her fair share of 'life' and all its happenings. Depression, divorce, starting all over again with 3 kids and panic attacks, lead to a catalyst for change when she could hardly leave the house living alongside fear. Even through all the ups and downs she has experienced, she still feels 'rich' with joy, has devoted herself to healing and shines a light through the darkness. Curr...

Sometimes we may think we know someone who we've witnessed in our life, yet find out it isn't all it appears to be to the outside world. Today I sat down with another retired English teacher, Gwen Parker. Gwen has been an inspiration to me over the years, specifically when it comes to her involvement in One-Act Plays, her students and consistently overcoming her own fears and chronic shyness. List...

Our guest today is Diane Martinez, and she brings a certain energy to this conversation that is electrifying, and I reckon you'll love it as much as I do. Diane starts with the famous quote from Abraham Hicks, 'Everything is always working out for me,' and from there, the conversation really takes off. Diane truly understands what it's like to know you have more to offer the world and knows we can...

Our guest today is Diane Martinez and she brings a certain energy to this conversation which is electrifying and I reckon you'll love this conversation as much as I do. Diane starts with the famous quote from Abraham Hicks 'everything is always working out for me' and from there the conversation really takes off. Christine truly understands what it's like to know you have more to offer the world a...

Our guest today is Diane Martinez and she brings a certain energy to this conversation which is electrifying and I reckon you'll love this conversation as much as I do. Diane starts with the famous quote from Abraham Hicks 'everything is always working out for me' and from there the conversation really takes off. Christine truly understands what it's like to know you have more to offer the world a...

Even as a writer, there are times when I struggle to find the words to express how much certain moments in my life mean to me. All the way from my earliest childhood memories until now, there has been one particular person who has been there every step of the way, and that is my mom. Today we bring you a very special Mother's Day episode with myself and my brother Pete Hale. My mom (Jerry) is insp...

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