The Novel Writing Podcast

Writer's Block Category #3 - Difficulty Prioritizing When your to-do list is miles long and keeps growing every second, it can feel irresponsible and indulgent to write. But the truth is that your writing is important, and creativity is a form of self care. This episode covers the paradox of choice and different methods for prioritizing your life so that writing remains towar the top of the l...

Are you a Discovery Writer or an Outliner? Which one is better than the other? Which one SHOULD you write in? If these terms give you strong feelings one way or the other, make sure you listen through the end of this episode! Send us Fan Mail What to do next… Read transcripts & access interview recordings on Substack Apply for Author Coaching with Colleen Take the 60 Day Novel Writing Challeng...

Writer's Block Category #2 - Distractions The shinies, the doomscrolling, the accidental 5-hour YouTube rabbit trails... all distractions. When you pay attention to something that's NOT the thing you're supposed to be paying attention to, that's called a distraction. This episode covers how to handle distractions. To find out your primary blocker, take our Writer's Block Q...

Have you committed this literary sin?  Head hopping, or jumping from one POV to another in the same paragraph, scene, or chapter, can throw readers off as to who's really telling the story.  This can pull a reader out of the narrative, and a confused reader is more likely to close the book! This, our first installment of the Literary Sins Series, addresses what head hopping is, how to spot it...

Writer's Block Category #1 - Limiting Beliefs AKA, the things we believe about ourselves that do nothing but keep us from our full potential. And spoiler alert, nobody is forcing us to believe these things. So what counts as a limiting belief, and how do you deal with them? This episode covers just that. To find out your primary blocker, take our Writer's Block Quiz! This quiz will diagn...

Ever wonder what kind of writer's block you're most susceptible to? Or what to do about it when you can't get yourself to write? While we will all experience some form of writer's block at some point, there are different types and tools to break through when you're stuck. To find out your primary blocker, take our Writer's Block Quiz! This quiz from Tally Ink will dia...

Should you write your book in first person or third person?  What even are those POVs and what does it mean to write in one or the other? If POV confuses you or you're just not sure which one you should use in your novel, this episode is for you. Send us Fan Mail What to do next… Read transcripts & access interview recordings on Substack Apply for Author Coaching with Colleen Take the 60...

Are you an INSPIRED INTROVERT? This episode is for those writers who tend toward solitude and writing on their own, but could really benefit from sharing their work... if only they could conquer the fear of feedback. Not sure what your writing persona is? Take the quiz here! https://www.the60daynovelwritingchallenge.com/writers-quiz Send us Fan Mail What to do next… Read transcripts & access i...

Pareto's Principle is the idea that 80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes. We can use this principle to improve our writing lives, especially with the first draft. Listen in to find out how you can apply Pareto's Principle to your idea generation, your time spent on writing versus marketing, and finding the time to write your novel. Send us Fan Mail What to do next… Read transcripts &a...

Are you a CHAOTIC CREATIVE? This episode is for those writers who have brain explosions of ideas all the time, jump from story to story, navigate uncharted creative territory, but have trouble finishing a project. Not sure what your writing persona is? Take the quiz here! https://www.the60daynovelwritingchallenge.com/writers-quiz Send us Fan Mail What to do next… Read transcripts & access inte...

Quick, what do you think about prologues?  If you're thinking as a writer, your answer might be "YES, I LOVE THEM!" But as a reader, maybe not. Prologues are the other oft-maligned pseudo-chapters along with epilogues, but prologues might actually do you more harm than good. Executing a good prologue is more than just writing a good scene, and this episode talks about both the reaso...

Are you a COMMUNITY CREATOR? This episode is for those writers who thrive with a writing group or critique partner, having accountability, but also a place (or person) with whom to share writing wins and struggles. Not sure what your writing persona is? Take the quiz here! https://www.the60daynovelwritingchallenge.com/writers-quiz Send us Fan Mail What to do next… Read transcripts & access int...

Are epilogues necessary?  If you want to include an epilogue, what's the best way to go about it? What is the point of an epilogue, anyway? In this episode I share my thoughts on epilogues, and some best practices about how to approach including them (or not). I also cover 5 questions to ask yourself about your story to determine if an epilogue is the right choice. Are epilogues right for eve...

Are you a SKEPTICAL SCRIBE? This episode is for those writers who question everything, who go on deep research quests for exactly the right reference... but get paralyzed if something is "off" or imperfect. Not sure what your writing persona is? Take the quiz here! https://www.the60daynovelwritingchallenge.com/writers-quiz Send us Fan Mail What to do next… Read transcripts & access i...

Caitlin Shetterly, author of Pete and Alice in Maine , shares her return path to writing fiction after years in nonfiction.  A major medical event in the winter of 2020 to 2021 aligned so perfectly such that she experienced the same kind of healing as in the story she was telling. This episode is for all the writers who feel like life has caught them off guard, and how to bounce back stronger than...

Are you a DILIGENT DRAFTER? This episode is for those writers who are self-disciplined, super organized, know exactly where the story is going... and still have trouble sitting down to write. Not sure what your writing persona is? Take the quiz here! https://www.the60daynovelwritingchallenge.com/writers-quiz Send us Fan Mail What to do next… Read transcripts & access interview recordings on Su...

Ever wonder what kind of writing persona you have? Or what motivates you to write? Or even what the hidden pitfalls of those are? (Because they exist!) Announcing the Writing Persona Quiz! This brand new quiz from Tally Ink will tell you exactly what kind of writer you are, and the ways you can take advantage of those strengths. Take the quiz here! https://www.the60daynovelwritingchallenge.com/wri...

When authors get negative reviews, the first instinct is to feel bad because someone didn't like what we wrote. However, not all negative reviews are alike, and we can't approach them all the same way. The troll reviews are very different from the ones with constructive criticism. This episode is for people who are concerned about their negative reviews, and how to actually handle them....

Have you ever heard of Parkinson's Law? If not, it's the law that work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.  AKA, if you give yourself a whole day to do something, it will take you all day to do it. Did you know that writers experience a paradox with Parkinson's Law? In today's episode we take a look at a common time management technique and how it can a...

Not all pressure is good. Whether you're facing deadlines, word counts, or critter feedback, too much of the wrong kind of pressure can mess with your writing mindset.  This episode covers why working under pressure is not always the right choice, and ways to release that pressure if you find it building up.  Send us Fan Mail What to do next… Read transcripts & access interview recordings...

Business coach and entrepreneur Dave Moreno joins me on the podcast to talk about how and why authors should approach writing (and the results of writing) like a real business. We discuss business mindset for authors, core messages and values, run tasks versus grow tasks, and all sorts of other golden nuggets for authors who really want to understand the business side of writing. If you are an aut...

I apologize for the audio quality! This was recorded live on a hike and my mic was a little too close to my face 😅. Who are reviews actually for? Authors or readers? Both? In this ranty episode I share my thoughts on exactly who reviews are for, and why it's actually a good thing to be getting some negative reviews or low ratings on your books. Send us Fan Mail What to do next… Read transcri...

What drives you as a writer? Internal fulfillment, or external rewards? While neither is wrong or right, it's important to know your primary driver so that when you get into a writing slump, you have a proven way to break free. Listen to this episode for how to identify that primary motivator, the differences between the two, and ways to tap into the opposite if you need to shake things up. R...

Author Christina Rozeline from Vinton, Louisiana shares how her writing evolved from a cheesy romance to a domestic thriller. But that wasn't her only growth! Christina's confidence skyrocketed from never turning on her camera during Premium calls to pestering her local library into carrying her book... and then actually doing a signing at that library! Christina is the poster child for...

Learn what it really means to show, not tell, emotions in your writing!  Your characters actions are how they reveal their feelings, but it's not always easy to figure out WHAT those actions or feelings are. This episode includes a practical framework for capturing authentic physicalities of emotion.  Send us Fan Mail What to do next… Read transcripts & access interview recordings on Subs...