The Writing Coach Podcast with Rebecca L. Weber

Can—or should—journalists strive to be truly objective and unbiased when covering heated issues like climate change? Is it sometimes a moral imperative to speak out and advocate for justice? As a freelancer, does the act of choosing to pitch a particular story because we think it's relevant and should be heard imply bias before we even begin reporting? MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE: WCP57 Finding stor...

This month marks a year of the Writing Coach Podcast. An episode each week, plus some bonus ones.  Would you please help me celebrate by writing a review on iTunes ?    On your phone: 1. Tap on your Podcasts app icon. 2. At the bottom, tap Search. Search for "Writing Coach Podcast." (Make sure to choose the one with the yellow pencil.) 3. Tap on the podcast. Subscribe if you haven't already. 4. Sc...

The questions isn't do you want to play it safe, but where are you playing it safe in your writing life? And why? We all want some security and safety, but these feelings are always relative perceptions rather than objective realities. Given the same exact situation--such as achieving a freelance income goal, landing several anchor clients, or writing disposable first drafts--one person can feel s...

Live events like conferences, conventions, trade shows, can be a rich source of multiple story ideas—or an overwhelming waste of time and energy. Learn how to leave with a small notebook bursting with everything you need to write up pitches for feature ideas instead of a bunch of lousy brochures. MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE: WCP 47: Listener Q&A, Vol. III WCP 39: Listener Q&A, Volume II WCP 28: List...

Author Nir Eyal joins us to talk about his new book, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. What's distracting you from your writing time? As Nir breaks it down, distraction always starts from within. We've been avoiding uncomfortable emotions way before the modern siren call of the smartphone. In this conversation, Nir shares lots of examples from his own writing life...

Growing a thick skin is kind of gross if you think about it. When it comes to rejection, creating a barrier between the outside world and our feelings doesn't help either. Ironically, rejecting rejection compounds and complicates the pain. MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE: WCP 1: What's your problem? WCP 10: Becoming a confident writer Toni Morrison SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW: The best way to catch all the epi...

What we write matters. Today we're looking at how using a social justice lens can provide both meaning and a decent living. Many freelancers see their work as divided: this piece for passion, that piece for pay. I'd argue that for true freelance writing success, you'll be more satisfied when you pursue work that provides both. MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE: WCP51: Democratizing food writing with Ishay...

Ishay Govender-Ypma is a food and travel journalist and author of " Curry ." This week we discuss the intersection of curry and colonialism: what happens when a food journalist uses the lens of social justice to examine who eats what, how, and why? We also discuss what once seemed like a never-ending assignment, structuring research materials, and making time to enjoy the process of reporting and...

The Writing Coach Podcast celebrates the big five-oh! Check out the links below for recommendations of the best episodes. One thing I didn't appreciate before I became a full-time freelancer is that it's nobody's job except my own to help me improve. Enter the power of the self evaluation. When done properly, this will give you precise insight into exactly what you need to change, providing moment...

Have you interviewed somebody who wanted to review your copy before publication? This is a surprisingly high-tension issue for many journalists, even thought it seems like it could be nipped in the bud with a simple, "Sorry, that's against the publication's policy." Today we cover: + A simple method to reduce the number of times sources ask to review the copy + Why they or you get so hot under the...

Running out of reasons to avoid pitching? I've got you covered with 100 reasons why you shouldn't pitch today. Many of these can be adapted to be reasons why you should not write anything else today, like the article you were assigned last week, or your book proposal, or your novel. You'll probably recognize a few of these reasons—ones you already believe to be true. Those seem real, immutable. Pi...

This week I'm answer a number of your questions … and asking you quite a few myself. This isn't slippery side stepping, but trying to help you get to the heart of the matter. Best to listen to this one with your freelance journal at the ready: Jot down the questions that you know you need answers to, and write into them for 20 minutes.  Today's listener questions include: I don't like my niche. Ho...

Nichole Robertson, author of the new book "Literary Paris," (and four others) joins us this week to talk about books, Paris, writing, photography, Instagram, and what happens when the internet wants to label you as a photographer instead of a writer. Nichole is the co-founder and creative director of Obvious State, which creates bookish gifts for all of us former English majors. MENTIONED ON THIS...

Want to break into your dream publications and cultivate long-term clients? Join me for this free, live class on becoming your editor's go-to freelance writer. Click here to register: www.rebeccalweber.com/freeclass  Join us LIVE this Thursday, July 11, to learn: + A proven blueprint for pitching and selling freelance article ideas + How to turn a once-off assignment into an ongoing gig + The most...

In the first two quarters, we discussed setting and working toward your goals. Today we talk about something you might not have bargained for: You reached your goal but it turns out it isn't all you thought it would be. Your life didn't change. That big article didn't make you famous. Or rich. Or confident. You did all the hard things and you're still you. Now what? REGISTER FOR NEXT WEEK'S FREE C...

On Monday mornings I used to be cranky and anxious. It's not a great combo any time, and not a great foundation for the week ahead. Now I have a ritual that helps me transition … and I actually look forward to that time when I get to look at my writing projects from a totally different perspective. Creating a ritual or two in your writing life can provide structure, meaning, and momentum. 25k GIVE...

Often when I start coaching a writer, they ask, "How do I get myself to do this thing I know I should do?" The short answer is to change the thinking that's causing your blocks. If you think differently, you'll feel and act differently too. Bridge thoughts are a mindset management tool that can help you overcome imposter syndrome, not setting boundaries, underearning, procrastination, and so many...

This live session builds on this week's podcast episode re imposter syndrome. We're very aware of fake news and disinformation campaigns in our daily work and in the world around us, and we see the consequences of fact checking sources vs letting hoaxes run rampant. You know it's important to distinguish between objective fact and subjective opinion when reporting an article. But it's harder to id...

"I was lucky to get that assignment; it's only because the editor knows me." "I don't know how I pulled that off … or how I'll ever do it again." "They liked the pitch, but the article won't live up to expectations." Sound familiar? Imposter syndrome can derail writers at any stage. Feeling like a fake takes its toll. It drains the pleasure and satisfaction from our work, and limits our ability to...

Whether your articles are published online or in print, you need to be able to make them readily available for potential clients to read online. Simply having a list of links isn't sufficient. Sites reorganize and your links go bad; your piece gets pulled or the publication closes; and paywalls prohibit access. Clips that look great on paper need different treatment. In this episode, we look at pr...

Do you love your existing clients? Everything else being equal, somebody you've already worked with is more likely to give you new work than somebody who's never heard of you. Freelance writers often lament not knowing the "right people" while overlooking the clients we've worked with in the recent past. Let's look at the reasons we do this and how to value and nurture an existing client relations...

Hearing another writer's conundrum can be quite revealing. Even when the specifics are different, you'll often recognize an aspect of the problem that's very familiar, and you'll be able to see how the coaching applies to yourself as well. Today we address these questions from listeners: +I'm earning more writing content but feel like my career is going backwards. What's happening? +I need help st...

In some important ways, it doesn't matter what your job is when somebody you care about dies. In today's episode, we look at ways you can use writing to process your emotions and communicate love and loss, or to support somebody else who is in mourning. We also discuss the practical challenges of freelancing while grieving. HAVE A WRITING QUESTION? Send me your question in an email , and I may ans...

Freelancers want to write for foreign publications for multiple reasons: access to larger or more engaged audiences so that your stories have more impact, higher income, and the thrill of a new challenge. I've written stories for publications in the US, as well as in South Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and Asia. But initially I found it quite a challenge, and struggled to identify th...

You've completed your article, your editor received it, and now … silence. Are you thinking that the silence means that the editor hates it and wants to kill it? Or do you figure no news is good news and send a new story idea? If you're a freelancer with a high pitch acceptance rate and who delivers clean copy, you may have gotten used to editors publishing your work with few or no edits at all. (...