Women Creating Writerly Lives with Scribbling Woman Nancy Rue

Scriptwriter and budding novelist Sarah Greek joins me in introducing our series on Writing In Between. We talk about those life circumstances (and we’re all there at some point) in which there simply IS no time to sit down and produce a complete work. Sarah contends that keeping our creativity alive during a pausing season is essential—and tells us how that works so that we don’t shove it to the...

In the third and final episode in our series on going deep with our writing and our writerly lives, we dispel the mistaken belief that going deep means going dark. Instead, we’re talking about digging for treasure as we write. And finding it. And knowing that it is the heart of our story. The heart of us.

In this second episode in our series on Developing Depth In Our Writerly Lives, we ponder the question: How do we go deep in our writing? The answer lies in doing a deep dive into ourselves. Into the wounds and the struggles, as well as the vision of healing and the obstacles to be overcome—by ourselves and by our characters. For our readers. We talk about five approaches that make going deep, wel...

In this first of five episodes in our series on Developing Depth In Our Writerly Lives, we ponder the questions: Is it time to go deep? What does that mean? How do we know when it’s time? How can we prepare ourselves? Never fear! This is not a downer! We’re talking about a meaningful, satisfying writerly journey. One you’re ready to take, fellow Scribblie.

In this last episode of our series on Cultivating Writerly Delight, we talk about what to do when that delight flatlines. There’s nothing for it but to get the creative defibrillator and not only revive but create a healthier writerly lifestyle going forward. Delight restored!

In this fifth episode of our series on cultivating delight in our writerly lives, we’re going to discover how to do research that gets us away from Google and AI and out where we can get some it on us. Experience the world of our characters as closely as we can. Smell, taste, feel and sweat. And open up our own worlds as we play.

You know that whole solitary writer thing? Yeah, that’s only partly true. Even the most introverted among us benefits from having at least one writerly pal. Not a critique partner—unless that’s what you want—but someone who takes as much delight in the writerly life as you do. Who’s not right for that role? What do we look for in a creative kindred spirit? And where do we find these fellow Scribbl...

In this third episode of our series on rediscovering the joy that brought us to the writerly life in the first place, we find out how to learn what we need to know in the time-honored tradition of Sesame Street. Whether you resonate with Ernie or Big Bird or Oscar The Grouch, you’ll see four ways to make improving your craft and your writerly life as delightful as it was back when learning was fun...

In this second episode of our series on rediscovering the joy that brought us to the writerly life in the first place, we go in search of our writerly playground. Get your play clothes on as we explore our world, our souls, and our writing spaces for all that we need so we can, well, play games!

This episode kicks off our series of rediscovering the joy that brought us to the writerly life in the first place. We’ll check for signs that you might just be joy-sapped and apply some CPR to get you ready for all the recovery methods we’ll explore in the next seven weeks. Discard your Serious Writer mask. We’re going to play.

At the end of our series on respecting ourselves as writers, we have everything we need to pursue our writing with confidence. All we have to do is trust ourselves. Ah, and that’s where we get into the kind of trouble that makes us stick the manuscript in the drawer and go order a double crust pizza and eat the whole thing. So in this episode we talk about five concrete ways to build writerly trus...

In this episode, we talk about the importance of shaping our own writerly vocabulary, one that describes our creative life so that we can respect ourselves as authors. We offer (accurate) replacements for jargon that has come to us from the business world, the publishing world, and people who don’t know what the Sam Hill they’re talking about. You’ll emerge with ideas for your own writerly glossar...

We’ve all been told to “write what we know,” and that is good advice… as far as it goes. In this episode we delve into all the ways we can bring knowledge to the page.

Gone are the days when publishing with a traditional house is the only way to get our work out there. Being an Independent Author entails more than simply self-publishing, so guest Cheri LaSota, founder and CEO of Authors Assembler, helps us look at all aspects of going Indie, and most important of all, shows us that we can respect that choice. (Our apologies for a few technical glitches)

Writing can be hard work, but not ALL the time. In this episode, we compare our relationship with our writing to a friendship. If we treat our work the way we do a BFF—if we experience with that work in progress what we experience with a close pal—if we don’t do to our writing what we wouldn’t do to a kindred spirit… all of us benefit: our art, our audience, and ourselves.

As we revisit the BOHOs (Big Ol' Hairy obstacles), we discover that if we are clear on our own individual roles as writers right NOW, what those false voices have to say simply doesn't apply. What, then, is a "role" as a writer and how do we discover ours for this season, this time, this us? Four questions lead to BOHO-silencing answers.

We're throwing out the rather judgy terms Planner, Pantser, and Plantser as names for the creative process and instead going with a new lexicon, which describes a continuum from Intentional to Intuitive. In this episode we'll pose 6 questions which can lead each of us to the discovery our own approach to our writing. We'll find that our individual processes are beautiful--no matter how ugly they m...

Even when we’re absolutely in love with our writerly intentions and the projects that arise from them, getting started can seem like you’re standing at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro. With the help of speaker, life coach, author, and mountain climber Jonathan Mearns O.B.E., we apply the six stages of his mountain metaphor to the sometimes daunting task of pursuing those beautiful intentions.

If we’re earnest writers, we really want our readers to pick up what we’re puttin’ down. Sometimes that results in over-explaining IN our writing and ABOUT our writing—and in terms of whether we SHOULD be writing. In this episode we explore three areas in which resisting the urge to explain can enhance our authentic work and our delicious writerly lives.

THIS IS NOT A SPIRITUAL MUGGING! No, in this episode we simply talk about a power greater than ourselves that calls us, inspires us, and allows us to enter the world we write about--no matter what each of us want to name it.. We explore three ways to loosen our grip and allow the spirit to move the pen.

In order to allow our beautiful writerly intentions to unfold, we would do well to let go of the things we're holding onto that are holding US back. Since completely booting them out all in one go is impossible for most of us, we talk in this episode about loosening our grip one knuckle at a time. Five nudges to ponder. Three areas to focus on. And a three-pronged approach to beginning the process...

In this delightful interview with author, radio script writer, and podcaster A.R. "Abigail" Geiger, we continue our series on setting and committing to our writing intentions even in the face of disturbing societal and publishing events. Abigail talks about going through the disappointments and set-backs that make our creative dreams seem unattainable and offers both practical and spiritual encour...

In Part Two of our series on setting and developing our writing intentions, guest author Joanna Davidson Politano shares how the meaning inherent in her novels is her motivation for writing them--and how she expresses that meaning without preaching, teaching, or spiritually mugging!

Rather than make New Year's Resolutions that we abandon or forget by the official Quitting Day, January 10, we as writerly women are better served by setting intentions that come from the deep longings of our souls. That's what we're about in this episode: discovering our intentions and keeping them alive. Beyond January 10th.

Budding author Haylee Phillips joins me as we begin Season Three of the podcast, in which we'll ponder shaping a writerly life in a challenging publishing climate. As a writer just starting out, Haylee is the perfect guest in discussing what shapes us, when we know we're ready, and how we might take those first steps. She is, to use her own words, a truth crystal in a time when the path of a write...