Write Now with Sarah Werner

Is it true that there's "nothing new under the sun", that we just keep retelling the same 3 stories over and over, and that Hollywood is out of ideas? Find out in the latest episode of Write Now!

I absolutely loved interviewing bestselling Indian author (& striving yogi!) Karan Bajaj, whose new book, The Yoga of Max's Discontent, hit bookstores earier this month. Join us as we talk about the burden and freedom of a creative habit, the power of a journey, and so much more.

We hear it all the time: "We can't afford to pay our writers," or, "Your payment will be exposure and experience!" But is that true? Should we take that unpaid internship? Find out in Episode 041 of Write Now.

David is a church-custodian-turned-tow-truck-driver who is querying his first sci-fi novel. We're talking worldbuilding, NaNoWriMo, & hope in today's show.

Rejection happens to every writer. This week's episode explores different types of rejection and how some of them can actually help us to become better writers.

Diane & I talk about finding the courage to do what you love and love what you're doing, the ups and downs of self-publishing, and what it's like to be a "pantser".

The internet is brimming with writing advice -- both good and bad. Episode 039 of Write Now talks about how to determine which advice is worth following, and gives you a rundown of what I think are the worst offenders. Bad advice is bad. I think we've all received bad general advice at one time or another, such as: "Gun it! You can totally make it through that yellow light." "Aw, come on. You can...

Episode 012: JoAnna Ver Meer Oh my friends, I am so very excited about today's Coffee Break episode (a.k.a. Tea Break, just for today). That's because I'm talking with my good friend & poet JoAnna Ver Meer, and I think that, by the end of this episode, you'll adore her as much as I do. "I don't think I would be a happy person if I couldn't write every day." Today's episode is a celebration of JoAn...

Episode 011: Matt Paulson You might remember Matt Paulson from one of my very first Coffee Break episodes, where we talked about his digital publishing company, automating the writing process, and blogging, as well as a book he had recently written. Five months later, Matt is publishing another book. It's called The Ten-Year Turnaround and it's about achieving financial freedom within a ten-year t...

I ended the last episode of the Write Now podcast (#037) with the concept of giving yourself some grace. I ended up thinking about that concept for a long time after that, so decided to give grace its own episode. I hope you enjoy it here in Episode 038. My deep, dark secret. No, I'm not Batman. Let's just get that out of the way. My deep, dark secret is that often I don't like myself very much. M...

Episode 010: Kaitlyn Mirison Kaitlyn Mirison was one of the first people to get in touch with me when I first launched the Coffee Break offshoot of the Write Now podcast. And I am so grateful that she did. Kaitlyn is the author of An Artist's Pillars, and host of the Potential & Possibility Podcast, both of which encourage creative folks like you & me to believe in ourselves and deepen our experie...

I've been thinking a lot about work/life/writing balance ever since I committed to writing a book this year. And so Episode 037 of the Write Now podcast is about just that -- balance, clutter, distraction, scheduling, and so much more. Just keep spinning... This is what I feel like a lot of the time: It's not incredibly fun (though maybe it looks cool from the outside). Being busy is fine if you c...

We're under tons of pressure all the time -- as writers, family members, employees, and just as human beings in general. That stuff can really get to you -- and that's what we're talking about in Episode 036 of the Write Now podcast. Under pressure. Pressure surrounds us all the time -- and I'm not just talking about the type that keeps our heads from exploding. I'm talking about the type that kee...

Episode 009: reShoUNn's Story Welcome to another Coffee Break episode of the Write Now podcast. I'm so glad you're here. Today I'm talking with beautiful poet, corporate writer, anthroponymist, jazz den owner, community builder, & kindred spirit reShoUNn Foster, who is working to invigorate Detroit with the art of words through her Out My Write Mind and Hip n Zen in the Northend projects. "Faceboo...

Episode 008: Deane Barker Hi friends! Welcome to your monthly Coffee Break episode of the Write Now podcast. Today I want to share with you the delightful and fun conversation I had with Deane Barker, who has been an authority in the web content management space since the mid-'90s and is wrapping up his first book on the subject. So! Even if you're not in to nonfiction (or especially if you are),...

One thing I always want to stress in the Write Now podcast is the fact that you are not alone. Despite what you might feel, despite what you might what (or think you want), you're not alone. This is important. And it's the focus of Episode 035 of the Write Now podcast. Before we begin, a quick note that I've made it easier than ever before to support the work I do with the Write Now podcast with m...

  Oh, my friends. It's time for episode 034 of the Write Now podcast. And I am so glad about that. :) Before we begin, a quick note that I've made it easier than ever before to support the work I do with the Write Now podcast with my new Tip Jar! :D All right, enough of that. Let's begin. "Who gave you permission to be a writer?" I know that often, on this very podcast, I've encouraged you to stan...

Welcome to episode 033 of the Write Now podcast! Today I am answering the question, "As a writer, do I need a website?" I am also answering the inevitable follow-up questions of "Why?" and "How?" Stay tuned! Though as you listen, please note: I am not a lawyer! So please take what I say in this episode as my own thoughts & opinions and not official legal counsel. :) As a writer, do I need a websit...

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Let's take a look at New Year's resolutions specifically for writers in episode 032 of the Write Now podcast. Make & keep your New Year's resolution. Let's be honest -- we are not part of the 8% of the populace that actually sticks to a New Year's resolution. For most of us, a New Year's resolution is lucky to last through the third week of January. And ma...

Episode 007: Vanessa Blakeslee Hi friends! Welcome to your weekly Coffee Break. Today I'm talking to Vanessa Blakeslee, the acclaimed short-story writer (and, I can add, distinguished and delightful personage) who has published her first novel, Juventud. Juventud (or "Youth") is a beautifully and vividly written coming-of-age novel set in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, and follows the story of Merced...

Talking about creation and destruction go hand-in-hand. And I think that writers play a special part in not only conveying the destruction of the present, but creating the future. Makers gonna make, yo. Let's do this together in episode 031 of the Write Now podcast. Creation, destruction, & writing. Destruction is hard to talk about -- it's so deeply tied with loss and grief and pain. But it's a r...

Episode 006: Kate Dyer-Seeley My friends, I have to admit: this episode of Coffee Break almost turned me into a hypocrite. Earlier this week, I released an episode of Write Now titled Letting Go, especially re: perfectionism. I proclaimed, several times, that "done is better than perfect!" This episode of Coffee Break really challenged that belief. The audio quality is not very good, thanks to a s...

  Letting go is one of the hardest things a writer (let alone a human being) has to do. It speaks of loss -- whether willful or not -- and grief and all manner of unpleasant things. But as a writer, you have to do it. And it would benefit you to learn to do it well, and with grace. Today, in Episode 030 of the Write Now podcast, we'll talk about the different types of letting go you may face in yo...

I'm back from my mission trip to Jamaica, my friends. And I have several stories and writing insights to share with you. It's all here in episode 029 of the Write Now podcast. Is travel a "must" for writers? Travel is a great way for writers to learn, grow, and gain an entirely new perspective. The only downside is that it's not feasible or accessible for everyone. Travel can be expensive, and not...

Episode 005: Abraham Allende It's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy another episode of Coffee Break. I love talking with people who have interesting stories to tell. And Abraham Allende -- former Cleveland sportscaster and current bishop of the Northeastern Ohio Synod of the ELCA -- has many. Language has been a central part of Bishop Allende's career, from teaching high-school French to broadcas...