Full disclosure - I am in the middle of an existential crisis and I need some time to figure things out. So we're putting a pause on the previous story and diving into the notebooks, file boxes, and Internet archives to bring you some of my greatest hits on writing, life, and figuring stuff out...let's get started with how much I dislike writers who don't read. Support the show Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorg...
Jun 22, 2023•11 min•Season 7Ep. 3
I’ve been a writer for the better part of my 43 years on this planet. Writing has been my dream for as long as I can remember and I have chased it down almost every avenue imaginable. But lately, I haven’t felt terrific about my writing life. Something seems…well…off, and that has me wondering if I’ve just moved onto a phase of my life where I simply don’t want to be a writer anymore. Every time I look at my work on the page or screen, every time I look in the mirror, I feel like I’ve become a w...
Jun 08, 2023•11 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Announcing the newest Season of Confessions of a Working Writer... This time we're telling the story of how Matt became a worse writer and asking the question...is there any coming back? Or is it finally time to quit. Support the show Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) You can find more from Matt at Medium (https://medium.com/@matthewrhampton) Twitter (https://twitter.com/mhamptonwriter)...
Jun 01, 2023•3 min•Season 7Ep. 1
How do you get your voice out there as a writer? Not so long ago this question had a single simple answer. You needed to be published. Sounds easy, right? But it wasn’t. Submission guidelines, contest deadlines, and an endless mountain of rejection letters, if you were lucky enough to receive them, awaited you on your writing journey. Now it’s simpler. Online writing platforms abound. Each one offers writers another way to get their work out into the world and in front of readers. Each one promi...
May 04, 2023•21 min•Season 6Ep. 14
Hey, everyone! I hope you're doing well in these crazy days. There are a couple of announcements to go over so, rather than sneak them into a regular episode, we did a standalone to just go ahead and knock them out. Enjoy! Support the show Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) You can find more from Matt at Medium (https://medium.com/@matthewrhampton) Twitter (https://twitter.com/mhamptonwriter)...
Apr 20, 2023•10 min•Season 6Ep. 13
What do you do after you finish a big project? Maybe you celebrate for a moment. Or maybe you check it off on one giant to-do list. The standing advice is to jump right into your next project. Get going on the next thing so you can keep producing your best work consistently. Sounds simple. Write a script or a novel or whatever, rinse, and repeat as often as necessary for fame and fortune. Nice and easy…so why is it so hard to jump into that next project? This week on Confessions of a Working Wri...
Apr 13, 2023•18 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Everyone loves their writing community! At least that’s what they say online…endlesssly. Hop onto social media for even a moment and you will be bombarded with praise for writing communities. Twitter is a seemingly endless barrage of writers lifts and questions to the community at large. Platforms like Medium are at the same time praised for being beautiful connected communities of wordsmiths and also lambasted for being little more than content mills and havens of toxic reciprocity. But who’s r...
Mar 30, 2023•20 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Just what does it take to be a writer? Is it something you’re born with? An incredible talent passed down through the genes or gifted from the divine? Or is it something you can learn? And if you can learn it, then are there better places to learn and better qualifications you can attain to become an even better writer? This week on Confessions of a Working Writer we’re looking at the beliefs around natural talent, qualifications, and asking ourselves the question…can anyone really be a writer? ...
Mar 16, 2023•22 min•Season 6Ep. 10
When was the last time you sat down and thought about your writing beliefs? Do you believe writer's block is real or an excuse? Is there such a thing as natural talent? Can anyone be a writer? Is the content economy the path to fame and fortune? Does the audience really come first? I've been thinking a lot about my writing beliefs lately, and I've discovered some of them need to be challenged. So I'm grabbing my pen, firing up the mic, and digging in for an exploration of writing beliefs - the g...
Mar 02, 2023•17 min•Season 6Ep. 9
This week Matt talks about AI's impact on writers. Can AI really be a transformational technology for writers? Is it really the boogeyman coming to take our jobs? Is it just another fad? And just what is the danger to your imagination of leaning on AI as a creative crutch? Support the show Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) You can find more from Matt at Medium (https://medium.com/@matthewrhampton) T...
Feb 23, 2023•31 min•Season 6Ep. 8
Struggle is real...and it's a daily affair for so many of us. The endless stream of empty positivity pumped out to us daily doesn't help. So what do we do? How do we move on in times of struggle and find the ability to move forward? This week Matt talks about his recent struggles with mental health, life, and professional issues. He also talks about how we move forward when times are hard. Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://...
Feb 16, 2023•15 min•Season 6Ep. 7
Social media, obsessing about productivity, extraneous business planning, personal branding, and so many other wrong things are what seem to fill this writing life. We dream of writing a book, or maybe something else, but instead, we fill our day with Tweets. This week, Matt talks about why we obsess over the wrong things and how we can do better. Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) Logo courtesy of B...
Feb 09, 2023•30 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Matt's about to turn 43 and he had a special episode planned...which then went on to implode. But, from the ashes of about a dozen takes, Matt discovers a confession that really helps alter his perspective for this new year. All with a little help from a friend... Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Special thanks to Michelle Scorziello. Check out her amazing writing on Medium (https://medium.com/@michellescorziello) Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.theg...
Feb 02, 2023•25 min•Season 6Ep. 5
We love grit! We worship toughness and resilience! Resilient people are successful people we admire and want to emulate. We love grit...and we hate quitters. Quitters never win and winners look down on quitters with an appropriate amount of scorn. But is that logic right? Does it really make sense to face every hardship by trying to bash through it? This week, Matt looks at the great debate of grit vs. quit and even takes a moment to wonder why John McClane didn't just go find some shoes. Join u...
Jan 26, 2023•30 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Where does creativity happen? Does it happen sitting at our desks to push through the work? Does it happen as we walk down the street with perfectly open spirits to receive the magic of the universe? Is it something that controls us? Or something we control? Maybe we're overthinking it. This week, Matt explores the question of creative inspiration and tries to figure out how we can be more open to it. Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Mo...
Jan 19, 2023•28 min•Season 6Ep. 3
This week Matt talks about living a couple of years driven by fear. Explorations include the damage that an "abundance" mindset can cause, the duality of an infinite universe filled with finite things, and why he's chosen to embrace scarcity this year as a writer in order to defeat fear. Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) Logo courtesy of Bear Paw Creative (https://bearpawcreative.com/) You can find ...
Jan 12, 2023•29 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Matt talks about starting this new year of finding his way as a writer, starting a new book, and learning how to set boundaries. Because let's be honest, we can all do a better job setting those. Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) Logo courtesy of Bear Paw Creative (https://bearpawcreative.com/) You can find more from Matt at https://medium.com/@matthewrhampton Support the show Join us for another Co...
Jan 05, 2023•26 min•Season 6Ep. 1
From the newly frosty lands of Charleston, SC, Matt gives his last confession of 2022 and an update on what's happening with the show in 2023. Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) Logo courtesy of Bear Paw Creative (https://bearpawcreative.com/) You can find more from Matt at https://medium.com/@matthewrhampton Support the show Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music co...
Dec 29, 2022•14 min•Season 5Ep. 30
It's time for the Confessions of a Working Writer Holiday Special! And what do we have for you this year? Well, it's Matt reading his very own holiday story...A Retail Carol! Dale is an unremarkable guy. Just another face working another overnight job during Christmas for some overtime. But this holiday season is different. When Dale is visited by three...kind of familiar holiday spirits he has to wonder if he's losing his mind or just operating on too little sleep. Join us for another Confessio...
Dec 22, 2022•43 min•Season 5Ep. 29
Well, here we are. Over the past couple of months, we've done a crash course on writing a piece and now we're looking at a finished product. So, what do we do with it? First, we need to confront some more fear. And Matt's here to talk about those fears, finishing our work, and just what the hell we do with it then. Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) Logo courtesy of Bear Paw Creative (https://bearpaw...
Dec 15, 2022•24 min•Season 5Ep. 28
You've done it! You've written the first draft and conquered the blank page! You've taken time away to get some distance and resisted just tinkering with the newborn story until you kill it. And now...it's time to actually edit it. Yes, every writer's least favorite part of the process. But Matt's here to help you by talking about his challenges and process for editing. Who knows? Might help. Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https...
Dec 08, 2022•26 min•Season 5Ep. 27
We're Back!!! After a weeklong mountain getaway, Matt returns to talk about the most important thing to do before diving into editing that story...getting some distance. Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) Logo courtesy of Bear Paw Creative (https://bearpawcreative.com/) You can find more from Matt at https://medium.com/@matthewrhampton Support the show Join us for another Confession of a Working Writ...
Dec 01, 2022•22 min•Season 5Ep. 26
A special Thanksgiving message from Matt! Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) Logo courtesy of Bear Paw Creative (https://bearpawcreative.com/) You can find more from Matt at https://medium.com/@matthewrhampton Support the show Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) You can find more from Matt at Medium (https...
Nov 24, 2022•9 min•Season 5Ep. 25
It's time! We've formed an idea. We've crafted characters, picked a setting, and set up a road map for our story. Now it's time to sit down for the single most terrifying part of creating a story...the first draft. But don't worry, Matt's here with some insights and a handful of ninjas to help. Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) Logo courtesy of Bear Paw Creative (https://bearpawcreative.com/) You ca...
Nov 17, 2022•29 min•Season 5Ep. 24
One of the biggest problems writers deal with when taking an idea from their head and putting it on the page is writing themselves into a corner. You know the feeling. You're working on a story, the characters are interesting, the setting is on point, and every word seems to just be working. Then...BAM! It all comes undone and the work stops. Matt used to be the same way...then he decided to give the outline thing a shot again... And that has made all the difference. Join us for another Confessi...
Nov 10, 2022•27 min•Season 5Ep. 23
Matt's back! After a week of battling the flu, we continue our series on how to take an idea and work it into a piece of writing. This week Matt explores developing your setting as a character instead of just a couple of data points. What is the history of the place your story is happening in? Is it beautiful? Ugly? Can you trust it? And just how does answering questions like that and treating a place like a person create greater depth in a story? Join us for another Confession of a Working Writ...
Nov 03, 2022•28 min•Season 5Ep. 22
Matt's been sick with the flu so we didn't know if this was going to happen. But somehow he managed to rise from the grave long enough to record a fun treat for Halloween - a reading of his most recent short story for the season! Enjoy! Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) Logo courtesy of Bear Paw Creative (https://bearpawcreative.com/) You can find more from Matt at https://medium.com/@matthewrhampton Support the show Join us for another Confession o...
Oct 31, 2022•8 min•Season 5Ep. 21
How do you develop a character? Do you create a "trading card" bio for them including all of those physical details, their favorite foods, and turn ons? Do you define them by important events in their lives? Is it about what they want and need? Or do we define them by the space around them? This week, Matt dives in to answer these questions and a few more. Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) Logo cour...
Oct 20, 2022•30 min•Season 5Ep. 20
Now that you have an idea you want to write about what do you do with it? Do you sit down and bang out that first draft? Or spend some time setting up an outline? Nope. You should probably sit down and do a brain dump first. Don't know what that is...here let's talk about it. Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) Logo courtesy of Bear Paw Creative (https://bearpawcreative.com/) You can find more from Ma...
Oct 13, 2022•22 min•Season 5Ep. 19
"Everyone has one story in them" But where do you start writing it? How do you take an idea and turn it into a fully formed piece of writing? It's not actually as hard as it seems. That's why Matt's taking the next few episodes to help you write that thing you've been thinking about. So, let's start with the first steps. Join us for another Confession of a Working Writer Intro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/) Logo courtesy of Bear Paw Creative (https://b...
Oct 06, 2022•31 min•Season 5Ep. 18
