On being okay with not knowing (it's part of being human) , on listening to dreams, and on "overhearing" your book. Enjoy! Lauren Aliza Green is a novelist, poet, and musician. Her debut novel, The World After Alice, is out now from Viking (US) and Penguin Michael Joseph (UK). Her chapbook, A Great Dark House, won the Poetry Society of America's Chapbook Fellowship. Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Lit Hub, Virginia Quarterly Review, Threepenny Review, American Short Fiction, and el...
Nov 07, 2024•47 min•Ep. 473
Rachael and Sacha chat about her monumental Kickstarter and how it feels, emotionally (answer: weird!) as well as Rachael’s new book idea. 🎉 Unstuck is now available HERE ! Ink In Your Veins: How Writers Actually Write (and how you can, too) Writing doesn't have to be so hard. With internationally bestselling author Rachael Herron, learn how to embrace ease, reject perfectionism, and finally create your perfect writing process. (Formerly known as How Do You Write) Come for inspiration, stay for...
Nov 01, 2024•44 min•Ep. 472
On earning the heightened moments in your writing. Also, you don't have to be writing to be writing! Julie Leong is a Chinese Malaysian American fantasy author who grew up across both New Jersey and Beijing, China. She studied economics and political science at Yale and works in tech, but she has always nurtured a deep love for sci-fi/fantasy beneath her corporate exterior. Julie lives in San Francisco with her husband, their rescue pup, and a magical Meyer lemon tree in the backyard that someho...
Oct 31, 2024•42 min•Ep. 471
How to go from feeling your way through a story to actually knowing a bit about it before you start! Also - what does a cat have to do with kindness? Ann Rose is a typical Taurus—loyal but stubborn, which means being an author is perfect. While asking the private group chat for ideas on what to include in this bio, Ann was reminded that some of her greatest qualities are her awesome best friends from high school—a fact she couldn’t argue with. She loves dark chocolate, sarcasm, her family, tacos...
Oct 24, 2024•32 min•Ep. 470
On being unapologetic about investing in yourself as a writer! Rachael and Rebekah also talk about the value of friends, and about writing being alive, never stagnant! Rebekah Faubion is the author of THE LOVERS, a Nora Ephron-style, sapphic rom-com coming Summer 2024 from Berkley. She is also the author of young adult horror novel LOST GIRLS coming from Delacorte Press in 2026. When she isn’t writing books that make her bi soul sing, she enjoys watching anything romantic or scary (or, better ye...
Oct 17, 2024•48 min•Ep. 469
Using an editor AS you're writing! D on't miss this conversation about something people often wonder about but rarely talk about! May Cobb is an award-winning author of The Hunting Wives, My Summer Darlings, A Likeable Woman, and Big Woods. Her books have received attention from Book of The Month, The Today Show, and Oprah Daily and have been optioned for film/TV. She has an M.A. from San Francisco State University and her essays and interviews have appeared in The Washington Post and Good House...
Oct 10, 2024•35 min•Ep. 468
Please enjoy this episode of The Black Herron with Sacha Black and Rachael Herron! 🎉 Unstuck is now available HERE ! Ink In Your Veins: How Writers Actually Write (and how you can, too) Writing doesn't have to be so hard. With internationally bestselling author Rachael Herron, learn how to embrace ease, reject perfectionism, and finally create your perfect writing process. (Formerly known as How Do You Write) Come for inspiration, stay for lots more. ✏️ Can I email you some writing help? 💥 90 ...
Oct 03, 2024•47 min•Ep. 467
On how to quit imposter syndrome (yes, it’s doable!) and on giving voice to the inanimate - you’ll love this episode! Lynne Thompson served as Los Angeles’ fourth Poet Laureate, 2021-2022. Thompson is the author of four collections of poetry, Beg No Pardon, Start With A Small Guitar, Fretwork, and most recently, Blue on a Blue Palette. She serves on the Boards of Cave Canem, Poetry Foundation, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Scripps College which she lead as Board Chair, 2018-2022. Her work can...
Oct 03, 2024•50 min•Ep. 466
How to use intuition like a muscle - the more you use it the stronger it gets! Also: on shaking ideas out of your brain, and keeping the brain active when NOT thinking. Tara Sim is the author of The Dark Gods trilogy, the Scavenge the Stars duology, and the Timekeeper trilogy. She can typically be found wandering the wilds of the Bay Area, California. When she’s not chasing cats or lurking in bookstores, she writes books about magic, murder, and mayhem. We Shall Be Monsters is her most recent bo...
Sep 26, 2024•31 min•Ep. 465
What do you do with social anxiety and OCD? Write about it. Don't miss this lovely chat with Natasha and Rachael! Natasha Daniels is a child anxiety & OCD therapist, who has battled her own anxiety throughout her life. She is the author of Social Skills Activities for Kids, It’s Brave to Be Kind, Anxiety Sucks: A Teen Survival Guide, How to Parent Your Anxious Toddler, The Grief Rock, Crushing OCD Workbook for Kids and her latest, Out of My Shell, a memoir about overcoming social anxiety fro...
Sep 19, 2024•35 min•Ep. 464
Ally and Rachael talk about FUN and celebration as well as living (and thriving) without alcohol . Don't miss this one! Ally Nikolau s is an award-winning filmmaker and author of the upcoming memoir, I’m Gay and Drink Water . Their memoir covers six years of their life from the time they were a freshman on the University of Mississippi’s soccer team to when they came out at age twenty-four while living, working and going to school in Chicago. Alcohol consumption played a major role in Ally’s sto...
Sep 12, 2024•31 min•Ep. 463
Sheer fun! Danica Nava talks about the joy of writing fanfic while young, and how to surprise yourself! Danica Nava is an enrolled citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and works as an Executive Assistant in the tech industry. She has her MBA from USC Marshall School of Business. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and daughter. The Truth According to Ember is her debut novel. You can find her on Instagram at the handle @danica_nava 🎉 Unstuck is now available HERE ! Ink In You...
Sep 05, 2024•41 min•Ep. 462
Please enjoy this LIVE EPISODE of The Black Herron with Sacha Black and Rachael Herron! 🎉 Unstuck is now available HERE ! Ink In Your Veins: How Writers Actually Write (and how you can, too) Writing doesn't have to be so hard. With internationally bestselling author Rachael Herron, learn how to embrace ease, reject perfectionism, and finally create your perfect writing process. (Formerly known as How Do You Write) Come for inspiration, stay for lots more. ✏️ Can I email you some writing help? �...
Sep 01, 2024•54 min•Ep. 461
This is one of Rachael's favorite episodes of the year - don't miss this incredible chat with AJ Harper, author of the phenomenal Write a Must Read! AJ Harper is an editor and publishing strategist who helps authors write foundational books that enable them to build readership, grow their brand and make a significant impact on the world. As ghostwriter and as developmental editor, she has worked with newbies to New York Times bestselling authors with millions of books sold. AJ is writing partner...
Aug 29, 2024•55 min•Ep. 460
Why writing a book based on just a title might be a great idea! Also, keeping track of details, struggling with reveals, character building, not reading reviews and NOT killing yourself on promo - enjoy all of this with Elyssa Friedland! Elyssa Friedland is the USA Today bestselling author of six novels and one picture book. A graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School, she has taught creative writing at Yale and at select conferences. She resides in New York City with her husband and t...
Aug 22, 2024•44 min•Ep. 459
Considering whether (or why) to go to a writing conference? Let Rachael walk you through her best tips for getting the most from one! NOW OPEN: 💥 90 Days to Done - WRITE YOUR BOOK! http://rachaelherron.com/90 📚 90 Day Revision ! http://rachaelherron.com/revision 🎉 Unstuck is now available HERE ! Ink In Your Veins: How Writers Actually Write (and how you can, too) Writing doesn't have to be so hard. With internationally bestselling author Rachael Herron, learn how to embrace ease, reject perfe...
Aug 17, 2024•32 min•Ep. 458
Join us as Sacha’s getting ready to come to New Zealand and Rachael’s been setting up her Shopify store for the first time! 🎉 Unstuck is now available HERE ! Ink In Your Veins: How Writers Actually Write (and how you can, too) Writing doesn't have to be so hard. With internationally bestselling author Rachael Herron, learn how to embrace ease, reject perfectionism, and finally create your perfect writing process. (Formerly known as How Do You Write) Come for inspiration, stay for lots more. ✏️ ...
Aug 02, 2024•51 min•Ep. 457
Have you ever considered making author stations in your home or office to streamline your writing process? Don't miss this amazing idea with Jessica Mehring! Jessica Mehring is a Colorado-based author of contemporary romance, cozy mystery, and creative nonfiction -- and she splits her time helping technology startups communicate without sounding like robots. She believes that story is the foundation of human relationship, and history and nature are our greatest teachers. She loves reading, walks...
Aug 01, 2024•33 min•Ep. 456
How can you harness the joy and fun of writing in a younger voice? Join us today to find out! Jennifer Lane was born in NSW, Australia, which is where her novels are set, but she’s lived in Wellington, New Zealand, for more than half her life, and that’s where she’s joining us from today. Her first novel, All our Secrets won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel in 2018, and her second, Miracle, published in 2022, was a New Zealand YA Award finalist. She recently finished her third novel - ...
Jul 25, 2024•29 min•Ep. 455
We often want there to be an easier way to write, but hey, how about the best, fastest way? Let’s talk about going through it. Tasha Coryell l ives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband, toddler, and greyhound. She holds an MFA in creative writing and a PhD in composition and rhetoric from the University of Alabama. Her book of short stories, HUNGRY PEOPLE, was published by Split Lip Press in 2018. Her debut novel, LOVE LETTERS TO A SERIAL KILLER is out now. Publisher Rocket new Amazon Ads Cou...
Jul 18, 2024•39 min•Ep. 454
Why shouldn’t spite be harnessed for its sheer power? Get on board this new methodology - you’ll love it! Ashley Poston (she/they) is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip . They write stories about love and friendship and ever afters. A native to South Carolina, they now live in a small grey house with their sassy cat and too many books. You can find them on the internet, somewhere, watching cat videos and reading fan-fiction. A Novel ...
Jul 11, 2024•49 min•Ep. 453
Rachael dives into what she spent (and made) on her Kickstarter, and then has an amazing conversation with Ken Liu on world building and the Dao De Jing! Ken Liu ( http://kenliu.name ) is an American author of speculative fiction. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards, he wrote the Dandelion Dynasty , a silkpunk epic fantasy series (starting with The Grace of Kings ), as well as short story collections The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories and The Hidden Girl and Other Stories ....
Jul 04, 2024•50 min•Ep. 452
Sacha Black and Rachael Herron talk about their next adventures! Ink In Your Veins: How Writers Actually Write (and how you can, too) Writing doesn't have to be so hard. With internationally bestselling author Rachael Herron, learn how to embrace ease, reject perfectionism, and finally create your perfect writing process. (Formerly known as How Do You Write) Come for inspiration, stay for lots more. ✏️ Can I email you some writing help? http://rachaelherron.com/write 💥 90 Days to Done - WRITE Y...
Jun 30, 2024•54 min•Ep. 451
You are going to love this incredibly inspiring interview with Polly Cambell and her story about having Ink in Your Veins might make you cry in the best way possible. Polly Campbell is the author of You, Recharged: How to Beat Fatigue (Mostly), Amp Up Your Energy (Usually), and Enjoy Life Again, (Always ) , and three other books. She is the host of the Simply Write w/Polly Campbell podcast and the Polly Campbell Simply Said, podcast and her magazine articles regularly appear online and in print....
Jun 27, 2024•39 min•Ep. 450
Rachael answers some BONUS writing coaching questions and then she and Kristina Forest chat all things first draft! Kristina Forest is an author of romance books for young adults. Her novels include I Wanna Be Where You Are , Now That I've Found You , Zyla & Kai , and The Neighbor Favor. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing at The New School, and she can often be found rearranging her bookshelf. The Partner Plot is her most recent release. Find her here: https://www.kristinaforest.com/ Ink...
Jun 20, 2024•40 min•Ep. 449
An adult diagnosis of autism for Holger Nils Pohl has given him a unique view on living a full, creative life. You’ll love this gorgeous conversation! Holger Nils Pohl is an award-winning communication designer, author, keynote speaker and visual facilitator. If he’s not working, he spends his time with his wife, three kids and their zoo of pets. The Wrong Planet is now on Kickstarter at: http://holgernilspohl.com/autism and also at http://rachaelherron.com/autism Book rec: Brain Rules - Brian M...
Jun 13, 2024•41 min•Ep. 448
A hard revision letter can push a writer into despair —what can we do to make sure we don’t burn out, trying to make the book better? Find out in this conversation with Sarah! Sarah Zachrich Jeng grew up in Michigan and always had a flair for the morbid and mysterious (for her dad’s thirty-fifth birthday, she wrote a short story entitled “The Man Who Died at 35”). After a brief career as an aspiring rock star, she now develops websites and writes cross-genre novels that combine suspense with the...
Jun 06, 2024•34 min•Ep. 447
Sacha and Rachael talk about the wonderful success of Rachael’s Kickstarter and Sacha’s exploding sales! Ink In Your Veins: How Writers Actually Write (and how you can, too) Writing doesn't have to be so hard. With internationally bestselling author Rachael Herron, learn how to embrace ease, reject perfectionism, and finally create your perfect writing process. (Formerly known as How Do You Write) Come for inspiration, stay for lots more. ✏️ Can I email you some writing help? http://rachaelherro...
Jun 02, 2024•39 min•Ep. 446
Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail talks about using the Try Jar (genius!) and the lily pad method to keep doing what you really WANT to be doing in your writing. She's a multi-genre and multi-passionate author, writing coach, editor and storyteller. She's probably best known for her inclusive aviation histories and picture books - but she's also working on memoir and book club fiction. She loves getting lost in research, travelling, and going on adventures with her little family. It makes it all the swe...
May 30, 2024•49 min•Ep. 445
This lovely conversation had me buzzing (yes, a bee pun!). 🐝 Nicola Solvini c has a master’s degree in criminology and has worked in and around criminal justice for more than a decade. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and cats, where she is surrounded by a secret garden full of beehives. The Hunter's Daughter is her debut novel. RETREAT! Writing in the Junkyard is HERE ! Ink In Your Veins: How Writers Actually Write (and how you can, too) Writing doesn't have to be so hard. With intern...
May 23, 2024•29 min•Ep. 444
