How do we cope as writers when life hits us with illness, injury, grief, or overwhelm? This week, we’re exploring what helps, what hurts, and what’s at stake when we find ourselves "not-okay," and how we can navigate those challenges with care and creativity. Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/writing-when-youre-not-okay You can support the show here: * Patreon: https://patreon.com/sarahrheawerner * Ko-Fi: http...
Apr 28, 2025•27 min•Ep. 167
I tend to get weird looks when I say I'm in a Mastermind group, but my writing career wouldn't be where it is today without them. In this week’s episode, we'll talk about what these are, what they do for you as a writer, and how to start and structure your own Mastermind group. For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/ Thank you for listening! You can support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast on: Patreon: https://patreon.com/sarahr...
Apr 14, 2025•24 min•Ep. 166
Whether you're a seasoned novelist or a newcomer to the craft, we all come to the page and need to BEGIN. It's easy to say "Just start," but it's often not that simple. This week, I have some fresh encouragement and practical tips to help you start writing with confidence. Links mentioned: Write Now Episode 102: Journaling & You Write Now Episode 142: No Rules, Just Write Write Now Episode 014: Creating A Space For Writing Write Now Episode 001: What's Keeping You From Writing? For show note...
Mar 11, 2025•29 min•Ep. 165
How do you decide when to publish your creative work? Is there a point at which you say it's "good enough"? Or do you have a tendency to polish and play around with those "last final tweaks" indefinitely? This week, we're talking about what it means to do your best in a world where "best" is subjective and perfect doesn't exist. Get ready! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/is-good-enough-good-enough/ Thank you for listening! To suppor...
Feb 18, 2025•25 min•Ep. 164
Have you ever felt hopeless, helpless, or disillusioned about goal-setting, or found yourself asking, "Why bother?" This week, we're looking at what happens to make us feel that way, and how to set our writing lives on the path to success going forward. For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/cynicism-about-goals-wn-163/ Thank you for listening! To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, you can become a patron on Patreon at ht...
Feb 03, 2025•48 min•Ep. 163
Have you ever wondered if you should self-publish your book, or go through a traditional publisher? This week, we're weighing the pros and cons of each to figure out which method is best for you. Links mentioned: Talking Scared Podcast, Episode #003: Spotify | Apple Podcasts Sarah's indie (self-published) audio drama, Girl In Space The Write Now Podcast Discord Community Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/shoul...
Dec 04, 2024•28 min•Ep. 162
Do you ever struggle to focus on your writing — even on a project you actually enjoy? Whether due to internal or external factors, distraction comes to us in many different forms, for many different reasons. This week, we’re talking about tools, strategies, and habits we writers can use to find our focus again. Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/focus-amp-distraction-wn-161 To support the work I do here at the ...
Nov 27, 2024•35 min•Ep. 161
Have you ever noticed a disconnect in what you say you want to do, and what you actually end up doing? Because I have! This week, I'm talking about some of the reasons we might experience a gulf between our desires and our actions — and what to do about it. Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/saying-vs-doing-wn-160/ To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron on Patreon at https://pat...
Jul 03, 2024•34 min•Ep. 160
This week, we're talking about expectations and how they tint our reality and shape our experiences... and what we can REALLY expect if we want to write full-time. Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/expectation-vs-reality-wn-159/ To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron on Patreon at https://patreon.com/sarahrheawerner, or send me a tip on Ko-Fi at https://ko-fi.com/sarahwerner. H...
Apr 10, 2024•33 min•Ep. 159
No matter how much coffee I drink, I’m never able to write as quickly as I want to. This week, we’re taking a look at what it means to be a "slow writer" — and all of the baggage that comes along with it. Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/ To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron on Patreon at https://patreon.com/sarahrheawerner, or send me a tip on Ko-Fi at https://ko-fi.com/sar...
Mar 13, 2024•32 min•Ep. 158
Creating consistently strengthens your command of the craft and builds trust with your audience. But if you're anything like me, creating on a consistent basis feels impossible. Why are we like this? What do we do when we fail to live up to our own — and others' — standards? Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/consistency-for-writers-wn-157/ To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron...
Nov 29, 2023•32 min•Ep. 157
What happens when your childhood dream feels like it's no longer achievable? What does it mean if (and when) your five-year plan goes off the rails? Today we're talking about what happens when our writing dreams change — and what it means for us as creators. For show notes and a full episode transcription, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/when-your-writing-dreams-change-wn-156/ To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron on Patreon! https://patreon.com/sarahr...
Sep 20, 2023•34 min•Ep. 156
What is writing to you — a hobby, a second job, a meditative practice? Something else? All of the above? This week, we’re talking about the role of writing in our lives and how we can feel more satisfied and fulfilled in doing what we love. For show notes and a full episode transcription, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/its-good-to-have-a-hobby-wn-155/ To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron on Patreon! https://patreon.com/sarahrheawerner Thank you as al...
Sep 13, 2023•28 min•Ep. 155
How should we navigate selling our creative work? I speak with Asa Merritt about pitching a project, which hill(s) to die on, and the pros and cons of telling a personal story on a commercial platform. TRIGGER WARNING: This podcast episode contains mention of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, please talk to someone you trust, contact your local crisis center, or (if you're in the United States) call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. For show notes and a...
Sep 06, 2023•57 min•Ep. 154
Sometimes it feels like everyone wants to tells us who we are — our friends, our enemies, and even random strangers on the internet. But what do we do when the identity we've chosen for ourself, such as "writer" or "creator", is challenged? For show notes and a full episode transcription, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/no-one-gets-to-tell-you-who-you-are-wn-153/ To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron on Patreon! https://patreon.com/sarahrheawerner Than...
Jan 18, 2023•28 min•Ep. 153
Why are endings so darn hard to write? Is it just because it's difficult to wrap up all of the loose ends... or is there something more going on? What makes for a truly satisfying ending, and how do we create one? For show notes and a full episode transcription, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/ To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron on Patreon! https://patreon.com/sarahrheawerner Thank you as always for listening, and happy writing! — Sarah
Nov 23, 2022•28 min•Ep. 152
Why did I ditch my laptop and start writing everything by hand? (It's not even clickbait — I actually did this!) What are the benefits to writing by hand, and what have I learned from it about the craft of writing? For show notes and a full episode transcription, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/ To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron on Patreon! https://patreon.com/sarahrheawerner Thank you as always for listening, and happy writing! — Sarah
Nov 14, 2022•30 min•Ep. 150
If you've ever been curious about how live-action roleplaying game podcasts are planned, created, recorded, and produced, or if you have any interest in RPGs like D&D, Pathfinder, or improv in general, give this episode a listen. Cat is an expert in plucking meaningful narrative from a scattered story and provides tons of great advice on how to clarify your own creative work. For show notes and a full episode transcription, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/ To support the work I do ...
Oct 24, 2022•56 min•Ep. 151
No matter who you are, Kate Wallinga's story of wielding creativity to take back agency in her life will inspire and astound you. And if you're neurodivergent or have experienced life with disability in some regard, her story may hit home in a profound way. Kate is the host of Ignorance Was Bliss, an interview podcast about how we become who we are. It's a show rooted in transformation - created as a an outlet as Kate, a psychologist and crisis clinician, survived a series of life-altering, disa...
Aug 31, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Regrets can consume creatives and they can sometimes take the place of the creative output we'd like to have. In my case, it keeps me dwelling on the past, instead of focusing on the future or even the present. In this episode I'm asking why might creatives we hold onto regrets? What are we punishing ourselves for? Why do we spend so much time and energy focusing on our regrets and what purpose might they serve? For a full episode transcription, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/To suppo...
Aug 03, 2022•34 min•Ep. 148
What is your ideal balance or imbalance? What would it take to actually get there? What can you drop in your life that does not feed your purpose? What are you balancing that doesn't necessarily need to be on that scale? Are you allowing yourself to be honest about it? For me, it was really hard to be honest with myself about balance, because I felt like letting myself do creative stuff was selfish, greedy, or indulgent. But it was also my purpose. And I could not get away from that. For a full ...
Jul 27, 2022•24 min•Ep. 147
It has been a while since I last talked about my favorite writing tools — and by “a while”, I mean more than seven years. Whew! Suffice to say a lot has changed since then, including the tools and processes I use to write. In this episode, I break down my writing process, tool-by-tool. It's my own process, and everyone has their own comforts and methods to write, but maybe some aspect of how I do things might inspire you to pick up some new habits like I have over the years. For a full episode t...
Jul 20, 2022•40 min•Ep. 146
I’m thrilled to share a discussion with my longtime colleagues in sci-fi audio drama; two of the co-creators of the award-winning series, Marsfall: Writer-Director, Eric Saras and Writer-Director and actor Dan Lovley (ANDI). They discuss their process for writing their series collaboratively and how that process has evolved as the project has grown from a home-spun operation to a much larger show. Eric and Dan also share how their identities as authors intermingle and the struggle kill egos and ...
Jul 13, 2022•42 min•Ep. 145
Times get tough and sometimes I am not okay. I haven't been okay for a while. Maybe you can say the same. Lately, I've woken up every morning to a pounding heart, racing breath, and a very intense feeling of panic and anxiety. I feel like my heart is a runaway stage coach driven by a horse that got spooked and is now dragging my body through the crowded town square of life. I can't say for certain, whether it's anxiety, fear, overwhelm, burnout, depression, ADHD, or just the world that we live i...
Jul 06, 2022•26 min•Ep. 144
Hello friends, this is Sarah and I've got good news! Write Now is coming back. New episodes start July 6th will release every Wednesday morning hereafter - New words and warmth and new author interviews. I wanted to touch base with you, share this announcement and to give you something substantial to enjoy in the meantime, swap an episode with a podcast I love. After you hear from me, you'll hear a full episode of #AmWriting, a podcast series that offers entertaining, actionable advice on craft,...
Jun 15, 2022•47 min
I've been thinking a lot about our circumstances lately, and how we interpret what we are going through, and how that interpretation informs a huge part of our self-identity and self-worth as writers and creators. What would we do, and who would we become, if we interpreted our situation(s) a little bit differently? For show notes and a full episode transcription, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/interpreting-your-circumstances-wn-143/ To support the work I do here at the Write Now podc...
Feb 24, 2022•31 min•Ep. 143
Are there any absolutely universal writing rules? In this week's episode, we're taking a look at not only writing advice but the context surrounding it. For show notes and a full episode transcription, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/ To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron on Patreon! https://patreon.com/sarahrheawerner Thank you as always for listening, and happy writing! — Sarah
Jan 20, 2022•28 min•Ep. 142
I'm starting 2022 with an interview with the AMAZING Tomi Adeyemi, author of Children of Blood & Bone and all-around incredible individual. We're talking about getting un-stuck from writer's block, what it means to be a successful author, the sensory/aesthetic experience of writing, and more. (And Midori loudly plays with a plastic bag in the background!) You won't want to miss it. To enroll in Tomi's Writer's Roadmap Course: https://www.thewritersroadmap.net For show notes and a full episod...
Jan 07, 2022•33 min•Ep. 141
Sarah here with a quick announcement! No, the show isn't ending — rather, I'm coming back in January 2022 with all new episodes! This announcement explains what's been going on behind the scenes and what's in store for the future of the Write Now podcast. :) Read the original statement here: https://www.sarahwerner.com/what-the-heck-is-up-with-the-write-now-podcast/ Subscribe to the "Dear Creators" newsletter at https://sarahwerner.com/dearcreators Thank you as always for listening, and I'll see...
Dec 10, 2021•13 min
We're constantly trying to move toward being better writers — but how do we make ourselves bulletproof against life? Is one particular system or another the answer... or is it, as we fear, impossible? For show notes, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/the-bulletproof-writer-wn-140/ To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron on Patreon! https://patreon.com/sarahrheawerner Thank you as always for listening, and happy writing! — Sarah
Oct 08, 2021•24 min•Ep. 140
