The Writerly Life artwork

The Writerly Life

69 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 128 ratings

Are you ready to take the next step in your writing life? Whether you’re a beginner stumped about what to do first or an experienced writer who’s ready for new growth, you’ll find what you’re looking for here at The Writerly Life, brought to you by hope*writers, the most encouraging place on the internet for writers to make progress.

Each episode of The Writerly Life offers you practical tips and interviews with publishing pros to help you skip the long learning curve and put you ahead of the game. The Writerly Life is all about balancing the art of writing with the business of publishing so that you can hustle without losing heart. Listen in and be inspired to keep putting your pen to the page. We’ll help you find clarity to take the next step in your writing journey.

You have words, and your words matter. Let’s get them out into the world!

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Episodes

How To Market Your Work

November 26, 2021 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14 MB

Are you ready to market your work? Want to get the inside scoop on the strategies you need to get your words out into the world? In this episode, host Clarissa Moll gives you a sneak peek into the world of book marketing with special guest, marketing director Alicia Kasen. Learn what you need to get your words in front of readers and how to build a team that will cheer your writing on.   The Writerly Life is a production of hope*writers. Written and compiled by Clarissa Moll Edited a...

How to Publish a Book

November 19, 2021 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14.4 MB

Do you want to move your writing from drafts on your computer to a published book on the shelf? In this episode, host Clarissa Moll demystifies the path to publication with wisdom from editor Al Hsu and literary agent Alex Field. Learn the basics of book publishing right here, and start plotting your course toward holding your book in your hands. The Writerly Life is a production of hope*writers. Written and compiled by Clarissa Moll Edited and mixed by Tyler Anderson Music by Karla ...

How To Turn Your Journal into a Book

November 12, 2021 10:00 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MB

As a writer, you’ve probably found journaling helpful at different points in your life. Perhaps you’re an avid chronicler of your thoughts and feelings. It may surprise you to learn you could find your next great book idea in the daily commitment you’ve already made by putting pen to page in your journal. In this episode, host Clarissa Moll invites you to consider how you might turn your journal into a book. Relying on wisdom from authors Seth Haines and Shawn Smucker, discover the feedbac...

How To Write Memoir

November 05, 2021 13:00 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MB

Whether you’ve lived an extraordinary life or you want to capture the beauty of everyday experiences, your life contains plenty of stories waiting to be told. Perhaps, memoir is the genre for you.   In this episode, host Clarissa Moll explores how to write memoir with special guest, author and podcaster, Christie Purifoy. Drawing on Christie’s life experiences and helpful coaching tips from memoirist Marion Roach Smith, you’ll learn how to shape your writing to highlight your life’s stor...

How To Start a Podcast

October 29, 2021 09:00 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MB

Are you a writer who wants to learn to podcast but you don’t know where to start?  In this episode, host Clarissa Moll invites you to expand the reach of your message by considering starting a podcast. Special guest, podcast producer and coach, Alana Dawson shares her six-step process for turning a blog post into an episode, and Clarissa talks about the three things you’ll want to consider before you hit the record button. Listen for practical, actionable tips you can use right away. The...

How Do I Become a Speaker?

October 22, 2021 09:00 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MB

Have people in your life told you they’d love to hear you speak? Do you write and discover you have an inkling to say those words out loud? Maybe it’s time to add speaking to your writing life. In this episode, host Clarissa Moll delivers practical advice on how to integrate speaking with your writing. Special guest, author and speaker, Chrystal Evans Hurst offers her solid-gold method for developing a talk and gives expert advice on how to determine whether a speaking event is right for y...

Fall into a Writing Routine

September 16, 2021 09:00 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MB

The change of seasons can mean new shifts to our writing routines. Whether you’ve got more time to write this fall or less, you may need to adjust your life to make space for writing. The arrival of fall can bring renewed creativity and focus! In this bonus episode, host Clarissa Moll shares how small tweaks to your writing routine can offer up big payoff as you step into autumn. Listen for three ways you can adapt to the change of any season, and find out how to make the most of your time...

Who Is In My Corner?

August 19, 2021 09:00 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MB

Are you tired of going it alone in your writing life? Do you want to link arms with other writers, but you’re not sure how? Have you struggled with the impulse to compete with others who do similar work? It’s time to think about how collaboration could work for you!   In this episode, host Clarissa Moll looks at what it means to release competitive instincts and embrace collaboration in our writing lives. She shares three ways you can build your team and champion others’ success. Special...

What Do I Do with the Critics?

August 12, 2021 09:00 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MB

Do you feel like your family and friends just don’t get it? Do you want to write but the ogre in your head tells you you’re unqualified or imperfect or unready? How can you build a writing life that lasts when your inner critic seems to be the loudest voice in the room?   In this episode, host Clarissa Moll explores where our inner critic finds its voice and how to bring balance to our fears and insecurities about our writing lives. She shares four tips to gently redirect the critics and...

Is Book Writing the Only Way?

August 05, 2021 09:00 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MB

Have you ever felt like you need to have a book contract or a literary agent to call yourself a real writer?  In this episode, host Clarissa Moll digs into how we shape our identities as writers, how we make progress toward our goals, and when to decide it’s time to send our words out into the world. Learn three tips to help you discern the best outlet for your writing, and listen in as special guest author and podcaster Charity Singleton Craig blows up conventional wisdom about what makes...

How Do I Find Balance?

July 29, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MB

As your writing life grows, it can be hard to find balance. Projects and deadlines loom, and activities like marketing and social media can take up big chunks of your time. The more you write, the more overwhelming the writing life can feel. But does it have to be that way? Is it just a casualty of the work? In this episode, host Clarissa Moll offers a hearty “no” and offers three ways to create space for the person inside the writing life. If you’ve struggled with finding balance, this ep...

How Do I Get People to Read My Stuff?

July 22, 2021 09:00 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MB

When you sit down to write, do you envision your reader? If you close your eyes, can you see their face or know their concerns? If so, you’re off to a great start when it comes to getting other people to read your words! The writer’s work is to connect the words you have to share with the reader you have to serve, and there’s not just one way to do it.   In this episode, host Clarissa Moll talks about how to shape your words to reach your reader, how to welcome them into your story, how ...

Is Blogging Dead?

July 15, 2021 08:00 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MB

If you’re looking to showcase your writing, there’s no better place to start than a blog. But have you heard that blogging is dead? Are you worried that nobody reads longer-form writing on the Internet anymore? If you want to reach your reader, try new ideas, and make your own space for your writing, you might want to consider creating a blog.   In this episode, host Clarissa Moll asks the question, “Is blogging dead?” and explores how good writing never goes out of style. Like that litt...

How Can I Fit Writing In?

July 08, 2021 08:00 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MB

A million different commitments vie for your time each day, but you want to commit to your writing. How do you do it? How can you fit writing in when life feels chaotic and time seems limited?   In this episode, host Clarissa Moll breaks down the myth of the writer with endless inspiration and hours of time. She offers four helpful habits to create space for your writing routine, and special guest master scheduler and author Emily Ley invites you to think differently about the hours you ...

How Do I Overcome Writer’s Block?

July 01, 2021 08:00 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MB

You’ve carved out the time to write, but you sit with a blank page staring up at you. You want to complete a project, but it feels like your words have taken a vacation. How frustrating! How can you figure out how to start again when your writing feels like it’s dried up? In this episode, host Clarissa Moll discusses writer’s block -- why it plagues us, where to start when you feel uninspired, and why knowing the hero of your story will bust the block and open up your creativity again. Lea...

How Do I Tell My Story?

June 24, 2021 09:00 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MB

You’ve been journaling or blogging, and you know your reader. It’s time to take the next step to shape your words for a world that needs them. In this episode,  of The Writerly Life, host Clarissa Moll talks about how to integrate writing into your daily life. She shares four ways to include writing in your normal rhythm, as well as a fun writing prompt that can help you think outside the box. Special guest author and activist Terence Lester tells his story of starting small and letting stor...

Welcome to The Writerly Life

June 24, 2021 09:00 - 5 minutes - 5.23 MB

It’s time to take the next step in your writing life! Join The Writerly Life each week for tips and tricks to help you hone your craft and reach your readers with your words of hope. Catch a glimpse of what’s in store with this sneak peek at an interview with special guest, Ruth Chou Simons!   The Writerly Life is a production of hope*writers. Written and compiled by Clarissa Moll Edited and mixed by Tyler Anderson Music by Karla Colahan  

Am I Actually a Writer?

June 24, 2021 09:00 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MB

Are you ready to get your words out of your head and onto the page? Do you want to start a blog, publish your first piece, or publish your first piece? In this episode host Clarissa Moll shares how to know you’re really a writer and offers five practical tips to finding your writing voice. Special guest author Annie F. Downs discusses how to know your lane and cheer on other writers as you work to become “uniquely you” in your writing.   The Writerly Life is a production of hope*writers....

50. What it’s like to write as a job with novelist Katherine Reay

February 18, 2020 13:10 - 21 minutes - 12.6 MB

What’s it like to write when it’s your job? What does the writing life look like when you become a working writer? What does a day or a week look like? How many hours?  And what about marketing and getting an agent?  How important are writing conferences?  How important is reading? What changes when you get published? In this episode, award-winning novelist Katherine Reay talks with hope*writers co-founder Emily P. Freeman about a favorite subject of writers - the craft of writin...

49. From hobby to working writer with Joshua Becker

January 30, 2020 14:31 - 23 minutes - 13.7 MB

So how do you take your writing serious? How do you commit and show up?  One important way is to begin looking at yourself as a working writer. Even before you get paid. So what focus and mindset does a working writer have that’s different from a hobby writer? Author Joshua Becker was a pastor. That was his job. His writing was a hobby. He wrote for himself like most of us start out.  Then he shifted, he transitioned. On purpose. We’re going to see the shift he made and how it chan...

Now open - hope*writers membership

January 13, 2020 14:28 - 2 minutes - 1.57 MB

You CAN make progress as a writer. You can find clarity. You can focus your message and find your reader. And you can make real writing friends who ‘get’ what you’re going through, because they are too.  To take a real step toward being a working writer go to hopewriters.com/join. But only through Friday. (Then we close to serve hope*writer members.)  

48. Facebook for writers - How ads work, with Amanda Bond

January 03, 2020 14:30 - 24 minutes - 14.2 MB

Spending money on facebook ads can be scary. You want it to work. You don’t want to waste your money.  Well how do you know if it’s working? How do you know which posts to spend money on? And why would a writer want to run facebook ads? What are they and how do they work? And that pixel thing? Can I do that myself?  Amanda Bond is an expert on facebook and buying ads and she answers all these questions in this episode. BTW, there are a few things to do BEFORE you buy facebook ads - that’...

47. Facebook for writers--before you run ads, with Amanda Bond

December 09, 2019 20:46 - 22 minutes - 13.3 MB

So how should a writer use facebook? How do you know if you’re doing it right? How do you know what’s working? Do you boost posts? Buy ads? Is it worth it?  Whether you want to build a platform, promote your book, or just get your message to readers, there’s a certain order to doing things.  Amanda Bond is an expert on using facebook and buying ads. In this episode she’ll help you learn a few basic things a writer should do on facebook first, before you buy ads or boost posts. Then the...

46. Inside the Mind of a Children’s Author - with Matthew Paul Turner

October 29, 2019 21:57 - 19 minutes - 11.8 MB

Writing for children is a different kind of writing. One of the beautiful things about it is when you successfully keep things simple, you can end up reaching far beyond children.  That’s how it’s worked for Matthew Paul Turner, a long time writer who tried writing for children as an experiment. He’s now written “When God Made Light,” “When God Made You,” and “When I Pray for You” which you can find at Target and Sam’s and Walmart and all over the place. How is writing for children diffe...

45. Starting and Becoming a Writer with Christie Purifoy

October 09, 2019 18:53 - 14 minutes - 8.66 MB

You like books and reading. You like to write. But you don’t feel like you’re one of “those” writer people. It’s just something inside you - something a little restless - like there’s somewhere you want to get to, but you’re not sure where or how. But you wonder about it - and you kinda like the idea of being a writer. And maybe you’ve even taken a bunch of steps. But how do you end up there - how do you get there?  Well in this episode, we’ll hear author and podcaster Christie Purif...

44. How to find an agent with Rachelle Gardner

October 01, 2019 19:51 - 17 minutes - 10.4 MB

To get published by a publisher takes a team. One of those team members we need is a literary agent.  But how do you find an agent? Are there guides, books with names of agents? - yes! In this episode you’ll find out what they are and how to read them. You’ll get ideas for finding agents online and in person. And you’ll learn a couple of great backdoor ways to find an agent that you’d never think of on your own. Plus, how do you know when you’re ready for an agent? And what will the agen...

43. Do you need an agent? With Rachelle Gardner

September 23, 2019 16:00 - 16 minutes - 10.1 MB

To get published by a publisher, it takes a team. One of those team members we need is a literary agent.  Well, do you have to have an agent? What difference do they make? How do you know if you need one?  Even if you’re a published author - even if you’ve had an agent - you’re going to love this conversation with top agent Rachelle Gardner.  It’s so good - we had to split it into two episodes : )  This episode is “Do you need an agent?” and the next one is “How to find an agent.” So...

42. Podcast Advice with Kendra Adachi

September 16, 2019 21:18 - 20 minutes - 12.1 MB

Whether you’re an experienced podcaster, or just starting out, or just thinking about it - this episode’s for you. We’re going to talk about the most basic, most important part - the words, the content. Of course! We're writers, right?  And you’ll hear a content tip in the first 8 seconds of this episode : ) This episode gives you some basic but important advice, and probably a few things you hadn’t considered. How do you trust yourself? How do you know what kind of podcast to do? How ...

41. What Makes You a Writer? with Jeff Goins

September 09, 2019 19:22 - 16 minutes - 9.73 MB

It’s kinda funny when we’re afraid to call ourselves a writer - as if we’re scared of ourselves and our full potential.  Do you find it easy to not say you’re a writer - for example when you don’t have many readers? And when you don’t call yourself a writer, isn’t it easy to just not write?  Writer Jeff Goins says whatever we think about we become. Can you relate? Do you own being a writer? Do you struggle believing who you’re supposed to be?  Jeff said that for a long time he called h...

40. Writing for the Long Haul with Annie Downs

September 02, 2019 20:53 - 17 minutes - 10.3 MB

Annie Downs shares how to be a writer for the long haul, and how failure has helped her be successful.  She’s definitely in it for the long haul. She’s written multiple books in the last 10-12 years - one of them has sold 100,000 copies - just at Target. Yeah, not counting Amazon.  She’s also a national speaker and host of the “That Sounds Fun” podcast.  And, you know how when you face the challenge of overcoming discouragement and failure, and want to learn from it and still make prog...

39. Writing Memoir with Marion Roach Smith

August 26, 2019 20:58 - 19 minutes - 11.3 MB

How do you write for readers who don’t know you or care about your story? What’s in it for them? Marion Roach Smith has written and taught about memoir for over 20 years. She says, “Memoir is not about you and it’s not a diary.” Well, if memoir isn’t about you, then what is it?  Even if you don’t write memoir - your writing probably includes you, and your experiences, and things you’ve learned and how you’ve changed.  If you DO write memoir, your writing includes a LOT of you. So, ho...

03-07 How To Capture and Organize All Your Awesome Writing Ideas

October 13, 2017 14:00 - 39 minutes - 54.3 MB

It’s easy to have a million ideas. But what do you do with them? Where do you keep them? How do you organize them? How do you know if your ideas add up to anything valuable? How do you know if it’s a book or - whatever? It’s important to have a system for keeping track of your ideas that works for you as part of your writing lifestyle. To help you come up with your own, this episode will show you three very different systems and how they were used to write real books.

03-06 Plan Your Perfect Writing Day

September 14, 2017 03:19 - 30 minutes - 41.9 MB

How do you write consistently in the middle of the unpredictability and responsibilities of your everyday life? Managing yourself - knowing how to use your time as a writer, and running your own writing days - is a foundational skill needed to be a writer. NOW is the time to develop that skill. You can decide what a perfect writing day is for you right now, and it can change over time, but whatever it is, you’ll probably have to plan it and prepare for it to happen. This episode will help yo...

03-05 Ian Cron - Enneagram for Writers

September 08, 2017 18:10 - 58 minutes - 80.2 MB

Let’s get to know our writing strengths! “The Road Back to You” author Ian Cron helps us see how the Enneagram personality assessment can help us better take advantage of our strengths, help us understand our built-in weaknesses, and even help us pick an editor. We’ll see how knowing our personality type and being self aware can be invaluable as a writer. You’ll definitely see yourself - and others you know - and you may end up deciding to cut both of you some slack! :)

03-04 Book Launch Secrets Google Won't Tell You

June 10, 2017 03:00 - 37 minutes - 28.4 MB

If writing a book is important to you, sooner or later you’ll find yourself confronting a book launch. You need more than tips you find on google - you need to know how you can launch a book yet remain a human being whose family still knows you and loves you. Here are our stories of what we didn’t realize for some of our launches, and how we now see that it didn’t have to be so awful. You’ll hear the inside reality of how a book launch feels and how to take the pressure off. Tips and ide...

03-03 How to Know When to Change Course

May 04, 2017 01:12 - 40 minutes - 31.4 MB

So you’ve been writing for awhile but you feel like you’re not really growing an audience, like nobody really cares. Should you change what you write about? And what would you change to? How can you get to where you write about something you’re deeply interested in AND that deeply resonates with your reader? Changing and pivoting is human. Learning what works is part of the natural process. So let’s learn to pivot together.

03-02 How to Find the Perfect Writing Mentor

April 02, 2017 04:21 - 38 minutes - 29.1 MB

Thinking you need a writing mentor is way easier than actually finding one. And there are questions you may not have considered: Are you even ready to be mentored? Are you already being mentored without realizing it? What if you could make the progress you want, learn what you need to learn, and get the perspective and insight of a person you respect - without ever meeting them? Is that mentoring? In this episode we’ll help you really think through finding the perfect mentor for you. BUT, it...

03-01 The Million Dollar Email Question

March 15, 2017 02:45 - 38 minutes - 29.7 MB

You’d never guess it’s controversial but it is. Once a month in the Hope*Writers Facebook group a friendly debate pops up about the best way to let readers know you’ve written a new blog post. What do you do when the guru’s say one thing and your gut says another? What is a guru anyway? Plus, before you decide how to use email, there’s a bigger question to answer. Let’s talk about that question, and about what’s best for you and your readers.

02-09 Logan Wolfram - Don't Let Your Voice Get Lost

December 30, 2016 05:25 - 39 minutes - 30.1 MB

What’s it like to be busy and successful at doing good things that are some people’s dreams, but that come with an unknown cost? Logan was chief steward and curator of the Allume conference for four years. Then she stopped, and the conference ended. Why? Plus, the behind the scenes reality of an event where the one running the event doesn’t always get paid. Also - valuable insight on working with a publisher; find out why a two-book deal might not be a great idea; and sometimes a friend says...

02-08 Ann Voskamp - Inside the Writer's Heart

December 06, 2016 06:23 - 43 minutes - 31.2 MB

Ann Voskamp shares: what practical writing time looks like for her; how she makes writing a low pressure spiritual discipline; writers she loves and how they influence her writing; the disadvantages and overwhelming challenge of a successful first book; why book signings and meeting her readers are so important to her; why she doesn’t read reviews of her work; what she did the day 1000 Gifts released and how it was so different from the day the Broken Way released; and how to gather a safe c...

02-07 Q&A's Live from the H*W Workshop

November 24, 2016 04:52 - 34 minutes - 26.6 MB

How to get more readers. How to start an online writing encouragement group. How blogging and book writing go together. Ideas for helpful books and courses. And more!

02-06 What's On Your DON'T List?

October 28, 2016 04:23 - 37 minutes - 28.5 MB

Most people have a to do list. A DON’T list can be just as important. Writing is a deep work; your energy and time for writing is worth protecting. We’ll share the things we’ve chosen - on purpose - to NOT do to help you with your own DON’T do list, because you can’t do everything. It’s kinda personal, kinda crazy, maybe a little awkward, and you might be surprised at some of the things we don’t do.

02-05 How To Make Money Writing

October 20, 2016 15:38 - 37 minutes - 28.9 MB

How is a part-time - or even full-time - income from your writing possible? You have more options than you realize. Here’s what’s worked for us, how we started, what we changed, and why. It’s an adventure - put your toe in and see what works for you! Just start small and get going - you might even discover a dormant longing that ends up paying you. And don’t miss the last five minutes, “Your Success Path: Choose Your Own Adventure.”

02-04 What's Your One Most Important Thing?

October 13, 2016 04:08 - 35 minutes - 27.3 MB

When your writing life feels complicated, having One Most Important Thing to focus on can be sanity saving. What’s most important? Is it writing skill? A certain social media? Your platform? Your niche? It’s different for everyone, and in this episode we’ll each share OUR one most important thing, to help you think about yours.

02-03 You Might Be a HopeWriter If

October 06, 2016 12:08 - 25 minutes - 19.6 MB

Your hopewriter calling is not just writing - it’s a calling to spread hope, to connect, and to be relentlessly helpful, without sacrificing your life and family. But, the writing life can have so many pieces, industry standards, and things it seems like you’re supposed to do. How do you know what’s best for YOUR calling? This is the Hopewriter Way - a perspective, a camera angle, a value system that focuses only on what YOU should do, think, and feel.

02-02 How to Never Self-Promote Again

September 29, 2016 03:31 - 33 minutes - 25.7 MB

Here’s the end of that icky self-promotion feeling, the end of thinking that God should maybe market your writing without you. We long to get our message out, but we’re uncomfortable with what we think it requires. So how do faith and marketing work together? This could change how you think about promoting and marketing. And if you’re super-sensitive to being accused of self-promotion, don’t miss the last two minutes and Brian’s reaction to being told worse things than you’ll ever hear.

02-01 How to Find Time to Write

September 21, 2016 14:04 - 33 minutes - 25.9 MB

Thirty minutes to end that ‘I don’t have time to write’ feeling. You’ll change how you think about time, and get practical tips for gaining time to write. You’ll hear how to plan your writing time with your family, see that there are two different kinds of time, learn why you shouldn’t tell people your big writing plans, and discover why ‘following the love’ might be the secret to finding time to write.

HW 01-09 How Summer Changes the Writing Life

June 09, 2016 03:22 - 28 minutes - 22.2 MB

AKA: How to take a break. How to make the most of your summer, or of any time you’re able to take a break. Crazy as it seems, it can take courage, planning, and effort to rest - but it’s worth it. Just planning a break and knowing you have one coming can be life giving, and here are some ideas to start. Emily and Myquillyn share what they’re doing to make the most of this summer. Over time, they’ve learned how important a break is, and they work hard to be able to take one. This is what they...

HW 01-08 Learn From Our Idiot Moves

June 01, 2016 19:53 - 30 minutes - 23.6 MB

Real stories we’re embarrassed by today - that seemed like such good ideas at the time. BUT we can learn from it, and laugh at ourselves, and use it to motivate ourselves, right? Brian's story of how NOT to get an editor’s attention. Emily and how you can be clueless about marketing, and yet survive! Gary on how to never get any writing projects done - an idiot move he still struggles with that HAS A CURE that Brian will share. And the real story behind the Nester’s 31 Days blog events - spo...

HW 01-07 Overwhelmed? How to Save Your Writing Life

May 25, 2016 00:13 - 28 minutes - 22.7 MB

Writing can take a lot out of you. How can you move forward and be creative when you feel like you’ve been doing things a certain way forever? How can you make the most of your writing energy? The answer: You need to find your own balance of system and soul. Emily talks with her friend and fellow Hope*Writer Kendra Adachi from the lazygeniuscollective.com. Emily shares how Kendra helped her with practical ideas to funnel her writing energy, and with ways to organize her writing with categori...

Guests

Amanda Bond
2 Episodes
Jeff Goins
1 Episode
Paul Turner
1 Episode

Books

The Writing Life
1 Episode