Writing Coach Podcast 214: Cultivate flow
WCP214 Cultivate flow My word of the year is flow. I began my inquiry asking, where do I already see this in my life? Where can I observe it when I’m writing, and when I’m not writing? What are the conditions that lead to my creating it? What research can I study to enhance my […]
Writing Coach Podcast 213 💃 Let’s dance
WCP213 🎶 Let’s dance Dancing and writing pitches have some surprising similarities. Today we break down why understanding one choreographic sequence prepares you for learning the next one, and the takeaways for writers. Pitching often seems natural or intuitive *after the skills have been mastered. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Audible | Android | RSS WCP213 […]
Writing Coach Podcast 212: Two-story goals
WCP212 Two-story goals We often notice that an article works on two levels: On an obvious level it’s about X, but what it’s *really* about is Y. Goals have a similar dynamic, especially when they’re well chosen and intentionally take us outside of our comfort zones. On one level, you identify a goal that’s in […]
Writing Coach Podcast 208: Freelancing while sick
https://traffic.libsyn.com/writingcoachpodcast/Writing_Coach_208_Sick_V7.mp3 Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Audible | Android | RSS For many freelancers, getting sick quickly becomes finding hours or days when you’re able to push yourself to get things done vs. not getting paid, rather than taking actual time off. Today I’m talking about my own experience contracting coronavirus, and discussing how to care […]
Writing Coach Podcast 207: Analysis paralysis
LINK Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Audible | Android | RSS Indecision will slow down or prevent pitching, writing, growth, income, and most of the other good stuff in the writer’s life. If we wait to feel certain before making a decision, we may never choose. Deciding to choose can actually create certainty. Today’s episode features […]
Writing Coach Podcast 206 Archives XXI: Mother tongue
WCP 206 Archives XXI: Mother tongue with Beatriz Miranda, Agnieszka Pikulicka- Wilczewska, and Yolisa Qunta One of the participants in this discussion from the archives, Yolisa Qunta, passed away last year. Listening to this episode again reminds me of her heart, insight, and humor. I’m thankful to have had her as a writer friend. In […]
Writing Coach Podcast 201: Interconnections with Iona Brannon
WCP201 Interconnections with Iona Brannon Iona Brannon is a writer and a photojournalist who deeply enjoys drawing out beauty in the mundane. Iona Brannon is a writer and a photojournalist who deeply enjoys drawing out beauty in the mundane. Her upbringing in multiple countries has given her love for the nuances of culture and travel, […]
Writing Coach Podcast 200: What I learned creating 200 podcast episodes
WCP200 What I’ve learned creating 200 podcast episodes With apologies to Toni Morrison, the Writing Coach Podcast is the show I wanted to hear … so I recorded a couple of hundred episodes of it. Today I’m going behind the scenes: Why I started making this podcast (and why you might want to start or […]
Writing Coach Podcast 199: Archives IX Favorite freelance writer resources
WCP199 Archives XIX: Favorite freelance writer resources We all need a few reliable go-to tools, apps, programs, books, and other stuff. In today’s episode, I talk through a few of my own favorites, and why and how I use them. Be sure to check out one of my oldest blog posts that I keep updating, […]
Writing Coach Podcast 198: Listener Q&A, Vol. IX
WCP198 Listener Q&A, Vol. IX Listener Q&A returns! Here are the questions I’ll be answering today: +Do I need to let key sources know when a story runs? +I’m comparing myself to hard-hitting journalists I know, and it makes me think my story isn’t that important. +The pub I want to write for has already […]
Writing Coach Podcast 197: Â Borrow this
WCP197 Borrow this Borrow from yourself. Borrow from what works. Borrow from the non-writing parts of your life to inform your writing and freelancing. We have a tendency to notice where we’ve failed or not figured things out, and then we continue down that pathway looking for examples to keep the pattern going. Subscribe to The […]
Writing Coach Podcast 194: Beautiful Writers with Linda Sivertsen
WCP194 Beautiful Writers with Linda Sivertsen Linda Sivertsen is a New York Times bestselling co-author and midwife of 6- & 7-figure book deals. Her new book, Beautiful Writers, gives aspiring writers and seasoned literary veterans a look into the lives of iconic authors and answers the burning question, “How did they do it?!” Linda joined me on Publication Day of […]
Writing Coach Podcast 193: Rates shaming
WCP 193 Rates shaming Have you ever been ashamed of the rate you accept for a freelance job? Ever talked to another freelance writer who felt that way? Have you ever heard someone who disapproves or criticizes a writer for their fees? Rates shaming is when somebody reprimands or reproves a writer for rates of […]
Writing Coach Podcast 192: No nonprofit saviors
WCP192 No nonprofit saviors Let’s talk about working with and for nonprofits (and NGOs and associations): Why working for a reduced fee can be more problematic than premium rates or pro bono Choosing change not charity models Reshaping the narrative to bring more depth to your piece Recognizing guilt, resentment, and obligation Applying nonprofit lessons […]
Writing Coach Podcast 191: Time passing
WCP191 Time passing How you think about time-such as if you have enough, not enough, or plenty of it-impacts what you create in your writing life. Many writers credit time as necessary for their skills, clients, or assignment quality to improve. An overemphasis on time passing to become a better freelancer isn’t useful or accurate, […]
Writing Coach Podcast 184: Human rights reporting with Sara Cincurova
WCP184 Human rights reporting with Sara Cincurova Sara Cincurova is a freelance human rights journalist from Slovakia, focusing on migration, conflict, human rights, humanitarian issues, and women’s rights. She has written for The Guardian, BBC News, The New York Magazine, Al Jazeera English, Der Spiegel, Foreign Policy, The HuffPost, The New Humanitarian, Women’s Media Center […]
Writing Coach Podcast 183: Going backwards
WCP183 Going backwards When a freelancer says that they feel like they’re going backwards, often they’re hyperfocusing on a small piece of data instead of larger trends (e.g. a couple of weeks/pitches vs. quarters/years); or they’ve changed an important variable (e.g. pitching more competitive publications for the first time vs. Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple […]
Writing Coach Podcast 182 Archives, Vol. IV: Annoying pitches
https://writingcoachpodcast.libsyn.com/wcp182-archives-vol-iv-annoying-pitches Subscribe to The Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Audible | Android | RSS MENTIONED ON THIS EPISODE Are your emails annoying your editor? Are you sending too many followups? Too many story ideas? Are all your messages getting on their nerves? If your pitches are half baked, poorly written, and an overall bad fit for the publication, it […]
Writing Coach Podcast 181: Curiouser & Curiouser
WCP181 Curiouser and curiouser Curiosity is a useful state of mind for freelance writers. Curiosity helps us identify great story ideas with unrecognized angles. Curiosity fuels our interest in improving our craft. Curiosity makes understanding the pitching process and other business of freelancing type processes fascinating. It opens up our imaginations to possibilities that we […]
Writing Coach Podcast 180 Learning mindset
WCP180 Learning mindset My first career in traditional education informed my work as a freelance journalist, and my work as a writer informs the coaching and teaching I do now online. This week I share a few of the mindset perspectives that have served me well through career shifts, and how building on prior career […]
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