In his new book, On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer, author Stephen Marche argues that writing is, and always will be, an act defined by failure. The best plan is to just get used to it. 

Join me for this interview as we talk about facing rejection, artistic failure and continuing to write anyway. (And we go on a little tangent about AI there at the end!)

Listen to learn:

• The norm of comparing yourself to other writers
• The difference between Career Envy vs. Creative Envy
• About the writing market and author autonomy within it
• The benefits of knowing how other authors got where they are

To learn all the secrets of this week’s episode, you’ll have to tune in. 

But here’s a sneak peek…

[04:28] … it's almost a ludicrous fact, but like the more successful the writer to me, the more anxious they are. 

[04:47] … I think even in my own way, I thought like, well, if I ever published a novel in with a major press tha...

 As a writer, it can sometimes feel like others don’t understand our craft unless they’re also writers. This can make us feel isolated, sensitive to rejection, and even leave us feeling like our work isn’t good enough. 

If we feel our writing isn’t good enough, we may not take opportunities right in front of us, or take the time to look for some. 

But finding another writer, and a community of writers, to have in your life may not be as difficult as you think. Of course, according to Frances Boyle, author of Openwork and Limestone, it means we have to take those opportunities for connections when we see them.

In today’s episode, Frances tells us about the value of:

• Writing groups and community
• Submitting pieces to literary magazines
• Seeking out rejection (!)
• Finding inspiration in the compost heap

Here’s a sneak peek… 

[5:25] I began to have deadlines and community and accountability with the writing group, and that was really the start of getting serious for me. 

[1...

Work-life-writing-balance can be tricky for writers. Whether you’re published already or trying to crank out that first draft for publishers, it can be difficult to find writing time amidst our busier-than-ever lives. 

There’s always something that says “hey, I need you to pay attention to me!” that really does need your immediate attention. And isn’t it always right when you’re hitting your stride? 

It can discourage us, and make us worry that we might have to leave it all behind. 

Luckily, Elisabeth de Mariaffi, author of The Devil You Know and The Retreat, knows the balance is possible–with a little bit of prioritization and ambition.  

Listen to learn: 

• The benefits of attending a formal program for creative writing 
• The importance of community as a writer
• How to think about structuring your novel 
• Drawing your reader along with emotion

Of course, Elisabeth also has plenty of writing tips, especially for those of you who want to write literary thrillers!

Here’s a...

There are a million things we, as writers, need to think about when writing a novel. With so much to focus on, it can be difficult to actually get any work done. 

It’s push and pull—is there too much of this, too little of that? Where does this belong, if it belongs at all? 

Is this what I’m supposed to do? 

No writer has all the answers. But we can get insight from those in our writing community who are willing to share their experience. 

Today, Barbara Joan Scott shares the answers she found while writing her novel, The Taste of Hunger.

Listen to learn...

• How to incorporate historical research in your writing
• Why cutting parts of your writing doesn’t mean deleting 
• The importance of sharing work for editing 
• The truth of “finding” your voice 

Even these topics are just the tip (haha, get it?) of the iceberg that is this episode. 

Here’s a sneak peek of this week's episode:

[04:36] And I thought, it was no longer just my secret. It was sort of a, kind of a Canadia...

Writing podcasts are a treasure trove of advice, ideas, experiences, and in some cases, comedy. 

But if you’re not a podcast-listener, are newly podcast-curious, or if you’re not sure what a good writing podcast to start with would be, you might be missing out!

So here’s a list of the 20 best podcasts for writers (and step-by-step instructions on how to find and listen to them on your device). 

Note that these are not listed in any kind of priority order – they’re all great! Add them to your Listen Now list in your podcast app…instructions on how to do that follow below if you’re new to the podcast world.

Write, Publish, and Shine 

This podcast is hosted by Rachel Thompson, an author and literary magazine editor. It gives advice on getting your writing ready for publication, and details what you’ll face as you go from a beginning writer to a published author. If you’re interested in publishing in literary magazines in particular, this is the podcast for you.

Save The Cat

Getting published is something most authors strive for. Regardless of why we want it, however, it’s no easy feat. 

The ever-changing writing market, difficulty finding an agent, and the challenge of completing a writing project can all be barriers to our publishing goals. With all this in the way, what’s a writer to do? 

The answer is to persist, as author Kate Heartfield tells us. In this interview, she shares how she went from struggling to get published to a bestselling author. 

Listen to learn: 

• About honing your craft
• About the changing publishing market 
• The truth of making money as an author 
• Why we should keep writing while submitting

Kate doesn’t hold back on the nitty gritty of her journey. 

Here’s a sneak peek of this week’s episode… 

[10:23] And then it's one of those things where you can, you know—every stage of the process, you can make yourself nervous and anxious about the new thing. Right? 

[13:38] So I think it's really important to share our st...

As a writer, it can be easy to feel like we’re the only ones having our writing experiences. Sometimes, you might wonder: 

Am I doing this right? 

Do published authors struggle like this? 

Does anyone have advice for this? 

Answers to these questions aren’t singular or simple. They dig at our insecurities, and can make us stall out or walk away from our writing. It’s not a cure-all, but there is one thing that can help alleviate our self-doubts—community!

That’s why I started The Resilient Writer’s Radio Show, a podcast that can help us all find community, no matter where we’re listening from. And to start us off, I have a trailer for you. 

Listen to learn: 

• What the podcast is about
• About me, your host, Rhonda Douglas 
• To get a sense of community 
• How the episodes will be structured 

Here’s a sneak-peek of the trailer… 

[02:39] But I didn’t get “serious” about my writing and my writing life until I was in my late twenties. 

[03:16] For every story and poem ...