Simply Write w/ Polly Campbell
Have you always dreamed of writing? Of becoming a published author? Then you are in the right place, because in this podcast Simply Write, veteran magazine writer and author, Polly Campbell offers the kind of practical, behind-the-screens information and inspiration that will help you shape a writing career. We'll go deep into writing technique, mindset, markets, pitches, and the other details you'll need to publish your work and we will talk to bestselling authors about how they get their work done and published and how you can do it too. Join us every Monday when we talk about the craft of writing and the quirks of creating a writer's life. And consider joining the Simply Write community by becoming a subscriber at simplywrite.substack.com where you'll have access to exclusive material and bonus content.
Episodes
May 20, 2024 • 33 mins
The author of "A Kiss in Kashmir" and other novels, short stories, and cookbooks, Monica Saigal talks about her heritage of food and stories and how those elements are central to her writing.
Food has a kind of intimacy, she says, because we experience it with all of our senses. To bring that experience alive on the page, she layers in those sensory details, creating a textured world for the reader so that they too become immersed ...
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May 13, 2024 • 33 mins
Are those inner voices getting oloud inyour head, or you having problems finding the time or getting stuck in which idea to choose? Yep, these situations diffuse our motivation, keep us anxious and make it hard for us to finish our writing.
In today's episode we get into each one and offer solutions that will help you get started and keep going.
And don't forget to join our Simply Write community and Simply Paid Subscribers Perks p...
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The key to writing a book, working full-time, and keeping up with friends, family, and other activities is flexibility, says author, pharmacist, and triathlete Miffie Seideman. In this episode we talk about the importance of getting your facts right, research, staying grounded, and the importance of Plan Bs and 5
Find Miffie Seideman and her book "The Grim Reader: A Pharmacist's Guide to Putting Your Characters in Peril" here: http...
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April 29, 2024 • 36 mins
It's time to send out your work, it's part of your job--writers write and share their work. Yet, no matter how many thousands of times I've done that over the years it always feels a little scary.
Getting notes or negative feedback isn't easy, but giving and receiving it is essential to becoming a better writer and improving your work. It is also part of the publishing process.
In this show we talk about the Feedback Loop, how to ...
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April 22, 2024 • 25 mins
Sandra Gurvis hasn't run off to the circus, but she did write about the evolution of the Greatest Show on Earth in her historical nonfiction book Three Ringling Circus: A History of Sarasota, Florida, and the Famous Ringling Brothers It's one of nearly 20 books Gurvis haws written over her long freelance career. Today she talks about the importance of a cornerstone client, writing both fiction and nonfiction, and how to manage load...
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April 15, 2024 • 32 mins
Writers can suffer from aching backs, carpal tunnel, stiff necks, cognitive issues, and chronic illnesses, that make it impossible to write. Remember to take care of your brain and body so you are able to do the work you want to do.
Start by staying hydrated, sitting in a good chair, and taking breaks, and be sure to tune in to Simply Write w/Polly Campbell for more tips and tricks to keep your body, brain, and business healthy.
Le...
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April 9, 2024 • 29 mins
Author Laura Heffernan made her way by writing romance and then shifted to add multiple cozy mysteries to her repertoire. This prolific writer talks about writing romances, cozy mysteries under a pseudonym, and publishing three books a year.
Find Laura Heffernan at https:lauraheffernan.com
For more on the writing craft and crafting a writer's life join the Simply Write community at https://simplywrite.substack.com
Learn more about ...
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April 1, 2024 • 32 mins
A writing niche can make researching, interviewing, and even writing more efficient and leave you more time to write. In this episode, Polly Campbell explains how to find your niche and why it makes the writer's life easier.
Get in touch with Polly and join the Simply Write community https://simplywrite.substack.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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March 25, 2024 • 34 mins
Last time thriller writer Tara Laskowski was here she was working on her book The Weekend Retreat. The book is now available and Tara returns to tell us what it was like to write the book under contract and on deadline, why she decided to toss out the original story--tears may or may not have been involved-- and what she's been up to since the book's publication.
For more join Polly and the Simply Write community at https://SimplyW...
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March 18, 2024 • 37 mins
Whether you are writing nonfiction essays or books or novels and short stories, the most compelling pieces include emotional resonance. As readers, we are often sucked in by the feelings our characters are experiencing. We want to follow them through the story to see what happens next and the unique ways they experience and express their fear, joy, sadness, love. Our characters' emotions provide conflict and tension and reveal who ...
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March 11, 2024 • 36 mins
From the comfort of a recliner Rachael Herron writes about her obsessions, whatever the thing is that has captured her interest, the thing that she's thinking about when she can't fall asleep--and then she gets down to the writing business working on deadlines, revisions, her podcast or classes that are coming up.
Herron who produces her podcast Ink In Your Veins and has traditionally and self-published a range of fiction and nonfi...
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March 4, 2024 • 33 mins
You might be able to work in your pajamas, but creating freelance writing success or securing an agent and publishing deal often comes down to much more than your ability to write. You've got to act like a professional.
In this episode Polly talks about what it means to be a professional writer, including the importance of meeting deadlines, getting work in on time, meeting editorial market requirements, and taking notes in a way t...
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February 27, 2024 • 38 mins
Don't be afraid to take a risk, says James Beard-winning food writer and author Danielle Centoni. "If you believe you can do the job do anything you can to prove to that person that you can."
Centoni, a food writer with a background in journalism and the co-author of Oregon Wine + Food and other books had a love for cooking and food and created an opportunity for herself when the newspaper she worked with was hiring for the foods s...
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February 19, 2024 • 34 mins
Writer's Retreat for One
Producing on deadline is exhausting and a necessary part of the writer's work. Whether you are writing to publish or writing between breaks from your other job, between your child's school hours, or even early in the morning before the others in the house wake and you have to head out the door.
Yes, we have learned how to write in slivers of time. But the work deserves more and so do we.
Plan a writer's ret...
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February 12, 2024 • 34 mins
Though Amy Stewart author of the Drunken Botanist, the Kopp Sisters historical fiction series, and many others, has wanted to be a writer since she was a kid, that doesn't matter one bit, she says. We change throughout our lives, whether you wanted to write early or are coming to it now, writing is accessible to anyone. Writing, like her urban sketching and artwork she creates, is about practice, learning the skills, and processes ...
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February 5, 2024 • 32 mins
Are platforms still a thing? Absolutely. If you want to publish traditionally, publishers and agents will want to know you have a built-in audience and have expertise in the topic you want to write about. Having an expanded platform is important for self-publishing writers and fiction writers too. It's a way to reach readers and be seen as the "authority" by your target audience. And fiction writers aren't off the hook either. But ...
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January 26, 2024 • 38 mins
It's described as science fiction but Khan Wong's newest book The Circus Infinite, is also apace fantasy and some even call it a space opera. No matter how it's categorized the book is getting rave reviews.
Publishers and readers rely on genres to identify and group books on bookstore shelves and for marketing materials, but blurring the lines can make for a compelling story. In this episode, Wong talks about genres, his writing pr...
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January 22, 2024 • 28 mins
Short pieces between 250 and 1,000 can be a good way to break into new markets and create a steady flow of income. Content marketers are often hired to write 500-word Welcome pages, many publications publish and pay for short essays, and front-of-the-book shorts are a good way to see your name in print. If you can explain a complex idea in a brief, or rally brand enthusiasm in less than 400 words in a corporate newsletter, you may ...
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January 15, 2024 • 39 mins
Many people from entrepreneurs to entertainers hire ghostwriters to write books on their behalf.
And that makes for some great writing opportunities for writers who can manage a book project from start to finish and do it in the voice, cadence, and tone of their client.
But how can you break into the ghostwriting business? What skills are required for writers who want to work as ghostwriters, and what is it like to collaborate with...
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January 8, 2024 • 35 mins
Writing happens long before we sit down at the computer. It happens in our hearts and our heads. Yet too, often writers don't leave the time they need to think their stories through. I'm not suggesting you develop a specific outline, or have everything figured out before you sit down to write, but it is helpful, necessary even to invest some time to think about this. This counts as writing too.
This kind of deliberate thinking work...
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