The Whole Writer

Join me for an intimate living room chat with author Kelly Kearsley, who shares her remarkable journey from seasoned nonfiction writer to debut novelist with a Big Five book deal. 

In this candid conversation, Kelly reveals the realities of the query process, the importance of building literary community, and how her journalism background both helped and hindered her fiction writing. She offers practical wisdom on treating your writ...

In this transformative episode, I sit down with Gabriela Blandy—writer, life coach, breathwork facilitator, and shamanic practitioner—to explore the deeper reasons behind creative resistance and procrastination. 

Gabriela reveals that most of us weren't taught that our dreams are our most precious possession, leading to automatic patterns of looking away from our creative urges. She explains how childhood conditioning creates p...

I've been noticing some common themes in the conversations I'm having with writers. So today, instead of answering specific questions you've sent me, I want to address five patterns I keep seeing in my work with novel writers. Patterns that go beyond craft and into how we sustain ourselves as creative people.

These aren't just technical writing problems. They're the deeper challenges that can make or break o...

In this inspiring episode, bestselling author J.T. Ellison shares what it really takes to build a creative life that stands the test of time. 

From honoring the seasons of your writing career to navigating burnout and rediscovering joy, J.T. offers candid insights into the mindset shifts, boundaries, and community connections that keep creativity sustainable. Whether you're in the trenches of a first draft or navigating the ups...

In this episode, I sit down with the writing duo Ali Brady (Alison Hammer and Bradeigh Godfrey) about creative collaboration. 

The former critique partners share how they evolved from giving each other feedback to co-authoring bestselling novels during the pandemic, emphasizing that collaboration multiplies rather than diminishes creative potential. They discuss their writing process where each takes a different character's per...

Writing can feel lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. In today’s episode, I’m diving into what it really means to build your literary village: the people who support, challenge, and celebrate you from idea to launch. I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes of my fourth novel's journey—from my editor to beta readers, agent, publicist, and indie booksellers—and offering practical tips on how you can find the right support team for your ...

Join me today as creative coach Tedd Hawks and I talk about why sharing your writing is so terrifying, the neurological reasons our brains resist putting our work out there, how to overcome the fear of rejection by reframing it as fear of regret, why the "lone genius" writer myth is harmful, and practical ways to find and build a supportive writing community that will help you grow as a writer.

Find more on Tedd Hawks...

Today I'm diving deep into the writer mindset with my dear friend and accomplished therapist, coach, author, and speaker Molly Carroll.

We cover so much ground from the transformative power of morning rituals to reframing our resistance through a completely new lens. Molly shares incredible insights about self-care through the creative process, and honestly, so much more than I could have hoped for.

I encourage you to turn in to...

There's something happening to us writers right now, isn't there? The algorithms reward, consistency. The platform's demand content, and somewhere in the rush we've started to believe that faster means better. That value comes from volume, that our worth as creators is measured in word counts and publishing schedules.

If you've been feeling the pressure of creating faster, publishing more, and somehow keepin...

In this episode I dive into the quiet, hidden fear that holds so many writers back — the comfort of invisibility. 

Whether you’ve told yourself “I’m not ready yet” or “this isn’t good enough,” chances are it’s not your story that’s the problem. It’s fear dressed up as perfection, safety, or self-doubt. Let's unpack why staying unseen feels deceptively comfortable, and how taking small, brave steps toward visibility can shift ev...

What does it mean to be a whole writer? For me and for so many of the writers I work with, it means expanding our definition of success.

It means creating a writing life that includes, yes, the craft of storytelling, but also a creative rhythm that honors your energy and life season. A community of other writers who get it and who share your values. A curiosity about your ideal reader, not from a marketing lens first, but from a con...

In this heartfelt episode, we chat with debut novelist Jennifer O'Brien, whose publishing journey took a surprising and inspiring turn. After a real-life dream of buying a fixer-upper didn’t pan out, she turned the experience into fiction—crafting a novel rich with themes of love, self-discovery, and the true meaning of home.

We explore how real-life experiences influence story development, the deeper messages she hopes readers...

For the next three episodes, I'm doing something special. Recently I had the Joy of gathering with 15 of my book coaching friends, an inspiring group of thoughtful, compassionate coaches and editors who are all deeply invested in helping writers like you bring their stories to life. We spent time setting intentions supporting one another and talking about the many ways we can uplift the writers we work with.

And as we talked, I...

For the next three episodes, I'm doing something special. Recently I had the Joy of gathering with 15 of my book coaching friends, an inspiring group of thoughtful, compassionate coaches and editors who are all deeply invested in helping writers like you bring their stories to life. We spent time setting intentions supporting one another and talking about the many ways we can uplift the writers we work with.

And as we talked, I...

For the next three episodes, I'm doing something special. Recently I had the Joy of gathering with 15 of my book coaching friends, an inspiring group of thoughtful, compassionate coaches and editors who are all deeply invested in helping writers like you bring their stories to life. We spent time setting intentions supporting one another and talking about the many ways we can uplift the writers we work with.

And as we talked, I...

Today I'm discussing one of the most crucial parts of your novel: the first pages. You've heard it a million times, your opening pages need to quote hook readers, but why is that so important? Well, these first pages are your novels, handshake. They set up expectations, pose story questions, establish tone.

And if you're aiming for traditional publishing, they might just be your one shot at impressing literary agents ...

Today, I want to talk about one of the hardest parts of writing: embracing the imperfection of that first draft. I know it can feel like you’re slogging through a swamp of clunky dialogue, meandering plots, and sentences that don’t quite shine. You might even wonder if you’re wasting your time.

But here’s what I want you to know: Your so-called flawed first draft is actually a gift. It’s a sign that you’re showing up to the page wit...