The Merry Writer Podcast
Two chatty authors asking all the ’write’ questions. Hosted by Ari Meghlen and Rachel Poli, The Merry Writer Podcast is a fun, friendly show about all things writing and bookish.
Episodes
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
This week, we discuss some of our favorite writing craft books that help us get through our writing. We touch upon mystery, fantasy, and writing in general, plus the career side of it.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why writing craft books are useful
- Rachel's recs
- Ari's recs
Books mentioned:
- Howdunit Book of Poisons: A Guide for Writers by Serita Stevens & Anne Bannon
- Howdunit Forensics by D.P. Ly...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
You've finished your story, edited it to within an inch of its life, and now it's time to let a professional take a look! So just what do you need to consider when choosing an editor?
In this episode, we cover:
- Qualifications
- Contracts
- AI clause
- Cost
- and lots more
Bonus
- We created a bonus for our Ko-fi Members on where you can find an editor.
As always, thanks for listening. Please let...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
An author newsletter, or email list, is important to have for writers to connect with their readers and have a unique platform to promote their books. However, there's many pros and cons to having a list, and is it even still relevant in 2026?
In this episode, we cover:
- What an author newsletter is and its purpose
- Factors and stats to think about before starting an email list
- Conversion rates
Reference...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Do you ever come away from a doom-scrolling session and feel energised? Probably not. Our tech devices demand a lot of our time and often leave us feeling drained, down in the dumps and struggling to focus.
If that's you, then maybe a digital detox is in order. Check out today's episode as we discuss just that!
In this episode, we cover:
-
What is a digital detox?
-
Why do a digital detox?
-
Benefits of a d...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Happy New Year! With a new year comes new goals, of course. This week, we discuss accomplishments and goals for our writing in 2026.
In this episode, we cover:
- Our writing accomplishments in 2025
- Rachel's 2026 writing goals
- Ari's 2026 writing goals
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUES...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Since this is the last episode of 2025, we thought we'd do another Rapid Fire Question episode (yes, we know it's seldom "rapid" but just go with it) :)
These questions are not just any questions; we are re-answering ones from way back... in 2020!
In this episode, we cover:
- Are you a planner, pantser or plantser?
- What is your typical writing routine?
- Do you prefer hardbacks, paperbacks, ebooks or audiobooks...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Happy 300 episodes! This means you've been listening to us talk every week for 300 weeks straight. Crazy, huh? This week, we thought it'd be fun (and horrifying) to listen back to some old episodes and see how far we've come as podcasters and writers. Thanks for listening for so long!
In this episode, we listen to:
- Clips from episode 2
- Clips from episode 6
- Clips from episode 12
As always, thanks for li...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Since we are almost at the end of the year AND close to our 300th episode, we thought we do a silly-ish episode taking a look at some of the haters and crappy people you might meet when you become a writer.
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
We’re open to Author Interviews and ...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
We all know the author bio, but have you heard of an author brand story? This week, we discuss what it is and why it could be beneficial to write one for your author career.
In this episode, we cover:
- Brand story vs. bio
- How to write one
- How many should you write
Related Episode:
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comm...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
This week, Ari is sadly absent due to timezones. So, I'm interviewing author KM Allan on my own. Join me as we talk about her routine, books, and more.
In this episode, we cover:
- KM's writing process
- Her new checklist book
- Writing routine (writing and authoring)
- and more!
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our co...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
It's time for another writing challenge! This time, we decided to use Write or Die to get some work done and test if it can help (or hinder) your progress.
In this episode, we cover:
- What Write or Die is
- Our experiences with the program
- Whether we'd recommend it
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WAN...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
We are back with an episode on editing as we discuss and share some of the words you can cut to help tighten up your manuscript. Do you have any of these littered through your work? Or maybe ones we haven't mentioned!
In this episode, we cover:
- Weak words
- Adverbs
- Overused words
- Redundancies
Resources Mentioned:
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoug...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
We've discussed budgeting for a book launch, now it's time to budget your whole author career! Well, at least get to know some of the expenses you may have.
In this episode, we cover:
- Figuring out your author goals
- List of potential expenses
- Legal stuff
- List of potential income
Related Episodes:
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
This week, we interview film-maker and author Melanie Ansley. She discusses her books, processes, and inspirations.
In this episode, we cover:
- Melanie's start with writing
- Her writing process and routine
- What inspired her Book of Theo series
- Publishing path
- and more!
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our conte...
FIRSTLY, AN APOLOGY
This was meant to go out on Monday 27th October. However, I (Ari) messed that up by not having it ready and then forgetting completely. So, despite what the audio says about it being Monday (it isn't) and the book launching today (it didn't... it launched on Monday), I hope you still enjoy this!
Rachel has graciously forgiven me for being scatterbrained. ;)
This is a little Mini Merry Moment, to give a shout-...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Do you track your WIP's progress? If so, how? This week, we discuss various ways you can track your progress to meet your novel's goals.
In this episode, we cover:
- Word counts
- Page counts
- Tacking time
Recommendation: TrackBear
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Are you creating a rich world for your new fantasy story? Ready to populate it with different types of characters? In today's episode, we discuss writing fantasy characters and what you might want to think about when creating them.
In this episode, we cover:
- What is a fantasy character?
- Types of fantasy characters
- Things to consider
- and more!
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your t...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Writing can be a lonely journey, which is why it's best to have a friend to do it with. And why not keep each other accountable with your work?
In this episode, we cover:
- What an accountability buddy is
- How to choose a partner
- Having regular check-ins
- Having goals
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
W...
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Have you ever considered writing a serial? Today we are discussing the option of serial writing, where readers are forced to have delayed gratification as they way to learn "what happens next".
In this episode, we cover:
- What is a serial?
- What are some of the benefits?
- What are some of the possible issues?
- Platforms you can upload serials on
- Our thoughts
Platforms
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Another guest joins us on the show this week! We're talking to fantasy author C.H. Carter about how she started as an author and her work.
In this episode, we cover:
- Her inspiration
- Her writing process
- Her publishing journey
- and more!
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
ABOUT C.H. CARTER
C.H. Carter i...
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