The Yet Podcast: helping writers quiet the doubt and write the book

Should you write a messy first draft? What if you didn't have to?

On this two-part interview host  @tcburr  sits down with  @meganmaclaine  to discuss how Megan combines a writer's creativity with her love of structure and organization to help authors create amazing outlines, setting themselves up for success and saving TONS of time in edits and revisions. Be sure to follow & subscribe to the show to catch both epis...

On this episode I sat down with four-time author Frank Reddy and asked him some listener questions. 

He didn’t think anybody would be interested in his first book, but after some encouraging feedback he decided to start querying, and it was picked up by a small press.

Three books later and he’s still writing, and he’s got great perspective on:

• ​What it takes to be a published author
• ​Traditional vs. Indie publishing
• ​Th...

On this episode I sat down with four-time author Frank Reddy and asked him some listener questions. 

He didn’t think anybody would be interested in his first book, but after some encouraging feedback he decided to start querying, and it was picked up by a small press.

Three books later and he’s still writing, and he’s got great perspective on:

• ​What it takes to be a published author
• ​Traditional vs. Indie publishing
• ​Th...

In this episode I had the honor of sitting down with master writing coach Dawn Josephson.

In 1998, Dawn took a huge leap, setting out to start her own business as a freelance editor and writer. This led to many ghostwriting projects, before eventually becoming a hybrid publisher in 2000.

After 6 years, she sold that business and became a writing coach - the job she still has today.

Dawn's favorite part of being a writing coach is help...

How do you find out who you are after all hope feels lost?

In this episode I sat down with multi-faceted entrepreneur Shonda Ramsey. 

Shonda grew up in a family with an entrepreneurial spirit, and when she was laid off and faced a personal tragedy in 2017, she decided to go all-in with her stationery brand, which has continued to expand and grow. Now, she does custom graphic design, book formatting and covers, consulting services...

This week on the show I sat down with author Lorena Para.

Lorena has been writing since she was a kid, and published her first novella in 2019. A homeschool mom, Etsy shop owner and chicken wrangler, Lorena says that being an author is “always who I wanted to be.” 

She went into this knowing completely nothing about the writing and publishing process, and from her perspective it “really takes a couple of books to find out who you are...

Bonus Episode!

Beginning March 3, I'm hosting a 4-week writing challenge designed to help you (and me) make some serious progress toward our writing projects.

I've fielded enough questions by now that I thought it may be helpful to provide some of the answers in a recorded audio format.

Questions answered in this episode:

• What's the format for this writing challenge?

• Is it group-oriented or work on your own?

• Will I ...

This week on the podcast I interviewed author Carmen Norris.

Carmen loves stories and storytelling, and has for her entire life. 

Her debut novel, The Offer came out in July of 2024.

Started writing songs and poetry, and early in life she started writing novels.

A couple years ago she decided she just wanted to get her books out there. Just wanted her stories in  the world. She thought it was going to be tradit...

This week on the podcast, I sat down with author Curt Fulster.

Curt's written 15 children's books, a zombie horror novel, screenplays, and award-winning animated short films.

An electrician by trade, Curt loves the art of storytelling, and he writes every moment he gets the chance.

Check out this inspiring conversation as Curt and I discuss:

• Curt's transition from children's books to zombie horror stories
• Trusting the...

***BONUS EPISODE***

I've got two BIG updates for you on this short bonus episode.

1. I was recently honored to be a guest on the Dear Indie Author podcast!

Host Shonda Ramsey does an amazing job on this show, and it was so cool to be on the "other side" of the mic. Listen in as I provide a quick audio preview and go listen to my episode on her show - I think you'll love it!

2. Four-week Writ...

This week on the Yet podcast I sat down with romance author Suzy Langevin.

Suzy majored in English Literature and has been writing her entire life, but at first she didn't think her writing rose to the level of importance as some of the great authors she had been reading.

She realized, though, that she didn't have to be ashamed of liking things because she liked them, and she quickly realized that writing "just a love story" ha...

Daunting, exciting, and scary. 

That’s how author Wendy Haller described the transition to being an author. She spent 19 years as a special education preschool teacher before having to step away for medical reasons.

After a month of grieving over having to leave her profession, she started writing. 

She had always written poetry - what she calls her “poetic memoirs,” but she only shared it with immediate family for the longest ti...

Welcome to Season 3 of the Yet podcast!

This week on the show - don’t quit your day job!

No, this isn’t me making a joke at your expense after you step off of the karaoke stage. 

I am all for taking big risks, pursuing your dream, and building something amazing. 

I think the world needs what you have to offer, and the biggest mistake you can make is to not take any action toward your dream job. 

But I think for many of us, the...

BONUS Episode!!!!

Join me for this bonus episode as we explore some of my very favorite moments - and guests - from an incredible season 2 of the Yet podcast.

These amazing guests draw from their collective decades of experience as authors to share their best encouragement for writers and creatives, new and seasoned alike. You won't want to miss this one!

On this episode, we discuss:

• Finding your reader audience

Yet Podcast Episode 39 - Thankful

On this the final episode of season 2, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to the many guests, listeners, and ecouragers who have journeyed with me the past two seasons.

Take a trip down memory lane with me as I recall some of my favorite moments from the first two seasons, highlighting the authors, entrepreneurs, and creatives who have shared a part of their journey with me.

I'm s...

Yet Podcast - Episode 38

Review the books you love! 

What if I told you there was one action you could take that would cost you less than 5 minutes and very little energy, but would make a world of difference for someone else? Would you do it?

Imagine pouring yourself into something for a year or longer, releasing it out into the world, only to have it get crickets - no responses at all!

Sadly, this is what many authors experi...

Yet Podcast Episode 37

This week on the Yet podcast I sat down with author Katie Galvin to discuss her writing journey.

After working on her legal thriller for 8 years, Katie is now in the process of building an agent list to query her work.

She shares that in her experience, how a story begins isn't always how it will end, but that it's incredibly important to stay true to your story.

Katie's always been artistic, starting ...

Yet Podcast Episode 36

This week I sat down with author Nathaniel Chaney.

Nathaniel has been writing for over a decade, focusing primarily on fantasy and sci-fi novels.

He wrote short stories in high school and college, but his writing journey really started to take off after finding inspiration during a long motorcycle trip.

At age 27, he decided he wanted to take his writing seriously, so he started writing it during his lu...

Yet Podcast Episode 35

Reasons not to write your book

It's been said that 80% of Americans say they want to write a book, but only about 1% ever actually do.

I'm no math major, but those stats lead me to believe that lots of would-be authors have stories to tell that never make it to seeing the light of day.

I think it's time we change that.

There are many reasons NOT to write your book, and in this mini-series, I'm going to...