0201: A Fresh Start - The Uncomfortable Talk Show's Season 2 Premiere

Welcome Back to The Uncomfortable Talk Show!


Hello everyone,

I’m thrilled to announce that The Uncomfortable Talk Show is back with a brand new season! It’s been a while—nine months, to be exact—since our last episode, and I’ve spent that time on a deeply personal journey of reflection and self-discovery. I’m excited to share the first episode of Season 2 with you.

In this premiere, I dive into where I’ve been and what I’ve learned during this time away. After navigating the challenges of grief and loss, especially after losing my dad to dementia, I’ve found a renewed sense of purpose. This season, I’m shifting my focus to empowering indie writers, poets, and authors, helping you find your voice and share your stories with the world.

In this episode, I also share some exciting updates about upcoming projects, including my book Break The Chains: Confronting Mental Stigmas, and introduce a new platform where I’ll be connecting with you through my Ko-Fi page.

But that’s not all!

In the next episode, I’ll be chatting with Travis Knight, the author of The Bingo Killer. We’ll discuss his thrilling debut novel, his writing process, and the inspiration behind his work. I’m looking forward to what promises to be an engaging conversation.

I’m also offering practical tips to help you stay motivated in your writing journey, overcome writer’s block, and build your author platform. Whether you’re an experienced writer or just starting, this season is all about providing the support and encouragement you need.

To stay updated on all things The Uncomfortable Talk Show, I invite you to subscribe to The House Goblin Chronicles right here on Substack, where you’ll find all future episodes and exclusive content.

Thank you for your continued support. I can’t wait to connect with you and explore the stories that matter most.

Keep telling your story,

Susan Moore

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi there, I'm Susan Moore and welcome back to the
Uncomfortable Talk Show. This is the place where we dive
into the heart of stories, poetry and everything in between,
because sometimes the conversations that matter the most are the
ones that make us a little uncomfortable. Whether you're a writer, poet,
or just someone with a passion for the written word,

(00:22):
I'm here to share insights, help you find your voice,
and explore the stories that make us who we are.
So grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and let's
talk together. We'll tackle the tough topics, celebrate creativity, and
build a community where every voice matters. This is the
Uncomfortable Talk Show, and I'm so glad you're here. Hello everyone,

(00:46):
and welcome back to the Uncomfortable Talk Show. I'm your host,
Susan Moore, and it's been quite a journey and I
am thrilled to kick off season two with all of you.
Now you may have noticed it while since our last
episode nearly nine months. In fact, no, I haven't given

(01:07):
birth or anything like that. I've just been trying to
find myself. So I mean, during that time I've been reflecting,
learning and evolving the first season was deeply personal and
as I navigated through grief, loss and self discovery from
losing my dad to dementia, it was a very challenging

(01:30):
chapter in my life, and being as caregiver taught me
invaluable lessons about resilience and facing uncomfortable truths. So I
needed time to reflect and to really find the direction
of where I wanted to go with this show and
what I wanted it to be about. And the thought

(01:51):
was is that you know, whenever you're coming out of
the trenches, whenever you're coming out of the deep darkest
recess of your mind, so to speak, you want to
reach back and help yourself who you used to be.
So I mean, I know, without a shadow of a doubt,
there's other people out there just like me who don't

(02:12):
really have anybody to talk to about their creativity, about
their dreams, about what they want to do. And yes,
this is completely about writing and mental health and that
of the like. But what I have learned very very
well over the last year is that a lot of
the things that one person can teach you, just because

(02:35):
they're not in a specific profession that you're in or
what you know they are doing for a living. They
have a transferable skill sets, right, so you know, you
can learn a lot of things from different sorts of people.
So with that being said, I hope you stick around

(02:55):
and we're still trying to get our footing a little bit.
I am because I'm really the only one run in
this show. And I was just gonna give you a
little bit of cutback flashback to me, and you know
what I know about, which is reading and writing, and

(03:16):
you know kind of what I wanted to talk about today.
And the goal is is to have an episode every Wednesday,
and I would like to have some guest So if
you're an author, a poet, an artist, like if you
like to draw, you know, whatever pursuit, but you want
to get your voice out there, please reach out to

(03:38):
me and email and message. Hang out mostly on Twitter anymore,
and kind of hang out on LinkedIn, but either one
of those you can message me on and I'll catch it.
I don't really get on Facebook any longer, mostly because

(03:59):
I don't know if anybody else can. I mean, I'm
not trying to trash talk them, you know, I'm just
saying what it is, like, how my experience was. It
just seemed like the more I'm on Facebook. The more
depressed I get, you know, it's like there's always something
bad going on there. Somebody has always got something to
complain about. But it's like in a different kind of

(04:20):
a way. It's not just like normal complain. It's like
it's like complaining on steroids, you know what I mean.
So i' me either on Twitter. I do pop in
on Instagram and but not as often, and I get
on LinkedIn so and of course my substick. Anyways, Yeah,

(04:41):
you can reach out to me on those places if
you would like to just kind of have a chat
with me. It's nothing you gotta be freaked out about. Well,
you're just gonna have a talk. And in fact, next week,
the next week's episode is going to be about an
hour and a half or so long because I had
my first interview with the wonderful Travis Nae. He has
written He's an independent author from Arkansas and he wrote

(05:06):
the Bingo Killer series and it's a four book series.
Very excited for that to come out. And there will
be an interview where you can kind of see how
I talk with people, how I interact with people, you know,
and I do know how to hold a conversation at
least I think I do. I can always improve on that,

(05:28):
but yeah, just to kind of give a little bit
of an idea of who I am. My name is
Susan Moore. If this is the first time we're meeting,
and I hell from a little town outside of Memphis, Tennessee,
and I love to write. I have been writing since
I was a child. I've been telling stories since I
was a child and reading It's always been a passion

(05:53):
of mine. I can remember just making up little stories
just off the top of my head, and my parents
and no family would just get a kick out of it.
So that's why I'm going towards the writers, and because

(06:13):
I know that I am not the only one out
there that hasn't gotten my voice out there. So I mean,
I'm not big by any means, and you know I'm not.
I'm not a big brand. I'm just trying to build
something not big, but I want something that is substantial,
that's built on a solid rock, where we can genuinely

(06:36):
support one another and you know, have our own little community.
And so well that being said, as we dive into
season two, I'm excited to share that our focus is
obviously shifting. We're turning our attention to empowering indie writers, poets,
and authors. And if you are an artist, like I said,

(06:58):
or any other creative type, this is for you too.
I want to help you share your stories with the world,
and I'm passionate about providing a platform for your voices
to be heard. It is going to take a while,
I'm aware of that, but I have patience. I was
a caregiver for my father when he had dementia, and

(07:20):
here's a lot of hard things that went on in
those years, but there's a lot of blessings too, because
I definitely learned. I definitely definitely learned patience, and I've
learned how to be a better person. And I'm missing
very much, but the lessons he taught me, the love

(07:43):
that he gave me, I want to bring that over
into this new venture. So, as I said, I'm looking
forward to you all here in my interview with Travis
and all the projects that I have coming up. As
far as right now, I'm not going to be doing

(08:04):
bus Sprout. The only place you're going to be able
to find this for the foreseeable future until things get
a little bit better financially. It is going to be
on my s upstack, but it's always going to be
free for you. The only way I get any kind
of financial compensation is if you feel the urge to
where the desire to donate to me. You don't have to.

(08:27):
If you cannot afford it, do not do it. Times
are hard for everybody. So this is not about that. That.
This is because this is a true passion of mine.
So as far as my new projects are going, I
am going to have a kofee website and over there
I'm going to be sharing updates, blog post and even

(08:50):
some poetry that I don't post on Twitter, and there'll
be a hub of resources. I'm still building it out,
so I mean taking a little bit of time. The
other project I'm working on is a book called Break
the Change. Break. I'm going to leave that in because,
like I said, whenever I make tongue twisters, I'm going

(09:14):
to leave them in because yeah, I'm not perfect. And anyways,
I'm also working on a book titled Break the Chains.
It's about confronting mental stigmas. It's very close to my heart.
And the thing is is that a couple months ago,
whenever I decided to do this, I think I overcorrected

(09:36):
a little bit and I was a little bit over zealous,
So it's obviously not going to be released in August.
I want to take really good care in what I'm
doing here, because the way I have my book envisioned
is that I'm going to come at this in a very,
very logical way, because the reason why this kicked off

(10:00):
so much of me that I had a fire like
I did, is because there's a pastor out there called
doctor John MacArthur, and he's over in California, and he
said that mental illness is a myth and he went
on a long essay about it. I don't hate him.

(10:21):
I'm not angry at him. I'm angry at what he's saying.
But I want to do something good with that anger.
And I'm wanting to write this book in a three
part kind of structure, and the way I envision it
is that the first part is going to be completely

(10:42):
the science behind mental illness and mental health issues and
why it is real, the data behind it, the scientific
evidence that our brains can have mental illness, and I
just want to come in straight with the facts to
branch off into the umbrella. If there is any psychologists, therapist,

(11:04):
psychiatrist or anyone that's a professional in that field that
would like to talk with me, I would be absolutely
happy to do. So it doesn't have to be an
interview on this, I mean, just to kind of get
an idea better like of the new advancements that the
psychiatry field has. And then the second portion of the

(11:28):
book is going to be I kind of shared biography
slash autobiography where I'm going to turn my attention into
explaining how it's been growing up with someone who has
bipolar disorder schizophrenia and that person's my dad. So I've

(11:53):
there's a lot of stories that I've already written in there,
so I'm just wanting to polish that up. And then
the final section of this book is is that I
am a Christian, So I do and I do want
to talk about that in the book because I don't
think that you can say the sort of things that

(12:18):
doctor John MacArthur was saying and have compassion that much.
I don't. I mean, so yeah, the three parts that
I'm going to have in it, it's going to be
about the scientific the science behind it, the data behind it.

(12:39):
Then I want to have my kind of shared autobiography
and also telling my dad's story because he always wanted
me to tell his story, and I was also going
to tell you how in the end of the book.
The third part of the book is going to be
how I interpret that from a Christian mindset, How I

(13:00):
look at the science and my faith and how it
marries together. You know you can have both, But I
am committed to tackling this important topic with the depth
and sensitivity it deserves. So I'm going to be interviewing pastors, psychologists, therapists,
and others to provide a well rounded perspective on mental health.

(13:22):
Before we continue, I want to take a moment to
thank someone very special, cjb or on Twitter. He's not
just an incredible poet and creative, but also a beacon
of joy and loving the world. CJB has this amazing
ability to uplift everyone around him, always spreading encouragement and
positivity wherever he goes. He's been a tremendous support to

(13:43):
me personally, especially as I navigate this journey of helping
other writers and storytellers. CJB. Your belief in me has
made such a difference, and I'm deeply grateful for your encouragement.
Thank you for being my very first supporter on KOFI
for reminding me not to give up when things get tough.

(14:04):
So here's to UCJB. Thank you for everything you do.
Your kindness and creativity inspire more people than you know.
So before we leave today, I did want to give
some valuable advice to any writers out there, and I'm
thrilled to dive into new ways to support you in

(14:26):
your journey to journey and you're writing blah, I'm thrilled
to dive into new ways to support you in your
writing journey. Today, I want to share some practical tips
to help you get started and stay motivated, and also
highlight a fantastic community resource that might just be the

(14:48):
boost you need. So these are my tips for any writers.
Number one, to find your writing routine. Establishing a consistent
writing routine is crucial, whether it's dedicating thirty minutes each
morning or setting a side tom every weekend. Have a
set writing schedule helps build a habit and keeps you

(15:10):
on track. So just basically choose a TOM each day
to write and try to stick with it. Consistency is
key on anything that you do. Number two, set achievable goals.
Break down your larger project in the smaller manageable goals.
If you're working on a novel, set weekly targets for

(15:30):
word count or chapter completion. Use a tracking tool to
monitor your progress and celebrate your milestones. Number three. Build
your author platform. Create a website or some sort of
blog to connect with your audience. Engage on social media
and join writing communities to help expand your reach and

(15:53):
interact with writers. Keep your online presence updated and active
to build a loyal following. For example, I said that
earlier that I'm on Twitter a lot. Well, the reason
why is because that's where I found my people in
the VSS three sixty five community, and I was a

(16:14):
host for them from August the first through the fifteenth
of this past month. And I enjoyed it very much
so and hosting that event and it helped me connect
with people that I never would have connected with before,
like CJB. Like I've connected with him much better and
I love his music. And I also connected with like

(16:39):
Direcki and Vicky Ree and some other folks. Monique, she
was very welcoming and I love the community support that
we have for each other. And you can find those
that you know job with what you're writing or what
you're talking about. And basically what you do on there

(16:59):
is every day at a time, the host is going
to give a prompt word and then you just write
something from that prompt and I try if I don't
fall asleep, I try to do it about eleven o'clock
every night. Sometimes I fall asleep earlier than that, but
I mean, you know, just something like that to try

(17:22):
and build your build your presence, get people to know you,
because you know, your words might really be helpful to
somebody else, and you might find somebody on there that's
helpful for you too. It's a really kind of beautiful thing, honestly.
And moving along to the next is a overcoming writer's block.

(17:50):
So in the next action, I want to talk about
overcoming writer's block. A few things that you can do
is change your environment. And me and Travis are actually
going to talk about this a lot next week, and
he says, just a spoiler alert, just a little one.
He does say his advice is is not to think
of it as so much of a block, but as

(18:12):
a break. And the first tip that goes along with
that is to change your environment. Just a simple change
of scenery can rejuvenate your creativity. You could try writing
in a different location, either going out and writing in
a coffee shop or even McDonald's or a new spot
in your home. Another thing you can do is try

(18:33):
and use those writing prompts I was talking about earlier
and see if they can spark like a creativity in
a story or a poet or a poem that you're
working on, things of that nature. And remember it's okay
to embrace imperfection. First drafts don't need to be perfect.
I always call those like a brain dump anyways, Like

(18:56):
whatever my initial idea is, I just sat down in
a either write it out with a pen and a
paper or a type it all out, and you know,
allow yourself that time to write without judgment and focus
on getting your ideas down. The editing part can come later,
and a lot of times you can even come up
with even better ideas in the editing process. But focus

(19:18):
on completing that draft and don't worry about perfection in
the revision stage, because that's the fun part. The hard
parts are going to be whenever you start editing what
you're working on, which I'm sure many writers can attest
to that it's okay to take breaks and practice self care.
You don't have to set like your chain to your

(19:40):
desk all day long. It's okay to take a moment
and step out, engage in activities to kind of give
your mind a boost, play with your you know, pets,
or you know, redo a partier house. It's ok If
you have to schedule time for relaxation to keep it going,

(20:01):
then schedule it. But you know, just really make sure
you carve out some space for yourself to relax. And
a bonus tip and a reminder to if you would
like to join us over on Twitter, and a reminder
join us over on Twitter with the VSS three sixty

(20:22):
five community. You just go to Twitter, type in hashtag
v SS three six y five the numbers, and it's
every day, and it's a it's a lot of fun.
I find it's a fantastic way to push through any

(20:42):
writer's block you may have and energize you're writing. So
a basic description of them is that every day they
post a new prompt word challenge writers to create something
inspired by that word, and it's a great way to
practice writing and explore new ideas and connect with your
fellow writers, and they've definitely been a game changer for
many writers, including myself, and just make sure you engage

(21:06):
in them in the community. You know, put hearts on
the poems you like and comment on the ones that
you liked, say what you liked about them, and it's
a supportive place to explore new ideas and get feedback.
So I hope these tips and resources help you on
your writing journey. Remember, every writer faces challenges, but with

(21:29):
the right tools and support, you can overcome them and
continue to grow. Feel free to share your own strategies
or experiences in the comments, and don't hesitate to reach
out to me directly. So as we wrap up today's episode,
I just wanted to thank you all for staying with
me and listening to episode one of season two. It's

(21:50):
been a minute, but I'm glad I'm back, and stay
tuned for episode two next Wednesday, where I'll be chatting
with Travis Knight about his scripting novel The Bingo Killer.
Thank you so much for joining me today on The
Uncomfortable Talk Show. I hope you found something meaningful in
our conversation and that it inspired you in your own

(22:12):
creative journey. Remember your voice matters, and the stories you
have to share are worth telling. Whether you're a poet, writer,
or just someone with a passion for words, I believe
in your power of creativity. If you enjoy today's episode,
don't forget to like, subscribe and share it with others
who might need a little encouragement on their own writing journey.

(22:34):
And as always, I'd love to hear from you. You
can reach me in the comments or send me a
message on Twitter. You can also email me directly at smmore.
It's sm m oo r E one two nine at
gmail dot com. Until next time, keep writing, keep creating,

(22:56):
and keep finding your voice. I'll see you with an
new next episode of The Uncomfortable Talk Show.