Write Now with Sarah Werner
A podcast for all writers (aspiring to professional) looking to find a healthy work/life/writing balance. Get the encouragement, honest advice, and inspiration you need to pursue your passion and write every day. Recurring themes include books, coffee, rainy days, truth, beauty, lasers, dinosaurs, and all of your other favorite things.
Episodes
November 19, 2025 • 44 mins
If you're sailing on stormy seas (literally, writerly, mentally, or otherwise), you're going to want Jarod K. Anderson as your guide. Author, poet, and creator of The Cryptonaturalist podcast, Jarod shares his insights with us this week on his writing process, the impact of mental health on creativity, and his unconventional path to publishing success.
Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode...
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November 12, 2025 • 23 mins
If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in an endless loop of edits, rewrites, and revisions, this episode is for you. We’ll explore how fear can sneak into our writing process via perfectionism, the difference between necessary and compulsive rewrites, and how to build gentle systems to finish your work and move forward with confidence.
Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https...
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August 26, 2025 • 27 mins
What is a writer's most important asset? A good teacher? A quiet room? An infinite book budget? An expensive pen? While all of these are nice, today I'm focusing on the one asset that everyone can access, freely and easily: their sense of curiosity. Even if you believe your curiosity has been stomped out long ago, we'll talk about how to rekindle and cultivate this amazing ability.
Thank you for listening! For show notes and a ful...
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June 23, 2025 • 22 mins
Sometimes, when things get tough, when the haters hate and the doubters doubt, it can be difficult to summon the motivation, courage, energy, or inspiration you need to write. And sometimes, when that happens, the only thing we have left to turn to is SPITE. Find out why — and why it's not necessarily a bad thing!
For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/
You can support th...
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April 28, 2025 • 26 mins
How do we cope as writers when life hits us with illness, injury, grief, or overwhelm? This week, we’re exploring what helps, what hurts, and what’s at stake when we find ourselves "not-okay," and how we can navigate those challenges with care and creativity.
Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/writing-when-youre-not-okay
You can support the sho...
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April 14, 2025 • 24 mins
I tend to get weird looks when I say I'm in a Mastermind group, but my writing career wouldn't be where it is today without them. In this week’s episode, we'll talk about what these are, what they do for you as a writer, and how to start and structure your own Mastermind group.
For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/
Thank you for listening! You can support the work I do he...
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March 11, 2025 • 28 mins
Whether you're a seasoned novelist or a newcomer to the craft, we all come to the page and need to BEGIN. It's easy to say "Just start," but it's often not that simple. This week, I have some fresh encouragement and practical tips to help you start writing with confidence.
Links mentioned:
Write Now Episode 102: Journaling & You
Write Now Episode 142: No Rules, Just Write
Write Now Episode 014: Creating A Space For Writing
Wr...
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February 18, 2025 • 24 mins
How do you decide when to publish your creative work? Is there a point at which you say it's "good enough"? Or do you have a tendency to polish and play around with those "last final tweaks" indefinitely? This week, we're talking about what it means to do your best in a world where "best" is subjective and perfect doesn't exist. Get ready!
For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner....
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February 3, 2025 • 47 mins
Have you ever felt hopeless, helpless, or disillusioned about goal-setting, or found yourself asking, "Why bother?" This week, we're looking at what happens to make us feel that way, and how to set our writing lives on the path to success going forward.
For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/cynicism-about-goals-wn-163/
Thank you for listening! To support the work I do her...
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December 4, 2024 • 27 mins
Have you ever wondered if you should self-publish your book, or go through a traditional publisher? This week, we're weighing the pros and cons of each to figure out which method is best for you.
Links mentioned:
Talking Scared Podcast, Episode #003: Spotify | Apple Podcasts
Sarah's indie (self-published) audio drama, Girl In Space
The Write Now Podcast Discord Community
Thank you for listening! For show notes and a ful...
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November 27, 2024 • 35 mins
Do you ever struggle to focus on your writing — even on a project you actually enjoy? Whether due to internal or external factors, distraction comes to us in many different forms, for many different reasons. This week, we’re talking about tools, strategies, and habits we writers can use to find our focus again.
Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.co...
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July 3, 2024 • 34 mins
Have you ever noticed a disconnect in what you say you want to do, and what you actually end up doing? Because I have! This week, I'm talking about some of the reasons we might experience a gulf between our desires and our actions — and what to do about it.
Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/saying-vs-doing-wn-160/
To support the work I do here...
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April 10, 2024 • 33 mins
This week, we're talking about expectations and how they tint our reality and shape our experiences... and what we can REALLY expect if we want to write full-time.
Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/expectation-vs-reality-wn-159/
To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron on Patreon at https://patreon.com/sarahrhea...
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March 13, 2024 • 32 mins
No matter how much coffee I drink, I’m never able to write as quickly as I want to. This week, we’re taking a look at what it means to be a "slow writer" — and all of the baggage that comes along with it.
Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/
To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron on Patreon at https://patreon.co...
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November 29, 2023 • 31 mins
Creating consistently strengthens your command of the craft and builds trust with your audience. But if you're anything like me, creating on a consistent basis feels impossible. Why are we like this? What do we do when we fail to live up to our own — and others' — standards?
Thank you for listening! For show notes and a full transcript of this episode, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/consistency-for-writers-wn-157/
To ...
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September 20, 2023 • 34 mins
What happens when your childhood dream feels like it's no longer achievable? What does it mean if (and when) your five-year plan goes off the rails? Today we're talking about what happens when our writing dreams change — and what it means for us as creators.
For show notes and a full episode transcription, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/when-your-writing-dreams-change-wn-156/
To support the work I do here at the Writ...
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September 13, 2023 • 28 mins
What is writing to you — a hobby, a second job, a meditative practice? Something else? All of the above? This week, we’re talking about the role of writing in our lives and how we can feel more satisfied and fulfilled in doing what we love.
For show notes and a full episode transcription, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/its-good-to-have-a-hobby-wn-155/
To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a pa...
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September 6, 2023 • 57 mins
How should we navigate selling our creative work? I speak with Asa Merritt about pitching a project, which hill(s) to die on, and the pros and cons of telling a personal story on a commercial platform.
TRIGGER WARNING: This podcast episode contains mention of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, please talk to someone you trust, contact your local crisis center, or (if you're in the United States) call the National S...
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January 18, 2023 • 27 mins
Sometimes it feels like everyone wants to tells us who we are — our friends, our enemies, and even random strangers on the internet. But what do we do when the identity we've chosen for ourself, such as "writer" or "creator", is challenged?
For show notes and a full episode transcription, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/no-one-gets-to-tell-you-who-you-are-wn-153/
To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast,...
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November 23, 2022 • 28 mins
Why are endings so darn hard to write? Is it just because it's difficult to wrap up all of the loose ends... or is there something more going on? What makes for a truly satisfying ending, and how do we create one?
For show notes and a full episode transcription, please visit: https://www.sarahwerner.com/
To support the work I do here at the Write Now podcast, become a patron on Patreon! https://patreon.com/sarahrheawerner
Thank ...
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