How Simple Systems Can Unlock Your Writing Productivity, with Kari Roberts

Release Date: 06/07/2022

Description: Learn how to write a book proposal that will attract the attention of agents and editors, in this interview with writing coach Ann Kroeker.Support the Show.

Explicit: No

Release Date: 07/06/2021

Description: If you're like me, you struggle to carve out time to write...you wish you could uncomplicate life and get more done. Good news! I have business coach and online business manager Kari Roberts on the show to help us think through simple systems that can unlock our writing productivity and creativity. "It's like you're on a treadmill," she says. "You're running in place, but you're not going anywhere. So you're not really getting anything done." Sound familiar? Kari knows our struggles and offers solutions. She says, "You might need to strategize or systematize other things so that you can make the space that you need to do the writing." Kari Roberts is a business coach and online business manager for creative small business owners. She helps them figure out time management and systems that allow them to grow their business while still having enough time and energy for work, business, and home life. Her business advice has been featured on VoyageATL Magazine, The Rising Tide Society, The Speak to Scale Podcast, Creative at Heart Conference and more. Kari is the host of Finding Freedom with Simple Systems Podcast and the creator and host of Overwhelmed to Organized the Summit. When she isn’t being a “serial helper” through one of her businesses she enjoys watching sports with her husband, walking in the park with her 2 dogs, listening to podcasts, sampling tasty bourbons, and catching up on reality TV. Her approach to creating systems? "I like to go in and try to find: What's the simplest way. If we're trying to get X done, what's the simplest way to get to X. It may not be the fancy thing. It may not be with the shiny object. But if we can condense it and make it simple, then that can free up your time and free up your mental space so that you can get other things done." Listen to the interview and you'll learn principles that may transform your approach to writing...and life. Resources: Kari on Instagram Podcast: https://kariandcompany.com/podcast Get your very own copy of Kari's Time-Blocking Schedule: HERE https://youtu.be/xgNp7vmbXpk ANN KROEKER, WRITING COACH Episode 239 Transcript How Simple Systems Can Unlock Your Writing Productivity: Interview with Kari Roberts Ann Kroeker (00:03): It's so hard to find time for writing, isn't it? It's hard to do all the things a writer needs to do these days. If only if only we had a simple system that we could set up to make the rest of our creative life flourish…I have business coach and online business manager Kari Roberts here today to help us think through simple systems we can set up to increase our writing productivity. I'm Ann Kroeker, writing coach. If you're new here, welcome. If you're a regular, welcome back. I'm sharing my best tips and training–skills and strategies—to help you improve your craft, pursue publishing, and achieve your writing goals. Be sure to subscribe for more content. Ann Kroeker (00:44): From time to time I invite guests on. So you can learn from their wisdom, like today's guest, Kari Roberts. Kari is a business coach and an online business manager for creative, small business owners. She helps them figure out time management and systems so that they're freed up to have enough time for work business and home life. Kari is the host of her own podcast, Finding Freedom with Simple Systems. And today she's going to talk about that as it applies to writing productivity. Kari, thank you for being with us today. Kari Roberts (01:13): Thank you for having me. I'm happy to be here. Ann Kroeker (01:16): I am so intrigued by this whole idea that writers who are always pressed for time and always longing for productivity, how simple systems might be the way that they can unlock and unleash that. So first, I read your bio and it tells us quite a bit about you, but I would love you to explain maybe just in simple terms, what you do, how you serve people. Kari Roberts (01:40): Okay.

Explicit: No

Release Date: 03/23/2016

Description: Show Notes  Episode #43: How to Avoid Distraction and Manage Attention to Write In this episode, I take both a macro and micro view of attention, focus, and distraction. At the macro level, I suggest that formulating a general plan of where you’d like to go as a writer will make it easier to focus your attention on how a given activity fits into the big picture (and you can more easily resist Shiny Object Syndrome). At the micro level, we can focus our attention by minimizing everyday, moment-by-moment distractions. Clear your desk. Try the Pomodoro technique. When you launch your writing session, silence phone notifications, close the browser. You can even try using the "focus" view in Word to minimize visual distractions on the screen. In addition, we can learn to become "meta-aware," noticing when our mind is wandering. When we increase meta-awareness, we can learn to nudge our mind back to the task at hand by telling ourselves, “Okay, I’m writing now. So, quiet. I’m trying to concentrate." Listen for the full podcast. Lots of Resources: #42: Manage Your Energy So You Can Write #41: 5 Steps to Find Time for Writing #40: Take Charge of Your Writing Space, Tasks, and Projects #39: Manage Your Writing Space to Be a More Productive Writer #38: Manage Your Writing Space, Time, Energy, and Attention Novelty and the Brain: Why New Things Make Us Feel So Good Concentrate! How to Tame a Wandering Mind Write in the Middle: Yes, You Can Maximize Distraction-Free Writing Write in the Middle of Everyday Distractions: 7 Strategies for Getting Back on Track Productivity 101: A Primer to the Pomodoro Technique * * * You can subscribe with iTunes, where I'd love to have you subscribe, rate, and leave a review. The podcast is also available Stitcher, and you should be able to search for and find "Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach" in any podcast player. Image by Ann Kroeker.

Explicit: No

Release Date: 03/15/2023

Description: Gain inspiration from the journey of a first-time author who transformed her dream of writing into a reality by taking bold action. Merideth Hite Estevez's success story involved launching a captivating podcast and partnering with a coach (yep, that's me!) to develop a winning strategy. Her talent and tenacity helped her build a robust platform, create a winning book proposal, secure an agent, and land a publishing deal in just a few years. Although she felt like it took an eternity, that's fast. Follow her story and be inspired to pursue your own writing dreams with confidence! Resources Here's the program Merideth mentions in the video (we worked together to complete her proposal and set her up for success): https://annkroeker.com/yourcompellingbookproposal/ Merideth's website: artistsforjoy.org Merideth on Instagram: @artistsforjoy Merideth's free resource, 3 Ways to Love Your Inner Artist Merideth's Creative Clusters using The Artist's Way https://youtu.be/-pe0ds60Ecc Transcript (Transcripts are reviewed and lightly edited.) Ann Kroeker I'm Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach. If you're tuning in for the first time, welcome. If you're a regular, welcome back. I'm sharing my best skills and strategies to help writers improve craft, pursue publishing, and achieve their writing goals. On today's show, you're going to get a glimpse of a first time author's journey from idea to a signed contract with a publisher. Even better, she's a creative coach herself, so it's like you're getting two coaches for one. You're going to love meeting Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez. Merideth Hite Estevez Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez is a spiritual space-maker for artists as an oboist, writer, coach, and educator. Her podcast Artists for Joy was an Award of Excellence Winner in the 2022 Communicator Awards and is in the top 2% of podcasts worldwide. She has served thousands of artists in communal creative recovery with her popular support groups around Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and serves artists of all disciplines through her writings, workshops, and one-to-one coaching services. She holds degrees in oboe from The Juilliard School and Yale University and is a Certified Start with Heart Facilitator through Graydin. As a trained coach, she runs a thriving business helping creatives of all disciplines looking for a more joyful life. Merideth has performed with top orchestras in the US and abroad, including the MET Opera and PhillyPops and is currently the English hornist/Second Oboe of the Chamber Orchestra of NY. She has served on faculties of numerous universities and schools of music, most recently as Associate Professor of Oboe at University of Delaware. When she’s not creating or teaching, you’ll find her attempting to speak foreign languages with a southern accent while traveling with her husband Rev. Edwin Estevez, daughter Eva, and son Eli. Her first book, an inspirational guide to the creative life, is forthcoming in 2024. Merideth, welcome. We're so glad you're here. [00:02:03] - Merideth Hite Estevez Hi, Ann. Thanks for having me. [00:02:04] - Ann Kroeker Now, that's an impressive bio. I'm amazed at all of the things you juggle, and in the middle of it all, you managed to land a contract to write a book. And I would love it if you could give people a simple summary of this crazy journey you've been on. Can you just summarize it? And then we can go into detail of what that looked like. [00:02:26.780] - Merideth Hite Estevez Absolutely. Yeah. It feels like a really, really long journey. Like many of the people listening to this, I have been writing all my life. My mother was my elementary school librarian. And so writing was something that always was around. I took a lot of creative writing classes in college. But as you heard from my bio, I always had a beeline on being a professional oboist. All my concentration and focus was on music.

Explicit: No