It Takes a Village to Write a Novel: Martha Conway on We Meet Apart, Writing Retreats & Owning Your Voice (feat. Nicole Caron)

In this episode of the NoNaMe Storyteller Podcast, guest co-host Nicole Caron joins us for a conversation with author Martha Conway about her new novel, We Meet Apart, her writing process, and the importance of community in a writer’s life.Martha, who grew up surrounded by sisterly relationships as one of six sisters, discusses how those formative experiences shape her fiction, often centered on complex sister dynamics. Together, she and Nicole explore finding the emotional core of a story, uncovering the deeper “why” behind the work, and writing with both intuition and intention.The conversation also dives into craft: keeping the reader immersed without “knocking them out” of the story, holding structure loosely while drafting, and trusting the process. Martha shares her evolving approach, including handwriting first drafts, reading her work aloud, and using research as a gateway to story discovery.At the heart of the episode is a powerful reminder: claim your identity as a writer—say it out loud.If you’re interested in writing craft, historical fiction, creative process, or building a sustainable writing life, this episode offers insight, inspiration, and practical perspective.www.marthaconway.comKeywords: Williams Carlos Williams, Kylo Ren, Patterson, Adam Driver, Forward Writing Retreats (Chamonix and Arcachon), historical fiction, magical realism, signs and signifiers, genre fiction, 12 Bliss Street (Edgar Award nominee), Sarah Orne Jewett, world building, sensitivity reader, dialect, research, Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, Jennifer Egan's Manhattan Beach, William Faulkner, Huckleberry Finn, Toni Morrison's Beloved, cultural sensitivity reader, blocking out scenes, Hills Like White Elephants, verisimilitude, "It Takes a Village to Write a Novel", vulnerability, authenticity, Kauai Writers Retreat, Shawn Coyne's The Story Grid, Stephen King, Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Gilbert: Your Elusive Creative Genius, Ann Patchett, Ruth Stone, what if nazi's invaded Ireland?, Operation Green, the magic of creativity, leaving markers so you can get back to the trail head, craft books, Brian WedlakeEnigma by Kevin MacLeod is licensedunder a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠license⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100241Artist: http://incompetech.com/