PODCAST · arts
This Creative Life
by Sara Zarr
Listen between the lines of the writing life with author Sara Zarr in interview and solo episodes, with a focus on the practical and psychological aspects of writing and publishing, the creative process, and that tricky intersection where art meets commerce. Past guests include filmmaker Scott Teems, National Book Award Winner Malinda Lo, and podcaster and author Dave Holmes.
Episodes
-
A Couple of Brief Updates
The Writers Circle: https://writerscircle.circle.so Still Writing: Still Writing has its very own feed! Please add it to your favorite podcast app, and let me know if you can't find it on yours. Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music Podcast home at Buzzsprout
-
Still Writing Ep 2 Clip
Still Writing has its very own feed! For the full episode, please add it to your favorite podcast app, and let me know if you can't find it on yours. Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music Podcast home at Buzzsprout
-
Still Writing: Pilot
Still Writing has its very own feed! Please add it to your favorite podcast app, and let me know if you can't find it on yours. Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music Podcast home at Buzzsprout
-
Still Writing Teaser
In which Still Writing and its mystery cohost are revealed! Stay tuned for Still Writing ep 1 Still Writing Apple Podcast link (also works for listening in your favoritie app like Overcast) Still Writing at Spotify Still Writing on Amazon Music ___ Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music!
-
S3 E16: Author Alyssa Sheinmel
Alyssa Sheinmel's psychological thriller and adult debut, Such Sheltered Lives, it out now. In this episode, I spoke with Alyssa about what it's been like to publish in the adult category alongside her ongoing work in her teen lit roots, how she gets it done, and hey, what's going on in YA right...
-
S3 E15: Annual Wrap-Up & Writers Circle Updates
The Writers Circle Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music! Subscribe to the newsletter Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at: www.sarazarr.com
-
S3 E14: Seasonal Shifts + Joni Sensel and Wildly Inspired
In which we don't write a novel in a month, and look to the seasons to inspire our writing focus. Special thanks to Joni Sensel. Get Wildly Inspired! The Writers Circle Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music! Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at: www.sarazarr.com
-
S3 E13: Jasminne Paulino's Notes to the Universe
Many thanks to my guest Jasminne Paulino for sharing the story of how her debut novel, The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez, came to be, how the pandemic led her to decide to pursue her MFA, and how a late-life diagnosis informs her writing. Find Jasminne on Instagram @jasminne.notes, and at…
more -
S3 E12: The Autumn of My dis-Content
Sorry about the unplanned hiatus! In this episode I talk about my break from online as my default environment, what that has to do with Our Times, and I guess I'm still learning how to pronounce "authoritarianism." The Writers Circle Celery Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music! Learn more...
-
S3 E11: Hannah V. Sawyerr & Truth Is
From childhood journals to Pitch Wars to the Morris Award Honor to the National Book Award Longlist, Hannah V. Sawyerr has been on a journey! I so enjoyed this conversation and I know you will, too. Truth Is comes out September 23rd everywhere books are sold. Truth Is at Bookshop Hannah's website…
more -
S3 E10: Reality-Based Goals
Expanding on the first episode of this season, we ask what does "reality-based" mean when it comes to goals? The Writers Circle Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music! Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at: www.sarazarr.com
-
S3 E9: Filmmaker Thomas Torrey
Finally, another interview episode! This conversation with Thomas Torrey is exactly what I've been craving, and maybe you have, too. We talk about artistic despair and the freeing realization that we're not special. Also the ways in which his film, Long December, could be thought of as This...
-
S3 E8: Introducing the Writers Circle!
The Writers Circle is a community for support, connection, and education for writers at all levels, across genres and categories. Check it out: The Writers Circle Coupons! EARLYBIRD10 for 10% off any membership (expires 9/2) FOREVER21 for 21% off a Forever membership (expires 9/2) Thanks to Dave...
-
S3 E7: Dealing with Middles
Podcast home page Take a peek at the Writers Circle The Inbox Variations Quarterly Newsletter Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music! Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at: www.sarazarr.com
-
S3 E6: What Counts as Writing
When your word count is down but you've got lots of dishes to do. Writers Circle waitlist Angel Down by Daniel Kraus E Lockhart on TCL back in 2015 Incubation and the creative process And preparing for incubation! (point 6) Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music! Learn more about me, my books,...
-
S3 E5: Five Craft Tips I Give the Most
This week I go over five of the most common pieces of feedback I give on student and client manuscripts. Got a writing question for a future episode? Email me! Podcast home page The Writers Circle Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music! Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at:...
-
S3 E4: When to Invite Feedback
Podcast home page Help for writers and Writers Circle waitlist Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music! Learn more about me, my books, and my other projects at: www.sarazarr.com
-
S3 E3: "This Is Stupid" with Author Andrew DeYoung
In the first interview episode of TCL 3.0, we bring back an old friend with a new book. Andrew DeYoung's new domestic thriller, Stay Away From Him, is out this week. We talk about Andrew's path from YA to speculative to thrillers, the pleasures of writing genre fiction, and how he gets it done....
-
S3 E2: Why You're Not Writing
In this episode, I go over five common reasons we're not writing even though we want to, and offer some ways to change our thinking. Share it with a friend who needs to hear it! Podcast home page The Writers Circle On Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande (and other writing books I like) Thanks to...
-
S3 E1: The Reality-Based Writing Life
Subscribe to this podcast wherever you like to listen, including Apple, Overcast, Spotify, Podbean, and more. Help for Writers and Community Waitlist Podcast Home Page Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music! www.sarazarr.com
-
87. Ashley C. Ford and the Ultimate Pivot - TCL Finale (?)
I know you've been waiting a long time on a wish and a promise for this final episode in the Pivots, Comebacks, and Reinventions series. I appreciate your patience while I went and figured out myself and my own potential pivots and reinventions! The wait is over and I present to you my…
more -
TCL Mini: The Writing Life Audit
This is the audio version of the most recent newsletter PLUS some thoughts about what's next for the pod. Get the newsletter version of this post Get the book Get The Inbox Variations www.sarazarr.com
-
86. Melissa Walker Takes Action
In late 2016, Melissa Walker was working on her 10th novel when she went to a holiday party and heard then Senator Daniel Squadron talk about the importance of state-level politics—even for the national landscape. She was inspired to take action. That action eventually grew into a pivot from...
-
TCL Mini: No Sure Things
The audio version of this week's newsletter on living with the uncertainty of writing. Get the newsletter version of this post Get the book! www.sarazarr.com
-
85. The Publishing Year in Review with Agent Michael Bourret
From the supply chain issues that started the year, to the conversation about AI that's ending it, I talk through the year in publishing with Michael Bourret of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. Also, we answer listener questions! This will be the last episode for the year, and the last one before a...
-
84. Bennett Madison's Permission to Let Go
What do you do when you've established a writing career and then it's not giving you what you came for? What does it look like to be a person who writes but whose entire identity isn't wrapped up in Being a Writer? Is there life on the other side, if you can just let go? Bennett Madison joins me...
-
TCL Mini: Year In Review
New full episode next week! Until then, here's the audio version of this week's newsletter, with a question for YOU about your dream writing podcast. Get the newsletter version of this post Get the book www.sarazarr.com
-
TCL Mini: Creative Rest
The audio version of this week's newsletter on resting before making the next creative decision. Find the text version here!
-
83. Tara Altebrando Is Solving the Puzzle
In the third episode in the Comebacks, Pivots, and Reinventions series, my longtime friend and one-time (?) collaborator Tara Altebrando talks to me about her multiple pivots over a couple of decades as a working writer, and the driving forces behind those choices. Currently, she's working in...
-
82. Malinda Lo Never Went Away
In the second episode in the Comebacks, Pivots, and Reinventions series, Malinda Lo and I talk about her huge year with Last Night at the Telegraph Club and what it has meant for her writing and life. But is it really a "comeback" if she never went away in the first place? Also we talk about her...
-
81. Faith Gardner Takes Control (Comebacks, Pivots, and Reinventions)
When author Faith Gardner grew frustrated with the slowly grinding gears of traditional publishing and wanted to spread her wings a bit, she took matters into her own hands. This is the first episode of this fall's Comebacks, Pivots, and Reinventions series! Get the show notes / newsletter Get…
more -
Comebacks, Pivots, and Reinventions - Coming Fall 2022
What's coming this fall from This Creative Life! Show links: the newsletter the audiobook www.sarazarr.com
-
TCL Mini: Writing When It Doesn't Feel Like It Matters
When it feels like the world is burning down, is writing something you want to save from the fire? Get the newsletter version of this post Get the book Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music www.sarazarr.com
-
TCL Mini: Becoming a Good Self-Editor
Get the newsletter version of this post Get the book Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music. www.sarazarr.com
-
TCL Mini: Accepting Your Limitations
Get the newsletter version of this post. Get the book. Thanks to Dave Connis for the theme music.
-
Ep 81: Author Michelle Huneven
I'm so happy to be back with one my favorite contemporary novelists, Michelle Huneven. I love the compassion, humor, and reality in how she renders life and relationships. She's got a brand new book out, Search, which we talk about along with her other books, her background, and process—including...
-
Ep 80: The This Creative Life Book on Literaticast 55
It's launch day for the This Creative Life ebook, with the paperback close behind! I was recently on Jenn Laughran's Literaticast digging into the content and ideas in the book, and she graciously let me crosspost the ep into the TCL feed. The Literaticast on Apple Podcasts Get the show notes /...
-
The Launch Box 7: Launched!
A lot has happened since the last episode! Namely: A Song Called Home and The Temps are both out in the world and no longer under our control, if they ever were. We're already no longer in our pub-day month; new books come out, people move on. Our role as authors is pretty much done. So, what's...
-
The Launch Box 6: An Abridged History of Self-Publishing
As Andrew and I wait through the last few weeks before our books come out, we digress ever so slightly into an incomplete history of self-publishing, from its reputation as "vanity publishing" to where it converged with the advent of ebooks and e-readers to arrive at its present day status as a...
-
Ep 79: Laurel Snyder
Laurel Snyder is the author of numerous books for young readers, including Orphan Island, My Jasper June, and the Charlie & Mouse books. In this episode, we talk about staying fluent in the language of childhood, the "ghost of brokenness" when writing from a sad place, how Laurel works with the...
-
The Launch Box 5: Publicity, Book Blues, and Ringo
The Launch Box is back! Andrew and I talk about letting go, publicity (including his experience with a freelance publicist), and have a breakthrough about what might be behind the Book Blues for a lot of writers. Also, we catch up on The Temps movie option and where we stand on unboxing videos....
-
Ep 78: Preeti Chhibber
I'm so excited to kick off 2022 with my conversation with Preeti Chhibber, a multitalented lady with just the energy we need to help take us into a new year. Preeti is an author, podcaster, speaker, and all-around badass who has published multiple IP projects as well as her original work. In this...
-
The Launch Box 4: Gifts, Ifs, and Shifts
In this episode of The Launch Box, Andrew and I discuss the mysteries of professional gift-giving, how to balance big-picture career thinking with getting the writing done, the possibilities of being a weekend novelist, and EVENTS. Also, Sara gets a review and Andrew answers the TCL two…
more -
The Launch Box 3. Subrights, Ingram Spark, & Depressed Cats
Sara helps cast her audiobook, Andrew gets a movie option, Sara learns more about Ingram Spark for self-publishing, and we both write letters to booksellers hoping to endear them to us. Also, everyone is burned out, including Andrew's cat. Andrew DeYoung Sara Zarr Ask a question / get extended…
more -
The Launch Box 2. Blurbs, Blobs & Shame!
Why does everything about having a book published embarrass us? What is man's proper relationship to the 'Zon? And what happened with that Realms of Ruin thing? We try to break it all down. Also: Andrew gets his first trade review and Sara reports some pre-order numbers. Links: Andrew DeYoung…
more -
Ep 77: Dave Holmes
Writer, podcaster, radio host, and VJ emeritus Dave Holmes joins me to talk about his long and winding road to writing his wonderful 2016 memoir, Party of One, his writing at Esquire, and how it all connects to his current podcast project, Waiting for Impact. We talk ADHD, burnout, the longing to...
-
TCL: The Launch Box 1. Early & Late
Introducing a This Creative Life special season: The Launch Box, in which Andrew DeYoung and I take you through the six-month period leading up to publication of our new books as we each publish for the first time in new categories. This series will cover a Big Five middle grade launch, a...
-
Ep 76: Season Premiere with Mike Jung
Author Mike Jung joins me for the first of a new batch of fall episodes. We talk about the events of his early life that put him on the path to being a writer, his publishing stories and writing process, a later-life autism diagnosis, and BTS. Thanks so much for being back with us for a new…
more -
TCL Archives: Daniel Bowman, Jr.
In March 2020, I spoke with Daniel Bowman, Jr., about writing, teaching, and being #ActuallyAutistic. This week, his new book On the Spectrum: Autism, Faith, and the Gifts of Neurodiversity is out. The book: "... rings with poetry, compassion, and wisdom, and it reveals so much about autistic...
-
TCL Archives: Brandy Colbert
In March, 2020, I spoke with author Brandy Colbert about her work and writing process. Her nonfiction book, Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, is now available for pre-order. Brandy Colbert Support the Podcast
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Listen between the lines of the writing life with author Sara Zarr in interview and solo episodes, with a focus on the practical and psychological aspects of writing and publishing, the creative process, and that tricky intersection where art meets commerce. Past guests include filmmaker Scott Teems, National Book Award Winner Malinda Lo, and podcaster and author Dave Holmes.
HOSTED BY
Sara Zarr
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does This Creative Life have?
This Creative Life currently has 77 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is This Creative Life about?
Listen between the lines of the writing life with author Sara Zarr in interview and solo episodes, with a focus on the practical and psychological aspects of writing and publishing, the creative process, and that tricky intersection where art meets commerce. Past guests include filmmaker Scott...
How often does This Creative Life release new episodes?
This Creative Life has 77 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to This Creative Life?
You can listen to This Creative Life on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts This Creative Life?
This Creative Life is created and hosted by Sara Zarr.
URL copied to clipboard!