All Episodes
#AmWriting — 366 episodes
Write Big: The Writer in the Arena
Big Time: How to find time abundance in your writer life
Hot Seat Coaching: Building a Killer Twist: Going Deeper Inside a Gothic Mystery Blueprint
Hot Seat Coaching: Exploring Protagonist Depth with Andrew Parella
Write Big 16: How to Sound Like Yourself in a Noisy World
The Decision to Keep Writing After Grief, Illness, or Heartbreak
You’re Not Stuck—You’re Holding Back
Live with Jennie Nash
10 Years of #amwriting: Looking Back and Moving Forward
"I Had the Full Heart of the Question In My Hand."
Write the Book Readers Can’t Stop Recommending (Write Big, Ep 14)
Ep 492: What book format benefits authors most?
What Finishing a Book Teaches You About Showing Up (Write Big, Ep 13)
Quit Laughing at My WOTY It's Not Funny.
How to Take the (long, elegant) Gloves Off and Write Like You
Finding the Ideal Reader: How the Blueprint Shaped a Physician’s Next Project (Bonus Episode)
December Booklab
Blueprint for Revision: The System That Makes Revision Finally Make Sense
An Invitation to the January Blueprint!
How to Write the Book Only You Can Write
Thanksgiving Gratitude
Ep 475 Publishing Nerd Corner: How Audiobooks are Made
Ep 472 Publishing Nerd Corner: Earning Out
How to Make a Quiet Novel Roar
On Interviewing Kids
The Scammer's Guide to Writers
When You’ve Written the Right Scene in the Wrong Place
Publishing Nerd Corner: Your Copyright and the Anthropic Settlement
Interviewing with Jeff Selingo
The Beauty in Writing About Tragedy
Find Your Voice, Write Your Genius
Writing Thrilling People & Places: Jess and Sarina talk with Tess Gerritsen
Karin Slaughter Does it Again
How to Deliver Both Feels and Fun
A Deep Dive Into Genre
How to Take a Break
Stephanie Pao has the job we all want. She owns a romance bookstore on wheels.
How to Capture Emotion on the Page
In Search of the Beast in the Clouds with author Nathalia Holt
Ep 454 Mid-Year Check-In
The Ultimate How To: Write, Pitch, Maybe Publish with Kate McKean from Agents+Books
The Gift of Failure: Author Version
New Series: From Soup to Nuts
Should there be a body? Writing is Revising with Meg Mitchell Moore
Sticking it to the Book Banners: A Glorious Tale of Victory
How to Focus on Work in a Chaotic World
Imagining the Life of Jo Van Gogh
Reading a Book Contract
Novel Writing for Journalists with the NYT's Elizabeth Harris
The Business of Being a Writer
Booklab: First Pages (a bite of sci-fi/fantasy action-adventure and Conditioned, a memoir)
A.I. Training and Piracy: What You Need to Know
Creativity, Compromise, and Commercial Viability
How (and Why) to Submit to Literary Mags and Small Presses
A Peek Inside a Hybrid Publisher
The Outer World of Publishing
How to Have a Thick Skin, with Lauren Blakely
Writing Partnerships with Rebecca Winthrop and Jenny Anderson
Wrangling the Doubt Monster with Amy Bernstein
Consider the Sweep of Your Whole Writing Career
Social Media: What Happens Now?
Treat your writing like a business in 2025
The Making of a Workbook
A People Pleaser Learns to Write the Book She Wants to Write
#AmWriting podcast bonus episode with Jess
Using the Blueprint for Revision
What's your word for 2025? We review 2024 goals and set up 2025 in Episode 428
From #FamilyStory to Fiction
Introducing the Winter Blueprint Challenge Coaches
Ep 424: How a Blueprint Can Keep Your Book on Course
#Writer Gift Extravaganza
From Substack Serial to Trad Novel with...
#AnxietyInducing. A Candid Discussion on A.I.
#Resilience Over the Long Haul
The Longest, Most Public MFA Ever
Ep. 419 What's a "Comp?"
Bonus Episode: Jess on Constructive Criticism and Pulling Out of an On-Stage Death Spiral
"I knew you COULD revise it. I wasn't sure you WOULD."
When Your Book Becomes a TV Show
The Art of Helping Writers Do Their Best Work
Lyndsay Rush's Poetry is A Bit Much
Episode 414: Your Questions, Answered
How to Start a Novel from Scratch
Raising Your Voice, Claiming Your Story
Congrats, You're Publishing During the Election Cycle - Episode 410
Ep 409: Tag Along on a Speaking Trip with Jess!
#FlashbackFriday: Very Serious About Fun Reads with Emily Henry
How an Inside-Outline Can Save Your Revision (and maybe your book)
From Women’s Fiction to Romance in 30 Days
Flashback: Being Genre Flexible with Catherine Newman
Escaping the Lure of Attention and Approval with Kathleen Smith
Why you don't have to do it like that one writer in the NYT
Stop! Don't Write that Book (Yet)
An #AmWriting Success Story!
Tiny Worlds: How a nature illustrator and author built a fanbase for her work.
How Bad Can a Good First Draft Be?
Nothing Sells Books. But Books Still Sell.
Trusting Your Gut on a Complicated Plot
5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Self Publishing
His Years of Writing Eloquently: The Return of A.J. Jacobs
Starting Energy v. Finishing Energy: How the work gets done, start to finish.
Daring to Kickstarter with Rachael Herron
Episode: 395 Who Owns an Idea?
Flashback Friday: Writing While #Broken
Things Jess Learned This Month, Ep. 394
I want to sell books. But I'm also writing what I want to write. Episode 393 with Jo Piazza
How to Be a Good Literary Citizen: Volunteer at a Writing Conference
Flashback Friday: How Do You Write a Non-Fiction Book in less than a Year?
Why You Should Take a Plot-walk
Coaching call with author, educator & speaker Katie Kinder
How to Create a Substack that Delivers (for you and your readers) Episode 389 with Dan Blank
What’s on the Cutting Room Floor?
Ep 387: The Art of Manifesting for Tired and Skeptical Authors
Episode 386: Under the Weather Productivity
Ep 385: What I Think About When I Think About Job Offers
Unapologetically Re-creating our Abundant Zone of Genius
Flashback Friday: Become a #BetterStrongerFaster Writer with Becca Syme
Flashback Friday: Episode 293, how to build a literary life with Zibby Owens.
When Inner Dialogue Isn't "Telling" and When It Is in Memoir and Fiction
How to Restart Your Work after an Unplanned Pause
How Sarina's Reading Journal Makes Her a Better Novelist: Episode 382
How to Find the Right Speaking Agent: Ep 381
National Novel Planning Month (that should be a thing)
A Million Little Pieces that can Make or Break a Speaking Engagement: Episode 379
Six Seasons in One Episode: Cookbooks as Memoir with Gesine Bullock-Prado, Ep 378
Writing for Tweendom: Jamie Sumner on writing difficult topics and the glory of middle grade fiction
Flinging a Fall Book out into the world
Reinvention Marketing: Selling Your Book for Years After Pub Day
From Idea to Execution: Building a Book
Never Carved in Stone: Letting Ideas Evolve
Ideas and Nonfiction: Your Book Idea Contains Multitudes
When Good Ideas Go Bad (the most common mistakes writers make)
Memoirs for the Marketplace: A Blueprint for Success
You Are the Protagonist (memoirs need ideas too) with Rachael Herron
How to Decide if Your Book Idea is Solid (or Solid Enough)
The Airport Game (or, how to come up with 8 ideas on a 3 hour long flight)
Welcome to the Idea Factory (Good Writing Comes Last, Part 2)
How to Start a Novel (and keep going) Episode 365
Summer Reading for Writers (plus a #FlashbackFriday: Episode 269)
Satire: writing just below "over-the-top" with Jane Roper Episode 364
How to Hate Your Work and Also Sell It-- at the same time. Episode 363
Talking Fat Talk and Substack Success: Episode 362 with Virginia Sole-Smith
Flashback Friday: Episode 288 with Joni Cole
Scrivener Tips: It's only taken Jess 361 episodes to deliver on her promise
Summoning My Accountability Buddies: Because Sometimes Writers Need Deadlines, ep 360
Dealing with Goal Fatigue What to Do When the Goals Aren't Getting You Anywhere, Ep. 359
Flashback Friday: Jodi Kantor Chases the Truth
Intoxication for Inspiration: Do drugs and alcohol unleash the muses? Episode 358
The Anxious Writer: Turning fears into superpowers. Episode 357
Writerly Tech: the hardware, the software and the why. Episode 356
In My Expert Opinion: Pitching, Prepping, and Nailing Interviews for TV and Radio
Good Writing Comes Last: the form and function of a solid book outline, episode 354
Sensitivity Reader Reboot: looking your topic from all the angles, with Jordan Shapiro and Jazz
Unraveling Nonfiction Research and Writing: Episode 353 with Peggy Orenstein
How to Write a Novel in Three Months, Sarina-Style (Episode 352)
A Workbook for Your Story: Episode 351 with Adrienne Young and Isabel Ibañez
Writing Three Books Without Typing a Word: Episode 350 with Leslie Hooton
How to Write (More than just) Erotica: Episode 349 with Rachel Kramer Bussel
Are You Ready to Pitch? The Answer is in Your Query. Episode 348 with Julie Artz
Start More than You Can Finish: Redefining failure with Becky Blades in Episode 347
A Thousand Miles to a First Novel: Episode 346 with Kristen Mei Chase
Flashback Friday -- Episode 71: Building relationships with booksellers with Mary Laura Philpott
When it comes to goals, boring is good. Episode 345: Goals--or not--for 2023
2022 in the Rear View Mirror: Episode 344
#NaNoNowWhat? Bonus Episode: First Steps after First Drafts
Flashback Friday -- Episode 251 How to give your fun read a solid, poke-in-the-gut point with Anna North
Friends Don't Let Friends Write Books Without Hooks. Episode 343
Bonus Episode: Speaking Agencies
It Turns Out What I Really Want to Write About is... Episode 342, from memoir to marketable, with Emily Grosvenor
Talking TikTok (and Reels too): Episode 341 on Video content--the Why, the How To, and is it Worth the Time Suck?
#WriterGifts!
How to Tell Someone Else's Story: Episode 340 with Allison Gilbert
Lit Mags, Grants and Residencies: a best-we-can how-to for an always changing but more approachable than we imagine world. Episode 339 with Patrice Gopo
The 30-Day Revision: Episode 338 How KJ Revised a Novel in 30 Days/189 Hours and approximately 72 Chocolate-Covered Peeps
Publishing's Secret Side-Door: Episode 337 Writing Object Lessons and Books-for-series with Maria Teresa Hart
Why You Should Do NaNoWriMo (and how to make the most of it) 336
How Butter Makes Everything (Including Books) Better: Writing Can't-Stop-Won't-Stop Fiction with Theodora Taylor (Flashback Friday)
How to Work with Small Presses and Literary Magazines—Episode 335 with Terena Bell
How Productive Writers get it done (by listening Flashback Friday with Laura Vanderkam) (Replay of Episode 116)
Using tropes and genres like a pro: Ep 334 with Alexis Hall
Which Kind of Writer Are You? Flashback Friday with Gretchen Rubin (Replay Episode 107)
Very Serious About Fun Reads Ep 333 with Emily Henry
How to Plan for Fall When You Don't EVEN Know... Episode 332
Bonus BP10: How to set your own goals, and meet them.
Bonus BP9: How to Keep Going When All You See Are the Problems
Bonus BP8: Easier Outlining for the Loquacious and the Reluctant
Bonus BP7: Finding Your Drivers
Bonus BP6: TOCs, Chapter Headings, POV---It's all Structure.
Bonus BPB 5: The Change is the Theme
Bonus BPB 4: Jacket Copy Cheats and Hacks
Bonus BPB 3: Write What You Want--to Be Read.
Bonus BPB 2: What's this about--and how knowing the answer makes everything else easier.
BPB Bonus 1: What's YOUR Why?
321 What Do You Want to Achieve this Year--and are you half-way there?
Blueprint for a Book Extravaganza: How to plan a book in 10 episodes
320: How to Create Your Own Market
Write Now with Sarah Rhea Werner
But Everything is so SHINY: Episode 319, Coaching journalist Alison Myers on restarting a writing career.
Yes You Can Write In More Than One Genre. Here's how: Episode 318 flips the shelves.
How Writing Middle Grade is Different, and How It's Not: Episode 317 with Jamie Sumner
Living with Writer Envy. Episode 316: We wanted to call this conquering it but we can't.
When Your Agent Doesn't Like Your Idea as Much as You Do: Episode 315 with Kristen Green
How to Write a Cozy Mystery (the rules are changing): Episode 314 with Mia Manansala
One Man's Quest to Find the Next Big Book Idea: Episode 313 with A.J. Jacobs
Essays that start light, then hit hard: Episode 312 with Mary Laura Philpott
Where Should Your Energy Go NOW? Episode 311--everything evolves with Jess and KJ
Jodi Kantor Chases the Truth: Episode 310 is a Primer on Investigative Journalism
Nonfiction Masterclass: Combining Narrative Structure, Lived Experience and Geopolitics in Episode 309 with Scott Carney and Jason Miklian.
How to Love Writing What You Can Sell: Episode 308 with Seressia Glass
How to Be on Bookstagram Episode 307 with #bookmarkedbya
Does Your Author Website Answer the Right Questions? Episode 306 with Anne Le Tissier
But what if my old boss is pissed? Episode 305: Workplace Memoir with Cate Doty
Sometimes You Can't Go with the Flow: Hacking Writing Energies in Episode 304 with Jess and KJ
Where Do You Get Your Ideas? Episode 303 with Sarina, Jess and KJ
Writer De-Snobbification: Episode 302 with Katherine Center
Do Morning Pages Work? Episode 301: Is this, or is it not, the Artist's Way?
BONUS: Listen to The Book Dreams Podcast with Guest Kathryn Schulz
ALWAYS WIPS Episode 300--Podcast #Goals, Translating Earnings, Talking $$ and Craft and Interview Skillz
How to Sell Any Book to Any Publisher-- Episode 299: More Info Than You Ever Thought Possible with Multi-genre author and teacher extraordinaire Sue Shapiro
How to Travel for Research (even before you sell the book)--Episode 298 with Sarah Stewart Taylor
How to Build a Platform in a Zillion (Not) Easy Steps: Episode 297, A coaching call with Alison Zak
[announcer yells] GOALS: Episode 296
Heck of a Year: Episode 295 is 2021 in review
Butter Up Your Writing: Episode 294 Using Universal Fantasy to Write Better and Sell More with Theodora Taylor
How to Build a Literary Life: Episode 293 with Zibby Owens
A Busload of Books: Illustrator Robbi Behr and Writer Matthew Swanson Take Their Work and Their Family on the Road in Episode 292.
How Do You Write a Non-Fiction Book in less than a Year? Episode 291: Coaching Call with Emily Edlynn
What Not to Do, Self-Pub Edition Episode 290 with Cate Frazier-Neely
Why Can't I Finish My Novel? Episode 289: A Coaching Call with Ophir Lehavy
Non-Toxic Feedback: Building workshops and writing groups. Episode 288 with Joni Cole
I Have This Idea...Structuring Non-fiction and Memoir: Episode 287 Coaching Call with Emily Henderson
Breaking into Television Writing: Episode 286 with Will Morey
When Agents Ask You to "Revise and Resubmit": Episode 285 with Mindy Carlson
When Inner Dialogue Isn't "Telling" and When It Is in Memoir and Fiction: Episode 284 with Jess, KJ and Sarina
Where Do You Get Your Ideas? Episode 283: Turning situations into books with Heather Chavez
Episode 282: 40 Years of Procrastination with Joy Imboden Overstreet
Episode 281: Writing with the Door Open (Stephen King May Be Wrong)
Episode 280: Book Launching Fun with Jess
Episode 279: Collaborating, Revising and Proposing--What We Did On Our Summer Vacations
Episode 278: Editing
Episode 277: Writer Comfort Reads
Episode 276: When You Don't Know Why You're Doing This
Episode 275: Writing While White (or otherwise part of the historically dominant paradigm)
Episode 274: Getting Published
Episode 273: #Writing Books for When You're Stuck
Episode 272: Sometimes Writers Need to Up Our Game
Episode 271: #Productivity: Write More Better Faster Yes Please
Episode 270: #Plotting Your Heart (and Book) Out
Episode 269: Finding #Inspiration on the Writer's Bookshelf
Episode 268 #SummerReading: Whose List Looks Like Your List?
Episode 267 #Summer Writing Plans
Episode 266 #Sensitivity Readers with Jordan Shapiro and Jazz
Episode 265 Everybody Suffers, Not Everybody Can #Write About it with Stacy Kim
Episode 264 Being #Edited (is a Very Good Thing)
Episode 263: No, Really, It's #Fiction: Writing novels that reflect (but differ dramatically from) your life with Emma Gannon
Episode 262: #Breaking into Food Writing and Redefining Success with Reem Kassis
Episode 261 Really #Funny, Real and Funny: Rom-Coms, plotting and finding characters with Mhairi McFarlane
Episode 260 #Writing Without Knowing Where You're Going with Kristin Van Ogtrop
Episode 259: More Q, More A: Organizing research, handling would-be writer friends, finding great editors and writing classes and the kicker: How Do You Become Liz Gilbert?
Episode 258 Writing While #Broken: Talking Depression, Anxiety and Writer's Block with Jenny Lawson
Episode 257 Become a #Better Faster Stronger Writer with Becca Syme
Episode 256 Your Q's, A'd: Stealing ideas, asking for blurbs and the elusive "platform"
Episode 255 The Power of Writing as Play with Nalini Singh
Episode 254 How to Prep a NonFiction Launch the Jess Way
Ep 253 From Breakout Article to Book: Writing about #Nothing and Everything with Olga Mecking
Episode 252 How to Write a Post-Covid Romance with Alisha Rai
Episode 251 How to give your fun read a solid, poke-in-the-gut point with Anna North
Episode 250: Growing Thick Skin: Handling #Haters, Commenters and Bad Reviews
Episode 249: Turning Data into #Narrative with Ron Lieber
Episode 248 Mental #Chatter with Ethan Kross: Harnessing the voices in our heads for good
Episode 247: #Writing All Over the Map with Jacob Sager Weinstein
Episode 246: Historical #Fiction the Only Way I Know How with Beverly Jenkins
Episode 245: #Pitching with Passion with Lisa Levenstein
Episode 244: Setting Writer #Goals for 2021
Episode 243: #Fact-based Fiction and Fiction from Facts with Mark Olshaker
Episode 242 Finding All the Voices: Writing Reflective #Nonfiction with Julie Lythcott-Haims
Episode 241: Big #Booklaunch Day
Episode 240 #Editing for the Best Version of Your Vision with Tiffany Yates Martin
BONUS EPISODE--Shiny Thing Syndrome: KJ & Jennie Nash discuss career goals, side gigs and distractions
Episode 239 #Writer Gift Extravaganza
Episode 238 Turning #Romance on Its Head with Lyssa Kay Adams
Episode 237: #Reporting from the Economic Trenches with Lauren Sandler
Episode 236 #Shipping Your Creative Work with Seth Godin (Take Two)
Episode 235: Writer #Tech We Love
Episode 234: #Storybuilding with Jacob Wright from Dabble Writing Software
Episode 233: #TruthsAndMisdemeanors, Lacy Crawford on the gauntlet of legal & fact-checking
Episode 232 Smart, #Versatile and Writing all the Things with Morgan Jerkins
Minisode: When There's No Muse, Keep Going
Episode 231: #FindYourReaders with Dara Kurtz
Episode 230: So You Wanna Be a #Bookcoach with Jennie Nash
Episode 229 #Interviewing with NPR's Celeste Headlee
Episode 228 #Embedded with Jeff Selingo
Episode 227 The Joy of #Self-Promotion: promoting yourself and your work
Episode 226 Writing #ownvoices while respecting others, with Lauren Ho
Episode 225 Get #ComfortablewithWeird How visualization and imagery help writers connect with readers, with Julie Berry
Episode 224 From Mr. Rogers to #RealityTVJournalism with Andy Dehnart
Episode 223: #MythBusting: We take a bunch of myths about writing and tear them all up and throw them away
Episode 222 #HomagetoJane: Talking Jane Austen with Sonali Dev
Episode 221 #FeelingExposed in Memoir and Fiction
Episode 220 #ComedicMemoir with Kari Lizer
Episode 219 Find Your Character's #WishSong with Susan Wiggs
Episode 218 The #Indie-TraditionalTradeoff
Episode 217 #HowtoGetOnThatPodcast with Lauren Passell
Episode 216 #TheBiggestBluff with Maria Konnikova
Episode 215: #TheSocialBookLaunch
Bonus Mini-sode: Finding Diverse Sources
Episode 214 Learning to Be #GenreFlexible with Catherine Newman
Episode 213 Book Launching Fun with #GoodreadsAmazonBookBub
Episode 212: Don't Just Say #TheBookWasBetter
Episode 211 #WriterGoals, Pandemic Version
Minisode: Don't Make the Same Mistakes Twice
Episode 210 #DontOverthinkIt
Episode 209 #StartYourWriterThing
Episode 208 How to Blend a #CozyThriller
Episode 207 #ProfessionallyMarried—for life
Episode 206 #YouCanDoIt (even now)
Episode 205 How to Create #MarketingMojo
Episode 204 #HowtoGetPastWritersBlock(slowly)
Episode 203 #HowtoWorkAnyway
Episode 202 #WebsiteRevampHowto
Episode 201: #Creatinga(Fictional)DysfunctionalFamily
Episode 200 #ShouldYouStartaPodcast
Episode 199 #HowtoLovePromotingYourWork
Episode 198 #RoomforTwoPrincesses
Episode 197 #HowtoWinatPR
196 #WhereDoestheTimeGo
Episode 195: #FromPeopletoSciAmerican
Episode 194: #PutAPriceOnIt
Episode 193: #WriterDreamsComeTrue
192 #HowtoBeaBookCoach
Episode 191 #2020Goals
Episode 190: #DeclaringGoalsMet*
Episode 189: #WhatWritersWant(thatmoneycanbuy)
Episode 188 #HowtoJudgeaBook(byits)Cover
Episode 187 #TheThankYouProjectProject
186 #TheJoyofHolidayRomCom
Episode 185: #AudioExplosion
Episode 184 #BeforeYouStartthatNonFictionProject
Episode 183: #FacebookforWriters
Episode 182 #WriteFlailRepeat
Episode 181 #NaWhateverWriMo
Episode 180 #CharacterEnneagramRabbitHole
Episode 179 #ShouldWantCanAmWriting
Episode 178 #WriteFaster
Episode 177 #AudioWriter
Episode 176 #FallProductivity
Episode 175 #HowtoUseaBurnChart
Episode 174: #WhenIt'sReallyHard
Episode 173, #LiteraryMagsandPopularAcademics
39: #WriterTaxes
16: #FreshFallStart, Vacation Was Nice Now Back to Work
15: #BeforeTheBook, Things You Can Do to Ensure the Success of Your Work
14: #ItTakesTwo, How to Write with a Partner
13: #HowItsDone, A Step By Step for Self-Publishing
12: #MistakesWereMade, The Quest for Truth and Perfection
11: #AmDissecting, Adding Structure to Creativity
10: #WriteNow, Feed Your Writing, with Reading, Bouncy Balls and Silence
9: #ActuallyTypingWords, Stay in the Chair and Write Now!
8: #DeadofExposure, Should You Write for Free and Great Long Reads
7: #AmResearching, Keep Those Notes Organized, and Remember When...
6: #AmRecommending, Tech Tools (High and Low) and A Special Contest
5: #AmConferencing, Writing it Down and Making Connections
4: #AmInterviewing, The Art of the Interview and Ignoring the Inbox
3: #AmOverwhelmed, Killing Other People’s Darlings and Timing Pitches
2: #AmPitching, Good Strategies and Unexpected Hurdles
1: #AmProcrastinating, with Frankensock and Poop