“As the world changes, what place do my polyamorous romantic comedy novels have in our society? If the world now understands and somewhat accepts open relationships, is there even a need for my novels? These novels are for pre-pandemic times, BEFORE a lot of things changed — so what happens now? Are they ‘subversive enough,’ and is there a place for them?” These are some of the questions your host, polyamorous romcom indie author and Life Coach Sagan Morrow, explores in this episode of the Au...
Using generative AI to quote-unquote “write” a book is harmful not only to the artists those people are plagiarizing from, but it’s also harmful to the plagiarizer and to CREATIVITY, itself. Let’s talk about that! In this episode, your Author Diary Entries podcast host — romcom novelist and Personal Fulfillment Coach Sagan Morrow — takes the conversation about *AI as art theft* a step further by exploring the self-exploitation that occurs throughout this process, and the way in which we...
What is the art of creative weirdness? What are some great examples of creative weirdness, and how can YOU tap into your own creative weirdness when you are creating art (of any kind)? What is the ONE situation in which creative weirdness is NOT effective? Does art NEED to be “weird” in order to be powerful and incredible? What social commentary and feminist lenses can we view mainstream blockbuster action movies like Die Hard and Top Gun? We answer all of these questions and more in th...
In this episode, your host and indie author Sagan Morrow shares her experience with reviewing her current work-in-progress (Book 8 in the Polyamorous Passions series) using a "reader mindset" prior to doing rewrites! She shares her process and results for reviewing her current WIP as a reader: Find out a breakdown of the process she’s using, the game-changing book writing method that’s shifted her out of Author mindset and into Reader mindset (plus why this matters), and 5 fascina...
What is creative cross training, and how can it help you navigate (and overcome) creative blocks? In this episode, Sagan shares examples of creative cross training and the importance of creative cross training (and how it’s prevented her from having any major creative blocks as a business owner, indie author, and multi-passionate creative)... ...Plus why focusing on one thing can get boring and lead to creative stagnation, and 5 important tips for effective creative cross training. Resources ...
In this episode, we explore the difference between polyamorous IDENTITY vs the PRACTICE of that identity, and answer these questions: Can you write about polyamory if you aren’t ACTIVELY polyamorous? Do you ever think being polyamorous is a phase, and that you and your spouse might go back to being monogamous? Resources mentioned in this episode: Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.co...
Find out why Sagan got outraged at a random person’s Instagram comment when they were dismissive of a 30-something Twilight Instagrammer reading Young Adult novels, the POWER of the YA genre, why you should read what makes you happy, her opinions about referring to romance novels as “fluffy,” and more! Resources mentioned in this episode: Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books Author Diary Entries podcast, ep 180: Labels and gatekeeping in r...
“Do you write queer characters?” → Well… Yes and no! In this episode, I explain why this question is a tricky one, what makes a novel “queer enough” (an even more loaded question!), the nuance behind all of this, and the importance of using the words and labels that feel right for you. Resources mentioned in this episode: Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books Episode 180 on the Author Diary Entries Podcast: Labels and gatekeeping in romance...
Is it rude to refer to a romance novel “smut”? Not to me ;) You can call my books whatever you want! …BUT, there’s a lot of nuance to this (and context matters) — so in this episode, we’re exploring important questions we need to ask around the labels we use, our intentions behind our word choices, and the problems with gatekeeping in the romance novel community. Examples we discuss in this episode include: Smut, enemies to lovers trope, spice levels, smutty vs spicy vs sexy, and “fairy...
In this episode, your host (and indie author) Sagan Morrow shares an author update about what she's been working on since our previous episode over a year ago, plus why we've rebranded the podcast from "Indie Author Weekly" to "Author Diary Entries!" Resources mentioned in this episode: Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books Haus of Misfit: https://www.hausofmisfit.ca/ Life coaching with Sagan: SaganMorrow.com/coaching Solopreneur ...
In this episode, we explore the dynamic of being a beginner vs being intermediate at your practice... and why being a beginner can, in some ways, be a lot easier! Tune in now to find out about the pressure I put on myself in my 2nd solo burlesque dance performance, what I took from that experience compared to my 1st solo burlesque act, how this connects back to my work as a fiction author, and the top 3 takeaways for how you can apply this to your own creative practice or craft (including imp...
In our previous episode, Episode 176, we talked about what it means to be a creative and an indie author — and how it can be so much more comprehensive than book writing! That's why, in today’s episode, I want to build on that and share with you the idea creation and writing process around my weekly Saturday email newsletter: the Solopreneur Diary Entries. Tune in now for the inside scoop on what that weekly newsletter is all about, an exercise to expand your own creativity, why I never wor...
In our most recent couple of episodes here on the Indie Author Weekly podcast, we’ve been exploring the importance of trust in the creative process — including self trust and trusting others. I want to take it a step back today and ask this question: What does it even mean to be a creative, and, since this is the Indie Author Weekly podcast, what does it mean to be an indie author? Especially given that recently here on the podcast, I’ve been sharing about my creative process in designing bur...
In this episode, we explore the delicate balance of the creative process when you are a solo artist — Because it’s hard to maintain distance and objectivity when you are working on creative pursuits in a silo! Is it good enough? Is it good at all? Are you conveying what you intend to convey? Even if it IS “good enough,” what interesting improvements can be made? And if you don’t have confidence in it being “good enough,” how is that going to affect the way you share your work with the world? ...
In this episode, I talk about the balance between trusting yourself AND not believing that negative voice in your head which might be filled with self doubt. As long-time listeners of the podcast will already know, I’m a Personal Fulfillment Coach when I’m not writing novels! And many of my clients first come to me because they’re struggling internally: there’s an internal battle going on, where they have a mean voice in their head that sends them into negative thought spirals. I feel like w...
Last week, I went through the entirety of my current work in progress — Book 8 in the Polyamorous Passions series. So today I want to share with you what happened when I read through it… It had been a few months since I last worked on it, so it was great to review it with fresh eyes! There were 5 main things that jumped out at me… TUNE IN to this episode to find out what I realized and discovered as a result of reviewing the first full draft of my current work in progress manuscript. Resour...
This episode is a follow-up to the previous episode, and shares recommendations and thoughts about how to improve your relationship with the creative process (what to do BEFORE you even sit down at the computer and start writing, plus a beautiful question to hold onto and guide you through the creative process). Resources & links mentioned in this episode: Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business ...
In this episode, find out how my 2024 Word of the Year — ELEVATE — connects back and translates into my work as a writer... elevating my approach to my work! PLUS, tune in to find out what I am NOT doing this year as an indie author (this decision feels so, so good). Resources & links mentioned in this episode: Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorro...
How can you prioritize writing (or any creative pursuit, or a solopreneur business, or a passion project, or a hobby, etc) when life “gets in the way”? In this episode, learn my 3-step strategy for how to DO this — plus a personal example of this in action with my own writing projects. Want help with unpacking mindset blocks, setting and upholding boundaries, strategizing plans, and keeping accountable to what you want from you life? I’m here to support you! Book a coaching call: https://saga...
I began a new solo development dance class last month in preparation for my first-ever solo burlesque show... and that's given me a few ideas for incorporating burlesque choreography and culture into my upcoming romcom novel (Book 8 in the Polyamorous Passions series)! Resources & links mentioned in this episode: Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmor...