The Merry Writer Podcast

EPISODE SHOW NOTES When writing a book, it can be fun to keep track of the journey along the way. In today's episode, we discuss ways to track it, what you might want to log and some benefits. What we covered in this episode: Recording the dates Different milestones Sharing the hurdles Accountability Useful data As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy & Kris Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES It's no secret Ari and Rachel love using Scrivener for their creative writing projects. This week, they decide to dive into the software, gush about why they love it, and the cool features Scrivener offers. In this episode, we cover: What Scrivener is How Rachel uses it How Ari sets hers up Cool features it has Using it for non-writing You can check out Scrivener here. As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy & Kris Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of http://www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Today we are discussing some of the advice we've seen floating around that is written almost as gospel, but that we don't think is always the best advice. In this episode, we cover: Daily writing Word count Trends Reading genres   As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content. WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy & Kris Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0  

EPISODE SHOW NOTES As readers, one of the best ways to support authors is to leave a review of their book once we've read it. This week, we want to know: what does a book have to do to earn five stars from you? In this episode, we cover: Rachel's criteria for five stars Ari's 5-star threshold Comfort books As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy & Kris Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of http://www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Do you worry your story is not exciting enough? Depending on what you write and how you want to write it, not every book needs to be exciting but it needs to hold the reader's attention but you may still need to build up the excitement in some way. What we cover in this episode: Check your pacing (are there too many slow parts?) Use the slow parts intentionally to build tension and excitement Use the genre strength Use the plot formulas Kill your darlings Foreshadowing Be passionate As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy & Kris Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES In episode 217, we talked about what you should consider when agreeing to be a beta reader. We thought it'd be a good idea to talk about it from the other side, if you, the writer, is searching for beta readers. In this episode, we cover: Who your beta readers should be Ensure your ready for betas Being transparent with your betas Helping your betas be prepared for the process As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of http://www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy.

Have you considered hosting guests on your blog? There are some benefits to doing this and that's what we are talking about in today's episode! In this episode, we cover: Credibility Remember your audience Exposure Backlinks Networking Guidelines Deadlines Etiquettes Due diligence As always, thank you for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, like the video, and subscribe to the channel if you're not already! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy & Kris Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES I get it! It's a Monday and suddenly something pops up from The Merry Writer Podcast. This is a little Mini Merry Moment, to give a shout-out to Rachel's upcoming book: Apparitions Anonymous! Please make sure to give Rachel lots of love on this new endeavour. ​Add the book to your Goodreads, keep an eye out for it on Amazon or wherever you buy your books and don't forget to leave a review once you've read it!   Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of http://www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Have you ever wondered what it's like to set up an in-person book tour event? Have you thought about trying it but didn't know where to start? Well, you're in luck because L.E. Harper joins us this week to talk about running a successful book tour. In this episode, we cover: How L.E. began doing book tours The overall process to set one up Supplies to bring to an event Tips for running your first tour As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! ABOUT L.E. Harper L.E. Harper is a lifelong fantasy aficionado. From a young age, books about magic and dragons were her escape from reality. She suffers from depression, but her love for fantastical storytelling has given her something to live for. TikTok | Instagram | Bookshop | Amazon | Goodreads WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy & Kris Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of http://www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES We are talking about marketing today and discussing the possibilities of using Influencers for book marketing, including things you might want to consider. In this episode, we cover: Who is their audience? What is their engagement? What is the ROI (return on investment)? What is their content like? As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. Special Thanks To Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy & Kris Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of http://www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Things don't always go as planned and that includes your writing career. Your wants and desires might have changed over the years as you and your writing grew and improved. This week, we discuss what to do when you come to the realization that your writing goals have changed and what to do about it. In this episode, we cover: Your writing purpose Narrow vs broad goals Creating realistic and practical steps A reminder to not be afraid of change As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. BIG THANKS to our supporter Jeremy R Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of http://www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy.

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Today we are talking about quitting (nope, we are not quitting writing!) But we wanted to give some thoughts on why some writers may choose to quit writing. In this episode, we cover: Writing difficulty Writing as a career The results... Learning Prioritisation Lack of fun Procrastination Rejection Life changes Money As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Have you ever thought about quitting writing or did you quit something else and come to writing? Also, don't forget to give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. BIG THANKS to our supporter Jeremy R Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of http://www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Have you ever thought about going to school for creative writing? This week, Jason Harris joins us to discuss what getting a creative writing degree may look like. In this episode, we cover: Benefits of having a creative writing degree Typical lesson plans for a creative writing class How creative assignments may be graded Exercises you can do at home As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! ABOUT JASON HARRIS Jason Marc Harris teaches creative writing, folklore, and literature, and is the Creative Writing Coordinator at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. He graduated with a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Washington, and an MFA in fiction from Bowling Green State University, where he served as Fiction Editor of Mid-American Review. Creative work in journals such as Apex and Abyss, Marvels and Tales, Midwestern Gothic, Psychopomp Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post, and Writing Texas. His novella of weird horror Master of Rods and Strings republished in 2024 by Crystal Lake Publishing. Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Goodreads (Book) | Crystal Lake Publishing WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time. SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. BIG THANKS to our supporter Jeremy R Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of http://www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Today is all about regrets! We do love to pick some cheery topics. We each share our main writing regrets and would love to hear yours. Or if you don't have any regrets (lucky you) tell us that too! In this episode, we cover: Ari's regret Changing mindset Rachel's regret Different options As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please fill in the Google Form linked on that page. NOTICE: Our guest slots for 2024 are FILLED. Our Google Form is closed for the time being. Thank you all for your interest! SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there is plenty of free content, too if you just want to pop over there!) We appreciate your support. BIG THANKS to our supporter Jeremy R Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of http://www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Have you cracked the code to streamline your writing process? How about your author business? Or simply writing that first draft? This week, we discuss the Gantt Chart as a project management tool for you to use to help keep your novel writing on track. In this episode, we cover: What the Gantt Chart is and why you should try it How to use the Gantt Chart for writing How to make your own Gantt Chart As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content! WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW? If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page. If you still feel like you’re a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please fill in the Google Form linked on that page. Our guest slots for 2024 are FILLED. Our Google Form is closed for the time being. Thank you all for your interest! SUPPORT THE PODCAST Ko-fi You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support. BIG THANKS to our supporter Jeremy R Share If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments. CREDITS Hosts Ari Meghlen & Rachel Poli Music Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of http://www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Special Thanks Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy.