Writer Craft Podcast

Hello aligned authors! I'm Valerie Ihsan, and this is Episode 221 of the podcast and it's September 22, 2026 as I record this.  Main Topic:  Jane Ward (creativity, baking, travel, and how to do anything creative when you don't consider yourself an artist)   PATREON: Thank you to my existing patrons for believing in my work offline and here in the podcast. If you are a patron, in either tier, you get all my content, always. You can support me and my dreams and my writing and my aligned author life for $11.11 USD, and I will be so so grateful. Truly. Heart to heart. Gratitude for your gifts. If you want coaching too (with TWO LIVE CALLS EACH MONTH, you can BACK me at $55.55/mo USD). You will NEVER find coaching sessions for less money than this. If you've ever wanted continued support for your writing and accountability for your projects, this is the way to do it.    Become a patron of the arts and of me at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.    And you can support my friend and colleague and Visiting Co-Host author Erick Mertz at Patreon.com/strangeairstories for short stories in the paranormal mystery genre.      Announcements/Author Updates: mini-writing retreat was a lot of fun; it felt special; I spent a couple of hours with two lovely ladies; and I got a lot of writing done. I'm thinking I'll do that maybe quarterly. Setting up a Telegram Broadcast channel for a monthly chat and Q&A I want to call it something more fun than that. I'm a writer, but copywriting is a different skill. ;-) Spain (plus trying to find a place to live!) + Eclipse;  Structure and Spark (writing process and book planning) more editing What are you reading? Just finished:  •We Need Your Art (Amie McNee) and The Someday Gardener (Ashly Poston) and Kiss Her Once For Me (Alison Cochran) Creative Act (Rick Rubin)  Fiction: On Fire Island (Jane Rosen)     (Main Topic): "Being Creative When You Don't Think of Yourself as an Artist" with Jane Ward Also, "Bread Baking and Writing Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly"   Jane Ward is the author of Hunger (Forge 2001), The Mosaic Artist (2011), and In The Aftermath (She Writes Press 2021). After graduating from Simmons College, Jane began working almost immediately in the food and hospitality industry, doing everything from planning private events to working as a weekend baker in a neighborhood bakery. Later, she became a contributing writer to an online regional and seasonal food magazine, and a blogger and occasional host of cooking videos for an internet recipe resource affiliated with several regional newspapers. Most recently she has contributed book reviews to Story Circle and Mom Egg Review. She loves to travel and often documents her trips through travel photography. Jane lives in Ipswich, Massachusetts. 1. Let's talk about artists. As an author, do you consider yourself an artist? Yes. The craft of writing is artistry. Paint pictures with words. In what other ways do you consider yourself an artist? Photography helps to process what I see visually.  Cooking is an art form. Look at things in a diff ways and we all have commonalities. Living an aligned author life to me means living from the inside out. Showing up on the outside as who you are on the inside. That your behaviors and actions mirror your internal values and the codes you say you want to live your life by. I don't see being an artist differently. I think we are all artists. And that our art, our self-expression, can be cooking, gardening, painting, singing, or even teaching.  2. For beginning writers, who barely dare to call themselves writers (let alone authors), how would you coax them into accepting the moniker of Artist for themselves? Step up and call yourself an artists. Don't have a body of work yet. Claim your space.  I can be part of this. Confidence that you have intention. 2.5. Why do you think a person wouldn't consider themselves artistic or creative? Where do those stories get started? From our youth we hear, don't rock the boat, stay in line. Don't put yourself out there. Don't speak up too loudly. Be humble. Be grateful. Might never even considered art for self-expression.But assertive isn't a bad word. Stand up for yourself. 3. Why baking bread for you? And how does it marry up with writing so well in your mind (and your life)? Soothing ritual (baking bread). Struggling with a manuscript? Do something with my hands and turn my mind off. Stop the noise in my head. Meditation on waiting. Working with the time you have. Sometimes it takes longer than you think.  (Anthony St.Clair from Learners and Makers said that he was taught that if you were a writer, you also had to do something with your hands. To get into your body and out of your head to balance it out. He chose cooking and baking. ... I remember when in massage school, I had to take an art class of some sort (didn't matter what) to balance out all the intellectual science and book-learning I was doing.) 4. Tell us about your travels and how they've affected your writing life. Walking holidays. Just become a body in time and space. Just moving. Anti - sitting in a chair and churn out stuff from my mind.  Art museums, talk with people who've been there. Understand the different people and cultures.  Informs the writing: interactions between people. Knowing the way other people act makes us more aware of how diff characters would react. Expand your mind with what you don't know.  Not just write about myself. Does the reader come on the journey with me? Is this making sense? Is this furthering what I'm trying to say? (For the editing process) Always start with an idea of what I want to say (that you hope they will take away). 5. Tell us about your latest book. Should Have Told You Sooner. About a woman in her 50s, goes on a journey of reexamining her past and living with the consequences of her actions. 6. What are you most excited about these days? Weighed down these days, but feel lucky I can use my imagination! Author friends get together and lift each other up. Coffee dates, dinners, walks. Janeaward.com sign up for newsletter (recipes, photography, articles); @authorjaneward on IG and Threads. "No Lessons Yet"- a great title for a memoir; Who wants it? :-) 7. What are you reading? The Correspondent (Virginia Evans) While editing, Jane reads mysteries (British police procedurals), like from Ian Rankin, and Elizabeth George.   Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan  Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor

 Why Romance Novels Are More Serious Than People Think,  with Francesca Frost   PATREON: Thank you to my existing patrons for believing in my work offline and here in the podcast. If you are a patron, in either tier, you get all my content, always. You can support me and my dreams and my writing and my aligned author life for $11.11 USD, and I will be so so grateful. Truly. Heart to heart. Gratitude for your gifts. If you want coaching too (with TWO LIVE CALLS EACH MONTH, you can BACK me at $55.55/mo USD). You will NEVER find coaching sessions for less money than this. If you've ever wanted continued support for your writing and accountability for your projects, this is the way to do it.    Become a patron of the arts and of me at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.    And you can support my friend and colleague and Visiting Co-Host author Erick Mertz at Patreon.com/strangeairstories for short stories in the paranormal mystery genre.      Announcements/Author Updates: I'm talking to a woman today about doing the breath work, sound healing, and yoga for the retreat. valerieihsan.com/retreat waitlist. Free Mini writing retreat for patron members (paid and unpaid) is Thursday, August 27th at 5:00 p.m. MT. 2 hours long (cozy, candle; oracle card pull to set intention; check-in: 1 struggle, 1 win, what you are working on tonight; guided meditation; writing words; share word count (optional)); The link is in the last post in Patreon. finished a client project retreat in Uvita for the day. Sound healing was amazing. Structure and Spark (writing process and book planning) more editing What are you reading? Just finished:  • Creative Act (Rick Rubin)  Fiction: Cold Comfort Farm (Stella Gibbons)     (Main Topic): Why Romance Novels Are More Serious Than People Think,  with Francesca Frost 1. You said that love stories are doing some of the most interesting intellectual and emotional work in contemporary literature. Say more about that. When did literary fiction get less dirty? The Atlantic Sally Rooney "Intermezzo" Colleen hoover, sold 35 million copies; 5 on best seller list at the same time. Successful because of her  Current themes of polyamory, and gender fluidity. 2. You like to talk about how Fiction can be used as a Way to Rewrite our Real Lives. Say more about that. Atonement (Ian McEwan) rewrites their story. That's her atonement. Write the stories we deserve. Rewrite our ones. Give them the story they didn't have. What if it didn't happen that way? What if xxx was run by a moral person? Effective Altruism. Make money for the purposes of giving it away. 3. Why do you think romance novels are more serious than you think? More deep than I thought. Fiction is rehearsal room for life. Simulate social experience.  Collecting first chapters and premise and plots of romance novels to use as study guides. 4. Heard it said that romance is the hardest to write because the formula is one of the strongest of genres and the ending is already preset with that HEA. Do you agree? And how have you managed to combat those constrictions? HEAs are Moral structures, despite all bad, two people can do the work and there is always hope. Read craft books, writing retreat, master class courses, webinars, immerse self in how stories work. Wired for Story was favorite. And Bird by Bird. (For two years.) Then studied romance, read 500 novels. About five years to write first books. Constraints force creativity. Learning to write a hopeful ending emotional journey for her. Natural inclination thrillers, kill off the characters. 50 Shades of Gray approach. Introduced the reader to the world through a love story. Introduce cryptocurrency world through a love story, need more women in cryptocurrency. 5. Strong views of story is strong, stand up to the editors.  Wish stronger when talking to editors, pick your battles,  The Crypto King's Muse by Francesca Frost Use Spotify playlists to match the novels. Playlist Crypto King's Muse Writing a book is a strange experience. Years alone with imaginary people and hope that Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan  Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor Tools: ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

Main Topic:  Balance and Flow with Steven Puri     PATREON: Thank you to my existing patrons for believing in my work offline and here in the podcast. If you are a patron, in either tier, you get all my content, always. You can support me and my dreams and my writing and my aligned author life for $11.11 USD, and I will be so so grateful. Truly. Heart to heart. Gratitude for your gifts. If you want coaching too (with TWO LIVE CALLS EACH MONTH, you can BACK me at $55.55/mo USD). You will NEVER find coaching sessions for less money than this. If you've ever wanted continued support for your writing and accountability for your projects, this is the way to do it.    Become a patron of the arts and of me at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.    And you can support my friend and colleague and Visiting Co-Host author Erick Mertz at Patreon.com/strangeairstories for short stories in the paranormal mystery genre.      Announcements/Author Updates: I've started looking into specific venues for the retreat here in Costa Rica, and I'm working on the sales page. If you are interested in the updates on the retreat, you can subscribe to the waitlist at  https://valerieihsan.com/retreat. And if you are retreat alumni, look for an email coming very soon. UPDATE: Date for Free Mini writing retreat for patron members (paid and unpaid) is Thursday, August 27th at 5:00 p.m. MT. 2 hours long (cozy, candle; oracle card pull to set intention; check-in: 1 struggle, 1 win, what you are working on tonight; guided meditation; writing words; share word count (optional)); The link is in the last post in Patreon. Client work Structure and Spark (writing process and book planning) What are you reading? Just finished:  • Creative Act (Rick Rubin)  Fiction: Cold Comfort Farm (Stella Gibbons)     (Main Topic): Steven Puri is one of the few people on Earth who has been a senior executive at two motion picture studios and also raised over $20MM in venture capital. He's produced the digital effects for Independence Day which won the Oscar for Visual Effects and in addition to his film work, he's founded 3 start-ups - one successful exit and two failures. He lectures now on the lessons in sustainable high-performance he learned working alongside some of the world's more productive people. Flow states can help writers do better work with less friction. Concentrated state, "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi; Being "In the Zone", muses, river to paddle, but align my boat with the current. How to drop into flow: Charles Limb, look at brains of jazz musicians, prefrontal cortex stops when they drop in to the music. Music, 60-90 beats per minutes, d minor, non vocal, lulling, long melodical passages, (not love or hate it) Film composers binaural beats in headphones stimulates the brain to pay attention in a different way. Rain triggers it too. What kind of sound works for you the best to reach that flow state? Are you going to get that book out of you in this lifetime? Have to have the skills, but not phone it in, challenged, believe it's meaningful.       Find Us:   Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan  Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor Tools: ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

Main Topic:  Pockets of Pivots: Pivoting and Tweaking Your Way Through the First Year as a Full-Time Writer with repeat guest JP Rindfleisch IX       PATREON: Thank you to my existing patrons for believing in my work offline and here in the podcast. If you are a patron, in either tier, you get all my content, always. You can support me and my dreams and my writing and my aligned author life for $11.11 USD, and I will be so so grateful. Truly. Heart to heart. Gratitude for your gifts. If you want coaching too (with TWO LIVE CALLS EACH MONTH, you can BACK me at $55.55/mo USD). You will NEVER find coaching sessions for less money than this. If you've ever wanted continued support for your writing and accountability for your projects, this is the way to do it.    Become a patron of the arts and of me at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.    And you can support my friend and colleague and Visiting Co-Host author Erick Mertz at Patreon.com/strangeairstories for short stories in the paranormal mystery genre.      Announcements/Author Updates: I've started looking into specific venues for the retreat here in Costa Rica, and I'm going to start working on the sales page today. If you are interested in the updates on the retreat, you can subscribe to the waitlist at  https://valerieihsan.com/retreat. And if you are retreat alumni, look for an email coming very soon. UPDATE: Date for Free Mini writing retreat for patron members (paid and unpaid) is Thursday, August 27th at 5:00 p.m. MT. 2 hours long (cozy, candle; oracle card pull to set intention; check-in: 1 struggle, 1 win, what you are working on tonight; guided meditation; writing words; share word count (optional)); The link is in the last post in Patreon. There's a new essay up in Patreon, What are you reading? Just finished:  Mosswood Apothecary (JP Rindfleisch IX) The Reliable Narrator (Grace Sammon) Creative Act (Rick Rubin)  Fiction: Cold Comfort Farm (Stella Gibbons) Do Less by Kate Northrup   (Main Topic):   JP Rindfleisch IX (he/they) writes stories where whimsy meets the weird — cozy queer fantasy and strange fiction about grief, transformation, and unapologetic queer joy. Their first solo novel, Mandrake Manor, won the 2025 IPPY Silver Medal in LGBTQ+ Fiction, the 2024 Reader Ready Award TOP PICK, and a 2023 American Writing Awards Finalist nod. Since then, the catalog has kept growing: Mosswood Apothecary (Tales of Valdaes), (Valdayus) a complete six-book dark paranormal academy series co-written with A.B. Cohen, the paranormal comedy NRDS: National Recently Deceased Services with Jeff Elkins, and more still coming. Away from fiction, JP is a Three Story Method Certified Editor and Dialogue Doctor, the author of the craft guide Story Hypothesis: The Missing Piece of Your Fiction Puzzle, and current co-host of Write Wrong Repeat. They also founded Rockford Area Writers — because someone told them writing was a solitary practice, and they disagreed. The community is now 80+ members strong. JP lives in Rockford, Illinois, with a very chatty African grey parrot and a husky with strong feelings about the walk schedule. When they're not writing, you'll find them cooking something vegan or somewhere on a trail. Represented by Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency, who has placed five audiobook deals with Tantor Media and Simon Maverick. "The Post Glam of Full-Time Authoring, One year out"     Good progress with ads, and then paid ads started dropping off, so doubled down on having more presence. TikTok Lives, talking events, book fairs, draining but what I enjoy, revenue vs what am I enjoying. Rediscovered joys Values shifted, Tarot reminds you monthly; want to vs have to;  Body doubles help with accountability. Sunday Social Media, schedule it out, ability to play is most important   Wake up, walk dog, desk work all morning with pomodoro 30/5, body double on Zoom or TwitchStreams; what can I get done or what's loudest. Morning is creative time; afternoons are for TikTok lives, pack orders, talk to people about books. Lives are "in-person" events.  TwitchLives are Virtual Book Events.   Input: JP is reading right now: One Last Stop (sapphic romance by Casey McQuiston); Upgrade (Blake Crouch)   Want to get used to local events. Rule: it's still worth my time if there are authors at the book event that I can network with. What are the good events in the area? Go to more and more selective ones. Look at their past attendance; refine your book pitch (say them fast)(TikTok hook); practice with fast form short videos, do multiple times to see what works. (learn to say No if not well attended) Knowing your why. Goal is to sell. But know the area writers, what works in the area. Friendship with bookstores, ways the city can uplift, arts councils.      Slump, persistence to correct the dip, checks and balances: recognize patterns, being more honest about what's working, not working, overworking, making sure the various things I spend time on will move the needle forward.   How can I have more community - Writer's Ink Podcast sometimes, The Dialogue Doctor sometimes, Write, Wrong, Repeat.  Pre-orders: Belladonna Bed and Breakfast, Bone and Ward; new audiobook: Mosswood Apothecary Family time and vacation time.  Schedule in the free time.         Find Us:   Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan  Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor Tools: ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

(Main Topic):   Wheel of Life overview: health, friends/family, significant other, personal growth, fun and leisure, home environment, career, money   What is your satisfaction in these areas? Goal: level them out for a smoother ride. It's not to increase all the levels to 10.   Ask instead: What # do you want this section to be at? What needs to happen for you to get that # where you want it to be?   Wheel of Writing Life: Health (Are you fit enough to sit at a desk and write?); Family/friends (found family/tribe) Are they supportive?; Admin/Promotion/Meta Data (awards, contests, book events, pitching podcasts, website updates); Money Flow (basic needs met through a combo of income streams); Author Career (how many books published, platform? What's your definition of success?); Production (includes writing schedule and publishing schedule, goals); Environment (office, coffee shop, quiet work space?); Industry Resources/Development (classes, retreat, conferences) Find Us:   Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan  Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor