Writer Craft Podcast

(Main Topic): Anthony Aleman was born in 1988 and raised on the fourteenth floor of a South Bronx housing project at the height of the crack wars. He spent much of his childhood in foster care and group homes. He wrote BARLESS because the truth needs telling no matter how ugly it gets, and because no one is broken - every warrior carries scars. It is his first book, told in the voice of the boy who lived it. He founded Barless Press, and lives in Rockland County.     My guiding principle became: I wanted readers to feel what I felt, not read what I went through. (How did that work for you in reality? Did you use it as a writing prompt, or as an editing tool?) Write chapter at a time and edit: If I'm rushing past something, I stop and look inside. It becomes a therapeutic session. No one was a villain, even if as an adult, I can maybe see there was. I tell the truth at that time, new emotions not allowed in the book. Betraying the child if I did that. Disconnected from the story as an adult. Trauma was most solidified memories, but the mundane days are a blur; disassociate Support people checking in with you as you were writing.    Trust the reader, they understand the immersion,  I started questioning whether things I had always considered parts of my personality might actually have begun as ways of surviving childhood. Shrinking and hiding is surviving, a bad situation is okay. As an adult, introvert? No. Maybe I'm not. Response was shocking. Horrified (them) vs. normal (me).  Comes in different forms. Anxiety,  Mom story (FB analytics, mom viewed new story, paranoid that she'll come kill me); relax, It opened old wound. Dove deeper "I'm going in there!" Followed curiosity, and be delicate, why am I feeling this way? Is  it logical? Sometimes that leads you to the best writing.  Connect the dots between the childhood and the adult; somebody else wrote it. Who wrote this? My inner me. Out of body experience.    After leaving the Bronx, to wild nomad, the next memoir installment. How to be human? Don't overthink it. Just say it, you can delete it later. IG @barlessamemoir https://barlesspress.com     Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan 

What are you reading? Just finished:   On Fire Island (Jane Rosen) Nonfiction Cultish : The Language of Fanaticism (Amanda Montell) Creative Act (Rick Rubin)  Fiction: Unlikely Animals (Annie Hartnett)   (Main Topic): Residency:  Home:  original plan architect water concession little rental while building various reasons added up to can't start building until the water concession is final (6 months - 3 years) August: need to move to different rental (no answer at Village, but yes from landlord, no again from village); started looking off the mountain and discussed pricing; a neighbor had an idea; it's a go!  moved last week of August; house guests arrived Sept 4th car Buddy miracle on the Monday before our friends arrived still repairs happening now. (Time moves differently here. Pura Vida and "mañana" are real.) had a pre-party; another gathering happening on Nov 5, but waiting until the fence is built and we have bookshelves up and all the art up before having the housewarming party. Anytime I start thinking about the date for that party ... I remind myself that I have no idea when the work will be done. Much like setting a launch date for a new book can't be set until you know when the editing and revision will happen and the cover is finished, I can't set the party date until I know when the work will be done here. And one never knows. Too many variables.  Business:  Taxes. !!! Bane of my existence. Can I file another extension?  AI conversations and concerns in our house (husband unemployed tech writer currently) and where I can pivot: international retreats. In person events. Telegram Broadcast Channel: drop a voice note (mini podcast episode), open for coaching questions, and I'll answer them in the Telegram channel. Not live. But for 24-48 hours after the initial audio drop, I'll be glued to the app and answer in as real time as my schedule and time zone allow. If you're in Europe, .... ;-) Retreat: have been doing my retreats wrong (even though I loved them) know what I need to change on the back end (more realistic) Blueprint program and getting coached find a venue "much like setting a date for a book launch..." Taking a card from the Pura Vida mindset and will set a date once I get most of those variables solidified. Patreon: memberships added value (quarterly full moon micro writing retreats) monthly reflections, happy hours, book clubs, oracle spreads (Story Arcana) two live calls each month for Witchy Book Doula (book) coaching and Focus and Finish (life) coaching plus any content I create (videos, essays, books, etc.) Travel: (2026: Jan/Feb: Epic Road Trip took us through 7 countries; August: Spain/Mallorca; September: Massachusetts; 2027: March: Florida; Later: Oregon? Washington? Mexico or Nicaragua?; 2028: India and Turkey) solar eclipse chaser (Oregon, canceled Texas one (Fatma died), and Mallorca) New Moon, Solar Eclipse ritual during Lion's Gate and I'm a Leo Rising in my astrology chart. (journaling)(crossing the threshold: who am I? What am I claiming? What am I releasing?) Lion's Gate Declaration: "I am a witchy book doula, helping writers find their voices, sitting with them until they feel real, channeling both sacred and mundane--without plan or performance. I ground easily on a yoga mat, praying to my guides and ancestors, finding answers within and listening deeply. I dance on the earth that smells of sandalwood and roses."  Spirituality: (see above) + more oracle cards! (Magic Manifestation Diary -- Tatyana Gosh) Fitness: gym at the house; yoga class at the center? Back and forth here? Walking with Ali and Usha; swimming. Meditation. Two days now. It really works.   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)

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)