Embracing the Fiction Author Journey

For many parents, moms in particular, society perpetuates the idea that we should sacrifice everything for our children. So how do we push that aside and give ourselves permission to write now and pursue our creative dreams?
In this episode, you’ll hear how Megan Clancy did that—not only for herself but also the writers she coaches. Megan is a writer of upmarket women's fiction and queer contemporary romance, a book coach, a former high school English teacher, and a mother of two young children.
Needless to say, she has a lot to say on this topic.
So stay tuned to learn how she’s overcome these obstacles. And bonus: Find out how to own your identity as a writer today.
Topics discussed in this episode:

• Losing yourself and writing in parenthood
• Fighting against societal norms
• Changing your mindset
• Setting boundaries with the family
• Owning your identity as a writer now
• Addressing the impossibility of writing dreams as mothers
• Getting past mom guilt
• Finding your confidence
• Sapphic women’s fiction
• Favorite books

About Megan:
Megan Clancy is a writer of upmarket women's fiction and queer contemporary romance. She has a BA in English/Creative Writing from Colorado College, an MFA from the University of Melbourne, and worked as a high school English teacher before becoming a full-time writer and book coach. She loves to travel, which frequently inspires her writing, and has lived and worked in Australia, Nepal, and the United States. She currently lives in California with her husband and two young children.
Get her book:

• The Burden of a Daughter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937818993/

Connect with Megan

• Website: http://www.meganaclancy.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mclancyauthor
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mclancyauthor/

Books discussed during the show:

• The No-Show, by Beth O’Leary
• Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
• Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, by Ashley Herring Blake
• The Magic Treehouse, by Mary Pope Osborne
• Dragon Masters, by Tracey West
• I Built a House, by Chris Van Dunsen
• Maybe, by Kobi Yamada
• The Remember Balloons, by Jessie Oliveros
• Robin and Her Misfits, by Kelly Ann Jacobson
• Tinkerbell and Wendy, by Kelly Ann Jacobson

Send us a text

Looking for an editor or book coach?
As an indie author, editor, and book coach, I teach authors how to untangle their jumbled ideas and tackle each writing stage one at a time.
With my 20 years’ experience and my master’s in writing, I have a 4-stage process that takes authors from struggling with overwhelm to finishing their manuscripts with confidence and direction in 6 months.
As such, I love spending time with my clients and watching them grow into strong, knowledgeable authors. Read more here, and schedule a call to see if we're a good fit: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting.

Have you started revising your story only to feel like you're going in circles? Does the revision process feel overwhelming and you don't know what to tackle next?
In today's episode, you are going to learn how you can use different lenses to review your work and how this method can help make the revision process less chaotic.
Tune in to learn 6 different editing lenses for the revision process that you can start using today.
Topics discussed in this episode:

• Changing your focus
• Simplifying overwhelm
• 1. Time and location
• 2. Showing emotions
• 3. Character arcs
• 4. Chapter purpose
• 5. Plot
• 6. Mood
• The four stages of the writing process

About Erin:
Erin P.T. Canning has worked for more than 15 years as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals.
She always planned to write a book. Then she had kids. While she focused on them, she stopped writing—for six years. Something deep inside was missing. Depression, anxiety, and anger forced her to search for herself, both for her sake and her family’s.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. One journal entry led to one blog post that led to her creating her podcast, Parents Who Write. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help others pursue their writing dreams.
Finally, she finished writing her own shitty first draft and will release her first novel in 2023. She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she lives with her husband and their two boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
• Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
• Book a free 30-minute consultation call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting

Send us a text

Looking for an editor or book coach?
As an indie author, editor, and book coach, I teach authors how to untangle their jumbled ideas and tackle each writing stage one at a time.
With my 20 years’ experience and my master’s in writing, I have a 4-stage process that takes authors from struggling with overwhelm to finishing their manuscripts with confidence and direction in 6 months.
As such, I love spending time with my clients and watching them grow into strong, knowledgeable authors. Read more here, and schedule a call to see if we're a good fit: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting.

Have you pondered writing children’s book but aren’t sure how to pull the whole project together, from prose, to illustrations, to publication?
In this episode, Sheryl Bass discusses various resources that can help you write and publish your book, how to handle illustrations, and what to consider when pondering traditional or self-publishing.
You’ll also learn more about social emotional learning and how you can incorporate these messages into your books to help foster positive messages for children. Also enjoy hearing an excerpt of Sherly’s rhyming storybook.
Topics discussed in this episode:

• Being a midwife to others’ creativity
• The sneeze that inspired a children’s book
• The importance of rhyme vs what’s fashionable
• The challenge of being an unknown author
• Holding onto an idea for years
• Creating your own author’s brand
• Incorporating SEL into children’s books
• Pros to self-publishing
• Cons to self-publishing
• Finding self-publishing services, such as editors and illustrators
• Four tips for writing children’s books
• Our children provide us with built-in resources
• How your kids can help you choose an illustrator
• Writing isn’t a race
• The benefits of reading your story aloud
• An excerpt from Baby Dragon’s Big Sneeze
• Adding more kindness to the world

About Sheryl:
Sheryl Bass holds a master’s degree in Social Work and has studied child development, and she uses these insights to inform her picture book writing. Her goal in creating Be-Kind Publishing is to produce lighthearted rhyming stories with gentle themes of teamwork and friendship.
Sheryl also holds a master’s degree in Journalism and is currently working in public relations. Sheryl resides just outside of Chicago, IL with her husband and two terriers.
Get her book:

• Baby Dragon’s Big Sneeze: https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Dragons-Big-Sneeze-Children/dp/B0BJTFPQ55

Connect with Sheryl:

• Website: http://www.be-kindpublishing.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087176800294
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/be.kind.publishing/

Resources discussed during the show:

• April Cox, coach, Self-Publishing Made Simple
• Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
• Laura Bontje, children’s book editor
• Children’s Book Insider
• Remesh Ram, illustrator, Prayan Animation

Send us a text

Looking for an editor or book coach?
As an indie author, editor, and book coach, I teach authors how to untangle their jumbled ideas and tackle each writing stage one at a time.
With my 20 years’ experience and my master’s in writing, I have a 4-stage process that takes authors from struggling with overwhelm to finishing their manuscripts with confidence and direction in 6 months.
As such, I love spending time with my clients and watching them grow into strong, knowledgeable authors. Read more here, and schedule a call to see if we're a good fit: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting.

Getting back into writing as a parent can be difficult. Add the fact that only 5% of writers finish their first draft, and things can feel a bit dire.
Although this statistic may look scary, it’s not all doom and gloom! There is hope; as long as we can pinpoint what is getting in our way, there is a path to a solution.
In today’s episode, your host, Erin P.T. Canning, wants to share her journey in battling with finishing her first draft and what she learned along the way. Fear, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, losing confidence in herself and her abilities were all common themes in her journey. But she found a way to combat these heavy obstacles, and she wants to share how she did it with you!
Tune in to hear how to take the pressure off of yourself by making things easy and uncomplicated with straightforward steps you can implement today, such as setting parameters in your writing, knowing when to write and when to daydream, remembering to celebrate your wins along the way, and much more.
This episode is filled with actionable tips that can help any parent finish the first draft, so be sure to tune in today!
Topics discussed in this episode:

• Erin’s journey getting back into writing and finishing her first draft
• Removing the pressure of perfectionism: Tell, don’t show in your first draft
• Identifying goals and learning average stats for your genre
• Benefits of using a tracker
• Use placeholders to keep moving forward
• Getting passed the first chapter
• Setting up rewards for yourself along the way
• Exciting announcement!

About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family. As the years passed, she grew increasingly anxious, depressed, and angry until she realized that she had forgotten who she was beyond being a parent.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again. She first created her blog, Life Beyond Parenting, and then created the Parents Who Write podcast. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.
She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.
Connect with Erin:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
• Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
• Book a free 30-minute consultation call:

Send us a text

Looking for an editor or book coach?
As an indie author, editor, and book coach, I teach authors how to untangle their jumbled ideas and tackle each writing stage one at a time.
With my 20 years’ experience and my master’s in writing, I have a 4-stage process that takes authors from struggling with overwhelm to finishing their manuscripts with confidence and direction in 6 months.
As such, I love spending time with my clients and watching them grow into strong, knowledgeable authors. Read more here, and schedule a call to see if we're a good fit: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting.

Juggling motherhood, writing, and career aspirations?
Join Erin as she chats with author and editor Jessica Dall about her journey from fan fiction to publishing historical romance and romantasy.
Discover the challenges and rewards of balancing writing and editing, as well as the unexpected twists and turns of motherhood and creativity.
You’ll also learn valuable insights into the research process, the importance of support systems, and the power of perseverance in the writing world.
Key takeaways:

• The unique paths writers and editors take to their careers
• Balancing writing and editing as a creative professional
• Overcoming challenges like postpartum depression and finding support
• The importance of research and authenticity in historical fiction and romantasy
• Tips for managing writer's block and pushing through creative hurdles

Get Jessica’s books:

• https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jessica-Dall/author/B004G5527Q

Connect w/ Jessica:

• Website: https://jessicadall.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicadall
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicadallauthor
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessicadallauthor

Send us a text

Looking for an editor or book coach?
As an indie author, editor, and book coach, I teach authors how to untangle their jumbled ideas and tackle each writing stage one at a time.
With my 20 years’ experience and my master’s in writing, I have a 4-stage process that takes authors from struggling with overwhelm to finishing their manuscripts with confidence and direction in 6 months.
As such, I love spending time with my clients and watching them grow into strong, knowledgeable authors. Read more here, and schedule a call to see if we're a good fit: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting.