Parents Who Write

Parents have an unparalleled understanding of imposter syndrome. While many find writing to be a cathartic experience, facing the fear of rejection and failure stops many from pursuing their passion. Is 30 years old too late to become brave? Can you be an intern and a mom at the same time? Can you resurrect passions that used to feel impossible?

Joining today’s conversation on balancing writing and parenting is Danielle Hayden, freelance writer and mother to a young daughter. She gives valuable advice on freelancing, her new focus on creative writing, and making time for herself and her writing goals.

In working on their biggest obstacles in writing, such as procrastination and self-doubt, our host and Danielle have been able to help their own children combat negative self-talk. Even when mom guilt comes creeping in, they are able to remind themselves of the importance of meeting their own needs.

Danielle started her freelancing career with an internship at age 30 and has since had more than 80 pieces published — with more to come. Now, after focusing on nonfiction and journalistic writing, she’s pushing past her fears and turning to her childhood passion of fiction writing. She’s able to relish these moments while living a busy life as a parent.

Danielle is proving it’s never too late to chase after your dreams!

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Danielle’s background and self-published children’s book
• Why she loves to write and her favorite type of writing
• How to succeed as a freelance writer
• Tips for pitching ideas
• Danielle’s journey with fiction writing
• Danielle details her WIP essay collection and historical fiction book
• Putting pen to paper
• One pivotal lesson Danielle learned about writing
• Learning to “kill your darlings”
• Roadblocks Danielle has overcome in writing
• Conquering procrastination
• Writers and sleep deprivation
• Mom guilt
• 3pistolary, Danielle’s letter writing project
• Favorite books

About Danielle:

Danielle Hayden writes mostly creative nonfiction and journalistic pieces but also dabbles in fiction. She is currently working on an essay collection and a novel. She published her first children's book, A is for Aria, which she wrote as a gift to her daughter.
In 2021, Danielle launched the website 3pistolary to help build connection and community via the practice of letter writing. She lives in Seattle with her techie husband and kindergartener daughter.

Get her book:

• A is for Aria:
  https://www.lulu.com/shop/danielle-hayden-and-nithini-wathsala/a-is-for-aria/hardcover/product-gm4gve.html?q=&page=1&pageSize=4

Connect with Danielle:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniellehaydenwriter
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_daniellehayden_/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/wordsaremything
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-hayden-writer/
• Website: https://www.3pistolary.com/
• Website: https://www.daniellehayden.com/

Books discussed during the show:

• Pigeon Presents series by Mo Willems
• White Olea

Send us a text

Feeling stuck in your author journey? As an experienced editor, I specialize in helping writers like you, especially parents juggling family and creativity, finish and publish their books.
Take action on your writing dreams! Book a FREE 30-minute discovery call to discuss how I can help you implement these strategies and finally achieve your author goals.
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Bonus! Book your call and mention this episode for a free publishing check list.

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: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting

Send us a text

Feeling stuck in your author journey? As an experienced editor, I specialize in helping writers like you, especially parents juggling family and creativity, finish and publish their books.
Take action on your writing dreams! Book a FREE 30-minute discovery call to discuss how I can help you implement these strategies and finally achieve your author goals.
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Bonus! Book your call and mention this episode for a free publishing check list.

Parenthood brings unmeasurable joy, but it’s also possible to feel lost in a new world of responsibility. For writers, this radical shift in priorities can move writing to the bottom of their list.
In today’s special episode, Erin’s friend and colleague, Maria, interviews her. Erin shares the lead up to losing her identity and her motivation for writing after parenthood, as well as how she found the resources to get back to expressing herself through writing, dreaming, and being the kind of parent she’s proud of.
Erin and Maria also discuss breaking the cycle of generational trauma. You’ll hear what led Erin to create this podcast and her future dreams.
Vulnerability is key to self-awareness and change, so take the first step to reconnect with yourself by tuning in now.
Topics discussed in this episode:

• Erin describes her journey as a writer and editor
• When and why Erin lost her motivation for writing
• Struggling with undiagnosed ADHD and anxiety
• Erin’s breaking point and impetus for change
• Breaking the cycle of trauma and its constant work
• What helped Erin reconnect with herself and her writing
• Erin’s favorite way to eat a potato!
• Where does Erin see herself in 15 years?
• Progress in Erin’s relationships, fulfillment, and self-nourishment
• Why Erin is sharing her story and how she’s already meeting her goals

About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor. When she became a parent, she set aside her writing aspirations to focus on her family.
Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin started writing again to unearth her identity beyond being mom. She shared her journey through her blog, Life Beyond Parenting. 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 and 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
• Book a free 30-minute discovery call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting

About Maria:
Maria Secoy spent more than a decade in the classroom helping students grow as authentic writers. She wrote and published her first romance novel, Alongside Lucy, in February 2022, which has since reached #4 on the Amazon Best Sellers List.
After hearing stories of editors gone wrong, flopped cover designs, marketing, and anxiety over the self-publication process, she launched All Write Well, which includes a team of supportive experts to meet the self-publishing needs of writers.
Connect with Maria:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msecoywriter
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/msecoywr

Send us a text

Feeling stuck in your author journey? As an experienced editor, I specialize in helping writers like you, especially parents juggling family and creativity, finish and publish their books.
Take action on your writing dreams! Book a FREE 30-minute discovery call to discuss how I can help you implement these strategies and finally achieve your author goals.
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Bonus! Book your call and mention this episode for a free publishing check list.

Have you ever written something you love, that you’re feeling so excited about, but you find yourself unable to get past a certain scene or finish a full draft?
Spending the time to really carve out your character’s personality and identity will give you great insight into their motivations and desires, making it easier to craft a story around them. This knowledge develops a deeper understanding of any hero, villain, or supporting character. Instead of wondering where the story is going next, you’ll have a clearer direction to work with.
Three-dimensional characters that ring authentic to readers usually have a depth that readers connect to, resulting in them becoming more invested in the characters’ fates. In short, readers will care more, and writers will be more motivated to tell their characters’ story.
To learn how character development can help you get past doubt and feeling stuck to finally finish the first draft, tune in to this episode!
Topics discussed in this episode:

• Surface-level character development
• 3 things to help you dive deeper into your characters
• Benefits of knowing your characters through and through
• Reverse engineering your plot
• Why it helps to know your character for marketing purposes
• Don’t forget about the villains!

About Erin:
For 15 years, Erin P.T. Canning 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 discovery call: https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting

Send us a text

Feeling stuck in your author journey? As an experienced editor, I specialize in helping writers like you, especially parents juggling family and creativity, finish and publish their books.
Take action on your writing dreams! Book a FREE 30-minute discovery call to discuss how I can help you implement these strategies and finally achieve your author goals.
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Bonus! Book your call and mention this episode for a free publishing check list.

For parents, the responsibility for our kids plus the rest of life’s challenges can be overwhelming. But the people we were before don’t completely disappear. So how do you nurture these different parts of yourself and fulfill the responsibilities of parenthood?
Joining today’s show is Sara Burnett, an author, former English teacher, and mom of two little ones. After a traumatic event, she discovered that writing poetry helped her process her emotions. This encouraged her to make writing a focus in her life—even through motherhood.
Sara challenged her assumptions about parenting and writing and implemented habits that supported letting these two identities exist simultaneously. By attending writing-related events, she found a supportive community and gained the confidence to push past rejection letters and finally publish her book of poems.
Get valuable advice on learning to believe in yourself and tips on submitting your work in this episode. Plus, you’ll hear two special readings from Sara’s new poetry book, Seed Celestial.
Topics discussed in this episode:

• Sara’s writing journey
• How she fell into poetry to process trauma
• Learning to write as a parent
• Defining a close reading
• Sara’s first poem reading
• Advice on sharing or submitting your poetry
• Embracing the spirit of rejection
• Finding community at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference
• Erin’s experience attending the Dodge Poetry Festival
• Inspiring quotes from female writers who are also moms
• What Sara is working on now
• Books she loves and books she reads to her kids
• Sara’s second poem reading

About Sara:

Sara Burnett is the author of Seed Celestial, winner of the 2021 Autumn House Press Poetry Prize. She has published in Barrow Street, Copper Nickel, Matter, PANK, and elsewhere. In addition to writing poetry and essays, she also writes picture books.
Sara also worked as a public high school English teacher. She holds an MFA from the University of Maryland and an MA in English Literature from the University of Vermont. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two kids, ages 5 and 2.
Get her book:

• Seed Celestial: https://amazon.com/Celestial-Autumn-House-Poetry-Prize/dp/163768052X/

Connect with Sara:

• Website: https://www.sararburnett.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sara.burnett.52
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sararburnett

Books discussed during the show:

• Stephanie Burt
• Natasha Trethewey
• Mark Doty
• Naomi Shihab Nye
• Emily Dickinson
• Shell Silverstein
• The Baby on the Fire Escape: Creativity, Motherhood, and the Mind-Baby Problem by Julie Phillips
• Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
• Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented by Thomas Hardy

Send us a text

Feeling stuck in your author journey? As an experienced editor, I specialize in helping writers like you, especially parents juggling family and creativity, finish and publish their books.
Take action on your writing dreams! Book a FREE 30-minute discovery call to discuss how I can help you implement these strategies and finally achieve your author goals.
https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting
Bonus! Book your call and mention this episode for a free publishing check list.