Ep141: Mining Your Life for Story

Writer Craft Podcast

Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in our work offline and here in the podcast.

Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan for books, writing instruction, coaching, and planning. Go to Patreon.com/strangeairstories for short stories in the paranormal mystery genre

Announcements:

• Early Bird registration is open for the 2024 Writer Craft Writing Retreat. At this point, there is only four private tickets left and three shared tickets. We'll likely sell out again. ValerieIhsan.com/retreat for more info. EARLY BIRD $899 0r $128.45/mo for seven months. (Early Bird Registration is open from November 1-December 31, 2023. Monthly payment option ends December 31, 2023.)
• I'm in a new anthology by Tsunami Press with my essay "Eye Contact." It's in stores now; order wherever books are sold.
• Season of the Shadow up now! (Erick's new title.)
• UPDATE:

• Valerie:
• meeting with co-writers in Jan
• follow the feeling; Aligned Action are my 2024 buzz words.

• Erick:
• new series work
• written reader magnet for new series
• day planner arrived!

Just finished:

I'M READING: What's a Poor Girl to Do?: Prostitution in Mid-Nineteenth Century America by Elizabeth A. Topping and Ma and Me by Putsana Reang

Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch

Up Next:

Soiled Doves: Prostitution in the the Early West by Anne Seagraves

Frog Music by Emma Donoghue

Harness: A Systemic Approach: Guaranteed to Revolutionize Your Coaching by Tess Cope

• Erick's Reading:

Widowmaker by Paul Doiron

The Last Ronin (TMNT)

How to Sell a Haunted House

The Ultimate Werewolf Collection

The Lover by Rebecca Sacks (Lynne's read)

• Show Notes:

Lynne Golodner writes emotional novels with compelling Jewish characters who are determined to fill their lives with passion, purpose and love. Her first novel, Woman of Valor, joins a body of work that includes two poetry collections and six nonfiction books, including Hide and Seek: Jewish Women and Hair Covering and The Flavors of Faith: Holy Breads. Lynne is a writing coach, marketing entrepreneur and host of the Make Meaning Podcast, and her creative nonfiction has been published around the world. With a BA from University of Michigan and an MFA from Goddard College, Lynne is the mother of four and lives in Huntington Woods, Michigan, with her husband, Dan.

Writes nonfiction to make sense of life.

Fiction is imagination; some pulled from lived experience, but not intended. In future, addressing world events in fiction.

Always thinking about something, what it means to me, where will this take me? Do research for the creative essays. Write essays for self, show to critique partners, then submit.

2022 = 12 essays published

2023 = publishing and marketing Woman of Valor

Explore a topic, process old past events, idea file (lists of where I've been, who did I know, how was this formative?)

Read a bunch, make lists of experiences with extreme emotions, places you've been; research elevates the pieces.

Author brand: strong jewish women (risky), narrowing focus strengthens the brand.

Promote: lead writers retreats (sept mackinaw island, no cars) (2024 in Redwoods in Cali) writing in am and activities in pm. More info at lynnegolodner.com

https://www.yourtango.com/self/climbing-dog-mountain-after-divorce-grueling-hike-easiest-thing-could-do (Dog Mountain essay)

• Next Episode: 2023 Review

Find Us:

Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan

Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor

Writer Craft Facebook Group

Valerie’s Services: https://valerieihsan.com

Valerie’s Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com

Valerie’s Facebook Page and Instagram account

Erick’s Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com

Erick’s free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n

Erick’s Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com

Erick’s Facebook Page and Instagram account