YEAR END EPISODE: Reading and Writing Aspirations, Lifting Writers Up, and Reflections
Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:47:37 — 98.6MB)
In this episode 320, we have a special year-end round-up for you, with Hannah Larrew back in the co-host seat! We take writing advice and inspiration from blog posts on how to tackle imposter syndrome and inner critics and how to approach the publishing process with perspective. We discuss reading and writing aspirations for 2023 from ourselves and our listeners. Plus we reveal our favorite books of 2022!
Today’s Featured Authors:
Marianne Sprangers Time Stamp: 47:50
Marianne Sprangers, author of the humorous essay collection Cheesecake Loves My Thighs, shares her blog post “Dear Inner Critic,” about taking control over her writing insecurities.
Community Updates:
Listen to our episode for updates on the Charlotte writing community, including events from the Charlotte Writers Club, Charlotte Lit, and more.
Host Updates:
Sarah: I was accepted into the Charlotte Art League’s Evolution of Words and Art exhibit, so I’ll be writing a poem inspired by a work of art for their show in March. On January 18th, I’ll be speaking to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s Writers Beyond Borders group over Zoom. You can register here for free. Registration is also open for the screenwriting course I’ll be teaching in February for Charlotte Lit (also over Zoom). And I’m excited to head to the Caribbean for the holidays!
Hannah: My husband and I are looking forward to spending our first holidays with our daughter. I’m excited to transition back in as co-host!
Landis: I’m making strides on compiling eight books of helpful writing insights from quotes pulled from past podcast guests–stay tuned for the books to come out in 2023.
Top Book Picks of 2022: Time Stamp: 1:06:15
Hannah recommends:
The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami
Sarah recommends:
It All Comes Down to This by Therese Anne Fowler
Lessons by Ian McEwan
A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O’Connor
Landis recommends:
The Cicada Tree by Robert Gwaltney
Fatal Intent by Tammy Euliano
The Enigma Affair by Charlie Lovett
The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci
Mark West, Storied Charlotte Blog, recommends:
Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough
The Wilderness Warrior by Douglas Brinkley
The River of Doubt by Candice Millard
2-Minute Tip: Time Stamp: 56:20
Don’t miss Charlotte Lit co-founder and executive director Paul Reali’s tip about learning to write scenes.
Writing Tips:
From Sarah’s blog post “Why Is Imposter Syndrome so Common Among Writers?” and Marianne Spranger’s blog post “Dear Inner Critic,” we take these tips: Time Stamp: 19:00
- Self-doubt is almost universal for writers, and difficult to avoid because creative work is so subjective.
- Don’t let your inner critic prevent you from sharing your work, or getting writing done in the first place.
- Remind yourself of what you’ve accomplished already, maybe by keeping a gratitude list or journal or a physical or digital folder of positive writing memories.
From Landis’s blog post “Coming to Terms with Reality – the Universe Doesn’t Care as Much about Your Book as You Do and That’s Okay,” we take these tips: Time Stamp: 1:06:15
- You are one small part of a vast community of books and writers, but you’re not in competition with everyone else.
- Identifying your specific audience is an important step, and one to think about well before publication.
- Don’t pressure yourself by expecting a certain result for your book. Write what appeals to you, and enjoy the process.
Community Voices:
Thanks to George Trudeau for sharing his elevator pitch!
Takeaways:
We are super excited to have Hannah back for this episode! We’ve spoken to some amazing authors this year–87 total. We’ve got a strong lineup planned for the new year and are grateful to our listeners for going along for the ride.
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