Thursday, November 7, 2013

Podcasts for Writers: Insecurities and Managing the Writing Process

I haven't done a post about podcasts in while, but that doesn't mean I've stopped listening! I've been struggling to get past a difficult place in my writing, which I think is mostly due to interference from my own insecurities. So it was great to hear other writers talking about these and how they manage to carry on with their writing in spite of them.

The Creative Penn - How to Get in the Zone and Stay In It - with Tom Evans

Even though I don't usually think too much about how I get into the "creative zone" when I'm writing (I just cross my fingers that I somehow manage to get there in the hour or two I have before work), I found it useful to think about my work patterns and when I'm most productive. I was interested in the idea that everyone has times of the day and times of the year when they are more creative or more stressed, and the thought of planning around that made a lot of sense.

Author Sarah Dessen - speaking with Sara Zarr on This Creative Life

I love hearing popular authors of YA and MG fiction talk about their work, and this conversation was so interesting! It really does help to hear that well-known published authors struggle with their insecurities too.

If you haven't heard Sara Zarr's podcasts, they are worth checking out. She asks good questions that invite a lot of discussion in a low-key, conversational format.


Writing Excuses 8.42 - The Internal Editor vs. the Internal Heckler

I hadn't thought much about this distinction before. I especially liked their discussion about editing-while-writing because this is something I tend to do a lot of, and at times it can lead me totally rewrite a large section before I move on because I just don't like it and can't continue with the story until it's better.

6 comments:

  1. I listened to the Sarah Dessen interview with Sara. It was great! I haven't heard of the Writing Excuses one. I'll have to download this one.

    Thanks for sharing!

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    1. The Writing Excuses crew are kind of quirky, but I'm used to them now and almost always learn something valuable. And I really like it that their podcasts are short ... like the length of time it takes to walk my dog or drive to work.

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  2. I love, love, love Sara Zarr's podcasts. Must look into these other two!

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    1. I think she is my favourite! She really makes you feel that you're not alone out there, struggling to create something.

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  3. I like that distinction between the internal editor and internal heckler. So true! I'll have to look into these podcasts.

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