Congratulations! You've written that short story. Now comes the hard part. What do you do with it? Today we are going to talk about what comes next. The short story market is a very interesting market, and it can be a way to get published. Join us as we talk about the three big spaces to sell your story: magazines, anthologies, and contests.  Like the episode! Leave us a review. It helps others discover the podcast.  Have a topic request for a future episode? Tag us on social media! Twitter: @geekymary & @meliwriter  Youtube: The Writing Easy Podcast & The Creative's Tarot

Research, writing, editing, revising, pitching, selling, promo -- the list goes on and on. So how does one figure out what to do next and make the most efficient use of your time? Or better yet, what happens when you're managing multiple stories, novels, and screenplays at a time? In this episode, Mary and Melissa share a few tips and tricks they've learned to navigate this space and encourage listeners to think outside the box.   Like the episode! Leave us a review. It helps others discover the podcast.  Have a topic request for a future episode? Tag us on social media! Twitter: @geekymary & @meliwriter  Youtube: The Writing Easy Podcast & The Creative's Tarot

Let's play! Today we're digging into the world of fan fiction. What is it? Why do people love it? How can it benefit you as a writer and creative? We're going to get into all of those questions and more. Also, Melissa confesses to being obsessed with the All The Young Dudes Mauraders fanfic.  Like the episode! Leave us a review. It helps others discover the podcast.  Have a topic request for a future episode? Tag us on social media! Twitter: @geekymary & @meliwriter  Youtube: The Writing Easy Podcast & The Creative's Tarot

New Year, New Books! Let's talk about some of our favorite craft books for writing and why we love them so, so, so, so, much. Have a must-read, go-to book on your shelf for writerly wisdom and advice? Tag us on social media and we'll share with everyone! Book Picks for January! Writing in Flow by Susan K. Perry Story Trumps Structure: How to Create Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules by Steven James Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card* (*check out my critical review in 2011 -LOL) I still stand by it! Now, having met so many writers that don't know the basics of character development this will be helpful. Also, get it from the library, or a used bookstore!) The TV Writer's Workbook: A Creative Approach to Television Scripts by Ellen Sandler Writing the TV Drama Series: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV by Pamela Douglas

If you consider yourself a writer, chances are you also identify as a reader. But what do you do after you've finished that book? How do you track it for future reference? Today, Mary and Melissa discuss how they track their reading. From reading journals to GoodReads to eReaders, the options are plentiful. We'll cover what we've found helpful in our post-reading routine in service of becoming a better writer and living our best bibliophile life. Like the episode! Leave us a review. It helps others discover the podcast.  Have a topic request for a future episode? Tag us on social media! Twitter: @geekymary & @MeliWriter  Youtube: The Writing Easy Podcast & The Creative's Tarot

It's time to take stock and reflect on the past year. Join Mary and Melissa as we discuss the lessons that 2021 taught us.  How did your overall goals shift in the past year? Did you shift your writing process and outlook given the craziness of the world we live in? We did! Listen to find out how and also get a sneak peek at how we're starting 2022. Like the episode! Leave us a review. It helps others discover the podcast.  Have a topic request for a future episode? Tag us on social media! Twitter: @geekymary & @MeliWriter  Youtube: The Writing Easy Podcast & The Creative's Tarot

Happy New Year! We're starting 2022 by revisiting one of the GOATs. The Beatles! In this episode, Mary and Melissa discuss themes related to creativity, inspiration, determination, and persistence all illustrated in The Beatles: Get Back documentary now available on Disney+.   Watch the sneak peek of the documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UocEGvQ10OE   Like the episode! Leave us a review. It helps others discover the podcast.  Have a topic request for a future episode? Tag us on social media! Twitter: @geekymary & @MeliWriter  Youtube: The Writing Easy Podcast & The Creative's Tarot

The holiday season is upon us, so this year, instead of sharing what we think would make cool gifts for writers, we decided to focus on giving back. In today's episode, Mary and Melissa explore all the ways you can support the writing community and highlight a few of our favorite organizations. And don't worry, there are plenty of ways to give back even if you aren't in a position to give a monetary donation.   Places to Donate * Nanowrimo.org * Donor's Choose * Heifer International * 826 National & 826LA * Critical Role Foundation * Comedy Central Store (proceeds on select items going to 826 National)! Wanna give back to the podcast? Leave a review. Drop a rating. Share an episode with a friend! Have a topic request for a future episode? Tag us on social media! Twitter: @geekymary & @MeliWriter  Youtube: The Writing Easy Podcast & The Creative's Tarot

How exactly do you build your confidence as a writer?  Mary and Melissa are ready to find out. In this episode, we discuss what makes us feel confident in our writing knowledge and storytelling skills. We also share tips on how new and aspiring writers can gain a confidence boost in their writing life. Spoiler alert (screenwriters, authors, and poets take note), it takes a village! Like this episode? Share it with a friend. Leave us a review. Give us a rating. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter and YouTube: Twitter: @geekymary & @MeliWriter  Youtube: The Writing Easy Podcast & The Creative's Tarot

What in the world is an enneagram, and why should it matter to writers? Mary and Melissa go deep on this personality assessment tool and discuss how they use it to breathe life into their characters. Bonus - it may also help you get to know yourself. Have you used the Enneagram in your writing? Tag us on Twitter and tell us how! Resources mentioned in this episode: The Honest Enneagram by Sara Jane CaseThe Art of Typing: Powerful Tools for Enneagram Typing by Ginger Lapid - Bogda PhD Like this episode? Share it with a friend. Leave us a review. Give us a rating. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter and YouTube: Twitter: @geekymary & @MeliWriter  Youtube: The Writing Easy Podcast & The Creative's Tarot

Sprinting to the finish line? Today we're discussing what sprints are and how to use them to propel your writing. Made popular with the rise of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and the Pomodoro Method, this is a handy technique that can be done in person, virtually, with a group, or all by your lonesome.  Do you love sprints? Tell us on the socials! Like this episode? Share it with a friend. Leave us a review. Give us a rating. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter and YouTube: Twitter: @geekymary & @MeliWriter  Youtube: The Writing Easy Podcast & The Creative's Tarot

We're back. This week we're talking about our why. It's an important question to ask yourself every once in a while. The answer can help you push through a writing slump. It can also help you manage the highs and lows of external praise and criticism. So why do you write, and how can you surround yourself with reminders of those reasons in your regular writing routine. Like this episode? Share it with a friend. Leave us a review. Give us a rating. And don't forget to follow us on Twitter and YouTube: Twitter: @geekymary & @MeliWriter  Youtube: The Writing Easy Podcast & The Creative's Tarot

In Part 2 of our interview with David, we explore the world of making video games and the role writers and other storytellers can play in bringing these addicting worlds of gameplay to life. If you've ever wondered who does what or how to get started writing for video games, this episode is for you.  And if not, well you can still apply the video game writing concepts in your own fiction or screenplay.

Join us for a fun interview with David Abzug, an instructor of game design at Bradley University. David has over 20 years of experience in the video game industry and is also a seasoned GM (Game Master for RPG games). In part one of our interview with David, we get to pick his brain about creative storytelling on the fly. How do you come up with creative and imaginative ideas in real time? We've got some tips. Did you like this episode? Don't forget to share with a friend and leave a review to help us grow our audience. Reviews help us get discovered by new listeners on the platforms.   Find us on the Web: Twitter: @geekymary & @MeliWriter  Youtube: The Writing Easy Podcast & The Creative's Tarot Bradley University Interactive Media Studies

The "Everyday Job" or EDJ is something all writers are familiar with. How does one support themself financially when their writing makes no money? Today, we explore the perfect everyday job and figure out why older and wiser advisors often say things like, don't quit your day job.  There are pros and cons to writing full-time, and we'll dig into some of them in today's show. Did you like this episode? Don't forget to share with a friend and leave a review to help us grow our audience. Reviews help us get discovered by new listeners on the platforms.   Find us on the Web: Twitter: @geekymary & @MeliWriter  Youtube: The Writing Easy Podcast & The Creative's Tarot

Perfectionism isn't all it's cracked up to be. In fact, some might argue it is an addition. This week, Melissa and Mary discuss why and how perfectionism can get in the way of your writing and how to break free of thinking that no longer serves you. Out thoughts are inspired by the book, The Seven Secrets of the Prolific by Hillary Rettig.   LINKS Seven Secrets of the Prolific

Critiquing and feedback are a big part of being a writer. But it isn't easy. In this episode, we're discussing what we've learned about good critiques and confess where we've fallen short in the past. --- Bonus! Did you know we just celebrated 100 Episodes? As a thank you, we created a free Episode Guide. Woo hoo.  Hit the link below to grab your copy. Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter, so you get access to other insider sneak peeks. Writing Easy Episode Guide   Help Us Celebrate by Spreading the Word! Let's double our audience. Share this episode, or your favorite episode from the episode guide, with a friend. Just 1! That's it. Or leave us a review. It helps more writers discover the show.  Don't forget to follow us on the socials! Twitter: @geekymary @meliwriter IG: @geekymary @writewithmelis

We get it. As writers, we're not always super great with the whole "talking to people" thing, but there are some lines you really shouldn't cross. We'll talk about how to be a good member of the writing community, in person, and online.   LINKS Writing Easy Episode Guide Creatable Spaces Affirmations Deck

It's time to get your party on. In case you didn't notice, we've hit a huge milestone - 100 episodes!!! Honestly, we can't believe we made it this long. We barely remember what we were doing when we started.  In celebration, we are interviewing each other AMA style. Let's go behind the scenes on creating the podcast, what we loved, what we've learned, and what we do when we're not sitting at the mic. Also, as an added bonus, we're giving away free copies of our Episode Guide. Woo hoo.  Link below!   LINKS Writing Easy Episode Guide Creatable Spaces Affirmations Deck   Want to Help Us Celebrate? Let's double our audience. Share this episode, or your favorite episode, with a friend. Just 1! That's it. Or leave us a review. It helps more writers discover the show.  Don't forget to follow us on the socials! Twitter: @geekymary @meliwriter IG: @geekymary @writewithmelis

Does having something to prove make you a better writer? Today, we're exploring the depths of the phenomenon known as "Imposter Syndrome".  With over 70% of people experiencing this false narrative about their talent and abilities learning how to cope in a productive way is absolutely necessary. Sometimes you need the extra push to move forward. Other times, push yourself harder doesn't work.  This is where affirmations, meditations, and a fresh perspective and voice on your writing can be a saving grace.   Like this episode? Leave us a review, hit that like button, and share with a friend. It helps more writers discover the show. (Let's overthrow the algorithm gods!) Don't forget to follow us on the socials! Twitter: @geekymary @meliwriter IG: @geekymary @writewithmelis