How Do You Write

In which Savannah and Rachael talk about selling a book without an agent, and moving from non-fiction to fiction and using podcasts as research for jobs you haven’t had (so smart!) Savannah Carlisle writes heartwarming romance novels with idyllic beach settings. Her stories transport readers to fun and quirky small towns where friends feel like family. Savannah jokes that she's living her own Hallmark movie because she's a former big city corporate attorney who now lives in a small beach town writing romance novels. Her debut novel, The Library of Second Chances, released in May 2024. Her latest release, The Summer of Starting Over, was published April 1, 2025. When she isn't busy at her laptop writing her next romance book, Savannah is a sports business reporter and freelance writer who writes under her legal name, Kristi Dosh. She’s been a contributor to Forbes for more than a decade, and previously served as ESPN’s sports business reporter. Her freelance writing portfolio includes Glamour, Men’s Healt

Insomnia, helpful? Elisabeth and Rachael chat about how insomnia can be something good, instead of something dreaded, as well as how overwriting can give you exactly what you need to work with! Elisabeth Dini is a lawyer and former prosecutor of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. Born in Nevada, Elisabeth currently lives in The Netherlands with her husband and a bevy of mostly well-adjusted houseplants. Her debut novel, BEARER OF BAD NEWS, is out now from Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster). You can find her on Instagram @elisabethdiniauthor or at www.elisabethdini.com.

Emily Golden and Rachel May are the founders of Golden May: https://goldenmayediting.com/ Their joint love of amazing stories and mutual fascination with writing craft evolved into a book coaching business devoted to helping tenacious writers develop the unique writing craft, process, and mindset that works for them—because every writer is different. If you’re ready to stop fighting what your writing life ‘should’ look like and start dreaming about what’s possible for you, they're the coaches for you!Here’s the workshop! https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/characterarcs 

Nicole and Rachael talk about what success might look like on any given (changing) day, as well as how to find trust in ourselves as writers, accessing solitude, and how taking ourselves seriously is a deep kindness. NICOLE GRAEV LIPSON is the author of the memoir-in-essays Mothers and Other Fictional Characters. Her writing has been awarded a Pushcart Prize, selected for The Best American Essays anthology, and shortlisted for a National Magazine Award. Her work has appeared in The Sun, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Gettysburg Review, Creative Nonfiction, Fourth Genre, River Teeth, Alaska Quarterly Review, LA Review of Books, The Millions, Nylon, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe, among other publications. Nicole holds a BA from Cornell University and an MFA from Emerson College. Originally from New York City, she lives outside of Boston with her family.Books mentioned: John Kenny - I See You've Called in DeadBrenda Ueland - If You Want to Write 

In which Sacha is in a MUCH better place than she was last time (Kickstarter success! but it’s more than that) and Rachael talks us through a thought ladder exercise, manifesting for people who don’t love that word (which Sacha does). 

Celebrating 500 episodes! What’s my favorite thing about podcasting? Listen in! And then you’ll love this gorgeous chat on magic, listening for the yes, and tuning into what YOU need as a writer. Iris Beaglehole is the enchanting author of the spellbinding Myrtlewood Mysteries series. As a self-identified druid, witch, and aspiring astrologer, Iris weaves magic into her stories and takes readers on a thrilling journey to the mystical town of Myrtlewood. When she’s not crafting her fantastical stories, Iris can be found sipping tea with her feline companions and tending to her herb garden in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Today we're talking about writing as refuge, a place that's always waiting for you. We also talk about how writing and revision is layering, and about how to believe our characters are real people - don't miss this!  Aimee Phan was born and raised in Orange County, California. She received her BA in English from UCLA and her MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. She is the author of two books for adults, We Should Never Meet: Stories and the novel The Reeducation of Cherry Truong. She has received fellowships and residencies from the NEA, MacDowell Colony, the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center, Djerassi and Hedgebrook. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Time, USA Today and CNN.com among other publications. Aimee teaches as an associate professor in writing and literature at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco and resides in Berkeley, California with her family. The Lost Queen is her most recent novel. 

How do you talk about your writer-self on TedX and make a difference to listeners? Catriona spills the tea everything, as well making the very good case to let potential readers make up their own minds about our books! Catriona Turner is a Scottish writer and editor. Before living abroad, she worked as an English teacher in Scottish schools. She has since spent fourteen years globally mobile with her family, living in France (three times), Uganda, Congo, and Denmark. Her first book, Nest: a memoir of home on the move, was published in June 2023, and she is now working on a follow-up memoir of returning to Scotland. Her writing has also appeared in anthologies, and she had a regular column in Danish magazine The International. The TEDx talk she delivered in November 2024, titled ‘Find Your Main Character Energy’, is available to watch on YouTube. She now lives in Aberdeen with her husband, sons (a teen and a tween), and a brand new puppy. Links mentioned: Catriona’s TedX talkThe Word BothyFree p

Should you use a critique partner? How do you find them? What should you watch out for? Amy Nielsen spent twenty years as a youth librarian sharing her love of books with young readers. She is the author of Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder, It Takes a Village: How to Build a Support System for Your Exceptional Needs Family, and the Florida Book Award winning YA novel Worth It. Amy is a literary agent, freelance editor, and owner of Mayflower Media. When not reading or writing, Amy and her family can be found boating the waters of Tampa Bay with a canine-co-captain in a mermaid life vest.Link mentioned: Critique Match: https://critiquematch.com/ 

Sarito Carroll is an author whose childhood was shaped by the chaotic, free-love world of the Osho Rajneesh movement, where she experienced both a deep sense of belonging and the wounds of neglect and sexual misconduct. Her debut memoir, In the Shadow of Enlightenment, unravels the complexities of growing up in a cult, the struggle to break free, and the long journey toward healing and self-acceptance. After decades of silence, she is reclaiming her voice and exposing the hidden realities of a system that promised love but demanded devotion at any cost. Through her writing, Sarito offers a powerful testament to resilience, truth, and the strength it takes to confront a formidable institution that seeks to keep stories like hers suppressed. Find her here: https://www.saritocarroll.com/

In which we talk about Rachael’s new Ink Village and Sacha’s warehouse shenanigans!

9 Lessons Learned from 9 Years of Full-Time Writing! Join Rachael as she shares what she's learned from being a writer full time.

Also: writing about human truths, and the importance of having a second set of eyes on your work at the right time! ELIZABETH BECKER is a former pediatric nurse and Pushcart Prize-nominated writer. She has worked as a correspondent for Richmond Magazine and the Richmond Times Dispatch, and her award-winning essays have been featured on national sites including Motherwell, Scary Mommy, Motherly, Swamp Pink (formerly Crazy Horse), and Winning Writers. She received a degree in creative writing from the College of Charleston before earning a bachelor's degree in nursing. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband and four young children. Find her on Instagram, @elizabethbeckerauthor. The Moonlight Healers is her debut novel. 

Also, the importance of enjoying other people’s work! Isa Arsén is a certified bleeding heart and audio engineer based in South Texas, where she lives with her spouse and a comically small dog. The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf is her most recent novel. Find her at INArsen.com 

It’s not selfish to write! Here’s why. Josee Smith is an indie author and book coach for working moms who want to finish the novel of their dreams. She achieved her childhood dream of finishing a novel and publishing it in 2021, and now she supports other writers with the same dream. As a new mom with a busy job, she understands the challenges of managing it all, and she also believes strongly that writing and creativity can help women feel like themselves again after the chaos of motherhood. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, toddler, anxious dog, and semi-feral cat. Find her here.

In which we talk about Sacha’s new empire and how Rachael is enjoying herself (could we just say this for every episode? It’s possible!) 

Do you also circle the laptop like it might be venomous? You'll love this episode! Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is the author of Every Moment Since and 9 previous novels. Marybeth received a BA in English with a concentration in Writing and Editing from NC State University a long time ago and has been writing ever since. She is the co-founder of The Book Tide, an online community of readers where "a rising tide raises all books." Marybeth and her husband Curt are the parents of six kids who are now all in various stages of adulting. A native of Charlotte, NC, Marybeth now calls Sunset Beach, NC home. 

Tiffany Yates Martin always brings the real talk and also the kind talk. Here we go deep on how to get out of being stuck and not burning out while honoring exactly what we want to do. Tiffany Yates Martin has spent her entire career as an editor in the publishing industry, working with major publishers and New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors as well as indie and newer writers. She is the founder of FoxPrint Editorial (named one of Writer’s Digest’s Best Websites for Authors) and author of Intuitive Editing: A Creative and Practical Guide to Revising Your Writing and her latest, The Intuitive Author: How to Grow & Sustain a Happier Writing Career. She is a regular contributor to writers’ outlets like Writer’s Digest, Jane Friedman, and Writer Unboxed, and a frequent presenter and keynote speaker for writers’ organizations around the country. Under her pen name, Phoebe Fox, she is the author of six novels. Visit her at www.foxprinte

How do you keep the magic alive when writing? Sophie Berti lives in California. Find her hiking in the foothills, chasing her kid around the beach, making tea, or on sophieberti.com. Steeped is her first novel. ❤️ Adventure 52 - Patreon

More thoughts about the new year, with Sacha and Rachael! ❤️ Adventure 52 - Patreon