Here&#39;s what no one tells you about writing: the hardest part isn&#39;t the words. It&#39;s believing you&#39;re allowed to write them.Get Writing with Liz Mugavero exists because writers shouldn&#39;t have to figure this out alone.Liz Mugavero — also known as Cate Conte, author of the beloved Cat Cafe Mystery series — has written 20 novels and coaches writers who are ready to stop waiting and start writing. Every episode goes somewhere real. Craft and publishing. Mindset and blocks. The inner work that nobody warns you about when you start. Guest conversations and solo sessions all centered on one thing: finishing the book you&#39;ve been carrying — and finding out that the community of writers doing exactly that is bigger than you ever imagined.A little woo? Yes. Tarot cards occasionally? Also yes. Apologies? None.You are not behind. You are not too late. You are exactly where you&#39;re supposed to be.Let&#39;s get writing.Find out more at cateconte.com Find out more at www.cateconte.com.

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I&#39;ve been friends with Matt Witten long enough to know that when he writes a book, I read it — even if the genre is one I&#39;d normally sidestep entirely. 51% is dystopian fiction, which is not my comfort zone. But Matt&#39;s range as a writer is genuinely something, and this conversation reminded me exactly why. We talk about his new book, the world he built inside it, what it took to get there, and a few very honest things about the publishing industry that I think every writer needs to hear. In this episode: <ul><li>What 51% is actually about — and why Matt moved the timeline from &#34;30 years from now&#34; to &#34;20 years from now&#34; after January 2025 </li><li>The income share agreement system at the heart of the book&#39;s world, and the real-life conversation that planted the seed for it </li><li>How he approaches character: from the reluctant Bosch-esque hero to the every-woman who&#39;s broke, pregnant, and trying to do the right thing anyway — and an AI that may or may not have feelings </li><li>The challenge of world building without losing readers in the first 25 pages (a problem he solved in a very specific, smart way) </li><li>Writing across cozy, thriller, TV, and now dystopia — and why he doesn&#39;t use a pen name even when it might be the commercially safer move </li><li>His recent agent search, what he was actually looking for this time around, and the truly unhinged rejection email he received two months after he&#39;d already signed with someone else </li><li>What&#39;s coming next: The Men&#39;s Group, a murder mystery about friendship, sobriety, and the epidemic of loneliness — which his agent calls &#34;cozy adjacent&#34; </li></ul>Links: <ul><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/51-Matt-Witten-ebook/dp/B0GQCKYNZ7" rel="nofollow">51% by Matt Witten</a> </li><li>Matt&#39;s website: mattwittenwriter.com </li><li>Matt on Instagram: @mattwitten22 </li></ul>Connect with me If this episode inspired you, share it with a writer friend who&#39;s ready to stop guessing and start living on purpose. Subscribe to Get Writing wherever you listen, and if you have a minute to leave a review, it helps more writers find us. Ready to go deeper into your own creative life? Come find us at the Creativity Lab at <a href="https://www.getwritingwithliz.com/" rel="nofollow">GetWritingWithLiz.com</a>.

Episode 147: Genre Hopping: On Range, Risk, and the Query Trenches with Matt Witten

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There&#39;s something I&#39;ve always believed: the writers who make it aren&#39;t necessarily the most talented ones. They&#39;re the ones who refuse to stop. Today&#39;s guest is a living example of that. Laura Frost is a wildlife biologist turned debut novelist whose psychological suspense, Seeking Sasha, came out in February 2026 — after hundreds of rejections, a few offers she turned down, and years of quietly building her craft one short story at a time. We had the best conversation about all of it. In this episode, we talk about: <ul><li>How a life-threatening incident involving Laura&#39;s husband as a police officer led her to write her first (very long, still unpublished) novel — and why that experience changed everything </li><li>The difference between writing as therapy and writing because you love the craft </li><li>Her unusual background as a wildlife biologist and how the observational skills of the field translate directly into fiction writing </li><li>Why she writes short stories between novel drafts — and what that practice teaches her about concision and craft </li><li>The &#34;smile file&#34; and how it carried her through hundreds of rejections </li><li>Turning down publishing offers and how she knew when she&#39;d found the right fit </li><li>Building a writing community from scratch on social media — even when you really don&#39;t want to </li><li>What the promotion side of debut publishing actually looks like </li><li>What&#39;s coming next: a follow-up to Seeking Sasha and a companion novel called The Jackal </li></ul>Connect with Laura: <ul><li>Website &amp; short stories: <a href="https://laurafrostwrites.com/" rel="nofollow">laurafrostwrites.com</a> </li><li>Seeking Sasha is available at Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble, Indigo, Bookshop.org, and Between the Lines Publishing </li><li>Newsletter sign-up at laurafrostwrites.com </li></ul><img alt="Shape"> Loved this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a writer friend who needs to hear it. And if you&#39;re ready to stop writing alone, come join us in the Creativity Lab at <a href="https://getwritingwithliz.com/" rel="nofollow">GetWritingWithLiz.com</a>.

Episode 146: Writers who don’t stop, and the “smile file” with suspense novelist Laura Frost

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Some books have a premise you can pitch in a sentence. The Missing Pages is not that book — and that&#39;s exactly why it works. The true story behind it: Harry Elkins Widener, 27 years old, Harvard grad, obsessive Gilded Age book collector, perished on the Titanic in 1912. The legend, told on Harvard campus tours to this day, is that he went back to his cabin as the ship was going down — not for anything sentimental, not for his wallet — but for a book. A tiny 16th-century copy of Francis Bacon&#39;s essays he&#39;d just purchased at a London bookshop, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. He&#39;d told the bookseller he was going to carry it in his breast pocket in case he was ever shipwrecked, so he&#39;d have something to read. His body was never recovered. Neither was the book. His mother, Eleanor Elkins Widener, went on to build the Widener Library at Harvard — one of the most significant research libraries in the world — to house Harry&#39;s 3,000-volume book collection. Inside it: a reconstruction of his study, his original desk and chairs, his oil portrait above the carved marble mantle, a Gutenberg Bible his grandfather had won at auction that Harry never got to see. And fresh flowers, placed on his desk every week by the librarian, as stipulated in Eleanor&#39;s will — so the room always feels like he might walk in. Alyson Richman learned about all of this because her daughter came home from a summer program and said: I think you&#39;re going to love this story, Mom. She wrote the novel from Harry&#39;s perspective — as a ghost living inside the library — paired with a 1990s storyline following Violet, a Harvard student who works as a page in the rare books collection and starts to believe Harry is trying to communicate with her. It&#39;s a book about books, about mothers and sons, about the relationships that never end, even when one person is gone.  What we actually talk about in this episode: <ul><li>The moment Alyson knew this was her next book — and it wasn&#39;t the Titanic part. It was the image of a mother and a 27-year-old son on the deck of a ship, both of them trying to protect the other from the truth of what was happening. </li><li>Why she doesn&#39;t write a single sentence until the research is sewn onto her skin — and what that actually looks like across eight months of archival work in London, Philadelphia, and Cambridge. </li><li>The ghost question: how do you write a character who is literally dead without it going full Casper? (Hint: omniscient narrators have never had this much freedom.) </li><li>What a medium taught her about how souls communicate — temperature shifts, fragrances with no source, a book falling open to a specific page — and how she wove that into the novel&#39;s most emotional scenes. </li><li>The birds. We talk about the birds. </li><li>Why people almost always say yes when you reach out for research help — and why that&#39;s been true for Alyson across Japan, Finland, France, Italy, and the Czech Republic. </li><li>What she&#39;d say to the writer who wants to write something historically ambitious but can&#39;t get on a plane: technology has changed everything, and a well-worded email to an academic can open more doors than you&#39;d expect. </li></ul>Her current project: Edith Wharton in Paris during WWI, running hostels for displaced Belgian refugee children and fighting like hell to sustain humanitarian work while the world collapsed around her. (Yes, there&#39;s a dual timeline. Yes, the Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts is involved.) About Alyson: Alyson Richman has been writing historical fiction for 25 years. She&#39;s the author of ten solo novels — including The Lost Wife, which is currently in development as a film — and two collaborations. Her work has been translated into more than 20 languages. The Missing Pages is her most recent novel. Find Alyson: https://www.alysonrichman.com/ | Instagram &amp; Facebook: @alysonrichman / alysonrichmanauthor  If this episode inspired you, share it with a writer friend who&#39;s ready to stop guessing and start living on purpose. Subscribe to Get Writing wherever you listen, and if you have a minute to leave a review, it helps more writers find us. Ready to go deeper into your own creative life? Come find us at the Creativity Lab at <a href="https://www.getwritingwithliz.com/" rel="nofollow">GetWritingWithLiz.com</a>.

Episode 145: Alyson Richman on The Missing Pages, Writing Ghosts, and Research That Gets Sewn Onto Your Skin

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Last week, I sat down with Nathaniel A. Turner and walked away thinking about something I didn’t expect: Not just his ideas—but the way he showed up as a father. The consistency. The intentionality. The way he used words—again and again—to shape how his son saw himself. It stayed with me. So this week, I’m talking to his son, Naeem Turner-Bandele. This isn’t a conversation about theory or frameworks. It’s about what it actually feels like to grow up with that kind of support… that kind of belief… that kind of steady voice in your life—and how that shapes identity, confidence, and the choices you make. We talk about the letters his father wrote to him over the course of his life, what they meant in real time (not just in hindsight), and how those words helped him navigate everything from living abroad to building his own career and creative work. And along the way, we get into something that I think a lot of us will feel: What happens when you didn’t grow up with that kind of voice—and how we begin to create it for ourselves. <img alt="Shape"> In this episode, we talk about: <ul><li>Growing up with a parent who was both deeply intentional and consistently encouraging </li><li>What it felt like to receive letters from his father throughout his life—and how they shaped his identity </li><li>The difference between pressure and belief (and why those letters never felt like something he had to “live up to”) </li><li>The role of words in building confidence, purpose, and direction </li><li>How early encouragement influences creativity, writing, and career choices </li><li>Why children’s books can be a powerful form of encouragement and possibility </li><li>What it means to carry those lessons forward—and become that voice for others </li></ul><img alt="Shape"> A conversation that pairs with this one: If you haven’t yet, go back and listen to last week’s episode with Nathaniel A. Turner. These two conversations speak to each other in a way that’s rare—and honestly, pretty powerful. <img alt="Shape"> Connect with Naeem: Naeem Turner-Bandele is an entrepreneur, author, and educator focused on helping young people see what’s possible for their lives. He is the co-creator of The Amazing World of STEM series and works at the intersection of energy, education, and storytelling. If this episode got you thinking differently about your own creative path, share it with a writer friend who&#39;s ready to stop guessing and start living on purpose. Subscribe to Get Writing wherever you listen, and if you have a minute to leave a review, it helps more writers find us. Ready to go deeper into your own creative life? Come find us at the Creativity Lab at <a href="https://www.getwritingwithliz.com/" rel="nofollow">GetWritingWithLiz.com</a>.

Episode 144: The Words that Raise Us with Naeem Turner-Bandele

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I&#39;ve been starting my mornings with a new ritual. Before I open my laptop or even check my phone, I sit down with my journal and write the story of my day — not what happened, but what I want to happen. I write as if it already did: the focused writing session, the ease in my meetings, the walk that clears my head. It&#39;s a way of living forward — scripting my own day before the world does it for me.I learned this from my guest today, Nate Turner, who has built an entire life philosophy around that same idea — designing forward by thinking backward. And this conversation reminded me that words aren&#39;t just output. They&#39;re architecture.In this episode, we talk about:Journaling Forward — the daily practice of writing your life as you want it to be, not as it isThe Life Template, Nate&#39;s backward-design framework for living with intentionHow Nate used letters to his son to become only the second father in history, since Lord Chesterfield in 1737, to publish letters written to a child over the span of a lifetimeWhy claiming your identity as a writer — before the book is finished — is an act of courage, not delusionThe North Star vs. the Death Star: how to keep your vision from being derailed by old wounds and childhood storiesWhat it means to be a &#34;word chaser&#34; and why saying what you want out loud is one of the most powerful things you can doThe difference between passion and the thing you&#39;d do even if you never won Free Resource from Nate: Download The Life Template Starter Kit at <a href="http://nathanielaturner.com" rel="nofollow">nathanielaturner.com</a> — a free guide to help you start designing your life on purpose, with a plan. About Nathaniel A. Turner:Nathaniel A. Turner is a globally recognized TED Speaker, public intellectual, and author who helps audiences design better lives, stronger families, and more humane futures — intentionally, not accidentally. Known as the Humanity Propulsion Engineer, he is the creator of The Life Template and a Childrearing and Socio-Educational Tools collection and was the first father since Lord Chesterfield in 1737 to write and publish letters to his son successively during his lifetime. He has appeared in numerous media outlets including Black Enterprise, iHeartRadio, The Good Men Project, The Washington Post, and U.S. News &amp; World Report. His books include Raising Supaman, Stop the Bus, It&#39;s A Jungle Out There, Journey Forward, and The Amazing World of STEM.Find Nate:Website: <a href="http://nathanielaturner.com" rel="nofollow">nathanielaturner.com</a>League of Extraordinary Parents: <a href="http://lxtrap.com" rel="nofollow">lxtrap.com</a> Every writer knows this truth: the story only changes when the protagonist does. Nate reminded us that the same goes for real life — you can&#39;t rewrite your story without taking the pen back into your own hand.If this episode got you thinking differently about your own creative path, share it with a writer friend who&#39;s ready to stop guessing and start living on purpose. Subscribe to Get Writing wherever you listen, and if you have a minute to leave a review, it helps more writers find us.Ready to go deeper into your own creative life? Come find us at the Creativity Lab at <a href="http://GetWritingWithLiz.com" rel="nofollow">GetWritingWithLiz.com</a>.

Episode 144: If You Don't Design Your Life, Someone Else Already Has — with Nathaniel A. Turner

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Mindset is probably the most important thing a writer can have dialed in. Even more than knowing the craft. Because practicing is what&#39;s going to help you learn the craft — but mindset is what&#39;s going to keep you practicing in the first place. I&#39;ve been in a business mentorship group for a few years now, and that&#39;s where I met today&#39;s guest, Rhonda Douglas. We found each other in that group — both writers, both building businesses around helping other writers — and I&#39;ve loved her ever since. Rhonda is an award-winning poet, fiction writer, and founder of First Book Finish, a program that takes writers from draft all the way through to publication. She goes straight to the root of why writers get stuck. Not the craft stuff. The brain stuff. And in this conversation, that&#39;s exactly where we go. In this episode, we talk about: <ul><li>Why mindset matters more than craft — and how to actually shift it </li><li>Writing rituals that train your brain to show up consistently </li><li>Imposter syndrome at every stage of the writing career (yes, even after 20 books) </li><li>Consistency over perfection — and why &#34;write every day&#34; advice can backfire </li><li>Beginner&#39;s mind, and why it&#39;s essential every time you start something new </li><li>What&#39;s really going on when a writer has been &#34;working on a book for ten years&#34; </li><li>The joy — and learning curve — of writing in a new genre for the first time </li></ul> Find Rhonda Douglas Find Rhonda at <a href="http://resilientwriters.com/" rel="nofollow">resilientwriters.com</a> and on Instagram at @ResilientWriters. Her podcast, the Resilient Writers Radio Show, is available wherever you get your podcasts. You can also find free resources — including a DIY retreat guide and a Writers Weekly Planner — at resilientwriters.com/resources.  Listen + Subscribe You can listen to this episode of Get Writing with Liz Mugavero wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to: <ul><li>Hit follow/subscribe </li><li>Leave a quick rating or review </li><li>Share this episode with a writer friend who needs to hear it </li></ul>And if you&#39;re looking for your own supportive community of writers, come join us inside the Creativity Lab at <a href="http://getwritingwithliz.com/" rel="nofollow">GetWritingWithLiz.com</a>. We&#39;re there every week — writing together, talking craft books, and supporting each other. I think it will make a huge difference in your writing career to be writing alongside a community.

Episode 143: Writing From the Inside Out — Process, Mindset, and the Long Game with Rhonda Douglas

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I’m so happy to be back!I’ve been on a short break from the podcast—finishing a book, trying to stay focused, and, honestly, wrestling with what it means to keep making art when the world feels heavy. I’ve caught myself wondering whether talking about creativity and writing and books is indulgent… or beside the point.What I keep coming back to is this: creating isn’t frivolous. It’s resistance.Paying attention, telling stories, making meaning—this is how we stay human.So I’m back after a short sabbatical, and I couldn’t have picked a better conversation to return with.In this episode, I’m joined by author and communications professional John David, whose debut novel The Bystander launched just weeks before we recorded. We talk honestly about the part of the writing life that doesn’t get romanticized: what happens after launch, how it feels to market your own work, the long silence of querying, and how to keep going when there’s no magic formula.This is a conversation about persistence, patience, and staying in the work—even when it feels uncomfortable or uncertain.<h3> </h3><h3>In this episode, we talk about:</h3> • Coming back to creativity as resistance and meaning-making• The question every author has after launch: What’s next?• Why marketing often feels like selling one book at a time• The strange truth: it’s easier to market everyone else’s work than your own• How a career in communications shaped John’s fiction writing• Why journalists make compelling investigators—and compelling characters• Mystery vs. thriller, and why genre lines are increasingly blurred• Why not every mystery needs to start with a murder• The reality of querying agents and hearing nothing back• Turning down the wrong offer—and why fit matters more than validation• Finding the right publishing home through an independent press• Writing into a three-book deal and learning to live with deadlines<h3> </h3><h3>About the book</h3> The Bystander is a mystery with thriller elements inspired by a real-world event. When a journalist captures a viral act of violence on camera, everything that follows isn’t quite what it seems—and the deeper he digs, the more complicated the truth becomes.<h3> </h3><h3>Find John David</h3> John writes on Substack at <a href="https://byjohndavid.substack.com/" rel="nofollow">https://byjohndavid.substack.com/</a>, where he shares reflections on writing, publishing, and the behind-the-scenes reality of building a fiction career. If you enjoy long-form, thoughtful essays about the writing life, his Substack pairs naturally with the conversations we have here—and with the kinds of reflections I share on my own Substack as well.The Bystander is available wherever books are sold and can be ordered through your local bookstore.If you’re in the middle of the writing life—querying, launching, wondering if your work is “good enough,” or asking yourself why you keep going—this episode is for you.Thanks for being here. And if you needed the reminder: making art still matters. Keep writing.<h3> </h3><h3>Listen + Subscribe</h3> You can listen to this episode of Get Writing with Liz Mugavero wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to:• Hit follow/subscribe• Leave a quick rating or review• Share the episode with a writer friend who needs a reminder not to give upAnd if you’re craving a little more support, come hang out with me inside <a href="http://getwritingwithliz.com/" rel="nofollow">The Creativity Lab</a>— it’s where we write together, keep each other accountable, and make space for the kind of progress that actually feels good.

Episode 142: Back to the Work — Writing, Resistance, and the “What’s Next” After Launch

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If you love stories that feel like they’ve been ripped from the headlines—and then turned just a little darker and stranger—you’re going to be obsessed with my guest this week.Her book is set in the Greek-life world at the University of Michigan and follows two undergrads, Stella and Penny. Stella is the sorority girl who seems to have it all; Penny is the introvert who becomes obsessed with the idealized version of Stella she sees. Their lives collide through sororities, frat boys, prescription drugs and psychiatric “care” that’s more comedy and chaos than actual help. Things spiral in a way that’s messy, unsettling and very human.If you love dark academia, complicated female characters, and endings that don’t necessarily offer a neat bow, this one’s for you.We talk about: <h3>The origin of The Gilded Butterfly Effect</h3>How Heather took the mystique of sorority houses and Greek life and turned it into a literary campus novel.<h3> </h3><h3>Imagined selves &amp; performative perfection</h3>How Penny’s obsession with Stella is fueled by an imagined, “perfect” version of her—and how that connects to social media, curated lives and what we choose to show the world.<h3> </h3><h3>Psychiatric care, pills, and dark humor</h3>Why Heather made the psychiatrists in the book hilariously incompetent, and how Stella and Penny manipulate them for drugs, attention and validation.<h3> </h3><h3>Short stories vs. novels</h3>Why she finds short stories easier than novels, how this book started as a single short story set in a church basement, and why she always knows the ending early.<h3> </h3><h3>How her PhD shapes her writing</h3>How studying 19th-century poetry and form at Oxford made her think differently about structure, language, and even commas—and how that attention to detail shows up in her prose.<h3> </h3><h3>The long road to publication</h3>Getting an agent in 2020 (yes, right as the pandemic hit), losing that agent, continuing to submit, and eventually finding the right home with small press Three Rooms Press.<h3> </h3><h3>Bleak endings &amp; “unfixable” people</h3>Why she’s drawn to dark, unresolved endings and troubled characters who don’t necessarily get redemption, and how that connects to the Victorian novels she studies.<h3> </h3><h3>Process, pressure, and permission</h3>Her very unstructured, note-app-based writing process, why deadlines help her, and the reminder that your writing process doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s to be valid.<h3> </h3><h3>What’s next</h3>The short story collection she has coming out (full of unhinged women and strange endings, with one story from Stella’s POV), plus her plans for finishing her PhD and staying in academia. <h3>About Heather Colley</h3>Heather Colley is a writer and academic originally from New York and now based in the UK. Her debut novel, The Gilded Butterfly Effect, is a dark, literary campus novel set in the Greek-life world at the University of Michigan. Her short fiction has won awards including the Oxford Review of Books short fiction prize, the Hopwood Award, the BNU-Oxford short fiction prize (runner-up), and the Desperate Literature Prize shortlist. Heather is a PhD student in English Literature at Oxford University. She holds a master’s degree in literature from St Andrews University and a bachelor’s degree in the same subject from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. <h3>Connect with Heather &amp; Find the Book</h3>Book: The Gilded Butterfly Effect – available in print, ebook, and audiobook wherever you usually buy booksWebsite: <a href="http://heathercolleyauthor.com" rel="nofollow">heathercolleyauthor.com</a>Instagram &amp; TikTok: @heathercolleyauthor (lots of literary and bookish posts… plus cat content )🐈<h3>Listen + Subscribe</h3>You can listen to this episode of Get Writing with Liz Mugavero wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to:Hit follow/subscribeLeave a quick rating or reviewShare the episode with a writer friend who needs a reminder not to give upAnd if you’re craving a little more support, come hang out with me inside The Creativity Lab—it’s where we write together, keep each other accountable, and make space for the kind of progress that actually feels good.

Episode 141: Dark Academia, Toxic Obsession & Sorority Secrets with author Heather Colley

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Dreaming of a traditional book deal but feeling totally lost about how to actually get there?Well, good news.In this episode, I’m sitting down with book broker Randy Peyser, who has spent nearly three decades helping authors land deals with traditional publishers. Randy shares what’s working right now in publishing, what agents and editors are really looking for and how to position both your book and your platform so you’re taken seriously.Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, this conversation gives you a clear-eyed, encouraging look at the business side of books—without crushing your own personal magic.In this episode, you’ll learn:• What a book broker is and how Randy acts as a connector between authors, agents, and publishers• Why she won’t pitch anything that isn’t polished, “stellar,” and clearly sellable• The current word count realities publishers are quietly using (including why many don’t want books over ~80K words)• Why nonfiction lives or dies on outcome-driven titles and a clear promise to the reader• What makes fiction stand out in an oversaturated market—and why your opening pages matter so much• How platform and engagement are evaluated behind the scenes (including tools like SocialBlade and what agents check while you’re pitching)• Smart ways to build visibility before your book is even out—like podcasts, newsletters, and focused social content• How conferences, pitch sessions, and tight, two-minute pitches can accelerate your chances of getting noticed• Randy’s hilarious and inspiring story of how her book Crappy to Happy ended up in Eat Pray Love• Her current project, Bald Courage, and why legal permissions matter when you’re writing about real people• The mindset shift from “my book is an option” to “my book is a priority”—and why that changes everythingAbout Randy PeyserRandy Peyser is a book broker and the founder of Author One Stop. After working as an editor-in-chief in the Mind–Body–Spirit magazine world, she transitioned into helping authors land traditional book deals. Over nearly 30 years, she’s developed deep relationships with literary agents and publishers, and now pitches both nonfiction and fiction projects—often securing multiple offers and even six-figure deals for her clients. Randy also oversees a team of highly vetted editors and ghostwriters and is currently working on her own book, Bald Courage:Gentle Wisdom on the Chemo Journey. Resources• Randy’s website: Author One Stop – <a href="https://www.authoronestop.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.authoronestop.com</a>• Social media metrics tool: <a href="https://www.socialblade.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.socialblade.com</a> (check your own engagement the way publishers do)• Look for in-person pitch opportunities like the Writer’s Digest Conference and other agent “speed dating” or pitch sessions in your genreListen + SubscribeYou can listen to this episode of Get Writing with Liz Mugavero wherever you get your podcasts.If this conversation gave you hope, a nudge, or a new way to look at your own “drawer novel,” it would mean the world if you:• Hit follow/subscribe• Leave a quick rating or review• Share the episode with a writer friend who needs a reminder not to give upAnd if you’re craving a little more support, come hang out with me inside <a href="http://getwritingwithliz.com/" rel="nofollow">The Creativity Lab</a>— it’s where we write together, keep each other accountable, and make space for the kind of progress that actually feels good.

Episode 140: How to Land a Traditional Book Deal in 2025: Inside the World of a Book Broker with Randy Peyser

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You know that saying about how most overnight successes are really just people who refuse to quit for like a decade?Every time I hear it, I think about my own story. I wrote a bunch of books before I got my first book published by a publisher. I had a couple that I really wanted to get published. I have one that I&#39;m still rewriting to this day because it did not get published.And I wrote these books back in my 20s and early 30s. I was positive especially with one of these, that it was going to be the book. And it might still be, because I&#39;m still rewriting it. But no — it almost got published once at a small press and then it did not. They ended up passing.And then the opportunity fell into my lap to start my first cozy mystery series. And that was a decade after I started trying. A decade after I started going to conferences and pitching and editing and rewriting and pitching again and getting a lot of rejections.So it really is true that “overnight” successes are years in the making.And today&#39;s guest is someone else who knows that journey inside and out — the persistence, the rewrites, the revisions, and that long stretch between who you are as a writer and when you finally get recognized by the industry and picked up by a publisher (if that’s the path you’re choosing).This story is awesome. I love my guest today, Cindy Fazzi. She&#39;s the author of the Domingo the Bounty Hunter series which she started writing in 1995. It was rejected everywhere, rewritten multiple times (do you see a theme here?), dropped by publishers, resurrected again, and ultimately sold twice to the same editor at two different houses. I mean, you can&#39;t make this stuff up.Cindy&#39;s story is one of the most hopeful and necessary conversations that I&#39;ve had lately about resilience, representation and just really sticking with the book that you believe in.<h3> </h3><h3>We cover:</h3> ✨ The “Unsellable” Book That Wouldn’t Let GoHow Cindy first wrote the earliest version of Danger No Problem in 1995, had it rejected everywhere, and kept coming back to it over decades.✨ Immigration, Identity &amp; Why Representation MattersWhy Cindy, a Filipino-American immigrant and former Associated Press reporter, felt compelled to center Filipino-American characters and humanize immigration beyond the headlines.✨ The POV Shift That Changed EverythingHow changing the narrator from a non-criminal undocumented immigrant to a Filipino- American bounty hunter organically turned the story into a thriller and made the book click.✨ Selling the Same Two Books — TwiceThe wild publishing ride:• Selling the series to one publisher• Watching that house shutter six months after release• Then selling the same books again to the same editor at a different publisher, who relaunched them and released both books simultaneously.✨ Agents, Rejections &amp; the Myth of “Once You Have an Agent, You’re Set”Cindy’s journey through three agents, what actually happens when agents can’t sell your work, and how she learned to stop tailoring her writing to someone else’s idea of “marketable.”✨ Community as a Career Shortcut (and Lifeline)How joining Crime Writers of Color and Sisters in Crime later in her journey changed everything — and why she wishes she’d done it years earlier.✨ A Brand-New Series with a Brilliant HeroineCindy’s next project: a new series starring a female FBI intelligence analyst — a procedural featuring a heroine who doesn’t carry a gun but fights crime with her intellect and her instincts.<h3> </h3><h3>About Cindy</h3> Cindy Fazzi is the author of the Domingo the Bounty Hunter series, including:• Danger No Problem• Sunday or the HighwayThe series follows Domingo, a Filipino-American bounty hunter who specializes in tracking criminal undocumented immigrants — and finds himself drawn into increasingly complex, high- risk cases involving non-criminal undocumented people as well. Through Domingo’s world, Cindy tackles the human side of immigration, justice, and belonging.A former Associated Press reporter, Cindy brings her journalist’s eye for detail ad clarity to her thrillers, blending pace, human stakes, and nuanced social issues.<h3> </h3><h3>Where to Find Cindy</h3> • Website: <a href="http://CindyFazzi.com" rel="nofollow">CindyFazzi.com</a>• Social: Instagram, Facebook, BlueSky, YouTube → @cindyfazzi<h3> </h3><h3>Perfect For</h3> This episode is especially for you if:• You’ve been working on a manuscript for years and feel like it might never find a home• You’ve been rejected so many times you’re wondering if it’s a sign to quit• You care about representation and want to see more immigrant and Filipino-American characters in genre fiction• You love hearing real talk about the business side of publishing — agents, editors, imprints closing, books getting resurrected• You need a reminder that persistence + the right match can change everything<h3> </h3><h3>Listen + Subscribe</h3> You can listen to this episode of Get Writing with Liz Mugavero wherever you get your podcasts.If this conversation gave you hope, a nudge, or a new way to look at your own “drawer novel,” it would mean the world if you:• Hit follow/subscribe• Leave a quick rating or review• Share the episode with a writer friend who needs a reminder not to give upAnd if you’re craving a little more support, come hang out with me inside <a href="http://getwritingwithliz.com/" rel="nofollow">The Creativity Lab</a>— it’s where we write together, keep each other accountable, and make space for the kind of progress that actually feels good.

Episode 139: The Book That Wouldn’t Die: Thriller Author Cindy Fazzi on Persistence, Rewrites & Fate

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Sometimes one lifetime isn’t enough to hold all the versions of who we become—especially for writers, or anyone who’s ever started over.I’ve been thinking about what happens when you cross an invisible border—geography, language, career—and suddenly the words you’ve always trusted go quiet. Our guest today knows that silence intimately. She grew up in communist Bulgaria, moved to Kentucky, stopped writing for eleven years…and then, driving to work one morning, a poem jolted through her like electricity. That current carried her back to herself.Today I’m talking with poet, publisher, and community builder Katerina Stoykova about identity, reinvention, and the long road back to the page. We get into losing—and re-finding— your voice in a new language, why throwing away a year of work can be an act of devotion, what it takes to shape a pile of poems into a book, and how small daily goals add up to a creative life.We also dig into her press, Accents Publishing, her craft book The Poet’s Guide to Publishing, and the metaphor at the heart of her latest poetry collection, Between a Birdcage and a Birdhouse—that liminal space between nesting and flight. If you’ve ever felt “in between,” this one’s going to land.In this episode:• Growing up in communist Bulgaria, immigrating to the U.S., and holding two identities at once• The 11-year silence—and the poem that arrived like a jolt in a Kroger parking lot• Writing in a second language and giving yourself permission to “waste” pages• The craft and logistics of poetry books: conceiving, arranging, editing, publishing, marketing• Founding Accents Publishing (from hand-bound chapbooks in the dining room to global distribution)• Community as a lifeline: Kentucky Book Festival and the Kentucky State Poetry Society• Journaling → harvesting → (yes) burning: a ritual for clarity and privacy• The birdcage/birdhouse metaphor for the immigrant experience—home as a moving target• Monthly creative goals, tiny daily commitments, and tricking your brain past resistance• Why not being yourself is the costliest path of all<h3> </h3><h3>About Katerina</h3> A Bulgarian by birth, Katerina Stoykova is a bilingual poet living in Kentucky and is the author of Between a Bird Cage and a Bird House (University Press of Kentucky, 2024) and The Poet&#39;s Guide to Publishing: How to Conceive, Arrange, Edit, Publish and Market a Book of Poetry (McFarland, 2024). Katerina is the founder and senior editor of Accents Publishing, as well as the creator of the Accents podcast on WUKY. Katerina served as the 2023-2024 Director of the Kentucky Book Festival, as well as the Director for the Center for the Book in Kentucky and is the 2025-2026 President of the Kentucky State Poetry Society.<h3> </h3><h3>Connect</h3> Accents Publishing: <a href="https://www.accents-publishing.com/books.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.accents-publishing.com/books.html</a>Accents podcast: <a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1191882226/accents" rel="nofollow">https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1191882226/accents</a>Latest poetry book (University Press of Kentucky, 2024)<a href="https://www.kentuckypress.com/9780813198682/between-a-bird-cage-and-a-bird-house/" rel="nofollow">https://www.kentuckypress.com/9780813198682/between-a-bird-cage-and-a-bird-house/</a>Nonfiction book, the Poet&#39;s Guide to Publishing (McFarland, 2024)<a href="https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-poets-guide-to-publishing/" rel="nofollow">https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-poets-guide-to-publishing/</a>You can also follow the Get Writing podcast on all platforms and join my newsletter at <a href="http://lizmugavero.substack.com" rel="nofollow">lizmugavero.substack.com</a> for creative rituals, seasonal challenges, and behind-the-scenes stories.And if you’re craving a little more support, come hang out with me inside <a href="http://getwritingwithliz.com/" rel="nofollow">The Creativity Lab</a>— it’s where we write together, keep each other accountable, and make space for the kind of progress that actually feels good.

Episode 138: A Hundred Words at a Time: with author Katerina Stoykova

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One of my biggest pet peeves when I worked in Corporate America was without a doubt when some leader or HR person called the workplace a “family.” It was a story designed to keep people compliant—an illusion of belonging that disappeared the moment you stopped performing.It sounded warm and fuzzy, sure. But as a storyteller, I understood that was exactly what this was: a story.Families don’t write you up for missing a deadline. They don’t guilt you into working weekends. They definitely don’t lay you off with a smile and a severance packet. What was really underneath those warm and fuzzy words was, We want you to be loyal until we don’t need you anymore. Then, you’re gone and we won’t even blink an eye.I started questioning how much of corporate culture is built on the stories we tell to keep people in line—stories about loyalty, productivity and worth. And that’s one of the things I went deep on with this week’s guest, Alex Mell-Taylor.Alex writes about politics, pop culture and futurism—all through the lens of story. We got into how writing can challenge cultural narratives, how corporate America can mirror cult dynamics and how fiction helps us imagine something more authentic.Alex also shares their journey from creating video content to writing essays about politics and culture, how fiction can tell the truth sideways and why community is essential for creative survival.<h3>In this episode:</h3> • Why “we’re a family” might be the most dangerous workplace myth• The link between advocacy and storytelling• How fiction can become cultural resistance• The cult logic of corporate America• Imagining better futures through creative work• Writing as a way to process fear—and move toward liberation• Building community as a creative survival skillIf you’ve ever side-eyed a “we’re a family” email or felt the urge to write your way out of someone else’s narrative, this one’s for you.<h3>About Alex Mell-Taylor</h3>Alex Mell-Taylor is a trans, nonbinary writer who reports out from the digital trenches on pop culture and politics, often with an intersectional, queer bent. Their personal blog, Alex Has Opinions, has received hundreds of thousands of views and is growing every day. They are the editor and founder of the futurist magazine After the Storm, which has accepted stories from around the world. The Bubble We&#39;re In is their debut Romance novel.<h3>Connect</h3>You can find Alex’s work on <a href="https://medium.com/@alexhasopinions" rel="nofollow">Medium</a>.You can also follow the Get Writing podcast on all platforms and join my newsletter at <a href="http://lizmugavero.substack.com/" rel="nofollow">lizmugavero.substack.com</a> for creative rituals, seasonal challenges, and behind-the-scenes stories.And if you’re craving a little more support, come hang out with me inside <a href="http://getwritingwithliz.com/" rel="nofollow">The Creativity Lab</a>— it’s where we write together, keep each other accountable, and make space for the kind of progress that actually feels good.

Episode 137: Yes I am dying on that hill - with Alex Mell-Taylor

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“Don&#39;t let somebody else tell you no until you&#39;ve exhausted every avenue.”When I heard this advice from author Liz Alterman, I actually sat back in my chair.Because it’s So. True. In fact, it is the key to success in this author life—persistence, intuitionand an almost ridiculous belief in yourself and the project that keeps you up at night.Liz Alterman is a novelist and essayist whose work ranges from psychological thrillers to rom- coms and memoir. We talk about how she’s navigated the rollercoaster of agents, rejections, indie publishing, and trusting her creative instincts—plus what happens when the “wrong” killer turns out to be the right one.This one’s a love letter to persistence, self-belief and the weird, wonderful process of being a writer—whether you’re 3,000 words in or deep in a series. Also: goats, cats and the occasional suburban meal-train rivalry.We truly cover it all:• What it really takes to claim “writer” as your identity• Liz’s merry-go-round ride with different agents and how it led to a deep belief in herself and her work• Navigating agents, rejections, and alternative publishing paths• Building better writing habits that fit real life• Trusting your gut when feedback is conflicting• How to find humor in dark stories• Substack experiments, marketing without losing your soul…and of course, catsIf you’re wondering why your own writing career doesn’t go neatly from point A to point B… this episode is for you.<h3> </h3><h3>Favorite Quotes</h3> “Are you writing for two gatekeepers—or thousands of readers?”“This isn’t a pan of brownies; it’s a year of my life.”“If feedback doesn’t feel true in your body, it’s a no.”<h3> </h3><h3>About Liz Alterman</h3> Liz Alterman is a multi-genre author and journalist based in New Jersey. Her novels include You Shouldn’t Have Done That, The Perfect Neighborhood, He’ll Be Waiting, The House on Cold Creek Lane, and the memoir Sad Sacked. Her rom-com Claire Casey’s Had Enough lands June 3, 2025. She also writes essays, humor, and freelance pieces for publications like Parade Pets.<h3> </h3><h3>Connect</h3> You can find Liz at <a href="https://www.lizalterman.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.lizalterman.com/</a>.You can also follow the Get Writing podcast on all platforms and join my newsletter at <a href="http://lizmugavero.substack.com/" rel="nofollow">lizmugavero.substack.com</a> for creative rituals, seasonal challenges, and behind-the-scenes stories.And if you’re craving a little more support, come hang out with me inside <a href="http://getwritingwithliz.com/" rel="nofollow">The Creativity Lab</a>— it’s where we write together, keep each other accountable, and make space for the kind of progress that actually feels good.

Episode 136: Trust Your Gut, Rewrite the Rules and Other Writing Advice: Liz Alterman

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When I signed with my first agent back in 2011, I really thought I’d made it. I had a contract, someone finally said yes to my work, and I figured from here on out, it would all just… flow.Write books, publish books, repeat. Easy, right?Yeah. No. That’s not how it works.Every milestone in publishing just opens a new set of questions. The middle of a writing career is this weird mix of gratitude and uncertainty—you’re not the shiny new debut anymore, but you’re not the household name with a dozen contracts either. You’re somewhere in between, still showing up, still hustling, still trying to figure out what success even looks like now.That’s what I’m digging into in this episode with my friend Korina Moss, Agatha Award– winning author of The Cheese Shop Mysteries. After six books, a loyal fan base, and all the recognition you’d hope for, her series came to an end—and she’s been really open about what that’s been like.We talk about what happens when your career takes a turn you didn’t see coming, how to find your footing again, and why community and resilience are everything when you’re stuck in the middle.If you’ve ever looked around and thought, Wait a second—wasn’t this supposed to get easier by now? …you’re going to feel seen in this one.<h3> </h3><h3>What We Talk About</h3> • The myth of “making it” in publishing• What really happens when a successful series ends• The grief, relief, and recalibration that follow• Burnout, deadlines, and learning to set boundaries• Shifting genres and re-learning how to write again• The good and bad of social media for authors• How to stay connected to readers without losing yourself• Why community is what makes perseverance possible<h3> </h3><h3>My Takeaway</h3> The middle isn’t failure—it’s feedback. It’s part of the deal. You’re allowed to pause. You’re allowed to want something different. You’re allowed to protect your energy, your health, and your joy—even when the world tells you to keep producing.If you’re in the in-between right now, I get it. It’s uncomfortable and uncertain, but it’s not the end. You’re not the only one figuring it out, and you’ll find your footing again—probably sooner than you think.<h3> </h3><h3>Connect</h3> Find Korina Moss on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/korinamossauthor/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">@korinamossauthor</a> or visit <a href="http://korinamossauthor.com" rel="nofollow">korinamossauthor.com</a>.You can also follow the Get Writing podcast on all platforms and join my newsletter at <a href="http://lizmugavero.substack.com" rel="nofollow">lizmugavero.substack.com</a> for creative rituals, seasonal challenges, and behind-the-scenes stories.And if you’re craving a little more support, come hang out with me inside <a href="http://getwritingwithliz.com/" rel="nofollow">The Creativity Lab</a>— it’s where we write together, keep each other accountable, and make space for the kind of progress that actually feels good.

Episode 135: Getting Through the Middle: A Candid Conversation with Korina Moss

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Warning: We’re getting a little (ok, a lot) woo woo in this episode.A few weeks ago, I tuned into an early morning live session on Insight Timer, my favorite meditation app. It was a mediumship reading with Gloria Battini, a transformational guide, spiritual teacher and empathic visionary—also a Swiss Army knife of spiritual tools.And I got picked for a reading. Next thing I know, I’m having a conversation with my dad that I’ve wanted to have since he passed away a decade ago.I write for a living. I share a lot. And still—being that vulnerable in front of 200 strangers in a group chat felt scary.But—not only is Gloria amazing, but her community is too. That’s the thing about her: she makes the unseen feel not only possible, but safe.Today, we trace how a girl who “always felt she wasn’t alone” grew into a spiritual medium and teacher who works with tarot, Akashic Records, and personal astrology—and how that same intuitive current can fuel our writing. We talk about the four clairs, why forcing ideas backfires, the difference between a thought that tightens and a nudge that speaks, and simple ways to let your stories come through.If you’ve been told you’re “too sensitive,” consider this your permission slip: sensitivity is craft material—and this episode is a can’t-miss.We cover:• Growing up “never alone” and only realizing in her thirties that not everyone senses energy• The four clairs—voyance (seeing), audience (hearing), sentience (feeling), cognizance (knowing)—and how to spot yours• Why early criticism makes us hide our creative selves (and how to rebuild self-trust)• Meditation and daydreaming as space-makers for story (no 8-hour writing day required)• Automatic writing, sound as a doorway and the cacao ritual Gloria uses to quiet the noise• Building affirmations that work because they’re yours—not generic Pinterest lines<h2> </h2><h2>Try this</h2> • Catch the nudge: When an idea lands, stop and write one messy sentence. Speed beats polish.• Find your channel: Notice what shows up first—image, words, body sensation, clean “knowing.” Feed it with a matching practice (visualization, single-track listening, breath/ somatic work, or timed freewrite).• Flip the doubt: Take your loudest fear and turn it into a targeted affirmation you can say out loud daily.<h2> </h2><h2>Resources</h2> • GLOW Nation live circles on <a href="https://insighttimer.com/" rel="nofollow">Insight Timer</a> (donation-based) and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_Lzf1AT9bSdbL8EB3LGQFg" rel="nofollow">YouTube</a>• Courses on Insight Timer: Unlock Your Psychic Skills, Life-Changing Affirmations, Tarot &amp; Oracle: Energy, Intuition and Divination• Ritual: 20g ceremonial cacao + hot water, cinnamon, turmeric, tiny pinch cayenne, spoon of honey<h2> </h2><h2>About Gloria</h2> A lifelong sensitive who trained intensively in intuitive development, Gloria helps people reconnect to their inner guidance through live circles, courses and one-to-one work.<h2> </h2><h2>For writers</h2> • The Creativity Lab membership: seasonal rituals, co-writing, and woo-meets-structure.PS: Gloria is visiting The Creativity Lab later this month for a past-lives class. Bring your notebook. And if you’re not a member yet, now’s the time! <a href="https://getwritingwithliz.com/" rel="nofollow">https://getwritingwithliz.com/</a>And follow me on IG @Liz Mugavero. If today’s episode resonated, leave a quick rating or share it with your writing group—every star helps another writer find the show.

Episode 134: Too Sensitive? Good. That’s Where the Magic Starts—with Gloria Battini

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There are two kinds of fear. The right kind—the one that makes you jump back from a speeding car, the one that keeps us alive. That fear has a job and does it well.Then there’s the wrong kind—the inherited kind. The kind that isn’t about danger, but about staying small. I grew up watching the women in my family carry that kind of fear. Fear of speaking up. Fear of being “too much.” Fear of wanting more than they were told they could have. And without meaning to, I picked up that script. It’s shaped how I’ve moved through the world and even how long I kept writing from taking the center stage it was always meant to take.Writers know that version of fear well. It’s the voice that says your pages aren’t good enough. That you’ll embarrass yourself. That it’s safer not to try.That’s why today’s guest, Amy Koford—The Happy Hypnotist— feels like such a breath of fresh air. She’s made it her mission to help people unhook from the wrong kind of fear. Through hypnosis, she’s guiding people out of depression, anxiety, addictions, and yes, the creative paralysis that fear creates. Amy knows both the science of how fear lives in our brains and the lived reality of what it does to our lives.This conversation is about rewriting that script—so you can let fear do its real job of protecting you, and stop letting it keep you from the page.I love this because, as you know, I love ALL the woo. And honestly hypnosis is one of the (very) few things I haven’t tried. I think that might be about to change, y’all.We cover:• Myth-busting hypnosis: Hollywood sells mind control; real hypnosis is a natural theta brainwave state where you’re deeply relaxed and still in control.• Why it works fast: Traditional talk therapy tries to solve subconscious problems with the conscious mind; hypnosis goes straight to where the patterns live. Amy’s typical range: 1–8 sessions (severe cases at the high end).• Road hypnosis &amp; daydreams: Everyday examples of light trance—and how guided work takes you deeper with intent.• From HR to hypnotist: A “crossroads” season, a test session to kick sugar, then training —her niche found her: depression and anxiety.• Fear as the real problem: Under addictions, procrastination, and perfectionism sits fear —often fear of feeling. Resolve the root and the habit loosens.• Creatives + blocks: Writers are not broken; they’re protecting themselves. Hypnosis can unhook old criticism and performance fear so the draft can happen.• Process peek: Shocking the nervous system into relaxation; “moving the conscious mind aside” to work with the unconscious; why Zoom sessions (with headphones) are effective.• Book origin story: A long drive, a bossy inner voice—“Write about fear.” First draft flowed, revisions were the real workout. Practical tools in every chapter (including Amy’s Stress Eliminator).• Self-love (next book): Most of us are brutal to ourselves. She’s building a toolbox to swap criticism for actual confidence.Favorite thread:“Necessary fear protects you. Unnecessary fear parks you.” Amy’s work is basically teaching your nervous system the difference—and letting the writer part of you breathe again.Try this (Writer’s Prompt):Name one “unnecessary fear” that keeps your pages stuck. Give it a voice on the page for 5 minutes—let it rant. Then write a 7-line rebuttal from the part of you that actually wants the book. Close your eyes for 60 seconds, slow your breathing, and start your next scene without rereading.Find more about Amy and her work at <a href="https://www.amykoford.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.amykoford.com/</a> .And follow me on IG @Liz Mugavero. If today’s episode resonated, leave a quick rating or shareit with your writing group—every star helps another writer find the show.

Episode 133: You’re not the boss of me: On fear, with Amy Koford, the “Happy Hypnotist”

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Remember when you were a kid and heard all the family stories? I mean the official ones—the ones we heard over and over, the ones we had permission to retell. But we all know that there are other family stories—the ones that don’t get talked about. The things you suspected, or felt more than knew. The older I get, the more I believe our writing lives begin there, in the world between what’s documented and what’s passed down in phrases, glances, feelings.Today’s guest, Joseph Bolton, stepped right into that space and built a world. He took the true thread of his French-Canadian and Algonquin ancestry and wove it into Old Grandmother’s Tree—two volumes of fully illustrated original folktales with Northern Lights shawls, trickster animals, and one fierce ancestor at the center: Mityo Goku.We get into how an INFJ intuition becomes a writing process, how grief and curiosity can open creative doors, and what it takes to honor culture while inventing boldly. If you’ve ever wondered how to turn family history into living story, this one’s your permission slip.We cover:• From one assignment to a universe: A French-class story about farm animals sledding becomes a two-volume, 40K-word cycle with ~450 full-color illustrations.• The intuitive build: Joseph’s INFJ pattern-spotting, writing without outlines, and following the “good idea fairy” at 2 a.m.• An ancestor at the center: The life of Mityo Goku—widowed at 22, children taken, later praised by her community as courageous and loving—and how Joseph uses folktale “language” to tell deeper truths.• Team storytelling: Storyboards by Masami Kyoto → final art by Natasha Pelly-Smith (Cree/Ojibwe), and how the visual magic shaped the writing.• Respecting culture: Research, community feedback from the Algonquin community in Pembroke, ON, and an invitation that became kinship.• Language matters: Publishing in English and Quebec French now; a plan to translate future work into the Algonquin language—and the real costs of keeping languages alive.• Place as portal: Returning to Quebec post-COVID, feeling the land as lineage, and renaming Magog to Saint-Autery inside the books.• Grief as ignition: Losing two brothers, writing to leave something that connects people across borders and generations.• Let them doubt you: The bookstore owner who said it would fail—and why that became fuel.My favorite thread:Stories don’t end when someone dies. They keep moving through us. Joseph’s work is a reminder that writing can be an act of reunion—between languages, between cousins who’ve never met, between who we were told we are and who we’re still becoming.Try this (Writer’s Prompt):Write a 700–1200 word folktale about an ancestor—real or rumored. Give them one magical object that reveals who they are. Let a trickster character witness the turning point. Don’t research first. Write the heartbeat, then layer facts later.Find out more about Joseph and his work here: <a href="https://oldgrandmotherstree.com/" rel="nofollow">https://oldgrandmotherstree.com/</a>Follow me on IG @Liz Mugavero, and if today’s episode resonated, leave a quick rating or shareit with your writing group—every star helps another writer find the show.

Episode 132: Old Grandmother’s Tree, Trickster Spirits & Writing Where You Come From with Joseph Bolton

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The world feels pretty heavy for a lot of people right now. Women are no exception. Rights we thought were settled are suddenly negotiable. Language that should protect us gets twisted.Headlines read like history we swore we’d never repeat. When I heard about the book Counting Backwards, I felt like it truly was a story for our time.That’s why I invited Jacqueline Friedland on the show. She’s a former attorney whose new novel was sparked by two things: the 1927 Buck v. Bell decision that green-lit involuntary sterilization—and a 2020 headline about women in a U.S. immigration detention center alleging sterilization without consent. A century apart. Same wound. Jacqueline’s book threads those timelines together through one fierce (and imperfect, human) attorney who decides to fight.This conversation isn’t just “about issues.” It’s about people. It’s about how a teenage research project can burrow into your bones for decades. It’s about how words, choices, and consent are not abstractions—especially now. And it’s about writing the kind of novel that lets readers feel the danger and the dignity at stake.🧵 What we talk about:• The seed that wouldn’t let go. Seventeen-year-old Jacqueline, paging through dry Supreme Court opinions, stumbles on a three-paragraph ruling that changes her. Years later, a headline called “The Uterus Collector” lights the fuse. She starts writing because she can’t not.• Reproductive rights ≠ one argument. We widen the lens: consent, informed care, the right to have children and the right not to be forced into it, language access in medical settings—and how easily “obvious” rights get eroded when we stop paying attention.• Law school, then a left turn. Jacqueline tries on the big-firm life and realizes the part she loves is the thinking, the arguing, the human stakes—not the billable hours. She carries the law into fiction anyway, where it becomes plot, pressure and purpose.• Building people, not positions. In Counting Backwards, the past belongs to Carrie (inspired by Buck v. Bell), and the present belongs to Jessa, a lawyer who thinks she knows her path—until she meets women whose stories demand more of her. Layer by draft, Jacqueline writes toward their private truths.• Writing in a hard season. From “fill the sandbox, then build the castle” first drafts to the temptation of perfect sentences, we talk about stamina, deadlines, and showing up when the news cycle feels like quicksand.• Publishing without losing your voice. Hybrid, then Big Five—what changed, what didn’t, and why editorial control (and the right champion) matter when you’re carrying a story with real-world resonance.• What’s next. A D1 swimmer buckles under pressure and finds unlikely connection with an autistic teen. Different arena, same heartbeat: agency, identity, and the cost of belonging.If you’ve felt the weight of this moment for women, or wondered how to capture some of the fear and anger we’re feeling right now, this episode is for you.📚 About Jacqueline FriedlandJacqueline Friedland is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of both historical and contemporary women’s fiction. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and NYU Law School, she practiced as a commercial litigator for as long as she could stand it. She then returned to school to earn her Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College and has been writing ever since.Jackie’s books have been awarded the 2020 and 2021 gold medals in fiction from Readers’ Favorite. Her novels have also been named the 2021 Kirkus Reviews Best Indie Book of the Year, the SheReads Best Book Club Pick of 2021, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star finalist for 2022. She regularly reviews fiction for trade publications and appears at schools and other locations as a guest lecturer. Her fifth novel, Counting Backwards, was released by Harper Muse in March 2025.🔗 Connect with her at <a href="https://www.jacquelinefriedland.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.jacquelinefriedland.com/</a>Follow me on IG @Liz Mugavero, and if today’s episode resonated, leave a quick rating or shareit with your writing group—every star helps another writer find the show.

Episode 131: Writing Through the Dark—Reproductive Justice, Law and Story with Jacqueline Friedland

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I love to talk about how I have used my day job as fodder for my fiction.I mean, you have to admit—most of us have So. Many. Possibilities. when it comes to character, drama or heck, even murder plots when we look at the people we work with or have worked with (and if that’s not you, you’re a unicorn!.In all seriousness—people are fascinating and there are really stories everywhere. And I just worked in financial services! So I have always been a little envious of people who have really cool jobs who then take those learnings and turn them into fiction. And today&#39;s guest, Brad Elder, has done just that.After nearly two decades as a lawyer and a business owner, he found himself unexpectedly turning to creativity during a difficult time. He started out painting, but then soon turned to writing. And then before he knew it, he was channeling his professional expertise into a brand new thriller series. So in this conversation, Brad shares how he went from I could never do this to finishing his debut novel, Recoil of Justice, and all about his writing and publishing journey.We talk about:• How painting through a stressful season opened the door to writing• Why you don’t have to choose between plotter or pantser—it’s a spectrum• The way his legal background adds realism without overwhelming readers• The pros and cons of self-publishing and what he’s learned so far• How secondary characters and even fleeting real-life moments add depth to a storyIf you’re hating on your day job right now, you need to listen to this episode. We’re going to turn that dread into a mindset of, What a wealth of creativity is at my fingertips at this job!🔗 Connect with Brad at <a href="http://bradeldernovels.com/" rel="nofollow">bradeldernovels.com</a> for updates, sneak peeks, and release news.Follow me on IG @Liz Mugavero, and if today’s episode resonated, leave a quick rating or share it with your writing group—every star helps another writer find the show.

Episode 130: How to use your day job to write that novel today with author Brad Elder

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Did I ever tell you about how I got kicked out of dance class when I was a kid?Yup. That was pretty much a defining moment in my life. I was pretty young and I felt like all my friends were doing ballet and jazz and tap classes. So I begged my mother to sign me up. She did, and I went to a few classes. I don’t remember much about it, except the story my mother told over and over after that—how the teacher basically told her not to waste her money on dance classes for me, and invited her to remove me from class.Embarrassing, right? I still get hives when I think about going near a dance floor today.My guest today, Alexandra Beller, is the exact opposite. She’s a professional dancer, choreographer, teacher and now she’s added writer to her creative credits. And despite the fact that I worried, given my sad history with dancing, that we might not have a lot in common, I couldn’t have been more wrong. We had the best conversation about her journey from dance to writing and her book, &#39;The Anatomy of Art,&#39; which explores various frameworks for understanding and enhancing the creative journey.We covered:• Why habits aren’t inherently bad—but why we sometimes need to break them to bring more “colors” back onto our creative palette.• The simple changes that can wake up your brain and shift your perspective.• What it means to actually listen to your body (and how I’ve spent much of my life living in my head because of that dance teacher’s words).• A kinder, more compassionate way to deal with the inner critic that shows up in all of us.• How Alexandra’s background in choreography shapes the way she approaches writing now.• The importance of joy and rest as part of the creative process, not rewards we only earn when the work is “done.”If you’ve been feeling like you’re in a little bit of a creative slump lately, you don’t want to miss this episode.You can find all of Alexandra’s classes, her book and some free dance practices <a href="https://www.alexandrabellerdances.org/" rel="nofollow">here</a>.Follow me on IG @Liz Mugavero, and if today’s episode resonated, leave a quick rating or shareit with your writing group—every star helps another writer find the show.

Episode 129: That time I got kicked out of dance class, and more on creative embodiment with Alexandra Beller

Here's what no one tells you about writing: the hardest part isn't the words. It's believing you're allowed to write them.

Get Writing with Liz Mugavero exists because writers shouldn't have to figure this out alone.

Liz Mugavero — also known as Cate Conte, author of the beloved Cat Cafe Mystery series — has written 20 novels and coaches writers who are ready to stop waiting and start writing.

Every episode goes somewhere real. Craft and publishing. Mindset and blocks. The inner work that nobody warns you about when you start. Guest conversations and solo sessions all centered on one thing: finishing the book you've been carrying — and finding out that the community of writers doing exactly that is bigger than you ever imagined.

A little woo? Yes. Tarot cards occasionally? Also yes. Apologies? None.

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Find out more at cateconte.com Find out more at www.cateconte.com.