EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Hey, everyone! Are you prepping to launch your debut novel in 2022 but don't know where to start? Then you're in luck!   This week, Rachel is joined by author Cassie Sanchez to discuss launching your debut book from how to prepare for the launch, marketing, and more.   Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy the episode.   ABOUT CASSIE SANCHEZ   Growing up, Cassie Sanchez always wanted superpowers and to be a warrior princess fighting alongside unlikely heroes. Suffice it to say, she lost herself in books, from fantasy to sci-fi to a suspenseful romance. Currently, Cassie lives in the southwest with her husband, Louie, while pestering her two adult men-children. She can usually be found drinking too much coffee while working in her office with her dog, Gunner, and Bullet, warming her feet. When she isn’t writing about magic and sword fights, she enjoys golf, spending time with friends, or partaking in a satisfying nap. You can visit her online at cassiesanchez.com. Preorder Chasing the Darkness here or on Amazon.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   We are finally in 2022 and in our first episode of the year, we are laying out our goals for 2022 - podcasting and writing.  What goals are you aiming to achieve this year? As always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Another year has come and gone! Listen to our many screw-ups from 2021. As always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0   Background Music - "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" and "Hyperfun" composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES As Christmas is approaching we decided we would do another round of Would You Rather, "Christmas Edition".  Play along with us and feel free to leave your own answers to the questions, in the comments!   We hope you enjoy this episode and please share it with any writer friends who you think might enjoy the podcast. Thanks for listening!   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Get to know more about the host of The Merry Writer Podcast, Ari Meghlen! In this week's episode, Rachel interviews Ari about her and her writing.   Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy the episode.   ABOUT ARI MEGHLEN   Ari is a fantasy author, avid blogger, busy entrepreneur, and cleverly disguised as a responsible adult. Unimpressed with reality, 8-year-old Ari set out on a mission to create new exciting worlds full of demons, pirates, gods, dragons, and even a few screaming trees...and many MANY years later, she has no intention of stopping.  Her first short story, The Locksmith, was published in the 2019 anthology From Ashes to Magic, and her second short story, Sanctuary was published in 2021 in the anthology From Myths to Monsters. Website | Twitter | Instagram   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   As we are heading towards the end of the year, we decided to do something a little different.  In today's episode, we put Rachel in the hot seat as we learn more about her.  As always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode.   About Rachel Rachel Poli is an indie author, content writer, and podcaster residing in New England. While she writes mainly cozy mystery novels, she’s a multi-genre authors dabbling in short stories and flash fiction. When she’s not writing, she’s most likely reading, playing video games, or cleaning. Links  Website Buy Rachel's book Instagram Twitter   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Do you want to write science fiction, but don't know what to include? Maybe you don't want to have the same cliches and tropes as other sci-fi stories.   In this week's epsiode, Ari and Rachel talk about elements to include (and not include) in your science fiction novel along with sci-fi author, Dal Cecil Runo.   Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy the episode.   ABOUT DAL CECIL RUNO   Dal Cecil Runo is a partially blind author of fiction and poetry. Before entering the world of writing, Dal was an independent singer/songwriter under another stage name and a blind photographer with a few exhibits across Europe. Dal is currently working on a science fiction trilogy and short stories in multiple genres. As a writer with a disability, it is a priority for Dal to include blind, visually impaired and/or other characters with disabilities in every piece of fiction. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ and multicultural characters is also of importance in all of Dal’s work. She has lived in and travelled to several countries. Ice-skating in winter, and listening to audiobooks are some of Dal’s favourite pastimes. She can be found on most social media as DalCecilRuno.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   We are back with another character-drive episode, today we discuss the issues of creating Mary Sue characters and how to avoid these pitfalls! As always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   How do you continue writing your novels? Do you sit down and type? Or do you have writing challenges to help you meet that word count?   This week, Ari and Rachel discuss different writing challenges to help you keep your creativity going.   As always, thanks for listening and for your continued support. We hope you enjoy this episode.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   If you caught last week's show where writer Tobias Salem joined the show to discuss world-building, you might not be surprised that today's episode is all about creating a World Book!  Whether you create a complex world or a fictitious city in the real world, this episode will give you some ideas! As always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Writers, have you ever considered worldbuilding? Then certainly give this episode a listen!   This week, Ari and Rachel talk to writer Tobias Salem about approaching worldbuilding. We cover advice, hurdles, and more.   We hope you enjoy this episode and thanks for listening.   ABOUT Tobias Salem Tobias Salem, when not writing or procrastinating instead of writing, enjoys reading, hiking, listening to metal, playing games, and exploring old cemeteries. He lives near Winston-Salem with his wife, daughter, dogs, and cats. You can find him on Twitter @TobiasZSalem.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Have you ever suffered from imposter syndrome? Or maybe you don't and haven't realised it? In today's episode Ari and Rachel explain what it is, and how to deal with it.. As always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Depending on the genre you're writing, research has to be done. It doesn't matter if you're writing fiction or non-fiction. This week, Ari and Rachel discuss some sure-fire ways to accurately conduct research for your novels. As always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   This week, Ari and Rachel discuss characters and their different motivations and how these motivations can affect your plot. As always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Writers, have you ever considered writing science fiction? Then certainly give this episode a listen!   This week, Ari and Rachel talk to sci-fi author R.J. Sorrento about approaching science fiction. We cover advice, hurdles, and more.   We hope you enjoy this episode and thanks for listening.   ABOUT R.J. Sorrento I’m a writer, a parent of two children, and a librarian in training. My blog is at RJSorrento.com and you can find me on Twitter @RjSorrento. My Bookstagram handle is @rjs.readingnook. My Captain Stellar series is available on Amazon.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Is your plan to make writing a career? Do you want to take your writing more seriously? Then consider creating a Business Plan for your Writing.  In today's episode, we go through how to build your business plan and what to include.   We hope you enjoy this episode. Thanks for listening.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   There are many things you can include in your author newsletter and yet, we sometimes run out of ideas. This week, Ari and Rachel discuss different things to include in your author newsletter and ways to engage with your readers. As always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Want to try writing a larger cast of characters?  Feel like a singular main character just isn't enough for your story?  Then this is the episode for you.  This week, Ari and Rachel give some tips about tackling multiple main characters and what you might want to consider. As always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Do you have a ton of writing projects that you don't know what to do with? Or maybe you're working on more than one novel at a time? Organize them with Trello! This week, Ari and Rachel discuss ways you can utilize Trello for all your writing projects and more. As always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES This week, author Chris Harvey joins Ari and Rachel, and shares this thoughts and experiences with using the online platform "Wattpad".  So if you have thought about using this platform for your writing or you didn't even know it existed, give this episode a listen for some tips on getting the most of Wattpad. We hope you enjoy this episode and please share it with any writer friends who you think might enjoy the podcast. Thanks for listening! ABOUT CHRIS HARVEY Chris Harvey is a teacher and hobbyist writer who writes mainly YA science fiction and fantasy. His most recent book is a comedy novella set inside a moustache. Links: Website - https://harveycd.wordpress.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/harveycd_writer Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorchrisharvey Wattpad - https://www.wattpad.com/user/TheDuckA Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17834590.Chris_Harvey. Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/TheDuckA    Chris's Books: World Cup Dreams - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MZH5Z6U/ A Close Shave with Destiny - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Close-Shave-Destiny-Chris-Harvey-ebook/dp/B07JLJF381   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   The first draft is always the messiest. Therefore, editing the first draft is always the hardest. This week, we're discussing how we each edit our own first drafts. As always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Your mindset can play a big part in your writing journey, so in today's episode we look at the concept of the author mindset and discuss different aspects.  Join us in answering some of the questions we pose about having an author mindset.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Do you have a large cast of characters that you don't know what to do with? Or maybe you're not sure if they all should be in the book in the first place. This week, Ari and Rachel discuss various types of characters you should include in your novels to spice things up a bit. As always, thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   Writers, have you ever considered writing historical fiction? Then this is the episode for you, today Ari is joined by author Anne Clare who writers historical fiction who shares her experience and advice on writing historical fiction.   We hope you enjoy this episode and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for listening   ABOUT ANNE CLARE Anne Clare lives in the gorgeous green Pacific Northwest with her husband, three childre, and a small menagerie of cats and reptiles. She has a BS in Education and divides her time between her family, working as a part-time teacher and church musician, and writing and blogging about WWII and other odds and ends.   LINKS website: thenaptimeauthor.wordpress.com Facebook Author Page: Anne Clare: Sharing Stories of the Second World War - Home | Facebook Goodreads: Anne Clare ( of Wartime Christmas Tales) Second World War Club on FB: Second World War Club | Facebook (there are also directions on this page for joining the private WWII author's group) Pages of the Past: Celebrating Historical Fiction fb group (another nice one): Pages of the Past: Celebrating Historical Fiction | Facebook   ANNE'S BOOKS Novel "Whom Shall I Fear?" Kindle edition: Whom Shall I Fear? - Kindle edition by Clare, Anne. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Paperback: Whom Shall I Fear?: Clare, Anne: 9781072975106: Amazon.com: Books   Anthology I'm included in: Amazon.com: Wartime Christmas Tales: A WWII Flash Fiction Anthology eBook: Kang, Alexa, Ascroft, Dianne, Brooks, Mary D., Clare, Anne, Donovan, Eileen Joyce, Glatte, Chris, Harmon, Paula, McGinness, Eilidh, Montcombroux, Geneviève, Oakley, J.L., Pittam, Jennifer , Tanner, Margaret , Yates, Phil , Sowards, A.L.: Books   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES This week, we're doing another round of Would You Rather, but reading-related questions this time.   We hope you enjoy this episode and please share it with any writer friends who you think might enjoy the podcast. Thanks for listening!   If you haven't already, give our first Would You Rather a listen where we asked each other writing-related questions here. Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES   This week we are all about working from home and finding that balance between working and writing efficiently while working from home.    The pandemic brought a lot of changes, one of which was more people are working from home (some, permenantly) so how do you go about making sure you are working and writing effectively?   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

  EPISODE SHOW NOTES   This week, we're diving deep into the different types of editing. What they are, what they mean, and whether you can do it yourself or should hire an editor. (Spoiler alert: always get an editor!)   We hope you enjoy this episode and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for listening!   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Do you shudder at the very idea of marketing? Is it the part of all this writing biz that you struggle with? Don't worry, you're not alone!  That's why we throw in a few marketing episodes, like this one! This week, Ari and Rachel discuss four marketing points that can help you get started with your marketing. We hope you enjoy this episode and please share it with any writer friends who you think might enjoy the podcast. Thanks for listening! Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Do you drift off into la-la land in the middle of a writing session? Do you need to work on your novel but just don't feel like it? This week, Ari and Rachel discuss some tips and tricks to stay motivated during a writing session or before a session. We hope you enjoy this episode and please share it with any writer friends who you think might enjoy the podcast. Thanks for listening! Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES What do you do when faced with criticism? As writers, criticism is part of the package but we don't have to like it.  Nothing stings more than pouring your heart and soul into a story and someone criticises it. This week, Ari and Rachel discuss just how to deal with criticisim. We hope you enjoy this episode and please share it with any writer friends who you think might enjoy the podcast. Thanks for listening! Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Do you compare yourself to other writers? Are you your own worst critic? This week, Ari and Rachel discuss why it's okay (and sometimes not okay) to compare yourself to other writers. We hope you enjoy this episode and please share it with any writer friends who you think might enjoy the podcast. Thanks for listening! Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES On today's episode we decided to discuss Hobby Writing and Professional Writing! Which do you do?   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Have you ever wanted to publish an audiobook version of your stories but never knew how to go about it? Spoiler alert: it's easier than you think! This week, author Tori Zigler joins Ari and Rachel, discussing the process of creating and self-publishing an audiobook. We hope you enjoy this episode and please share it with any writer friends who you think might enjoy the podcast. Thanks for listening! ABOUT TORI ZIGLER Victoria Zigler is a blind vegan poet and children's author.  Born and raised in the shadow of the Black Mountains of Wales, UK, she moved away from Wales three times: once to spend six months living in Alberta, Canada, the other times to spend a few years living near Hastings on the South-East coast of England, UK, each time returning to Wales.  Now she lives in Wales again, along with a chinchilla named Mollie, a West Highland White Terrier named Lilie, a Cavapoo named Logan, a Hermann’s Tortoise named Artemis, and her Canadian husband, Kelly. Despite spending far more time than she’d have liked in hospital, and eventually losing her sight to Congenital Glaucoma, Victoria - or Tori, if you prefer - has been writing since she knew how, with no plans to stop any time soon.  So far she has published nine poetry books and 46 children’s books, all of which are available from a variety of online retailers in multiple eBook formats, as well as in both paperback and audio.  She’s also contributed a story to the sci-fi and fantasy anthology Wyrd Worlds II, which is available in eBook only.  Additionally, Tori’s Hermann’s Tortoise, Artemis, was featured in both the Magnificent Pets Coloring Book For Children and the Magnificent Pets Mandala Coloring Book For Adults, which are available via Praise My Pet. Vegan due to both a love for animals and dairy allergy, as well as an Eclectic Pagan, Tori describes herself as a combination of Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter books: Hermione’s thirst for knowledge and love of books, combined with Luna’s wandering mind and alternative way of looking at the world.  She has a wide variety of interests, designed to exercise both the creative and logical sides of her brain, and dabbles in them at random depending on what she feels like doing at any given time, but is most likely to be found playing with her petkids, curled up somewhere with a cup of tea and a book, or trying to keep one step ahead of those pesky typo fairies while writing her own books. Links: Website: http://www.zigler.co.uk Blog: https://ziglernews.blogspot.co.uk Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/toriz Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-Zigler/424999294215717 Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/victoriazigler YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCakYxH7BNyc2Lxr1g1nbP9w Tori's Books: Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/toriz Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Victoria-Zigler/e/B00BHS9DQ6/   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Do you have a dedicated writing space? Do you think they can help make you move productive or be a constraint?  Check out today's episode to get our scoop on writing spaces!   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Have you ever forgotten to take a shower for a few days? Or maybe you forgot to leave your computer and move your body for a bit. This week, Ari and Rachel discuss some self-care tips for writers. We could all use a little TLC! We hope you enjoy this episode and please share it with any writer friends who you think might enjoy the podcast. Thanks for listening!   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES This week, we are talking about writing reviews on books.  As writers we need reviews, so it's important we consider reviewing other books - do you review books you read?   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Have you ever gotten the dreaded one-star review on your book? Guess what? There's nothing to be worried about! This week, author Wilmar Luna joins Ari and Rachel, discussing how to deal with one-star reviews on your books. We hope you enjoy this episode and please share it with any writer friends who you think might enjoy the podcast. Thanks for listening! ABOUT WILMAR LUNA Wilmar Luna couldn't be a superhero in real life so he decided to write his own. When he's not writing about empowered female characters he can be found watching films, reading books, and playing too many video games. Website: https://www.thesilverninja.com For news on upcoming releases, discounts, and book news, please sign up for the newsletter at: https://www.thesilverninja.com/newsletter/   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Yesterday was Tell A Story Day, so with that as inspiration, we decided to discuss our favourite childhood stories, those ones that helped us fall in love with the written word and the importance of getting children reading eary.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES This week, we're sharing our stories about how we started writing. Let us know what you think on Twitter using #TheMerryWriterPodcast and share your story about how you began your writing journey! For a laugh, be sure to check out Rachel's earlier writing here.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

This week on the podcast we are talking all about book covers and why they are so important. As the storefront of your story, covers need a lot of thought and a good cover artist is worth their weight in gold! Check out our thoughts on covers and things you need to consider.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES In this week's epsiode, Ari is joined by special guest, Kim Golden, where they discuss all things about editing your novel. Enjoy!   ABOUT KIM GOLDEN Kim Golden is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic fiction. Born and raised in the City of Brotherly Love, Kim left the US in 1995 and moved to Sweden for love with a capital L. When she isn't writing love stories, she writes copy for a pretty famous Swedish home furnishings brand. Website: kim-golden.com/ Twitter: twitter.com/kimigm Instagram: instagram.com/kimgoldenbooks Preorder Near Enough to Hold: bit.ly/NearEnoughToHold Link to donate directly to West Park Cultural Center: westparkcultural.org/donate/   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES In honour of International Women's Day (that was this month, March 8th... yes we know we're late, we do explain!) We decided to discuss Writing Female Characters, things we love seeing and things we really don't when it comes to female characters! In case you missed our Writing Male Character Episode, you can find it here: https://themerrywriterpodcast.podbean.com/e/how-to-write-male-characters-ep-034-the-merry-writer-podcast/   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

Characters are the heart of every novel, so this week's we discuss a way you can keep track of their development through character profiles. Enjoy and thanks for listening.   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Writing is a constant learning game, and no matter what stage of the journey you are at there will always be things you wish you were better at as a writer.  On today's episode we are joined by special guest Mark Gelinas Snr who shares his one thing he wishes he was better at as a writer.   ABOUT MARK Mark Gelinas is a writer of technical manuals, historical science fiction, and YA fiction. Fortunate enough to work at home, he pursues his writing career from middle Georgia. He shares home office space with his wife, youngest daughter, and two cats. Twitter | Facebook   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

The podcast is almost a year old and the Twitter hashtag game turns 3-years-old this year. It's crazy how time flies, but to celebrate we did a special episode for our 50th (!!!) and we're explaining how The Merry Writer came to be. Enjoy and thank you for your continued support! :)   From Myths To monsters (Supernatural Beings Anthology vol 2) featuring Ari Meghlen's short story Sanctuary) is AVAILABLE NOW.  Links below:   Amazon.co.uk   Amazon.com   Kobo   Apple Books   Smashwords   Barnes & Noble   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

EPISODE SHOW NOTES Have you ever been interested in running an Anthology? Want to get the scoop on what is involved and want some tips? Then check out today's episode were we welcome our special guest, Author Mikki Noble who runs the #SupernaturalBeings anthologies.   ABOUT MIKKI Mikki, the eccentric Canadian, has been writing in some form or another for nearly a quarter of a century; since writing her very first poem at age eleven. She lives in Ontario, Canada, with her cats, guinea pig and rabbit. She found her niche in teen fiction because it’s captivating, open-minded, fast-paced, and every sense is heightened. And that’s also the reason why it’s her favorite genre to pick up at a bookstore. Mikki has a diploma in both, Business Administration and Creative Writing. She loves creating things, animals, books and movies, trying to make people smile, and talking to her social media friends. Website – http://www.mikkinoble.com​ Designer Site – http://www.paracozedesigns.com​ Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/missmikkinoble​ From Myths To monsters (Supernatural Beings Anthology vol 2) featuring short stories from Mikki Noble & Ari Meghlen is out now!  Links below:   Amazon.co.uk  |  Amazon.com  |  Kobo  |  Apple Books  |  Smashwords  |  Barnes & Noble   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0  

Which social media platform do you think is the best for writers? This week, we compare Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest with pros and cons for each platform. Enjoy and thanks for listening!   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

Writing a novel is hard, so do you jump in at the beginning and keep to the path or do you dive in the middle?  Today's episode we discuss where we start when writing our novels and why we do it the way we do! :)   From Myths To monsters (Supernatural Beings Anthology vol 2) featuring Ari Meghlen's short story Sanctuary) is now available for Pre-Order.  Links below:   Amazon.co.uk   Amazon.com   Kobo   Apple Books   Smashwords   Barnes & Noble   Support the Podcast:   Patreon Want to support our show and show our little podcast some extra love, then please consider popping over to our Patreon Page and snap up some goodies for as little as $1 a month!   Share If you enjoy our podcast, please share episodes on social media to spread the word about our show.   Music:   Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0