Writing On Wednesdays

Fun ways to keep those creative muscles fresh without even breaking a sweat (unless you want to!). The post Creative Crosstraining (Ep 026) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

This summer, Sarah did a mini writing retreat at her home. Here’s how she did it, why, and how you can create something similar for yourself. Join the conversation in the Writing on Wednesdays Facebook Group! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/WritingonWednesdays/)  Until next week, Nicole Roccas – www.nicoleroccas.com Sarah Bereza – www.sarah-bereza.com The post Writing Retreats At Home (Ep 025) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Why use social media as a writer? Nicole and Sarah discuss two ways to approach the wild west of FB, Twitter, Instagram and more. The post Social Media for Writers (Ep 024) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Despite being relatively depression savvy in other areas of my life, it’s taken me a while to recognize the unique ways depression affects my writing. In this week’s middlesode, I share my experience of being a writer who struggles with depression. If that’s you, too, I hope you’ll share your journey! Resources Writing with Depression… Read more The post Writing with Depression MIDDLESODE (Ep 023) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

In this episode, Sarah and Nicole talk about their writing summers and share what they’ve recently learned about submitting book proposals and finishing book projects. Plus, a tip and tool about Google Voice. Resources we mention in this episode: Nicole’s new blog series on writing with depression: https://www.nicoleroccas.com/1240-2/ Google Voice: https://voice.google.com Alternatives for people outside… Read more The post We’re Back! (Ep 022) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

This is our last episode until the fall! We’ll miss you! Check out our episode archives here: www.writingonwednesdays.com  On to today’s episode… When you’re writing for your job, start with your why–why do you write for this organization? What’s the purpose of your writing, for you and for them. 4 Challenges in Work-Related Writing You… Read more The post We’re Going on Summer Break, Plus Strategies for Work-Related Writing appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Sarah shares how she wrote her non-fiction book proposal over the course of 8 months (she’s not a full-time writer!) and gets into the specifics of writing in an industry where authors pitch directly to publishers, not agents. Resources we mention in this episode: “Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal” by Jane Friedman … Read more The post Writing a Non-Fiction Book Proposal (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

If you’re writing without a boss or editor setting parameters or waiting for your draft, how do you cultivate motivation and momentum? Writing for yourself (not your job) requires self-direction and a focused sense of why you’re writing. Sarah and Nicole share about their work and non-work writing and what keeps them on their writing… Read more The post When Writing *Isn’t* Your Day Job (Ep 019) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

The other night, I popped in my earbuds and proceeded to type nearly 700 solid words of a book chapter. While standing up. On a moving bus. Packed to the brim with other commuters. How did I write under these circumstances? In short: with a tablet. In this episode I talk about why I ditched… Read more The post Ditching a Laptop Saved My (Writing) Life (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

How do you stay sane and keep a sense of balance when heading into dangerous deadline territory? In this episode we talk about ten strategies that have helped us over the years, including fried kalamari. Because Greeks.   Here’s a summary of the ten strategies to stay sane when finishing a book: Double down on… Read more The post 10 Ways to Stay Sane When Finishing a Book (Ep 017) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Sarah shares how she organizes her research notes, starting with the number one takeaway: research notes go in one place, and one place only. Resources we mention in this episode: WOW Episode on book weights: nicoleroccas.com/005 WOW Episode on low-hanging fruit: nicoleroccas.com/008 The #amwriting podcast: http://amwritingpodcast.com Join the conversation in the Writing on Wednesdays Facebook… Read more The post The One Rule for Organizing Research Notes MIDDLESODE appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Does summer feel like a special season for you? It is for me. Summer is for spending lots of time outside – and for creativity. This summer, Sarah’s making writing her #1 creative priority. (Meanwhile, I’m making RELAXATION and GOOD FUN mine.) On this episode of Writing on Wednesdays, we talk about summer writing (and… Read more The post Summer of Writing (Ep 015) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

"If you stop typing for more than five seconds, all progress will be lost." --The Most Dangerous Writing App The post The Most Dangerous Writing App: Nicole’s Ridiculous Experiment (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

We all know that “being real” sells. But can there be too much of a good thing? How can you “be yourself” while both being true to yourself and serving your readers well? Nicole and Sarah reflect on these questions, particularly as Nicole gears up to submit a book manuscript on a fairly sensitive (and… Read more The post Vulnerability in Writing: How Much is Too Much? (Ep 013) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

In this week’s middlesode, Sarah talks about strategies for writing (or maybe NOT writing?) on vacation. Join the conversation in the Writing on Wednesdays Facebook Group! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/WritingonWednesdays/) Until next week, Nicole Roccas – www.nicoleroccas.com Sarah Bereza – www.sarah-bereza.com The post Writing on Vacation (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

It’s that time of the week again! Today we’re talking about the strategy of batch-writing blog posts, plus Nicole will share about an app she uses to avoid getting sucked into Facebook, and we’ll both give a brief update of our respective writing lives. So get your pens ready, pull up a chair, and join… Read more The post Batch-Writing Blog Posts: Ideas and Strategies (Ep 011) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

How the Headspace app can help writers battle the restless energy of creativity. The post Headspace for Writers: Mindfulness and Creativity (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

We know boundaries are important, but what do they mean for writers? The post 5 Boundaries Every Writer Should Have (Ep 009) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Here’s one way to decide when to do easy tasks, a.k.a. low hanging fruit: postpone them for as long as possible, and do them when you have a low-energy day. If they are something you need to do sooner rather than later, then save them for a time of day when you have lower energy.… Read more The post The Strategy of Low-Hanging Fruit (Middlesode) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.

Here’s how Sarah and I manage big writing projects using planners and calendars, and how those tools integrate with time cycles like days, weeks, and quarters (or *not* quarters). And Nicole shares how a pre-book talk helped her get a fresh take on her book manuscript. Join the conversation in the Writing on Wednesdays Facebook… Read more The post Getting Big Projects Done, and the Strategy of Pre-Book Talks (Ep 007) appeared first on Nicole M. Roccas.