
The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers
Writing Craft and Creative Business
Latest episodes

Oct 24, 2022 • 1h 4min
Writing Beginnings with Shane Millar
What do you need in the beginning of your novel so your reader buys your book? Shane Millar shares tips for writing brilliant beginnings, regardless of your genre. In the intro, trends in what publishers want at Frankfurt Book Fair [Publishing Perspectives] Adobe incorporating AI-generation alongside a Content Authenticity Initiative [Adobe blog]; Bertelsmann-owned venture capital […]
The post Writing Beginnings with Shane Millar first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Oct 17, 2022 • 1h 4min
How Creativity Rules the World With Maria Brito
How does curiosity fuel creativity? How can we balance consumption and creation in an ever-busier digital life? How can you break out of the myth of the ‘starving artist'? Maria Brito talks about How Creativity Rules the World. In the intro, insights into Colleen Hoover's popularity [NY Times]; Amazon bugs [Kindlepreneur]; Ingram invests in Book.io […]
The post How Creativity Rules the World With Maria Brito first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Oct 13, 2022 • 58min
Using AI For Art, Images, And Book Covers With Derek Murphy
Generative art tools like DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion are taking AI art into the mainstream. What are the opportunities for authors? What are the problems and controversies to be aware of? I talk about these issues and more with Derek Murphy. In the intro, I mention my J.F. Penn NFTs with AI-generated art based […]
The post Using AI For Art, Images, And Book Covers With Derek Murphy first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Oct 10, 2022 • 59min
The Way Of The Fearless Writer With Beth Kempton
How can we accept imperfection as writers while still striving for excellence? How can we make space for going deeper into our writing while managing a busy life? Beth Kempton talks about The Way of the Fearless Writer in this wide-ranging interview on the creative mindset. In the intro, when life throws a curveball and […]
The post The Way Of The Fearless Writer With Beth Kempton first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Oct 3, 2022 • 1h 4min
Different Traditional Publishing Experiences With Georgina Cross
Traditional publishing is not a monolithic thing. There are different kinds of publishers, and authors want different things out of a publishing deal and relationship. Georgina Cross talks about her experience with two different traditional publishers and the pros and cons of each. In the intro, new e-reading devices, Kobo Clara 2E and Kindle Scribe; […]
The post Different Traditional Publishing Experiences With Georgina Cross first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Sep 30, 2022 • 28min
Writing Tips: Outlining/Plotting Vs Discovery Writing/Pantsing
Every fiction author will (eventually) find their own method for writing but all fall somewhere on the spectrum between outlining/plotting and discovery writing/pantsing/writing into the dark. In this excerpt from How To Write a Novel, I share two chapters on the topic from the audiobook, narrated by me (Joanna Penn). You can listen above or […]
The post Writing Tips: Outlining/Plotting Vs Discovery Writing/Pantsing first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Sep 26, 2022 • 1h 11min
Transmedia And Publishing Comics And Graphic Novels With Barry Nugent
How can you adapt your novel into a comic or graphic form? What are the different types? How does a creative career develop over the long term and when do you need to take a step back to consider how to move forward? Barry Nugent talks about all this and more. In the intro, Amazon […]
The post Transmedia And Publishing Comics And Graphic Novels With Barry Nugent first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Aug 29, 2022 • 28min
Lessons Learned From 11 Years As An Author Entrepreneur
In this solo episode, I talk about my lessons learned from 11 years as a full-time author entrepreneur, and why I am (finally) taking some time off. In the intro, Soldiers of God short story, The Creator Economy for Authors course (use coupon SUMMER22 for 30% off), Science Fiction Writing online conference, Author Tech Summit; […]
The post Lessons Learned From 11 Years As An Author Entrepreneur first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Aug 22, 2022 • 55min
Estate Planning For Authors With Michael La Ronn
How can you make sure your heirs and successors are able to manage your books and copyright licensing after your death? What aspects do you need to think about in terms of your author estate? Michael La Ronn explains this important topic in clear terms. In the intro, more quotes from the DOJ vs PRH […]
The post Estate Planning For Authors With Michael La Ronn first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Aug 19, 2022 • 44min
Auto-Narrated Audiobooks With Ryan Dingler From Google Play Books
What is auto-narration of audiobooks and how can it benefit authors and rights-holders as well as listeners? What are some of the common objections to auto-narration and how can we keep a positive attitude to embracing change? Ryan Dingler from Google Play Books goes into detail on these questions and more. You can also listen […]
The post Auto-Narrated Audiobooks With Ryan Dingler From Google Play Books first appeared on The Creative Penn.