More to the Story Podcast with Janna Maron

Today on More to the Story Podcast: Why I’m rethinking how I use the word “nonfiction” to describe the kind of books I work on.I’ve been rethinking how I describe the work I do with writers, and one thing has become clear: the word nonfiction doesn’t really serve us. It defines writing by what it isn’t, rather than what it is. In this episode, I talk about why that matters, how it affects the way writers think about their projects, and why I prefer to use the term personal story.This shift isn’t just semantics—it’s about honoring what writers are actually doing when they tell the truth about their lives and experiences. Whether you’re writing memoir, essay, or narrative nonfiction, centering story (instead of “not fiction”) gives you a clearer, more empowering frame for the work ahead.In today’s episode:* why the term nonfiction feels limiting and misleading* how genres like memoir, essay, and narrative don’t quite fit under the same umbrella* why story—especially personal story—is a more accurate way to name the work* how the words we use shape both the writing process and how others receive our work* what happens when you describe your project in terms of what it is instead of what it isn’t* an invitation to writers: to honor your story as its own genreLinks mentioned in this episode:* my free Book Outline Formula Worksheet → moretothestory.co/bookoutline* my masterclass designed to help you finally write (& finish) your book → http://moretothestory.co/finishyourbook* More about Under the Gum Tree → underthegumtree.com* More about my coaching & editing services → moretothestory.coWant help figuring out the next steps for your book project? Schedule a 15-min Book Diagnosis call with me.Follow & Connect* subscribe & find show notes and transcripts for this episode at moretothestorypodcast.substack.com* follow me on Instagram @jannamarlies* follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtreeQuestion for YouWhen you describe your writing project, what words do you use? Do they feel true to the work you’re creating? Share in the comments—I’d love to hear how you’re naming your story.Thanks so much for listening and for being here! (AI Disclaimer: These show notes were generated by AI using the transcript of this episode.) Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

Today on More to the Story Podcast: A Reintroduction After a Summer BreakAfter a summer hiatus, I’m back with a fresh season of More to the Story. In this episode, I share what’s been happening behind the scenes—how I’ve been reflecting, pivoting, and rebuilding my business in a way that’s sustainable with my health and energizing for the women writers I serve. I also talk about Substack becoming a bigger part of my work, the importance of personal story in nonfiction, and a new layer of insight I’m gaining through Human Design.In today’s episode:* a summer hiatus and what I’ve been reflecting on since my MS relapse three years ago* why I’ve been experimenting with new ways of working sustainably* the challenges of using the term “nonfiction” and why I center personal story instead* how Substack is becoming the new home for my podcast, emails, and posts* shifting to a “mostly weekly” cadence to make the work easier and more sustainable* what I’ve been learning about Human Design and being a Manifestor—surges of energy, deep rest, and the ripple effect of creative sparks* how this new self-knowledge empowers me (and my clients!)* celebrating client wins: Barbara Caver’s forthcoming book A Little Piece of Cuba (available for pre-order now!)* how supporting each other—writers, readers, and coaches alike—creates a rising tide for all of usLinks mentioned in this episode:* More about Under the Gum Tree → underthegumtree.com* More about my coaching & editing services → moretothestory.co* Client books & success stories → moretothestory.co/about* Pre-order Barbara Caver’s A Little Piece of Cuba → bookshop.org* Follow Barbara on Substack for her book updates → Tiny Escapes with BarbWant help figuring out the next steps for your book project? Schedule a 15-min Book Diagnosis call with me.Follow & connect:* Show notes & transcripts at moretothestorypodcast.substack.com* Follow me on Instagram @jannamarlies* Follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtreeQuestion for YouWhat season of life or creative work are you emerging from right now—and how are you making it easier for yourself to sustain your next steps? Share in the comments—I’ll respond (and may even feature your reflection in a future episode!).Thanks so much for listening and for being here! (AI Disclaimer: These show notes were generated by AI using the transcript of this episode.) Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

There is a lot going on behind the scenes for me right now, including do I keep using the term “nonfiction” to talk about the work I do with women writing books?? What do you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts! In today’s episode: - special birthday message to my husband, Jeremy, who’s birthday is June 2, the day this episode goes live 💜- going through it: income loss, job loss, illness relapse- being a little cryptic when telling your true personal story is part of your work but you’re not ready to share it! - taking a little pause, why, what it means, a little bit of what’s coming in the future - thinking and learning about the Substack platform, and how it will be more integral to my business going forward- if I don’t use the word ”nonfiction“ to talk about the work I do, what word do I use? - how understanding more about my Enneagram type (I’m an 8) has been helping me lately How You Can Support Me- pledge to become a paid subscriber of my Substack- make a coffee purchase at caffesantoro.com/janna- share my work: share this episode, forward my emails to friends you know who will benefit from it- show me some love with some conversation in the comments of this postLinks mentioned in this episode: - my popular masterclass designed to help you finally write (& finish) your book!- Get 10% off your first order of whole bean coffee from a boutique Northern California coffee roastery.- More about Under the Gum Tree- More about my coaching & editing services- sign up for my email list: https://jannamarlies.com/keep-in-touch- Follow, subscribe & find show notes for this episode at moretothestorypodcast.substack.com- follow me on Instagram @jannamarlies- follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtree Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

Today on More to the Story Podcast: Why I don’t teach structure for books. Well, technically I do, but not in the way that others teach it. Another conversation I had with a woman at AWP during one of the mini book coaching sessions I held was all about her book, which she thinks is going to be kind of a big family saga spanning her grandmother’s life, her mother’s life, and her own life. She’s sorting through family memorabilia, including letters, and she wants to do interviews with her ancestors.She’s feeling very overwhelmed with all the topics and themes she wants to cover, and all the material she already has. “Where do I start?” she asked. “I feel like I need to know what the structure is in order to start organizing and figuring out what to prioritize.”In todays’s episode: * yes, some writer’s work better with an outline from the beginning* when I recommend using an outline to start* why I don’t recommend one for this woman’s project* how to find out if you have enough material for more than one book* working without an outline is a little bit like walking in the dark* the linear structure of the narrative isn’t always readily available—and why that’s okay* interacting with the energy of your creative work* the work of an writer and an artist is learning to be comfortable in uncertainty, which will permeate every area of your life* how yoga taught me to increase my tolerance for discomfortLinks mentioned in this episode: * my popular masterclass designed to help you finally write (& finish) your book!* Get 10% off your first order of whole bean coffee from a boutique Northern California coffee roastery.* More about Under the Gum Tree* More about my coaching & editing services* book a 1:1 with me to talk about your book structure (or anything you like, really!)* Follow, subscribe & find show notes for this episode at moretothestorypodcast.substack.com* follow me on Instagram @jannamarlies* follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtreeQuestion for you: How do you practice increasing your tolerance for discomfort? Share you experience in the comments! You can leave a question, too, and I’ll respond (and maybe even address it in a future episode!).Thanks so much for listening and for being here! xo Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

Today on More to the Story: a simple (but not easy) way to affect change or the outcome you’re hoping to achieve. In today’s episode: - inspiration from a recent book that I read, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, by Ina Garten- how I feel about celebrity memoirs, even though I have read a few (listen to find out which ones!) - a popular TV show from the 1990s that I wasn’t allowed to watch when I was in high school- leaning into the energy of curiosity and playfulness, holding things lightly and practicing not being too attached to expectations for a specific outcome- being too attached to expectations is what causes disappointment - holding expectations loosely to allow room for something surprising to happen- two stories from Ina Garten’s memoir that really stuck with me: one from when she and her husband Jeffery were engaged, and one from when she was the new owner of the Barefoot Contessa in the Hamptoms- a lesson that Ina has used many times in her life that can be applied to our creative livesLinks mentioned in this episode:- my popular masterclass designed to help you finally write (& finish) your book!- Get 10% off your first order of whole bean coffee from a boutique Northern California coffee roastery.- More about Under the Gum Tree- More about my coaching & editing services- the book Be Ready When the Luck Happens, by Ina Garten- Follow, subscribe & find show notes for this episode at moretothestorypodcast.substack.com- follow me on Instagram @jannamarlies- follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtree Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

When you’re close to being done with a manuscript project, what do you do? Do you finish the manuscript, and then start submitting? If it’s an essay collection, do you submit individual essays first, wait for them to get published, and then submit the manuscript?These questions and more in today’s episode about playing small, by which I mean limiting yourself by not taking advantage of all the opportunities available to you.In this episode:- submitting on a parallel path for individual essays + an essay collection manuscript- strategy for querying when an agent has expressed interest in seeing your work when you’re ready- following up with outstanding queries if/when you get an offer- thinking about finding an agent as if you’re hiring for a job, and you want to have as many applicants as you can- why starting to query before the manuscript is done is a good strategy- playing small=internal turmoil over should I/shouldn’t I/what should I do, instead of finding a place where you can feel confident and take actionLinks mentioned in this episode:- Get 10% off your first order of whole bean coffee from a boutique Northern California coffee roastery.- More about Under the Gum Tree- More about my coaching & editing services- $47 for my 90-min masterclass: Finally Write (& Finish) Your Nonfiction Book- Follow, subscribe & find show notes for this episode at moretothestorypodcast.substack.com- follow me on Instagram @jannamarlies- follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtreeQuestion for you:Is there a time in your life that you went after what you wanted? And how can you incorporate that energy in your writing/publishing life? Share your experience in the comments! Or, if you need perspective on how you can stop playing small, tell us where you are struggling and let’s help support each other!Thanks so much for listening and for being here! Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

Staying organized is kind of a boring topic, but a practical and essential part of writing—especially if you‘re working on a book project. I’m talking about organization of writing material with all these different Word docs or Google docs or storing files on Dropbox.This came up in a conversation I had with a woman at AWP who booked one of my 15-minute book-coaching sessions. She’s working on an essay collection, she has 12 essays so far, all in varying stages of completeness or needing revision, and in varying stages of being submitted individually. In addition to this essay collection, she has a full time job, she’s also a visual artist, and she regularly applies for grants for both writers and artists. She was feeling very scattered. In this episode: * how easy it is to lose track of material when it’s stored digitally* how I recommend approaching a problem like keeping track of writing material at different stages of a project* why I like to use Google Docs, specifically Google Sheets, for this kind of organization * tips for how to set up a tracking spreadsheet, including how many sheets, what each sheet is for, and columns for tacking specific date in those sheets * how to evaluate when an essay collection is done, and using the spreadsheet to determine how much more material might be needed for a complete manuscript * when using a program like Scrivener would be a helpful organization tool* why organization of material is essential for writers & why helping with organization is an important part of a book coach’s jobLinks mentioned in this episode: * Get 10% off your first order of whole bean coffee from a boutique Northern California coffee roastery.* More about Under the Gum Tree* More about my coaching & editing services* Scrivener, the project management software for writers (affiliate link)* Follow, subscribe & find show notes for this episode at moretothestorypodcast.substack.com* follow me on Instagram @jannamarlies* follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtreeQuestion for you: How are you with organization of your writing materials? If you struggle, drop a question or a challenge, and let’s help each other out. If you’re a pro: what are your best tips & tricks? Share in the comments! Thanks so much for listening and for being here! Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

When I talk with women about their book projects, one of the most common things I hear them say over and over is: I feel like my book is missing something, but I don't know what it is. And I don't know how to figure IT out. In the episode: - the typical way these conversations go- what happens when I have these conversations & how I respond- why self-awareness & simply paying attention are essential to discovering what your book is missing- one of my superpowers as book coach- getting to the point of not knowing what your book needs causes sheer exasperation - “memoir-plus” as an industry term and what it means - examples of memoir-plus: Already Toast, by Kate Washington & Lightning Flowers, by Katherine Standefer- why resistance is also key to identifying what’s missing from your bookLinks mentioned in this episode: - Get 10% off your first order of whole bean coffee from a boutique Northern California coffee roastery.- More about Under the Gum Tree- More about my coaching & editing services- the book Already Toast, by Kate Washington- the book Lightning Flowers, by Katherine StandeferFollow, subscribe & find show notes for this episode at moretothestorypodcast.substack.com- follow me on Instagram @jannamarlies- follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtree Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

This week I want to tell you a story about an experience I had a the beach and relate it to something I’ve been learning about and focusing on in my life and observing how it manifests in our writing, creative, and publishing lives.In this episode: - my husband Jeremy and I have been vacationing in Baja California, Mexico and we recently decided to see how it would be to drive there from our home in Northern California- on our visits we take daily walks on the beach and would collect sea shells - I really wanted a whole sand dollar, and I found a lot of broke pieces but never found a whole one- I found not one, but two on our most recent trip, but not exactly what I wanted- unrelated, I was reading the book 10x Is Easier than 2x, and one concept that really stuck with me for how to measuring progress and success with a perspective that is either negative or positive- how this negative vs. positive perspective for measuring success shows up in our creative life- an example from a conversation I had with a woman at the AWP conference I attended in LA last month- the sand dollars are on the alter by my window as a reminder of the message that the universe will send me what I ask for, but maybe not how I expect- check out the show notes for this episodes to see a picture of the sand dollars- ask the universe for your own reminder and see how it manifests Links mentioned in this episode: - Get 10% off your first order of whole bean coffee from a boutique Northern California coffee roastery.- the book 10x Is Easier than 2x, by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy- Follow, subscribe & find show notes for this episode at moretothestorypodcast.substack.com- Follow me on Instagram @jannamarlies- Follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtree Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe

I’m revisiting the topic of what a book coach does, and t’s on my mind because of the two conferences I went to last month in March (Alt Summit & AWP). At both conferences I held 15-minute mini book coaching session and had so many great conversations with women who are working on books.There were also a lot of people, more so at AWP, talking about what they do professionally and how they help writers in the books/publishing world from book coaches like me to writing coaches, editors of all kinds, and publishers.At AWP I was hearing a lot around the topic of book coaching that gave me pause, because it doesn’t align with how I do things. So I wanted to continue the conversation, talk about what I was hearing, why I disagree, and why I feel like it doesn’t align with the way that I work.In this episode:- giving myself time to recover from two back-to-back conferences- why I disagree that coaches and editors need to be different people- one of my superpowers as a coach an editor & the resistance that often comes up around the story that authors actually need to tell- maybe I’m a unicorn (?), but based on the way that I work, why I am someone who can be both a coach and an editor- why I will never preach absolutes - why I don’t like the use of the word “codependent” in the context of areas in life where we actually need help, support, or accountability.- there is no shame in needing accountability for taking action - how Gretchen Rubin’s book and the framework The Four Tendencies applies to what motivates you to take action, and why needing external accountability to meet your goals is a real thing- more important than whether or not we are ”codependent” is the question: how do we respond to expectations? - dispelling the absolute that coaches must be published in the genre that you are trying to publish- the coach’s track record with clients is more important than publishing record- the importance of focusing on what you can actually take action on and what you can control (i.e. unless you self publish, you don’t have control over whether you get published or not!)- the difference between coaching/editing/ghostwriting, and why I don't agree that editing is prescriptive and coaching is never prescriptive- a question I get a lot: isn’t developmental editing the same as, or very similar to, ghostwriting? Links mentioned in this episode:- More about Under the Gum Tree - More about working with me - Get 10% off your first order of whole bean coffee from a boutique Northern California coffee roastery.- The first episode I did on what a book coach is- The episode answering the question ”Do I need 100,000 followers to get a book published?” - The book The Four Tendencies, by Gretchen Rubin - Follow, subscribe & find show notes for this episode at moretothestorypodcast.substack.com- Follow me on Instagram @jannamarlies- Follow Under the Gum Tree on Instagram @undergumtree Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe