The Secret Library Podcast

Many people have shared the challenges of transitioning from writing for themselves to writing pieces they hope will find readers and an audienceAs I was pondering this delicate balance and the mindset shift that accompanies it, my thoughts went immediately to Trina O'Gorman. I've followed and admired her for years under her account @ninjatraveling. She began this account as part of a conversation about creating visibility online she had with the class she was teaching at Montclair State University.When a page of her notebook was posted on the account and the contents were legible to all followers, something Trina did not intend, she was pushed into a level of vulnerability she did not ask for.I knew Trina was the one to kick us off this season, given her incredible insight, personal experience with visibility and writing. Her expertise teaching university students how to write when they want others to read and understand their arguments added such a fantastic layer to a thought-provoking conversation.Let's begin to nourish our writing selves as we consider the line between writer and reader in Episode One of Season 3: The Nourished Writer.Visit this episode's show notes page here: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes/trina-ogorman-s3-ep1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

The Secret Library Podcast Season Three begins September 17th. The theme this season is: The Nourished Writer. In crazy times, I couldn't think of anything more important than taking good care of ourselves as writers.Can't wait to see you back here next week with our first episode.https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

And so, we come to the end of Season 2.It has been quite an adventure releasing this season in such a crazy time, but I've never been more grateful to be a podcaster than I am right now. I hope this season has been useful to you, whether you're currently revising a project or not.As I share in this solo wrap-up, revision was my achilles heel for so many years. If I can remove the fear I had for anyone else, I'll have achieved my goal for this season. Get the inside scoop on my own revision process and method as I take you from the beginning of my novel up to its current status.We'll be back in September with Season 3. In the meantime, sign up for Footnotes and the SLP Patreon to stay connected during the break.Happy listening to all of you, may your Next Draft be the smoothest one yet.Visit this episode's show notes page here: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes/caroline-donahue-s2-ep15  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

Memoir presents a tricky twist on the revision process: the challenge of memory.Susannah Conway is back on the show this week to discuss revision and memoir. Writing about real life presents a special challenge: recreating scenes and mining our past to get the emotion of the moment on the page. No matter how much we journal, no matter how intense these moments in our lives were, they are, by necessity, reconstructions. Susannah and I discuss her revision process for her memoir This I Know, covering everything from the time it took her to go through the process, to all the emotion writing the book brought up. If you're writing a memoir, or if parts of your book draw from memory. This is your episode. I'll be back next week with our solo episode wrap-up for season two. I can't believe we're almost at the end. Didn't this season go so fast?Visit this episode's show notes page here: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes/susannah-conway-s2-ep14  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

Simon Van Booy has been, since late 2018, my editor and mentor for this novel. I first met him when he appeared on the podcast and I knew he understood the sort of book I wanted to write. In this episode, we talk about the challenges faced and the mindset necessary to keep going and reach the end of your book.My work with Simon has been instrumental in writing a better book, staying focused on completing and learning that revision really is a fun and empowering part of writing a book. In this episode, Simon and I discuss the process of revision, as well as how we have worked together on my book. It was so much fun to get his take on the book and to be able to share more of the inside scoop on my revision with you. Happy listening and happy revising!Visit this episode's show notes page here: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes/simon-van-booy-s2-ep13  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

What a gift to have Sue Monk Kidd on the show.Even with decades of experience, and numerous bestsellers to her name, Sue Monk Kidd was so intimidated by the idea of writing a novel about the fictional wife of Jesus that she didn't write it the first time it came to her. She waited nearly ten years before it popped up again in her mind, and only then did she write The Book of Longings.As we talked about story, revision, and the way the book came together, we kept circling back to character, and so that is the beating heart of this episode: how your characters can show you the way to your story. If you're tangled up in your plot and unsure how to get from beginning to end, let a master show you how to get through your draft while following your character's lead. Such a beautiful conversation that I'm honored to share with you today. Enjoy!Visit this episode's show notes page here: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes/sue-monk-kidd-s2-ep12  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

Years ago, Stephanie Scott read a news story about a woman who had been murdered in a case that involved a marriage breakup agent. This industry, and the fact that the marriage breakup agent claimed to love the woman he was accused of murdering, stuck in her mind. After a ton of hard work and research so extensive on the Japanese legal system that she was made a member of the British Japanese Law association, her novel is coming out.But what does it mean to write a novel that originates in fact, yet is fiction? Stephanie chose to change a lot in her book, from the time the story takes place, too many details about the characters. If you're inspired by history but want to divert from it in your book, this episode will show you the way. Happy listening!Visit this episode's show notes here: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes/stephanie-scott-s2-ep11 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

Julie Parker is quite the force: author, podcaster, and creator of the Beautiful You Coaching Academy.On this episode, we talk about everything from the practical steps she took during revision, to the relationship she has with her intuition and how that carried her all the way through the process. Not every step is easy when writing a book, and Julie's wisdom will help you navigate the entire process for yourself. I know you'll love this episode! Happy listening.Link to show notes: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes/julie-parker-s2-ep10  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

I fell in love with Hannah Dennison the moment I met her.And I had had to take the Underground, two trains, a taxi, a tiny plane the size of a bathtub and ride in the back of a little trick to get to the writing retreat I took with her off the coast of Cornwall. It was worth it. Hannah has a list for every situation. Since she writes mystery, they have titles like "ways to kill someone" and "methods for catching a killer," but she's also brilliant at character development. The tip that made me beg her to come on the show was when she suggested giving every character a secret if the plot was lagging. Having started her career writing the obituaries for a small local paper, Hannah went on to work as a flight attendant on private planes where she met Steven Spielberg, who encouraged her to pursue her dream of writing. Since, she worked in film and has written over ten books in two series, with a third coming soon. I know you'll love her as much as I do. Happy listening!Link to show notes: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes/hannah-dennison-s2-ep9  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

Revise like an editor.When considering revision, I knew we had to bring in an editor to speak to the nuances of editing vs revision, as well as the places where they overlap. Tasha has been on the show before, helping us heat up our sex scenes as well as plan out NaNoWriMo, but she also works as an editor, so I'm delighted to have her back on to provide the editing point of view. It can be tough to know what to cut and what to keep. In this conversation we talk about mistakes people often make in revising their writing and how to cut through those issues. I love Tasha's no-nonsense approach to writing as well as her experience as both a writing and an editor that will have you refining your draft like a pro after listening. Enjoy!Link to show notes: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes/tasha-harrison-s2-ep8  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe