Become a Writer Today – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of the Become a Writer Today podcast, my guest is Amy Yamada, a former marketing director and AI expert.

During the interview, Amy shares her innovative approach to using AI to develop authentic messaging and form deep connections with audiences.

Amy and her use of ChatGPT to help content creators scale their businesses is a one-of-a-kind approach. No one else is teaching what she does. Amy's method allows busy content creators to generate more content while preserving their authentic voice and speaking directly to their audience.

Here are my top 3 takeaways from our discussion:

1. Authenticity is Key: Amy uses an innovative approach called the "heart speech model" to infuse her voice into AI-generated content, ensuring that her communication is not only efficient but also authentic and resonates with her audience.

2. Utilizing AI for Relationship Building: Amy highlights how entrepreneurs, including writers, can leverage AI for various forms of communication, such as marketing emails, social media posts, and even difficult conversations with clients or team members while maintaining their authentic voice.

3. Future of AI in Content Creation: Amy shared insights on the growing role of AI in content creation and how it's important to balance efficiency with maintaining a human touch in the content we generate. We also discussed the potential of AI in serving as a research assistant and helping with content organization.

If you're interested in learning more about Amy's unique approach to using AI in writing, check out the full podcast episode. Don't miss out on these valuable insights!

Resources:

Amy's Website

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

In our latest episode of the Become A Writer Today podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Amanda Hand, an experienced content strategist and SEO team lead. We delved into the world of content strategy and discovered some valuable insights into this fascinating field.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

• Client Goals and Data: Content strategy goes beyond writing and editing. As a content strategist, understanding client goals and aligning them with data is crucial. Become a data nerd, master tools like Google Analytics, and marry creativity with data-driven strategy.
• User Behavior Analysis: Dive deep into user data to understand what drives decision-making and meet users' needs. Learn to follow the user's journey from the first website visit to the final conversion goal. This understanding will help shape effective content strategies.
• Continual Learning and Skill Development: Embrace the ever-evolving nature of the content strategy field. Take advantage of free courses, such as Google Analytics, to acquire new skills and stay up-to-date with the latest trends. Adaptability and curiosity are essential in this exciting industry.

If you want to learn more about content strategy and how to transition from content writing to strategy, this episode is a must-listen. 

Resources:

Regex SEO

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Welcome to another episode of the Become a Writer Today podcast. Today we have an exciting lineup for all you aspiring writers out there. In this episode, we'll dive into the world of motivational books. 

We'll explore eleven must-read titles that will inspire and ignite your personal and professional creativity.

Get ready to discover some old classics that have stood the test of time and some contemporary gems that will challenge your mindset. From Dale Carnegie's timeless masterpiece to James Clear's revolutionary "Atomic Habits," we've covered everything. 

So please sit back, relax, and let's dive into the world of motivation and inspiration. 

But before we start, I'd like to remind you to leave a review for our show on iTunes and share it with your fellow writers. Your support helps us reach more people who can benefit from our content. Also, remember to check out our companion YouTube channel for even more writing advice. 

So, without further ado, let's jump into the captivating world of motivational books and become the best writers we can be!

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

In this episode, I catch up with Brian Finney to understand how he transitioned from writing non-fiction to writing fiction and how he manages his day.

Many writers work on the side while working a demanding day job. Brian has gone the other way. He’s now a professor emeritus at California State University, which means he doesn’t lecture at the university, so he has time to write his psychological thrillers during the week.

I was interested in how somebody would approach having a massive chunk of free time to write. I dug into Brian’s writing process to figure out how much time he spends writing and how he gets himself into a state of flow.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Brian's writing process
• Current events and conspiracy theories that drive Brian's stories
• Writing tools
• Reactions from Brian's former students
• How Brian promotes his books
• Advice on finding time to write
• Techniques and strategies for getting into the flow

Resources:

• Brian Finney Website
• Money Matters
• Dangerous Conjectures

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Many writers like to work within one genre or niche. They write thriller books or police procedurals, or mystery books. 

Other writers find working within one genre or niche confining, and they like to try different types of writing to see where it takes them. 

In this episode, I recently had the chance to catch up with Jenn Ashton, and she’s done just that. She’s published poetry, children’s books, journalism, historical research, technical manuals, and she’s also an accomplished visual artist. 

I had many questions for Jenn about her creative ventures and whether other projects like painting can improve your writing.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Balancing different creative outlets
• Getting into a creative flow
• Sharing stories with a beta group before publishing
• Giving helpful feedback to a friend
• How to earn a living while following your creative dream
• The benefit of entering writing competitions
• Advice for writers looking to get published

Resources:

• People Like Frank
• NaNoWriMo
• Submittable 
• Jennifer Ashton 
• Jennifer Ashton Art

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

This week, I got to catch up with somebody I've wanted to talk to for a long time.

David Farland is the author of over 50 books, including The Runelords series. He's worked with top fantasy and science fiction authors like Brandon Sanderson and Stephenie Meyer, and he's also written Million Dollar Outlines.

In this interview, we talk about Robert Heinlein's Rules for Writers. Several years ago, I came across these rules after being frustrated writing and rewriting the same short stories repeatedly. 

We chat about hybrid publishing, self-publishing, and traditional publishing and how to decide which approach is right for your book. I also got David's take on marketing and how a back catalog can help you earn a good living as an author.

David also explains the importance of having an e-mail list and how it can help you earn a healthy living from writing.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How David's writing process has changed over the years
• Advice for new writers
• What makes a story compelling
• Common mistakes authors make
• Choosing a genre to write in 
• What makes authors stand out
• How to market your books

Resources:

• Apex Writers
• Writers of the Future
• My Story Doctor

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

In this episode, I chat with therapist Charley Wininger.

He's the author of the new book, Listening to Ecstasy: The Transformative Power of MDMA. Writing about the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic substances is pretty controversial, depending on where you live in the world. 

It's a topic that I'd like to write about, but I'm not quite there yet, so I was fascinated to hear from an author who's not afraid to write about something controversial.

Charley started writing in his mid-60s. He's now 72, and it took him seven years to write the book. If you ever feel like you've missed your chance to write a book, take heart from his experiences. 

I ask Charley about the correlation between psychedelics, meditation and flow state, and the creative process. He also describes his writing process and how he got around some issues like writer's block.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Charley wrote his memoir
•  Why the book took 6 years to write
• Advice given to Charley about writing
• The comparison between meditation and psychedelics
• Charley's memories of Andy Kaufman
• Reactions to the book
• Strategies for selling the book 

Resources:

• Charley Winiger
• Charley on Instagram
• Charley on YouTube
• Listening to Ecstasy: The Transformative Power of MDMA - Charley Winiger
• Waking Up - Sam Harris

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Meredith Heller is the author of Write a Poem, Save Your Life: A Guide for Teens, Teachers, and Writers of All Ages. It's an instructional book for anybody who wants to write or teach writing poetry. If you want to learn more about writing poetry, it's a title I recommend. 

In this episode, Meredith told me how she combines her career as a working poet with that of a massage therapist and teacher.

Meredith explains how having a job can inform your craft and can give you source material for your art. 

She is also a prolific journaler and had over 80 different journals that she used for material.

In this episode, we discuss.

• How Meredith combined her poetry with the work of her students in the book
• Meredith's techniques for getting her students to write about difficult topics
• The process for writing poetry
• Is poetry making a comeback?
• The key to writing while having a career

Resources.

• Write a Poem, Save Your Life: A Guide for Teens, Teachers, and Writers of All Ages 
• Meredith Heller

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Colin Dayan is the Robert Penn Warren Professor in the Humanities at Vanderbilt University.

She’s written extensively about Haiti and Guantanamo Bay and has written not one but two memoirs. 

Colin chatted to me about her memoirs and how, if you spend a lot of time engaged in one type of writing to pay the bills as Colin did with academic writing and research, you should still go ahead and try on a completely different form of writing. 

After all, who knows where you’ll end up in 10 or 15 years, and by exploring different genres and formats, you could build a writing career that lasts a lifetime. 

I asked Colin about her research process, and we dig into how she approaches researching memoir versus writing something for an academic and formal audience.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Choosing topics for a book
• How to approach writing a personal essay
• The reaction of those featured in Colin's books
• Colin's tips for writing a memoir
• Picking a theme to structure your memoir around

Resources:

• Colin Dayan
• Marion Roach Smith episode

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Terry McDougall is an executive and career coach and the author of the new book, Winning the Game of Work.

In this episode of the podcast, I spoke to Terry about her fascinating idea of seeing work as a type of game. She considers her book as part of her calling card, and she had some fantastic insights into how the book is potentially helping her find more clients for her coaching practice.

If you have an interesting work story and you want to go out on your own as a consultant or coach, then writing a non-fiction book is a way to help you grow your business or your practice.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How to treat work as a game
• Strategies to help you succeed at work
• Books that laid the foundation for Terry's writing
• How long it took to write the book
• What Terry would do differently
• Terry's writing process on an average day

Resources:

• What Color is Your Parachute - Richard N. Bolles
• Winning the Game of Work - Terry McDougall
• Marketing Mambo Podcast
• Terry B. McDougall Website

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!