The Write Anyway Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode , hosts Sue Campbell and Rochelle Ramirez explore the pervasive fear of criticism that many writers face, offering practical strategies to overcome it. They discuss how fear can paralyze writers, especially in memoir and fiction, and the impact of social media criticism.

The episode addresses the psychological aspect of fear, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between real threats and exaggerated fears.

The hosts provide methods to fortify resilience, like shadow work and approaching writing with a playful mindset. They also suggest practical steps like writing under a pen name or practicing in low-stakes environments to build confidence.

The discussion aims to empower writers to push through fears, allowing their stories to reach and impact others.

00:00 Welcome to the Write Anyway Podcast

00:39 Understanding the Fear of Criticism

03:06 Strategies to Overcome Criticism

07:42 Building Resilience and Self-Trust

13:58 Practical Tips for Writers

22:07 Embracing Rejection and Criticism

24:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Want more help maintaining a creative practice despite life's obstacles? Subscribe to the ⁠Write Anyway newsletter ⁠from Pages & Platforms.

* Some links are affiliate links, we get a small commission when you purchase, but you don't pay more.

Guest: Eirinie Carson

In this episode, Sue Campbell speaks with writer Eirinie Carson about balancing writing with caregiving and processing grief through writing. Carson is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir https://bookshop.org/a/113574/9781685890469 (Melville House, 2023) and the upcoming novel Blood Fire Baby (February 2026).

Key Discussion Points:

• Writing while parenting two young children
• Processing grief through writing after the loss of a close friend
• The importance of creating space for creative work as a caregiver
• Experience at writers' residencies, particularly Hedgebrook
• The role of supportive partners in maintaining a writing practice
• How motherhood inspired Carson to pursue writing seriously
• Writing both memoir and fiction about grief and family history

Notable Quotes:
"Writing looks like nothing... It's not like I am toiling in a field. But writing also looks like reading. It also looks like taking a walk. It also looks like thinking about things." —Eirinie Carson

Books Mentioned:

• The Dead Are Gods by Eirinie Carson
• Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls by T Kira Madden
• Blood Fire Baby by Eirinie Carson (forthcoming in 2026)

Resources:

• Hedgebrook Writers Residency
• The Writers' Grotto in San Francisco

Want more help maintaining a creative practice despite life's obstacles? Subscribe to the Write Anyway newsletter from Pages & Platforms.

* Some links are affiliate links, we get a small commission when you purchase, but you don't pay more.

The new year is coming and I want you to be well prepared to set goals in a new and more effective way, so I’m bringing you interviews with students from my Goal Getter School for Writers.

In this episode, I’m talking with the writer Sarah McKee.  Sarah is a mother and wife who loves writing and being outdoors.  She used to believe that being sensitive was a disgrace but has learned how to use this gift to the fullest by writing better characters and has recently learned how to set real goals and get them achieved!

Learn how she finally completed her first draft in three months after years of working on it.

You can find her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.e.mckee/

In Goal Getter School, you will set a big goal for your writing career and learn a framework to manage your mind to achieve it.

The goal of the program is to teach you to manage your mind so you can better realize your creative potential for the rest of your life.

If you’re interested in learning more about Goal Getter School and maybe even applying for the January 2023 cohort, visit http://pagesandplatforms.com/goalgetter

2020 has dealt us uncertainty like never before. I have some experience with uncertainty--and I daresay an unfair advantage--so I'm sharing with you some things I've found helpful in hopes that it helps reduce your suffering a bit too.

In this episode, Sue discusses that age-old question: When is the best time to write? 

As we've mentioned, we'll be opening the doors to our Story Path course soon, which is designed to help you use the power of Story Types to write a great book. Please join us on Friday, August 28 at 12 PM PT for a free webinar: "Get Your Story Unstuck" where we'll give you an overview of the 7 essential Story Types. We promise you'll walk away with something useful to apply to your story. Visit pagesandforms.com/eb-registration to register.

 In this episode, we offer a tiny little slice of what's inside our Story Path course: a discussion of between Rachelle Ramirez and me about the importance of audience emotion and what you can do to help create specific feelings in your audience.

Learn more about story types and how they help you solve your pesky story problems at by watching our free, on-demand "Get Your Story Unstuck" webinar: https://www.storypath.me/masterclass-registration

We have a special treat for you this week. We're getting ready to reopen the doors on our Story Path course, so we've got a little audio sample for you of something from Module 5 on the importance of premise in your story. 

When it comes to what your story is about, the answer you give to others and the answer you need yourself to write the book can be completely different. One helps others find your book, the other helps you find your story. Rachelle Ramirez and Anne Hawley dive into how and why to distill your premise down to its essence.  

If you want to hear more about our Story Path course, visit http://storypath.me where you can download our seven page guide to the essential story types and you'll get on a mailing list to be notified when the Story Path course opens for enrollment later in August 2020.

If you’re writing a novel or piece of narrative nonfiction and you can’t seem to get anywhere with it, I’ll bet you dollars to dark chocolate you can’t satisfactorily answer the following question:

What type of story are you telling?

If the question itself confuses you, if your answer takes twenty minutes, or if you said “It’s a fantasy,” or “It’s young adult,” I have good news. By the end of this article, you’ll have a much clearer idea of why you’ve wandered off the path, and how to get back on.

Download a free guide to all 7 Story Types at http://storypath.me.

Many writers know they'll have to do their marketing eventually, they just want to put it off as long as possible. In this episode, we'll look at 6 reasons to start now. And if your author website is one of the places you're stuck, Pages and Platforms is offering a free webinar on Friday, July 10, 2020. Sue will show you exactly what you do and don’t for your author website. Register at https://www.pagesandplatforms.com/author-website-registration.

Our brain sends us fear messages all the time. How do we know when to heed them and when to plow ahead, even when we are afraid? This episode will give you one powerful question to ask to help you decide.