475. Elements Your Personal Essay Needs to Have

Children’s book author and illustrator Hannah Tendo shares how she created her Pebble Prose picture books, from storyboarding and hand-drawn illustrations to indie publishing and local marketing on Maui. Polly and Hannah also talk about her treehouse studio and balancing creativity with the business of publishing as an independent author. For more on the writing craft and crafting a writer’s life, join us at simplywrite.substack.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finishing your first draft is an accomplishment, but what comes next? Learn how to approach revision, identify what needs work, strengthen your structure, and refine your writing without getting overwhelmed. Plus, a mindset shift that can change how you think about the writing process. For more on the writing craft and crafting a writer’s life, join us at simplywrite.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carol Hoenig, author of The Liberation of Jane Carter, joins Polly Campbell to discuss how family history inspired her novel, developing characters through multiple drafts, and working with writers as a publishing consultant. For more on the writing craft and crafting a writer’s life, join us at simplywrite.substack.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your book ideas can fuel essays, articles, and Substack posts, and those shorter pieces can help build your audience long before your book is published. Polly shares how to mine your experience, research, and book-in-progress for fresh ideas, connect with readers, and build momentum for a sustainable writing career. For more on the writer's craft and living a writer's life, join our Simply Write community at https://simplywrite.substack.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Simply Write, Polly talks with author and filmmaker Kimberly Warner about the unexpected path from private memoir to published book. Kimberly shares how she wrote her memoir, Unfixed, in just three and a half months, then tucked it away for two years before family encouragement led her to share it on Substack, where it found readers around the world. They discuss writing through illness, following creative intuition, embracing flexibility in the writing process, and why specific, embodied details help personal stories connect with readers. Kimberly also reflects on the life experiences that shaped Unfixed and the power of writing that reaches beyond the individual story to touch universal human experiences. For more on writing craft and crafting a writer's life, join the Simply Write community at simplywrite.substack.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes a personal essay work, and why can they be so satisfying to write? Polly Campbell breaks down five essentials, from finding the universal in your unique experience to creating focus, momentum, strong scenes, voice, and meaning. For more on the writing craft and crafting a writer's life, go to Simply Write at https://simplywrite.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Create a writing space that works with you, not against you. Feng shui expert Lisa Morton shares simple ways to improve focus, creativity, and productivity through lighting, color, desk placement, and organization. For more on the writing craft and crafting a writer's life, go to Simply Write: https://simplywrite.substack.com Note: We apologize for the technical difficulties toward the end of the episode. Lisa's insights are valuable, so we decided to keep that portion of the tape, though some pieces may be difficult to hear. Thank you for your patience. We've gotten to the bottom of the problem and should be good going forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Been away from a writing project? Learn how to reconnect with your work, reassess your plan, start small, and rebuild momentum without pressure. Plus, a simple trick for making it easier to return to the page next time. For more on the writing craft and crafting a writer's life, join the Simply Write community at simplywrite.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Debut author Kevin C. Morris talks about the real-life inspiration behind Untamed Coast, blending research with fiction, pacing, publishing, and launching a first book. Morris also explains why he didn't worry about genre while he was writing, but what he wanted to offer the readers. For more on the writing craft and crafting a writer’s life join us at simplywrite.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emotional intelligence can help writers keep going, handle setbacks, stay motivated, and create characters and stories that connect with readers. Today, we explore four key skills: self-awareness, intrinsic motivation, emotional resilience, and empathy. For more on writing craft and crafting a writer’s life, join Simply Write: simplywrite.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices