Ep. 48 Ego vs. Armor

What is the legacy you want to leave? What do you want to be remembered for? Lauren lost her brother to cancer almost nine years ago. And one of the things she remembers the most about him is how tremendous his passion for life was. During his last days and contrary to what his family wanted for him, he decided to make a trip to Yosemite as he knew this was the last time he could visit the area before having his jaw removed. This is a sad story, yes. And oftentimes, sharing sad stories is avoided. However, not sharing the positive impact Lauren's brother left in this world would be a disservice to life itself. Today's episode is an invitation to live your life to the fullest, to not wait for the ¨right moment¨ to do what your heart truly desires, to not tuck your dreams away, and instead start living life before it's over. As you'll hear Lauren mention, this is the last episode of the season. We are going to be away from the podcast and social media, and use this time to nourish our souls, go chase after more dreams, spend time with family, rest, and more importantly, live life to the fullest! We will be back in January fully renewed and with more episodes and writerly inspiration for you. Until then, we hope you find your Yosemite. Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

How do you feel about the different publishing options out there? Do you feel confident or intimidated? As writers and creative entrepreneurs, we are told the traditional publishing route is the way to go if you want to be taken seriously in the writing world. Want to be a legitimate author? Go pitch yourself to one of the big five, they say...But what if we took all the ego and false beliefs out of the equation and instead focused on bringing our art to life while showing up authentically in our writing? Today's profound conversation is delivered by the inspiring Roxan McDonald. In this episode, Roxan and Lauren dive deep into the craft of writing. They chat about how the publishing world is changing and the immense opportunity this represents to new authors. Roxan also shares her beautiful definition of craft as well as her journey as a writer and influencer. Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

Want to know the secret sauce to keep your readers engaged? In today's episode, Lauren goes over two super important ingredients your story should have if you want to keep your readers from putting your book down - tension and conflict. She starts the episode by defining these concepts, as well as giving examples of the types of books where you can find them. You will also hear her talk about some great tips on building tension and conflict, the genres she recommends reading to learn more about them, and much more! Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

Creative entrepreneur Parchelle Tashi joins Lauren on the show today to talk all things course building! But hey, not just any type of course. We're talking about a course based on your book. The type of course that will allow you to build an ecosystem around your writing and turn your readers into loyal fans. Parchelle is also passionate about business and entrepreneurship. She understands what goes into producing high-quality, profitable online courses for writers, and in this episode, she shares how building a community around your book can help you grow both as a business owner and writer. Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

Hey, y'all! We are at episode 50, and we couldn't be more excited! Thank you all for your support and for helping make this podcast so successful! To celebrate this giant milestone, we are bringing back your favorite episodes from season 2. From interviews to solo episodes, this collection is jam-packed with some of the best resources and wisdom the School For Writers has been putting out there since the beginning. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

Have you ever heard of circular economies? Don't worry, we hadn't either until this episode! A circular economy aims to close the gap between the production and the natural ecosystems’ cycles – on which humans ultimately depend upon. Today's guest, Katie Treggiden is an expert on this topic. She is also a keynote speaker, podcaster, and if that wasn't enough, a writer. Katie has done amazing things as a writer. She has created a whole world around writing by putting out there different programs and resources. She has also found success in niching down as a writer and is here today to share all the benefits of this practice. Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

In today's episode, Lauren talks about the difference between ego and armor, and how not knowing how to handle them could become an obstacle to your writing. She also delves into how you can get through them and finally tell your story without feeling judged or pretending to be someone you're not. Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

Hey there! Welcome back to the School For Writers podcast! We're taking a short break during August but coming back in September. In today's episode, Lauren interviews devotee of rest, Octavia Raheem.  Octavia is a yoga teacher, book author, wife, and mom.  During this beautifully inspiring interview, they talk about Octavia's relationship with reading and writing. They also dive deep into how resting and writing are interconnected and how pausing and taking time to reflect is the foundation of everything you should do as a creative. If you struggle with taking time off, then take this episode as your permission to rest and relax. A time for you to go within and realize there are always possibilities in pausing. At School For Writers, we believe in honoring the natural pause and cycle of everything in life. We have worked hard to bring you the best this season and we're excited to bring you more valuable and inspiring content in September after some well-deserved rest! In the meantime, don't forget to binge listen to previous episodes, check out our courses and resources, and follow Lauren and the show over on Instagram @laurenmariefleming and @schoolforwriters. Thank you and see you soon! Connect with the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

Have you ever been told you need to find your own solid voice as a writer? That essence that makes your writing unique and distinguishable from the rest and that your teachers talked about in your first day of creative-writing classes. In today's solo episode, Lauren delves into what voice is, what isn't, and what it means to find your voice in writing. Do you think you'll still struggle to find your voice after all of this? Don't worry! Lauren also shares great advice on what you can do if you feel stuck and talks about why mimicking other people's voices can not only help in the process of finding yours but also make you a lot of money! Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!

Today's episode is SO GOOD! Lauren interviews Digital Marketer and Social Strategist, Kia Young. Pay close attention to this conversation because Kia drops a generous amount of informational and educational bombs worth putting into practice. She talks about strategic tips and tools for writers using social media and why you need to first understand the platforms in order to figure out where you can make the most impact. Kia is sure you don't need to be everywhere. You just need to know where to be! Check out the entire conversation to learn more about how to use social media without it using you, how to set an end goal before you start posting, the difference between ideal client vs target audience, how to thrive on social media as an introvert, etc. Connect with Lauren and the show: Website - https://schoolforwriters.com/ Instagram - @laurenmariefleming & @schoolforwriters Head over to schoolforwriters.com/podcast/ to find all the resources and book recommendations mentioned in this episode!