Ease Lessons for Writers

36. Caroline Donahue (Season 3, Episode 3/3)

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 22:00:00 +0900

*****

ABOUT EASE LESSONS:

Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Writer, Coach and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

35. Caroline Donahue (Season 3, Episode 2/3)

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 20:00:00 +0900

*****

34. Caroline Donahue (Season 3, Episode 1/3)

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 23:00:00 +0900

TODAY'S GUEST: CAROLINE DONAHUE
As a book-loving Writing and Book Coach, Caroline doesn't believe there is any force more powerful in this world than writing. With a Masters in Psychology and Expressive Arts, and a subsequent career in the book world that began with working in a bookshop, progressing through editing and producing a thrice annual auction catalogue, to proofreading for a prominent ad agency, she has apprenticed herself to writing for over ten years. In 2016, she launched The Secret Library Podcast and has since interviewed over 100 writers, editors, agents, and publishers to get to the bottom of what it takes to write a book. She is currently writing her own novel and co-editing the anthology, I Wrote it Anyway.

HOMEWORK INVITATIONS :
1. Field Notes on experiments with time and time boxes
Conduct a set of gentle experiments about your writing times. Write at different times of the day. Try writing before you check your calendar for the day and between appointments. Make notes on writing experiments re: how you feel in your body, how much spaciousness or resistance you feel, and how playful the writing time feels to you. You're tracking your own ease.

2. Tarot for The Writer
Try pulling cards as a gift to you, the writer. What do you not know yet that would be of tremendous help to your future self? (Your future self who has no money or novels published.)

3. Email to a Student
Think of a writing student or client who might come to you with a similar issue. They run an online business and have created the life and schedule they've always yearned for but find it increasingly difficult to find or make time for their writing. The issue isn't insufficient time but rather that your student keeps prioritizing those activities that are in service of other people and that make money. She is genuinely perplexed. You write her an email of encouragement and support, and share some tips on how she might think differently about her situation in order to help her ease back into her writing chair.

b) Talk with a couple of students or colleagues whom you trust and request their wisdom.

4. Permission
What is the simplest statement of permission you need to give yourself? What is the essence of this permission slip? You could:

allow it to be messy or awkward or uncomfortable. (I am LEARNING how to own a business that sustains me while writing.)
make your own writing the most important work that you do (Come up with a method by which you pay yourself for the time you spend writing!)
allow yourself to fall in love again with your writing process. (I believe it was Elizabeth Gilbert who referred to this as having an affair with her writing)
take a break from writing
write three days a week instead of five

b) Display your slip and/or create a ritual to let the Universe know where you'd like some help.

Where to find Caroline:
Website: https://www.carolinedonahue.com/
Podcast: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/

*****

33. Michelle (Season 3, Episode 3/3)

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0900

TODAY'S GUEST: MICHELLE
Today's episode is my third and final conversation with Michelle, a mom of two and an attorney who prefers storytelling to legalese, as well as an open heart over the analytical mind. She believes that when her heart and mind work as one, that's where the magic happens, and she has been on a lifelong journey to connect them both. She received her first tarot card deck at age thirteen and Reiki certifications at age sixteen. After that she earned certification after certification in Astrology, Spiritual Bathing, Life Coaching and Mindfulness Education amongst many others. Meanwhile, Michelle never believed she was “special enough” to be an author, and instead worked as Senior Associate at the largest employment law firm in the world for over ten years. In February, she left her law career and is finally learning to just be. She plans to self publish her first spiritual novel in 2022 under a pen name.

Thanks for this conversation, Michelle.

HOMEWORK INVITATIONS FROM OUR SECOND CONVERSATION:
1. Problem party | Form a group with one or two other people in which you talk about your writing in much the way that we did in Rachel‘s hot seats. This is a group of people who will support your writing and for whom you will also be a support.

2. Medium | Give yourself a publish date for this piece, a date that allows for the writing logistics as well as being prepared for people's comments and judgment.

3. Time blocking | This is where you create a new writing schedule in which you don’t push yourself too hard but you keep moving forward with regularity. You can think of this as a writing promise to yourself. One idea is to have a 2 to 3 hour chunk of writing every week during which a babysitter cares for your children.

READ ABOUT MICHELLE AND HER BOOK:
Website: www.violetdeluna.com
Medium: My husband cheated on me 8 years ago, when I was pregnant and after I gave birth

*****

32. Michelle (Season 3, Episode 2/3)

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 22:00:00 +0900

TODAY'S GUEST: MICHELLE
Today's episode is my second conversation with Michelle, a mom of two and an attorney who prefers storytelling to legalese, as well as an open heart over the analytical mind. She believes that when her heart and mind work as one, that's where the magic happens, and she has been on a lifelong journey to connect them both. She received her first tarot card deck at age thirteen and Reiki certifications at age sixteen. After that she earned certification after certification in Astrology, Spiritual Bathing, Life Coaching and Mindfulness Education amongst many others. Meanwhile, Michelle never believed she was “special enough” to be an author, and instead worked as Senior Associate at the largest employment law firm in the world for over ten years. In February, she left her law career and is finally learning to just be. She plans to self publish her first spiritual fiction novel in 2022 under a pen name.

2. Medium | Give yourself a publish date for this piece, a date that allows for the writing logistics as well as being prepared for people's comments and judgment.

*****

31. Michelle (Season 3, Episode 1/3)

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 21:00:00 +0900

TODAY'S GUEST: MICHELLE
Today's episode is my first conversation with Michelle, a mom of two and an attorney who prefers storytelling to legalese, as well as an open heart over the analytical mind. She believes that when her heart and mind work as one, that's where the magic happens, and she has been on a lifelong journey to connect them both. She received her first tarot card deck at age thirteen and Reiki certifications at age sixteen. After that she earned certification after certification in Astrology, Spiritual Bathing, Life Coaching and Mindfulness Education amongst many others. Meanwhile, Michelle never believed she was “special enough” to be an author, and instead worked as Senior Associate at the largest employment law firm in the world for over ten years. In February, she left her law career and is finally learning to just be. She plans to self publish her first spiritual fiction novel in 2022 under a pen name.

Thanks for this conversation, Michelle.

HOMEWORK INVITATIONS FROM OUR FIRST CONVERSATION:
1. Community | Think about your community of writers. Choose two or three people you like, trust and respect. Reach out to them and invite this group to a zoom call in which you get their support as a writer. It’s also important that they have a chance to congratulate you on the amazing progress you’ve already made.

2. Thank You Letter | Imagine the experience of a person who is going through infidelity in their relationship. They search online for some resources and find your book. After they finished reading it, they reached out to you to thank you. What do they write? Please write this letter.

3. Pen Name | As you have already created a pen name for your book, devise an opportunity to try it out. You might write a piece that is connected to your novel's theme of infidelity and publish it on the website you’ve created, as an Instagram post, or on a platform like Medium. How does it feel to have a piece of your writing associated with this pen name?

4. Freedom and Shame | Write about the relationship between freedom and shame.

READ ABOUT MICHELLE AND HER BOOK:
Website: www.violetdeluna.com
Medium: My husband cheated on me 8 years ago, when I was pregnant and after I gave birth

*****

ABOUT EASE LESSONS:

Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Writer, Coach and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

30. Lala Hulse (Season 3, Episode 3/3)

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 23:00:00 +0900

TODAY'S GUEST: LALA HULSE
Today's episode is my third conversation with Lala Hulse, an artist and musician who is trying to get her creative life back together after moving halfway around the world during a pandemic. She believes everyone can draw and everyone can sing.

Thanks for this conversation, Lala.

HOMEWORK INVITATIONS FROM OUR SECOND CONVERSATION
1. Setting the stage
a) Think more about the logistics of your office space.
b) Think more deeply about this question of setting the stage including the idea of "starting your day again" before making art.

2. Artist Dates
Put weekly artist dates in your calendar. If it's helpful, share the dates with your wife.

3. Make Art
Spend some time contemplating how you can allow yourself to make art rather than feeling pressure to make good art.
How would art-making (and life) be lovelier if you let go of that pressure?

29. Lala Hulse (Season 3, Episode 2/3)

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 20:00:00 +0900

TODAY'S GUEST: LALA HULSE
Today's episode is my second conversation with Lala Hulse, an artist and musician who is trying to get her creative life back together after moving halfway around the world during a pandemic. She believes everyone can draw and everyone can sing.

Thanks for this conversation, Lala.

HOMEWORK INVITATIONS FROM TODAY'S CONVERSATION
1. Setting the stage
a) Think more about the logistics of your office space.
b) Think more deeply about this question of setting the stage including the idea of "starting your day again" before making art.

2. Artist Dates
Put weekly artist dates in your calendar. If it's helpful, share the dates with your wife.

28. Lala Hulse (Season 3, Episode 1/3)

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 06:00:00 +0900

TODAY'S GUEST: LALA HULSE
Today's episode is my first conversation with Lala Hulse, an artist and musician who is trying to get her creative life back together after moving halfway around the world during a pandemic. She believes everyone can draw and everyone can sing.

Thanks for this conversation, Lala.

HOMEWORK INVITATIONS FROM TODAY'S CONVERSATION

1. You are tired
a) Create a symbolic grieving ritual that captures your exhaustion and indicates to the Universe that you’d like a little help with this. Your ritual might involve fire, air, water, or Earth.

b) Be gentle with yourself. This does not come naturally to most of us. Treat yourself and speak to your tired self the way you would to your beloved people.

c) Get a good night’s sleep. Nap. Eat well. Use the good moisturizer on your skin. Take breaks in your workday. (You can set an alarm, so you remember to go back to work). Go outside. Hug trees etc.

2. Your Future Self Has No Art
What’s the tiniest promise you could make to your future self about making art now? Write it down and then set it to music so you can sing it to yourself.

3. Love-tricking
It’s true. You will need to love-trick yourself. I'm sorry about that!
I wonder if you might make an artist date with yourself for two or three nights a week on a night that your wife is preparing dinner. You could give yourself an amount of time (15 minutes, for example) as a place to start and if you feel like drawing for longer than that, go with it. Put these dates in yours and your wife's calendars so she knows when they’re happening.

4. Art-Friends
When Covid allows, take an in-person class, or join a club/group where you meet other artists and potential friends. Friends and sleep have a very high return on investment.

5. A question to consider:
What does work-life balancing look like right now?
A few years ago I wrote this piece called The Womanly Art of Leaning Out. It’s about the idea that for most of us, 80 percent is good enough. It's got some important ideas for you.

*****

ABOUT EASE LESSONS:

Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Writer, Coach and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

27. Elizabeth (Season 3, Episode 3/3)

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 12:00:00 +0900

TODAY'S GUEST: ELIZABETH
Today's episode is my second with Elizabeth who is in the process of becoming. She currently does laundry, dishes, drives carpools, and fills remaining “confetti time" with reading, writing, playing piano, thinking, and staring at a screensaver of a vine-covered tree. Along with her husband, she cares for two human children and an elderly pug in Richmond, Virginia, USA. Prior to this all-consuming undertaking, she worked as a writer and professional naming consultant for 20+ years on more than 150 product and corporate naming projects. In 2010, she published Finding Thalhimers (Dementi Milestone Publishing) about her father’s family and their department store, which existed for 150 years. Elizabeth loves breakfast, expensive dark chocolate, unapologetic authenticity, and laughing really hard.

Thanks for this conversation, Elizabeth.

HOMEWORK INVITATIONS FROM LAST EPISODE

1. Writing while Parenting

Create a time box (two to three hours) for your writing.
Decide how many days a week you would like to write and choose whether you will track your writing through time or words.
Track your writing between now and our next conversation with the knowledge that you get to rejig your plan going forward.
Remember you are going to write this novel one draft (or pass) at a time.

2. Blasphemy
Create a permission slip for yourself to write the most blasphemous things.

3. Parenting (from Elizabeth)
What are you parenting?

What are you parenting?
by Monna McDiarmid

1. A jade plant.
Okay. Things went badly.

2. Poems and stories.
No longer babies, I send them
off to school and work.

3. The dream of a dog
I’ve not yet met.
A golden retriever,
I call him Sam.

4. The white space
around the margins
of my too full life.
It tells me about FOMO.
I urge it to stay home.

5. Hope.
I coax it out
of the shadows
and hold it close.
Stick with me, kid.
I can’t do this without you

*****

ABOUT EASE LESSONS:

Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Coach, Writer and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

26. Elizabeth (Season 3, Episode 2/3)

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 02:00:00 +0900

Thanks for this conversation, Elizabeth.

HOMEWORK INVITATIONS
1. Writing while Parenting

Create a time box (two to three hours) for your writing.
Decide how many days a week you would like to write and choose whether you will track your writing through time or words.
Track your writing between now and our next conversation with the knowledge that you get to rejig your plan going forward.
Remember you are going to write this novel one draft (or pass) at a time.

2. Blasphemy
Create a permission slip for yourself to write the most blasphemous things.

3. Parenting (from Elizabeth)
What are you parenting?

TODAY WE MENTIONED
1. Books:
Love that Dog: A Novel by Sharon Creech
Hate That Cat: A Novel by Sharon Creech

2. A poem in response to the prompt: What cannot be destroyed
Write a poem about the idea of what cannot be destroyed. Elizabeth gave Monna the same homework.

Courage, my love
by Monna McDiarmid

When I imagine people
reading my poems and stories
my face flashes red,
the lion that lives in my chest
shakes its head
stands
and roars.
It's either menopause or shame.
A shame that predates the event.
Time traveling
Anticipatory shame.

Publishing feels impossible, all those eyes
on my shitty sentences.

Slam
the heavy wooden box of words
closed.
Bury it in the backyard.
Never speak of this again.

The wise crone in me says,
“Everyone feels this way. Everyone.
You think they will judge you? They will.
Even if you don’t publish a word.
Decide what you want, love.
Decide what you want.”

She’s a magnificent bitch, my crone
and she’s right.
The lion stops roaring,
saunters into my jungle
hot and verdant.

All the hard things have led me to this.
Loss of love, health, and money,
that one terrible boss.
I’ve been collecting my courage
to light myself on fire
with the heat
of my own words.

*****

ABOUT EASE LESSONS:
Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Coach, Writer and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

25. Elizabeth (Season 3, Episode 1/3)

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 11:00:00 +0900

ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST: ELIZABETH
Today's episode is my first with Elizabeth who is in the process of becoming. She currently does laundry, dishes, drives carpools, and fills remaining “confetti time" with reading, writing, playing piano, thinking, and staring at a screensaver of a vine-covered tree. Along with her husband, she cares for two human children and an elderly pug in Richmond, Virginia, USA. Prior to this all-consuming undertaking, she worked as a writer and professional naming consultant for 20+ years on more than 150 product and corporate naming projects. In 2010, she published Finding Thalhimers (Dementi Milestone Publishing) about her father’s family and their department store, which existed for 150 years. Elizabeth loves breakfast, expensive dark chocolate, unapologetic authenticity, and laughing really hard.

Thanks for this conversation, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth's Invitations from Episode 1:
1. Couldn't get it wrong | What would I do if I couldn’t get it wrong?
Write about this idea or dictate your thoughts, or make a poem.

2. Ritual | Create a ceremony for the letting go.
Employ a ritual that will deeply communicate this letting go to the current version of you, and help set you free.

3. Letter from your protagonist
Write a letter from your protagonist Emilia to you, The Writer, explaining why it’s important for you to write this book. What does this novel mean for her? What does the novel create or set in motion or set free?

4. What cannot be destroyed
Write a poem about the idea of what cannot be destroyed. You have given me the same homework ~ a delightful invitation that I happily accept.

*****

ABOUT EASE LESSONS:
Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Coach, Writer and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

Jun Sekiya (Episode 3/3)

Sat, 14 May 2022 13:00:00 +0900

ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST: JUN SEKIYA
This is my second conversation with Jun Sekiya, a writer of scripts, novels, and raps from Yokohama, Japan. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he works as the creative assistant of Soman Chainani, author of the YA fantasy series “The School for Good & Evil”, soon to be a film from Netflix. Jun is working on a novel about an expat kid split between two cultures and friend-groups at his Tokyo international school. His logline is a work-in-progress. When not on his grind, Jun can be found in the local park doing soccer tricks and chasing after dogs who steal his soccer ball. He’s 5’6, decently quick, and is currently training for a marathon.

You can follow Jun on Instagram at jun.sekiya
You can watch his films (including the trailer for Knightman and Diploma) at https://vimeo.com/junsekiya

Thanks for this conversation, Jun.

Jun's homework invitations from Episode 2:
1. Consider the question: "How will I know that my novel is done?"
2. Choose a date on which you will celebrate that you have finished your novel.
3. Compile a list of agents to whom you could submit your novel.

+ a second interpretation of a homework invitation from Week 1:
Love Letter | Write a short story for your friends (the ones you wrote about in Tokyo Fable) and share it with them. This is just for fun and there is no pressure to ever share this with anyone else.

During this conversation, we talk about:
1. Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) + the SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City.
2. Holly Thompson, author of Orchards and The Language Inside.

*****

ABOUT EASE LESSONS:
Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Coach, Writer and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

Heather J. Patel (Episode 3/3)

Sat, 07 May 2022 12:00:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
This is my third conversation with Heather J. Patel, a writer currently editing her debut memoir - an intimate portrayal of the toll family secrets and shame have on early identity. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband, son, and sweet rescue dog. She received her Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley.

Thank you, Heather, for this conversation.

Follow Heather:
Instagram: hjpatelwrites
Website: HJPatelWrites.com

Heather's homework invitations from Episode 2:
1. You had asked about placing more space between your inner critic and your writing self. Please ask yourself, "How can I love this part of me?" What does it look like to love our harshest critic? How might you do that? How might/would your critic respond to that love?

2. Write a letter, prayer or blessing to your discomfort.

3. Make a list of all the things that writing gives you or provides for you.

4. Make yourself a small-ish (10-15 card) Jason Cheerleading Deck of Writing Inspiration. These might be quotes or kind words from friends or something your father has said to you.

5. Consider how you'd like to show up online as a writer. You get to do this in The Divine Heather Way ~ whatever that looks like for you. Possibilities include a website, a one page landing page, starting a newsletter and creating a first Instagram post on hjpatelwrites.

Our conversation includes references to the following:

Turning the (In)Visibility Cloak into a Cape
Exercise in which you remember other areas in which you've been successful, had setbacks and kept going ~ from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Vulnerability Hangover (a term popularized by Brene Brown)
Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos
Heather attended a reading by Ashley C. Ford, author of Somebody’s Daughter: A Memoir
Keeping a binder/collection of notes of encouragement from readers (including beloved readers)
"You learn from the part of the story you focus on.” — Hannah Gadsby, Nanette

*****

About Ease Lessons:
Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Coach, Writer and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

Megan Sunstrum (Episode 3/3)

Sun, 01 May 2022 11:30:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
This is my third conversation with Megan Sunstrum who is writing a memoir about depression, anxiety, being a badass and moving across the country during a pandemic to start a new life. She has a wild imagination, a knack for story-telling, and a deep love of talking to strangers, green things and also furry things. She lives in rural Nova Scotia with her husband and beautiful menace of a cat.

Thank you, Megan, for this conversation.

A note to the listener that this episode contains multiple references to anxiety and depression as these issues are central to Megan’s memoir. I am not a therapist so I am not coaching Megan through these issues and, as always, I encourage people to seek out a therapist for support with their mental health.

Megan's homework from Episode 2:

1. Read another memoir(s):

Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage by Dani Shapiro
Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic by Martha Beck
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
This Messy Magnificent Life: A Field Guide by Geneen Roth
A Life in Stitches: Knitting My Way Through Love, Loss and Laughter by Rachael Herron

2. Write a love letter from (or to) your younger Bad Ass Self

3. Would you like a Guardian Angel of some kind for your process? A small altar?

4. Think about where the four points of your plot might be so we can discuss them at the beginning of Conversation 3.

5. Listen to this Creative Penn podcast episode with Gail Carriger about the Heroine's Journey here. The interview begins at 22:05.

*****
About Ease Lessons:
Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Coach, Writer and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

Maile Topliff (Episode 3/3)

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 00:30:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
This is my second conversation with Maile Topliff, a lifelong lover of words – her elementary school nickname was Webster. She believes that the stories we tell can change our lives. She is currently writing her first non-fiction book – an invitation for the reader to listen to the call to be the author of their own story. Call it a heliograph or for the current day. It’s about the beauty of a quiet quest and the life’s work of curiosity, empathy, fear, courage, being and the magic of moments. She currently lives in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. She received her Bachelor’s degree in English from Hamline University. You can find her on Instagram at MaileTopliff_writer.

Thank you, Maile, for this conversation.

You can follow Maile on Instagram.

Maile's homework invitations from Episode 2:
1. Read The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo.
2. When you are ready, share one sentence of your own words from your MS on your Maile Writer IG.
3. Choose an accountability buddy or partner for this project. Experiment with and rejig your plan whenever needed both in terms of how often you write and for how long. You could also upgrade your accountability conversations to High Tea.
4. Consider choosing a date by which you'd like to finish your first draft or even a publication date. As with all the above, do only what is helpful and genuinely motivates you at this moment in your life.
5. Bonus: Read The Heroine's Journey: For Writers, Readers, and Fans of Pop Culture by Gail Carriger

During this conversation, we discussed the following:

“When you regain a sense of your life as a journey of discovery, you return to rhythm with yourself. When you take the time to travel with reverence, a richer life unfolds before you. Moments of beauty begin to braid your days.” ~ John O’Donahue
"We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home." from The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate Dicamillo
The Gathering Room with Martha Beck | Episode: Your Forever Home
The Heroine's Journey: For Writers, Readers, and Fans of Pop Culture by Gail Carriger
Monna recommends The Parasol Protectorate Series (Genre: Steampunk, Paranormal romance | 5 books) by Gail Carriger

*****
About Ease Lessons:
Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Coach, Writer and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

Jun Sekiya (Episode 2/3)

Sat, 16 Apr 2022 11:30:00 +0900

ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST: JUN SEKIYA
This is my second conversation with Jun Sekiya, a writer of scripts, novels, and raps from Yokohama, Japan. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he works as the creative assistant of Soman Chainani, author of the YA fantasy series “The School for Good & Evil”, soon to be a film from Netflix. Jun is working on a novel about an expat kid split between two cultures and friend-groups at his Tokyo international school. His logline is a work-in-progress. When not on his grind, Jun can be found in the local park doing soccer tricks and chasing after dogs who steal his soccer ball. He’s 5’6, decently quick, and is currently training for a marathon.

Thanks for this conversation, Jun.

Jun's homework invitations from Episode 1:
1. Love Letter | Write a short story for your friends (the ones you wrote about in Tokyo Fable) and share it with them. This is just for fun and there is no pressure to ever share this with anyone else.
2. Nutshell | Logline formula from Rachael Herron
a) Job title (of protagonist)
b) Name
c) Has what already?
d) But when ________, will she _________?
3. Theme Park List | When I finish and publish my novel, I get to...

During this conversation, we talk about:
1. John Green's YA novel Looking for Alaska.
2. John Green's podcast (and book) The Anthropocene Reviewed. We talk specifically about the episode: Capacity for Wonder and Sunsets.
3. The concepts of a Commonplace Text (also called a a Commonplace Book).
4. This quote: "If you can’t be cheesy, you can’t be free." Dan Harris used the quote in an episode of Ten Percent Happier but, according to Twitter, he doesn't know who said this originally.
5. Podcast: Harry Potter and the Sacred Text
6. The idea of slant rhyme or near rhyme
7. Ru Paul's Drag Race

*****

ABOUT EASE LESSONS:
Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Coach, Writer and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

Heather J. Patel (Episode 2/3)

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 11:30:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
This is my second conversation with Heather J. Patel. Heather is a writer, currently editing her debut memoir - an intimate portrayal of the toll family secrets and shame have on early identity. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband, son, and sweet rescue dog. She received her Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley.

You can find her on Instagram at hjpatelwrites.

Thanks for this conversation, Heather.

References from today's conversation:

Book: The Heroine's Journey: For Writers, Readers, and Fans of Pop Culture by Gail Carriger

*****

Upcoming Poetry Course | Collected: Creating a tiny book of your poetry
This course is for people who want to write poetry and create a small collection of their poetry for themselves, loved ones, or to publish on their website or elsewhere. What would happen if you saw yourself as the gatekeeper of your own poetry?
Check out the course at monnamcdiarmid.com/collected

*****

About Ease Lessons:
Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Coach, Writer and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

Megan Sunstrum (Episode 2/3)

Sat, 02 Apr 2022 11:30:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
Megan Sunstrum is writing a memoir about depression, anxiety, being a badass and moving across the country during a pandemic to start a new life. She has a wild imagination, a knack for story-telling, and a deep love of talking to strangers, green things and furry things. She lives in rural Nova Scotia with her husband and beautiful menace of a cat.

Thanks for this conversation, Megan.

A note to the listener: This episode contains references to anxiety and depression as these issues are central to Megan’s memoir. I am not a therapist so I am not coaching Megan through these issues and, as always, I encourage people to seek out a therapist for support with their mental health.

References from today's conversation:

Fast-Draft Your Memoir: Write your Life Story in 45 Hours by Rachael Herron
Holy Heathen: A Spiritual Memoir by Katherine North
Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brene Brown
Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage by Dani Shapiro
Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic by Martha Beck
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
This Messy Magnificent Life: A Field Guide by Geneen Roth
A Life in Stitches: Knitting My Way through Love, Loss, and Laughter by Rachael Herron
Quote: “You own everything that happened to you. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” ~ Anne Lamott

Upcoming Poetry Course | Collected: Creating a tiny book of your poetry
This course is for people who want to write poetry and create a small collection of their poetry for themselves, loved ones, or to publish on their website or elsewhere. What would happen if you saw yourself as the gatekeeper of your own poetry?
Check out the course at monnamcdiarmid.com/collected

*****

Maile Topliff (Episode 2/3)

Sat, 26 Mar 2022 11:30:00 +0900

You can follow Maile on Instagram.

Thank you, Maile, for this conversation.

*****

Upcoming Poetry Course | Collected: Creating a tiny book of your poetry
This course is for people who want to write poetry and create a small collection of their poetry for themselves, loved ones, or to publish on their website or elsewhere. What would happen if you saw yourself as the gatekeeper of your own poetry?
Check out the course at monnamcdiarmid.com/collected

*****

About Ease Lessons:
Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Coach, Writer and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

Jun Sekiya (Episode 1/3)

Sat, 19 Mar 2022 11:30:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
This is my first conversation with Jun Sekiya, a writer of scripts, novels, and raps from Yokohama, Japan. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he works as the creative assistant of Soman Chainani, author of the YA fantasy series “The School for Good & Evil”, soon to be a film from Netflix. Jun is working on a novel about an expat kid split between two cultures and friend-groups at his Tokyo international school. His logline is a work-in-progress. When not on his grind, Jun can be found in the local park doing soccer tricks and chasing after dogs who steal his soccer ball. He’s 5’6, decently quick, and is currently training for a marathon.

Thanks for this conversation, Jun.

References from this episode:
1) “If you are a poet you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain, the trees cannot grow; and without trees, we cannot make paper. If we look even more deeply, we can see the sunshine, the logger who cut the tree, the wheat that became his bread, and the logger’s father and mother. Without all of these things, this sheet of paper cannot exist. In fact, we cannot point to one thing that is not here—time, space, the earth, the rain, the minerals in the soil, the sunshine, the cloud, the river, the heat, the mind. Everything co-exists with this sheet of paper. So we can say that the cloud and the paper ‘inter-are.’ We cannot just be by ourselves alone; we have to inter-be with every other thing.” - Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen master, poet and peace activist

2) Nothing Much Happens: Cozy & Calming Stories to Soothe Your Mind & Help You Sleep by Kathryn Nicola. You will find the book and podcast here.

3) TV Show: Floret

4) Log Line Formula by Rachael Herron
Protagonist’s Job Title:
Full Name:
Has what already: _______________________
But when __________________, will he _________________?

*****

About Ease Lessons:
Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Coach, Writer and Counselor
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

Heather J. Patel (Episode 1/3)

Sun, 13 Mar 2022 04:30:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
This is my first conversation with Heather J. Patel. Heather is a writer, currently editing her debut memoir - an intimate portrayal of the toll family secrets and shame have on early identity. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband, son, and sweet rescue dog. She received her Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley. You can find her on Instagram at hjpatelwrites.

Thanks for this conversation, Heather.

*****

Megan Sunstrum (Epiosde 1/3)

Sat, 05 Mar 2022 12:30:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
Megan Sunstrum is writing a memoir about depression, anxiety, being a badass and moving across the country during a pandemic to start a new life. She has a wild imagination, a knack for story-telling, and a deep love of talking to strangers, green things and furry things. She lives in rural Nova Scotia with her husband and beautiful menace of a cat.

Thanks for this conversation, Megan.

A note to the listener: This episode contains multiple references to anxiety and depression as these issues are central to Megan’s memoir. I am not a therapist so I am not coaching Megan through these issues and, as always, I encourage people to seek out a therapist for support with their mental health.

*****

Maile Topliff (Episode 1/3)

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 12:30:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
Maile Topliff is a lifelong lover of words – her elementary school nickname was Webster. She believes that the stories we tell can change our lives. She is currently writing her first non-fiction book – an invitation for the reader to listen to the call to be the author of their own story. Call it a heliograph or Vade Mecum for the current day. It’s about the beauty of a quiet quest and the life’s work of curiosity, empathy, fear, courage, being and the magic of moments. She currently lives in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. She received her Bachelor’s degree in English from Hamline University. You can find her on Instagram at MaileTopliff_writer

Thanks for this conversation, Maile.

Where to find Maile:
Instagram: MaileTopliff_writer

Mentioned during this episode: On Being with Krista Tippett | Naomi Shihab Nye | “Before You Know Kindness As the Deepest Thing Inside...”

*****

Jason Craig Poole (Episode 3/3)

Sat, 19 Feb 2022 12:30:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
Today's episode is the final conversation with Jason Craig Poole, a self-proclaimed word nerd who loves language. He believes books have the power to save lives--and credits the magic of books for shaping and saving his own life. He's also a process fanatic who can't seem to get enough when it comes to learning how artists (especially word artists) work and play and create. He refuses to pick a genre and insists on playing in all the sandboxes with at least a dozen projects "in the works" at any moment. His dream is to write words that inspire a reader to want to read MORE words. He lives with his husband and his son in a little house under the trees in Pennsylvania.

Thanks for this delightful conversation, Jason.

Here's the song that Monna mentioned in this episode:
“My Own Drum” (Remix) Music & Lyric Video ft. Missy Elliott | Vivo

Where to find Jason:
Instagram: @alohadudenyc

*****

Brunella (Episode 3/3)

Sat, 12 Feb 2022 12:30:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
Today's episode is the final of three conversations with Brunella, a student at Smith College in Massachusetts. She grew up in Lima, Peru, and has lived and studied in Japan. She likes thinking and writing about the internet, culture, and labor. She also writes Qué Verguenza, a newsletter "about books, and everything else."

In today’s episode, Brunella shares her writing resolutions for the new year:
1. Trust my gut (Follow the story)
2. Play more with voice
3. Keep it light

We discuss the gap between the writers we are now and the writer we want to become. We share our Compassion Lists and talk about two newsletters:

Where to find Brunella:
Qué Verguenza on substack

Karissa Swanson (Episode 3/3)

Sat, 05 Feb 2022 12:30:00 +0900

Today's conversation is the third and final episode with Karissa Swanson who is driven by the desire to help others and to create. As program manager for a nonprofit, she works for equity in music education, coaching music teachers in under-resourced public schools. Karissa’s creative pursuits change with the seasons of life. She’s currently in the final drafts of her first book, a memoir that explores sacrifice, sexuality, and love against the backdrop of her then-Moroccan home. Karissa is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist and has recently begun writing and recording original music. She adores travel and adventure, and is also content going on runs in her Lakewood, CO neighborhood.

Sign up for updates about Karissa's memoir here.

Where to find Karissa:
Website: KarissaSwanson.com
Facebook: @karissa.a.swanson
Instagram: @karissaswanson

*****

About Ease Lessons:
Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Coach, Writer and Counselor

Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter: The Sunday Reader
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram: @monnamcdiarmid

Rachael Herron (Episode 3/3)

Sat, 29 Jan 2022 12:30:00 +0900

Today's episode is the third of three episodes with Rachael Herron, the internationally bestselling author of more than two dozen books, including thriller (under R.H. Herron), mainstream fiction, feminist romance, memoir, and nonfiction about writing. She received her MFA in writing from Mills College, Oakland, she teaches courses through her own writing school and is a proud member of the NaNoWriMo Writer’s Board. She’s a New Zealand citizen as well as an American, and she currently lives in Wellington.

Upcoming Course: Fifteen-Day Writing Frolic
Rachael, Jason and Monna are teaching a writing class together in February. You can learn more about the Fifteen-Day Writing Frolic and register here. Class begins on February 10th 2022.

Where to find Rachael:

Subscribe to Rachael's newsletter including updates on the release of her upcoming book.
Website: https://rachaelherron.com
Podcast: How do you write?
Twitter: @rachaelherron
TikTok: @rachaelherron
Instagram: @rachaelherron
Facebook: @Rachael.Herron.Author

Newsletter
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com

Jason Craig Poole (Episode 2/3)

Sat, 22 Jan 2022 12:30:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
Today's episode is the second of three episodes with Jason Craig Poole, a self-proclaimed word nerd who loves language. He believes books have the power to save lives--and credits the magic of books for shaping and saving his own life. He's also a process fanatic who can't seem to get enough when it comes to learning how artists (especially word artists) work and play and create. He refuses to pick a genre and insists on playing in all the sandboxes with at least a dozen projects "in the works" at any moment. His dream is to write words that inspire a reader to want to read MORE words. He lives with his husband and his son in a little house under the trees in Pennsylvania.

In today's episode, Jason shares a surprising poem and gives himself some delicious writing advice about hitting the wall in a piece he calls Break in Case of Emergency.

Thanks for this conversation, Jason.

Where to find Jason:
Instagram: @alohadudenyc

New course: At home in your body {Begins 31 January 2022}
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram

Brunella (Episode 2/3)

Sat, 15 Jan 2022 09:30:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
Today's episode is the second of three episodes with Brunella, a student at Smith College in Massachusetts. She grew up in Lima, Peru, and has lived and studied in Japan. She likes thinking and writing about the internet, culture, and labor. She also writes Qué Verguenza, a newsletter "about books, and everything else." In today’s episode, Brunella and I discuss various meanings of the word little, bringing a sense of playfulness to our work, and her devotion to the writing of Alejandro Sambra.

Where to find Brunella:
Newsletter - Qué Verguenza: https://brunella.substack.com/

New course: At home in your body {Begins 31 January 2022}
Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram

Karissa Swanson (Episode 2/3)

Sat, 08 Jan 2022 07:30:00 +0900

About today's conversation:
Today's episode is the second of three episodes with Karissa Swanson who is driven by the desire to help others and to create. As program manager for a nonprofit, she works for equity in music education, coaching music teachers in under-resourced public schools. Karissa’s creative pursuits change with the seasons of life. She’s currently in the final drafts of her first book, a memoir that explores sacrifice, sexuality, and love against the backdrop of her then-Moroccan home. Karissa is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist and has recently begun writing and recording original music. She adores travel and adventure, and is also content going on runs in her Lakewood, CO neighborhood.

Where to find Karissa:
Facebook
Instagram

Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress
Instagram

Rachael Herron (Episode 2/3)

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 09:30:00 +0900

Today's episode is the second of three episodes with Rachael Herron, the internationally bestselling author of more than two dozen books, including thriller (under R.H. Herron), mainstream fiction, feminist romance, memoir, and nonfiction about writing. She received her MFA in writing from Mills College, Oakland, she teaches courses through her own writing school and is a proud member of the NaNoWriMo Writer’s Board. She’s a New Zealand citizen as well as an American, and she currently lives in Wellington.

Where to find Rachael:

Fifteen-Day Writing Frolic
Rachael, Jason Craig Poole and I are teaching a writing class together in February. You can learn about and register for the Fifteen-Day Writing Frolic here.

*****

About Ease Lessons:
Music: “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license

Editor: Damien Pitter

Host: Monna McDiarmid (pronounced Mona McDermid) | Coach, Writer and Counselor

Website: MonnaMcDiarmid.com
Newsletter
Patreon: where I share monthly excerpts from my writing memoir in progress

Jason Craig Poole (Episode 1/3)

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 09:30:00 +0900

Today's episode is the first of three episodes with Jason Craig Poole, a self-proclaimed word nerd who loves language. He believes books have the power to save lives--and credits the magic of books for shaping and saving his own life. He's also a process fanatic who can't seem to get enough when it comes to learning how artists (especially word artists) work and play and create. He refuses to pick a genre and insists on playing in all the sandboxes with at least a dozen projects "in the works" at any moment. His dream is to write words that inspire a reader to want to read MORE words. He lives with his husband and his son in a little house under the trees in Pennsylvania.

Where to find Jason:
Instagram: @alohadudenyc
Facebook @Jason Poole or @alohadudenyc

The music in this podcast is “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license.

Host: You can find Monna at MonnaMcDiarmid.com

Brunella (Episode 1/3)

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 08:30:00 +0900

Today's episode is the first of three episodes with Brunella, a student at Smith College in Massachusetts. She grew up in Lima, Peru, and has lived and studied in Japan. She likes thinking and writing about the internet, culture, and labor. She also writes Qué Verguenza, a newsletter "about books, and everything else."

Where to find Brunella:
Newsletter - Qué Verguenza: https://brunella.substack.com/
Twitter: @brunellaism

The music in this podcast is “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license.

Host: You can find Monna at MonnaMcDiarmid.com

Karissa Swanson (Episode 1/3)

Fri, 24 Dec 2021 08:30:00 +0900

Today's episode is the first of three episodes with Karissa Swanson who is driven by the desire to help others and to create. As program manager for a nonprofit, she works for equity in music education, coaching music teachers in under-resourced public schools. Karissa’s creative pursuits change with the seasons of life. She’s currently in the final drafts of her first book, a memoir that explores sacrifice, sexuality, and love against the backdrop of her then-Moroccan home. Karissa is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist and has recently begun writing and recording original music. She adores travel and adventure, and is also content going on runs in her Lakewood, CO neighborhood.

Where to find Karissa:
Facebook: @karissa.a.swanson
Instagram: @karissaswanson

Discussed in this episode:

The music in this podcast is “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license.

Host: You can find Monna at MonnaMcDiarmid.com

Rachael Herron (Episode 1/3)

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 11:30:00 +0900

Today's episode is the first of three episodes with Rachael Herron, the internationally bestselling author of more than two dozen books, including thriller (under R.H. Herron), mainstream fiction, feminist romance, memoir, and nonfiction about writing. She received her MFA in writing from Mills College, Oakland, she teaches courses through her own writing school and is a proud member of the NaNoWriMo Writer’s Board. She’s a New Zealand citizen as well as an American, and she currently lives in Wellington.

Where to find Rachael:
Website: https://rachaelherron.com
Twitter: @rachaelherron
Instagram: @rachaelherron
Facebook: @Rachael.Herron.Author

The music in this podcast is “Meekness” by Kai Engel, used under Creative Commons Attribution license.

Host: You can find Monna at MonnaMcDiarmid.com