Worthy Writers Podcast

In this episode, we have our first guest and romance writer, Emily Craig.  Listen on Spotify or whatever your favourite streaming platform is!

Emily speaks on the process of character development and the connection between the fictional characters and events from her personal life. Emily delves into the complexity of multifaceted sides to each character in her novels and the trickiness of basing fictional characters off of real people. 

Writing allows the space to grow and expand on self reflections. Through personal experiences, heartbreaks and connections, Emily explains the impact of writing to heal herself and her readers. 

Lastly, Emily releases details of her third novel release and leaves us with a message to never give up on storytelling. 

Welcome to Worthy Writer’s Podcast! 

In this episode, I speak on what makes a worthy writer, what our inner critic whispers which affects our mood, and how to retrain that voice.

The key? 

Listen to find out! I drop the big secret to being a confident writer. 

In this episode, we delve into how to achieve a more confident you, while also making the important distinction between confidence and arrogance. 

Not every day is sunshine and rainbows but there is a powerful impact of positive thinking and confidence that helps to ease the storms of life.  

This episode is jam packed with journal prompts and activities to help you add strategies to your toolbox. 

Journal Prompt: Where are your negative thoughts coming from and is this something you actually believe?  What negative thoughts have come to you from yourself and from other people?

Never forget that you are worthy!

Kirsten McNeill

Book Editor | Confidence Coach | Artisan

Worthy Writers Editing 

Self-Editing Coach & Podcaster Elzevera Albada Jelgersma

My community of writer and reader friends is incredible and always growing. Connecting with Elzevera has taught me a lot about editing and helped me navigate the bookish community.

Throughout our chat, she shares her start in the writing world and how that evolved into her editing career. She’s passionate about the self-editing process. Teaching others the best routine for them to self-edit and why it’s so important is a huge part of this episode.

With her coaching services, Self-Edit Like a Pro Course, and Self-Editing Road Map, writers gain more confidence about their editing routine. She offers skills to help them bring their book as far as they can on their own before moving to the professional editing stage.

Never forget that YOU ARE WORTHY!

Contact Info:

Elzevera Albada Jelgersma

I’m so lucky to hear her story, which started out with discouragement. Then, she found her inspiration to climb out of that negativity and follow her dreams.

Learn her journey of getting into writing and how that allowed her to work through a tough spot in her life. Stephanie and I explore what she loves about writing and what to do when the dreaded writer’s block hits. Not to mention burnout!

She has plenty of inspiration and advice for fellow authors of all experience levels. Plus, we discuss creating your writer community. We even chat about one of my favourite craft books: On Writing by Stephen King.

Contact Info:

Stephanie B. Whitfield

Writing my first novel was tough, especially when I went through all this trouble just to cast it aside with no chance of publishing it. I think the important lesson here is that not every piece you write has to lead to publication.

In episode five, I demonstrate what you can gain from the experience of writing without having to share it. Learn more about the inspiration for my manuscript and the knowledge I gained along the way as I researched publishing houses.

It’s okay to explore when you’re starting your writing career, discovering what you enjoy and what it means to be authentic. I look forward to sharing this journey with you as well as more about my stories that have actually become physical books.

Never forget that YOU ARE WORTHY!

Contact Info:

www.instagram.com/editor.kirsten

www.facebook.com/groups/kirstensworthywriters

Is there a topic you’d like to hear discussed on The Worthy Writers Podcast? Select “Worthy Writers” on www.worthywriters.ca/contact

What is this myth that real writers find writing easy? In today’s episode, I explore why this is a false statement and why the phrase “real writers” makes no sense at all.

I begin the discussion with nature versus nurture, then meander through the fields of What Makes a Writer and across the valley of Inspiration.

Is writing really that hard? I’ll take you through an exercise so that you can decide for yourself. As always, I encourage you to embrace who you are and not let anyone else take your journey for you. Consider this myth a phrase of the past. Unless you’re implying there are imaginary writers?

Never forget that YOU ARE WORTHY!

Contact Info:

www.instagram.com/editor.kirsten

www.facebook.com/groups/kirstensworthywriters

Were my childhood writings good? No. But that’s okay! I’ve been writing since I was seven years old. That was decades ago. I’ve learned so much since then.

In this episode, I share my memories of stories I’ve written up to the age of twelve. Pirates, animals, spooky tales, and quirky stories. All of it comes together as I learn what type of writer I want to be.

One of the themes I explore is validation. Craving it from others, especially as a child. I didn’t need that though, as I was determined to continue writing. That’s how passionate I am. Nothing can stop me and only I define this.

Gain more inspiration from tidbits I share, as well as quote from famous authors.

Never forget that YOU ARE WORTHY!

Contact Info:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/editor.kirsten

Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/kirstensworthywriters

Website: kirstenmcneill.com (worthywriters.ca coming soon!) (contact, editing and mentoring,  services, books, Worthy Writers Bookstore, monthly newsletter, and more!)

Is there a topic you’d like to hear discussed on The Worthy Writers Podcast? Go to kirstenmcneill.com/contact and select “Worthy Writers” in the contact form.

Writing is a solitary activity? I don’t think so!

I’m ready to break down the barriers stopping us in our writing lives because of the fear these writing myths create.

Learn the four themes that demonstrate just how connected you are within a community when you’re working on your novel. I share fun scenarios you can picture yourself in as you indulge in your writing life. Feel like you’re right there with me in a café and gain ideas for story inspiration.

Connection. Passion. Community. Three key words that describe a writer’s life. Are we ever truly alone? No!

Never forget that YOU ARE WORTHY!

Contact Info:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/editor.kirsten

Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/kirstensworthywriters

Website: kirstenmcneill.com (worthywriters.ca coming soon!) (contact, editing and mentoring,  services, books, Worthy Writers Bookstore, monthly newsletter, and more!)

Is there a topic you’d like to hear discussed on The Worthy Writers Podcast? Go to kirstenmcneill.com/contact and select “Worthy Writers” in the contact form.

Let’s officially kick off the Worthy Writers Podcast with a look into the inspiration from my favourite childhood books.

Explore the influences of my childhood in book series such as The Magic Tree House and authors such as Robert Munsch. Without these authors, characters, and my family, I never would have been encouraged to read consistently and express my creativity.

While sharing whimsical tidbits about me and my young life, I share themes and characters that have empowered me in books at home and from the library. My high school band days and Jurassic Park even come into play.

Discover inspiration to reminisce about your creative life.

Contact Info:

www.instagram.com/editor.kirsten

www.facebook.com/groups/kirstensworthywriters

Website: www.kirstenmcneill.com (worthywriters.ca coming soon!) Is there a topic you’d like to hear discussed on The Worthy Writers Podcast? Select “Worthy Writers” in the contact form.

Thank you to Becca Johnson (@beccajohnsoncreative on Instagram) for teaching me audio editing. Thank you to Stacy Dawn (@bystacydawn) for designing my podcast logo! Credit for theme song:

Welcome to The Worthy Writers Podcast with Kirsten McNeill!

I've wanted to start a podcast for a long time, but I wasn't sure if I had the time or the topics to discuss. What I learned is that you don't have to be perfect at public speaking, audio editing, or even an expert on your subject to start a podcast. You just have to be willing to try!

With anything, you learn along the way.

My brand, Worthy Writers, represents encouraging authors and all types of creatives to live their dreams. In this trailer episode, you'll learn more about me, my goals to offer encouragement, and how I will share my writing journey.

There is so much content out there about how to perfect your writing craft, how to edit, what to do when you're ready to publish, but how much do we have about the mentality of it all? The Imposter Syndrome, the self-doubt, the comparison we all fall prey to.

Worthy Writers is about finding confidence in your work and navigating your journey the best way you see fit. I welcome you on my podcasting journey and hope you find value in my words as I share my wisdom and experiences.

Never forget that YOU ARE WORTHY!

Contact Info:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/editor.kirsten

Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/kirstensworthywriters

Website: kirstenmcneill.com (worthywriters.ca coming soon!) (contact, editing and mentoring,  services, books, Worthy Writers Bookstore, monthly newsletter, and more!)

Is there a topic you’d like to hear discussed on The Worthy Writers Podcast? Go to kirstenmcneill.com/contact and select “Worthy Writers” in the contact form.