Podcast

The Write Better Together Podcast

Write Better Together is an interactive podcast hosted by writer/educator Emily Brooks and writing instructor/conference speaker Jon Meyers—designed with YOU in mind. Write Better Together incorporates your needs and input into every aspect of building a community of encouragement, support, and hope to make you comfortable exploring the writer lifestyle more deeply.

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Newest Episodes

Show Notes

PSYCHOLOGY IN LIFE AND WRITING with R.J. JACOBS

The Impact of a Psychology in Life and in Writing is Multifaceted and Fascinating EPISODE 48) Mystery Author and Psychologist R.J. Jacobs has a lot to say about storytelling, setting, characters, motivations, and … psychology. (And even more actually.) So, basically, psychology in life and writing is infused into part of the conversation. OUR HOSTS…
Finding Hope in Historical Dark Times with Jamie Ogle

Christy Award Winner Jamie Ogle Discusses Research and Finding Hope EPISODE 47) Christy Award winner Jamie Ogle explains how for her first novel Of Love and Treason, her research into the real St. Valentine and third century Rome helped her in finding hope amidst the past darkness. Then the discussion moves onto AD 310, in the shadow of…
PERFECTIONISM: Why It Blocks You and How To Address It (A Rebroadcast of Our January LIVE Webinar)

PERFECTIONISM – We discuss WHY it blocks you and offer some techniques to address the issue… EPISODE 46) In this fresh edit rebroadcast of our January LIVE webinar (“Perfectionism: Why It Blocks You…”), we discuss why people obsess over perfectionism, the impact of striving to attain the unattainable, and some strategies to make your creative…
WRITING MEMOIR FROM YOUR HEALING with LYNETA SMITH

Writing Memoir from your place of healing isn’t always easy. Lyneta Smith tells us why it’s worth it. EP. 45) Author Lyneta Smith (Curtain Call) discusses her unique approach to writing memoir and how coming from a place of healing helps you tell your story. Plus, she talks about how discovering the use of a framing…
MAKING THE MENTOR/MENTEE DYNAMIC WORK with STEPHANIE L. JONES and SARAH VESSELY

Our Guests Suggest Ways a Successful Mentor/Mentee Dynamic Can Work For You EP. 44) Award winning author, podcaster, speaker, coach Stephanie L. Jones discusses the responsibilities, considerations, and fun of mentoring other writers — basically, all the ways of making the mentor/mentee dynamic work.. Plus, you get an extra bonus guest, Sarah Vessely, who details the…
FINDING WHAT WORKS FOR YOU:

Jon Meyers’s Writing Process EP. 43) Finding What Works For You is important because everyone is different. From where ideas originate to ultimate peer review, Jon Meyers shares how his writing process has changed over time and what works for him now when —he writes his next screenplay —he adapts an existing screenplay into a novel…
STORY: What Is It? Can We Do Better?

(A Rebroadcast of Our November LIVE Webinar on STORY with NEW Content Added) EP. 42) We’ve added all new content before and after this recording of our LIVE WEBINAR on STORY (from November 2024). Emily and Jon Meyers explore the elements of Story and how to make your storytelling more effective. Members of our community…
Gratitude and Reflection Are Inextricably Linked: Our New Year’s Eve Episode

There is an acute awareness that our reflection is necessary for our gratitude.
Mental Health Tips for the Holidays and Being A Christian in Hollywood with Judy Go Wong

EP. 40) Actor/Author/Entrepreneur JUDY GO WONG (VEEP, House of Cards) talks about being a Christian in Hollywood and the importance of taking care of your Mental Health during the holidays. It is a very powerful conversation. . . . . NOTE OF CAUTION: For about three minutes, at 01:06:00, Judy discusses a real life situation of…
How Your Culture Impacts Your Creativity (with Vietnamese Writer/Producer Mai Lu’u Ly)

Mai Lu Ly is a Vietnamese filmmaker seeking to improve her society through story. Today, we talked about the fascinating world of Vietnamese storytelling in film and literature, and how censorship and culture affect story.
Finding What Works For You: Emily’s Writing Process

From brainstorming to revision, Emily shares how her writing process has changed over time and what worked for her when she wrote her most recent fantasy novel.
Cultivate Your Community (Online and In-Person) with Sandra Tayler

Author/Entrepreneur Sandra Tayler shares her process for cultivating multiple communities, balancing several projects at once, optimizing crowdfunding efforts, choosing the appropriate live events, and a host of other related independent publishing issues.
Finding Inspiration Outside of Your Bubble: Writer Fest 2024 (Afterthoughts #7)

We reflect on our takeaways from Writer Fest 2024 in Nashville!We were inspired by various presenters and friends, and today we talk about Aaron Covington, William Paul Young, Kiersten Modglin, Randa Newman, Korby Lenker, Mimi McCarley, and David L Hancock! LINKS The Arrangement by Kiersten Mogdlin – https://amzn.to/3Z3ddM2 All Kiersten Mogdlin books (all free with Kindle Unlimited) – https://amzn.to/4g6OFbN…
Research and a Unique Drafting Strategy with Dr. Matthew Huddleston

How do you research for your fiction? Physicist and professor Dr. Matthew Huddleston share his research process for his new novel, Final Eclipse, which included on-site exploration, interviews, and study, as well as his own personal expertise. He also shares his unique layering approach to drafting. Matthew’s Projects Final Eclipse Substack Youtube Channel Emily’s Inside…
What to Do with Your Finished Screenplay with Bob Sáenz

We talked (again!) with the wonderful screenwriter Bob Sáenz about marketing yourself and your scripts.
Keeping it Positive with Austin Francis

Austin Francis practices pitching and tells us about his networking experiences. We also talk about the movie business and what it takes to be a screenwriter. Then, Emily talks about her ringneck doves, and Jon Meyers and Emily play an “Underconsumption Core” scavenger hunt. Check back next week for our episode with Bob Sáenz where…
“I’m a writer, but…” What’s stopping you?

Are you a writer? Can you confidently say it?
How Confidence and Self-Esteem Impact Creativity (and we react to Aimee Carty’s “Baker”)

What is the difference between confidence and self-esteem, and how do they impact our creativity differently?
Character Creation with a Screenwriter of 8 Lifetime Movies: David Hal Chester

We talked with screenwriter David Hal Chester about how he creates characters using a questionnaire!
Fan Fiction: The Writer’s Playground with Fallon Bechtel

We talked with Fallon Bechtel about why she writes and reads fan fiction, and why it’s a tool for authors to grow. You can find Fallon’s work at https://archiveofourown.org/users/abrahamsdaughterraisedherbow/works Fallon can also be found at: Instagram: @itsmefallonb X: fallonsbechtel HEY JON MEYERS Today’s fact came from a video by @tirthak.saha on Instagram CALL TO ACTION…
The Psychology of Revision with Rene Gutteridge

We talk with author and screenwriter Rene Gutteridge about the mental work of revision, from receiving feedback to editing with grace. We also talk about how to have a healthy author’s identity.
Embrace Your Day Job with Screenwriter Charlotte Winters

We talked with screenwriter Charlotte Winters about why we shouldn’t quit our day jobs but embrace them instead.
The Cowriting Lifestyle with Sophie Gardiner and Fiona Ross

We talk with cowriters Sophie Gardiner and Fiona Ross about how they WRITE BETTER TOGETHER! We also talk about confidence and the power of collaboration.
Why We Need Indie Artists with Dean Diehl (Part 2)

Dean Diehl continues to share why indie and amateur artists are essential for moving an art form forward, and why writers must have intrinsic motivations to create good work.
Using Narrative to Write Compelling Nonfiction that Transforms your Reader with Dr. Cindy Childress

We talked with Dr. Cindy Childress about outlining nonfiction and memoir, considering audience, dialoguing with the reader, and branding! Basically it was the hardest episode to title because we talked about so many different things! “Dr. Cindy, The Expert’s Ghostwriter®, supports entrepreneurs to write books that make money and make an impact. Her clients achieve bestseller…
Making Your Mental Health Work For Your with Lucy V. Hay PART 2 [ALL NEW CONTENT]

We continue our conversation with Lucy V. Hay about mental health that we started in Episode 18!
Collaborative writing with Ami McConnell

About Ami McConnell We talked with the wonderful Ami McConnell about collaborative writing! Ami calls herself a “book midwife” who helps authors birth the stories within them. She has worked on numerous projects, including The Ins-N-outs of In-N-out Burger with Lynsi Snyder; Me and Patsy Kicken up Dust with Loretta Lynn, and Kind is the…
Improving Classroom Experiences for Students with Mental Disabilities with Hunter Little

Hunter Little shares her doctoral research on the effects of centering a writing class on mental disability.
Making Mental Health Work for You with Lucy V Hay

We talked with author/screenwriter Lucy V. Hay about mental health and overcoming the past.
Layering Conflict in Your Story with Brian Baker

We talk about the different types of conflict, raising the stakes, choosing your conflict based on your characters, and when to let conflict be resolved.

The Write Better Together Podcast

Newest Episodes

The Psychology of Life and Writing with Mystery Author/Psychologist R. J. Jacobs – Write Better Together

Show Notes