The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers
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The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers
Writing Craft and Creative Business
Episodis Recents
340 episodis
Writing Cross-Genre, Selling Direct, And Serialising On SubStack With P.D. Alleva
How can horror writing help readers — and writers — work through psychological trauma? Why does cross-genre fiction take longer to find an audience, b...
Don’t Call It Art: Rediscovering Creative Joy With Austin Kleon
Have you ever lost the joy in your creative work — that sense of fun you had when you were starting out, before the admin and the algorithms drained i...
Writing Through Grief And Rebooting an Indie Author Business With Jami Albright
How do you write when your heart is broken? How do you go back into the publishing business after years away, knowing it's a very different industry t...
Accessibility And AI: How New Tools Are Opening Doors For Indie Authors With Jeff Adams
How is AI transforming accessibility for indie authors — and why should you care even if you consider yourself able-bodied? What happens when the tool...
SuperCreativity And KeyNote Speaking With A Non-Fiction Book With James Taylor
How can you supercharge your creativity in an age when AI is reshaping everything — including how we write, edit, and market our books? What does it l...
Verb Your Enthusiasm: Transform Your Writing With Stronger Verbs With Sarah Kaufman
How can upgrading your verbs transform flat writing into vivid, page-turning prose? Why do so many writing problems turn out to be verb problems — and...
AI, Creativity, And The Future of Publishing with Nadim Sadek
Is AI really the end of creativity, or the biggest emancipation of creative energy we've ever seen? How can authors thrive in a time of super abundanc...
Self-Publishing in German: How to Translate, Distribute, and Market Your Books with Skye MacKinnon
How is the German market different to English speaking markets, and why might it be worth looking into translation? What are the best ways to translat...
Navigating Uncertainty And Fearless Persistence In A Long Term Creative Career With Adam Leipzig
How can you navigate uncertainty in a constantly changing market? Why is persistence the key to a sustainable creative career? Plus why distribution i...
Kickstarter Tips for Authors: Rewards, Shipping, Marketing, and Lessons Learned
Kickstarter has become a key part of the author business for those who want to make more money per book, connect directly with readers, and produce be...
Special Editions, Seasonal Podcasts, and the Art of Low-Key Book Marketing with Sara Rosett
Are you tired of the hustle-harder approach to book marketing? What if a quieter, more creative strategy could work just as well — and feel a whole lo...
Editing a Novel: Self-Editing, And How To Work With A Professional Editor With Joanna Penn
How can you improve your self-editing process? How can you find and work with professional editors and beta readers? How do you know when editing is d...
Writing At The Wellspring: Tapping The Source Of Your Inner Genius With Matt Cardin
What if the source of your best writing isn't something you control — but something you learn to collaborate with? How can ancient ideas about the mus...
Strong Verbs And Hard Truths. Good Writing With Anne Lamott and Neal Allen
What does it take to write strong sentences? How do you keep writing when the world feels dark? How do you push past self-doubt, build a sustainable w...
Writing Characters: 15 Actionable Tips For Writing Deep Character
What makes a character so compelling that readers will forgive almost anything about the plot? How do you move beyond vague flaws and generic descript...
Writing Emotion, Discovery Writing, And Slow Sustainable Book Marketing With Roz Morris
How do you capture something as enormous and personal as the feeling of “home” in a book? How can you navigate the chaotic discovery period in writing...
Creative Confidence, Portfolio Careers, And Making Without Permission with Alicia Jo Rabins
How do you build a creative life that spans music, writing, film, and spiritual practice? Alicia Jo Rabins talks about weaving multiple creative stran...
Post-Traumatic Growth, Creative Marketing, And Dealing With Change with Jack Williamson
How can trauma become a catalyst for creative transformation? What lessons can indie authors learn from the music industry's turbulent journey through...
Audacious Artistry: Reclaiming Your Creative Identity And Thriving In A Saturated World With Lara Bianca Pilcher
How do you stay audacious in a world that's noisier and more saturated than ever? How might the idea of creative rhythm change the way you write? Lara...
Managing Multiple Projects And The Art of the Long-Term Author Career with Kevin J. Anderson
How do you juggle multiple book projects, a university teaching role, Kickstarter campaigns, and rock albums—all without burning out? What does it tak...
Research Like An Academic, Write Like an Indie With Melissa Addey
How can indie authors raise their game through academic-style rigour? How might AI tools fit into a thoughtful research process without replacing the...
Selling Books Live On Social Media With Adam Beswick
Could live selling be the next big opportunity for indie authors? Adam Beswick shares how organic marketing, live streaming, and direct sales are tran...
Writing The Shadow: The Creative Wound, Publishing, And Money, With Joanna Penn
What if the most transformative thing you can do for your writing craft and author business is to face what you fear? How can you can find gold in you...
Leaving Social Media, Writing Iconic Characters, and Building Trust With Claire Taylor
How can you build iconic characters that your readers want to keep coming back to? How can you be the kind of creator that readers trust, even without...
2026 Trends And Predictions For Indie Authors And The Book Publishing Industry with Joanna Penn
What does 2026 hold for indie authors and the publishing industry? I give my thoughts on trends and predictions for the year ahead.
In the intro...
My 2026 Creative And Business Goals With Joanna Penn
I love January and the opportunity to start afresh. I know it’s arbitrary in some ways, but I measure my life by what I create, and I also measure it...
Review Of My 2025 Creative And Business Goals With Joanna Penn
I hope you can take the time to review your goals and you're welcome to leave a comment below about how the year went. Did you achieve everything you...
The Relaxed Author Writing Tips With Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre
How can you be more relaxed about your writing process? What are some specific ways to take the pressure off your art and help you enjoy the creative...
Two Different Approaches To Selling Books Direct With Sacha Black And Joanna Penn
What does it really take to build a multi-six-figure author business with no advertising? Is running your own warehouse really necessary for direct sa...
Writing Free: Romance Author Jennifer Probst On A Long-Term Author Career
Why do some romance authors build decades-long careers while others vanish after one breakout book? What really separates a throwaway pen name and rap...
Writing The Future, And Being More Human In An Age of AI With Jamie Metzl
How can you write science-based fiction without info-dumping your research? How can you use AI tools in a creative way, while still focusing on a huma...
Lessons Learned From Author Nation 2025 With Joanna Penn
In early November 2025, I attended and spoke at Author Nation in Las Vegas. It was a fantastic conference for authors at all levels, and in this episo...
Why Structure Matters More Than You Think. Writing Memoir With Wendy Dale
Why do so many memoir manuscripts fail to engage readers, even when the writer has lived through extraordinary experiences? What's the hidden code tha...
Creating While Caring With Donn King
What happens when your creative dreams collide with the demands of caregiving? How do you keep writing when you're caring for someone full-time? Can y...
Loki Is In Charge. How Authors Can Thrive In A Time Of Transition With Becca Syme
Why does the publishing industry feel more chaotic than ever, and what can writers do about it? How do you know if you're truly burned out or just cre...
Performance Tips For Authors, And Writing Climate Fiction With Laura Baggaley
How can authors write about climate change without preaching? What happens when your publisher goes under just before your book launch? How do theatre...
Brand Something Beautiful: How Authors Can Stand Out In A Crowded Market with Steve Brock
How do you stand out as an author when thousands of books are published every day? What's the difference between having a logo and having a real brand...
How to Pivot Careers, Co-Write Books, And Stay Connected As A Remote Creative With Pilar Orti
How do you know when it's time to wrap up one phase of your life and move on to the next? What's the secret to staying connected as a writer when you'...
Amazon Advertising For Books With Geoff Affleck
Have you optimized the seven essential elements of your Amazon book page before you even consider marketing? Are you making the most of A+ content, an...
Overcoming Procrastination With Colleen M. Story
Are you truly procrastinating, or are you protecting yourself from uncomfortable emotions? What if the real reason you're not finishing your book has...