Episode 1: Kayla Tirrell and Being Patient
Writer Mom Life Episode 1: Kayla Tirrell and Being Patient
To inaugurate this brand new podcast, it seemed fitting for our first interview to be with a brand new author! The energetic and engaging Kayla Tirrell published All the Things We Lost just a week before we recorded, and shares some of her excitement, nerves, and early success as a new indie author mom.
With her first goal of having strangers read her book achieved, she talks about where she’d like this to lead in the future, how her husband supports her, how much time she spends on her writing per week, and how hard it is to have less time to read once you’re a writer.
In the tips section, JR Frontera talks about being patient, scheduling your writing time, setting realistic goals, and writing faster.
Kayla politely ignores the eight hundred times I say “um” and “kinda like, you know” to talk to me about:
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the inspiration for her story
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how long it took her to write it
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a teaser for the second book in the series
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how she organizes her day
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how her husband gives her insight into her male characters
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how many hours per week she spends writing
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if she’s thinking about this like a job yet
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how the expectations for moms are different
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the sacrifices she’s made (tv! books!) to have time to write
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the marketing tactics she’s been using
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a fun trip for her 10 year wedding anniversary they have planned
(Disclosure: some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that at no cost to you, we get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
Kayla’s books!
J.R.’s tips and links
About being patient:
My blog post about truly realizing that happiness is in enjoying the journey, not racing to the finish: https://mnbernardbooks.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/j-r-s-2016-new-years-resolutions/
Scheduling your writing time:
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Customizable planners by Plum Paper Designs: https://www.plumpaper.com/
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Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt (coming soon!): https://fullfocusplanner.com/
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Writometer app (track word count and set alarmed reminders!): http://writeometer.guavabot.com/
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Pomodoro Method or Custom Timer (for word sprints!): www.marinaratimer.com
Setting Realistic Goals:
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Set SMARTER Goals by Michael Hyatt: https://michaelhyatt.com/goal-setting.html
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Are your goals challenging… or impossible? https://michaelhyatt.com/challenging-or-just-crazy.html
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Why writing down your goals and having them on paper is useful: https://michaelhyatt.com/why-paper-planner.html
Write Faster by Planning More Beforehand:
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Jane Cleland’s Plotting Road Map (it’s worth the $17!): https://tutorials.writersdigest.com/courses/mastering-story-structure-with-janes-plotting-road-map or buy the whole book instead for less: http://amzn.to/2zEcpQ7
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Jacqueline Garlick’s plotting post, and link to her plotting book Tick Tock Plot: http://everydayauthor.com/guest-post-a-ticking-plot-jacqueline-garlick/
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Notebook.ai (world building website): https://www.notebook.ai/
