With Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach, you'll gain clarity and overcome hurdles to become a better writer, pursue publishing, and reach your writing goals. Ann provides practical tips and motivation for writers at all stages, keeping most episodes short and focused so writers only need a few minutes to collect ideas, inspiration, resources and recommendations they can apply right away to their work. For additional insight, she incorporates interviews from authors and publishing professionals like Allison Fallon, Ron Friedman, Shawn Smucker, Jennifer Dukes Lee, and Patrice Gopo. Tune in for solutions addressing anything from self-editing and goal-setting solutions to administrative and...
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Sep 30, 2026 · 7:52
Find a Chunk of Writing Time for Your Creative Deep DiveRelease Date: Sep 30, 2026(episode 296) With a chunk of time you could do a deep dive into your work in progress,…
Sep 2, 2026 · 10:26
Are you book-ready? Check the 4PsRelease Date: Sep 22, 2026(episode 295) If you’ve wondered how ready you are to write a book and pursue publishing, it’s time to determine your…
Jul 25, 2026 · 6:56
Don’t have blocks of time to write? Pockets work great!Release Date: July 25, 2026(episode 294) In my last post , I recommended you value yourself and your work enough to stop…
Jul 2, 2026 · 5:28
”I don’t have time to write”- Ah, where does the time go?Release Date: July 2, 2026(episode 293) It comes up in nearly every conversation with a writer, whether in a group or…
May 27, 2026 · 6:29
”Oh no! My book was written by someone else!”Release Date: May 17, 2026(episode 292) Discovering "comps" (comparable books) for your book proposal is discouraging. But this…
Apr 20, 2026 · 6:57
Dear [favorite author]Release Date: April 20, 2026 Use this prompt to write a letter to your favorite author, alive or dead. Listen and you'll hear the letter I wrote (and who I…
Mar 25, 2026 · 12:17
Are Abandoned Projects a Sign of Creative Weakness?Release Date: March 25, 2026 Writers I work with—and if I’m honest, I myself—launch multiple projects, enthusiastic about every…
Mar 22, 2026 · 8:02
Don’t want to say it yourself? Put a frame around it!Release Date: March 22, 2026 In novels, memoir, nonfiction, and poetry, a narrator can set up the main story so that we have…
Feb 27, 2026 · 8:52
Do you really want to write “quietly”? (It’s an AI favorite)Release Date: February 27, 2026 We all have “pet” words or phrases that slide into our prose like a favorite shoe…
Feb 11, 2026 · 20:32
Whose Voice Is on Your Pages? Human vs. AI WritingRelease Date: February 11, 2026 I opened someone's newsletter a few weeks ago touting the “glorious” age of AI and the…
Dec 16, 2025 · 58:50
Self-Publishing vs. Traditional: Janyre Tromp's Real-World Experience with Both (and Clear Favorite)Release Date: December 17, 2025 Award-winning author and editor Janyre Tromp…
Dec 2, 2025 · 9:21
What's your role in your reader's lifeRelease Date: December 2, 2025 In this episode, Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach, explores how clarifying your role in a reader’s life transforms…
Oct 8, 2025 · 9:31
Why Writers Get Lost in Research (And How to Find Your Way Back)Release Date: October 8, 2025 In this episode, Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach tackles the common "research rabbit…
Sep 24, 2025 · 54:52
Start with Your Ideal Audience: Insights from Janyre Tromp Episode 283 | Release Date: September 24, 2025 Quick Summary In this episode, Ann Kroeker is joined by award-winning…
Sep 10, 2025 · 6:44
Don't Wait to Share Your Message Episode 282 | Release Date: September 10, 2025 Quick Summary In this episode, Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach, explores how we can share our ideas and…
Aug 6, 2025 · 6:13
I tend to sprawl—both in my writing and, if you ask my family, on the couch. I start with a plan, but as I write, new ideas branch out in every direction. Before I know it, I’ve…
Jun 30, 2025 · 7:30
If you second-guess yourself each time you send your words into the world, you’re not alone. You’re feeling what writers throughout the ages have felt, because it is a risk each…
May 28, 2025 · 9:49
An idea pops into your head, so you grab whatever paper product lies nearby and scribble down the thought. Or you come across a quote, story, or stat and realize it connects to…
Mar 21, 2025 · 37:13
Find your publishing home without losing your voice: Literary agent Deidra Riggs reveals insider secrets on breaking into publishing while staying true to yourself—especially for…
Jan 16, 2025 · 8:58
On a chilly December afternoon in 2014, I closed the door to my bedroom, swallowed back nerves—even trembled a little as I held a tiny earpiece as a microphone. Then I cleared my…
Nov 22, 2024 · 8:24
A few years ago, a client came to me with an idea for a nonfiction book. She was ready to write a draft and send it to a publishing house. What she didn’t realize was that she…
Sep 25, 2024
Somewhere along the way, you stopped writing. Life got in the way. You lost your confidence. You ran out of time. You ran out of ideas. You hit a huge block you can’t get past.…
Sep 11, 2024
Is Substack the best platform for writers? Is it right for you? In this interview, publishing expert Jane Friedman explores Substack’s social media-like features, blogging-like…
Aug 16, 2024 · 5:30
“A writer — and, I believe, generally all persons — must think that whatever happens to him or her is a resource,” writer Jorge Luis Borges said in an interview, when asked about…
Jul 5, 2024 · 4:02
“The best advice I can give you to help you grow as a writer is to experience life.” We came to hear about queries and proposals. We wanted to learn how this speaker organized…
Jun 20, 2024 · 13:21
When I was a child just beginning to speak, my parents drove late into the evening to the rural property they bought. As they drove up the gravel driveway, the sky spread out…
May 29, 2024
I made a last-minute decision heading to the most recent writer’s conference I attended. I’d planned to take my classy, professional, sleek gray backpack that I’d purchased to…
Apr 9, 2024
Are you getting ready to attend a writers’ conference? Guess what? So am I! And I want to make the most of my time there, so let’s think through what will help with that. You’re…
Mar 21, 2024 · 17:49
Attending my first writers’ conference proved to be life-changing—or at least career-changing. In the years since, I’ve attended a wide range of writing events, and each one has…
Oct 26, 2023 · 8:24
Dear Writer, It’s easy to freeze up when we’re writing for the faceless masses or the random reader who happens upon our words. What do we say to all those people? How can we…
Oct 12, 2023 · 11:45
Let’s look at the pros and cons of using writing prompts to decide if we’re fostering creativity or frittering away time. I remember the pleasure of writing about ladybugs for my…
Sep 27, 2023 · 6:13
Children gaze at a vast blank wall and see opportunity—inspired, they grab a permanent marker and scrawl across the surface in loopy circles and jaggedy lines without hesitation.…
Aug 29, 2023 · 5:27
When I was visiting my grandmother one summer afternoon, she pulled out a letter I sent her. “This is good,” she said. “Really?” She pointed at the paragraphs and said the ideas…
Aug 16, 2023 · 6:49
Just as musicians credit their musical influences, writers, too, have literary inspirations who help them discover and shape their unique voice. At a White House event for poets…
Aug 2, 2023 · 6:15
On a sunny spring day, I sat with seven homeschoolers on a stretch of grass for a creative writing session. The older kids started to fidget before we even started. “What are we…
Jul 21, 2023 · 44:14
Jennifer Dukes Lee invites you to transform into a better writer through “beautifully ruthless self-discovery.” It starts in the pages of your journal. In a recent interview,…
Jun 20, 2023
During the early years of parenthood, I wasted a lot of time feeling sorry for myself. Why can’t I have my own dedicated writing space? Why can’t I have blocks of uninterrupted…
Jun 1, 2023 · 4:42
Nearly everyone who writes personal stories in any form has agonized over how much to share. Will writing about an issue from childhood break Mom’s heart? Should I change the…
May 18, 2023 · 7:01
As writers, we spend countless hours crafting and refining our work to perfection. We labor over word choices, sentence structure, and the perfect flow. Despite our best…
May 3, 2023 · 10:17
Years ago, one of my clients updated me on her publishing journey. She turned in her manuscript on deadline, so that was a huge relief. Then her editor asked for one last piece…
Apr 1, 2023 · 4:55
Consider a lowly stick, memorialized by my friend: Little Y StickFragile, knobby crossroads in my fingersBring me eyes to see how God is in my midst.1 Jennifer Dukes Lee penned…
Mar 15, 2023 · 52:31
Gain inspiration from the journey of a first-time author who transformed her dream of writing into a reality by taking bold action. Merideth Hite Estevez’s success story involved…
Feb 1, 2023 · 1:02:06
Today we’re exploring a topic that every writer is going to want to tune in and learn about: a trauma-informed approach to writing. To speak to that, I’ve invited Michelle…
Dec 22, 2022 · 6:09
I hosted a virtual Christmas party in my membership program, Your Platform Matters (YPM) . At the party I encouraged a writing exercise: Christmas Reflections. I asked these…
Dec 15, 2022 · 14:23
AI writing apps, programs, and tools are all over the news. People are reacting. They’re writing articles and opinion pieces, they’re recording podcasts, they’re discussing it in…
Dec 1, 2022 · 8:21
People wonder about Stephen King’s pencil. Writers (including me) want to know what writing instrument he uses. Why? Maybe we all harbor a secret hope that if we get the same…
Oct 5, 2022 · 37:32
Bryan Collins relies on a simple system that captures notes and ideas that flow directly into his projects when he sits down to write. His writing routine doesn’t take all day…
Sep 7, 2022
With inspiration from Mark McGuinness, you’ll integrate poetry into your writing life as a pleasurable practice that elevates your prose. In this interview, Mark describes the…
Aug 25, 2022 · 4:01
Writers working on projects that are destined to be published—to be read—can struggle with nerves. We edit our words before they have a chance to breathe on the page. We hold…
May 24, 2022 · 33:41
Literary agent Lucinda Halpern prepares us to navigate the industry and prepare for publishing. With her insights, we’ll position our project—and ourselves as authors—to pitch…
Feb 8, 2022 · 15:48
Have you ever wondered what a writing coach is? As you can imagine, I get asked this a lot. I mean, it is baked into my branding, and I love sharing insights I’ve gained over my…
Dec 16, 2021 · 46:29
For author Clarissa Moll, hiring a writing coach was like finding her book midwife, and she urges writers to seek that kind of intimate, knowledgeable support and input for their…
Sep 28, 2021 · 13:43
Louis L’Amour is attributed as saying, “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”1 Sounds easy enough, but a lot of times we can’t…
Jul 27, 2021 · 12:25
I was an English major with a creative writing emphasis. When I looked to my future, I saw myself writing. Over the years I managed to build a writing career, but as an English…
Jul 6, 2021 · 41:29
If you're like me, you struggle to carve out time to write...you wish you could uncomplicate life and get more done. Good news! I have business coach and online business manager…
Jun 8, 2021 · 41:35
What if the stories we've been told about success are wrong? What if you could unlock secrets that shave years off your writing journey? In this interview, Ron Friedman…
May 25, 2021 · 11:01
I watched the professor of my advanced poetry class open the lid of a metal box crammed with 3x5 cards. He wiggled out one of the worn cards covered with notes and held it up. On…
May 9, 2021 · 5:31
About seven years ago, I partnered with Charity Singleton Craig to co-author On Being a Writer. While working on the draft, we often pulled up one of our shared Google Docs to…
Mar 29, 2021 · 50:01
I listened to Allison Fallon’s The Power of Writing It Down while jogging through my neighborhood. Those weren’t my best runs, because I kept pulling out my phone to thumb-type a…
Feb 13, 2021 · 1:02:10
[Ep 234] On this episode of the podcast, I hosted two novelists: Shawn Smucker and his wife, Maile Silva, for a literary discussion. Imagine you’re at a writing conference and…
Jan 12, 2021 · 9:41
When you seek traditional publishing for your nonfiction book, you don’t just write the book and send it off. Instead, you craft what’s called a book proposal—an essential…
Dec 21, 2020 · 8:56
If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to write a book in the year ahead, you’re going to have to do several things. One of those things you’ll have to do is...some math. But…
Dec 11, 2020 · 15:36
[231] You're tackling a non-fiction book and you're making progress. You're doing research, you're writing, and now you're staring at all those ideas. Your book needs form. It…
Nov 16, 2020 · 10:42
You're a writer, so you write. But do you read? Silly question, I know, because of course you read. A better question is how do you read? Do you read like a writer? There are…
Nov 2, 2020 · 9:04
You want to start out strong as a writer and succeed at your work. A lot of different strengths are at play to keep us at the keyboard or page, and the good news is—you may…
Aug 17, 2020 · 14:25
[Ep 228] You have an idea for your next writing project. That's great! Before you get too far—before you write too much—you need to be sure this idea is going to fly with your…
Jul 16, 2020 · 9:29
[Ep 227] Have you ever written a blog post and found it's growing too big and unwieldy? Or you set out to develop a book only to realize you don't have enough material to fill a…
Jun 24, 2020 · 23:04
[Ep 226] With my Back to Basics series, I'm providing tools you can apply to your next project in hopes it will make the writing process easier and the final product stronger…
May 12, 2020 · 13:21
[Ep 225] You’re inspired. An idea seizes you and before the energy fizzles, you whip out a laptop, open a new document, and slam out words. Get it down fast—start writing and…
Apr 15, 2020 · 9:19
[Ep 224] At the close of a brilliant blue-sky summer-warm April afternoon, a heavy thunderstorm swept across my state, pelting us with hail and hurtling branches across yards. We…
Mar 17, 2020 · 7:19
[Ep 223] As I write this, a pandemic is spreading across the planet. I surely hope you and those you love are spared any sickness during this worldwide crisis. I’m stating this…
Mar 8, 2020 · 7:36
[Ep 222] My most effective year teaching high school composition was the one I began with poetry. From day one, I introduced literary devices through poems, inviting students to…
Feb 16, 2020 · 18:26
[Ep 221] If you’re trying to land an agent and eventually a contract with a publisher, you can’t get around it: you need to craft a compelling proposal to pitch your nonfiction…
Feb 1, 2020 · 16:00
[Ep 220] A writer reached out to me with news that she's writing a nonfiction book and wants to be published. “What’s the process?” she asked. I'm happy to explain. I'll cover…
Jan 17, 2020 · 10:30
[Ep 219] Whether you’re interested in increasing blog readership or building a freelance writing business—and especially if you’re pursuing traditional publishing—you’ll want to…
Jan 10, 2020 · 16:07
[Ep 218] Do we really need to do all the things to be a writer these days? Are all those extra activities and tasks required for a successful career? Do we really need to vlog…
Jan 1, 2020 · 6:31
[Ep 217] I don’t know much about science, but I'm pretty sure Newton’s First Law goes like this: an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.1 Okay,…
Dec 5, 2019 · 6:00
You've researched your topic, taken copious notes, created a mind map, made lists, but you haven't settled on the best way to organize all of your material. You aren't sure how…
Nov 6, 2019 · 15:23
Organization is a challenge for writers. You may have strong ideas, feel confident with grammar, and write in a fun style. But putting it all together in a structure that makes…
Oct 10, 2019 · 10:51
[Ep 214] Back in July I bought a Garmin watch that tracks steps and heart rate. More importantly, it offers training plans for beginning and intermediate runners. I clicked on a…
Sep 19, 2019 · 13:31
[Ep 213] If you didn’t click to read this first sentence, I failed. If we want to hook readers and hold their attention so they read all the way to the end, we have to generate…
Aug 27, 2019 · 12:19
[Ep 212] For about four years, I didn’t do much to get healthy or stay healthy. I’d talk about getting in shape but wouldn’t actually do anything. I’d wake up and think about it,…
Aug 22, 2019 · 9:52
[Ep 211] Creativity as a pillar of the writing life? It’s a no-brainer. Creativity and writing go together like pencil and paper. Writers practice creativity each and every day.…
Aug 6, 2019 · 13:30
[210] Dani Shapiro writes, “When I think of the wisest people I know, they share one defining trait: curiosity” (213, Still Writing). As she notes this connection between wisdom…
Jul 30, 2019 · 8:40
[Ep 209] Each week I claim that writers are discovering ways to reach their writing goals—and have fun—by being more curious, creative, and productive. And each week you may be…
Jul 23, 2019 · 50:51
[Ep 208] Today I’m chatting with Sharon Stohler, author of the nonfiction children’s biography Affectionately Yours: The Devoted Life of Abigail Adams, a charming and inspiring…
Jul 16, 2019 · 8:42
[Ep 207] On my drive to Minneapolis to serve on the faculty of Northwestern Christian Writers Conference, I listened to podcasts: one after another, back-to-back. I welcomed that…
Jul 9, 2019 · 9:18
[Ep 206] Several years ago I watched a free training presented by Chalene Johnson, where she explained how to start with one piece of content and then use it in several forms for…
Jul 2, 2019 · 5:42
[Ep 205] In the Next-Level Writer series, we talked about plans and goals. When we set out with a goal and make a plan to methodically move toward that goal, we see what it…
Jun 25, 2019 · 7:14
[Ep 204] My son participates in value debate. The competitors take either the affirmative or negative stance on a resolution and argue for or against it based on a value. The…
Jun 18, 2019 · 7:59
[Ep 203] If you’re like me, you do a lot of writing and writing-related activities essentially for free. You craft social media content, articles for a blog, and guest posts as…
Jun 11, 2019 · 6:34
[Ep 202] When my kids were little they didn’t really like the LEGO sets that require you to put the bricks together a certain way to create a specific thing, like a Death Star.…
Jun 4, 2019 · 8:37
[Ep 201] In the first episode of this series, I described a hypothetical character in a hypothetical game—a little dragon that gains power or abilities after playing the game for…
May 28, 2019 · 7:50
[Ep 200] Unless a fairy godmother shows up and sprinkles fairy dust all over your laptop to magically boost you to the next level—without any effort on your part—you’ll have to…
May 21, 2019 · 45:50
[Ep 199] Today I’m chatting with NavPress Publisher Don Pape. Don has published over a dozen New York Times best-sellers, including Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Don is also the…
May 15, 2019 · 9:40
[Ep 198] - Some people love to sit down and just start writing with no worries whether or not the work is moving them toward their goals. - Others love to spend time making…
May 7, 2019 · 6:56
[Ep 197] Every week I follow a pattern of sorts. Sometimes it gets thrown off by a day or two, but for my regular routine I write, record, prep, and publish content you may…
Apr 30, 2019 · 9:16
[Ep 196] - Last time, I asked: Where do you want to be in a year? - You may have read that and set a big, hairy, audacious goal—a BHAG. Or maybe you called it a “stretch goal.”…
Apr 23, 2019 · 8:52
[Ep 195] - I’m not by nature a planner. I am, in fact, more of a tumbleweed. - You know what I mean? If I went with my personality, I’d be blown around with no particular…
Apr 16, 2019 · 8:27
[Ep 194] - When a client brought me along to New York City, the airport shuttle bus dropped us off near Times Square and we had to find our way to the hotel. For a couple of…
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