London Writers' Salon

In this episode we talk with bestselling author and behavioral design expert, Nir Eyal @nirandfar on what it means to be ‘Indistractible’, and how we as writers can master our internal and external triggers, make time for our writing, and build more productive, successful, and creative writing lives. Nir also shares how he built his audience and his email list, why he crowd-edited his book with over 500 readers, and how he stays engaged with his readership.*ABOUT NIR EYALNir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. Nir previously taught as a Lecturer in Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. He is the author of two bestselling books, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life.*QUOTES BY NIR EYAL:“All human behaviors are prompted by a desire to escape discomfort, which means that time management is pain management…Money management is pain management. Weight management is pain management.Fundamentally, if you don't figure out what are those internal triggers that spur you to escape? If you don't figure out what those are and learn to deal with it, if you don't master them, they will become your masters”*RESOURCES:Twitter:@nireyalNir's website and blog: https://www.nirandfar.com/Nir's books: Hooked (UK, US) and Indistractable (UK, US)Book 15-minute office hours with NirFree 80-page supplemental Indistractable workbookCan Someone with ADHD be ‘Indistractable’?Nir’s Podcast: Nir And Far - Business, Behaviour and the BrainNir's email: nir@nireyal.com*For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

In this episode we go behind the scenes with writer and Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie  (@hamishmckenzie) to explore his journey from journalism to working at Tesla, writing a book about Elon Musk, and his motivation for creating Substack, a newsletter platform that allows independent writers to publish directly to their audience and if they choose to, monetize their writing. We discuss what commonalities he sees with the more successful writers on the platform, why he's excited about new writers that will emerge in the coming years and his take on the future of publishing and newsletters.*ABOUT HAMISH MCKENZIEHamish McKenzie is the co-founder of subscription publishing start-up Substack and author of Insane Mode: How Elon Musk’s Tesla Sparked an Electric Revolution to End the Age of Oil. In recent years, he has been the lead writer for Tesla, an advisor to Kik, a tech reporter, and a freelance journalist covering everything from the World Beard and Moustache Championships to the world’s most comprehensive face transplant. Hamish is a New Zealander who lives in San Francisco.*RESOURCES:Connect with Hamish:Twitter:@hamishmckenzieWebsite: Hamish's SubstackOther resources mentioned in the interview: SubstackPodcasting with SubstackHamish’s Book: Insane Mode: How Elon Musk’s Tesla Sparked an Electric Revolution to End the Age of OilKurt Vonnegut quote: If this isn't nice I don't know what isFor show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

In this episode we talk with Julia Cameron (@j_cameronlive), creative teacher and the author of over forty books including The Artist’s Way and The Listening Path. We explore Julia’s early career as a journalist, her relationship with sobriety and spirituality, and how she still uses morning pages and artist dates each week to decide what to write next. She explains the importance of Believing Mirrors - people who mirror us back to ourselves as powerful, strong, and in our most positive light. We also talk about essential tools to help you listen to your intuition, learn how to play again and overcome perfectionism. Julia’s Memoir Floor Sample, has been released in the UK. *ABOUT JULIA CAMERONJulia Cameron is the author of forty books, including her bestselling works on the creative process: The Artist’s Way, Seeking Wisdom, The Listening Path, Walking In This World and Finding Water. Her work has been translated into more than forty languages. Also a novelist, playwright, songwriter, and poet, she has multiple credits in theatre, film, and television. Her memoir Floor Sample takes behind the scenes of her extraordinary life and career as a writer and teacher.*QUOTES BY JULIA:“I believe in something called Believing Mirrors. And Believing Mirrors are people who reflect back to us, our possibility, our probability, our strength, our recovery, and I have in my intimate circle, many people who are for me, Believing Mirrors. And so by committing to write a poem week with Nick, I keep my poet alive and I write music on a little teeny keyboard and play it for Emma and Emma writes harmony, and that keeps my musician alive.And I think it's very important that you are committing to your own art and finding people who reinforce that. You're an artist and not just a teacher. And one of the things that I would I teach is that I sometimes sing or I'll read a poem and it's a chance to sort of duck out from behind the teacher and say, actually, I'm an artist.”*RESOURCES:Connect with Julia:Twitter:@j_cameronliveWebsite: juliacameronlive.comJulia’s Books:Julia's memoir published in the UK, Floor SampleMorning PagesArtist's DateJulia's musical AvalonJulia's poemsAll of Julia's booksFor show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

In this episode we speak to the award-winning author, Will Storr (@wstorr) about The Science of Storytelling, from his research process to planning and writing his first draft, why he thinks “writing is mostly about rejection” and why ultimately critics' feedback doesn’t matter to him. We also delve into his signature “Sacred Flaw” technique, which will help you truly understand your character (if fiction), or yourself if you’re writing a memoir.*ABOUT WILL STORRWill Storr is an award-winning writer. He’s the author of five critically acclaimed books: The Status Game (Sept 2021), The Science of Storytelling, The Selfie, The Heretics and The Hunger and The Howling of Killian Lone. His journalism has appeared in titles such as The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The New Yorker and The New York Times. His prizes include a National Press Club award for excellence and the AFM award for Best Investigative Journalism. He’s an in-demand ghostwriter whose books have spent months at the top of The Sunday Times bestseller chart.*QUOTES BY WILL:"There was a study in the 1950s of a small island in Micronesia which ran this status game of yams and whoever brought the biggest yam to the feast was declared number one. The yam growers would grow in secret plots on the island and cover them with overgrow. I always think about the yams because this book is it's a yam is what it is and all the things that we're trying to do, it's just a big, bloody yam. That's all it is. And it can feel really important. And if I get a shitty review this week  from The Guardian, it's just somebody mocking a yam. It sounds contradictory because on the one hand saying status is really important and it is really important. We need it. But I do think it's really useful to remind ourselves that it's just symbols that we're chasing. And we are kind of drugged into thinking that it is of immense importance that this critic likes my book, but it isn't. No one else really cares. It's just a yam." RESOURCES:Connect with WillTwitter:@wstorrWebsite: willstorr.comWill’s Books:The Status GameThe Science of StorytellingThe SelfieThe HereticsThe Howling of Killian Lone*For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Steph has used her blog (stephsmith.io) to explore everything she's interested in – from learning to write with confidence to Antifragility at work to her favourite destinations as a digital nomad. She also publicly tracks the books she's reading, her personal goals and monthly income. It's also where she launches side projects like Make Yourself Great Again and Eunoia (words that don't translate). We talk to Steph about  launching side projects quickly, how she evolved her blog (400k readers) into a book, self-publishing her book on Gumroad and making $40k in the first week and why she’s experimenting with pricing and how she sells with heart.*ABOUT STEPH SMITHSteph Smith is a growth marketer, writer, and indie maker. Steph left consulting and a 2+ hour commute to redesign her life. Since then she's set up a blog read by 400k+ readers, wrote a book, Doing Content Right, that sold $40k and over 1500 copies within a few weeks of launch. She learned to code with a $20 course, and created products like Make Yourself Great Again that hit #1 on Product Hunt, and led to a nomination for Maker of the Year. She also works for the Hustle (you may know them for running one of the largest newsletters in the world), leading Trends.*RESOURCES AND LINKS:For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com*Follow Steph online:Twitter: @stephsmithioSteph’s Book: Doing Content Right,Steph’s Side Projects: Make Yourself Great Again , Eunoia, Make Yourself Great Again*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

In this episode we speak to journalist, author and writing coach Rebecca Schiller. In 2017, Rebecca moved her family to a countryside smallholding for a life of sowing and growing. But the reality of managing a smallholding led to a mental health crisis and it was her work on the land that helped to save her. She writes about this in her memoir, Earthed. We talk to Rebecca about the craft of writing, the art of writing a memoir, writing truthfully about family and mental health, her ADHD diagnosis and writing practices that have helped her deal with her neurodivergence.*ABOUT REBECCA SCHILLERRebecca Schiller is the author of several books including Earthed, Your No-Guilt Pregnancy Plan and Why Human Rights in Childbirth Matter. Rebecca is also writing coach, and is the founder of the Mothers Who Write community and retreats: restorative, supportive and creative writing retreats for writers-who-happen-to-be-mothers.*QUOTES BY REBECCA:“There's a beauty in being vulnerable and not covering the things that we are taught to cover.”*RESOURCES:Connect with RebeccaTwitter: @schillerrrrrInstagram: @rebecca.schillerWebsite: rebeccaschiller.co.ukFor show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon*CREDITSMIxed by Victoria Spooner. Artwork by Emma Winterschladen For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Award-winning Young Adult writer and screenwriting tutor Kat Falls on how to brainstorm your story using techniques from screenwriters, why it’s important to make your character feel uncomfortable, how to easily generate an outline for your story and what it takes to create complex complex fantasy and sci-fi worlds.*ABOUT KAT FALLSAward-winning novelist Kat Falls writes fast-paced science fiction for middle schoolers and young adults. Her Dark Life series has been translated into 18 languages and is in development for a film at Disney. In addition to her work as an author, Fall is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University in the Writing for the Screen and Stage MFA program.*RESOURCES AND LINKS:For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com*FOLLOW KAT ONLINEFacebookKat’s WebsiteKat’s YA Books: Dark Life Series*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon*CREDITSMixed by Victoria Spooner. Artwork by Emma Winterschladen For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

In this episode we speak with writer and co-founder of Kickstarter, Yancey Stricker, about his origins as a writer, tools he’s used to overcome creative anxiety, why it's important to share your ideas early and how he wrote his book: This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World. He explains why the Bento model - rethinking short-term interest - can create a better future for us all. *SHOWNOTES[02:25] Yancey’s early writing career as a music journalist[05:29] Leaving his writing career and launching Kickstarter with friends[09:09] Writing at Kickstarter and the importance of writing when communicating your vision and communicating to employees and readers[12:45] Stepping back from Kickstarter, how he decided on his next project. Plus his ambitions for This Could Be Our Future.[17:07] How he overcame creative anxiety and wrote his book, using inspiration from the Beatles[22:12] An alternative to optimizing for financial values and how the idea bentoism can help[22:44] Apply bentoism to help you make better decisions [33:05] Using the Bento model to deconstructing how how Butch in Pulp Fiction makes decisions [37:00] How he sits with self-doubt and imposter syndrome while writing[41:18] Yancey’s self-talk when he’s feeling anxious, why he shares his ideas to help him and how and why he wants to write authentically.[46:41] Yancey’s philosophy and method for building and growing the Bento community around his book*ABOUT YANCEYYancey Strickler is the founder of The Bento Society, the cofounder of Kickstarter, and the cofounder of the artist resource The Creative Independent. His book This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World, explores a vision for building a society that looks beyond money and toward maximizing the values that make life worth living.*QUOTES FROM YANCEY:“Holding ideas is bad. You have got to, you know, even if it's just a close friend, you gotta let ideas feel the oxygen. You have got to try to talk them through” *RESOURCESConnect with Yancey:Twitter: @ystricklerInstagram: @ystricklerOther links:KickstarterBento SocietyThis Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous WorldNot for Bread Alone: A Business Ethos, a Management Ethic by Kōnosuke MatsushitaSmall Is Beautiful by E. F. SchumacherHara hachi buOtter.ai appYancey's interview  with Hank Willis ThomasFor show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON:Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!

Bestselling author Katherine May discusses the power of 'wintering' in life and writing, embracing slow progress, surrendering to difficult times, and navigating writer's block. She reflects on the challenges of writing memoirs, editing drafts, and challenging misconceptions about autism. The episode tracks her writing journey from a writing group to becoming a bestseller, emphasizing the importance of setting small achievable goals and finding contentment in the present moment.

In this episode we talk with Psychotherapist and podcaster Emma Reed Turrell on developing her writing practice alongside her day job, launching a book around her expertise, and how she wrote without expectation - in fact it was more important that she meant what she said than it was to get published. Emma also talks about how we can stop "people pleasing" in our writing.*ABOUT EMMA REED TURRELL Emma Reed Turrell is a Clinical Supervisor, therapist and podcaster (Best Friend Therapist which she hosts with Elizabeth Day). In her practice she works with people pleasers every day. Her book Please Yourself: How to Stop People-Pleasing and Transform the Way You Live, Emma offers insights and techniques that will help you understand yourself more fully and live more authentically.*QUOTES FROM EMMA:“If your reader was already on your side and already bought into everything you had to say, what would you say next?” “People cannot respect your boundaries if you don't set any. And resentment is a fantastic symptom for you to spot because resentment is the felt symptom of unfelt anger. So if you start to notice that you're resenting people, you might want to reinstate a boundary with the person you resent. So the first thing to do is be really honest with yourself. Have you set any boundaries before you wonder whether anyone's crossed them?”RESOURCESConnect with Emma:Twitter: @etcounsellingInstagram: @emmareedturrellEmma's Website: emmareedturrell.comEmma’s book: Please Yourself: How to Stop People-Pleasing and Transform the Way You Live.*For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON:Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon*CREDITSProduction by Victoria Spooner. Artwork by Emma Winterschladen For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALONTwitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you’re enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!