In this episode, your host and indie author Sagan Morrow shares her experience with reviewing her current work-in-progress (Book 8 in the Polyamorous Passions series) using a "reader mindset" prior to doing rewrites!

She shares her process and results for reviewing her current WIP as a reader:

Find out a breakdown of the process she’s using, the game-changing book writing method that’s shifted her out of Author mindset and into Reader mindset (plus why this matters), and 5 fascinating things that came up for her throughout this process...

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books
• Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives
• Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives

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What is creative cross training, and how can it help you navigate (and overcome) creative blocks? In this episode, Sagan shares examples of creative cross training and the importance of creative cross training (and how it’s prevented her from having any major creative blocks as a business owner, indie author, and multi-passionate creative)...

...Plus why focusing on one thing can get boring and lead to creative stagnation, and 5 important tips for effective creative cross training.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Sagan’s burlesque persona (Babe Maverick) on Instagram: Instagram.com/babemaverick
• Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books
• Solopreneur Diary Entries weekly newsletter to get behind-the-scenes insights of life as a solo business owner: https://saganmorrow.com/newsletter
• Solopreneur Diary Entries: Premium Edition monthly online trainings on topics of solopreneurship, anti-hustle productivity, and personal fulfillment: https://saganmorrow.com/monthly/
• Personal Fulfillment Coaching with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching/
• Solopreneur & Productivity Coaching with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/solopreneur-coaching/
• Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives
• Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives

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In this episode, we explore the difference between polyamorous IDENTITY vs the PRACTICE of that identity, and answer these questions: Can you write about polyamory if you aren’t ACTIVELY polyamorous? Do you ever think being polyamorous is a phase, and that you and your spouse might go back to being monogamous?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books
• Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives
• Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives

Support the show

Find out why Sagan got outraged at a random person’s Instagram comment when they were dismissive of a 30-something Twilight Instagrammer reading Young Adult novels, the POWER of the YA genre, why you should read what makes you happy, her opinions about referring to romance novels as “fluffy,” and more!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books
• Author Diary Entries podcast, ep 180: Labels and gatekeeping in romance novels
• Twilight Instagrammer Corinne: https://www.instagram.com/corinnieeeee/
• Twilight Instagrammer Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahelizabeth_talks/
• Book: Why We Love and Hate Twilight
• Book: The Girl Who Was On Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy
• Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives
• Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives

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“Do you write queer characters?” → Well… Yes and no! In this episode, I explain why this question is a tricky one, what makes a novel “queer enough” (an even more loaded question!), the nuance behind all of this, and the importance of using the words and labels that feel right for you.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books
• Episode 180 on the Author Diary Entries Podcast: Labels and gatekeeping in romance novels
• Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives
• Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives

Support the show

Is it rude to refer to a romance novel “smut”? Not to me ;) You can call my books whatever you want! …BUT, there’s a lot of nuance to this (and context matters) — so in this episode, we’re exploring important questions we need to ask around the labels we use, our intentions behind our word choices, and the problems with gatekeeping in the romance novel community.

Examples we discuss in this episode include: Smut, enemies to lovers trope, spice levels, smutty vs spicy vs sexy, and “fairy porn” in romantasy.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books
• Sagan’s burlesque persona (Babe Maverick) on Instagram: Instagram.com/babemaverick
• Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives
• Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives

Support the show

In this episode, your host (and indie author) Sagan Morrow shares an author update about what she's been working on since our previous episode over a year ago, plus why we've rebranded the podcast from "Indie Author Weekly" to "Author Diary Entries!"

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books
• Haus of Misfit: https://www.hausofmisfit.ca/
• Life coaching with Sagan: SaganMorrow.com/coaching
• Solopreneur Diary Entries weekly newsletter: SaganMorrow.com/newsletter
• PREMIUM Edition of the Solopreneur Diary Entries (monthly trainings): SaganMorrow.com/premium
• Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives
• Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives

Support the show

In this episode, we explore the dynamic of being a beginner vs being intermediate at your practice... and why being a beginner can, in some ways, be a lot easier! Tune in now to find out about the pressure I put on myself in my 2nd solo burlesque dance performance, what I took from that experience compared to my 1st solo burlesque act, how this connects back to my work as a fiction author, and the top 3 takeaways for how you can apply this to your own creative practice or craft (including important questions to ask yourself in order to relieve fear and/or pressure from yourself).

Resources & links mentioned in this episode:

• Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/
• Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching
• Babe Maverick burlesuqe Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/babemaverick
• Episode 171 of the Indie Author Weekly podcast — Applying my 2024 Word of the Year (ELEVATE) to Creative Writing: https://www.buzzsprout.com/400015/14272088-171-applying-my-2024-word-of-the-year-to-creative-writing
• Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast
• Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590
• Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse
• Work with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/workwithme/

Let’s chat about this episode:

• @Saganlives on Twitter and Instagram
• Hashtag: #IndieAuthorWeekly
• Email: hello@saganmorrow.com
• Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question

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