S2:E1 Sheila the Instagram Catnapper

We are SO EXCITED to bring you the inaugural episode of Write Away With Nat & PJ, aka Season 2 of the Write Away podcast, where host Natalie Lockett is joined by co-host, PJ Powell. We’re trying a segmented format this season, which means all the fun and learning from our guests, plus a few other offerings designed to explore the wonderful world of writing – with you!

You'll hear:

• Writing Community News - two April events - #RevPit and CampNanoWrimo

• Storytelling on the Spot - Sheila the Instagram Cat Napper

• Finding your writing community with author Julie Owsik Ackerman, Nat & PJ

• Getting crafty - how to work with feedback

IMPORTANT LINKS FROM THE SHOW

• Get ready for Revise & Resub's 2020 #RevPit (April 18th deadline)

• Join a virtual cabin and write your heart out for April's CampNaNoWriMo

• Use The Storymatic (left) to generate a writing prompt or play Storytelling on the Spot

• Check out "The Belligerent Magic of Tidying Up," Julie Owsik Ackerman's story in the L.A. Times, and follow her on Twitter

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EPISODE RECAP

In Writing Community News¸ we talk about two important opportunities for writers coming up in April - #RevPit and Camp NaNoWriMo. Start firing up those engines and get ready to jump in! #RevPit is a contest where winners work with a professional editor to polish their book, which then appears in an agent showcase. Camp NaNoWriMo is the more informal version of the November NaNoWriMo blitz, where you set your own goals, write what you want, and do it all with a virtual “cabin” of fellow writers cheering each other on. We give you the rundown on deadlines and participation info, plus some insider tips we’ve picked up along the way.

Actual footage from Camp NaNoWrimo:

Then we head into Storytelling on the Spot, and if you like awkward storytelling in real time based on a prompt we only learned seconds before taking turns making up this story, you’ll love watching us squirm and seeing just how rough a first draft can be. This time our prompt led us to tell the story of an Instagram-cat thief in a heated situation. You’ll be glad you tuned in, or sorry to have beheld the spectacle!

No one ever suspected Sheila LemonLeaf, Cat Thief

Our guest this episode was writer Julie Owsik Ackerman, who talked with us about the fiction and nonfiction sides of her writing life, from a teen tennis star who finds love in Mexico to a woman wondering how to live like Marie Kondo when her husband’s possessions do not spark joy. Can you guess which one is fiction? Julie also talked with us about the women’s writing group she started, Girls Write Out, which has an awesome format that you can adapt for your own critique sessions.

Not too far off from Julie’s story:

Julie stayed with us for our Getting Crafty session, where we talked this time about feedback – how to take it, how to use it, how to give it, and when to let it go.

Getting all the feedback like...

We hope you enjoy this episode, and let us know if there’s anything you want to hear about later this season!

Until then...