My guest today on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY is Mike Sowden, the author behind the hugely popular Substack, “Everything is Amazing.” He is also a former archaeologist and travel writer, and one of the humblest writers I know. (Don't be fooled when he starts out the interview by telling you he has no idea what he's doing.)

Today, we talk about:

* What is Substack, and is it too late to get started there?

* How Mike found his writing voice, a unique blend of scientific explanation and approachable humor

* The joy of trying things even when you're not an expert on the topic

* Growth on Substack - what works and what doesn't?

* The concept of writing seasons (a.k.a. finding a publishing cadence that doesn't kill you)

* What we can learn from Liz Gilbert's multimedia approach to writing,

and so much more.

Want more of Mike?

Fill your life with more WOW at Everything is Amazing.

🟨 Want more writing advice and community?

Join 24,000+ writers at CreativeInspiredHappy.com :

- ask questions of upcoming podcast guests,

- behind-the-scenes publishing insights,

- creativity mini-challenges,

- Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers,

- and more.

Podcast booking inquiries:

info@creativeinspiredhappy.com

Hello, Protagonists!

My guest today on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY is Katherine Center, New York Times Bestselling author and one of the reigning queens of hopeful, feel-good fiction. She’s also had two books adapted into hit movies on Netflix. Her latest novel, The Love Haters, is out now.

Today, we talk about:

* finding inspiration which Katherine describes catching butterflies

* discovering your place and mission in writing—a.k.a. what kind of author do you want to be?

* maintaining a pace of publishing one book a year

(Sample production timeline in traditional publishing)

* her trick for writing deep characters

* balancing "normal life" as a mom with being a professional writer

* what does long-term success look like for a novelist

* and so much more.

🟨 Want more writing advice and community?

Join more than 20,000 writers at CreativeInspiredHappy.com :

- ask questions of upcoming podcast guests,

- behind-the-scenes publishing insights,

- creativity mini-challenges,

- Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers,

- and more.

Podcast booking inquiries:

info@creativeinspiredhappy.com

Want more of Katherine?

You can find Katherine on Instagram, or check out her website to sign up for her email list. The movie versions of her books The Lost Husband and Happiness for Beginners are on Netflix.

Katherine’s newest novel, The Love Haters, is available in bookstores everywhere or from your favorite online retailer!

My guest today on CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY is Andrea Bartz, New York Times Bestselling thriller author. Her books have been a Reese’s Book Club pick, a Good Morning America Bonus Buzz pick, and a Marie Claire book club pick; one of them was optioned by Mila Kunis and another is in production at Netflix.

Andi’s latest thriller, The Last Ferry Out, is out next week.

Today, we talk about:

* who Andi considers the “greats” of thriller writing

* what she learned from being a Reese’s Book Club pick and how it changed the trajectory of her career

* understanding the market and how reader feedback might affect what to write

* tricks for building suspense and managing pacing, in any kind of fiction

* clear definitions of a “reveal” and a “twist” and why they're different,

* using Substack as a way to connect with other writers,

* and so much more.

🟨 Want more writing advice and community?

Join more than 20,000 writers at CreativeInspiredHappy.com :

- ask questions of upcoming podcast guests,

- behind-the-scenes publishing insights,

- creativity mini-challenges,

- Book Club for Writers & Curious Readers,

- and more.

Podcast booking inquiries:

info@creativeinspiredhappy.com

Want more of Andi?

You can find Andi on Substack, Instagram, and her website.

The Last Ferry Out will be out next week (May 20, 2025) and available in bookstores everywhere or from your favorite online retailer!