“A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.” – Salvador Dali
One of the best benefits of having a podcast is scheduling time to talk about creativity and writing. It’s a wonderful practice of having intentional conversations that inspire.
The latest episode, Episode 102 Writer’s Lessons, is a great example of this. Vicki Atkinson and I talk with author and blogger, Melanie McGauran about writer lessons. Melanie always inspires us with her curiosity and willingness to learn. She is so generous to be willing to share her lessons with us.
She tells us the story behind her essay Growing Up Fast in 1978. We love the essay for its revealing look at her family dynamics and the complicated path she had to walk to get to go to college.
And then she shares some of the lessons she learned from a class she took with author Marin Sardy. She tells us about the chronological canyon and other pitfalls we can fall into.
Melanie shares some of the back and forth she had with Marin as she absorbed the feedback Marin gave her. We laugh that sometimes it’s hard to listen even if the source is an acclaimed author.
And then she extends the lessons with some wise and practical tidbits she picked up from a writing book by Steven Pressfield.
Melanie reveals his advice that hones in on the reader experience. And she shares some questions he provides to make sure content is relatable:
- Is it fun?
- Is it challenging?
- Is it inventive?
- Am I giving the reader enough?
- Are they bored?
- Are they taking me where I want to lead them?
We’re confident you’ll love the scenic and beautiful places we explore as we share the writer lessons learned that help us improve and extend our storytelling!
We know you’ll love it!
Search (and subscribe!) for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or Pocket Casts OR Listen to it from your computer on Anchor: Episode 102: Writer’s Lessons with Melanie McGauran
AND subscribe to our YouTube channel to see a video clip of each story: @SharingtheHeartoftheMatter.
Links for this Episode:
Growing Up Fast in 1978 by Melanie McGauran
Melanie’s blog: https://leavingthedooropen.com/
Steven Pressfield – writing that inspired Melanie: https://stevenpressfield.com/books/
From the hosts:
Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue; Blog: https://victoriaponders.com/
My book about my beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith;
(featured photo from Pexels)

