QWERTY Writing Life Podcast

The Future of QWERTY

Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith wrap up Season 5 with a grateful and reflective look back and a huge announcement for the future of QWERTY Writing Life Podcast. You will want to catch the news and find out what’s next for the QWERTYs and their friends.

Check out the links referenced in the show:

Joy’s LAM Summer Reading Challenge: https://joyerancatore.com/summer-reading/

Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers

Berries, Bridges and Books Conference: https://cmwriters.wixsite.com/creativemindswriters/conference

QWERTY Writing Life Season 1, Episode 21, “Allowing Faith in Your Art”: https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-jmr7a-c0a873

Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/

Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.

Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.

Interview with a Creative: Joy E. Rancatore on Mindsets That Matter

Author Joy E. Rancatore muses on the might of mindset in this special QWERTY interview with a creative. Mea Smith asks Joy clarifying and deepening questions to dive well below the surface of the topic and prompts her to share a special QWERTY challenge with listeners.

Tune in to be challenged, enlightened and motivated. 

 

Check out the links referenced in the show:

Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers

Orna Ross’ three-hat mindset: https://ornaross.com/from-orna/indie-authors-three-hats/

Interview with a Creative: Mea Smith: Creativity and Our Worth

Episode Link: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/interview-with-a-creative-mea-smith-creativity-and-our-worth/YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/rkqe5Cqo_1w

Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/

Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.

Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.

Interview with a Creative: Mea Smith: Creativity and Our Worth

Author Mea Smith discusses her journey through determining her worth and shares epiphanies about how it connects to creativity in this special QWERTY interview with a creative. Joy E. Rancatore asks Mea foundational and process questions and prompts her to share a special QWERTY challenge with listeners.

Tune in to be inspired, enlightened and uplifted. 

Check out the episode about Mea’s poetry book referenced in the show:

QWERTY Writing Life, Season 2, Episode 47: “A Poetic Arc: The Birth of a Poetry Book”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/a-poetic-arc-the-birth-of-a-poetry-book/

Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/

Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.

Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.

The Importance of Motivation in Creativity

Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith dispel negative emotions toward motivation in the creative life for Episode 15 in Season 5 of QWERTY Writing Life.

They present a QWERTY theory about the aspects of motivation and two QWERTY-identified types of motivation. Personal examples from their recent creative lives show how they arrived at this candid chat. And, they end with ten observations about motivation and a practical implementation that flows into the QWERTY Challenge. 

 

Check out the links referenced in the show:

Mea’s poetry book, Grief Like a River: https://storyswell.net/books

Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers

Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/

Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.

Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.

Motivation to Move

Recently, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith met with a group of writers on a college campus. One of the students asked a question that has spurred ongoing conversation between Mea and Joy … and this episode!

“What is your motivation to publish? What keeps your butt in the chair to finish a project and get it out there?”

Listen in as Joy and Mea share specific answers to how they achieved publication of some of their books as well as more general reasons behind why they choose to share in the first place.

They close out with a short but deep QWERTY Challenge that can help you answer these questions in your creative life.

Check out the links referenced in the show:

Mea’s poetry book, Grief Like a River: https://storyswell.net/books

Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers

Joy’s book Any Good Thing: https://joyerancatore.com/any-good-thing/

QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 5, Episode 12, “Balancing Vulnerability and Memories in Art”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/balancing-vulnerability-and-memories-in-art/

Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/

Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.

Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.

Benefits of Writing Across Formats

Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith highlight five benefits of writing across formats and genres in this episode of QWERTY Writing Life. They pull from their work and life experiences to exemplify each point and challenge listeners to add to the conversation.

Check out the links referenced in the show:

Joy’s Summer Reading Challenge: https://joyerancatore.com/summer-reading/

QWERTY Writing Life Podcast, Season 3, Episode 17, “Fundamental Standards for Creatives”: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/fundamental-standards-for-creatives/

Mea’s poetry book, Grief Like a River: https://storyswell.net/books

Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers

Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/

Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.

Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.

Balancing Vulnerability and Memories in Art

Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith approach a challenging topic in Season 5, Episode 12 of QWERTY Writing Life—how to balance vulnerability and memories in art. They offer five tips to avoid unhealthy bleeding out of emotions in public art while still seizing the opportunity to heal through creativity.

In addition to practical tips creatives can implement, Joy and Mea share personal examples from their own books to show how they’ve used or are using their tips to share emotional pieces with readers.

Check out the links referenced in the show:

Marching North hat tutorial on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GcXlu6eLz-U?si=r1urP90_FO_dVHOl

Learn more about their book on writing critique partners, Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers

QWERTY Writing Life Season 5, Episode 9, “What Is the Great Conversation?” https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/what-is-the-great-conversation/

QWERTY Writing Life Season 5, Episode 10, “Why Care About the Great Conversation?” https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/why-should-we-care-about-the-great-conversation/

QWERTY Writing Life Season 5, Episode 11, “How Do We Add to the Great Conversation?” https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/how-do-we-add-to-the-great-conversation/

QWERTY Writing Life, Season 5, Episode 5, Interview with a Creative: Dan Blank on Creative Place & Purpose podcast episode: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/interview-with-a-creative-dan-blank-on-creative-place-purpose/

QWERTY Writing Life, Season 5, Episode 5, Interview with a Creative: Dan Blank on Creative Place & Purpose podcast episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hIvSma0YZXk

Grief Like a River by Mea Smith: https://storyswell.net/books

This Good Thing by Joy E. Rancatore: https://joyerancatore.com/this-good-thing/

Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/

Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.

Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.

How Do We Add to the Great Conversation?

In Season 5, Episode 11 of QWERTY Writing Life, authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith answer the question, “How do we add to the Great Conversation?” To do that, they came up with four thoughts on the how of it all to round out this mini series on the Great Conversation.

Check out the episodes and books referenced in the show:

QWERTY Writing Life, Season 5, Episode 5, Interview with a Creative: Dan Blank on Creative Place & Purpose podcast episode: https://qwertywritinglife.podbean.com/e/interview-with-a-creative-dan-blank-on-creative-place-purpose/

QWERTY Writing Life, Season 5, Episode 5, Interview with a Creative: Dan Blank on Creative Place & Purpose podcast episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hIvSma0YZXk

The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings by Philip and Carol Zaleski: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23526522-the-fellowship

The Bird and the Sword by Amy Harmon: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29008738-the-bird-and-the-sword

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11337.The_Bluest_Eye

Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers

Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/

Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.

Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.

Why Should We Care About the Great Conversation?

Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith dive deeper into the topic of the Great Conversation as they answer the question, “Why Care About the Great Conversation?” They share three primary “whys” and then go further in regards specifically to literature with seven benefits to that creative medium.

Check out the book referenced in the show:

Finders Keepers: A Practical Approach to Find and Keep Your Writing Critique Partner: https://www.logosandmythospress.com/finders-keepers

Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/

Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.

Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.

What is the Great Conversation?

Authors Joy E. Rancatore and Mea Smith begin a few thoughts about the Great Conversation. In Episode 9 of Season 5’s QWERTY Writing Life, they seek to answer the question “What is the Great Conversation?”

Check out the links referenced in the show:

Joy’s 12 Days of Reading

https://www.facebook.com/groups/twelvedaysofreading

Simon Schama, The Power of Art https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19797.The_Power_of_Art

Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/588138.The_Hero_With_a_Thousand_Faces

Subscribe to the QWERTY’s monthly newsletter (be sure to click the box next to “opt in to receive news and updates” and check your spam for the confirmation email): https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z9f1z5

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qwertywritinglife

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qwertywritinglife/

Intro music created and performed by Brent Smith.

Continue this week’s chat via email at qwertywritinglife [at] gmail [dot] com. For more information about the QWERTYs, the show and their writing craft book series, head over to https://qwertywritinglife.com. Subscribe in your favorite podcast portal. Or, if you’d rather see their grinning faces, ring the bell on their YouTube channel. Please share our podcast with your friends, too! For more about Mea and her writing, visit storyswell.net. Joy and her details can be found at joyerancatore.com.