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Show NotesOn today's chapter of the #WordWeaverPodcast I’m talking about how to stop procrastinating on writing your book and start prioritizing “To Do” tasks that move the needle closer to achieving your big goals. Preparing to write instead of actually writing can seem “productive,” but stems from fear of facing the blank page and ultimately preventing you from finishing your manuscript. Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Stitcher.

Show NotesOn today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m diving headfirst into a highly Googled topic for most writers and aspiring authors, and that is how to land your book on the coveted New York Times bestseller list.For many of us, the credibility, ego boost, bragging rights, external validation and readership that come along with this prestigious credential after years of toiling away behind a keyboard = the equivalent of our Super Bowl ring or Olympic gold medal. Becoming a NYT bestselling author is traditionally seen as the holy grail for an author in the publishing world. However, it’s important to note that the NYT bestseller list is not a true measure of bestselling status, which accounts for total actual sales. It’s largely controversial, as the list is subjective and a lot of the criteria is reportedly a “trade secret,” meaning a lot of it is arbitrary and has been subject to curated elitism.That being said, if you, like many writers, have your heart set on becoming a New York Times bestselling author, I chat about what it takes to get on the list including: Understanding what the NYT is looking for exactlyObtaining fast sales, captured within a week, not cumulatively (Think: 10,000 min copies in 7 days, again this is relative/can vary, but in case you really are just looking for a ballpark number) Diversity of sales across multiple retailers throughout the countryEstablish a large author platformHave a pre-order email list before you launchI also discuss the importance of pre-order sales (probably your best bet for having a shot of getting onto a bestseller list)! Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Stitcher.

Show NotesOn today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I chat with Toronto-based writer and art curator, Tatum Dooley. Her writing has appeared in the Globe & Mail, Artforum, The Walrus, Vogue UK, Lenny Letter, TeenVogue and more. She is also the founder of Canadian Art Forecast, showcasing upcoming and mid-career Canadian artists.I loved getting to talk shop with Tatum! As we’re currently in another lockdown, conversations like these really fill me up and motivate me to keep going. We chat, amongst other things, about:The current media landscape (click quota culture & quality journalism)Cultivating a creative community as an introvertLockdown writing routines/ritualsIf working in a bookstore is as romantic as it soundsHow to pitch freelance articles to editors (she’s a pro!)Canadian Art Forecast and why art is needed now more than everWhat it was like working for TeenVogueWhat she’s reading, watching and listening to these days!Substack newsletters Connect with TatumInstagram: @tatum_dooleyCanadian Art Forecast: @cdnartforecastWord Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Stitcher.

Show NotesOn today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m answering the burning questions every (Canadian) author asks themselves or types into Google: how many books do you have to sell to be a bestseller in Canada and how can you become a bestselling author?In next week’s episode I’ll do a deep dive into the crown jewel, the gold standard of bestseller lists, and share everything I know about how to get on the New York Times bestseller list, but for today’s episode I wanted to break it down specifically for how to be a Canadian bestseller. Today, I’ll do my best to answer these questions: How do you measure what qualifies as a bestseller?How many copies do you need to sell to be on the bestseller list? Which books are eligible to appear on a bestseller list in Canada?What sales count toward becoming a bestseller?When can you label yourself as a “National Bestseller,” vs. “International Bestseller,” vs. “#1 Bestseller,” vs. “Globe & Mail #1 Bestseller,” etc.Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Stitcher.

Show NotesOn today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m sharing the second book club episode from The First Step Podcast where Calissa and I discuss the novel Monogamy by Sue Miller. We also discuss our favourite books from 2020. These book club episodes originally air on The First Step Podcast. Our next read is Off Script by Marci Ien! Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Stitcher.

Show NotesOn today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m talking all about pen names, aka. nom de plumes, and whether or not you should publish under a pseudonym. Overall, it’s a personal choice and there really is no right or wrong answer, but in this episode we’ll dissect some reasons why a writer might want to use a pen name and things to think about if you choose to use a nom de plume in your publishing journey. Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Stitcher.

Show NotesOn today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m sharing my personal annual review process for reflecting on the past year and my planning process for how I set and achieve goals (hint: think quarterly, not annually!) Can you believe we are in the last week of December 2020?! This year will go down in history…and WOW, guys, we made it. Mentally, emotionally, physically, financially it was a true test on humanity, so take a moment to pat yourself on the back and give yourself a gold star for getting to this point. You did it!Every December, I love to do an annual audit to see how much I actually DID accomplish, even if they were small wins like changing from one sweatsuit into another. It’s easy to diminish our accomplishments, or forget about them entirely in a year like 2020, but I promise you that once you write it down in a journal and look back on your wins, you’ll be astonished at how much you’ve done and how far you’ve come. Let me know if you enjoy this episode and how you review and plan to achieve your dream life!Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Stitcher.

Show NotesOn today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m sharing six ways you can read more with a busy life. It can be hard to get back into the habit of reading, especially with digital technologies like social media vying for our (vastly shortened) attention spans. We all only have 24 hours in a day and it can be hard to find pockets of time to justify reading a book when we have a million other tasks we’ve had to prioritize (props to all of the parents out there). I’ve gone through my fair share of reading slumps, but these are my tried-and-true tips on how to read more.In this episode, I’ll explain in more detail the following 6 methods: AudiobooksThe 2-Minute Rule Habit Tracker / Star StickersSticky Note Method Pick a topic or genre you actually enjoy, NOT what’s popularRe-visit an old faithfulWord Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Stitcher.

Show NotesOn today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m sharing my candid discussion with Calissa, the founder and host of The First Step Podcast (previously aired on that podcast!) For the first book club pick, we discussed Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman.It’s the story of two friends (also hosts of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast), Aminatou and Ann, on the art of friendship maintenance and how these relationships ebb and flow over time.In this episode, we recap the book, give our reviews and go deep into how the book’s themes, from shine theory to stretching for your friendships have affected our own lives. We’ll be doing a book club review every month until April 2020! Our next book club pick is Monogamy by Sue Miller, so grab a copy and read along with us! Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Stitcher.

Show NotesOn today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m talking about Chekhov’s Gun — firstly, what the hell is it? Secondly, how can you employ it in your writing? I took this concept WAY TOO LITERALLY for a long time, but have come to love the setup and payoff it brings to add dramatic significance to my plot. Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Stitcher.

Show NotesOn today's chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I share a lesson that took me a long time to fully grasp and is one of the key's to success in any field, but especially when it comes to writing a book and becoming a published author — and that is learning how to fall in love with boredom. Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Stitcher.

Show NotesToday’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast is part 2 (of 2) where I go into more detail about how to plot a thriller and outline a mystery/suspense novel with 27 different story beats using the 3 Act Structure. There’s a lot of information in here, so you might want to grab a notebook and pen beforehand, but hopefully it provides a semblance of structure when you’re outlining or hit writer’s block in your plot. Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.Available on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes and Stitcher.

  Show NotesToday’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast is part 1 of 2 where I share my findings on how to plot a thriller / murder mystery / suspense novel — and it starts by working backwards! The plotting principles could also be useful for writers of all genres to think about when outlining their current or future book projects. Hope everyone’s #NaNoWriMo is going well! Happy Writing :) Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.  

  Show NotesOn today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I chat with Travis King (who joins me from Mexico City) on his new travel memoir, Not That Anyone Asked: A Travel Memoir about Sex, Drugs, Love and Finding Purpose. After finishing his Master’s Degree at the age of 28, Travis couldn’t bring himself to follow the traditional American blueprint laid out for success, so he took off to South America. That first flight was the start of an adventure around the world—an adventure that his friends didn’t understand and of which his father openly disapproved.Travis shares how his father feels about the release of his raw and revealing book, how he learned to create his own version of success and the importance of following through on the promises we make to ourselves.Connect with TravisWebsite: traviswking.comBook Instagram: @ntaa_memoirPersonal Instagram: @traviskingtravelsWord Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.  

  Show NotesOn today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m sharing my recent speech for the University of Toronto’s “How to Become Published” panel to journalism and creative writing students. Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.  

  Show NotesOn today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I have the honour of speaking with 13-year-old bestselling thriller author and mental health writer for Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global, Kristina Naydonova.Wise beyond her years, it was a treat getting to chat with Kristina about her debut thriller, The Black Sisterhood Files, her writing process, how she balances school and authorhood, her thoughts on social media, advice for writers of all ages, her dreams for the future and how she came to be such a prolific writer and speaker.See below her feature on CBS6 News Connect with KristinaWebsite: kristina.coInstagram: @kristina.naydonovaWord Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.  

  Show NotesToday’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast was inspired by a trend I noticed a couple years ago that still seems to prevail—and that is the use of the word GIRL in book titles! Gone Girl, Girl on a Train, THe Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest…you’ve probably noticed and wondered about it too! I’ve also typed into google such questions as: “What are the most popular book titles?” and “What are bestselling book titles?” — I was curious to see if the most popular and bestselling novels out there fit a particular pattern, and lo and behold, yes they do! Many use repetitive, cliché words and often fall into a mold based on genre.Selecting a book title is a great opportunity to indicate plot, character and the overall aura or atmosphere. Readers like to know what they’re getting into and a book title is a key way to capture their attention.I discovered eight (8) general trends that the most common book titles *usually* possess. In today’s chapter, I discuss in more detail the following:Female NamesMale NamesThe Weighty WordsThe (followed by a) NounThe Noun Sandwich The Fragmented SentenceThe Run-On SentenceThe Biblical ReferenceI also touch on specific popular WORDS (i.e. “Girl” “Woman” “Life” “House”) that are trending in each genre. Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.  

  Show NotesOn today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m talking about visualization and how you can use it as a transformational tool for achieving your wildest writing goals.Visualization, on its own, is picturing in your mind the outcome of something BEFORE it has happened. By utilizing all five senses to vividly imagine your idealized outcome, it brings your desired goal into the realm of possibility. Our thoughts are energy, they are so powerful! Your amygdala, the part of our brain responsible for the fight or flight response (our survival instinct), has trouble distinguishing between something that is being seen in your mind during a visualization and something that is actually happening in real time. Simply by visualizing it, you are bringing it into your reality.When you consistently practice visualization, you’re engaging the familiarity effect, where your wildest writing dreams suddenly seem less scary or impossible and more tangible! Olympic athletes, like Michael Phelps, have leveraged the powers of visualization (often up to two hours a day) in psychological preparation for big competitions and events. Michael would see himself winning, feel the weight of a gold medal around his neck, smell the chlorine in the pool, taste the water on his lips, hear the sound of the gun going off and the crowds cheering.As writers, we can employ the same techniques in order to be mentally fit for the marathon of writing and publishing a book. That could be envisioning yourself typing “THE END” on your first draft, getting a phone call from your agent with a book deal, walking into your favourite bookstore and seeing your novel on the Hot New Releases table or opening up the newspaper and seeing your name in print on the bestseller list.Along with helping to manifest your book goals faster, 8 other benefits of visualization are: Improved performance (incl. word count output)Increased focusDecreased levels of stress and anxietyInsomnia reliefBoosted immunityAlleviate migraines and chronic painDecreased depressionBoosted confidenceVisualization through meditation, or simply by sitting cross-legged with your eyes closed for five minutes, can start off feeling silly and as though nothing is happening (we are so used to instant gratification) — but through consistent practice, I have noticed the benefits only in hindsight, they happened almost invisibly over time. If you can BELIEVE IT, you can ACHIEVE IT! Word Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.  

  Show NotesOn today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I’m taking you on a trip down typography lane and chatting about the best fonts for books. Did you know, on average, a bookstore browser spends 8 seconds looking at the front cover, 15 seconds reading the back cover and about 5 seconds flipping through a book? Not only are people judging a book by the imagery on the cover, they’re also subconsciously judging the typography! I found myself down a research rabbit hole looking up the best fonts to use for my manuscript (if you take nothing else away from this episode, always use Times New Roman 12pt font for your manuscript!) — then I got curious about the typography of my favourite books. In this episode, I discuss the history of typefaces produced just after the invention of the printing press, the five (5) most popular fonts by genre for the interior body of a book, fun fonts for book covers and the difference between a serif and sans serif font.After listening, you likely won’t be able to pick up a book without investigating the typesetting, as hopefully you find the psychology as fascinating as I do! Book fonts are important for two (2) main reasons:Readability — the font has to be easy on the eyes for the reader to absorb for a long period of time (includes the spacing between letters, the height and thickness and the size of the serifs)Elicit emotion — the typesetting of a book can drastically change how a reader receives your words. When choosing font for your own finished book, ask yourself what message is your book trying to send and what do you want readers to feel?The Most Popular Five (5) Fonts for a Book By Genre:Literary Fiction: BaskervilleRomance Novels: SabonThillers and Airport Page-Turners: GaramondAcademic Non-Fiction: CaslonGeneral Interest: UtopiaWord Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.  

  Show NotesOn today’s chapter of the Word Weaver Podcast I have the surreal experience of speaking with ANOTHER author named Louise Johnson on the launch day of her debut memoir, Lou Who?I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to speak with my literary doppelgänger and I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did!Louise moved from Scotland to Vancouver following a traumatic divorce and turned her transformative six-year period into a self-reflective memoir: detailing her discovery of selfhood, personal health, sexuality and ultimately her gratitude for this land she now calls home, which has returned her to the essence of herself.Her writing style is unabashed and her stories are anything but sugarcoated. As a writer, Louise believes in conveying her experiences using a mixture of stark reality and dark humour; and as a woman, she’s not afraid to tell the truth, especially if that truth is hard.If you’re considering self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, Louise has some great insight on her positive experience with The Self Publishing Agency.Happy listening!Connect With LouiseWebsite: louisejohnsonauthor.comInstagram: @_louise_johnson_Facebook: /louisejohnsonauthorWord Weaver Podcast LinksInstagram: @wordweaverpodcastWebsite: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast#wordweaverpodcastIntro Song: Late July by Shakey GravesOutro Song: Way With Words by BahamasNEW episodes are posted weekly. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review and screenshot/share the Word Weaver Podcast on social media as it helps more people find it! I appreciate it so much.