The Confident Fiction Author

Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Fiction
  • Weekly

Hey there my fellow author, I’m Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer, an old soul kind of writer living my dream as a full-time author and authorprenuer. But I didn’t start out living a confident creative lifestyle. I struggled with the fears and the mental and emotional barriers that so often plague writers at all stages of their author career. But the truth is that, with the right knowledge, tools, and training, you can overcome those barriers. I’m here to teach you how I’ve developed a lifestyle that’s allowed me to publish 19 books (and counting). Each week as you tune into the Confident Fiction Author podcast, you’ll get clarity on the steps you need to take to advance your writing career. Whether it’s developing your ideal writing routine, tackling new skills like dictating your fiction, or overcoming the obstacles life throws your way, this podcast will help you live a more confident, creative lifestyle.Free resources for you:The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: https://www.fictioncourses.com/toolkitDictation + Scrivener Power Combo: https://www.fictioncourses.com/dictationDictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: https://www.fictioncourses.com/dictation5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: https://www.fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

  1. 1d ago

    #74: Taking Your Fiction Outside: The GO Method

    Have you ever taken your dictation outside, come home with 200 garbled words, and decided walking and dictating just isn't for you? Here's what actually happened: you changed modes, and a new mode is a new skill. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, I'm sharing Taking Your Fiction Outside: The GO Method. In this episode, you'll discover: •  Why dictating outside is its own skill, even when you're comfortable dictating at your desk •  How to separate the logistics from the story, so you're solving one problem at a time •  What a sunrise on the beach in Galveston taught me about being ready to write outside If you're doing Novel November, this is a good week to GO (Get Outside)! You may find an entire extra scene in a walk you were already taking. Listen to the episode or read the blog-style version on my Substack here. And if you want a tool for your outdoor sessions, my app Fictate is designed specifically for fiction authors. You can record with your phone in your pocket and transcribe when you get home, with a free trial waiting at fictateapp.com. *** Free resources for you: The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide 5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

    #74: Taking Your Fiction Outside: The GO Method

  2. Oct 26

    #73: Sitting Out Novel November: How to Stay on the Team From the Sidelines

    So many authors in your circle are gearing up to write a novel in November. They're outlining, joining the groups, counting down the days. But you already know this isn't your year. If you're feeling like the one kid who won't get to go to the party, this episode is just for you. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, I'm sharing Sitting Out Novel November: How to Stay on the Team From the Sidelines. In this episode, you'll discover: •  Why skipping November stings in a way skipping a random week in March never does •  My two very different Novembers on the sidelines, and the one decision that made all the difference •  What a sideline author can do with the month that still shows up in your next book •  How to handle 30 days of word-count posts, including the one thing I'd encourage you to try Read the blog-style version on my Substack here. *** Free resources for you: The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide 5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

    #73: Sitting Out Novel November: How to Stay on the Team From the Sidelines

  3. Oct 19

    #72: The Author's "No" Problem: Why Your One Thing Has No Hours

    Over the last couple of weeks, you named what your last 90 days of the year are for, and you learned to read the fear around that goal as a compass. So now you know what matters. Here's the problem with knowing what matters: everything else is still on your calendar. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, I'm sharing The Author's "No" Problem: Why Your One Thing Has No Hours. In this episode, you'll discover: •  Why clarity is not space, and the only way creative room ever gets made •  The conference I really wanted to say yes to this year, and the one question that made it a clear no •  The third answer most of us forget we have, and why "later" turned my Canada trip into a better trip •  What to do with the shiny new story idea that will show up in the second week of November Listen to the episode or read the blog-style version on my Substack here. *** Free resources for you: The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide 5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

    #72: The Author's "No" Problem: Why Your One Thing Has No Hours

  4. Oct 12

    #71: The Two Kinds of Fear Every Author Faces

    If you've named a writing goal for the rest of this year and felt a little knot in your stomach right after, this episode is for you. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, I'm sharing The Two Kinds of Fear Every Author Faces. In this episode, you'll discover: •  The two kinds of fear, and why you release one but read the other like a compass •  Why I've been scared of writing book six in my Choctaw Tribune series for almost five years •  The 27,000 words I had to throw away, and why that mistake saved a book •  The small daily habit that gets you into your writing whether you feel ready or not •  What to decide now, so you know what to do when you hit a wall in November Listen to the episode or read the blog-style version on my Substack here. And if you want your five minutes of fiction to be as simple as tapping one button and speaking, my app Fictate is designed specifically for fiction authors, with a free trial waiting at fictateapp.com. *** Free resources for you: The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide 5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

    #71: The Two Kinds of Fear Every Author Faces

  5. Oct 6

    #70: Your Last 90 Days of the Year (Less but Better)

    If you're looking at October through December and already feeling behind, this episode is for you. Novel November and the holidays land back to back, and most of us either plan this quarter like any other and get flattened, or write it off and wait for January. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, in Your Last 90 Days of the Year (Less but Better), I'm sharing how I plan the strangest quarter of the author year, and the one thing my own 90 days are for. In this episode, you'll discover: •  Why 90 days is the sweet spot for planning, and why later is where your goals go to die •  The hot tub conversation with my mom that kept this podcast alive, and the right-sized middle it taught me •  The one sentence to write this week •  Why your holidays, rest days, and Sabbaths go on the calendar before your writing does •  Four completely legitimate Novembers, from the full 50,000-word sprint to a month of rest •  The three dates your 90 days need, including a finish line before Christmas By the end, you'll have a plan for the best 90 days of your year, not the most, with your rest built in and your one thing at the center. Read the blog-style version on my Substack here. *** Free resources for you: The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide 5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

    #70: Your Last 90 Days of the Year (Less but Better)

  6. Sep 28

    #69: Why Authors Need Solitude (and Where to Find It)

    If you rest, take breaks, even take walks, and you still sit down to write feeling like there's nothing in the tank, this episode is for you. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, in Why Authors Need Solitude (and Where to Find It), I'm sharing how solitude isn't about being alone. In this episode, you'll discover: •  How solitude differs from rest, downtime, and doing nothing •  The solo train ride where nothing happened, and why that was exactly right •  Where the quiet gaps in your day went, and how to take two of them back By the end, you'll know where to find solitude in the life you already have, and why late September is the time to refill the well before Novel November and the holidays. Listen to the episode or read the blog-style version on my Substack here. *** Free resources for you: The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide 5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

    #69: Why Authors Need Solitude (and Where to Find It)

  7. Sep 21

    #68: Recognition AI vs. Generative AI: What Every Author Needs to Know

    If you do all of your own writing but you're hearing that half the writing tools you use are "AI," and you've wondered whether that could get your book rejected, this episode is for you. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, I'm sharing Recognition AI vs. Generative AI: What Every Author Needs to Know. In this episode, you'll discover: •  The two types of AI—recognition and generative—and why lumping them together causes most of the fear •  The three positions a tool can sit in, and the one question that sorts any of them •  What Amazon actually asks you to disclose, and where dictation, Grammarly, cleanup tools, etc., land •  A practical safeguard if you're on the traditional route and worried about being falsely flagged •  Exactly where my own app sits on these lines, including the data and watermarking questions By the end, you'll be able to sort every tool in your writing process into the right box, and decide what belongs there based on your own publishing goals. Listen to the episode or read the blog-style version on my Substack here. And if you want to dictate your fiction in a tool where all of this is laid out plainly, my app Fictate is designed specifically for fiction authors, with a free trial waiting at fictateapp.com. *** Free resources for you: The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide 5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

    #68: Recognition AI vs. Generative AI: What Every Author Needs to Know

  8. Sep 14

    #67: The Week After: Turning What You Learned Into What You Do

    If you came home from a conference, a class, or a bootcamp with pages of notes and a lit-up feeling, and two weeks later nothing about your writing life is actually different, this episode is for you. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, I'm sharing The Week After: Turning What You Learned Into What You Do. In this episode, you'll discover: •  Why the energy you came home with after an event has a shelf life of about a week •  Why your first step should be ridiculously easy (mine was 33 words on an airplane) •  Why the gap between the demo and your first try is not evidence that it won't work for you By the end, you'll have a three-move action step you can do in about ten minutes, and the window to do it in. Listen to the episode or read the blog-style version on my Substack here. And if your one thing is dictation, my app Fictate is designed specifically for dictating fiction authors, with a free trial waiting at fictateapp.com. Your first session can be 33 words. It doesn't have to be impressive. It just has to happen. *** Free resources for you: The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: fictioncourses.com/toolkit Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo Mini Course: fictioncourses.com/dictation Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: fictioncourses.com/dictationguide 5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

    #67: The Week After: Turning What You Learned Into What You Do
See All (74)

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Hey there my fellow author, I’m Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer, an old soul kind of writer living my dream as a full-time author and authorprenuer. But I didn’t start out living a confident creative lifestyle. I struggled with the fears and the mental and emotional barriers that so often plague writers at all stages of their author career. But the truth is that, with the right knowledge, tools, and training, you can overcome those barriers. I’m here to teach you how I’ve developed a lifestyle that’s allowed me to publish 19 books (and counting). Each week as you tune into the Confident Fiction Author podcast, you’ll get clarity on the steps you need to take to advance your writing career. Whether it’s developing your ideal writing routine, tackling new skills like dictating your fiction, or overcoming the obstacles life throws your way, this podcast will help you live a more confident, creative lifestyle.Free resources for you:The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: https://www.fictioncourses.com/toolkitDictation + Scrivener Power Combo: https://www.fictioncourses.com/dictationDictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: https://www.fictioncourses.com/dictation5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: https://www.fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

Information

  • Creator
    Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    74
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer
  • Show Website
    The Confident Fiction Author

You Might Also Like