The Confident Fiction Author

Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Fiction
  • Updated 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. 4d ago

    #66: The Five Stages of a Total Draft

    If you can dictate a scene now but a whole book still feels like a different animal —where the outline lives, what happens to all those messy transcripts, when does it become a manuscript?— this episode is for you. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, I'm sharing The Five Stages of a Total Draft, the final letter of my D.R.A.F.T. framework series with T=Total Draft. This is where all of your practice pays off. In this episode, you'll discover: •  Why dictation doesn't remove the long haul of a first draft, and what it changes instead •  The five stages of my Total Draft system, and why workflows fail at the seams between stages, not inside them •  The 30-second startup checklist that protects your whole session •  What a real dictation writing session looks like in a real life, including 350 words in the school pickup line and a full scene in four 10-minute sessions By the end, you'll have the complete loop from outline to manuscript, and all five letters of the framework in hand. Listen to the episode or read the blog-style version on my Substack here. And if you've been listening to this whole series thinking, "I love this, but my tech is still fighting me," my Dictation Bootcamp starts today! We kick off this morning with the pre-party, and the replay is available if you miss it. Training days are Wednesday and Thursday, the masterclass finale is Friday, and you'll have seven days to watch the replays of the entire bootcamp. The whole event is about conquering the tech so you can actually begin dictating your fiction. There's still a little time to grab your seat at fictioncourses.com/dictationbootcamp. I hope to see you in the bootcamp! *** 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

    #66: The Five Stages of a Total Draft

  2. Sep 1

    #65: Welcome to the Other Side of the Blank Page

    If you can read a page aloud and ramble through your morning pages, but the thought of making up a scene out loud, in your own voice, makes your brain freeze, this episode is for you. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, I'm sharing Welcome to the Other Side of the Blank Page. We're on week four of my D.R.A.F.T. framework series with F=Fiction, the letter authors tell me they fear the most, and the place where every Fictator gets made. In this episode, you'll discover: •  Why speaking an unpolished story out loud feels so exposing •  The "load before you fire" habit that stops the mid-sentence stall •  My four-sentence paragraph for opening any scene •  What to do when you stall •  Your first full scene exercise, and how bracket notes let you keep going when a character shows up you didn't plan on By the end, you'll have the recipe for your first dictated scene, and full permission for it to be messy. Listen to the episode or read the blog-style version on my Substack here. And if you want to dictate your first scene in a tool designed specifically for fiction authors, my app Fictate is out of beta and open to everyone! Your outline sits right on the screen while you speak, and you can teach it your character names so they come out spelled right. There's a free trial waiting for you at fictateapp.com. Still not dictating yet because the tech is fighting you? My Dictation Bootcamp is where you start! It runs September 8 through 11, and the whole event is about conquering the tech, your built-in tools, the record and transcribe method, and getting everything talking to your writing software. Details at fictioncourses.com/dictationbootcamp. I hope to see you in the bootcamp! *** 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

    #65: Welcome to the Other Side of the Blank Page

  3. Aug 24

    #64: There's No Wrong Way to Dictate Your Fiction (A=DRAFT Framework)

    If you've been doing your dictation reps and wondering, "wait, am I supposed to watch the words appear, or close my eyes, or not look at a screen at all?" this episode is for you. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, we're on week three of my D.R.A.F.T. framework series with A=Approach, and the first answer is going to take some pressure off: there is no right or wrong way to dictate your fiction. In this episode, you'll discover: •  Why the authors who quit dictation usually aren't failing at dictation, they're failing at the one approach they knew to try •  The three roads into your story world, with the pros and cons of each •  The one habit that protects you when you stop watching the screen •  Why I wrote my first nine books on one road, switched roads for several more, and have now gone back to where I started •  How to choose your starting road, and why switching later is growth, not inconsistency By the end, you'll know which road to take for your next session, with full permission to try all three. Listen to the episode or read the blog-style version on my Substack here.  And if you want a tool where all three roads are built in, my app Fictate was designed specifically for dictating fiction authors, and it's out of beta and open to everyone! There's a free trial waiting for you 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

    #64: There's No Wrong Way to Dictate Your Fiction (A=DRAFT Framework)

  4. Aug 17

    #63: The Three Reps that Make Dictation Automatic

    If you've ever spoken a sentence into your notes app and thought, "there's a canyon between this and dictating an actual novel," this episode is for you. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, we're on week two of my D.R.A.F.T. framework series with R=Reps, where your dictation training really begins. In this episode, you'll discover: •  Why dictation is a skill, not a switch you flip •  Three reps that bridge the canyon from "never dictated a word" to a daily practice that makes dictation feel automatic •  Your three punctuation options, including the one I trained myself on and recommend you try before you decide •  My fastest writing session ever, and why that number convinced me to master this skill for good By the end, you'll have this week's training plan in hand. Listen to the episode or read the blog-style version on my Substack here. And if you want to do your reps in a tool that was designed for fiction authors, my app Fictate is out of beta and open to everyone! There's a free trial waiting for you 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

    #63: The Three Reps that Make Dictation Automatic

  5. Aug 10

    #62: The $1,000 Myth: What It Actually Takes to Start Dictating Your Fiction

    This week on The Confident Fiction Author, I'm kicking off a brand new 5 week series on my D.R.A.F.T. framework, my complete roadmap for learning to dictate your fiction. We're starting with D=Devices. In this episode, you'll discover: •  Why the "$1,000 myth" (the belief that dictation requires expensive software and gear) kept me from starting for years, and why it's simply not true anymore •  The exact 60 second test that confirms your setup is working, using nothing but the device already in your pocket •  The "maximizer trap" that halts more dictation journeys than any tech problem ever has •  What to actually do when the tech fights back By the end, you'll know exactly how to take your first real step today, no research, no purchase, no waiting for the "right" setup. And here's today's other big news in case you missed my earlier email: Fictate is officially out of beta! It's the app I designed specifically for dictating fiction authors, and it's open to everyone now 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

    #62: The $1,000 Myth: What It Actually Takes to Start Dictating Your Fiction

  6. Aug 4

    #61: The One Tool That Can 10X Your Fiction Writing Life

    If you've ever told yourself you just need to try harder, type faster, sit longer, and push through, this episode is for you. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, I'm sharing The One Tool That Can 10X Your Fiction Writing Life, and making a case that 10X is actually easier than 2X. In this episode, you'll discover: •  Why the "2X trap" quietly costs you more strain for every extra word, and why that's not a career strategy, it's a countdown •  The real difference between 2X thinking and 10X thinking, and why grinding harder can get you to double, but never to ten times •  The one tool that breaks the trade between speed and effort entirely, giving you more words with less strain instead of more of both By the end, you'll have a different question to ask yourself than "how do I do more of this." You'll be asking what would actually have to change, and that's the question that gets you somewhere typing harder never will. Listen to the episode or read the blog-style version on my Substack here. You can also listen to this episode on FictionCourses.com, or search for The Confident Fiction Author podcast on your favorite podcast app (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more). *** 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

  7. Jul 28

    #60: Choose Your Hard

    Have you ever thought, this is just too hard — and wondered if that means writing isn't really your calling after all? This week on The Confident Fiction Author, I'm sharing Choose Your Hard — a phrase that landed for me fresh on a Saturday morning walk, soaking wet socks and all. In this episode, you'll discover: Why writing a book is hard — and why not writing it is hard too, just in a way that lasts a lot longerThe physical toll typing takes on authors' bodies, and why it compounds more than we admitWhy learning to dictate your fiction is hard for a season, while typing is a hard on your body that never endsA simple practice for naming your two hards side by side so you can choose on purpose, instead of relitigating the decision every morningEvery path forward has a hard in it. This episode will help you pick the one that's actually going somewhere. Listen to the episode or read the blog-style version on my Substack here. You can also listen to this episode on FictionCourses.com, or search for The Confident Fiction Author podcast on your favorite podcast app (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more). Also, Fictate™ — the only app I know of designed specifically for dictating fiction — is in beta and totally free right now! If choosing the "learning to dictate" hard is calling your name, grab your spot at fictateapp.com/beta. *** 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

    #60: Choose Your Hard

  8. Jul 20

    #59: Words, Consistency, Health: The real formula for a career that lasts

    Have you ever looked down the road at the writing career you want and asked yourself, can I actually keep this up? Maybe your wrists ache after a long session, or your shoulders carry a knot that never quite lets go. Or maybe your body is fine, but your calendar isn't, and you keep wondering where you're supposed to find the hours to write every book in your head. This week on The Confident Fiction Author, I'm sharing Words, Consistency, Health: The real formula for a career that lasts, the strategy that changed my own answer to that question from "I hope so" to "yes, for life." In this episode, you'll discover: ✓  Why sustainability rests on three legs: words, consistency, and health, and what happens when one of them gives out ✓  The real story of my seven-year failure with dictation, and why it was never about talent or being "wired" for it ✓  Why messy first drafts are the goal, not a flaw to fix, and how that mindset shift is what actually finishes books ✓  Why you likely already own every tool you need to start today, no expensive software required If you've tried dictation before and it didn't stick, this episode will show you why that's not proof your brain doesn't work that way. It's proof nobody showed you how to train it. Listen to the episode or read the blog-style version on my Substack here. You can also listen to this episode on FictionCourses.com, or search for The Confident Fiction Author podcast on your favorite podcast app (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more). I have a whole summer of dictation help coming your way, so stay close to the podcast and keep an eye on your inbox, because you won't want to miss what's ahead! *** 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

    #59: Words, Consistency, Health: The real formula for a career that lasts
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5
out of 5
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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
    66
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer
  • Show Website
    The Confident Fiction Author

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