Your Write Life Coach | Motivation and Momentum for Heart-Led Authors

Alice Crider | Book Editor, Author Coach, Certified Life Coach
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Welcome to Your Write Life Coach! A podcast where heart-led authors of non-fiction, fiction, and memoir go from stuck and overwhelmed to aligned and unstoppable. Each week, I bring you real stories, hard-won lessons, and secrets from bestselling authors, so you can avoid costly mistakes and move forward with clarity and confidence. With my 30 years of experience, I'll help you shift from confusion and burnout to purpose and momentum. Because book publishing success doesn't have to mean selling your soul. I'm Alice Crider, and I'm so glad you're here. Learn more at alicecrider.com.

  1. 4d ago

    Why Are You Writing? Your Reason May Not Be What You First Think It Is | Ep14

    Most of us never actually stop to ask why we write. We assume we know — and often, we're wrong. In this episode, I take listeners back to my own teenage assumption that being good at English meant I was meant to be a writer, and the adult detour that followed: chasing the idea of making money as an author, before realizing that wasn't my real why after all. That realization led me to editing instead — and, decades later, to writing a book of my own for reasons that have nothing to do with a royalty statement. I walk through the real reasons writers write — to communicate, to be heard, to be noticed, to contribute, to leave a legacy, or because they simply feel called — and name something many authors carry quietly: the shame of wanting to be paid for their work, and the fear that admitting it makes them less "legitimate" as a writer. I ground the conversation in real numbers from the Authors Guild's 2023 Author Income Survey, and close with a simple, layered writing exercise designed to help you find your own most honest why. In This Episode Why being good at something isn't the same as being called to itThe real reasons writers write: to communicate, to be heard, to be noticed, to contribute, to leave a legacy, or because they feel calledWhat the Authors Guild's 2023 Author Income Survey actually reveals about what published authors earnThe quiet shame many writers carry about wanting to be paid — and permission to let it goMy own story: from a teenage assumption about being a writer, to chasing a money-driven dream, to becoming an editor insteadThis week's exercise: the seven-layer "I write because..." question to find your most heartfelt why 🌟 From the Episode "Fog doesn't carry you through a revision at eleven o'clock at night. Clarity does." "Wanting to be paid fairly for your work is not a character flaw. You're allowed to want the deeper reason and the paycheck. Those two things aren't in competition. They're supposed to work together." 💎 This Week's Invitation Take a blank sheet of paper and write, "I write because..." — then fill in the blank with your most honest answer. Underneath it, write down why you answered that way ("I write because I love to write" becomes "I love to write because..."). Keep asking the next why, based on your last answer, seven times through. By the bottom of the page, you'll have landed on your most heartfelt reason — the one that was underneath all the others the whole time. Links & Resources 📒 Free resources: alicecrider.com 📒 The InkWell Collective: https://www.alicecrider.com/inkwellcollective 📒 Coaching inquiries: admin@alicecrider.com Source for author income statistics: Authors Guild 2023 Author Income Survey (authorsguild.org) ✒️ Join the Conversation What's your honest answer to "I write because..."? We'd love to hear where your seven layers landed — share it with us inside The InkWell Collective, or tag Alice when you post. About Alice Alice Crider is a book editor, certified life coach, and author coach with nearly thirty years of publishing experience. She hosts Your Write Life Coach and leads The InkWell Collective, a community for heart-led authors. Her first book releases next year.

    Why Are You Writing? Your Reason May Not Be What You First Think It Is | Ep14

  2. Aug 10

    From Unpublished to Multi-Published: Angela Ruth Strong on Rejection, Resilience, and Writing Rom-Com at 35,000 Feet | Ep13

    I sit down with author Angela Ruth Strong — flight attendant, breast cancer survivor, and multi-published, award-winning writer of Christian romantic comedy — for a candid conversation about the real road from unpublished to multi-published. Angela shares her “victim ladder” framework for processing rejection, the moment a rejection nearly broke her, how she kept writing through chemo brain, and what she's learned about redefining success on her own terms. About Angela Ruth Strong Angela Ruth Strong is a multi-published, award-winning author of Christian romantic comedy (rom-com). Her books have earned a TOP PICK in Romantic Times, a Christy Award nomination, and the Cascade Award, and she has landed on Amazon bestseller lists more than once. Her novel Finding Love in Big Sky was adapted for film (aired on UPtv). Angela writes while working as a flight attendant, is a breast cancer survivor, and founded IDAhope Writers to support aspiring authors in Idaho, where she lives. Her newest release, Claire Holloway Is Winging It, is book one in her High-Flying Romance series. What You'll Hear In This Episode The “victim ladder” — Angela's eight-step framework for moving through rejection, from denial and blame through acceptance, ownership, and forward motionThe rejection that “broke her” — and how that same publisher later became her publishing homeWhy her most enjoyable book to write, Husband Auditions, came together during breast cancer treatment and chemo brainHow Angela wove comedy into her romance writing after the chick-lit market dried upHer four examples of “spending styles” — enjoyment, stability, status, or control — and how each can shape what success looks like for a writerWhat she wishes someone had told her: that writing is more about the personal arc than the finish line 💎Favorite Moments "I felt like I had to prove myself. I felt like if I didn't become published soon enough, I'd give up on my dreams, and then they'd never happen." "Success for me is really enjoyment. I enjoy what I do. I enjoy meeting people. I enjoy the process." "It's more about my character growth, my personal arc, my personal story, than it is about success — than it is about getting to the end." 🔖 About Claire Holloway Is Winging It Book one in the High-Flying Romance series, Claire Holloway Is Winging It, draws on Angela's real experience as a flight attendant — including, by her own admission, at least one real-life rogue orange juice carton. Connect with Angela 🌐 AngelaRuthStrong.com 💌 Sign up for Angela's newsletter and join her reader group on Facebook (“Strong Readers”)  for updates on new releases. Connect with Alice 🌐 Website: alicecrider.com 📗 The InkWell Collective — A community of heart-led authors, including regular writing sprints on Zoom https://www.alicecrider.com/inkwellcollective 🐴 Coaching inquiries: admin@alicecrider.com

    From Unpublished to Multi-Published: Angela Ruth Strong on Rejection, Resilience, and Writing Rom-Com at 35,000 Feet | Ep13

  3. Aug 3

    Just Say Next — Seven More Ways to Navigate a "No" | Ep12

    Before Chicken Soup for the Soul became a bestselling franchise, the original manuscript was rejected 144 times. Jack Canfield's advice for handling a pile of no's? "Reject rejection. If someone says no, just say NEXT!" Last episode, I talked about why rejection hurts and how to hold it as information instead of a verdict. This week, I'm back with seven more ways to actually walk through a "no" when it lands — plus a piece of my own early career story and an old baseball phrase that's changed how I think about staying in the game. In this episode, I cover: Let Yourself Feel ItGet Curious Instead of Defensive"No" Often Means "Not Here"Reframe Rejection as RedirectionPlay the "What If Up" GameDon't Carry It AloneRecruit Extra SupportPlus: the bottom line on remembering who you are, even when the rejections keep coming. Links Mentioned 🔖 Mentioned in this episode: the story of Chicken Soup for the Soul's 144 rejections, as recounted by Jack Canfield (source: Literary Hub, "The Most-Rejected Books of All Time"). 🔖 Nervous system regulation list referenced from functional medicine practitioner Dr. Will Cole (@drwillcole). 🔖 The "no hits, no runs, no errors" baseball phrase, referenced from the Baseball Almanac. Free Resources for You 📒 Free Guide: Reader Avatar Worksheet Reconnect with who you're actually writing for — a beautiful reset when you've gotten tangled up in what everyone wants instead of who really needs your words. https://www.alicecrider.com/reader-avatar   📒 Free ebook: Book Publishing Essentials A foundational ebook to help you navigate the publishing journey with clarity and confidence. https://www.alicecrider.com/book-publishing-essentials 📒 Free Download: Your First 100 Readers Roadmap A step-by-step path to your first 100 true fans. No ads, no big platform, no guessing. https://www.alicecrider.com/100-readers-032026 📗 Join The InkWell Collective — A community of heart-led authors, including regular writing sprints on Zoom. https://www.alicecrider.com/inkwellcollective ✅ Coaching inquiries: admin@alicecrider.com or alicecrider.com

    Just Say Next — Seven More Ways to Navigate a "No" | Ep12

  4. Jul 27

    Why Rejection Hurts (and What It's Really Teaching You) | Ep11

    That email. That phone call. "Thank you for your submission, but it's not a fit for our list right now." If you've ever felt your whole identity as a writer wobble after reading one of those, this episode is for you. This week, I'm unpacking why rejection cuts so deep — and why it doesn't mean what you think it means. I'm sharing the story of an author I coached through rejection after rejection, who eventually found her audience in the most unexpected way. I'm also getting honest about a "no" of my own that turned into one of the best collaborations of my career. In this episode, we talk about: Why rejection is information, not a verdictThe very human reason rejection actually hurtsHow to build a container for the sting, without numbing yourself to itWhy your identity was never supposed to depend on anyone else's approval Whatever rejection you're carrying right now, friend, I hope this episode helps you set it down — even just for a minute. 🔖 Mentioned in this episode: Running on Empty Isn't Your Calling: A Whole Mom Reset for Mind, Body, and Soul (co-written with Tricia Goyer), scheduled for release April 2027 Free Resources for You 📒 Free Guide: Reader Avatar Worksheet Reconnect with who you're actually writing for — a beautiful reset when you've gotten tangled up in what everyone wants instead of who really needs your words. https://www.alicecrider.com/reader-avatar   📒 Free ebook: Book Publishing Essentials A foundational ebook to help you navigate the publishing journey with clarity and confidence. https://www.alicecrider.com/book-publishing-essentials 📒 Free Download: Your First 100 Readers Roadmap A step-by-step path to your first 100 true fans. No ads, no big platform, no guessing. https://www.alicecrider.com/100-readers-032026 📗 Join The InkWell Collective — A community of heart-led authors, including regular writing sprints on Zoom. https://www.alicecrider.com/inkwellcollective     Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a comment or review!   ⭐ Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts (iOS only) Open the Apple Podcasts app and search for the show. Tap the title to open the main show page.Scroll down to the Ratings & Reviews section and tap the stars to leave your rating.Tap Write a Review, enter your title, comments, and nickname.Tap Send to submit.

    Why Rejection Hurts (and What It's Really Teaching You) | Ep11

  5. Jul 20

    What Horses Can Teach Writers About Winning Readers' Hearts | Ep10

    Readers don’t connect with your vocabulary — they connect with who you’re being on the page. In this episode, I break down three practical ways to help readers experience your writing instead of just understanding it: writing scenes instead of summaries, using concrete sensory detail, and letting vulnerability do the trust-building work that polish can’t. (There’s also a horse named Nugget involved.) In This Episode Why readers connect with who you’re being on the page, not your vocabularyThe real difference between telling your reader something and letting them experience itA careful, honest look at “mirror neurons” and what the science actually supportsWhy concrete, sensory detail does more work than naming an emotion outrightHow vulnerability — not polish — builds trust fastestOne simple, doable rewrite you can try in your manuscript this week(Plus: what my horse Nugget unintentionally taught me about all of this) A Line to Sit With “They’re not grading your vocabulary. They’re feeling for your pulse.” Mentioned in This Episode ✍️ The line that sparked this episode — horse trainer Pat Parelli’s “Your horse is listening. Just not to your words.” Free Resources for You   📒 Free ebook: Book Publishing Essentials A foundational ebook to help you navigate the publishing journey with clarity and confidence. https://www.alicecrider.com/book-publishing-essentials 📒 Free Guide: Creating an Ideal Reader Avatar Reconnect with who you're actually writing for — a beautiful reset when you've gotten tangled up in what everyone wants instead of who really needs your words. https://www.alicecrider.com/reader-avatar 📒 Free Download: Your First 100 Readers Roadmap A step-by-step path to your first 100 true fans. No ads, no big platform, no guessing. https://www.alicecrider.com/100-readers-032026 📗 Join The InkWell Collective — for monthly masterclasses, workshops, and writing sprints. https://www.alicecrider.com/inkwellcollective     Leave a review — it helps more heart-led authors find the show   ⭐ Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts (iOS only) Open the Apple Podcasts app and search for the show. Tap the title to open the main show page.Scroll down to the Ratings & Reviews section and tap the stars to leave your rating.Tap Write a Review, enter your title, comments, and nickname.Tap Send to submit.

    What Horses Can Teach Writers About Winning Readers' Hearts | Ep10

  6. Jul 13

    Build Writing Momentum Without Burnout | Ep09

    From the outside, momentum looks like nothing's happening — until suddenly it is. In this episode, I take us back to my childhood, riding shotgun in my uncle's twin-engine Cessna, to unpack a truth every heart-led author needs to hear: the writers who actually finish their books aren't the ones waiting for a lightning bolt of inspiration. They're the ones who learned how to taxi — one small, repeatable action at a time. If you've ever felt behind, or like your progress is too small to count, this episode is your permission to keep rolling down the runway. In This Episode The story behind my lifelong love of flying — and the slow, unglamorous taxi every plane takes before it ever lifts offFour patterns I noticed in authors who build real, lasting momentum — and the doubts that usually get in the wayWhy “one sentence a day” isn't really about the math — it's about becoming someone who shows upWhat bestselling author John Grisham has to say about the discipline of daily writingWhy rest isn't the opposite of momentum — it's part of how momentum gets renewedThis week's micro-action invitation, and why noticing your small wins matters more than you'd think Quotes Worth Pinning to Your Wall “Most people watching from the gate can’t tell the difference between a plane that's about to lift off and one that's just rolling slowly down the runway.” “Momentum is made of quiet, reliable, almost boring consistency — the kind you can trust on your worst day, not just your best one.” Mentioned in This Episode Bestselling author John Grisham on daily writing discipline: “Write at least one page every day, without fail.” (a quote widely attributed to Grisham across interviews and writing-craft round-ups) This Week's Invitation Pick one micro-action — one sentence, one paragraph, five minutes with your manuscript. That's it. Not the whole chapter, not the breakthrough. Just the taxi. And then notice when you do it. Let yourself actually feel that small win — that's the very fuel that gets you back to the runway tomorrow. Free Resources for You   📒 Free ebook: Book Publishing Essentials A foundational ebook to help you navigate the publishing journey with clarity and confidence. https://www.alicecrider.com/book-publishing-essentials 📒 Free Guide: Creating an Ideal Reader Avatar Reconnect with who you're actually writing for — a beautiful reset when you've gotten tangled up in what everyone wants instead of who really needs your words. https://www.alicecrider.com/reader-avatar 📒 Free Download: Your First 100 Readers Roadmap A step-by-step path to your first 100 true fans. No ads, no big platform, no guessing. https://www.alicecrider.com/100-readers-032026 *************** 📗 Join The InkWell Collective — live Zoom writing sprints and a community that cheers your small wins: https://www.alicecrider.com/inkwellcollective 🔖 One-on-one coaching with Alice — reach out any time: admin@alicecrider.com or alicecrider.com Let's Stay Connected If this episode found you today, hit subscribe wherever you're listening so you don't miss the next one. And if you have thirty seconds, a quick review helps another heart-led author find their way here, too. About Alice Alice Crider is an author coach, book editor, and certified life coach who has edited hundreds of manuscripts over the course of her career. She hosts Your Write Life Coach, a podcast for heart-led authors who are after both motivation and momentum. Her first book releases in April 2027.

    Build Writing Momentum Without Burnout | Ep09

  7. Jul 6

    The Myth of Multitasking | Ep08

    You've been told your whole life that multitasking is a skill — maybe even a superpower. You put it on your resume. You wear your ability to juggle everything as a badge of honor. But what if it's been costing you more than it's giving you? In this episode, I share why multitasking is actually a myth, what it's doing to your writing, and the simple shift that can unlock more focus, more flow, and more finished pages.   In This Episode Why "multitasking" is really just task-switching — and why it mattersThe hidden cost every interruption adds to your creative workHow fragmented attention affects the quality of your writing (not just the quantity)Why multitasking steals the joy — not just the productivityWhat Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's concept of "flow" has to do with your manuscriptFour practical strategies for single-tasking your way to more meaningful pagesThe invitation: one protected writing session that might just surprise you  From the Episode "Friend, the well isn't dry. Your attention is just… fractured." "Momentum doesn't come from doing everything at once. It comes from doing the right thing, with your whole attention, over and over again."   Your Invitation This Week Pick one writing session — just one — and protect it completely. Close the tabs. Put your phone in another room or flip it face down. Let the people in your household know you need an uninterrupted window. Then give that session your full, undivided attention. Notice what it feels like. Notice what you produce. That's it. Just that one experiment.   Links & Resources Mentioned 📒 Free ebook: Book Publishing Essentials A foundational ebook to help you navigate the publishing journey with clarity and confidence. https://www.alicecrider.com/book-publishing-essentials 📒 Free Guide: Creating an Ideal Reader Avatar Reconnect with who you're actually writing for — a beautiful reset when you've gotten tangled up in what everyone wants instead of who really needs your words. https://www.alicecrider.com/reader-avatar 📒 Free Download: Your First 100 Readers Roadmap A step-by-step path to your first 100 true fans. No ads, no big platform, no guessing. https://www.alicecrider.com/100-readers-032026 📒 Join The InkWell Collective — A community of heart-led authors, including regular writing sprints on Zoom. https://www.alicecrider.com/inkwellcollective 📗 Work with Alice one-on-one: alicecrider.com or email admin@alicecrider.com 📗 Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's concept of flow — for further reading, his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience is the source   Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a comment or review! If this one resonated with you, the kindest thing you can do is leave a review wherever you're listening — it helps other heart-led authors find the show. And if you know a writer who's been living in the chaos of doing-it-all-at-once, send them this episode. It might be just what they need. ⭐ Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts (iOS only) Open the Apple Podcasts app and search for the show. Tap the title to open the main show page. Scroll down to the Ratings & Reviews section and tap the stars to leave your rating. Tap Write a Review, enter your title, comments, and nickname. Tap Send to submit.   *************************** About Your Host Alice Crider is an author coach, book editor, and certified life coach. She has edited hundreds of books and spent decades helping writers move from stuck to published — with their voice, vision, and sanity intact. Her podcast, Your Write Life Coach, exists to give heart-led authors the motivation AND the momentum they need to do the work that matters. Find Alice at alicecrider.com.

    The Myth of Multitasking | Ep08

  8. Jun 29

    You Either Win or You Learn: Long-Term Thinking for Heart-Led Authors | Ep07

    What if the pressure you feel to make it happen right now is the very thing standing between you and a lasting publishing career?   In this episode, I share one of the most powerful — and most overlooked — strategies in publishing: the shift from short-term thinking to long-term thinking. Through two contrasting author stories, a Nelson Mandela quote that reframes rejection entirely, and three qualities that show up in virtually every author who builds something that lasts, I unpack what it really looks like to play the long game.   This isn't about slowing down. It's about building momentum that actually compounds over time.   Key Takeaways Short-term thinking shows up as the "now or never" mindset — rushing to publish, skipping craft development, burning bridges over rejection, and ignoring reader feedback.Long-term thinking means every pitch, every rejection, and every fifteen-minute editor appointment is either a win or a lesson — never a loss.The three P's of long-term thinking: Patience (with yourself, your craft, and the industry), Persistence (focus on the next right step, don't let rejection derail you), and Positivity (become someone people genuinely want to work with).Authors who show up to serve — rather than to be seen — are the ones who build relationships that stand the test of time.The publishing world is smaller than it looks. Editors talk. Agents remember. Who you are in the process matters as much as what you produce.  Authors & Stories Mentioned 📜 Robin Jones Gunn — Author of the Christy Miller series, which has been in print for 37 years. Her publishing journey began not from ambition, but from a desire to serve the young girls in her Sunday school class who couldn't find wholesome books to read.   📜 Kathryn Stockett — Author of The Help, which sold more than 15 million copies worldwide and was adapted into a major motion picture. She submitted her manuscript to at least 50 agents before landing representation. (Writer's Digest has reported the number was closer to 60.)   📜 Joanna Weaver — Author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World (over 1 million copies sold) and four additional bestsellers, written over 25 years.   This Week's Invitation   Take one area of your publishing journey where you've been operating from short-term thinking — a pitch you gave up on too fast, a manuscript you shelved after one rejection, a community you stopped showing up in — and look at it with long-term eyes.   Ask yourself: What's the lesson in it? What's still possible if I stay patient and persistent?   Free Resources for You 📒 Free ebook: Book Publishing Essentials A foundational ebook to help you navigate the publishing journey with clarity and confidence. https://www.alicecrider.com/book-publishing-essentials 📒 Free Guide: Creating an Ideal Reader Avatar Reconnect with who you're actually writing for — a beautiful reset when you've gotten tangled up in what everyone wants instead of who really needs your words. https://www.alicecrider.com/reader-avatar 📒 Free Download: Your First 100 Readers Roadmap A step-by-step path to your first 100 true fans. No ads, no big platform, no guessing. https://www.alicecrider.com/100-readers-032026 📒 Join The InkWell Collective — A community of heart-led authors, including regular writing sprints on Zoom. https://www.alicecrider.com/inkwellcollective Enjoyed This Episode? Leave us a comment or review! ⭐ Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts (iOS only) Open the Apple Podcasts app and search for the show. Tap the title to open the main show page.Scroll down to the Ratings & Reviews section and tap the stars to leave your rating.Tap Write a Review, enter your title, comments, and nickname.Tap Send to submit.

    You Either Win or You Learn: Long-Term Thinking for Heart-Led Authors | Ep07
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Welcome to Your Write Life Coach! A podcast where heart-led authors of non-fiction, fiction, and memoir go from stuck and overwhelmed to aligned and unstoppable. Each week, I bring you real stories, hard-won lessons, and secrets from bestselling authors, so you can avoid costly mistakes and move forward with clarity and confidence. With my 30 years of experience, I'll help you shift from confusion and burnout to purpose and momentum. Because book publishing success doesn't have to mean selling your soul. I'm Alice Crider, and I'm so glad you're here. Learn more at alicecrider.com.

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