Find Your Voice: How to Write When You're Not a Writer

You may have heard the term “ghostwriter.” And you might have some questions. (So did the author write the book or not?)

Not every author comes up with every sentence of their book. Many times, there’s a behind-the-scenes person (or team) involved. And it’s not as scandalous as it sounds. In this episode, writer (and ghostwriter) Allison Fallon interviews another ghostwriter and author, Ashley Abercrombie. 

Both Allison and Ashley have both published under their own name and have written for other people. They talk about the challenges of each, when to know if you’re ready to share a personal story, and what it's like to help someone else’s voice come clear on the page.

And check out Ashley’s book, Rise of the Truth Teller. *

*Find Your Voice uses affiliate links.

We all have our doubts.  Maybe you want to write your story, but you're not sure: not sure it's worth the effort, not sure you want to publish. What if no one even wants to read it? 

Or maybe you definitely don't want to publish, but you have a story from your past that needs working out—a story you have questions about—and something is telling you to write it down.  But you think to yourself, "That's crazy, I'm not a writer."

In this episode, author and writing coach Allison Fallon covers the compelling reasons to write your personal story, even if no one ever reads it. 

Artist, poet, musician and author Morgan Harper Nichols' work has already touched so many people's lives—including ours!

This episode, she shares about how she still gets nervous sharing new work with an audience (and how that's a good thing), the playlist she uses when she writes, and what is special to her about her latest book. She reflects on how words connect—or don't—with people, how art might only connect with one person—and that person might be you (and how worth it that is).

She defines "finding your voice" as that moment when you think, "Yes, that's what I've been trying to say, for a long time."

Order her newest book: How Far You Have Come: Musings on Beauty and Courage*
Check out one of our favorites: All Along You Were Blooming: Thoughts for Boundless Living
morganharpernichols.com

*FYV uses affiliate links. 

So often, it's a childhood love of books and reading which inspires our own writing. But what makes a kid excited about reading and writing?  How can we pass that on?

The mentors in our early lives make a huge difference here. Listen in on Allison Fallon's conversation with an early mentor of her own, her mom, Sandie Spotts. Sandie is a lifelong educator who has years of experience teaching kids to read (and to like reading). In this episode, she shares tips on cultivating a love of reading in the next generation.

So many of us are so focused on getting our stories out there that we forget that becoming "known" has consequences. When you decide to publish (or share your story in any public way), what was once personal and private becomes open for discussion. People will have opinions on your story—and you might not like all of those opinions. 

When Sara Lewis shared her story on a podcast, she didn't think of herself as "brave." But when her story went viral, she quickly learned what it meant to be in the spotlight. 

Follow Sara Lewis on Instagram @SpaceandPurpose
Check out Sara's Blog spaceandpurpose.com
Something Was Wrong Podcast, featuring Sara's story

Is there someone in your life trying to silence you? How do you fight for your voice when you are challenged, and what do you do when that resistance comes from someone close to you?

As an author, speaker, and influencer, Elyse Murphy uses words for a living. But she knows what it's like to have someone suppress her voice: She and Ally both left abusive marriages, and, on this episode, they talk about how you can use a tool like writing—specifically writing your story—to hold onto what you know to be true about yourself.

Instagram: @elyse
Twitter: @elysemaree_
elysemurphy.com

Maybe you doubt if you really have what it takes to write a book.

On this episode, Allison Fallon names five common myths about how books get written—misconceptions that SO many people have about this process.  After debunking these myths, she reveals the truth.

Listen to hear about the myth of the writer's retreat, the typewriter myth, and then what actually happens behind the scenes. 

Hopefully, you'll realize that you, too, have everything it takes to write your words down in the format of the book. 

Is it worth writing even if no one will pay attention?

Melissa wrote a best-selling cookbook back in the height of the Paleo movement called Well Fed. But now, ten years later, she wants to write about something new, and she's not sure her audience will follow.

If you've ever struggled with having a "platform" or "audience" for your writing, today's episode is for you. Listen to hear about what it's like to change topics when the subject you've been writing about isn't where your heart is anymore. 

A few of the many places to find Melissa on the internet:
meljoulwan.com
strongsenseofplace.com
strongsenseofplace.podbean.com
mel@meljoulwan.com 

twitter.com/meljoulwan
instagram.com/meljoulwan
instagram.com/strongsenseof
pinterest.com/strongsenseof
facebook.com/strongsenseofplace

Sometimes, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. But what do we do when we feel hopeless?

On this episode, author, speaking coach, and founder of the Don't Give Up Movement Amy Wolff speaks with us about mental health, writing, and how living a life of impact can start small. She brings "hope" out of the clouds and down to earth: naming its components and giving insights on how to get back to feeling hopeful.

New book: Signs of Hope: How Small Acts of Love Can Change Your World*
dontgiveupsigns.com
amynwolff.com

Amy is our first repeat guest. Listen to her first interview with us (recorded while writing Signs of Hope) here. 
*Find Your Voice uses affiliate links.

As we approach the anniversary of the 2020 shutdown, we all need a place to process. 

Author and writing coach Allison Fallon often praises journaling as a tool for personal growth and a form of self-therapy. But what exactly are the parallels between writing and therapy? And when is it best to simply go to the professionals? 

Los Angeles Therapist Jessica Martindale uncovers what therapy is really about. Listen also for:

• Tips on how to find a therapist
• What to do if you can't afford therapy
• Reflections on how this last year has changed us all

There's no getting around it: over time, we change.
 
As the world shifts and as you change with it, you might find that your creativity is what grounds you to yourself and what connects you to others too.

This episode, Ally sits down with singer and songwriter Audrey Assad. She ask her about creativity as healing, her journey with writing, and her evolution as a creative person. The conversation touches on her fundamentalist background,  what actually helps her write (this will surprise you), and a song that means something special to her.

What is clear from the conversation is this: creativity provides a way to be authentic to ourselves and to tap into something universal, throughout the constant change which is our lives.

audreyassad.com

Do you feel like you're living in an unstable world? (We sure do!)

Today's guest,  poet and a creative coach Mark McGuinness, outlines how we can find stability and assurance in our own creativity. Listen to this conversation to learn:

• how to use the unpredictability we live in to our advantage
• what to do instead of picking up your phone
• why to "forget the career ladder"
• what falling in love with your writing does for you as a person

Find Mark on the internet in these places:

• Mark's website
• Mark's 21st Century Creative podcast,
• Mark's books for creatives
•  Mark's free 21st Century Creative Foundation Course
• Twitter: @markmcguinness
• Medium: @mark_mcguinness

Mothers notoriously have no time in the day and no grace for themselves. Bunmi Laditan, writer and mother living in Quebec, Canada, does it differently.

On today's episode, she shares about what a writing practice has meant for her, as a mother. She calls writing her nonjudgmental friend and encourages all writers (and mothers) that they are not alone. 

Bunmi and Ally have a heartfelt conversation about motherhood, the writing life, and what it means to know we are not alone.

bunmiladitan.com

Blog: The Honest Toddler

Books:

• Dear God: Honest Prayers to a God Who Listens 
• Dear Mother 
• Confessions of a Domestic Failure

Twitter: @honesttoddler
IG: @honesttoddler
FB: @BunmiKLaditan

Join the Dear God book club

In the face of collective, systemic problems—where does one start?

Poet, entrepreneur, tech hybrid investor John Lee Gaston White has a suggestion: start with yourself.

John is working on a book on what it’s like to be Black in America and how trauma is passed down through generations.  Recorded on the day of the insurrection at the US Capitol, Ally and John discuss what "finding your voice" means in light of current events. 

Sometimes we get what we want in life ... and it's not what we imagined. 

Despite the fact that there were a lot of glamorous elements to her work in Hollywood, Alex Hudgens found herself feeling more and more distant from her true self the longer she worked in television—unsure of the difference between what she truly wanted versus what she was told she should want—until finally she couldn’t stand it anymore.

Alex is an actress, a writer, a badass business woman, an advocate for mental health, a personal coach, a former host for Access Hollywood, a two-time Emmy nominated multimedia journalist… and so much more.

Contrary to what popular opinion might suggest, Alex left behind the glamorous life in the spotlight to see if she could get back in contact with something that mattered much more to her than the success she always thought she wanted.

Since then, she’s spent the past few years taking back her voice. 

alexhudgens.com, @a_hudge 

spurrsocial.com, @spurrsocial  

hybridhouseproductions.com, @hybridhouseproductions

Do you feel like you matter? Like—really matter? 

If you do feel like you matter, how do you know? 

Today’s guest is a man who argues that one way to know that we matter—really know—is to do a thing that we tell you to do all the time: it’s to write. But not just write. It’s to have a daily practice of creativity (like writing) that brings you back to this conclusion everyday: I matter. My words matter. 

Dr. Eric Maisel, the author of over 50 books, renowned coach to creatives, a columnist for Psychology Today and mental health advocate. His latest book The Power of Daily Practice teaches artists and creative people how to overcome blockages so they can finally meet their goals. 

So if you’re sure you’re an artist or a writer but you keep thinking to yourself that you don’t have the “discipline” to follow-through on your creative dreams, you aren’t going to want to miss what Eric has to share with you today. Maybe more discipline isn’t what you need at all. As for what you do need… well, let’s get into the conversation. 

ericmaisel.com/books

Most people go their whole lives without ever actually saying what's on their hearts. Yet we all have something we want to say. What's getting in our way?

It's launch week for Allison Fallon's book, The Power of Writing It Down: a Simple Habit to Unlock Your Brain and Reimagine Your Life. Listen as we interview our very own author, Allison Fallon, on what this book means to her.

thepowerofwritingitdown.com
Looking for more? Listen to our episode Is Everyone Really a Writer? 

In this final episode of our special podcast series called The Power of Writing it Down, I talk with my friend and someone you probably have heard about — her name is Ruthie Lindsey. This episode is the perfect capstone to what we’ve been talking about…

• Why writing is so hard but powerful
• How writing can act like therapy and reframe our experiences — even traumatic ones
• How writing has a tangible impact on our lives — and can make us feel more empowered
• Who gets to be a writer and how they actually get writing done 

Ruthie puts all these pieces together as she shares her incredible and powerful personal story of using writing as a tool to heal from chronic pain (check out her book about her story here). She also shares a simple writing practice that you can use right away to put this tool to work for you in your personal life.

This conversation doesn't end here, on the podcast. Order Allison Fallon's latest book, The Power of Writing It Down!

Maybe you want to write — but life gets in the way. You’re busy, you’re tired. You don’t have a cabin in the woods. How do all of these people actually get writing done?

This is the fifth episode of a special series that’s all about the power of a writing process to create positive change in your personal life. We’re covering topics like why writing can be so challenging, what’s happening in your brain when you write, why writing is therapeutic, what it costs us when voices are silenced, and what a regular practice of writing looks like in real life.

The best part? This conversation doesn't end here, on the podcast. Order Allison Fallon's latest book, The Power of Writing It Down, for more on how a regular practice of writing can change your life. 

Who gets to be a writer? It’s a question so many people ask themselves. 

On today’s episode, I chat with some voices you’ll recognize, including Science Mike and therapist Elyse Snipes as well as a new voice: Rafik Wahbi, whose program with hip hop writing helped men in jail feel a sense of empowerment over their own stories. We talk about the voices we’ve silenced and the importance of diversifying the content we consume. 

If you have ever felt like your story isn’t represented in books and articles—or maybe you’ve worried that your story isn’t all that different or interesting, you’re not going to want to miss this episode. 

We need you. Your voice matters. Today’s guests will remind you why. 

This is the fourth episode of a special series that’s all about the power of a writing process to create positive change in your personal life. We’re covering topics like why writing can be so challenging, what’s happening in your brain when you write, why writing is therapeutic, what it costs us when voices are silenced, and what a regular practice of writing looks like in real life.

The best part? This conversation doesn't end here, on the podcast. Order Allison Fallon's latest book, The Power of Writing It Down, for more on how a regular practice of writing can change your life.