Ep 47: Why I Stopped Writing During My First Pregnancy (And Why I Didn’t This Time)

Ep 54: How I’m Thinking About Writing During Maternity Leave

In today’s episode, I’m sharing a more personal behind-the-scenes look at how I’m approaching writing during my upcoming maternity leave with baby #2. This isn’t an episode about productivity or “bouncing back” creatively after birth. Instead, it’s a conversation about self-trust, flexibility, identity, and what it looks like to build a writing life that can move with you through different seasons of motherhood. I’m reflecting on what happened during my first pregnancy and postpartum experience—why I stopped writing for months, what helped me reconnect to that part of myself, and what feels different this time around. We’re also talking about the gentle, realistic way I plan to stay connected to my creativity during maternity leave, without pressure, rigid expectations, or perfectionism. If you’re a mom wondering whether writing still fits into your life after kids, or you’re navigating a season where creativity feels harder to access, I hope this episode reminds you that your writing life doesn’t have to disappear just because life changes. It may simply need a softer shape for a while. If you want support building a writing life that actually works with your real life and changing seasons, book a free consultation call here: https://calendly.com/joseesmith/book [https://calendly.com/joseesmith/book]

Ep 53: Why You Keep Starting Over With Your Novel (And How to Stop)

If you feel like you’ve started your novel over multiple times, this episode is for you. Maybe you keep rewriting chapter one, changing story ideas, creating new outlines, or losing momentum halfway through. In this episode, I’m breaking down why so many writers get stuck in the restart cycle, and why it’s usually not a discipline problem, but a pattern rooted in perfectionism, fear, and uncertainty. We’re talking about what starting over is actually costing you, why clarity comes from continuing (not restarting), and how to finally move forward even when the story feels messy or unresolved. The version of you who finishes will teach you far more than the version of you that keeps trying to perfect it. If you’ve been stuck in this cycle, you don’t need a better idea, you need a clearer path forward. Learn more about how 1:1 coaching can help by booking a free consultation call here: https://calendly.com/joseesmith/book [https://calendly.com/joseesmith/book]

Ep 52: The Biggest Mistakes I See Mom Writers Make

After working with so many moms trying to write novels, I’ve started to notice the same patterns showing up over and over again. In this episode, I’m breaking down the five biggest mistakes I see mom writers make - from waiting for more time, to trying to figure everything out alone, to making the goal so big that your brain immediately shuts down. We’re also talking about perfectionism, overthinking, and why so many writers stay stuck rewriting instead of finishing. If you’ve been struggling to make progress on your novel, this episode will help you understand what’s actually keeping you stuck... and why it’s probably not laziness or lack of talent. You’re not behind, and you’re not failing. You just need a different approach. If you want help breaking out of these patterns and finally making progress on your novel, book a free consultation call here: https://calendly.com/joseesmith/book [https://calendly.com/joseesmith/book]

Ep 51: Everything I’d Tell You If You Were Starting Your Novel Today

If you came to me today and said, “I want to write a novel,” this is exactly what I’d tell you. In this episode, I’m walking you through the mindset shifts and practical changes I wish more moms had at the very beginning of their writing journey, because it would save so much time, confusion, overwhelm, and self-doubt. We’re talking about why you need to start smaller than you think, how to build writing into your real life (instead of waiting for perfect conditions), and why claiming the identity of “writer” matters before you feel fully ready. I’m also sharing why messy drafts are completely normal, how motherhood changed my own writing process, and why trying to figure everything out alone often keeps writers stuck far longer than necessary. This episode is part pep talk, part roadmap, and part reality check for the mom who keeps thinking about writing a novel but isn’t sure where to begin, or how to finally move forward. Book a free consultation call: https://calendly.com/joseesmith/book [https://calendly.com/joseesmith/book]

Ep 50: 5 Truths About Writing a Novel as a Busy Mom (After 50 Episodes of the Podcast)

Ep 50: 5 Truths About Writing a Novel as a Busy Mom (After 50 Episodes of the Podcast) We made it to 50 episodes of The Writing Mom Podcast! 🎉 And instead of just celebrating this milestone, I wanted to use this episode to share the five biggest truths I’ve learned about writing novels as a busy mom, from my own writing life, from coaching clients, and from having these conversations week after week. In this episode, we’re talking about why you probably don’t need more time (you need a smaller next step), why perfect writing conditions are a myth, and why your identity as a writer matters more than your routine ever will. I’m also sharing the difference between motivation and decision-making, how motherhood changed the way I approach my writing, and why trying to do this dream completely alone often keeps writers stuck for years. This episode is part encouragement, part reality check, and part roadmap for the mom who still wants to finish her novel... even if life looks nothing like she expected. If you take one thing away from these 50 episodes, let it be this: your writing is still possible. It just might not look the way you thought it would. Book a free consultation call: https://calendly.com/joseesmith/book [https://calendly.com/joseesmith/book]