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Two chatty authors asking all the ’write’ questions. Hosted by Ari Meghlen and Rachel Poli, The Merry Writer Podcast is a fun, friendly show about all things writing and bookish.
Episodes
2 hours ago
2 hours ago
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Today, we welcome back author Andrew McDowell on the podcast. He shares his thoughts, insights and experiences in this author interview.
Andrew appeared on our Podcast way back at the beginning for episode 023 back in 2020.
In this episode, we cover:
-
His writing processes and writing style
-
His inspiration
-
Marketing tactics
-
and more!
Click here to listen to his earlier episode
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
ABOUT
Andrew McDowell is the author of the fantasy novel Mystical Greenwood and Beneath the Deep Wave, which was a finalist in the 2019 American Fiction Awards, won the 2021 Maryland Writers’ Association Novel Contest, and was an honorable mention in the 2021 Top Shelf Magazine contest.
He studied at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and the University of Maryland, College Park. Andrew has had poetry, short stories, and essays featured in anthologies and literary journals. He was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. He is a member of the Maryland Writers’ Association.
Website | Facebook | Bluesky | YouTube
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going, and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy, Kris & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
Wednesday Jun 25, 2025
Wednesday Jun 25, 2025
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Habits are never easy to maintain. Building a writing habit is just as tough. This week, we go over some ideas on how to keep the writing consistency going.
In this episode, we cover:
- Knowing the difference between progress and procrastination
- Having a plan
- Find a writing buddy or group
- Being flexible
- and more!
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
Wednesday Jun 18, 2025
Wednesday Jun 18, 2025
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
We have decided to do a few silly mini challenges, and we are starting with this one.
One piece of (odd) advice that circulates the writing community every few years is the "miracle" of Comic Sans and how it can help you be motivated and get out of writer's block.
So we decided to give it a try, and these are the results
In this episode, we cover:
- Why are we doing this challenge?
- Why Comic Sans?
- Rachel's detailed insights
- Ari's roughshod insights
- Final thoughts
As always, thank you for listening. Please share your thoughts in the comments below, like the video, and subscribe to the channel if you're not already!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going, and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; we have plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
Wednesday Jun 11, 2025
Wednesday Jun 11, 2025
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
If you have a book published and want to get your name out there more, then having an author media kit is a great place to start. This week, we discuss what an author media kit, and how to put one together.
In this episode, we cover:
- Media kit vs. press kit vs. press release
- Why having an author media kit is important
- What to include in your media kit
- How to present your media kit
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
Wednesday Jun 04, 2025
Wednesday Jun 04, 2025
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Today, we are joined by author, writing coach and manuscript editor, John DeDakis on the podcast. He shares his thoughts, insights and experiences in this author interview.
In this episode, we cover:
-
His writing processes and writing style
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Common mistakes authors make
-
Social media
-
and more!
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
ABOUT JOHN
Award-winning novelist, writing coach, and manuscript editor John DeDakis (dee-DAY-kiss) is a former editor on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." DeDakis is the author of six mystery-suspense-thriller novels.
His most recent novel, Enemies Domestic, begins on pregnant protagonist Lark Chadwick’s first day as White House press secretary. The first question she’s asked on live television comes from a reporter with an agenda: “Are you, or are you not, planning to abort your unborn child?” DeDakis, a former White House correspondent, regularly leads writing workshops at literary centers and writers’ conferences.
He is also the host of the video podcast “One-to-One” on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Originally from La Crosse, Wisconsin, DeDakis now lives in Baltimore, Maryland with Cindy, his wife of 46 years.
Website | Facebook | X (formerly Twitter) | Instagram | Goodreads
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going, and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy, Kris & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
Wednesday May 28, 2025
Wednesday May 28, 2025
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Yes, we're back talking about author websites again! This time, we're discussing plugins you can add to improve your author website and make it more unique and easier for you to maintain.
In this episode, we cover:
- What plugins are and where you can get them
- Cost of plugins
- 6 useful plugins you can use
List of Plugins Mentioned
- Classic Editor
- Duplicate Page
- Internal Link Juicer
- Page Links To
- WP Content Copy Protection & No Right Click
- Yoast SEO
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
Wednesday May 21, 2025
Wednesday May 21, 2025
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
We did it, we finally took the plunge and recorded an episode about AI. Is it ranty? Yes. Do we tangent all over the place? Also yes. Is it painfully long? Yes. We do still open some of you, give it a listen.
Also, if you are a published author and have not checked already, please visit the Atlantic Link below and check to see if your novels were pirated and then used to train AI.
In this episode, we cover:
- Generative and Assistive AI
- The dark side of AI (outside of the writing industry)
- Bad indicators
- AI Scraping
- Was your book stolen?
- Why skill development is important
- Our overall thoughts on AI
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
Sources and links:
- The Atlantic (CHECK TO SEE IF YOUR BOOK WAS STOLEN)
- Authors Guild - What Authors Need to Know
- Futurism - Google AI scraping sites
- Bloomberg - Google training AI even after sites opt out
- National Library of Medicine
- Alzheimers Research UK - Dementia cases triple
- BBC News: Call for Ban on AI apps creating n*ked images of children
- Care.Org: 8 in 10 Brits ban back on AI N*dify
- CNN: Meta scrambles to delete its own AI accounts after backlash intensifies
DISCLAIMER EXAMPLE
© [AuthorName]. All Rights to the works and publications on this blog are owned and copyrighted by [AuthorName] or their respective owners in the case of guest posters. The Owner of this site reserves all permissions for access and use of all documents on this site. NO AI TRAINING: Without in any way limiting the author’s [and publisher’s] exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and the development of machine learning language models.
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
Wednesday May 14, 2025
Wednesday May 14, 2025
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
AllAuthor is a platform that's well known by some, but others have never heard of it. Rachel checked it out and discussed her findings with Ari to see if it's really worth it for authors be on. This week, we dissect the free account version of AllAuthor.
In this episode, we cover:
- What AllAuthor is and what you can do there
- Paid vs. free plan
- Featuring your book
- and more!
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
Episodes referred to:
- 252 - What Book Platforms Can Authors Be On?
- 94 - What Are Some Tips For Launching A Debut Book? (with Cassie Sanchez)
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi: Jeremy, Kris, & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
Wednesday May 07, 2025
Wednesday May 07, 2025
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Today, we are joined by Writer Jeremy Russell again. Last time Jeremy was on the podcast, he shared his insights regarding how writers with ADHD can stay motivated. Now he's back for our newly introduced interview style.
In this episode, we cover:
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His writing processes and writing style
-
Writing by hand
-
Favourite character
-
and more!
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
ABOUT JEREMY
Jeremy Russell writes Middle-Grade fiction for people who like an anxiously cozy and dangerously fun paranormal adventure.
He is not an award-nominated author, nor has he been on the New York Times best-selling author list…yet. He is a husband, a father, a shipbuilder, an artist, a collector of nostalgic toys from his childhood and full-time beard grower.
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy, Kris & Jackie
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Writing one book takes multiple drafts throughout the process. Some of those drafts are easier than others, so this week’s we’re talking about the draft that usually hardest for us.
In this episode, we cover:
-
Rachel’s hardest draft to write
-
Ari’s hardest draft to write
-
Our easiest drafts
As always, thanks for listening. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below, give the podcast a follow, and share our content!
WANT TO BE A GUEST ON THE SHOW?
If you would like to be considered, please take the time to read our FAQs Page.
If you feel you’d be a good fit for the show after reading the FAQs, please check for the status of the Google Form on that page to see if we are accepting at that time.
SUPPORT THE PODCAST
Ko-fi
You can join The Merry Writer community over on our Ko-fi page! It helps keep the show going and you get extra goodies through one-time or monthly tips. (Don’t worry; there’s plenty of free content, too!) We appreciate your support.
Special Thanks
Our Merry Writers via Ko-fi, Jeremy & Kris
Share
If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to share our episodes on social media, follow the podcast, and engage in the comments.
CREDITS
Hosts
Music
Intro & Outro – “Inspired” composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of https://incompetech.com/ | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0