Confessions of a Working Writer
Matt’s a working writer just trying to live the dream. But how do you live this writing life in a world full of regurgitated writing advice, endless grifts, hustle porn, and a double dose of daily despair? Every week Matt sits down to talk about trying to do just that. No advice. Nothing to sell. Just the confessions of a working writer trying to make it.
Episodes
179 episodes
Greatest Hits - I'm Tired of Writers Who Don't Read
Full disclosure - I am in the middle of an existential crisis and I need some time to figure things out. So we're putting a pause on the previous story and diving into the notebooks, file boxes, and Internet archives to bring you some of my gre...
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Season 7
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Episode 3
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11:26
Prologue - Framing the Question
I’ve been a writer for the better part of my 43 years on this planet. Writing has been my dream for as long as I can remember and I have chased it down almost every avenue imaginable.But lately, I haven’t felt terrific about my...
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Season 7
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Episode 2
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11:04
How I Became a Worse Writer - Season 7 of Confessions of a Working Writer
Announcing the newest Season of Confessions of a Working Writer...This time we're telling the story of how Matt became a worse writer and asking the question...is there any coming back? Or is it finally time to quit.
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Season 7
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Episode 1
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3:05
The Promises and Realities of Online Writing Platforms
How do you get your voice out there as a writer? Not so long ago this question had a single simple answer. You needed to be published. Sounds easy, right? But it wasn’t. Submission guidelines, contest deadlines, and an endless mountain of rejec...
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Season 6
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Episode 14
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20:33
A Few Announcements
Hey, everyone! I hope you're doing well in these crazy days.There are a couple of announcements to go over so, rather than sneak them into a regular episode, we did a standalone to just go ahead and knock them out. Enjoy!
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Season 6
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Episode 13
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10:13
What is the Cure for the Common Creative Hangover?
What do you do after you finish a big project? Maybe you celebrate for a moment. Or maybe you check it off on one giant to-do list. The standing advice is to jump right into your next project. Get going on the next thing so you can keep produci...
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Season 6
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Episode 12
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18:21
Writers Lift, Toxic Reciprocity, and Do We Even Have Writing Communities Anymore?
Everyone loves their writing community!At least that’s what they say online…endlesssly. Hop onto social media for even a moment and you will be bombarded with praise for writing communities. Twitter is a seemingly endless barrage of writ...
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Season 6
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Episode 11
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20:05
Natural Talent, Alphabet Soup, and Can Anyone Really Be a Writer?
Just what does it take to be a writer? Is it something you’re born with? An incredible talent passed down through the genes or gifted from the divine? Or is it something you can learn? And if you can learn it, then are there better places to...
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Season 6
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Episode 10
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22:05
Challenging Our Writing Beliefs - A New Confessions of a Working Writer Series
When was the last time you sat down and thought about your writing beliefs? Do you believe writer's block is real or an excuse? Is there such a thing as natural talent? Can anyone be a writer? Is the content economy the path to fame and fortune...
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Season 6
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Episode 9
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16:31
AI, Creative Writing, and Imagination Atrophy
This week Matt talks about AI's impact on writers. Can AI really be a transformational technology for writers? Is it really the boogeyman coming to take our jobs? Is it just another fad? And just what is the danger to your imagination of leanin...
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Season 6
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Episode 8
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31:20
One Step
Struggle is real...and it's a daily affair for so many of us. The endless stream of empty positivity pumped out to us daily doesn't help. So what do we do? How do we move on in times of struggle and find the ability to move forward? This week M...
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Season 6
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Episode 7
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15:15
We Spend Too Much Time Doing the Wrong Things
Social media, obsessing about productivity, extraneous business planning, personal branding, and so many other wrong things are what seem to fill this writing life. We dream of writing a book, or maybe something else, but instead, we fill our d...
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Season 6
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Episode 6
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29:33
Let's Do a Birthday Confession!!!
Matt's about to turn 43 and he had a special episode planned...which then went on to implode. But, from the ashes of about a dozen takes, Matt discovers a confession that really helps alter his perspective for this new year. All with a little h...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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24:35
To Grit or Quit...That Is the Question
We love grit! We worship toughness and resilience! Resilient people are successful people we admire and want to emulate. We love grit...and we hate quitters. Quitters never win and winners look down on quitters with an appropriate amount of sco...
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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30:24
Wrestling the Angel - Creativity and Where It Really Happens
Where does creativity happen? Does it happen sitting at our desks to push through the work? Does it happen as we walk down the street with perfectly open spirits to receive the magic of the universe? Is it something that controls us? Or somethi...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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28:05
On Fear, Abundance, and Why I'm Embracing Scarcity
This week Matt talks about living a couple of years driven by fear. Explorations include the damage that an "abundance" mindset can cause, the duality of an infinite universe filled with finite things, and why he's chosen to embrace scarcity th...
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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28:49
New Year - New Season, New Book, and Setting New Boundaries
Matt talks about starting this new year of finding his way as a writer, starting a new book, and learning how to set boundaries. Because let's be honest, we can all do a better job setting those.Join us for another Confession of a Worki...
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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26:05
One More Confession (And An Announcement)
From the newly frosty lands of Charleston, SC, Matt gives his last confession of 2022 and an update on what's happening with the show in 2023. Join us for another Confession of a Working WriterIntro and Outro music courtes...
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Season 5
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Episode 30
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13:59
IT'S THE 2022 HOLIDAY SPECIAL!!!
It's time for the Confessions of a Working Writer Holiday Special! And what do we have for you this year? Well, it's Matt reading his very own holiday story...A Retail Carol!Dale is an unremarkable guy. Just another face working another...
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Season 5
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Episode 29
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43:13
Finishing. Shipping, and Confronting the Fears of Being a Writer
Well, here we are. Over the past couple of months, we've done a crash course on writing a piece and now we're looking at a finished product. So, what do we do with it? First, we need to confront some more fear. And Matt's here to talk about tho...
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Season 5
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Episode 28
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23:30
Bringing Down the Hatchet - On Editing Your Story
You've done it!You've written the first draft and conquered the blank page! You've taken time away to get some distance and resisted just tinkering with the newborn story until you kill it. And now...it's time to actually edit it. ...
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Season 5
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Episode 27
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25:42
Get Some Distance
We're Back!!!After a weeklong mountain getaway, Matt returns to talk about the most important thing to do before diving into editing that story...getting some distance.Join us for another Confession of a Working WriterIn...
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Season 5
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Episode 26
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22:17
Thankful
A special Thanksgiving message from Matt!Join us for another Confession of a Working WriterIntro and Outro music courtesy of Georgia Moon (https://www.thegeorgiamoon.com/)Logo courtesy of Bear Paw Creative (https://bearp...
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Season 5
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Episode 25
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9:26
Throw Some Ninjas In It - Secrets of the First Draft
It's time! We've formed an idea. We've crafted characters, picked a setting, and set up a road map for our story. Now it's time to sit down for the single most terrifying part of creating a story...the first draft. But don't worry, Matt's here ...
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Season 5
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Episode 24
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29:01
Not Your English Teacher's Outline
One of the biggest problems writers deal with when taking an idea from their head and putting it on the page is writing themselves into a corner. You know the feeling. You're working on a story, the characters are interesting, the setting is on...
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Season 5
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Episode 23
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27:28