In this Writing Day Workshops Q&A, award-winning author Peter Leavell opens up about the important lessons he’s learned on the writing journey. From winning major awards early in his career to navigating revision and the realities of the business side, Peter shares honest, practical wisdom that will both inspire and equip you.
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With warmth and vulnerability, he speaks about handling the pressure that came with early success, reconciling what you love with what the market wants, and protecting your creative energy. You’ll also discover the core truth that still guides how he writes every single day, and how it can shift the way you approach your own work.

In the quiet trenches of a decade-long writing journey, Evan Hulick, Ph.D., has wrestled his epic fantasy manuscript—and himself—into being.

A scholar steeped in the traditions of Tolkien’s mythic architecture and Hemingway’s crystalline prose, Evan brings a rare depth to the page: the resilience of a head-on collision survivor, the empathy forged in childhood bullying, and the hard-won wisdom that love is stronger than death.

In this candid Q&A, Evan opens up about silencing inner critics, embracing the loneliness of creation, and surrendering to a process that refused to be rushed.

Whether you’re battling procrastination, imposter syndrome, or the long haul of a passion project, Evan’s reflections offer both honest struggle and luminous hope for every writer who dares to keep going.

Bestselling author Jolina Petersheim has built a career that spans multiple books, motherhood, and the real-life ups and downs of the publishing journey—and she’s not done yet! In this Q&A, she offers heartfelt, battle-tested wisdom every writer needs for the long haul. 

From her gentle reminder to soak up each step of the process to  keeping the love of story alive, her reflections are both encouraging and deeply practical.

Whether you’re just starting out or deep in the trenches, Jolina’s words remind us why we write—and how to keep writing with joy and resilience.

We’ve all had that quiet whisper: Someday I’ll write the book.

For years, Sheena Black carried her story ideas in a worn shoebox that traveled with her through multiple states, jobs, and even the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina. Inside were the notebooks of a girl who never stopped dreaming, even when life kept telling her to wait.
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Then one day during the pandemic, she opened that box. And everything changed.
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What followed wasn’t just the decision to write—it was a homecoming. Now, Sheena is living proof that the stories we carry don’t expire. They wait for us to become the person who can finally tell them.

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to build a writing life that lasts, today’s conversation with Emerald Dodge is for you.
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Emerald is a Virginia-based writer, Navy wife, and mother of two who has been telling stories her whole life. From fanfiction at thirteen to eighteen novels across genres, four self-published titles, and a traditionally published novel on the horizon, she’s walked the path many of us are on. She’s faced hundreds of query rejections, and the everyday realities of protecting writing time while raising young children.

​Whether you’re just starting out or deep in the query trenches, Emerald’s honesty and practical wisdom will encourage you to keep showing up for your stories.

In this unflinching Writing Day Workshops Q&A, playwright, novelist, and Appalachian State University professor Derek Davidson pulls back the curtain on the inner life of a working writer.

With characteristic Celtic darkness, wry humor, and hard-earned honesty, Derek confronts the harshest voices of his inner critic and the ache of feeling “not enough,” while digging into the ornery persistence that keeps him returning to the page.
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From defiant responses to self-loathing to the quiet comfort of claiming his literary found family—Borges, Eco, McCarthy, and the rest—this conversation is a raw, reassuring reminder that even in the darkest seasons, we can still create our own lineage, persist with cussed grace, and discover that the writing life, for all its grit, is deeply meaningful and worth every hard-earned word.

In this Writing Day Workshops Q&A, author Andrea Knepper speaks with refreshing honesty about the emotional rollercoaster of the writing life.

From battling a ruthless inner critic and wrestling with imposter syndrome to finding healing on the page and learning to surrender, Andrea shares the raw, real struggles and hard-won truths she’s discovered while writing young adult fiction.

Whether you’re a new writer questioning your identity or a seasoned author fighting burnout and self-doubt, Andrea's answers give encouragement, practical wisdom, and the reminder that you’re not alone. 

In the midst of messy first drafts, towering to-do lists, and the quiet ache of watching our WIPs sit untouched for weeks (or months), every writer eventually faces the same question: Am I falling behind? In this candid and heartfelt Q&A, Tricia Thomas opens up about the real challenges of a creative life.

From battling imposter syndrome and writer’s block to embracing criticism and releasing unhealthy comparison, Tricia shares the hard-won wisdom that has sustained her writing journey.

​Whether you’re wrestling with self-doubt, balancing family and creativity, or simply craving encouragement from someone who truly gets it, this conversation offers both honesty and hope for every writer in progress.

In this heartfelt Q&A, acclaimed author and certified Christian Life Coach Elizabeth Byler Younts opens up about the real challenges every writer faces—from stubborn writer’s block and flat characters to crushing self-doubt and the temptation to quit.

With wisdom drawn from her own journey of stepping away from publishing to care for her family, then boldly returning with renewed clarity and purpose, Elizabeth shares the mindset shifts, simple strategies, and deeper spiritual tools that have not only saved her manuscripts but strengthened her faith and longevity as a writer.

Whether you’re wrestling with a stuck plot or wondering how to weave meaningful themes without sounding preachy, her honest reflections and hard-earned advice offer encouragement and hope for every season of the writing life.

In the messy, beautiful trenches of writing a novel, doubt and impatience are constant companions. For many of us, the slow crawl of a work-in-progress can trigger shame, impostor syndrome, and quiet grief over how little outsiders understand the journey.

In this candid Q&A, author Radu Paun opens up about his own path through these struggles—from his epic-length first manuscript and the querying trenches to the hard-won lessons in patience, self-worth, and creative surrender.

With refreshing honesty and hard-earned wisdom, Radu shares what it really takes to keep writing when progress feels painfully slow, and how to find joy and value in the process.