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“As the world changes, what place do my polyamorous romantic comedy novels have in our society? If the world now understands and somewhat accepts open relationships, is there even a need for my novels? These novels are for pre-pandemic times, BEFORE a lot of things changed — so what happens now? Are they ‘subversive enough,’ and is there a place for them?” These are some of the questions your host, polyamorous romcom indie author and Life Coach Sagan Morrow, explores in this episode of the Author Diary Entries podcast!  We discuss the importance of subversion and politics as part of creative expression, Sagan’s thought process in applying this to her Polyamorous Passions novels, examples of what this looks like in burlesque dance (including a play-by-play breakdown of the subtext for one of Babe Maverick’s most recent burlesque performances), and the deeply sinister nature of the seemingly-innocent “You should smile more!” comment that men so often say to women (and the way you can subvert this through the creative expression of living life).  Resources mentioned in this episode:  Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions romantic comedy series: SaganMorrow.com/books Sagan’s burlesque persona (Babe Maverick) on Instagram: Instagram.com/babemaverick Life coaching with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching/ Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives Author Diary Entries podcast, episode 182 (let people enjoy “silly” art): https://www.buzzsprout.com/400015/episodes/16955029-182-let-people-enjoy-things-in-defence-of-twilight-instagrammers Author Diary Entries podcast, episode 186 (why your “weird art” matters): https://www.buzzsprout.com/400015/episodes/17346188-186-the-art-of-creative-weirdness-and-an-ode-to-z-nation-burlesque-dancing-and-my-lady-jane Support the show

Using generative AI to quote-unquote “write” a book is harmful not only to the artists those people are plagiarizing from, but it’s also harmful to the plagiarizer and to CREATIVITY, itself.  Let’s talk about that! In this episode, your Author Diary Entries podcast host — romcom novelist and Personal Fulfillment Coach Sagan Morrow — takes the conversation about *AI as art theft* a step further by exploring the self-exploitation that occurs throughout this process, and the way in which we are now living a creative dystopian nightmare/horror story when so many people willingly give up their own voice, their own creativity, their own artistic experience, by outsourcing it to AI. Resources you might like and links mentioned in this episode:  (Free!) Intuition Activated masterclass to reconnect with yourself and your creative voice: SaganMorrow.com/masterclass Get personal fulfillment life coaching with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching/ Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives “The art of creative weirdness” — Author Diary Entries podcast, episode 186 Unlearn toxic productivity with Sagan’s weekly Solopreneur Diary Entries newsletter: https://saganmorrow.com/newsletter Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books Support the show

What is the art of creative weirdness? What are some great examples of creative weirdness, and how can YOU tap into your own creative weirdness when you are creating art (of any kind)? What is the ONE situation in which creative weirdness is NOT effective? Does art NEED to be “weird” in order to be powerful and incredible? What social commentary and feminist lenses can we view mainstream blockbuster action movies like Die Hard and Top Gun?  We answer all of these questions and more in this episode of the Author Diary Entries podcast!  We collectively, as a society, do NOT share our weirdness enough! So let’s talk about that today, through the lens of creative weirdness in TV (this is essentially a rave review of Z Nation), creative weirdness in performance art (burlesque dancing and what makes the burlesque community so special in general), and creative weirdness in novels (My Lady Jane).  Resources mentioned in this episode:  Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books Sagan’s burlesque persona (Babe Maverick) on Instagram: Instagram.com/babemaverick Solopreneur Diary Entries weekly newsletter: SaganMorrow.com/newsletter How to Active Your Intuition (to reconnect with yourself and create space for your creative weirdness to flourish) masterclass: SaganMorrow.com/masterclass Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives Support the show

In this episode, your host and indie author Sagan Morrow shares her experience with reviewing her current work-in-progress (Book 8 in the Polyamorous Passions series) using a "reader mindset" prior to doing rewrites!  She shares her process and results for reviewing her current WIP as a reader:  Find out a breakdown of the process she’s using, the game-changing book writing method that’s shifted her out of Author mindset and into Reader mindset (plus why this matters), and 5 fascinating things that came up for her throughout this process...  Resources mentioned in this episode:  Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives Support the show

What is creative cross training, and how can it help you navigate (and overcome) creative blocks? In this episode, Sagan shares examples of creative cross training and the importance of creative cross training (and how it’s prevented her from having any major creative blocks as a business owner, indie author, and multi-passionate creative)... ...Plus why focusing on one thing can get boring and lead to creative stagnation, and 5 important tips for effective creative cross training. Resources mentioned in this episode:  Sagan’s burlesque persona (Babe Maverick) on Instagram: Instagram.com/babemaverick Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books Solopreneur Diary Entries weekly newsletter to get behind-the-scenes insights of life as a solo business owner: https://saganmorrow.com/newsletter Solopreneur Diary Entries: Premium Edition monthly online trainings on topics of solopreneurship, anti-hustle productivity, and personal fulfillment: https://saganmorrow.com/monthly/ Personal Fulfillment Coaching with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching/ Solopreneur & Productivity Coaching with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/solopreneur-coaching/ Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives Support the show

In this episode, we explore the difference between polyamorous IDENTITY vs the PRACTICE of that identity, and answer these questions: Can you write about polyamory if you aren’t ACTIVELY polyamorous? Do you ever think being polyamorous is a phase, and that you and your spouse might go back to being monogamous? Resources mentioned in this episode:  Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives Support the show

Find out why Sagan got outraged at a random person’s Instagram comment when they were dismissive of a 30-something Twilight Instagrammer reading Young Adult novels, the POWER of the YA genre, why you should read what makes you happy, her opinions about referring to romance novels as “fluffy,” and more! Resources mentioned in this episode:  Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books Author Diary Entries podcast, ep 180: Labels and gatekeeping in romance novelsTwilight Instagrammer Corinne: https://www.instagram.com/corinnieeeee/ Twilight Instagrammer Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahelizabeth_talks/ Book: Why We Love and Hate Twilight Book: The Girl Who Was On Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games TrilogyConnect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives Support the show

“Do you write queer characters?” → Well… Yes and no! In this episode, I explain why this question is a tricky one, what makes a novel “queer enough” (an even more loaded question!), the nuance behind all of this, and the importance of using the words and labels that feel right for you. Resources mentioned in this episode:  Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books Episode 180 on the Author Diary Entries Podcast: Labels and gatekeeping in romance novelsConnect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives Support the show

Is it rude to refer to a romance novel “smut”? Not to me ;) You can call my books whatever you want! …BUT, there’s a lot of nuance to this (and context matters) — so in this episode, we’re exploring important questions we need to ask around the labels we use, our intentions behind our word choices, and the problems with gatekeeping in the romance novel community.  Examples we discuss in this episode include: Smut, enemies to lovers trope, spice levels, smutty vs spicy vs sexy, and “fairy porn” in romantasy. Resources mentioned in this episode:  Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books Sagan’s burlesque persona (Babe Maverick) on Instagram: Instagram.com/babemaverick Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives Support the show

In this episode, your host (and indie author) Sagan Morrow shares an author update about what she's been working on since our previous episode over a year ago, plus why we've rebranded the podcast from "Indie Author Weekly" to "Author Diary Entries!" Resources mentioned in this episode:  Small Town Stilettos and the Polyamorous Passions series: SaganMorrow.com/books Haus of Misfit: https://www.hausofmisfit.ca/ Life coaching with Sagan: SaganMorrow.com/coaching Solopreneur Diary Entries weekly newsletter: SaganMorrow.com/newsletter PREMIUM Edition of the Solopreneur Diary Entries (monthly trainings): SaganMorrow.com/premium Connect with Sagan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saganlives Connect with Sagan on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@saganlives Support the show

In this episode, we explore the dynamic of being a beginner vs being intermediate at your practice... and why being a beginner can, in some ways, be a lot easier! Tune in now to find out about the pressure I put on myself in my 2nd solo burlesque dance performance, what I took from that experience compared to my 1st solo burlesque act, how this connects back to my work as a fiction author, and the top 3 takeaways for how you can apply this to your own creative practice or craft (including important questions to ask yourself in order to relieve fear and/or pressure from yourself). Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching Babe Maverick burlesuqe Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/babemaverick Episode 171 of the Indie Author Weekly podcast — Applying my 2024 Word of the Year (ELEVATE) to Creative Writing: https://www.buzzsprout.com/400015/14272088-171-applying-my-2024-word-of-the-year-to-creative-writing Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse Work with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/workwithme/ Let’s chat about this episode: @Saganlives on Twitter and InstagramHashtag: #IndieAuthorWeeklyEmail: [email protected] Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question Support the show

In our previous episode, Episode 176, we talked about what it means to be a creative and an indie author — and how it can be so much more comprehensive than book writing! That's why, in today’s episode, I want to build on that and share with you the idea creation and writing process around my weekly Saturday email newsletter: the Solopreneur Diary Entries. Tune in now for the inside scoop on what that weekly newsletter is all about, an exercise to expand your own creativity, why I never worry about coming up with fresh new ideas (even after writing these emails for 8-ish years), the logistics of my writing process, and more... Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Subscribe to the Solopreneur Diary Entries weekly newsletter: https://saganmorrow.com/newsletter Indie Author Weekly episode 176: What does it mean to be a creative and an indie author? https://www.buzzsprout.com/400015/14452324 Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse Work with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/workwithme/ Let’s chat about this episode: @Saganlives on Twitter and InstagramHashtag: #IndieAuthorWeeklyEmail: [email protected] Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question Support the show

In our most recent couple of episodes here on the Indie Author Weekly podcast, we’ve been exploring the importance of trust in the creative process — including self trust and trusting others. I want to take it a step back today and ask this question: What does it even mean to be a creative, and, since this is the Indie Author Weekly podcast, what does it mean to be an indie author? Especially given that recently here on the podcast, I’ve been sharing about my creative process in designing burlesque choreography. What does that have to do with being an indie author? Can we count that as something appropriate for our purposes of being on this podcast?  TUNE IN NOW for my take on the question of “What does it mean to be a creative and an indie author” — plus what you can expect as we move forward with the Indie Author Weekly podcast... Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching Episode 174 of this Indie Author Weekly podcast — self trust thought exercise when you experience self doubt as a creative: https://www.buzzsprout.com/400015/14340711-174-self-trust-thought-exercise-when-you-experience-self-doubt-as-a-creative Episode 175 of this Indie Author Weekly podcast — creative process as a solo artist and TRUSTING others: https://www.buzzsprout.com/400015/14450389-175-creative-process-as-a-solo-artist-trusting-others Episode 17 of this Indie Author Weekly podcast — "Situationals" technique as an exercise to improve character development: https://www.buzzsprout.com/400015/1434766-017-an-exercise-to-improve-character-development Babe Maverick burlesque persona: https://www.instagram.com/babemaverick Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse Work with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/workwithme/ Let’s chat about this episode: @Saganlives on Twitter and InstagramHashtag: #IndieAuthorWeeklyEmail: [email protected] Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question Support the show

In this episode, we explore the delicate balance of the creative process when you are a solo artist — Because it’s hard to maintain distance and objectivity when you are working on creative pursuits in a silo! Is it good enough? Is it good at all? Are you conveying what you intend to convey? Even if it IS “good enough,” what interesting improvements can be made? And if you don’t have confidence in it being “good enough,” how is that going to affect the way you share your work with the world? These are all big questions!  In our previous episode here on the Indie Author Weekly podcast, we talked about the value and importance of trusting yourself and building that self trust muscle. Tune into episode 174 to check it out — it’s a great episode and includes a 3-part exercise for improving self trust! So in this episode, let’s talk about a different element of TRUST — trusting other people and bringing them into the creative process when you're a solo artist... Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ Episode 174 of this Indie Author Weekly podcast — self trust thought exercise when you experience self doubt as a creative: https://www.buzzsprout.com/400015/14340711-174-self-trust-thought-exercise-when-you-experience-self-doubt-as-a-creative Babe Maverick burlesque persona: https://www.instagram.com/babemaverick Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse Work with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/workwithme/ Let’s chat about this episode: @Saganlives on Twitter and InstagramHashtag: #IndieAuthorWeeklyEmail: [email protected] Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question Support the show

In this episode, I talk about the balance between trusting yourself AND not believing that negative voice in your head which might be filled with self doubt. As long-time listeners of the podcast will already know, I’m a Personal Fulfillment Coach when I’m not writing novels! And many of my clients first come to me because they’re struggling internally: there’s an internal battle going on, where they have a mean voice in their head that sends them into negative thought spirals. I feel like we can ALL relate to this. Most of us have at the very least experienced this from time to time. And when it comes to ANYTHING in life — including our creative endeavours — we need to be able to differentiate between those parts within us. TUNE IN to this episode for a 3-question thought exercise to help you navigate self doubt and improve your self trust. Resources & links mentioned in this episode:  Learn more about all of Sagan’s books (including the Polyamorous Passions romcom series, Small Town Stilettos, and her business books for solopreneurs) at https://saganmorrow.com/books/ Get success & life coaching: https://saganmorrow.com/coaching Episode 172 of the Indie Author Weekly podcast — Improving one's relationship with the creative process: https://www.buzzsprout.com/400015/14315351-172-improving-one-s-relationship-with-the-creative-process Tune into Indie Author Weekly on your favourite podcast platform at https://saganmorrow.com/podcast Subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/indie-author-weekly/id1469586590 Enroll in the Productivity Powerhouse anti-hustle e-course: https://saganmorrow.com/powerhouse Work with Sagan: https://saganmorrow.com/workwithme/ Let’s chat about this episode: @Saganlives on Twitter and InstagramHashtag: #IndieAuthorWeeklyEmail: [email protected] Share your thoughts (or submit requests for future episode topics) at https://saganmorrow.com/question Support the show