✨ Writer Craft Podcast | Episode 198

🎙️ The Art of Starting Over: Getting Back Into Your Writing Flow 📅 Recorded on September 3, 2025 🎧 Hosted by Valerie Ihsan & Erick Mertz

💬 Episode Summary

Welcome back, Writers and Crafters! In this soul-nourishing episode, Valerie and Erick explore what it really takes to return to your writing routine after a break. Whether you've been away for weeks or months, we offer compassionate strategies, creative rituals, and mindset shifts to help you gently restart your writing life—without falling into guilt, shame, or perfectionism.

✨ Main Topic: "The Art of Starting Over: Getting Back Into Your Writing Flow" 🔥 Key themes: creative rhythm, return rituals, reframing productivity, embodied discipline, and more.

💡 In This Episode:

Segment 1: Author Updates & Announcements

Valerie shares updates from the road: memory-making, travel, and rental-ready logistics
Plans for a free masterclass on hybrid memoirs coming in October 🎉
Erick's gearing up for speaking at a writing conference and Ghost Story Weekend in Newport with Wordcrafters
Running ads, finishing client work, and preparing for a busy season
📚 What We're Reading:
- Valerie:
  - - Creative Act (Rick Rubin)
    - High Hopes by Anne Abel (coming to the podcast in October!)
  - In progress: Four Thousand Weeks (Oliver Burkeman), The Year of the Puppy (Alexandra Horowitz), The Teller of Small Fortunes (Julie Leong)
- Erick:
  - - About Grace (Anthony Doerr)

Segment 2: Resources, Tips & Tidbits

🔍 Tidbit of the week: Umarell — an Italian word for retired men who watch construction sites 👀
Bonus tips for mindset shifts and productivity hacks

Segment 3: Main Topic - The Art of Starting Over

Restate your writing goal: has it changed or evolved?
Rebuild with rhythm, not rigidity
Try a "return ritual": a gentle Artist's Way-style reentry (oracle cards, candles, morning pages, or altar time)
Give it time:
- 3 days to wrap your mind around restarting
- 3 weeks to settle into a new rhythm
Replace guilt with grace. You're not behind—you're beginning again.

🧰 Resources & Recommendations

💚 Get 48% off your first subscription of Magic Mind (mental performance + sleep shot) Claim it here → magicmind.com/VALERIE20 Use code VALERIE20 at checkout #magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance

🧠 Writing Tools We Love: 👉 ProWriting Aid (affiliate link) Perfect for editing and polishing your writing with AI-backed insights.

🌱 Join Our Communities

🎉 Support the podcast and get writing resources, books, and exclusive coaching content: 🖋️ Valerie's Patreon → patreon.com/valerieihsan 📖 Erick's Patreon → patreon.com/strangeairmysteries

💬 Want to work with Valerie 1:1? Schedule a free consultation: valerieihsan.com

🔗 Stay Connected

📲 Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan 📲 Erick's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor