Ease Lessons for Writers
In your writing life, no matter how hard you work or how well you plan, things won't always unfold the way you'd hoped. In Ease Lessons for Writers, we explore what gets in the way of our writing, why that happens, and why it matters. Together we learn how to make our writing easier and more joyful. I'm your host, Monna McDiarmid, a writer and coach based in Japan and Nova Scotia. Website: monnamcdiarmid.com/ | Newsletter: monnamcdiarmid.com/subscribe/ | Instagram: @monnamcdiarmidwrites/ | Patreon: @MonnaMcDiarmid
Episodes
36 episodes since 2021
36. Caroline Donahue (Season 3, Episode 3/3)
TODAY'S GUEST: CAROLINE DONAHUEAs a book-loving Writing and Book Coach, Caroline doesn't believe there is any force more powerful in this world than writing. With a Masters in Psychology and Expressive Arts, and a subsequent career i...
September 28, 2022
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Episode 36
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1:13:07
35. Caroline Donahue (Season 3, Episode 2/3)
TODAY'S GUEST: CAROLINE DONAHUEAs a book-loving Writing and Book Coach, Caroline doesn't believe there is any force more powerful in this world than writing. With a Masters in Psychology and Expressive Arts, and a subsequent career i...
September 20, 2022
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Episode 35
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1:01:59
34. Caroline Donahue (Season 3, Episode 1/3)
TODAY'S GUEST: CAROLINE DONAHUEAs a book-loving Writing and Book Coach, Caroline doesn't believe there is any force more powerful in this world than writing. With a Masters in Psychology and Expressive Arts, and a subsequent career i...
September 14, 2022
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Episode 34
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56:07
33. Michelle (Season 3, Episode 3/3)
TODAY'S GUEST: MICHELLEToday's episode is my third and final conversation with Michelle, a mom of two and an attorney who prefers storytelling to legalese, as well as an open heart over the analytical mind. She believes that when her...
September 06, 2022
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Episode 33
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42:34
32. Michelle (Season 3, Episode 2/3)
TODAY'S GUEST: MICHELLEToday's episode is my second conversation with Michelle, a mom of two and an attorney who prefers storytelling to legalese, as well as an open heart over the analytical mind. She believes that when her heart an...
August 30, 2022
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Episode 32
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56:25
31. Michelle (Season 3, Episode 1/3)
TODAY'S GUEST: MICHELLEToday's episode is my first conversation with Michelle, a mom of two and an attorney who prefers storytelling to legalese, as well as an open heart over the analytical mind. She believes that when her heart and...
August 23, 2022
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Episode 31
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34:21
30. Lala Hulse (Season 3, Episode 3/3)
TODAY'S GUEST: LALA HULSEToday's episode is my third conversation with Lala Hulse, an artist and musician who is trying to get her creative life back together after moving halfway around the world during a pandemic. She believes ever...
August 16, 2022
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Episode 30
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42:45
29. Lala Hulse (Season 3, Episode 2/3)
TODAY'S GUEST: LALA HULSEToday's episode is my second conversation with Lala Hulse, an artist and musician who is trying to get her creative life back together after moving halfway around the world during a pandemic. She believes eve...
August 09, 2022
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Episode 29
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46:05
28. Lala Hulse (Season 3, Episode 1/3)
TODAY'S GUEST: LALA HULSEToday's episode is my first conversation with Lala Hulse, an artist and musician who is trying to get her creative life back together after moving halfway around the world during a pandemic. She believes ever...
August 02, 2022
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Episode 28
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50:00
27. Elizabeth (Season 3, Episode 3/3)
TODAY'S GUEST: ELIZABETHToday's episode is my second with Elizabeth who is in the process of becoming. She currently does laundry, dishes, drives carpools, and fills remaining “confetti time" with reading, writing, playing piano, thi...
July 25, 2022
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Episode 27
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57:33
26. Elizabeth (Season 3, Episode 2/3)
TODAY'S GUEST: ELIZABETHToday's episode is my second with Elizabeth who is in the process of becoming. She currently does laundry, dishes, drives carpools, and fills remaining “confetti time" with reading, writing, playing piano, thi...
July 19, 2022
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Episode 26
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58:58
25. Elizabeth (Season 3, Episode 1/3)
ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST: ELIZABETHToday's episode is my first with Elizabeth who is in the process of becoming. She currently does laundry, dishes, drives carpools, and fills remaining “confetti time" with reading, writing, playing piano...
July 12, 2022
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Episode 25
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50:20
Jun Sekiya (Episode 3/3)
ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST: JUN SEKIYAThis is my second conversation with Jun Sekiya, a writer of scripts, novels, and raps from Yokohama, Japan. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he works as the creative assistant of Soman Ch...
May 14, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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1:02:12
Heather J. Patel (Episode 3/3)
About today's conversation:This is my third conversation with Heather J. Patel, a writer currently editing her debut memoir - an intimate portrayal of the toll family secrets and shame have on early identity. She lives in the B...
May 06, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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58:17
Megan Sunstrum (Episode 3/3)
About today's conversation:This is my third conversation with Megan Sunstrum who is writing a memoir about depression, anxiety, being a badass and moving across the country during a pandemic to start a new life. She has a wild imagin...
April 30, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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1:01:46
Maile Topliff (Episode 3/3)
About today's conversation:This is my second conversation with Maile Topliff, a lifelong lover of words – her elementary school nickname was Webster. She believes that the stories we tell can change our lives. She is currently ...
April 23, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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1:00:51
Jun Sekiya (Episode 2/3)
ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST: JUN SEKIYAThis is my second conversation with Jun Sekiya, a writer of scripts, novels, and raps from Yokohama, Japan. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he works as the creative assistant of Soman Ch...
April 15, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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1:01:10
Heather J. Patel (Episode 2/3)
About today's conversation:This is my second conversation with Heather J. Patel. Heather is a writer, currently editing her debut memoir - an intimate portrayal of the toll family secrets and shame have on early identity. She l...
April 08, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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59:53
Megan Sunstrum (Episode 2/3)
About today's conversation:Megan Sunstrum is writing a memoir about depression, anxiety, being a badass and moving across the country during a pandemic to start a new life. She has a wild imagination, a knack for story-telling, and a...
April 01, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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51:55
Maile Topliff (Episode 2/3)
About today's conversation:This is my second conversation with Maile Topliff, a lifelong lover of words – her elementary school nickname was Webster. She believes that the stories we tell can change our lives. She is currently ...
March 25, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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56:11
Jun Sekiya (Episode 1/3)
About today's conversation:This is my first conversation with Jun Sekiya, a writer of scripts, novels, and raps from Yokohama, Japan. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he works as the creative assistant of Soman Chainan...
March 18, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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54:45
Heather J. Patel (Episode 1/3)
About today's conversation: This is my first conversation with Heather J. Patel. Heather is a writer, currently editing her debut memoir - an intimate portrayal of the toll family secrets and shame have on early identity. She l...
March 12, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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59:07
Megan Sunstrum (Epiosde 1/3)
About today's conversation:Megan Sunstrum is writing a memoir about depression, anxiety, being a badass and moving across the country during a pandemic to start a new life. She has a wild imagination, a knack for story-telling, and a...
March 04, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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56:46
Maile Topliff (Episode 1/3)
About today's conversation:Maile Topliff is a lifelong lover of words – her elementary school nickname was Webster. She believes that the stories we tell can change our lives. She is currently writing her first non-fiction book – an ...
February 25, 2022
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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1:00:41
Jason Craig Poole (Episode 3/3)
About today's conversation:Today's episode is the final conversation with Jason Craig Poole, a self-proclaimed word nerd who loves language. He believes books have the power to save lives--and credits the magic of books for sha...
February 18, 2022
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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1:07:55