Make Meaning Podcast Episodes

Episode 165 - Brenda Meller - Capturing a Piece of the Publishing Pie

Brenda Meller is an entrepreneur, author and social media coach who helps people maximize their presence on LinkedIn. She is the author of Social Media Pie: How to enjoy a bigger slice of the LinkedIn Pie and host of the Enthusiastically Self-Employed podcast. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Brenda about her book and the evolution of her career. She talks about her writing process, including how she wrote the book in just 30 days, and why she opted to self-publish. They talk about the ever-evolving nature of social media, which demands periodic […]

Listen here  »

Episode 164 - Patrick Hicks - Writing Hard Stories Beautifully

Patrick Hicks is an Irish Catholic writer from Minnesota who has a deep fascination with the Holocaust. He has written three Holocaust novels and has conducted extensive research on the subject, visiting twelve different concentration camps and speaking with survivors. Patrick is also a professor at Augustana University in South Dakota, where he teaches writing and literature. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Patrick about his newest book, Across the Lake. In his second time on the Make Meaning Podcast, Patrick explains what inspired this novel, driven by research on gender and violence. […]

Listen here  »

Episode 163 - Qin Sun Stubis - Writing Inspired by Long-Held Family Lore

Qin Sun Stubis is a Chinese-American author of the book Once Our Lives: A Memoir of Shanghai, Teahouses, and Three Generations of Family, which tells the story of four generations of Chinese women in Shanghai, China during the Great Famine, navigating war and revolution. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Qin about her early life, China’s Cultural Revolution and her love of words and storytelling. Qin explains how the loss of her parents inspired her to write a memoir that brings to life her family’s stories and a fascinating part of China’s history. […]

Listen here  »

Episode 162 - Elizabeth Conte - Doing Well as an Indie Author

Elizabeth Conte is an author with a passion for bringing 19th-century literature to the 21st-century reader. She is the author of Finding Jane, a time travel historical novel, and Chosen Mistress, a scintillating story set in Victorian England. Elizabeth is the founder of Jane Writes Press, a hybrid publishing house for writers who don’t fit into traditional publishing boxes. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Elizabeth about her debut novel, Finding Jane, her inspiration for the book and the challenges she faced while writing and editing it. Elizabeth also talks about her marketing […]

Listen here  »

Episode 161 - Ana Veciana-Suarez - Historical Literary Fiction

Ana Veciana-Suarez is a journalist and author. She has written for various publications and has published several books, including her latest novel, Dulcinea, which was inspired by her reading of Don Quixote in high school. Known for her meticulous research and attention to detail, Anna spent many years digging up the information she needed to focus on the Spanish Inquisition. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Ana about her writing process, the challenges of researching historical fiction, her experiences with marketing her book, and her insights into the changing landscape of the writing […]

Listen here  »

Episode 160 - Jonathan Whitelaw - Cozy Crime & Escaping into Writing

Jonathan Whitelaw is a Scottish author and journalist now living in Canada who wrote his first novel at the age of 17. He’s since published several books in the cozy crime genre, including Morbid Relations and the popular Bingo Hall Detectives series. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Jonathan  about the cozy crime genre, why he’s drawn to it and the genre’s emphasis on humor, character, and setting. Plus, they discuss his publishing journey, from his first horrible book to being published by a small independent publisher to getting an agent and taking […]

Listen here  »

Episode 159 – April Davila - Meditation & Writing

Finding an agent and publisher was easy for April Davila, an award-winning author who quit her job in 2016 to write full-time. Her debut novel, 142 Ostriches, won the WILLA Literary Awards for Women Writing the West. In this episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner chats with April, a fourth-generation Californian who studied marine biology before being called to the written word. She honed her skills in marketing and technical writing jobs, dedicating early mornings to crafting fiction until she could finally make the transition to writing full-time. In this episode, Lynne and April discuss the lessons […]

Listen here  »

Episode 158 - Suzanne Nugent - On Character Development

Suzanne Nugent, author of Brunch and Other Obligations and host of the Character Development podcast, uses humor to confront life’s darkest moments. She navigates between various storytelling mediums, from novels to screenplays, finding the right narrative platform for each project. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Suzanne about her creative career and how writing has shaped her as a person. She shares her inspiration for her novel Brunch and Other Obligations and her journey to publishing. Suzanne also talks about her love for storytelling across platforms, including screenwriting and podcasting. In this episode, […]

Listen here  »

Episode 157 - Blake Kimzey - Creating a Writing Community

Blake Kimzey is the founder of writingworkshops.com, a global community offering writing classes taught by experienced instructors, like Make Meaning Podcast host Lynne Golodner. He is also an author, screenwriter and hands-on dad of three. In this episode, Blake recalls a pivotal moment in sixth grade when he wrote a King Arthur rip-off. He and Make Meaning Podcast host Lynne Golodner also talk about his journey as an author, the inspiration behind WritingWorkshops.com and the surprising and very winding journey of becoming an author. In this episode, Lynne and Blake discuss:  Links and Resources:  Find Blake Kimzey: Website Twitter Instagram […]

Listen here  »

Episode 156 - Blair Fell - Original Storylines & Unique Characters

While fiction is born from imagination and creativity, many authors explain how they came to the stories they create through lived experiences. This is definitely true for Blair Fell, author of The Sign for Home, whose work in the deafblind community taught him about nuances, details and issues facing that community. This debut novel takes readers on a journey through a fascinating community and the lives of compelling characters. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Blair about his writing process, the importance of research and the value of participating in a writing group. […]

Listen here  »

Episode 155 - Martha Anne Toll - Finely Crafted, Award-Winning Fiction

Martha Anne Toll is an author and former lawyer who has always been passionate about writing. She grew up in a secular Jewish family and was deeply influenced by the stories of Holocaust survivors. Martha’s debut novel, Three Muses, is a beautifully crafted story that combines her love for ballet and her exploration of the impact of the Holocaust on her own Jewish identity. She is currently working on her second novel, Duet for One, which delves into the world of classical music in Philadelphia. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Martha about […]

Listen here  »

Episode 154 - Dawn Chalker - Writing What You Know

Dawn Chalker wrote her first novel in fifth grade, finding inspiration from real life. That curiosity, creativity and imagination has continued throughout her life, drawing stories from journeys in nature. The northern Michigan-based writer based her recent novel, Bear Me in Mind, on a real-life encounter with a bear in Alaska and also her love for British detective shows. She also writes children’s books. In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Dawn about the joys of writing, the importance of writing what you know, her publishing choices, and how she promotes her books. In […]

Listen here  »