The Whole Writer
The Whole Writer podcast with Nicole Meier creates space for writers to nurture both their craft and themselves, exploring what it means to write from a place of wholeness rather than depletion.
If you’re an emerging author seeking guidance, this podcast is for you!
Episodes
109 episodes
110. AI, Agency Decay, and the Messy Draft Worth Writing
Is AI quietly eroding your creative confidence? I’m sharing what I’m seeing in manuscripts as an editor, discussing the concept of “agency decay,” and making a case for why the messy, uncertain work of drafting is exactly where your writer’s vo...
109. Should You Self-Publish? One Novelist's Journey from Traditional to Indie with Annie Cathryn
What happens when traditional publishing stalls your career — and you decide to take matters into your own hands?In this episode, Nicole sits down with award-winning novelist Annie Cathryn (The Friendship Breakup, Eat the Ca...
108. How to Know When to Shift
That quiet, nagging feeling about your manuscript? It might be trying to tell you something important.In this episode, novelist and writing mentor Nicole Meier gets honest about one of the hardest decisions a writer can face: knowing whe...
107. Cultivating Hope as a Novel Writer with Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
Feeling stuck, discouraged, or lost somewhere between your first draft and your publishing dreams? In this episode of The Whole Writer, I sit down with New York Times bestselling novelist Miranda Beverly-Whittemore (Bittersweet, Fi...
106. Why You Feel Behind on Your Book (And What to Do Instead)
If you're writing a novel or memoir and you can't shake the feeling that you're somehow running out of time — this episode is for you.In today's episode, I'm talking about one of the most common and most painful stories writers carry: th...
105. How to Build a Novelist Career: Body of Work, Publishing Mindset & Staying in the Game with Camille Pagán
Most writers focus on the book in front of them — but what does it actually take to build a novelist career that lasts? In this episode, I sit down with Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestselling author Camille Pagán to talk about the long g...
104. Stuck on Your Novel or Memoir? It's Patience or Focus (Not Discipline)
If you're a novel or memoir writer who isn't finishing your manuscript, this episode is for you.Most stuck writers assume they need more discipline — more willpower, more consistency. But after sitting with dozens of manuscripts as a dev...
103. Writing for Love vs. Writing for Money: The Passion Pay Gap with Will Parker Anderson
What if your writing passion and your paid writing career aren’t meant to fully overlap?Many novelists and memoir writers feel discouraged when their creative work doesn’t immediately translate into income. You love writing. You feel cal...
102. Why You Keep Rewriting Instead of Finishing Your Book
If you keep rewriting the same pages of your novel or memoir instead of finishing your draft, this episode is for you.Many writers get stuck in the hard middle of drafting — scrolling back, revising sentences, and wondering why they can’...
101. When Your Publishing Career Stalls: Pivots, Pen Names, and Starting Again with Darien Hsu Gee
What do you do when your book sales trend down? When an agent says they can’t sell you again? When the genre you’re known for no longer fits?In this episode of The Whole Writer, Nicole Meier sits down with internationally publis...
100. Beyond the Template: Finding Your Individual Calling as a Writer
Feeling creatively frozen from following too many writing formulas? You're not alone. In this milestone 100th episode, I'm sharing why the era of templates and "proven systems" might be holding your novel or memoir back—and what soul-centered w...
99. How to Find What's Meaningful in Your Novel (and Pitch It Like a Pro) with Karin Gillespie
What if the secret to writing a compelling novel—and querying it successfully—starts with understanding what's deeply meaningful to you? In this episode, I sit down with author Karin Gillespie to explore how to identify the personal connection ...
98. Coming Home to Wholeness (NEW SEASON!)
I'm talking directly to the novel and memoir writers who are exhausted, stuck, and wondering if they can ever find their way back to the page. If imposter syndrome has you questioning whether you're "really" a writer, or if burnout has made you...
97. REPLAY: From Query Doubt to Dream Deal with Kelly Kearsley
From nonfiction writer to debut novelist with a Big Five traditional publishing book deal.In this candid episode, Kelly pulls back the curtain on the querying literary agents process, what actually happens behind the scenes...
96. REPLAY: The Secret to Unlocking Creative Flow with Gabriela Blandy
In this transformative episode, I sit down with Gabriela Blandy—writer, life coach, breathwork facilitator, and shamanic practitioner—to explore the deeper reasons behind creative resistance and procrastination. Gabriela reveals tha...
95. REPLAY: Real Answers for Real Writing Struggles
I've been noticing some common themes in the conversations I'm having with writers. So today, instead of answering specific questions you've sent me, I want to address five patterns I keep seeing in my work with novel writers. Patterns that go ...
94. REPLAY: What's Really Holding Writers Back with Molly Carroll
Today I'm diving deep into the writer mindset with my dear friend and accomplished therapist, coach, author, and speaker Molly Carroll.We cover so much ground from the transformative power of morning rituals to reframing our resistance t...
93. REPLAY: How to Find Your Sustainable Pace: Slow Writing in a Fast World
There's something happening to us writers right now, isn't there? The algorithms reward, consistency. The platform's demand content, and somewhere in the rush we've started to believe that faster means better. That value comes from volume, that...
92. Who Are You Becoming as a Writer?
Here's the question I'm diving into this week on The Whole Writer. Who are you becoming as a writer? Not what are you writing, or how much you're writing, not whether you'll finish that draft or land the agent or get the publishing contract. Wh...
91. Five Essential Truths for Your Writing
Struggling with self-doubt or writer's block? Discover five essential truths that will transform how you approach your novel or memoir. Learn how to write authentically, believe in your manuscript, avoid burnout, and embrace the right opportuni...
90. Serializing Your Story on Substack with Memoirist Jessy Easton
What if you could publish your memoir or novel directly to readers as you write it? Writer Jessy Easton shares how she's serializing her memoir "The One Who Leaves" on Substack, building a dedicated readership while crafting her story in real-t...
89. Are You Gatekeeping Your Writing Work?
If you’re a novelist or fiction writer keeping your work tucked away, convinced you’re “not ready” to share it, this episode is for you. We’re talking about what it really means to gatekeep your writing—and how doing so might be holdin...
88. Shifts in the Publishing Industry with Jane Friedman
I'm thrilled to welcome Jane Friedman to the show! Jane has spent her entire career in the publishing industry, and I've been following her work for close to a decade. In this conversation, I ask Jane about the major shifts she's witnessed in p...
87. Unlocking the Secrets of Story Movement with Kathryn Craft
Join me for a conversation with author and writing mentor Kathryn Craft as she reveals insights from her new craft book for writers.In this episode, Kathryn Craft shares transformative techniques for novel writers and fiction writers rea...
86. How to Choose the Voices That Belong in Your Creative Space
Are you getting feedback from the wrong critique group? In this episode, I share why surrounding yourself with the right writing community is essential for novel writers. I'll show you how to find critique partners who actually read your genre,...