What if the bio is the least interesting part? Catrina Taylor is a mom, sci-fi author, multimedia publisher, Twitch streamer, and podcast host with nearly 70 books behind her. She knew at twelve she'd be a mom, a teacher, and an author, and she's quietly been all three ever since.

We talk about going indie as a single mom (because she had to feed her kids), the night book one went free and 5,000 people downloaded it, why she turned down a TV or movie intro, and how her 5am writing streams (as a redheaded VTuber catgirl) became body doubling for writers everywhere. Plus her big dream: Third Space, a bookstore, art shop, and creative hub for our own community.

In this episode

- Writing as a career from day one

- Indie vs. traditional publishing, and why she chose 70%

- Free first books, read-through, and series momentum

- Imposter syndrome, ADHD, and saying no too soon

- VTubing, Twitch, and body doubling for writers

- Third Space and what's next for Xarrok

Chapters

00:00 Show up and put a word down

00:26 Meet Catrina Taylor

06:56 Knowing at twelve she'd be an author

10:05 Single mom to indie author

12:35 Indie vs. traditional publishing

17:08 Your goal is to stir emotion

20:47 Book one free, 5,000 downloads

25:05 Imposter syndrome and ADHD

29:50 A day in the life of a full-time author

32:18 VTubing and body doubling for writers

42:34 Big dream: Third Space

50:18 Where to start with her books

Notable quote

"If you only put the word 'the' on the page, that's more than you put on the page yesterday." (Catrina Taylor)

Mentioned in this episode

- Xarrok: Birth of an Empire series by Catrina Taylor

- Knights of the Immortals by Catrina Taylor

- Two Cats Writing podcast (Catrina Taylor and MJ Beasi)

- I Was a Teenage Death God by MJ Beasi

- Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern

Find Catrina

Twitch: twitch.tv/theladywrites

X: x.com/theladywrites

Facebook: facebook.com/TheLadyWrites

The Writing Network: thewritingnetwork.com

About Maya

I'm Maya Gouliard, a fantasy author (the Chroma series), artist, and community builder. I came to writing later in life, after raising four kids, and I'm living proof it's not too late to create. Here you'll find conversations with working creatives, my own messy creative life, and the books I love. You're already an artist. So go try things, make messy art, and learn as you go.

YouTube: youtube.com/@mayagouliard

Wise Woman's Fantasy Book Club Discord: discord.gg/tQZrHm8YWC

Waterweaver: https://a.co/d/2tl8Unz

Know a creative with a story? Become a guest: https://mayagouliard.substack.com/p/become-a-guest-makings-of-an-artist

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: TLWAOSEEY6PLRRA0

H.H. Rune started writing the Find Me series in 1999. She didn't publish until she was 50. It took as long as it took (and she wouldn't change a thing).

We talk about her rule-breaking series (part memoir, part fiction, told in first, second, and third person), the traveling books she hands to strangers, and finding out she has ADHD at 52. We also swap stories about bookmarks, ferries, doing the whole indie business ourselves, and the moment each of us finally got to say "I'm an author."

Chapters:

0:00 Welcome, H.H. Rune

1:48 Why we need messy stories

3:35 The Find Me series

5:34 Bios, algorithms, and Swiss Army knives

8:47 The paintings on her wall

10:58 Art camp, ADHD, and early stories

12:42 Why it took 25 years

14:27 From one book to five

18:30 Real life and the business side

21:18 Bookmarks, a ferry, and taking chances

25:12 A rule-breaking series

29:46 Color realms and a mother's skills

32:48 A real writing day (and ADHD)

39:48 Doing it all yourself

43:36 Publishing Waterweaver

46:03 When did you call yourself an author?

48:51 Living book five

53:17 The big dream

55:59 Where to find her books

"It took as long as it took to be able to say, I'm the artist, I'm the writer, my stories deserve to be told and heard." (H.H. Rune)

Mentioned in this episode:

Find Me: Extraordinary Life Seeker series, Books 1 to 3 (Book 4 coming soon)

Ellie Alexander (cozy mystery author and book coach)

Reedsy (free book formatting)

Atticus (formatting software)

Vellum (formatting software)

IngramSpark

Draft2Digital

Find H.H.:

Website: https://hhrune.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h.h.rune/

Substack: https://hhruneauthor.substack.com

Find Me, Book One: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3GD4P59

Want a signed nameplate? Send H.H. a postcard from your town.

About Maya:

Waterweaver: https://a.co/d/2tl8Unz

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mayagouliard

Wise Woman's Fantasy Book Club Discord: discord.gg/tQZrHm8YWC

Want to be a guest? Tell me about your creative life here: https://mayagouliard.substack.com/p/become-a-guest-makings-of-an-artist

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: AUWLFSYKP5XQLQBI

Pull Up a Chair

Pull up a chair. Let's talk about Spark to Story, my free writing workshop at Rantoul Public Library. It's the first stop in my Spark to Published framework (from your very first idea all the way to selling your book). I share how the workshop works, what happened at the last one, and where I hope this goes next.

Join me Saturday, October 17 at 10am at Rantoul Public Library. Free, casual, and no writing experience needed.

In this episode:

- How I went from not writing at 48 to three and a half books published

- Planner, pantser, or somewhere in between

- Why you should find your story's destination first

- The two writers at my first workshop (and why everyone left better off)

- My resource shelf

- The big dream: a workshop for every step, idea to sold

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome

00:13 Pull Up a Chair: Spark to Story

01:39 How the Workshop Works

05:05 Story Pieces and Your Plan

06:10 The Last Workshop

07:13 My Resource Shelf

08:00 The Big Dream

09:10 Why I Do This (Join Me Oct 17)

"The plan should fit how you work and how your brain works."

"Support and friendship and community is how we improve and we grow."

Mentioned in this episode:

- Spark to Story, Sat Oct 17, 10am, Rantoul Public Library: [Facebook event link]

- On Writing by Stephen King

- Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

- Brandon Sanderson's Creative Writing Lectures: youtu.be/RPyj376qJiw

- Scribes Guild (on my Discord): discord.gg/tQZrHm8YWC

About Maya:

Maya Gouliard is a fantasy author, artist, and community organizer in Rantoul, Illinois. She writes the Chroma series and runs the Wise Woman's Fantasy Book Club. Her whole message is simple. It's not too late to create, to grow, or to find who you are.

Find Maya:

YouTube: youtube.com/@mayagouliard

Website: mayagouliard.com

Substack: substack.com/@mayagouliard

TikTok: @mayagouliard

Discord (Scribes Guild + WWFBC): discord.gg/tQZrHm8YWC

Waterweaver on Amazon: https://a.co/d/2tl8Unz

Want to be a guest on The Makings of an Artist? Apply here: https://mayagouliard.substack.com/p/become-a-guest-makings-of-an-artist

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: AVE65FH8IS9PEXHU