Hello Writers and Crafters! I'm Valerie Ihsan, And I'm Erick Mertz, and this is Episode 79 of the podcast and it's August 10, 2022 as we record this. Main Topic: Planning Your Creative Path    PATREON:   Thank you to new patron Sean Sharp, and thanks to Mary Van Everbroeck for upping her pledge. This podcast is sponsored by our patrons at Patreon.com/valerieihsan. For as low as a $1/mo, you can get a shout out on the podcast and we can make announcements for you on the podcast. At other tiers, the benefits increase--free books, accountability Zoom calls, scene analysis, mastermind calls, and even free Writer Craft retreat tickets. Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan.    I'M READING: The Dude and the Zen Master (The Many Daughters of Afong Moy) Up Next:  The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey Just finished:  (Newsletter Ninja 2)  Erick's Reading: Summer Night by Jim Butcher The Strange Bird by Jeff Vandermeer Next episode: crowd-funding (kickstarter, indie go-go, Patreon)   Announcements: I'll be reading selections from the new memoir, along with Dante Zuniga-West, Rick Levine, and Jorah LaFluer on Sunday, August 14th at 4:00 p.m. at Tsunami Books in Eugene, OR. Comments: Fantastic Discussion. It's very nice to know that the feelings, thinking and experiences I have as a writer are shared by accomplished authors! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences! (Re: Erick Mertz, part one) Show Notes:   Resources:  Productivity for Creative People: How to Get Creative Work Done in an "Always on" World by Mark McGuiness Essentialism by Greg McKeown The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black And the Kicker Is   Writing Scenes.: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/three-story-method-writing-scenes  The Author Life Community Passion Planner: https://bit.ly/3AUiJUx (affiliate link) ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)   Find Us:   Valerie’s Services: https://valerieihsan.com Valerie’s Author Site: https://valerieihsanauthor.com Valerie’s Facebook Page and Instagram account   Erick’s Services: https://erickmertzwriting.com Erick’s free book on Ghostwriting: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cexki4kp5n Erick’s Author Site: https://erickmertzauthor.com Erick’s Facebook Page and Instagram account  Writer Craft Facebook Group Patreon: https://patreon.com/valerieihsan   Some of the Books We've Read This Year:   How to Write Light Novels and Webnovels by R.A. Paterson The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir The Anatomy of a Bestseller by Sacha Black