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Author and holistic writing coach Nadine Kenney Johnstone shares interviews with today's top women writers about how to navigate life when things don't go according to plan. Guests include Maggie Smith, Abigail Thomas, Dr. Hillary McBride, Emily P. Freeman, Laura Tremaine, Francesca Royster, Susan Piver, Jane Friedman, Mae Yoshikawa, and more. Nadine also shares her own stories of healing, hope, and following her heart.
174 Why does it hurt so badly when things don't go as we'd hoped? How do we hold ourselves when we're in great pain? How do we talk to others so that we can reestablish loving connections when they've hurt us or we've hurt them? Psychologist and embodiment expert Dr. Hillary McBride answers all these questions and more in this profound conversation that offers deep solace to anyone who's hurting.
Covered in this episode:
Two opportunities for women* writers:
Nov 18 12-1 CST: Try a WriteWELL class for free. The replay will be sent if you miss.
Nov 19 10-12:30 CST: Join Nadine and her favorite writing professor of all time, Patty McNair, for a Collaborative Masterclass called (Extra)ordinary Content. The replay will be sent if you can't make it live.
*"Women" refers to any women-identifying people. WriteWELL is affirming of all non-binary individuals and gender identities.
About Hillary:
Dr. Hillary McBride is a registered psychologist, a researcher, and podcastor, with expertise that includes working with trauma and trauma therapies, embodiment, at the intersection of spirituality and mental health. Her first book, Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image: Learning to Love Ourselves as We Are, was published in 2017; she was the senior editor of the textbook Embodiment and Eating Disorders: Theory, Research, Prevention, and Treatment, which was published in 2018. Her bestselling book The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding wholeness, healing and connection through embodied living came out in the fall of 2021, and in January she released Practices for Embodied Living. Her next book Holy Hurt: understanding and healing from spiritual trauma, comes out April 2025. She has been recognized by the American Psychological Association, and the Canadian Psychological Association for her research and clinical work. In addition to being a teaching faculty at the University of British Columbia, she is an ambassador for Sanctuary Mental Health, and the host of CBC's award winning podcast Other People's Problems. Hillary makes her home in the pacific northwest in British Columbia, Canada.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
173 Have you ever encountered a person who changed the course of your life forever? Such was the case when Nadine took Patty McNair's creative writing MFA class 19 years ago. In this episode, the two discuss why Patty's teaching style is so effective, Patty's path to becoming a writer, and the single most impactful component of a creative writing lesson.
Covered in this episode:
Join Patty and Nadine for a Collaborative Masterclass
Want to experience Patty's magic? Join her (Extra)ordinary Content masterclass on Nov 19 at 10 am CT. The replay will be sent if you can't make it live.
Patricia Ann McNair
Associate Professor Emerita of Creative Writing at Columbia College Chicago, McNair was nominated for the Carnegie Foundation U.S. Professor of the Year. She facilitates adult writing workshops online and in-person, is Artistic Director of Interlochen College of Creative Arts’ Writers Retreat, and is on the faculty of the Yale Writers’ Workshop. She has left Chicago winters behind to live in Tucson with her husband, visual artist Philip Hartigan, and a yard visited by feral cats.
McNair’s first collection of short stories, The Temple of Air, has been re-issued in 2024 as a second edition with new stories and content. Originally published in 2011, The Temple of Air won the Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year Award, Southern Illinois University’s Devil’s Kitchen Readers Award in Fiction, and was a finalist for the Society of Midland Authors Award in Adult Fiction. Her second story collection, Responsible Adults, was selected for the Legacy Series in Short Fiction by Cornerstone Press and was named a Distinguished Favorite by the Independent Press Awards. And These Are the Good Times, McNair’s essay collection, was a Montaigne Medal finalist.
Website: https://patriciaannmcnair.com/
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
172 What do we do when the future we thought we’d have gets wiped clean, and we're stuck in uncertainty? Bestselling author Maggie Smith joins us to talk about life in the in-between and how, even when we’re at a loss, we can still trust ourselves. She also explores the writerly decisions she made in her most recent bestseller (and one of Nadine’s favorite books of all time), You Could Make This Place Beautiful. She closes the conversation with incredible writing advice that will make you want to grab a pen and start writing.
Covered in this episode:
Want more Maggie? Grab a copy of You Could Make This Place Beautiful (now out in paperback), subscribe to her popular Substack For Dear Life, and preorder her forthcoming book, Dear Writer (April, 2025).
Maggie Smith is the award-winning author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Good Bones, The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison, Lamp of the Body, and the national bestsellers Goldenrod and Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change. A 2011 recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, Smith has also received several Individual Excellence Awards from the Ohio Arts Council, two Academy of American Poets Prizes, a Pushcart Prize, and fellowships from the Sustainable Arts Foundation and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She has been widely published, appearing in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Nation, The Best American Poetry, and more. You can follow her on social media @MaggieSmithPoet.
About Nadine:
Try a WriteWELL class for free on Nov 18!
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Good Grit, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
To receive her regular essays, subscribe to her Substack
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
171 Nadine kicks off a new season by announcing the big projects she's been working on behind the scenes. She also shares an in-depth recap of her recent women's writing retreat in CA. In this conversation with retreat participant and podcast producer, Michelle Redo, Nadine shares top tips for hosting intentional gatherings that foster deep connection with yourself and others. If you've ever wanted to bring women together for a profoundly moving experience, this is your go-to guide.
Covered in this episode:
-Her must-have retreat-planning checklists
-The kick-off conversation that will set the tone for your gathering
-How to welcome participants to make them feel held and supported
-The itinerary structure that will cultivate time for creativity and self care
-The little touches that make a big impact
-The key activities that lead to self-discovery and group bonding
-How to collaborate with others in order to sustain your energy as a host
-Michelle's experience as a participant and the moments that had the biggest impact
About Michelle:
Michelle Redo is a podcaster, independent audio producer and writer. She is the creator and host of the Daring to Tell podcast - a place where writers read and talk about memoir and personal essay. And she works with authors to who wish to narrate their own audiobooks. Michelle is also the audio producer for Heart of the Story.
Michelle has been published in Brevity Blog, The Sun Readers Write, and won the Finalist Award in the 2021 Readers Write Personal Essay Competition for her essay called The Wonder, which she read on Daring to Tell. Her appearance on the And So, She Left podcast received numerous awards and was noted by the 2023 International Women's Podcast Award Nomination for the Moment of Touching Honesty Category.
Before becoming a freelancer in 2020, she spent more than thirty years as an award-winning audio producer for WGBH Radio in Boston, has been requested to speak to aspiring voiceover students, and has taught audio production at the Banff Centre, Banff, Canada.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She has helped the writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s top women writers. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Subscribe to Nadine's Substack.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Check out WriteWELL, her Women's Writing Community.
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
172 In this profound encore episode, yoga and meditation instructor, Mae Yoshikawa, talks about how to hold on when you're faced with devastating circumstances. If you feel adrift and in deep pain, this hopeful conversation is for you.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She has helped the writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s top women writers. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
About Mae Yoshikawa:
Mae is an author, yoga & meditation practitioner, teacher, and mother. In 2006, she became the first Japanese woman to be authorized by the founding school of Ashtanga Yoga in India. Since then, Mae has been a trailblazing force in the wellness field throughout the Asia-Pacific region as Japanese Yogini magazine featured her on 42 consecutive covers. Mae also penned a widely popular column for this magazine for ten years. As the face of adidas yoga and the Founder of VedaTokyo.com, Mae was awarded the “Yoga People’s Award” in 2016 for her remarkable social impact in the wellness field. Her upcoming book, Kizuki: Life’s Tidal Waves + Epiphanies = Love Beyond Time and Death encapsulates her life-changing journey of a metamorphosis of identity after the sudden loss of her husband in 2018.
Website: https://maey.live/
IG: @maeyoshikawa https://www.instagram.com/maeyoshikawa/
Studio website: https://vedatokyo.com/
171 In this encore episode, writing guru Jane Friedman answers all your burning questions about the business of being a writer (which also happens to be the title of her latest book). Covered in this episode:
-How the pandemic changed the publishing industry (for the better)
-How to have an honest outlook about getting published and still have hope
-How to give yourself yourself grace when you're burnt out
-Marketing approaches that actually work
-How to write newsletters that people want to read
-The best writing advice books
-The best writing advice given and received
About Jane:
Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing. Learn more at JaneFriedman.com
Twitter: @janefriedman
Instagram handle: @janefriedman
YouTube: http://youtube.com/@janefriedman
Jane's upcoming newsletter class
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She has helped the writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s top women writers. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
169 While Nadine is on a short break, we revisit this fan-favorite episode with the Millennial Minimalists, who show you how to declutter your life while also prioritizing self compassion.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She has helped the writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s top women writers. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
168 In this encore episode, writer and astrologist Heidi Rose Robbins explains why understanding our astrological charts helps give clarity to our next steps. As she says "When we know who we are, we know what to do." Heidi shocks Nadine with her spot-on reading of Nadine's chart. Heidi also gives easy tips for understanding our sun, moon, and rising signs.
Want more of Heidi and Nadine? Join "Writing Our Way Home" on Aug 20 10-12:30 CT. Replays sent if you miss.
About Heidi:
Heidi Rose Robbins has been a professional astrologer for 25 years, helping thousands of clients all over the globe live with more authenticity and clarity. She hosts two podcasts, THE RADIANCE PROJECT, featuring poetry, astrology, and good company, and CHART YOUR CAREER, with co-host Ellen Fondiler. Twice a year, she leads Radiant Life Retreats, for people wishing to take a deeper dive into her work.
Website: heidirose.com
IG: @heidiroserobbins
Listeners can find snapshots here: heidirose.com/astrology
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community and her upcoming Women's Writing Retreat in California, Sept 15-20.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She has helped the writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s top women writers. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
167 Our strengths are our superpowers IF we know what they are and how best to use them. In this fascinating talk with strengths coach Krystal Clark, you’ll learn how to uncover your unique gifts and harness them for personal and professional growth. Krystal is a powerhouse who will leave you feeling empowered and inspired.
Covered in this episode:
-What a Clifton Strengths assessment is and what the results mean
-Why it’s so important to learn how other people experience your strengths
-How to navigate others’ “balconies and basements” so that you can work and live together in harmony
-Krystal’s shockingly spot on interpretation of Nadine’s balconies and basements
-How Krystal uses her own strengths to manage teams and get through difficult life transitions.
About Krystal:
Website: https://www.krystalnclark.com/
IG: @equiptothrive
Link to purchase CliftonStrengths Code online: https://store.gallup.com/h/en-us
Access codes can also be obtained by working with a Gallup-Certified Coach
Bio:
Krystal's mission is to equip others to thrive. As a proven speaker, facilitator, leadership educator, content creator, learning experience designer, and consultant, Krystal founded Equip To Thrive, LLC in 2020. She has worked with colleges/universities, a Fortune 500 company, an Inc. 5000 company, faith-based institutions, law firms, nonprofits, fitness studios, and fraternities and sororities, etc. sharing messages in the area of leadership development, employee engagement, and CliftonStrengths.
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community and her upcoming Women's Writing Retreat in California, Sept 15-20.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She has helped the writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s top women writers. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Mentioned in this episode:
Doors now open for Nadine's Writer Workout Community!
166 What if we talked about how things were really going? What if we skipped the highlight reel and discussed the real reel? In this conversation, Nadine chats with her producer, Michelle Redo, about relocation hiccups, professional loneliness, writing fears, and midlife angst.
About Michelle:
Michelle Redo is a podcaster, independent audio producer, and writer. She is the creator and host of the Daring to Tell podcast - a place where writers read and talk about memoir and personal essay. And she works with authors to who wish to narrate their own audiobooks.
Listen to Daring to Tell
Follow her on Substack
About Nadine:
Learn more about Nadine's Writer Workout community and her upcoming Women's Writing Retreat in California, Sept 15-20.
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She has helped the writers in her community develop and publish countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal that helps readers tap into their inner wisdom and fall back in love with themselves. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Cosmo, Authority, Good Grit, OnSite Journal, MindBodyGreen, HERE, Urban Wellness, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. Nadine is the podcast host of Heart of the Story, where she shares stories from the heart as well as interviews with today’s top women writers. Pulling from her vast experience as a writing, meditation, and yoga nidra instructor, Nadine leads women’s writing and wellness workshops and retreats online and around the U.S.
Find out more at nadinekenneyjohnstone.com
Follow Nadine on Instagram @nadinekenneyjohnstone
Mentioned in this episode:
Doors now open for Nadine's Writer Workout Community!
Amanda is a wife. A mother. A blogger. A Christian.
A charming, beautiful, bubbly, young woman who lives life to the fullest.
But Amanda is dying, with a secret she doesn’t want anyone to know.
She starts a blog detailing her cancer journey, and becomes an inspiration, touching and
captivating her local community as well as followers all over the world.
Until one day investigative producer Nancy gets an anonymous tip telling her to look at Amanda’s
blog, setting Nancy on an unimaginable road to uncover Amanda’s secret.
Award winning journalist Charlie Webster explores this unbelievable and bizarre, but
all-too-real tale, of a woman from San Jose, California whose secret ripped a family apart and
left a community in shock.
Scamanda is the true story of a woman whose own words held the key to her secret.
New episodes every Monday.
Follow Scamanda on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
Amanda’s blog posts are read by actor Kendall Horn.
