The Confident Fiction Author

Apr 14 2025 25 ep. 25 mins 8
The Confident Fiction Author Podcast artwork

Hey there my fellow author, I’m Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer, an old soul kind of writer living my dream as a full-time author and authorprenuer. 

But I didn’t start out living a confident creative lifestyle. I struggled with the fears and the mental and emotional barriers that so often plague writers at all stages of their author career. 

But the truth is that, with the right knowledge, tools, and training, you can overcome those barriers. I’m here to teach you how I’ve developed a lifestyle that’s allowed me to publish 19 books (and counting). 

Each week as you tune into the Confident Fiction Author podcast, you’ll get clarity on the steps you need to take to advance your writing career. Whether it’s developing your ideal writing routine, tackling new skills like dictating your fiction, or overcoming the obstacles life throws your way, this podcast will help you live a more confident, creative lifestyle.

Free resources for you:
The Confident Fiction Author Toolkit: https://www.fictioncourses.com/toolkit
Dictation + Scrivener Power Combo: https://www.fictioncourses.com/dictation
Dictation for Authors: Tools and Tips of the Trade: https://www.fictioncourses.com/dictation
5 Stereotypes to Avoid When Writing about Native Americans: https://www.fictioncourses.com/stereotypes

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#25: 4 Ways You Can Borrow a Skilled Author's Confidence

Apr 14 2025 31 mins  
In January of this year, I flew an airplane. As in, a real airplane. How? Because I was able to borrow a skilled pilot’s confidence. And I needed to borrow it, because I had no confidence in my ability to even try (I know, because this was a second-chance for me to be daring!). I wouldn’t have even tried, except for one thing: The pilot was confident I could do it with his inst

#24: Healthy Living, Healthy Writing: 3 Ways to Take Care of Yourself as an Author

Apr 07 2025 19 mins  
Are health issues holding you back from living your best creative lifestyle? When I first started teaching authors how to dictate their novels, I thought the main reason authors would want to learn dictation would be to write faster. But now, after teaching dictation to thousands of authors, I’ve discovered that writing faster is taking a backseat as the number one reason authors

#23: Take a Break: How to Rest as an Author

Mar 30 2025 24 mins  
Remember the days when places of business were closed on Sundays? That was in my lifetime. In the days before pay at the pump when you had better make sure your tank was on full Saturday because the gas stations were closed on Sundays. Even now in the small country town where I live, some businesses are closed on Sunday, including the hardware store and even restaurants. Sunday was

#22: From Camera-Shy to Confident: Planning an Author Photoshoot Session

Mar 23 2025 22 mins  
Be honest—when was the last time you updated your author headshot? If the answer is “I don’t remember” or “I had bangs back then,” it’s probably time for a refresh. As fiction authors, we want to show up with confidence—whether it’s for a book launch, podcast feature, or guest blog post. But if your only headshot is a blurry crop from a family reunion, you’re pr

#21: Can Fiction Writing Be Effortless?

Mar 17 2025 27 mins  
If you’ve spent any time writing fiction, you might be laughing at the idea of it being effortless. After all, there is: Writer’s block. The struggle to find the right words. The frustration of making stories come alive. Fiction writing is hard, right? That’s the perception I had—until I came across the book Effortless by Greg McKeown. His ideas challenged me. Could writing

#20: How Your Morning Routine Could Make You a Better Writer

Mar 11 2025 24 mins  
I want to start off with acknowledging that you may not be a morning person. That's okay! When I read the book, "Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod, he shared that some 75% of his readers come into his book as declared not-morning people. That changes for them once they read this book. While I’m not here to convince you to become a morning person, I can say that developing a solid mor

#19. How (Not) To Quit Writing - Preventing or Recovering from Burnout

Mar 03 2025 29 mins  
Time for a deep breath. Then come in close, my friend. The past few weeks on The Confident Fiction Author podcast, we've talked a lot about decluttering your life to make room for creativity, and flat-out quitting on projects because you may be approaching burnout. But today, I'm tackling one of the most difficult conversations we can have as authors. It all starts with a question

#18: How to Know What to Quit, When, and How

Feb 24 2025 25 mins  
Have you heard the saying, "Mama didn't raise no quitter?" I think we all grow up hearing, “Don’t be a quitter!” But what if there were times and circumstances when quitting was a good thing? The truth is, you most likely have too much on your plate. But "quitting” a project takes courage. I’m going to give you tools you can use to decide when it's time to quit and how to

#17: How to Apply the 80/20 Rule to Your Author Career

Feb 17 2025 22 mins  
In a world of information overload and analysis paralysis, what if I told you there was a formula to help you decide which things were most worth your time? I’ve said it before: creative confidence starts with clarity. But how can you find clarity, especially when evaluating your time? Today I’m going to share a remarkable tool for evaluating anything - from time to energy to t

#16: The Art of Downtime - Three Rs for the Author Life

Feb 11 2025 32 mins  
This week's podcast episode is a deep dive into three Rs of the author life. Because living a confident fiction author lifestyle is not just about confidence in your productivity…it's also about feeling confident in your downtime! Many writers don’t feel confident in their downtime. You may feel guilty for taking time off, confused about how to spend your time when not working,