Have you ever had that gut feeling that it's time to make a change but struggled to trust your intuition? Or wondered what it would take to pursue that creative dream you've had since childhood?

You’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with my guest, Amber Byers.

Amber is the head judge of the Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest, an international writing contest celebrating creativity and community. She blogs regularly at Living a Life Imagined, which is dedicated to positivity and authenticity. Amber’s published works include The Magic Door Origin Story, a sci-fi story inspired by her childhood, and Sophie and Spot, which won a Gold Medal from Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.

During this inspiring conversation, we explore:

• Amber's transition from law to writing after realising her true passion lay in creativity rather than legal work
• How to trust your gut instincts when making creative decisions and distinguish between fear and genuine intuition
• The importance of allowing yourself to be playful and imperfect in first drafts, free from external expectations
• Why finding the right writing community is crucial for growth and how to handle negative criticism constructively
• Amber's role as a diversity editor specialising in Native American representation in literature
• Why maintaining creative space and reconnecting with your authentic voice matters more than achieving perfection

I thoroughly enjoyed having this conversation with Amber; it offers such valuable insights for anyone looking to embrace their creative calling, build confidence in their writing, and find joy in the creative process.

I hope you enjoy listening.

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My book, ‘Dare to Write: How to Write a Nonfiction Book to Grow Your Business,’ is available now on Amazon or directly via my website.

Website: https://stephcaswell.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephcaswellauthor/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephcaswell/

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Listen to all previous podcast episodes on my website via the podcast platforms below or by searching for 'Creating Happy Writers' on your favourite podcast provider.

• How a simple personality exercise can help find the differences and similarities between your everyday voice and your writing voice

• A tool you can use that doesn’t require any writing at all - and we’ve all got easy access to it!

• Simple yet crucial research to help you sound more like yourself and less like an imitation of other authors - no matter how incredible they may be - and why I think it’s perfectly acceptable to write how you speak.

• Buy a copy of Julia Cameron’s book - The Artist’s Way - here and learn more about Morning Pages.

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• Dare to Write: How to Write a Non-Fiction Book to Grow Your Business - Amazon
• Dare to Write: How to Write a Non-Fiction Book to Grow Your Business - Website

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• The unexpected ways hormones can impact our writing process - from brain fog and fatigue to confidence shifts
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• Practical strategies for adapting your writing practice during hormonal changes - including energy management, nutrition tips, and creating the right environment
• My personal experience with perimenopausal symptoms and how it's affected my writing journey
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• Why do more women in business need to use storytelling on the regs, and why can we feel so vulnerable to doing so?
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• Why it’s so important to build a writing team to support you but recognising that this group of people needs to be carefully curated to avoid derailing your progress!

• Book
• Instagram
• Website

• My book, ‘Dare to Write: How to Write a Nonfiction Book to Grow Your Business,’ is available now on Amazon or directly via my website.

• Ways to work with Steph
  
  

• Why we really feel vulnerable as writers - and Brené Brown's fascinating research on connection, worthiness and belonging
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• Practical ways to start sharing your work (even when it feels scary!) - from small steps to building authentic confidence
• A personal story that might just change how you think about sharing your writing!