In this week’s episode of Author Culture, we’re talking about what happens when writing stops being fun — and how to bring the joy (and curiosity) back to your creative process.

Whether it’s burnout, pressure to “get serious,” or just the grind of expectations, it’s easy for writing to start feeling like drudgery. You start thinking, “well, this is just what professionals do,” and before you know it, you’re approaching your story like it’s a tax form instead of an adventure.

In this episode, we’ll dig into:

-How to spot when you’ve swapped curiosity for cynicism-The subtle mindset shift that reignites your love of storytelling-The role of faith, purpose, and permission in reclaiming your joy

You get to have fun with your words again — even when life’s hard, deadlines loom, and your playlist’s on repeat.

So today, join me for a reminder that your writing doesn’t have to be all grind and grit. You can still choose curiosity, play, and purpose — and your words will thank you for it.

Free Resources & Links

Sign up for my newsletter and get a free World Building Check-Up Guide + Social Media Cheat Sheet → Subscribe Here

Grab the World Building Made Easy series on Amazon → Get the Series

Get creative with Weird Writing Prompts → Weird Writing Prompts on Amazon

Connect with me:

Instagram → @janeen_ippolito

Substack → Author Culture

Facebook → Janeen Ippolito Author

YouTube → @JaneenIppolito

References for this episode: Jon Acuff - One Word to Sextuple Your Success: https://jonacuff.com/atg252

Changing Habits: https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/changing-habits/The

Psychology of Habit Formation: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3505409/

Music by: https://bluefoxmusic.com

C.S. Lewis didn’t plot out the entire Narnia saga. He didn’t number the books. He wrote the second one first. And somehow, it all worked.

This week’s episode continues our celebration of the 75th anniversary of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. We dive into the final three “impossible reasons” The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe works, including:

-How Lewis survived brutal critique from his own writing group-Why the story became a series without a master plan-How the books remain readable out of order

Next week, we’ll pivot to another story with actionable writing tips and encouragement — don’t miss it.

Free Resources & Links

Sign up for my newsletter and get a free World Building Check-Up Guide + Social Media Cheat Sheet: Subscribe Here

Grab World Building Made Easy series on Amazon: Get the Series

Get Creative with Weird Writing Prompts: Weird Writing Prompts

Connect with me:

Instagram: @janeen_ippolito

Substack: Author Culture

Facebook: Janeen Ippolito Author

YouTube: @JaneenIppolito

___

References for this episode:- https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/58698/16-facts-about-lion-witch-and-wardrobe- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia

- https://www.crossway.org/articles/the-birth-of-narnia-and-why-tolkien-hated-it/

- https://www.crossway.org/articles/c-s-lewiss-role-in-the-lord-of-the-rings/

___Music by: https://bluefoxmusic.com

C.S. Lewis basically said: “what if I mixed literally every mythology and Santa Claus into the same world?”

By modern standards, that should be a world-building disaster — and yet it still works.

This week’s episode celebrates the 75th anniversary of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. We’re exploring the first two of five “impossible reasons” this classic story works, and what authors can learn from it:

Next week, we’ll explore the final three impossible reasons The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe works—don’t miss it.

Free Resources & Links

Sign up for my newsletter and get a free World Building Check-Up Guide + Social Media Cheat Sheet: Subscribe Here

Grab World Building Made Easy series on Amazon: Get the Series

Get Creative with Weird Writing Prompts: Weird Writing Prompts

Connect with me:

Instagram: @janeen_ippolito

Substack: Author Culture

Facebook: Janeen Ippolito Author

YouTube: @JaneenIppolito___References for this episode:- https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/58698/16-facts-about-lion-witch-and-wardrobe- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia

- https://www.crossway.org/articles/the-birth-of-narnia-and-why-tolkien-hated-it/

-“Sometimes Fairy Stories Say best What’s to Be Said” by C.S. Lewis