Ekta Garg is an award-winning, hybrid-published author who writes stories where grief, magic, and hope meet. We talk about her three books, why she chose hybrid publishing after querying 80 agents, her 500-words-a-day writing habit, and the reader who told her The Truth About Elves should be required holiday reading. She's local to me in Champaign-Urbana, and this one is full of community love.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Reviewer, Editor, Author, Dreamer (and why it spells READ)

• Building systems as an indie author (and a book-event wagon)

• Her three books: The Truth About Elves, In the Heart of the Linden Wood, and The Witch's Apprentice and Other Stories

• Self, traditional, and hybrid publishing explained

• Why 500 words a day works for her, and how to find your own number

• Her big dream: reach, not sales

• Novel Bookcamp, the writing retreat she now leads

CHAPTERS

00:00 A reader's holiday story

00:25 Meet Ekta Garg: her bio and building community

06:13 Bollywood, K-dramas, and storytelling

07:11 Organizing systems for indie authors

13:47 Her three fantasy books

16:29 Becoming an author: her origin story

18:47 Coloring, dance, and being a "word artist"

22:12 Hybrid vs. self vs. traditional publishing

31:45 Teaching writing workshops

36:20 Writing 500 words a day

41:20 Big dreams and Novel Bookcamp

50:00 November book events and wrap-up

NOTABLE QUOTES

"If you can only write on Wednesdays at two o'clock, then put it down like it's a doctor's appointment."

"The actual number doesn't matter. What matters is the exercise and the frequency and the consistency."

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• The Truth About Elves (5th anniversary: buy a copy from Ekta and get a free Christmas ornament)

• In the Heart of the Linden Wood

• The Witch's Apprentice and Other Stories

• Atmosphere Press (Ekta's hybrid publisher)

• Novel Bookcamp Writing Conference and Retreat: novelbookcamp.org

• Spineless Books, Urbana

• Champaign Public Library writing workshops

• Taste of India (Indian Cultural Society of Urbana-Champaign, benefiting Feeding Our Kids)

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

SEE EKTA IN NOVEMBER

• Nov 4, 6pm: Local indie author panel at the Literary, Champaign

• Nov 14: Bookfest, Peoria

• Nov 20: Pink Friday, Bloomington Country Club

• Nov 21–22: Gifford State Bank Community Craft Fair, Gifford

• Nov 28: CU Yuletide Market at the Orpheum, Champaign

FIND EKTA

Website: ektargarg.com

Instagram: instagram.com/ektargarg

Facebook: facebook.com/ReviewerEditorAuthorDreamer

ABOUT MAYA

I'm Maya Gouliard, a fantasy author, artist, and host of The Makings of an Artist. I talk with working creatives about where they started, what their days look like now, and the dreams they're still chasing. It's not too late to create.

FIND MAYA

YouTube: youtube.com/@mayagouliard

Discord (book club, writers, makers): discord.gg/tQZrHm8YWC

My book Waterweaver: https://a.co/d/2tl8Unz

WANT TO BE A GUEST?

https://mayagouliard.substack.com/p/become-a-guest-makings-of-an-artist

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What if the bio is the least interesting part? Catrina Taylor is a mom, sci-fi author, multimedia publisher, Twitch streamer, and podcast host with nearly 70 books behind her. She knew at twelve she'd be a mom, a teacher, and an author, and she's quietly been all three ever since.

We talk about going indie as a single mom (because she had to feed her kids), the night book one went free and 5,000 people downloaded it, why she turned down a TV or movie intro, and how her 5am writing streams (as a redheaded VTuber catgirl) became body doubling for writers everywhere. Plus her big dream: Third Space, a bookstore, art shop, and creative hub for our own community.

In this episode

- Writing as a career from day one

- Indie vs. traditional publishing, and why she chose 70%

- Free first books, read-through, and series momentum

- Imposter syndrome, ADHD, and saying no too soon

- VTubing, Twitch, and body doubling for writers

- Third Space and what's next for Xarrok

Chapters

00:00 Show up and put a word down

00:26 Meet Catrina Taylor

06:56 Knowing at twelve she'd be an author

10:05 Single mom to indie author

12:35 Indie vs. traditional publishing

17:08 Your goal is to stir emotion

20:47 Book one free, 5,000 downloads

25:05 Imposter syndrome and ADHD

29:50 A day in the life of a full-time author

32:18 VTubing and body doubling for writers

42:34 Big dream: Third Space

50:18 Where to start with her books

Notable quote

"If you only put the word 'the' on the page, that's more than you put on the page yesterday." (Catrina Taylor)

Mentioned in this episode

- Xarrok: Birth of an Empire series by Catrina Taylor

- Knights of the Immortals by Catrina Taylor

- Two Cats Writing podcast (Catrina Taylor and MJ Beasi)

- I Was a Teenage Death God by MJ Beasi

- Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern

Find Catrina

Twitch: twitch.tv/theladywrites

X: x.com/theladywrites

Facebook: facebook.com/TheLadyWrites

The Writing Network: thewritingnetwork.com

About Maya

I'm Maya Gouliard, a fantasy author (the Chroma series), artist, and community builder. I came to writing later in life, after raising four kids, and I'm living proof it's not too late to create. Here you'll find conversations with working creatives, my own messy creative life, and the books I love. You're already an artist. So go try things, make messy art, and learn as you go.

YouTube: youtube.com/@mayagouliard

Wise Woman's Fantasy Book Club Discord: discord.gg/tQZrHm8YWC

Waterweaver: https://a.co/d/2tl8Unz

Know a creative with a story? Become a guest: https://mayagouliard.substack.com/p/become-a-guest-makings-of-an-artist

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H.H. Rune started writing the Find Me series in 1999. She didn't publish until she was 50. It took as long as it took (and she wouldn't change a thing).

We talk about her rule-breaking series (part memoir, part fiction, told in first, second, and third person), the traveling books she hands to strangers, and finding out she has ADHD at 52. We also swap stories about bookmarks, ferries, doing the whole indie business ourselves, and the moment each of us finally got to say "I'm an author."

Chapters:

0:00 Welcome, H.H. Rune

1:48 Why we need messy stories

3:35 The Find Me series

5:34 Bios, algorithms, and Swiss Army knives

8:47 The paintings on her wall

10:58 Art camp, ADHD, and early stories

12:42 Why it took 25 years

14:27 From one book to five

18:30 Real life and the business side

21:18 Bookmarks, a ferry, and taking chances

25:12 A rule-breaking series

29:46 Color realms and a mother's skills

32:48 A real writing day (and ADHD)

39:48 Doing it all yourself

43:36 Publishing Waterweaver

46:03 When did you call yourself an author?

48:51 Living book five

53:17 The big dream

55:59 Where to find her books

"It took as long as it took to be able to say, I'm the artist, I'm the writer, my stories deserve to be told and heard." (H.H. Rune)

Mentioned in this episode:

Find Me: Extraordinary Life Seeker series, Books 1 to 3 (Book 4 coming soon)

Ellie Alexander (cozy mystery author and book coach)

Reedsy (free book formatting)

Atticus (formatting software)

Vellum (formatting software)

IngramSpark

Draft2Digital

Find H.H.:

Website: https://hhrune.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h.h.rune/

Substack: https://hhruneauthor.substack.com

Find Me, Book One: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3GD4P59

Want a signed nameplate? Send H.H. a postcard from your town.

About Maya:

Waterweaver: https://a.co/d/2tl8Unz

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mayagouliard

Wise Woman's Fantasy Book Club Discord: discord.gg/tQZrHm8YWC

Want to be a guest? Tell me about your creative life here: https://mayagouliard.substack.com/p/become-a-guest-makings-of-an-artist

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

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