A single moment on a New York subway platform can flip a life.

That’s where author and coach Deborah Mallow decided to stop living by default and design days that actually felt good. We invited her to share how that choice turned into a practical, design-forward guide: Six Steps to Fewer Days That Suck.

We walk through each step with real-world examples. Start with the decision to change, then strip away the habits that feed worry and fear.

Feed your mindset with bravery, not doubt. Take action with balance so your progress is sustainable, and choose an attitude that reflects the self you want to project. Finally, make the commitment to stay the course when results wobble.

Deborah grounds every step in accessible brain science, how cortisol shapes mornings, why negativity bias traps our focus, and how small rituals like a self-hug, a smile, and a one-line affirmation can trigger endorphins and set a positive pattern for the day.

As a designer, Deborah built her book for how we actually consume content: fast, visual, and memorable.

Double-page spreads deliver quotes, questions, mantras, and start-now activities you can use in minutes. She also pulls back the curtain on her self-publishing strategy, from combining Amazon with IngramSpark to sourcing a cover from Big Five talent and planning bulk sales that bring positivity into workplaces. It’s a masterclass in aligning creative vision with smart distribution, all while protecting your voice.

If you’re ready to enjoy more and worry less, you’ll leave with a morning micro-ritual, a clearer sense of purpose, and a repeatable way to reduce the days that drain you.

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📚 Writing a book and feeling stuck?

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A late-night encounter with a fantasy novel lit the fuse, and Richie Billing walked away from law to chase the kind of storytelling that steals your sleep.

We sit down with Richie to unpack the leap, the grind, and the systems that make a modern writing life possible without the smoke and mirrors. If you’ve wondered how authors really pay the bills, this candid, generous conversation gives you the roadmap and the reality check.

We get specific about the money. Richie breaks down why per-book royalties rarely add up, how crowded discount markets distort expectations, and why volume alone can’t be the goal. Instead, he shows how to find your readers by leaning into comparisons, build a list with SEO that quietly compounds, and use honest, relationship-first emails to turn casual subscribers into committed fans.

He also opens up about Patreon: simple tiers, low friction pricing, and benefits designed for how people actually read—downloadable ebooks, immersive web readers, and bonus audio—so support becomes recurring, not a one-off.

The creative experiments are wild and smart. Richie explains how he self-published a novella with an original soundtrack—QR codes in print and tappable links in ebooks—where each character’s theme mirrors their emotional arc.

He also shares “local-first” marketing tactics, from community events to QR stickers that cut through online noise. We dig into his podcast playbook, the real limits of monetizing audio without scale, and the crucial shift from making content for writers to serving readers who will buy your fiction.

Along the way, we talk about writing routines around full-time work, class barriers in publishing, and why a weekly web novel can blend drafting, feedback, and momentum.
Don't miss this fascinating episode, filled with golden nuggets.

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📚 Writing a book and feeling stuck?

Subscribe to Read and Write with Natasha on Substack for practical guidance, honest conversations, and behind-the-scenes insights on finishing your book—from idea to final draft.

In this episode, W G Williams takes us inside the moment he stopped chasing agents, embraced a hybrid publisher, and brought 20 Years of Internet Humor and Other Interesting Things to life without losing the warmth that kept readers coming back for decades.

We explore the nuts and bolts: sourcing stories from readers, editing for clarity and broad appeal, and verifying originality rather than recycling copyrighted material from the web.

Bill walks through why he organizes nearly 200 entries alphabetically to keep tone and topics varied, how he credits contributors for transparency, and why short, self-contained stories make the book perfect for five-minute reading sprints.

He shares candid lessons on marketing as an author-operator—leveraging word of mouth, live events, simple social posts, and the power of online retail to attract new readers and even new publishing offers after the fact.

You’ll also hear how Bill balances a full-time career with a daily creative routine, stays a week ahead on content, and plans themed volumes dedicated to kids, aging, marriage, and more.

If you’ve wondered whether hybrid publishing can be both rigorous and empowering, or how micro-stories can cut through a loud news cycle with a little levity and a lot of heart, this conversation offers a practical blueprint and a gentle nudge to keep going.

Have a comment? Text me!

Support the show

📚 Writing a book and feeling stuck?

Subscribe to Read and Write with Natasha on Substack for practical guidance, honest conversations, and behind-the-scenes insights on finishing your book—from idea to final draft.