Show Notes

It was an honour to speak with the talented, thoughtful, and truly lovely Emma Knight, author of the buzzy debut, THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE COMMON OCTOPUS (just announced as Read With Jenna’s first book club pick of 2025). A Toronto-based writer and co-founder of Greenhouse Juice (with two cookbooks under her belt), Emma’s debut novel takes place in Scotland, where Penelope Winters navigates her first year at Edinburgh University while untangling a family mystery. Striking every chord I love in a good book — coming-of-age, friendship, motherhood, romance, and intrigue — plus the introspection that comes with finding ourselves while unearthing the past lives of those who came before us — I think you’ll adore this one, too (trust 🤝)

We chat about everything from the publication process, to the imaginary characters living rent-free in our heads, to the advice she gave her daughters on what constitutes a good life: “choose something you always want to get better at and something that makes you feel like yourself.” Putting her own words into action, she finally plucked up the courage to put pen to paper and follow her dream of becoming a published author.

Emma is, without a doubt, a writer to watch 🐙🖋️🫶

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus is available for pre-order now and will be out on January 7, 2025 (CAN/U.S.) and April 2025 in the U.K.

CONNECT WITH EMMA

Instagram: @emma.knightwrites

Buy the Book:THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE COMMON OCTOPUS

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast/emmaknight

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

🎧 Listen on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes, Spotify,YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave a review, and share with your friends, family, and on social media, as it helps more people find out about the Word Weaver! I appreciate it so much. ☺️

Show Notes

In today's episode of the Word Weaver Podcast, I share the ONE THING you can do RIGHT NOW to start achieving your wildest writing dreams and become the successful published author you've always wanted to be. Becoming your future self involves the law of attraction, manifestation, and visualization, but the 'Act As If' technique goes a step further and puts those thoughts into action. This cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) strategy is backed by science and allows you to tap into the mindset and behaviours of the person you aspire to be, even when imposter syndrome or self-doubt strikes. You have to BE in order to BECOME.

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

🎧 Listen on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes, Spotify, and now on YouTube

🆕 NEW episodes weekly

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the #WordWeaverPodcast with your friends, family, and on social media, as it helps more people find out about it! I appreciate it so much. ☺️

Show Notes

On today’s episode of the Word Weaver, I’m joined by New Orleans author Marguerite Sheffer, winner (!!!) of the Iowa Short Fiction Award, for her debut short story collection, The Man in the Banana Trees. The 18 works of speculative fiction veer toward the weird and whimsical and have already garnered Marguerite comparisons to George Saunders and Claire Keegan for the playfulness and precision of her prose, as well as her use of metaphor. In one story we meet an ice cream consultant in 2036 who predicts a devastating flavor trend, while in “Rickey” a high school counselor works with a troubled student who happens to be an anthropomorphic felt puppet.

Marguerite’s foundations are in academia, as both a student (she holds an MFA and BA in English/Creative Writing) and as a teacher (she taught AP English to high schoolers for nearly a decade prior to becoming a Professor of Practice at Tulane University).

There are so many nuggets of writing wisdom dropped throughout our conversation as we chat about everything from how to handle endless rejections as an emerging writer, to how to stop feeling selfish for prioritizing your writing practice (or at least try…).

You also will likely be inspired to re-watch Cool Runnings, add New Orleans to your bookshop bucket list, and treat yourself to some new writing notebooks and Pilot P-700 pens.

CONNECT WITH MARGUERITE SHEFFER

Website: margueritesheffer.com

Instagram: @mlensheffer

Bluesky: @mlensheffer

Buy the Book: 📖 THE MAN IN THE BANANA TREES

Word Weaver Podcast Links

Show Notes: louiseclairejohnson.com/podcast

Instagram: @wordweaverpodcast

🎧 Listen on all podcast platforms including Apple iTunes, Spotify, and now on YouTube

🆕 NEW episodes weekly

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the #WordWeaverPodcast with your friends, family, and on social media, as it helps more people find out about it! I appreciate it so much. ☺️