Show Notes
Curious about Ink and Mist Society?? Check it out here! https://inkandmistsociety.com/
Find them on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/inkandmistsociety/
What if becoming a full-time writer didn’t mean waiting years for a book deal?
Less than a year ago, Tahnee Walters had an idea: write original fantasy short stories, package them into beautiful physical letters, and send them directly to readers through the mail.
Today, her Ink & Mist Society has grown to more than 900 subscribers, and Tahnee is figuring out what it means to build a writing career in a very unconventional (and very analog) way.
In this episode of No Mess, No Magic, Tahnee and Monica talk about the behind-the-scenes reality of running a short story mail club: writing a new 4,000–5,000 word story every month, printing and packing hundreds of letters, navigating viral growth, learning marketing through trial and error, and occasionally discovering the hard way that your envelopes are too thick for the postal system.
But they also dig into something even cooler: what happens to your writing when you actually let yourself write, finish, experiment, and move on.
Tahnee shares why some of her favorite stories were the ones she struggled with most, what she’s learned from scrapping thousands of words, how deadlines have changed her creative process, and why short stories have given her permission to play with her writing instead of trying to make every word perfect.
They also talk about the growing desire for analog experiences, creating genuine connection with readers, marketing creative work without overexplaining it, and the strange reality that your art may be affecting people who will never tell you.
If you've ever wondered whether there are unconventional ways to build a life around your writing (or needed permission to make something before you completely know what you're doing!) this episode is for you.
More from No Mess, No Magic
When was the last time you wrote something just for the hell of it? Not because you were working on your manuscript Just because it sounded FUN? I don't know about you, but I find it surprisingly difficult to turn off the part of my brain that wants everything I do to be productive. Even when I'm writing for fun, there's often a little voice asking, "Okay, but is this actually going anywhere?" And I know I'm not the only writer who struggles with this. 😂 So for this week's episode of No Mess, No Magic, I invited my dear friend Zanni Louise, an award-winning children's author with over 50 published books, to talk about writing like a kid again. Zanni has spent years teaching creative writing to both children and adults, and one of the biggest differences she's noticed is how much easier it is for kids to just... CREATE. They don't worry nearly as much about whether their ideas are good. They don't need every story to become something. They just play. And somewhere along the way, a lot of us adults lose that. In this episode, we get into: Why kids approach creativity so differently from adults (and what we can learn from them). How to stop overthinking and get back into the actual FUN of writing. Why experimenting with stories that go nowhere is NOT a waste of time. How Zanni sometimes writes fast enough to outrun her own self-doubt. Why you don't have to listen to every piece of feedback you receive. How to start trusting your own creative instincts again. We also talk about Zanni's approach to nurturing creativity, which involves a gardening metaphor that I absolutely love, and she shares a pretty wild story about what happened when she finally stopped worrying so much about getting published. Find Zanni: Website: https://www.zannilouise.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zannilouise/ Zanni also shares details about her upcoming creative retreat in a French castle (yes, an actual CASTLE), where writers and illustrators will spend a week exploring their creativity together. Check out Zanni's retreat here: https://tinyurl.com/mv9v98px
What if the books you never publish are just as important as the one that finally gets you a book deal? Rebecca Taylor McKay spent ten years writing, experimenting with different genres, and honing her craft before landing a literary agent and a publishing deal for her debut psychological thriller, The Honeymoon Suite. The Honeymoon Suite was her eighth full-length novel. In this episode of No Mess, No Magic, Rebecca and I chat about what those ten years actually looked like—from writing books that never saw the light of day to questioning whether publication would ever happen. We also talk about how Rebecca navigated writing while raising two young children, managing a chronic illness, and juggling work, all without forcing herself into the idea that "real writers" have to write every single day. In this episode, we explore: Why writing seven books that never got published wasn't a waste of time How experimenting with different genres helped Rebecca find her voice What kept her going when she started questioning whether she'd ever get published Why you don't need to write every day to be a "real" writer How to keep making progress on your writing when life gets in the way Why sometimes the best thing you can do for a manuscript is put it away (and maybe come back to it later!) About Rebecca: Rebecca Taylor McKay lives in West Yorkshire with her husband and two teenage children. Her debut novel, The Honeymoon Suite came out this year and was longlisted for the Women's Prize Discoveries Prize and shortlisted for the Northern Writers Sid Chaplin Award. Website: https://www.rebeccataylormckay.com/ And check out her debut novel, The Honeymoon Suite, a historical psychological thriller set on the Amalfi Coast in the 1960s! Find her book here: https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/rebecca-taylor-mckay-2/the-honeymoon-suite/9781408750018/
Querying has never exactly been fun… but in 2026, it can feel especially not fun. Response times are longer, agents are overwhelmed. Publishing is changing. And once you hit send on that query, it can feel like you’re left alone. So for this episode, I invited senior literary agent Linda Camacho onto the podcast to give us an honest look at what querying actually looks like from the other side of the inbox. We talk about: What actually happens when an agent opens your query (and how quickly they may make that first decision) Why your query needs to sell your book, not just summarize it What’s changed in publishing and querying over the last few years Why things are moving more slowly—and why silence doesn’t necessarily tell you what you think it does What writers can actually control during the querying process How to stay grounded when so much of publishing is completely outside your control Why learning the business side of publishing matters if traditional publishing is your goal And then we talk about something Linda and I have been quietly creating behind the scenes: The Query Lab. The Query Lab is a three-month, application-only beta program for fiction writers who are ready (or very close to ready) to query and want expert support while they’re actually in the query trenches. Learn more here: https://querylab.monicahaycoaching.com/ Instead of getting your query critiqued once and then being sent off to figure everything else out yourself, you’ll have three months of support from both Linda and me—including feedback on your submission package, monthly strategy calls with Linda, coaching with me, weekly office hours, and help navigating the inevitable wait, what the hell do I do now? moments that come with querying. This isn’t a promise that you’ll get an agent. Linda won’t be introducing you to agents, and participants cannot query Linda. What we can offer is a place to bring your questions, get feedback from someone who actually works inside the publishing industry, adjust your strategy when needed, and have support through a process that can otherwise feel incredibly lonely. We’re keeping this beta intentionally tiny: just 5–7 writers. If your fiction manuscript is polished (or very close), you’re preparing to query the North American market, and you want support navigating the process instead of trying to decipher Reddit threads at 1 a.m., apply for The Query Lab. Applications are open now and close October 12. We start October 26. Learn more here: https://querylab.monicahaycoaching.com/ Go straight to the application here: https://forms.gle/SVnn2UD8kM46jjjW6
Check out Molly's free meditation here: https://www.mollydonlan.com/magic-meditations Find Molly's book Mundane Magic here: https://www.mollydonlan.com/mundane-magic In this episode, I’m talking with Molly Donlan, bestselling author of Mundane Magic and co-host of the Demystify Magic podcast, about what happens when we stop fighting ourselves and start making our creative practices actually work with our brains. We talk about how writer’s block can be a nervous system response, why “eat the frog” is terrible advice for some of us (especially ADHD brains), and why doing the easiest thing first might actually help you build the momentum you need to write. We also get into how to tell the difference between “I’m resisting writing” and “I genuinely need to rest,” why tiny rituals can help your brain shift into creative mode, and how things like tarot, candles, movement, music, scent—or literally just turning on a lamp—can become part of your writing practice. And, naturally, we end up talking about why you should probably half-ass more things. If writing has been feeling really freaking hard lately, this episode is your permission slip to stop making it harder than it needs to be. About Molly: Molly Donlan is a Reiki Master Teacher, crystal healing expert, yoga teacher, co-host of the Demystify Magic podcast, host of the Science of Reiki podcast, and bestselling author of Mundane Magic who has dedicated her life to helping others unlock the transformative power of energy work and alternative healing modalities. With a background as an advocate for survivors of sexual violence and as a former skeptic of all things woo, Molly emphasizes the importance of trauma-informed care while teaching through a blend of science and spirituality. Her approach is lighthearted and grounded in practicality, because life is stressful enough and these practices are meant to reduce the stress of life, not add to it!
Curious about the summit? It runs October 16-19th!