Joy Held is a published author, coach and educator who has literally transformed the lives of writers worldwide through her insights and guidance. For twenty years, her book and workshop, Writer Wellness, has taught people about the importance of self-care and productivity whilst balancing all the demands daily life has for us. What We Reading sat down with Joy to talk about everything from Writer Wellness, her Historical Romance stories to the challenges of marketing and promoting!
Thanks for speaking with us, Joy! First off, tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to the world of writing.
I’m an author, editor, book coach, and educator. I came to be a writer because I loved reading from an early age. I was ten years old when I asked my mother where books come from. She explained what a writer did, and I took it from there. In college, I completed degrees in Early Childhood Education, Journalism, and Creative Writing.
My mother operated a ballet school, and I gravitated to writing about dance, fitness, and theatre in newspapers and magazines. My love of reading drew me to historical fiction and that’s where much of my fiction work resides.
Talk to us about Writer Wellness. How has it come about, and what can readers expect to pick up as they go through?
The plan, book, workbook, and workshop called Writer Wellness came about in response to my writing critique partners asking me how I managed it “all” as I was raising a family, homeschooling, working part-time in the ballet school, AND publishing consistently. I didn’t have an answer for my friends immediately and set about tracking and documenting my daily life for thirty days. When I analyzed my notes, five areas surfaced as practices I did on an almost daily basis. They are:
- Journaling
- Exercise
- Relaxation
- Nutrition
- Creative play
Those practices became the foundation of what I eventually called “Writer Wellness” and shared with my writing group. From their feedback of the first Writer Wellness workshop, I developed the program. The book Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2020) is in its third edition and has been a workshop (online and in-person) for twenty years. There is a brand new workbook and guided journal out to accompany the main book.
Readers of Writer Wellness can expect to find a common sense approach to carving out time for self-care and creating regardless of genre. The book contains over 100 activities in the five key concepts and the workbook expands on that with new activities, a 28-day guided journal, and more.
What sort of feedback have you received from it so far? Have there been any examples that you’re particularly proud of?
“Writer Wellness changed my life. Yes, that a bold statement, but it’s true. Going through this program forced me to address parts of my life in need of change. The result, I’m happier, healthier, and much more productive. Years, later, I still rely on the exercises and journaling methods presented in this book. Thank you, Joy.”
~Sandy Tritt, CEO, Inspiration for Writers, Inc.
“I’ve had the pleasure to work with Joy through her workshops. She taught our members Writer Wellness – a seldom mentioned or taught skill set necessary for our profession.
Rather than plotting or character development, Joy teaches self-care for writers, like how to relax or specific exercises that benefit writers. She also teaches how to access new creativity wells and how to stay motivated. Her lessons are easy to assimilate into your day and wonderful additions to your writing life. She’s a gem”
~Kristi Klien Rhodes, President, Romantic Women’s Fiction Chapter of Romance Writers of America
As well as your non-fiction works, you’re also an acclaimed romance novelist, right? For those who don’t know, tell us a bit about your book, A Healing Touch.
I write historical romance as Liz Arnold. A Healing Touch (Boroughs Publishing Group, 2020) is my latest.
“In post-revolutionary America, Molly Hilliard wants to be more than an herbal healer. She answers the lure of adventure on the Ohio River and journeys to the Northwest Territory seeking the freedom to set up a medical practice. Along the way, she needs to hire Romney Applewood as a guide, but he is going the opposite direction. After ten years as a captive of the Delaware Indians, Romney want to get as far east as possible to forget his past and avoid the bounty on his head for taking part in raids on settler’s home.
Something about the way she sacrifices herself to heal others, and something about the way he endures the difficulties he encounters because of his tormented past, links them in more than their quest as they blaze new trails in their lives and on America’s frontier.”
What do you think is the biggest obstacle facing independent and aspiring authors these days?
Great question and one as a book coach I face regularly in work with my clients and in my own writing. The biggest obstacle facing independent and aspiring authors is marketing and promotions.
The head of this monster is the amount of money and power large, prominent traditional publishers wield, therefore acting as, not the gatekeeper, but the barrier to independent authors and publishers. It appears to some that the traditional publishers are impossible to overcome.
My perspective is to address marketing and promotions as the numbers game they are and to carve out a niche for yourself as an author. The numbers are so massive now simply because there are more people and more product. Publishing is truly capitalism at its best. I help my clients and creative writing students find a lane and learn to drive there with the caveat to always have an eye open to expanding one’s niche with products and services such as editing.
If you could go back in time and give your younger self one tip, what would it be?
Sorry to disappoint on this question, but I wouldn’t go back in time to my younger self and change anything. The reason is that I wouldn’t be who I am today having succeeded in the realms and overcoming the challenges I have. Every day of my past has been a schooling in how to be me, good or struggling.
The reason I love reading and writing historical fiction is my fascination with how pioneers of life accomplished what they did without the tools and technology we are so fortunate to have for the last 150 years. I also like discovering nuggets of history that explain why we do what we do today because someone in the past had an idea and the gumption to pursue it.
And finally, what do you hope the future holds for you and your writing?
The Future and I have an agreement. I won’t stress her out, and she won’t stress me out by trying to change things beyond our control. Expectations are good to have in moderation so that whatever happens is a blessing. Hope and I have a much larger relationship. She’s always there cheering me on.
Be well, write well!
Check out all of Joy’s works at website or on Twitter
Check out our interview with Jennifer Bryan
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
