The Happy Writer Book is Finally Here!
Want to be a happy writer? Let me help!
Is it too late to say Happy New Year? Since this is the first newsletter of 2025 and the theme of today is being a happy writer, I’m okay with it.
I’m also more than happy to announce that today is the day that THE HAPPY WRITER book is out in the world!
THE HAPPY WRITER: GET MORE IDEAS, WRITE MORE WORDS, AND FIND MORE JOY FROM FIRST DRAFT TO PUBLICATION AND BEYOND!
From #1 New York Times bestselling author and the creator and host of the popular podcast, The Happy Writer, comes the ultimate guide to writing with less stress and more JOY.
If you aren't suffering, you aren't creating. Right?
Wrong!
Writing can and should be joyful, fulfilling... even fun! Applicable to writers in all genres and disciplines--from screenwriters to novelists, journalists to picture book authors, aspiring to many-times published--The Happy Writer is a heartfelt and optimistic guide that will show you the way to a happier writing journey.
Part craft guide, part writing coach, and part cheerleader, this book offers useful advice on a slew of common writing and publishing ailments, such as how to end procrastination, how to build a social media platform that reflects your personality, how to get your imagination to overflow with new ideas, how to listen to your intuition when receiving a critique on your work, how to overcome impostor syndrome, what to do when you're stuck in the query trenches, and so much more.
No matter where a writer might be on their creative journey, Meyer encourages them to tap into their own personal sources of joy and to celebrate every milestone, all while confronting challenges (writer's block! rejection! burnout!) with a reservoir of resources for every temperament, budget, and career.
Known in writers' circles as a generous mentor, Meyer shares stories from her own writing path to help every writer discover the ultimate joys of living their best writing life.
Buy Links: Bookshop | Barnes and Noble | Indigo (Canada) |
Also available in audio, read by ME! Wherever you get your audio books.
More buy links and audio/ebook excerpts here.
To celebrate, I’m giving away finished copies and swag. To enter, fill out this form:
Happy Writer Final Episode Giveaway
And the celebrations continue!
The Happy Writer 5-Word Story Writing Contest
We're hosting a short story writing contest - and I do mean SHORT. Submit your 5-word story by Feb. 12 for your chance to win a finished copy of the book (US/Canada). I'll be judging the entries myself and can't wait to see what you come up with!
Details and entry form are here.
In bittersweet news, now that the book is out in the world, it’s time to wind down the Happy Writer Podcast. It’s been an amazing nearly five years, filled with amazing authors, inspiring conversations, personal stories, and, of course, fantastic books, but it feels like the right time to turn to other things. I’m incredibly proud of every one of the 225 episodes, including this week’s final sendoff, and will be keeping them all available indefinitely so you can catch up and return to your favorites.
I hope the podcast, that started as a pandemic project to help authors get the word out about their books, has been inspiring and valuable to you as a reader and writer.
We’ll continue to post on Instagram and Facebook for the foreseeable future - writing tips, clips from past episodes, writing prompts, and more (maybe even some giveaways?)!
Follow on Instagram and Facebook.
WITH A LITTLE LUCK
If you’ve been waiting to pick up this companion to INSTANT KARMA, it’s now available in paperback.
Purchase Links: Bookshop | Barnes and Noble | Indigo (Canada) |
Upcoming Appearances
Feb. 8, 12:00pm PST - Online Webinar with Jessica Brody and the Writing Mastery Academy. Sign up at https://www.writingmastery.com/
Feb. 11, 6:00pm PST - Fireside chat with J. Ann Thomas. Grit City Books, Tacoma, WA. This is a free event but is ticketed. Reserve your spot here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-launch-event-for-j-ann-thomas-tickets-1131364263969
Feb. 12, Time TBD, Barnes & Noble Grand Opening, Issaquah, WA
Feb. 21-22, StoryCon, Salt Lake City, UT. More info: https://www.storycon.org/
An Interview with Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss
Our puzzle-filled murder mystery thriller - THE ESCAPE GAME - comes out April 2026 and we are so excited!! Here's a bit more about us.
How did you become beta readers?
Tamara: We met long before Marissa was published, on Sailor Moon fanfiction sites. We read each other’s work and started up a friendship on LiveJournal, cheering each other on through highs and lows. We even co-wrote a Sailor Moon Christmas story with a third author, long ago. I travelled to the US for Marissa’s wedding in 2011, and again in 2019, where we did a book tour together (for the release of Marissa’s Supernova and my Lintang and the Pirate Queen).
Marissa: And when Tamara was in town for that book tour we did an escape room together! That was the first escape room I ever did with my kids, who were only five at the time, and were way more interested in asking for clues than trying to solve things. Nevertheless, we had such a blast.
What was your favourite and least favourite part of writing The Escape Game?
Tamara: Weaving together all the pieces of this story was such delicate and difficult work. Then in revisions we had to pull out a few threads, and the whole thing unravelled! It took so much brainpower to put it back together again, and caused more than a few headaches. But it was an absolute joy to up my writing game by working with Marissa. And playing with these characters, crafting the murder mystery, watching Marissa put together the codes and rooms… what an incredible experience.
Marissa: I really had so much fun coming up with the escape rooms themselves and trying to make them as immersive as possible. And also getting to know our four main characters, who I love beyond all reason. (I cannot wait for readers to meet them!!) And also getting to work with Tamara! After so many years of friendship and beta-reading, it was really great to tackle this project as a team. As for least favorite… like Tamara said, sometimes we would pull on a story thread for revision purposes, and suddenly things would be falling apart all around us. So frustrating! But once we put it back together, the book was always stronger for it.
Read the rest of the interview on Tamara's newsletter at:
Don’t forget, you can get all your official Marissa Meyer/The Happy Writer merchandise at our shops: Etsy, Spring, and Teepublic.
Until next time, stay inspired and keep writing.
With love,
Marissa