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Featured Guest:
Tanya Fraser Writer Published: February 26, 2026 In this inspiring interview for the Wisdom for Wannabes podcast, full-time nomad and writer Tanya Fraser shares her journey from childhood storytelling in Ireland to becoming a published travel and creative writer. Discover her creative process, how she navigates life's challenges through writing, and her exciting future projects, including a film script and a new book, and follow Tanya's worldwide adventures by way of her Substack at: theplaypapers.substack.com Listen to/watch the full podcast recording, or read the transcript below: |
Full Interview with Tanya Fraser:
"Write every day, put it online, and don't worry about who and what and when is reading it or interacting with it. Use it as a practice."
- Tanya Fraser (Wisdom for Wannabes episode 43, 26:20)
Great quotes from the interview:
(More great quotes throughout the transcript in purple below.)
- "Humor is how we live with the truth."
- "You're your own hero, take the leap."
- "Feel your feelings, but don't live there."
(More great quotes throughout the transcript in purple below.)
Tanya Fraser, Writer
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Key Topics:
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Interview Transcript:
Jackie Morreale (00:00)
Hello and welcome to Wisdom for Wannabes, the podcast that seeks to discover wise words in business, beauty, and betterment. I am the host, Jackie Morreale. Today, we are so lucky to have a guest who checks all the boxes by way of writing.
Currently a full-time nomad traveling the world, Tanya Fraser is the writer behind The P.L.A.Y. Papers: Letters from the Second Act, a substack blog, which includes Letters to Viv, Aligned & Awake, and the Phoenix Diaries.
Tanya's work blends storytelling, personal reflection, and travel, taking readers on journeys both inward and outward. In August 2025, Tanya was awarded a writing scholarship from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation, a recognition of her talent for capturing place and the human stories within it. In this conversation, Tanya will share her creative process, how she navigates different writing mediums, and the insights that make her work so compelling.
Tanya Fraser, welcome to Wisdom for Wannabes!
Tanya Fraser (01:06)
I'm so honored. Thank you so much.
Jackie Morreale (01:08)
I'm amazed by your work, and I can't wait to find out more. Let's start with where it all started. Tell us about your background.
Tanya Fraser (01:16)
My gosh. We'll have to go back to Ireland. I grew up in Ireland. It was the 1980s, and it was a little bit difficult at that time. Luckily, Ireland is known for storytelling and a way with language. I remember hearing stories in my grandparents' kitchen. They'd
Talk. The laughter, and the language. It was just really funny. But as a kid, when adults would ask me, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I would always say, 'I want to travel the world and write a book about my adventures'. They'd look at me like, 'Is she crazy?'
Jackie Morreale (01:44)
Love it.
Tanya Fraser (01:46)
It took about 30 odd years in the making, but yeah! I would write short stories all the time as a kid. I remember when I got my first electric typewriter. I thought I was amazing. One of my good friends and I, when we moved to England, we started a magazine together. There was some writing in there. Then, we moved to Canada, and things changed, and life happened, and I grew up and got a job and just didn't write.
I never thought of myself as a writer. I thought of myself as someone who couldn't write, that I wasn't very good.
Then, about 18 months ago, my whole life fell apart. I lost my job, my marriage, my home, and I started traveling.
That image of that little girl kept popping up in my head. I was like, hold on a second. I'm actually traveling the world right now. Why don't I start writing? It was also a way for me to process a lot of the loss that I had just gone through. Pivoting and being midlife and going through perimenopause.
There are so many things externally and internally happening all at the same time. I just didn't know how to handle it. So I started writing. Then I decided, Let me see if I can make something out of this.
I've always wanted to be a writer. I started with Substack. Using it as practice. I told a few people and then a few people told some more people. It's starting to grow. It's been a great way for me to practice my writing, find my voice, what I want to say, how I want to say it.
Then in the past year, I've started applying to scholarships or pitching magazines, contests. I'm going to throw everything at the wall here and just see what sticks.
Jackie Morreale (03:22)
You are so down-to-earth, too. You have been recognized. Your dream has come to fruition. You are living it now. That little girl who wanted to travel the world and write stories about it is literally traveling the world and writing stories about it.
You've taken some situations that maybe some people wouldn't know how to grow from, and you have completely emerged out of them. I know you write the Phoenix Diaries, like this beautiful Phoenix. Every time I get your newsletter, your Substack, The P.L.A.Y. Papers, I can't wait to see what Tanya is going to do next.
Tanya Fraser (03:52)
That's so kind.
I'm a big believer that we have choice no matter what happens to us in life.
For me, going through this, it was either: crawl into a cave and feel sorry for myself or do the hard thing. I don't know why I was like, 'Yes, let's do that!' And go out into the world and travel instead of retreat, and continue to push myself.
I've been on emotional roller coasters. It's not been all jazz hands and fun and dance. It's been really, really hard, but it's those hard times also that give me content to write about.
Jackie Morreale (04:25)
Not only is it helping get you through whatever you're going through, but it's also giving you such relatable content that everyone knows. They can't maybe put their finger on the words to capture the feeling, but you do it so well. When I read your writing, I'm like, I've been there. Look at her. She's living every moment to its fullest, and she's able to acknowledge the lows and how the highs are so much sweeter because of those lows.
These key moments in life are what make it really beautiful and uniquely you.
Tanya Fraser (04:53)
Thank you. I also wanted to write about this because when I was in this dark place, in this in-between space, this messy middle, I was looking for people in the same space. Like, how do you navigate this?
You often see these stories. I was downtrodden and this happened. Then, I'm on top of the world, but you never see how they actually get there. It's always the before and the after, but what actually happens in the middle?
Jackie Morreale (05:20)
The fun stuff, right? That's the juicy details. The way that you connect the dots from one thing to another, either by way of your locations, your adventures, how one thing relates to something from your past. I love that you're able to put that all on paper and put it out there, and that your audience has grown so much in so little time. Good for you, Tanya, I'm excited for you.
We already talked about what you do. Do you want to describe your passion a little bit further? I'm sure that writing and travel have something to do with it.
Tanya Fraser (05:50)
I'm a creative storyteller. I'm blessed with a wild and vivid imagination. I come up with crazy stories. I am also putting those into short stories and fiction. I'm writing a film script.
I've got a fantasy adventure book that I'm putting together. I've unleashed something, or I've opened Pandora's box in terms of allowing myself to create. There is real freedom with it.
I don't know the final path or direction all of this is going in just yet. I'm trying my hand at different things and seeing what I really gravitate towards.
When I was going into high school, into grade nine, and my dad told me, 'Try all the things. You never know what you're going to like.'
I've always taken that in life. With writing, too, I'm trying nonfiction, fiction, travel writing, and short stories to see what I'm really gravitating towards. We'll see where it goes.
Jackie Morreale (06:45)
That’s what makes you so unique and versatile. You could do anything. You really can.
Tanya Fraser (06:49)
You're boosting my ego up here. Thank you.
Jackie Morreale (06:52)
I love that you referred back to your dad. It's amazing to have a supportive family that always told you to look for opportunities and think outside the box, story tell, and embrace your imagination. What are we without our imagination, right? We are our ideas. I love all that. You're so passionate and you could hear it through your words both spoken and written.
I know you've been doing this for your whole life, basically. Tell us more about what you’ve focused on in the past 18 months.
Tanya Fraser (07:19)
In the past, I was an actor, and I was in business. I've had different careers. The writing has always been in the background, but now, I'm letting it lead, I'm putting it in the forefront, and will see where it goes.
Jackie Morreale (07:32)
What is your favorite part of your new role, as a full-time storyteller?
Tanya Fraser (07:35)
I would say, exploring with curiosity. One of the things I love to do, and traveling allows me to do this, is to immerse myself in different cultures. People, food, and different ways of life.
I slow travel, meaning I will stay in a place for at least a month before moving on, so I can really immerse myself in where I am.
Then it's staying curious. I look at everything. I love observing, asking questions, trying different things, being spontaneous.
With all of that, my passion, also, to be a great writer or any type of artist, is to live life. To really live it and not perform it for anyone else. To really immerse yourself where you are in that moment, in that time and soak it in.
My passion is to stay in that place of curiosity.
Jackie Morreale (08:28)
Such an artist. I love it. Masks off! We're so deep into this conversation. You're so present in the moment and so full of understanding and curiosity for everything that you're experiencing around you. You're immersing yourself in different cultures, different languages, and different foods. Let's hear about some of your favorite things from around the world. Quickfire questions. You ready?
Tanya Fraser (08:29)
Hahaha. Okay? Go for it.
Jackie Morreale (08:47)
Okay. Which never end up quick, but let's see. Quickfire questions.
What is your favorite food?
Tanya Fraser (08:55)
I am such a foodie. If I had to pick one, Thai food. I went to Thailand and it was amazing. The food is crazy good.
Jackie Morreale (08:58)
Authentic. You're making me hungry.
Okay. Favorite hot drink?
Tanya Fraser (09:03)
Matcha latte.
Jackie Morreale (09:06)
Favorite place to hike?
Tanya Fraser (09:09)
Madeira. They have some of the best hiking anywhere. The views, the people that you meet on the hikes. You can go hiking with anyone, new friends, or meet new people. It's beautiful.
Jackie Morreale (09:09)
Amazing. Just as a plug for Tanya's Substack, which is theplaypapers.substack.com, she recently wrote a very nice piece about her hiking adventures in Madeira, Portugal. I felt like I was there... every, every second of it.
Tanya Fraser (09:35)
Yeah, I'm very honest in what I'm writing about. Even the stuff that's embarrassing.
Jackie Morreale (09:39)
That's the best stuff. I literally read it out loud and was laughing and, felt horrible at the same time for you, super bad, but I was like, 'This woman is really living it'.
Favorite place to write?
Tanya Fraser (09:53)
Anywhere with water or nature, like trees. In Spain, I purposely picked this place because I have a balcony with a sea view. I need to look at water.
Jackie Morreale (10:02)
Do you still have that electric typewriter, or do you keep a handwritten journal, or do you just use your laptop?
Tanya Fraser (10:07)
Still love pen and paper though. I always carry a little notebook around with me.
(Continued below)
Hello and welcome to Wisdom for Wannabes, the podcast that seeks to discover wise words in business, beauty, and betterment. I am the host, Jackie Morreale. Today, we are so lucky to have a guest who checks all the boxes by way of writing.
Currently a full-time nomad traveling the world, Tanya Fraser is the writer behind The P.L.A.Y. Papers: Letters from the Second Act, a substack blog, which includes Letters to Viv, Aligned & Awake, and the Phoenix Diaries.
Tanya's work blends storytelling, personal reflection, and travel, taking readers on journeys both inward and outward. In August 2025, Tanya was awarded a writing scholarship from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation, a recognition of her talent for capturing place and the human stories within it. In this conversation, Tanya will share her creative process, how she navigates different writing mediums, and the insights that make her work so compelling.
Tanya Fraser, welcome to Wisdom for Wannabes!
Tanya Fraser (01:06)
I'm so honored. Thank you so much.
Jackie Morreale (01:08)
I'm amazed by your work, and I can't wait to find out more. Let's start with where it all started. Tell us about your background.
Tanya Fraser (01:16)
My gosh. We'll have to go back to Ireland. I grew up in Ireland. It was the 1980s, and it was a little bit difficult at that time. Luckily, Ireland is known for storytelling and a way with language. I remember hearing stories in my grandparents' kitchen. They'd
Talk. The laughter, and the language. It was just really funny. But as a kid, when adults would ask me, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I would always say, 'I want to travel the world and write a book about my adventures'. They'd look at me like, 'Is she crazy?'
Jackie Morreale (01:44)
Love it.
Tanya Fraser (01:46)
It took about 30 odd years in the making, but yeah! I would write short stories all the time as a kid. I remember when I got my first electric typewriter. I thought I was amazing. One of my good friends and I, when we moved to England, we started a magazine together. There was some writing in there. Then, we moved to Canada, and things changed, and life happened, and I grew up and got a job and just didn't write.
I never thought of myself as a writer. I thought of myself as someone who couldn't write, that I wasn't very good.
Then, about 18 months ago, my whole life fell apart. I lost my job, my marriage, my home, and I started traveling.
That image of that little girl kept popping up in my head. I was like, hold on a second. I'm actually traveling the world right now. Why don't I start writing? It was also a way for me to process a lot of the loss that I had just gone through. Pivoting and being midlife and going through perimenopause.
There are so many things externally and internally happening all at the same time. I just didn't know how to handle it. So I started writing. Then I decided, Let me see if I can make something out of this.
I've always wanted to be a writer. I started with Substack. Using it as practice. I told a few people and then a few people told some more people. It's starting to grow. It's been a great way for me to practice my writing, find my voice, what I want to say, how I want to say it.
Then in the past year, I've started applying to scholarships or pitching magazines, contests. I'm going to throw everything at the wall here and just see what sticks.
Jackie Morreale (03:22)
You are so down-to-earth, too. You have been recognized. Your dream has come to fruition. You are living it now. That little girl who wanted to travel the world and write stories about it is literally traveling the world and writing stories about it.
You've taken some situations that maybe some people wouldn't know how to grow from, and you have completely emerged out of them. I know you write the Phoenix Diaries, like this beautiful Phoenix. Every time I get your newsletter, your Substack, The P.L.A.Y. Papers, I can't wait to see what Tanya is going to do next.
Tanya Fraser (03:52)
That's so kind.
I'm a big believer that we have choice no matter what happens to us in life.
For me, going through this, it was either: crawl into a cave and feel sorry for myself or do the hard thing. I don't know why I was like, 'Yes, let's do that!' And go out into the world and travel instead of retreat, and continue to push myself.
I've been on emotional roller coasters. It's not been all jazz hands and fun and dance. It's been really, really hard, but it's those hard times also that give me content to write about.
Jackie Morreale (04:25)
Not only is it helping get you through whatever you're going through, but it's also giving you such relatable content that everyone knows. They can't maybe put their finger on the words to capture the feeling, but you do it so well. When I read your writing, I'm like, I've been there. Look at her. She's living every moment to its fullest, and she's able to acknowledge the lows and how the highs are so much sweeter because of those lows.
These key moments in life are what make it really beautiful and uniquely you.
Tanya Fraser (04:53)
Thank you. I also wanted to write about this because when I was in this dark place, in this in-between space, this messy middle, I was looking for people in the same space. Like, how do you navigate this?
You often see these stories. I was downtrodden and this happened. Then, I'm on top of the world, but you never see how they actually get there. It's always the before and the after, but what actually happens in the middle?
Jackie Morreale (05:20)
The fun stuff, right? That's the juicy details. The way that you connect the dots from one thing to another, either by way of your locations, your adventures, how one thing relates to something from your past. I love that you're able to put that all on paper and put it out there, and that your audience has grown so much in so little time. Good for you, Tanya, I'm excited for you.
We already talked about what you do. Do you want to describe your passion a little bit further? I'm sure that writing and travel have something to do with it.
Tanya Fraser (05:50)
I'm a creative storyteller. I'm blessed with a wild and vivid imagination. I come up with crazy stories. I am also putting those into short stories and fiction. I'm writing a film script.
I've got a fantasy adventure book that I'm putting together. I've unleashed something, or I've opened Pandora's box in terms of allowing myself to create. There is real freedom with it.
I don't know the final path or direction all of this is going in just yet. I'm trying my hand at different things and seeing what I really gravitate towards.
When I was going into high school, into grade nine, and my dad told me, 'Try all the things. You never know what you're going to like.'
I've always taken that in life. With writing, too, I'm trying nonfiction, fiction, travel writing, and short stories to see what I'm really gravitating towards. We'll see where it goes.
Jackie Morreale (06:45)
That’s what makes you so unique and versatile. You could do anything. You really can.
Tanya Fraser (06:49)
You're boosting my ego up here. Thank you.
Jackie Morreale (06:52)
I love that you referred back to your dad. It's amazing to have a supportive family that always told you to look for opportunities and think outside the box, story tell, and embrace your imagination. What are we without our imagination, right? We are our ideas. I love all that. You're so passionate and you could hear it through your words both spoken and written.
I know you've been doing this for your whole life, basically. Tell us more about what you’ve focused on in the past 18 months.
Tanya Fraser (07:19)
In the past, I was an actor, and I was in business. I've had different careers. The writing has always been in the background, but now, I'm letting it lead, I'm putting it in the forefront, and will see where it goes.
Jackie Morreale (07:32)
What is your favorite part of your new role, as a full-time storyteller?
Tanya Fraser (07:35)
I would say, exploring with curiosity. One of the things I love to do, and traveling allows me to do this, is to immerse myself in different cultures. People, food, and different ways of life.
I slow travel, meaning I will stay in a place for at least a month before moving on, so I can really immerse myself in where I am.
Then it's staying curious. I look at everything. I love observing, asking questions, trying different things, being spontaneous.
With all of that, my passion, also, to be a great writer or any type of artist, is to live life. To really live it and not perform it for anyone else. To really immerse yourself where you are in that moment, in that time and soak it in.
My passion is to stay in that place of curiosity.
Jackie Morreale (08:28)
Such an artist. I love it. Masks off! We're so deep into this conversation. You're so present in the moment and so full of understanding and curiosity for everything that you're experiencing around you. You're immersing yourself in different cultures, different languages, and different foods. Let's hear about some of your favorite things from around the world. Quickfire questions. You ready?
Tanya Fraser (08:29)
Hahaha. Okay? Go for it.
Jackie Morreale (08:47)
Okay. Which never end up quick, but let's see. Quickfire questions.
What is your favorite food?
Tanya Fraser (08:55)
I am such a foodie. If I had to pick one, Thai food. I went to Thailand and it was amazing. The food is crazy good.
Jackie Morreale (08:58)
Authentic. You're making me hungry.
Okay. Favorite hot drink?
Tanya Fraser (09:03)
Matcha latte.
Jackie Morreale (09:06)
Favorite place to hike?
Tanya Fraser (09:09)
Madeira. They have some of the best hiking anywhere. The views, the people that you meet on the hikes. You can go hiking with anyone, new friends, or meet new people. It's beautiful.
Jackie Morreale (09:09)
Amazing. Just as a plug for Tanya's Substack, which is theplaypapers.substack.com, she recently wrote a very nice piece about her hiking adventures in Madeira, Portugal. I felt like I was there... every, every second of it.
Tanya Fraser (09:35)
Yeah, I'm very honest in what I'm writing about. Even the stuff that's embarrassing.
Jackie Morreale (09:39)
That's the best stuff. I literally read it out loud and was laughing and, felt horrible at the same time for you, super bad, but I was like, 'This woman is really living it'.
Favorite place to write?
Tanya Fraser (09:53)
Anywhere with water or nature, like trees. In Spain, I purposely picked this place because I have a balcony with a sea view. I need to look at water.
Jackie Morreale (10:02)
Do you still have that electric typewriter, or do you keep a handwritten journal, or do you just use your laptop?
Tanya Fraser (10:07)
Still love pen and paper though. I always carry a little notebook around with me.
(Continued below)
Tanya Fraser around the World - Europe:
Tanya Fraser in Ireland
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Tanya Fraser in Madiera, Portugal
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(Continued)
Jackie Morreale (10:14)
Favorite book?
Tanya Fraser (10:15)
A book called Forever Amber. It's fiction, by Kathleen Windsor. It was written in the 1930s. It was so racy at the time it was banned. It's really thick, 800 - 900 pages. It's an amazing story of a young woman in England during the 1600s trying to make something of herself.
I love stories about strong women who are going after what they want. This was a book I read in my 20s, and I could not put it down. It's amazing.
Jackie Morreale (10:49)
Forever Amber. I'm adding that to my list. I know a couple of women like that who are fearless and chase their dreams and make a very big impact every day. I might be talking to one right now. I do see a commonality, and I look forward to reading 'Forever Tanya' one day. But I digress.
Favorite author? And it can be you, if you'd like.
Tanya Fraser (10:50)
Irish classic writers. Irish writers just have a way with storytelling, language and words. There's so many of them, like Yeats and Oscar Wilde and Beckett.
Jackie Morreale (11:24)
Favorite artist or musician, or both?
Tanya Fraser (11:27)
This where my Canadian part of me comes out. There's an iconic Canadian band called The Tragically Hip. Their lead singer died about 10 years ago, but they are so iconic. Amazing storytelling put to music.
Jackie Morreale (11:42)
Favorite thing to do when not writing?
Tanya Fraser (11:45)
Eat.
Jackie Morreale (11:45)
You don't look like it, by the way, Tanya, but I appreciate you saying that.
Tanya Fraser (11:49)
I was in Bordeaux a few months ago and every day I took myself to a new patisserie. I was in heaven. Eating, reading. I'm always reading.
Jackie Morreale (11:57)
Favorite sport or activity?
Tanya Fraser (11:59)
I was sporty when I was younger and now, things just don't bounce back like they used to.
Jackie Morreale (12:04)
Hey, but you said you're hiking almost every day. So, this just sounds like a super active lifestyle. Hiking totally fits that bill if that works for you!
Tanya Fraser (12:08)
I do like walking and hiking. There's definitely more stretching and yoga than there used to be.
Jackie Morreale (12:18)
I'm right there with you. If things don't stretch the way they used to, you have to go out of your way to keep… limber.
Tanya Fraser (12:24)
Limber. Yeah, you have got to work on it.
Jackie Morreale (12:26)
Exactly! We're taking it from frivolous to a bit deeper: Proudest moment?
Tanya Fraser (12:30)
I'm most proud of how I've handled the last 18 months of being punched in the gut, my whole life changing in one fell swoop, and moving forward and intentionally trying to live life on purpose. I don't want regrets.
I had my days where I felt sorry for myself, and I was a victim and all of that. But I also think that you can pass through darkness, just don't live there. I know people who live there, and it's just so unhealthy. I didn't want that for myself.
I just keep going. Some days, it's just putting a smile on my face, even when inside it doesn't feel like I should or want to, but it does change things.
Jackie Morreale (13:10)
I'm so proud of you, too. You can do anything.
Tanya Fraser (13:12)
None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. We're living now. This is a dress rehearsal. We're on stage right now.
Jackie Morreale (13:15)
Exactly. It's a journey and you're on it. Every week, I get your newsletter from Substack, and I can't wait to see what adventures I can live vicariously through you.
Do you have a favorite quote for life?
Tanya Fraser (13:30)
'No matter what happens, we still have choice.'
And, 'Humor is how we live with the truth'.
Maybe it's part of my Irish upbringing, but we put humor around everything. Even the most tragic things, we can make fun of or find humor in.
Laughter really is the best medicine. And you always have that choice.
Jackie Morreale (13:51)
I just read somewhere that one of the hardest things in the world to be as funny, and your stuff is funny. I don't know how you do it. It's ironic. It's satirical. It completes a circle. It's smartly done.
Humor and how you look at a situation come through in the art that you make as well.
Tanya Fraser (14:10)
I hope so, part of it too is that I want to entertain. As much for myself as for my readers.
Jackie Morreale (14:16)
Let's talk more about writing. When did you start putting the pen to paper? Or when would you say you became a writer? Let's go back to the early days.
Tanya Fraser (14:25)
I wrote, always, as a kid. I would say, I became a writer just in May 2025, so last year. I did have a moment, but I didn't actually believe myself to be a writer yet.
I was in Bordeaux a couple of months ago. I usually stay in co-living places. They're not quite a hostel, not quite a hotel. It's other nomads. I meet new people and they're like, 'What do you do?' Previously, I would always say, operations, business, this, that, and the other.
But in this moment, without even thinking, I was like, I'm a writer.
I had a moment, I said that out loud.
Jackie Morreale (15:01)
That's it. That's your identity. That was in France, huh? Over the delicious pastries.
Tanya Fraser (15:07)
I did write about it; this moment of being a writer. How sometimes labels can hinder us, but this was a label that is opening up a door and giving me more freedom. Sometimes labels can be a good thing.
Jackie Morreale (15:20)
Exactly. What inspires you to write every day? Do you write every day?
Tanya Fraser (15:25)
I do write every day. It's in different forms. Sometimes it's a formal sit-down at the computer. Sometimes it's jotting down ideas on paper. Sometimes it's voice notes. I love to go walking or hiking. When I'm moving like that, I tend to get ideas, but I can't stop and write them down. So, I'll do voice notes. Traveling, of course, gives me lots of content, my own life. I mean, you don't get to be 46 and not have stuff to talk about.
Jackie Morreale (15:54)
I love that you voice note while you hike. It's just part of your health process, to express yourself and what's going through your imagination.
Tanya Fraser (16:01)
It's crazy. Sometimes I wish I could turn my mind off. It's like, 'Just go hike and look at the beautiful trees and flowers and the ocean'. But then I see something. I was on the beach the other day, looking at shells, when I picked up this one and noticed it had a hole.
It's like the meaning of life. You have a hole. You're still pretty, and there's this flaw.
An article is coming out about this shell.
Jackie Morreale (16:24)
You have such a captivating way of perceiving the world around you. I can’t wait to see your sub stack on that.
So how did you start your sub stack?
Tanya Fraser (16:33)
I started writing my thoughts almost like journal entries. Then, I just was like, I think other people might be interested.
There are other people, other women, especially, going through something similar. If I can just at least get out what I'm feeling, maybe it helps someone else.
Also, I was at a point where I really wanted to be a writer.
The only way to do this, from what I had been told, is to start writing and put your stuff out there, as scary as it is.
I remember that first day I hit publish. I did take a picture of myself that day. This is the beginning of I don't know what, but it's a beginning.
I just remember going into a flop sweat. I was sweating, and I was like, This is either the menopause or this is really scary. A combination of both, maybe.
Jackie Morreale (17:19)
That 'Publish' moment where you're like, ‘Can somebody else push it for me?’ Because it's just too much, right?
Tanya Fraser (17:23)
If you had told me a year ago that you'd be writing and people are gravitating towards it, I'd have been like, ‘Are you high?’
Jackie Morreale (17:32)
Well, good for you. It's a brave thing.
Tanya Fraser (17:35)
So true though. I think for us women, we tend not to do something unless it's really perfect. Unless I know 100%, I can do this. Whereas men have this ability to just say, ‘Yeah, I can do that. I've never done it before, but sure. I'll do it.’
I think it's important for us women to also do the things we really want even if we feel we're not 100 % ready for.
Jackie Morreale (17:59)
I heard somewhere that we have to ‘grow wings on the fall down’. It's so hard to take that leap. We don't know if we have the wings unless we do, though, right? We're going to grow them. It's true. Women can do anything.
It's uncharted waters.
Tanya Fraser (18:17)
My gosh, it is.
Jackie Morreale (18:18)
I feel from you right now that you are really good at the uncharted waters thing. It's so exciting and scary at the same time.
You talked about when you published. What was that feeling after you published?
Tanya Fraser (18:23)
‘Can I breathe?’ Once I published, some people started subscribing, and then some people were paying to be subscribers. I was just... wait, did they subscribe? Did they mean to subscribe to me?
It was unbelievable. I honestly was not expecting it. I was expecting maybe some family members, and my closest friends would subscribe. But then people I didn't know just blew my mind.
(Continued below)
Jackie Morreale (10:14)
Favorite book?
Tanya Fraser (10:15)
A book called Forever Amber. It's fiction, by Kathleen Windsor. It was written in the 1930s. It was so racy at the time it was banned. It's really thick, 800 - 900 pages. It's an amazing story of a young woman in England during the 1600s trying to make something of herself.
I love stories about strong women who are going after what they want. This was a book I read in my 20s, and I could not put it down. It's amazing.
Jackie Morreale (10:49)
Forever Amber. I'm adding that to my list. I know a couple of women like that who are fearless and chase their dreams and make a very big impact every day. I might be talking to one right now. I do see a commonality, and I look forward to reading 'Forever Tanya' one day. But I digress.
Favorite author? And it can be you, if you'd like.
Tanya Fraser (10:50)
Irish classic writers. Irish writers just have a way with storytelling, language and words. There's so many of them, like Yeats and Oscar Wilde and Beckett.
Jackie Morreale (11:24)
Favorite artist or musician, or both?
Tanya Fraser (11:27)
This where my Canadian part of me comes out. There's an iconic Canadian band called The Tragically Hip. Their lead singer died about 10 years ago, but they are so iconic. Amazing storytelling put to music.
Jackie Morreale (11:42)
Favorite thing to do when not writing?
Tanya Fraser (11:45)
Eat.
Jackie Morreale (11:45)
You don't look like it, by the way, Tanya, but I appreciate you saying that.
Tanya Fraser (11:49)
I was in Bordeaux a few months ago and every day I took myself to a new patisserie. I was in heaven. Eating, reading. I'm always reading.
Jackie Morreale (11:57)
Favorite sport or activity?
Tanya Fraser (11:59)
I was sporty when I was younger and now, things just don't bounce back like they used to.
Jackie Morreale (12:04)
Hey, but you said you're hiking almost every day. So, this just sounds like a super active lifestyle. Hiking totally fits that bill if that works for you!
Tanya Fraser (12:08)
I do like walking and hiking. There's definitely more stretching and yoga than there used to be.
Jackie Morreale (12:18)
I'm right there with you. If things don't stretch the way they used to, you have to go out of your way to keep… limber.
Tanya Fraser (12:24)
Limber. Yeah, you have got to work on it.
Jackie Morreale (12:26)
Exactly! We're taking it from frivolous to a bit deeper: Proudest moment?
Tanya Fraser (12:30)
I'm most proud of how I've handled the last 18 months of being punched in the gut, my whole life changing in one fell swoop, and moving forward and intentionally trying to live life on purpose. I don't want regrets.
I had my days where I felt sorry for myself, and I was a victim and all of that. But I also think that you can pass through darkness, just don't live there. I know people who live there, and it's just so unhealthy. I didn't want that for myself.
I just keep going. Some days, it's just putting a smile on my face, even when inside it doesn't feel like I should or want to, but it does change things.
Jackie Morreale (13:10)
I'm so proud of you, too. You can do anything.
Tanya Fraser (13:12)
None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. We're living now. This is a dress rehearsal. We're on stage right now.
Jackie Morreale (13:15)
Exactly. It's a journey and you're on it. Every week, I get your newsletter from Substack, and I can't wait to see what adventures I can live vicariously through you.
Do you have a favorite quote for life?
Tanya Fraser (13:30)
'No matter what happens, we still have choice.'
And, 'Humor is how we live with the truth'.
Maybe it's part of my Irish upbringing, but we put humor around everything. Even the most tragic things, we can make fun of or find humor in.
Laughter really is the best medicine. And you always have that choice.
Jackie Morreale (13:51)
I just read somewhere that one of the hardest things in the world to be as funny, and your stuff is funny. I don't know how you do it. It's ironic. It's satirical. It completes a circle. It's smartly done.
Humor and how you look at a situation come through in the art that you make as well.
Tanya Fraser (14:10)
I hope so, part of it too is that I want to entertain. As much for myself as for my readers.
Jackie Morreale (14:16)
Let's talk more about writing. When did you start putting the pen to paper? Or when would you say you became a writer? Let's go back to the early days.
Tanya Fraser (14:25)
I wrote, always, as a kid. I would say, I became a writer just in May 2025, so last year. I did have a moment, but I didn't actually believe myself to be a writer yet.
I was in Bordeaux a couple of months ago. I usually stay in co-living places. They're not quite a hostel, not quite a hotel. It's other nomads. I meet new people and they're like, 'What do you do?' Previously, I would always say, operations, business, this, that, and the other.
But in this moment, without even thinking, I was like, I'm a writer.
I had a moment, I said that out loud.
Jackie Morreale (15:01)
That's it. That's your identity. That was in France, huh? Over the delicious pastries.
Tanya Fraser (15:07)
I did write about it; this moment of being a writer. How sometimes labels can hinder us, but this was a label that is opening up a door and giving me more freedom. Sometimes labels can be a good thing.
Jackie Morreale (15:20)
Exactly. What inspires you to write every day? Do you write every day?
Tanya Fraser (15:25)
I do write every day. It's in different forms. Sometimes it's a formal sit-down at the computer. Sometimes it's jotting down ideas on paper. Sometimes it's voice notes. I love to go walking or hiking. When I'm moving like that, I tend to get ideas, but I can't stop and write them down. So, I'll do voice notes. Traveling, of course, gives me lots of content, my own life. I mean, you don't get to be 46 and not have stuff to talk about.
Jackie Morreale (15:54)
I love that you voice note while you hike. It's just part of your health process, to express yourself and what's going through your imagination.
Tanya Fraser (16:01)
It's crazy. Sometimes I wish I could turn my mind off. It's like, 'Just go hike and look at the beautiful trees and flowers and the ocean'. But then I see something. I was on the beach the other day, looking at shells, when I picked up this one and noticed it had a hole.
It's like the meaning of life. You have a hole. You're still pretty, and there's this flaw.
An article is coming out about this shell.
Jackie Morreale (16:24)
You have such a captivating way of perceiving the world around you. I can’t wait to see your sub stack on that.
So how did you start your sub stack?
Tanya Fraser (16:33)
I started writing my thoughts almost like journal entries. Then, I just was like, I think other people might be interested.
There are other people, other women, especially, going through something similar. If I can just at least get out what I'm feeling, maybe it helps someone else.
Also, I was at a point where I really wanted to be a writer.
The only way to do this, from what I had been told, is to start writing and put your stuff out there, as scary as it is.
I remember that first day I hit publish. I did take a picture of myself that day. This is the beginning of I don't know what, but it's a beginning.
I just remember going into a flop sweat. I was sweating, and I was like, This is either the menopause or this is really scary. A combination of both, maybe.
Jackie Morreale (17:19)
That 'Publish' moment where you're like, ‘Can somebody else push it for me?’ Because it's just too much, right?
Tanya Fraser (17:23)
If you had told me a year ago that you'd be writing and people are gravitating towards it, I'd have been like, ‘Are you high?’
Jackie Morreale (17:32)
Well, good for you. It's a brave thing.
Tanya Fraser (17:35)
So true though. I think for us women, we tend not to do something unless it's really perfect. Unless I know 100%, I can do this. Whereas men have this ability to just say, ‘Yeah, I can do that. I've never done it before, but sure. I'll do it.’
I think it's important for us women to also do the things we really want even if we feel we're not 100 % ready for.
Jackie Morreale (17:59)
I heard somewhere that we have to ‘grow wings on the fall down’. It's so hard to take that leap. We don't know if we have the wings unless we do, though, right? We're going to grow them. It's true. Women can do anything.
It's uncharted waters.
Tanya Fraser (18:17)
My gosh, it is.
Jackie Morreale (18:18)
I feel from you right now that you are really good at the uncharted waters thing. It's so exciting and scary at the same time.
You talked about when you published. What was that feeling after you published?
Tanya Fraser (18:23)
‘Can I breathe?’ Once I published, some people started subscribing, and then some people were paying to be subscribers. I was just... wait, did they subscribe? Did they mean to subscribe to me?
It was unbelievable. I honestly was not expecting it. I was expecting maybe some family members, and my closest friends would subscribe. But then people I didn't know just blew my mind.
(Continued below)
Tanya Fraser around the World - Asia and North America:
Tanya Fraser in Thailand
|
Tanya Fraser in Mexico City
|
(Continued)
Jackie Morreale (18:50)
The word's getting out in a big way. How does it feel to have travel inspire your writing? Is that the writer you see yourself becoming?
Tanya Fraser (19:00)
Travel definitely gives me lots of content. You think a lot when you travel alone.
What I truly love to write about is real-life experiences, and showing in an entertaining way that there is always a choice. I think travel is more of one layer of it or an entry point, but it's not the core of what I write about.
I'm writing a film script right now, which is very different from travel. But travel has inspired some things within the script. I think travel will always be there in different ways, depending on the type of writing I'm doing.
Jackie Morreale (19:39)
Your film script. How's it going? What do you have in mind? Do you like writing dialogue? Give me more information.
Tanya Fraser (19:48)
I love writing dialogue because I think it's part of my different personalities coming out. If anyone saw me writing, it's me here at the computer having conversations with myself. ‘Oh yes, you want to have conversations with me?’ I'm constantly doing this and that.
Jackie Morreale (20:03)
You need to record while you write, obviously.
Tanya Fraser (20:08)
I should, probably. It's like Jekyll and Hyde, all these different personalities. It's fun because you can create characters that are so different from yourself and say things maybe that you've always wanted to say, but you never could say because it's not you.
Jackie Morreale (20:20)
Do you base your characters on people that you know or experiences? What is inspiring this script that you're writing?
Tanya Fraser (20:29)
I don't know if you're familiar with tarot cards? This film is about the four queens of tarot who are trying to save the world but realize that only the humans can save themselves.
It's a dark comedy, it's a fantasy. I'm trying to stay true to the archetypes of the queens in the tarot deck, but in a fantasy, dark comedy way. Some of the humans in the world... I take pieces of people I know or experiences I've personally had. It's all weaved together.
Jackie Morreale (20:59)
I see the next blockbuster hit. I see the Netflix series. I see the Broadway and West End show adaptation, musical, maybe similar to SiX, with all the queens and the rock concert. I see the cartoon adaptation for kids in the Four Queens. There's so much there. Can't wait.
Tanya Fraser (21:04)
Yes, please. If anyone wants to help me make it, yes!
Jackie Morreale (21:22)
Put it out there, you never know! Let's talk more about feelings. You've been recognized in so many ways, most recently with this travel writing scholarship. Take me through that feeling of getting that scholarship, applying for that scholarship, and where it has taken you from then to now in terms of your travel writing?
Tanya Fraser (21:28)
I had applied for it last May. I'd seen it and I was like, 'Let me just do it. Throw everything at the wall, Tanya, and see what sticks'.
I'd forgotten about it because at the same time, I'm selling my house, I'm going through a divorce, and I'm dealing with banks and realtors and lawyers. One day, I was having a hard day, having a tough conversation with the bank.
I just remember thinking, I just got to go for a walk. I left, and I got this phone call. It was a number I didn't recognize. I usually don't answer numbers I don't recognize. And they left a message. I listened to the message.
They say, 'Hi, it's the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation, please call us back'. And I was like, Who, what? So I called back. She's like, 'Hi, Tanya, congratulations, you won!' I was like, 'I won, what?' What? 'The scholarship that you applied for back in May?' This was in July, two months later.
I was like, holy ****! She's like, 'You're excited?' 'What? I won?' I was dumbfounded. Could not put words together.
Jackie Morreale (22:34)
And on that day that you had for that to happen, where maybe you didn't feel like you won in some areas, for someone to call you up out of the blue and say, 'Tanya, you won!' Amazing.
Tanya Fraser (22:48)
She's like, 'So you're coming to California? We're just in San Francisco.' I was like, 'Yeah, okay.'
Jackie Morreale (22:59)
Good for you! So you went to San Francisco. You met the people that picked you. It must have been amazing experience.
Tanya Fraser (23:03)
I went to the conference, and all these other travel writers and travel photographers and editors from magazines. I just felt like I was so out of place but then also at the same time like I'd met my people. It was four days of talking about travel and storytelling and language.
Some of the stories and places people have been. It was just amazing. They had a writing contest at this conference. I was like, 'Yeah, I'll write something and submit it. I end up winning that!
Jackie Morreale (23:38)
My gosh. You won the scholarship, and then you won another again, there at the conference. From among the many people who had been all over the place doing this, travel writing. Amazing! So talented, that's what it is.
Tanya Fraser (23:47)
Crazy. It was this weird out of body experience.
Then also, I was like, 'Okay, I can write. I can tell a story that's been validated.'
It boosted my confidence. From there, I've just been diving more into my own writing, creative writing.
I've been able to meet some other great travel writers along the way, and other writers and filmmakers.
It's just opened a network I never even thought to have access to.
Jackie Morreale (24:22)
It sounds like you really did find your people. It's just this snowball effect.
Maybe waiting those 40 years and then unleashing this creative talent on the world, and you just have so much to say. So, do you have a take-home message for your readers?
Tanya Fraser (24:29)
You can go through darkness, but don't live there. Feel your feelings. Don't ignore them. Don't push them away.
If you don't feel them and deal with them, they'll bubble up later.
Find the small little joys in life. Even if that is a matcha latte and a pastry or something funny to watch. Those little moments, when you do them consistently, they will add up and they will make you feel much better.
Also, bet on yourself. You're worth it.
Jackie Morreale (25:03)
I love that. I think it was Mel Robbins. I love her podcast, said: Nobody's coming for you. You're your own savior. If we're going back to us as women, we do have to bet on ourselves. We're the hero! We really do have to bet on ourselves in a big way. It pays off. You're living that dream right now.
Anything that we can look forward to or that you have as goals that you want to share?
Tanya Fraser (25:26)
I've got a book, too. My head is just full of stories that I hope to get out in one form or another. Stay tuned. Who knows what's going to happen?
Jackie Morreale (25:37)
Your Substack is currently available, where Tanya shares weekly updates, at theplaypapers.substack.com.
Let's take it to newbies, like me. I wanna be better at writing just like you, Tanya Fraser.
What advice would you give to new writers to get the word out on their writing in a bigger way?
Tanya Fraser (25:57)
It's so hard to answer because I am a newbie.
Jackie Morreale (26:01)
That's okay.
Tanya Fraser (26:02)
This is going to sound cliché, but it's to write every day. I started that Substack really to practice. To just find my voice. What do I want to write about? That Substack has actually helped me. It's like a portfolio. I would say:
Write every day, put it online, and don't worry about who and what and when is reading it or interacting with it. Use it as a practice. Down the line, it's going to be your portfolio.
When you are at a point where you're looking at agents or editors or publishers or collaborations of some sort, you already have a body of work that you can show them.
It's no Shakespeare, but what they will see is you figuring out your writing in real time. That you're able to also edit yourself. That body of writing has helped me get articles published too, because I was able to show them.
Jackie Morreale (26:56)
Exactly. One of the hardest things, other than being funny, is editing your own work. To be able to do that in your writing, in your Substack, to not only write it, but edit your own work is a phenomenal skill to have.
Like you said, putting yourself out there is really, really hard, but once you do, you have this amazing body of work and it's bringing you so many different blessings in so many different ways.
Shout-outs to anybody who has helped you get to this point in your life and your career, Tanya?
Tanya Fraser (27:27)
My family and my closest girlfriends cheered me on, giving me shoulders and pillows to cry on, and helped pick me up during some dark moments. They've encouraged me to go after this, too. I feel very blessed with the family and the friends that I have. So shout out to them.
Jackie Morreale (27:45)
I have to give a very direct shout-out to your friend Kelly, who is also my friend Kelly. And thank you to her for connecting us.
Tanya Fraser (27:51)
Yes.
Jackie Morreale (27:54)
What's next for you, Tanya Fraser?
Tanya Fraser (27:57)
Travel-wise, I'm off to France. I get to stay in a chateau for an entire month with some other writers.
Jackie Morreale (28:06)
How do I get in this clique of yours? Seriously?
Tanya Fraser (28:09)
There are some 'pinch me' moments. That seven-year-old me, who wanted to travel the world and write. It's like, 'My gosh, I'm actually doing it'.
Jackie Morreale (28:16)
I just got chills. My gosh. Chateau in France. Do you speak French by the way? Or you will, if you don't, I'm sure.
Tanya Fraser (28:21)
I know. I speak a little bit of French. My French is not very good, but being Canadian too, you learn a few things.
Jackie Morreale (28:31)
I can't wait to see what French-inspired writing you do.
Tanya Fraser (28:35)
Yes, in a castle. I'm looking forward to that.
I just keep on, keeping on. That's all you can do really.
Jackie Morreale (28:42)
In case you were wondering, you're living the dream. Thank you so much for being on Wisdom for Wannabes. I learned so much from you.
Tanya Fraser (28:45)
Thank you.
Jackie Morreale (28:52)
Have a wonderful day and best of luck! Take care.
Tanya Fraser (28:54)
You too! Thanks. Bye.
To learn more about Tanya Fraser, visit: theplaypapers.substack.com
Jackie Morreale (18:50)
The word's getting out in a big way. How does it feel to have travel inspire your writing? Is that the writer you see yourself becoming?
Tanya Fraser (19:00)
Travel definitely gives me lots of content. You think a lot when you travel alone.
What I truly love to write about is real-life experiences, and showing in an entertaining way that there is always a choice. I think travel is more of one layer of it or an entry point, but it's not the core of what I write about.
I'm writing a film script right now, which is very different from travel. But travel has inspired some things within the script. I think travel will always be there in different ways, depending on the type of writing I'm doing.
Jackie Morreale (19:39)
Your film script. How's it going? What do you have in mind? Do you like writing dialogue? Give me more information.
Tanya Fraser (19:48)
I love writing dialogue because I think it's part of my different personalities coming out. If anyone saw me writing, it's me here at the computer having conversations with myself. ‘Oh yes, you want to have conversations with me?’ I'm constantly doing this and that.
Jackie Morreale (20:03)
You need to record while you write, obviously.
Tanya Fraser (20:08)
I should, probably. It's like Jekyll and Hyde, all these different personalities. It's fun because you can create characters that are so different from yourself and say things maybe that you've always wanted to say, but you never could say because it's not you.
Jackie Morreale (20:20)
Do you base your characters on people that you know or experiences? What is inspiring this script that you're writing?
Tanya Fraser (20:29)
I don't know if you're familiar with tarot cards? This film is about the four queens of tarot who are trying to save the world but realize that only the humans can save themselves.
It's a dark comedy, it's a fantasy. I'm trying to stay true to the archetypes of the queens in the tarot deck, but in a fantasy, dark comedy way. Some of the humans in the world... I take pieces of people I know or experiences I've personally had. It's all weaved together.
Jackie Morreale (20:59)
I see the next blockbuster hit. I see the Netflix series. I see the Broadway and West End show adaptation, musical, maybe similar to SiX, with all the queens and the rock concert. I see the cartoon adaptation for kids in the Four Queens. There's so much there. Can't wait.
Tanya Fraser (21:04)
Yes, please. If anyone wants to help me make it, yes!
Jackie Morreale (21:22)
Put it out there, you never know! Let's talk more about feelings. You've been recognized in so many ways, most recently with this travel writing scholarship. Take me through that feeling of getting that scholarship, applying for that scholarship, and where it has taken you from then to now in terms of your travel writing?
Tanya Fraser (21:28)
I had applied for it last May. I'd seen it and I was like, 'Let me just do it. Throw everything at the wall, Tanya, and see what sticks'.
I'd forgotten about it because at the same time, I'm selling my house, I'm going through a divorce, and I'm dealing with banks and realtors and lawyers. One day, I was having a hard day, having a tough conversation with the bank.
I just remember thinking, I just got to go for a walk. I left, and I got this phone call. It was a number I didn't recognize. I usually don't answer numbers I don't recognize. And they left a message. I listened to the message.
They say, 'Hi, it's the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation, please call us back'. And I was like, Who, what? So I called back. She's like, 'Hi, Tanya, congratulations, you won!' I was like, 'I won, what?' What? 'The scholarship that you applied for back in May?' This was in July, two months later.
I was like, holy ****! She's like, 'You're excited?' 'What? I won?' I was dumbfounded. Could not put words together.
Jackie Morreale (22:34)
And on that day that you had for that to happen, where maybe you didn't feel like you won in some areas, for someone to call you up out of the blue and say, 'Tanya, you won!' Amazing.
Tanya Fraser (22:48)
She's like, 'So you're coming to California? We're just in San Francisco.' I was like, 'Yeah, okay.'
Jackie Morreale (22:59)
Good for you! So you went to San Francisco. You met the people that picked you. It must have been amazing experience.
Tanya Fraser (23:03)
I went to the conference, and all these other travel writers and travel photographers and editors from magazines. I just felt like I was so out of place but then also at the same time like I'd met my people. It was four days of talking about travel and storytelling and language.
Some of the stories and places people have been. It was just amazing. They had a writing contest at this conference. I was like, 'Yeah, I'll write something and submit it. I end up winning that!
Jackie Morreale (23:38)
My gosh. You won the scholarship, and then you won another again, there at the conference. From among the many people who had been all over the place doing this, travel writing. Amazing! So talented, that's what it is.
Tanya Fraser (23:47)
Crazy. It was this weird out of body experience.
Then also, I was like, 'Okay, I can write. I can tell a story that's been validated.'
It boosted my confidence. From there, I've just been diving more into my own writing, creative writing.
I've been able to meet some other great travel writers along the way, and other writers and filmmakers.
It's just opened a network I never even thought to have access to.
Jackie Morreale (24:22)
It sounds like you really did find your people. It's just this snowball effect.
Maybe waiting those 40 years and then unleashing this creative talent on the world, and you just have so much to say. So, do you have a take-home message for your readers?
Tanya Fraser (24:29)
You can go through darkness, but don't live there. Feel your feelings. Don't ignore them. Don't push them away.
If you don't feel them and deal with them, they'll bubble up later.
Find the small little joys in life. Even if that is a matcha latte and a pastry or something funny to watch. Those little moments, when you do them consistently, they will add up and they will make you feel much better.
Also, bet on yourself. You're worth it.
Jackie Morreale (25:03)
I love that. I think it was Mel Robbins. I love her podcast, said: Nobody's coming for you. You're your own savior. If we're going back to us as women, we do have to bet on ourselves. We're the hero! We really do have to bet on ourselves in a big way. It pays off. You're living that dream right now.
Anything that we can look forward to or that you have as goals that you want to share?
Tanya Fraser (25:26)
I've got a book, too. My head is just full of stories that I hope to get out in one form or another. Stay tuned. Who knows what's going to happen?
Jackie Morreale (25:37)
Your Substack is currently available, where Tanya shares weekly updates, at theplaypapers.substack.com.
Let's take it to newbies, like me. I wanna be better at writing just like you, Tanya Fraser.
What advice would you give to new writers to get the word out on their writing in a bigger way?
Tanya Fraser (25:57)
It's so hard to answer because I am a newbie.
Jackie Morreale (26:01)
That's okay.
Tanya Fraser (26:02)
This is going to sound cliché, but it's to write every day. I started that Substack really to practice. To just find my voice. What do I want to write about? That Substack has actually helped me. It's like a portfolio. I would say:
Write every day, put it online, and don't worry about who and what and when is reading it or interacting with it. Use it as a practice. Down the line, it's going to be your portfolio.
When you are at a point where you're looking at agents or editors or publishers or collaborations of some sort, you already have a body of work that you can show them.
It's no Shakespeare, but what they will see is you figuring out your writing in real time. That you're able to also edit yourself. That body of writing has helped me get articles published too, because I was able to show them.
Jackie Morreale (26:56)
Exactly. One of the hardest things, other than being funny, is editing your own work. To be able to do that in your writing, in your Substack, to not only write it, but edit your own work is a phenomenal skill to have.
Like you said, putting yourself out there is really, really hard, but once you do, you have this amazing body of work and it's bringing you so many different blessings in so many different ways.
Shout-outs to anybody who has helped you get to this point in your life and your career, Tanya?
Tanya Fraser (27:27)
My family and my closest girlfriends cheered me on, giving me shoulders and pillows to cry on, and helped pick me up during some dark moments. They've encouraged me to go after this, too. I feel very blessed with the family and the friends that I have. So shout out to them.
Jackie Morreale (27:45)
I have to give a very direct shout-out to your friend Kelly, who is also my friend Kelly. And thank you to her for connecting us.
Tanya Fraser (27:51)
Yes.
Jackie Morreale (27:54)
What's next for you, Tanya Fraser?
Tanya Fraser (27:57)
Travel-wise, I'm off to France. I get to stay in a chateau for an entire month with some other writers.
Jackie Morreale (28:06)
How do I get in this clique of yours? Seriously?
Tanya Fraser (28:09)
There are some 'pinch me' moments. That seven-year-old me, who wanted to travel the world and write. It's like, 'My gosh, I'm actually doing it'.
Jackie Morreale (28:16)
I just got chills. My gosh. Chateau in France. Do you speak French by the way? Or you will, if you don't, I'm sure.
Tanya Fraser (28:21)
I know. I speak a little bit of French. My French is not very good, but being Canadian too, you learn a few things.
Jackie Morreale (28:31)
I can't wait to see what French-inspired writing you do.
Tanya Fraser (28:35)
Yes, in a castle. I'm looking forward to that.
I just keep on, keeping on. That's all you can do really.
Jackie Morreale (28:42)
In case you were wondering, you're living the dream. Thank you so much for being on Wisdom for Wannabes. I learned so much from you.
Tanya Fraser (28:45)
Thank you.
Jackie Morreale (28:52)
Have a wonderful day and best of luck! Take care.
Tanya Fraser (28:54)
You too! Thanks. Bye.
To learn more about Tanya Fraser, visit: theplaypapers.substack.com
Tanya Fraser on Substack:
The P.L.A.Y. Papers: Letters from the Second Act
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Letters to Viv
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Continued reading and listening, recommended by Tanya Fraser:
Forever Amber (Rediscovered Classics) Paperback – September 1, 2000. By Kathleen Winsor (Author), Barbara Taylor Bradford (Foreword).
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The Tragically Hip band (thehip.com)
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