How to Turn Ordinary Life Into Powerful Writing—Sarah Marie Wells | Ep 98

What if the stories worth writing aren't hiding in extraordinary experiences, but in the ordinary moments you usually overlook? In this episode of the BuildWriting Podcast, award-winning poet and essayist Sarah Marie Wells joins us to explore how paying closer attention to everyday life can make us better writers. Sarah shares how ordinary conversations, family life, nature, road trips, parenting, and even seemingly insignificant observations can become the starting point for poetry and creative nonfiction. We talk about how she decides whether an idea should become a poem or an essay, why some pieces take an afternoon while others take years, and how writers can capture ideas before they disappear. And if you struggle with editing while you're still trying to create, Sarah offers one of the simplest writing principles from the conversation Whether you write poetry, personal essays, memoir, or other forms of creative nonfiction, this conversation is an invitation to slow down, notice more, and discover how much material already exists in the life you're living. Connect with Sarah M. Wells Website: https://sarahmariewells.com/ Palace in Time: https://palaceintime.substack.com/ Learn more about Sarah's books, poetry, essays, and latest work, To Say One Million Times, Wow!, through her website. Join the BuildWriting Newsletter Become a better writer one piece at a time. Get writing prompts, practical ideas, behind-the-scenes notes, and resources to help you keep writing and building your craft. https://buildwriting.com/newsletter Chapters 00:00 Meet poet and essayist Sarah Marie Wells 01:20 The inspiration behind To Say One Million Times, Wow! 03:52 Why paying attention matters for writers 05:41 What does “paying attention” actually mean in writing? 07:34 Why every ordinary moment can be worth writing about 09:36 How writers know which moments to explore 12:53 Turning mundane experiences into meaningful writing 15:39 How ordinary moments become deeper stories 19:40 Why great writing feels universal 21:53 Combining poetry and creative nonfiction 24:28 How to decide whether an idea should be a poem or essay 27:31 Poetry vs. essays: If Sarah could only choose one 28:32 How long does it really take to write a poem or essay? 30:46 Turning an old poem into a new essay 33:44 Making a living as a professional writer 35:46 Why writing doesn't have to feel like suffering 37:29 Is your life interesting enough to write about? 41:40 Using journals, photos, and notes to capture writing ideas 43:45 Building a daily practice of paying attention 46:24 Project-based writing vs. writing every day 48:22 Write recklessly, edit ruthlessly 50:48 Where to find Sarah M. Wells and her work