Creativity in writing is about saying ‘yes' to the Muse, about leaning into what we think, rather than self-censoring. But this is one of the hardest things about being a writer. In today's interview, Andrea Vahl gives us some tips from improv and stand-up comedy. In the introduction, I discuss the latest Author Earnings report and the focus on international markets, and refer to my self-publishing Salon with Orna Ross, where we discuss the dominance of Amazon and the changes in the publishing scene, including Bonnier's new platform, Type & Tell, as well as Hachette buying Bookouture, one of the UK's most successful digital-only publishers. This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors. Andrea Vahl is a social media speaker and consultant who is passionate about helping businesses understand and leverage the power of social media to actually grow their business. She's the co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies, and she's also been an improv, stand-up comedian for 10 years. You can listen above or on iTunes or Stitcher or watch the video here, read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below. * How Andrea got into improv * Tackling the fear of standing up in front of an audience * How stand up comedy and improv have informed Andrea's professional speaking skills * On letting go of self-censorship * How Andrea captures good ideas for her stand-up comedy routines * Managing a personal brand that has two distinctive halves * Upcoming changes in the Facebook Ads landscape * What to do if you're feeling overwhelmed by all the social media options You can find Andrea at AndreaVahl.com and on Twitter @AndreaVahl Transcript of Interview with Andrea Vahl Joanna: Hi, everyone. I'm Joanna Penn from TheCreativePenn.com, and today, I'm here with Andrea Vahl. Hi, Andrea. Andrea: Hello. Great to be here. Joanna: It's great to have you on the show. Just a little introduction. Andrea is a social media speaker and consultant who is passionate about helping businesses understand and leverage the power of social media to actually grow their business. She's the co-author of the “Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies,” and she's also been an improv, stand-up comedian for 10 years, which is so,