When I was a kid and an aspiring writer—since the age of about 7, in case you’re curious—my parents told me to have a backup plan to my Plan A of becoming a novelist. And they already had it figured out for me. Since they were both teachers, it made sense to them that I should be a teacher too. I...
Productivity
Instant Inspiration: Three ways to start your book today
I love starting a new story. Once I start turning a new idea around in my head, the first couple of chapters just flow. I can’t get them down fast enough. It’s the middle I hate. And sometimes the end. So yeah, for me, the beginning of a book is as good as it gets. I know that’s not true for...
How to conquer writer’s block, doodle style
Those of you who follow me on Facebook or Instagram have probably met my rescue pups, Molly and Penny. I post a lot about them there, mostly because they're cute, but also because they are always teaching me something. Specifically Penny, my Australian cattle dog/poodle mix, who literally crashed...
How to get inspired with real life murder
I recently had a conversation with a friend about his love for true crime stories and one that had inspired a new project. It reminded me that I had always loved true crime and had been neglecting that particular infatuation. But since there is only a limited amount of hours in the day to consume...
How to turn your annoying day job into a creative jackpot
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about how to make time for your writing even with a day job. And last week I wrote about how you don’t need endless amounts of time to be a professional writer (read: you can totally rock your writing career if the day job is still a thing). Today, I want to...
The simple math that blew my mind
If you’re a writer and you haven’t read Steven Pressfield’s books about writing, stop reading this right now, open a new tab, and order them. I mean it. (But come on back after you do!) All kidding aside, Pressfield is a genius—a prolific fiction and nonfiction writer who has been doing the work...
How to write even with a pesky day job
One of the biggest complaints I hear from writers—in all levels of their career—is time. Not enough of it, specifically. I’ve been thinking a lot about time lately. How to maximize it, how to manage it better, how not to let it slip away. We’ve all heard the tough love—how we all get the same 24...
Why mindset is the most important writing tool
I love to talk about writing tools. I’ve always been an office supply junkie, for one thing, so anytime I can buy new notebooks, life is good. And when I found Scrivener, well, my mind was blown! But guess what—none of these are the tools that are going to make the most difference in your career. ...