The Daily Writer

If you watch the behind-the-scenes features for Hollywood movies, you’ve seen it a million times: the actors are in place, the camera crew is ready to go, and all manner of other assistants and technical people are standing at attention. Then the director yells, “Action!” and the scene comes to life. On this episode, you'll learn why you must use this key principle in your writing. *** Are yo...

One of the most inspiring stories from the music world during the last few decades comes from the rock band the Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl was the drummer for the mega-successful band Nirvana. He was already an established musician in his own right.   But when the lead singer of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, committed suicide in 1994, nobody expected Dave Grohl to form his own band and take on the role of a...

One of the recurring themes you hear on this podcast is the importance of productivity. The reason is simple: it’s easy to have great ideas for writing, but it’s harder to bring those ideas to life.   Hence the importance of talking about the systems and processes for producing the work while managing the everyday pressures of ordinary life. On this episode, you'll learn a great trip from aut...

Creativity has its benefits, but it also has its drawbacks. The same impulse that leads you to explore new ideas is also the one that keeps you from following through on them. It’s been said that the best book ever written is still sitting in a drawer somewhere. The reason is because the author never finished it, or at the very least, never published it. On this episode, you'll learn a simple...

If you heard yesterday's episode, my interview with John Lee Dumas from Entrepreneurs on Fire, then you're familiar with his upcoming book The Common Path to Uncommon Success . John talked about entrepreneurship and gave some details about the book launch. Today I'm thrilled to bring you the flip side of that conversation, which is an interview with John's life and business par...

I'm excited to share this interview with John Lee Dumas, who is the founder and host of the award-winning podcast, Entrepreneurs On Fire. The show has over 2500 episodes, over one million listens a month, and seven-figures of annual revenue. I have been listening to Entrepreneurs on Fire for years, and I've had a number of friends who have been guests on the show. It was a real treat to...

We all know time travel isn’t really possible. Or is it? As appealing as it might seem to hop in a DeLorean and travel thirty years into the future, that’s probably not going to happy anytime soon. However, you can travel into the future in your mind. On this episode, Kent reminds us of the importance of being intentional. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to he...

Writers are like poker players. When we get together, there is an awful lot of bluffing going on. We love to talk about our next book project and how important writing is to us. And we certainly don’t want to be known as the writer who talks a big game but doesn’t produce. On this episode, Kent points you to the one measurement that matters most. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic...

In you want to make a change in your life, positive motivation generally works well.   We love for someone to cheer us on with encouraging words, and we are inspired by a vision of the future where things are better than they are now. But negative motivation can be helpful also.   On this episode, you'll learn why fear can be a great way to motivate yourself. *** Are you looking for a communi...

The greatest superhero movie ever made is 2008’s The Dark Knight . The movie is admired for many reasons, the biggest of which is Heath Ledger’s amazing performance as Batman’s arch-nemesis, the Joker. But one of the most underrated aspects of the film is Aaron Eckhart’s portrayal of Harvey Dent, the Gotham City District Attorney. Before he becomes the villain known as Two-Face, he is known for hi...

As writers, we thrive on creativity. Without the ability to be creative, we are forever stuck with the same thoughts, the same stories, and the same ideas. There are many ways fill your creative well. One of the simplest and most effective things you can do is to stop trying too hard to be consciously creative and let your subconscious work on your behalf. On this episode, you'll learn how to...

The central idea of the Daily Writer podcast is the importance of habits and routines to our writing success. There may be some authors who have great success by producing books in sudden bursts of energy every once in a while. However, the vast majority of working writers have schedules, habits, routines, and rituals for a consistent production schedule. On this episode, you'll learn about t...

As a writer, one of the most valuable skills you can learn is storytelling. Stories are the way we process information and make sense of the world around us.   I’m thrilled to be talking with Doug Phillips, who is the Professor of New Testament and Greek Studies, and the Chair of the Biblical Education Division at St. Louis Christian College , where I am also a Professor. Doug has multiple advance...

Here is a question to consider: what activities actually produce writing?   This is not a trick question, but a serious one. Why? Because it’s easy for us to fall under the spell of doing writing-related activities while secretly avoiding hard work of writing.   There’s that course to take. That writing group to be involved in. That new writing craft book to read. That movie to watch so you can an...

First drafts are hard. Let’s just get that out of the way right here and now.   The deeper question is, why? Why does it take so much effort to produce a first draft, even if we know we will have many opportunities to make improvements before the final version is done?   On this episode, you'll learn why perfectionism is so dangerous, and how to avoid it.   *** Are you looking for a community...

In the world of writers, there are two kinds of people: the mere mortals, and the towering giants.   We stand in awe of their creative output and their success. And we wonder, how do they get it done? How do they write so many books and stay consistent for years or even decades on end?   On this episode, Kent shares advice from Stephen King on writing routines.   *** Are you looking for a communit...

One of the most common themes of successful writers is that they are consistent. They establish a habit or routine for getting the work done and they stick with it.   Let’s get even more granular, down to the level of words. After all, the fundamental building block of any book is words. Those words are put into sentences, then paragraphs, then chapters, then a complete book.    On this episode, K...

If you have spent much time around other writers, you have probably observed that as a whole, writers are a pretty congenial bunch.   We don’t normally see fist fights or shouting matches at writing conventions. (Although I admit that would be fun to see.) Writers are the kind of people you want to go hang out with at a coffee shop.   But if we’re not careful, this congeniality, this nice guy or n...

One of the most successful writers of all time also happens to have written one of the most helpful writing craft books of all time. His name is Stephen King, and the book I'm talking about is of course On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft . We recently discussed this book in our Daily Writer Community. Each month, we focus on a book that helps us with marketing, writing, or creativity. We had a...

I'm excited to bring you this encore presentation of my interview with Jeni Voss, who is the lead singer of That 80’s Band, a fantastic group based here in St. Louis. Jeni has quite a story to share, and I have to say this was one of my favorite podcast interviews. As you hear her story, you’ll be inspired by her pursuit of an authentic life through a variety of creative and community experie...

If you’re a Star Wars fan, you’ll recall Admiral Ackbar from Return of the Jedi . At the Battle of Endor, he is fighting alongside the rebels against the evil Empire.  As they are making a run toward the second Death Star, Lando Calrissian suddenly realizes that the force field around it is still active. They’ve been set up. He tells his comrades to pull up, and then Admiral Ackbar says those thre...

How many people in your life in your everyday life are serious writers? Probably just a few, unless you spend all your time around writers. In other words, most of the people that you interact with on a regular basis probably don’t understand your need for quiet, silence, or space to write On this episode, Kent shares an example from the life of E. B. White on how to get your writing done despite...

If you have ever worked on a deadline, you understand the frustration of writing conditions that are not ideal. This can be a challenge if you can only be productive in perfect conditions. The weather has to be right. It has to be the perfect time of day. You need to have a certain drink or snack … or whatever it feels like you must have. Professional writers know this isn’t the way life always. T...

How do you typically cope with getting stuck in your writing? Do you sit there staring at the screen? Do you avoid the hard work and switch over to a Netflix show? Do you put your face in your hands and start sobbing uncontrollably? If you do any of these things, or something like it, there’s a better way. On this episode, Kent shares some advice about getting unstuck in your writing. *** Are you...

You have probably noticed that there are lots of people giving advice about writing. There are almost as many people writing books about writing as they are people writing books about other topics. In fact, there is an entire industry devoted to teaching people how to write. Which is all good, except that it can be very confusing at times. If you read, watch, or listen to enough writing teachers,...