The Daily Writer

Today is February 21, which means we are almost two months into the new year. How are things going? I'm not sure what your expectations for 2021 were when the clock struck midnight on December 31, but for many people, this time of year is when things can get a little wonky. It's not Spring yet, and the excitement of the new year has worn off a long time ago. Many give up on their goals t...

On this episode, I'm sharing a conversation with my friend Eric Elder from 2019. He is an author, speaker, and pianist with a passion for sharing Christ with others. Eric is a pioneer in online ministry, and he has also produced a wealth of books and music for The Ranch, an online spiritual retreat. He also recently released a filmed version of "One Life: A Christmas Story Ballet,"...

When you look at the millions of books, blogs, podcasts, and magazine articles that have been created, what could you possibly say that is unique? The answer is simple. What makes your writing unique is not that you’re writing about something new. It’s the fact that it’s you who is writing it. You are the unique factor in the equation. On this episode, Kent reminds you that you are unique as a wri...

Countless people have been inspired by Zig Ziglar’s famous quote, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” We can easily see how this applies to people in sales, marketing, or other business-related positions. But how does this apply to writers? Here’s a simple principle to remember: Writing is not about the words. It’s about the people who...

We writers often talk about the reasons we write. But what are the reasons we don’t write? What keeps us from writing? The novelist Erica Jong hit the nail on the head when she said, “I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged.” On this episode, you'll learn why you don't need to fear judgment. *** Are you looking for a commun...

People write for many reasons. Some do it for money. Others do it for fame. Still others do it to teach or inspire. No matter why you write, there is a common element that ties all writers together. We are all on a journey of discovery. We don’t just write to express what we think. We write in order to discover what we think. On this episode, you'll learn why it's important to reflect on...

Here is one of the biggest ironies of the modern world. We have more facts and data than ever before, literally right at our fingertips. However, the truth seems more elusive than ever. Jesus said, “The truth will set you free.” That’s not only true in a spiritual sense, but in a creative sense as well. No matter what type of writing we do, whether fiction or non-fiction, our objective as writers...

On today's episode, we talk about the benefits of having a neat, clean work environment as well as 5 steps to decluttering your workspace: Deal with one area at a time. Get rid of things you don’t really need. Free up the real estate on your desk. Get rid of as much paper as possible. Don’t confuse “clean” with “perfect.” *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers t...

When you hear the term "creative writing," what comes to mind? If you're like most people, you probably think of fiction-based writing like novels, screenplays, and short stories. But did you know that the concept of creative writing also applies to a wide array of nonfiction formats as well? I'm very excited to have a guest on this episode who is here to help us improve our cr...

There are certain qualities we prize in the writing world. One of them is knowledge. It seems like we should know what we are getting ourselves into, right? Who respects a writer who seems to be aloof and doesn’t know what’s going on? Another quality we prize is humility. Surely we don’t want to become one of those writers who has a pretty high opinion of themselves, right? There is some truth in...

Writing is by definition a lonely task. Yes, we have editors, beta readers, graphic designers and others who help polish and perfect our work. But unless you are working with a co-writer, your writing starts with you and your ideas. A great way to stay motivated is to remember that you are always writing for someone. Now, hopefully more than one person will read your work—hopefully hundreds or eve...

We live in a culture that celebrates brilliance. Everywhere you look, people worship the best and the brightest among us. The internet, magazines, movies, social media ... they are obsessed with people who seem to have it all. It’s hard to feel motivated when you compare your own first draft to the latest million-selling book by a celebrity author. It seems like such a deep chasm between you and t...

The history of writing is replete with stories about authors who were rejected, but kept trying until they found success. Here’s just one example. A number of years ago, an aspiring author decided he wanted to write a book about the key personal decisions that determine personal success. Except he didn’t want to write it in traditional non-fiction format. Instead, he wanted to teach the concepts i...

Sometimes the writing life feels like a set of never-ending tasks. There is that next blog post to write. That book chapter to revise. That client work to email. That sermon to write. But this is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s a beautiful thing. It means that we have work to do, that people value us, that we have readers. Most of all, it means that we are doing the daily work. We have to be carefu...

On today's episode, I share wins from the Daily Writer Community and share a chapter from my book The Artist's Suitcase: 26 Essentials for the Creative Journey . The excerpt is below. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community . Connect with Kent: https://DailyW...

In this special bonus interview, Tommy Breedlove shares some behind-the-scenes insights from the creation of his amazing book, Legendary: A Simple Playbook for Building and Living a Legendary Life and Being Remembered as a Legend . This is not only a well-written book, but it has an amazing cover. In this conversation, Tommy shares the origin of the design as well as some strategies he used to mar...

Today's episode goes much deeper than strategies for writing and publishing. It goes to the core of who we are as people. I am honored to share this conversation with Tommy Breedlove, author of the Wall Street Journal  and USA Today bestselling book, Legendary: A Simple Playbook for Building and Living a Legendary Life and Being Remembered as a Legend . His purpose in life is to guide ambitio...

One of the most important lessons we can ever learn as writers as that good writing happens in stages. Whenever you read a great book chapter, blog book, screenplay, or speech, it did not begin that way. It was most likely outlined, drafted, revised, and edited, probably several times, before it took its final shape. This is the way almost all good writing, as well as all good art, is created. Tak...

Most of us live in the present moment. We focus on the things we are doing today, next week, or perhaps later this year. But that’s about as far as it goes. Just for a moment, set aside the distractions and think about the year 2026. It’s five years into the future. You will be five years older. How do you want your life to be different? What goals do you want to have achieved? What does your worl...

Writers have always been fascinated by the relationship between writing and courage. Does it take courage to write? Or does writing produce courage? The answer is yes. Both are true. For example, many authors and writing teachers the last few decades have talked about how you need courage to write. And that is certainly true. Writing is hard work. It is self-expression. It can create change or pro...

There’s a wonderful scene in a wonderful little movie called The Empire Strikes Back . There are lots of wonderful scenes in Empire, but there’s one in particular one that has great application for writers. Luke Skywalker is training with the Jedi Master Yoda on the planet Dagobah. They are both getting frustrated because Luke is not catching onto the lessons as quickly as he wants. Yoda tells him...

Every writer has felt like this at one time or another. You’re chugging along with your content and things are going smoothly. The ideas are flowing. You’re feeling great. Then it happens. You hit the wall. The creative juices have dried up and you sit there wondering where to go from here. It happens to the best of us. Even to the very best of us, like Ernest Hemingway. What did he did do when he...

Ray Bradbury said, “Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.” Most of the time, we writers are focused on output. We spend most of our time focused on the content we are creating, whether it's blog posts, podcasts, books, articles, or client work. But the basis for that content has to come...

If you spend much time around writers, you begin to see patterns. There are certain things most writers love, such as telling stories, creating content, and connecting with other writers. However, there are also things that most writers don't enjoy. One of those things is marketing. Most writers perceive that marketing is a pain in the neck, something that distracts them from their real creat...

Do you ever feel overwhelmed as a writer? No, that’s not a trick question. It’s just an acknowledgment that anyone writing in our modern world can easily get overwhelmed by the sheer number of opportunities we have today. It’s hard to know where to invest your time and energy. Some writers get paralyzed by all the choices and just give up out of sheer confusion. And if we’re all honest, we can pro...