Become a Writer Today

Famous American playwright and screenwriter David Mamet offers two rules for success as an artist. Although he speaks primarily from his experiences as a dramatic writer, Mamet’s advice is useful for all kinds of creatives including painters, musicians, comedians and even bloggers on Medium. He said, “You’ve got to do one thing for your art every day, and you’ve got to do one thing for your busine...

Do you want to turn your blog into a book? If you're a non-fiction writer, this is a fantastic approach to writing a book. Last year, I set out to write a book about non-fiction writing. I decided that I wanted to turn some of the blog posts from Become a Writer Today into book chapters. So I drew together the strands of my published blog posts with the topic for my book. In this episode, I&a...

I once wrote the first draft of a book chapter that smelt so bad, I had to open up the office window while reading it. It's a good thing my first drafts are for me alone, and yours should be too. When you sit down to write a first draft, you may lack confidence or feel uninspired by what you're about to do. When you’re writing a first draft, it's you alone wrestling with your ideas...

New York man Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989) wanted to do one thing with his life: to live for art. During his teens and early twenties, he experimented with drawing, painting and sculpture. Then, in 1970 a friend gave Robert a loan of a 360 Land camera, a clunky but technically simple, silver and black device. Robert settled on the camera as his creative tool of expression because “it was more ho...

I've worked at home on and off for several years as a journalist, copywriter and marketer. I've procrastinated and accomplished nothing while working outside of the office. I've also enjoyed some of my most productive days while working at home. I'm not alone. Earlier this year, social media software company Buffer found that more than 90% of employees working outside of the of...

I want to talk about four of the most common fears that new writers and people who set out to write a book for the first time often have. To talk about these fears I want to tell you a little bit about my writing journey. You see, when I was in my early twenties I decided I wanted to become a writer and I said I wanted to write a book but there was just one problem, I wasn’t writing anything at al...

I knew I wanted to publish my first book, and that learning to write every day was the key to doing it. But, it wasn’t enough to know the concept. I had to figure out how to keep my deadlines and finish writing what I started. How could I write every day and balance having a job, two kids, friends and family who don’t write, and all the in-betweens? I faced my biggest challenge yet. If couldn’t fa...

Now, my list of writing prompts works for me... because Iwrote them. No, that’s not the sound of my over-sized egobanging off the ceiling. I’d like you to create your own list of writing prompts and add to it over time. Whether you’re writing a journal entry, a blog post or a book chapter, keeping a personal library of writing prompts will save you hours of wasted time. Use a notepad. Use a digita...

Steve Martin spent much of the 1970s becoming America’s top stand-up comedian. He toured the country with his surreal show, and he sold out arenas to thousands of screaming fans. Martin wanted more. His real goal was to break into the movie business. Martin knew it would take a single-minded focus to achieve this new, larger goal. So, he put his stand-up comedy career to one side to concentrate on...

It’s exciting, isn’t it? Writing your first book and then sending the final version to your editor and later it being available (and SELLING!) on stores like Amazon. The months (or even years) of hard work are over, and now you can watch with pride as your book goes out into the world. Now, you can sit back as your ideas and stories make an impact on readers and earn you a side-income. You can fin...

Several readers and listeners recently emailed me asking: “How can I become a better writer?”The right answer to how to become a better writer (or even a good writer), depends on what level you’re at, what you write, and what becoming a better writer means for you. For example, Stephen King may think success means topping the New York Times best-seller list.(Suffice to say, Mr. King did not email...

"The habit of writing for my eye is good practice. It loosens the ligaments.” — Virginia WoolfDo you keep a journal? I’ve spent years writing in journals of various forms and it’s my favourite writing practice. In this short post, I explain why you should start one too. Top Tools for Journal WritingA notepad: you can’t beat the classics! Day One: a dedicated journaling app for Mac and iOS use...

In episode, I explain how you can find time and space for working on your non-fiction book. This is an extract from The Art of Writing a Non-Fiction Book. The full audiobook is available now on Amazon and Audible. becomeawritertodaybook.com--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/becomeawritertoday/message Support the show If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple . And if you h...

I caught up with Chandler Bolt, the author of six self-published books and the founder of Self Publishing School. In this interview, he told me about:* How to self-publish a book * The one thing you must do before you write or self-publish your book* How to avoid the common mistakes new writers (not authors!) make* The simple rule that helps Chandler balance writing with running a successful busin...

In this interview, David Chesson of Kindlepreneur and I talk about how to sell more books on Amazon Kindle. Dave is 31 years old and a 9 year veteran of the US Navy. He was also a military kid who has lived in all corners of the globe. But that’s not what defines him. After his family, his real passion is books, but more specifically Kindle ebooks. David blogs regularly about selling more books on...

Whether you're writing fiction, non-fiction or blogging, deadlines are important. In this episode, I explain five ways you can manage your time and ship your work. I even offer a tip from Elon Musk's playbook.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/becomeawritertoday/message Support the show If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple . And if you have any questions you...

Lots of writers and creative professionals worry about keeping focused and productive without burning out. Find out how to strike the right balance in this episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/becomeawritertoday/message Support the show If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple . And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins Thanks for list...