The Daily Writer

Most people don’t like the idea of being put in a box. We want to keep our options open and avoid labels. But if you want to be successful in your writing, you have to put yourself in the box of being a writer. If you want writing to be your main thing, you have to be known primarily as a writer. It’s the best way to build your business, your professional identity, and your momentum. On this episo...

It’s tempting as a writer to think that “everyone” is your audience. But the reality is that your message is not for everyone. It’s a paradox that the more you focus on a very specific type of person, the more people will be able to relate to it. On this episode, Kent shares three ways writing for a specific audience helps you. *** Check out my NEW book:  18 Words to Live By: A Father’s Wisdom on...

Every writer understands this basic truth: it’s easy to let one day run into the next one. Then weeks, months and eventually years pass by and you wonder where the time went. The writing life can have a certain monotony to it that makes it hard to feel like each is unique or special. On this episode, you’ll be reminded that every day is special. *** Check out my NEW book:  18 Words to Live By: A F...

One of the most fascinating characters of Hollywood’s classic film era is Norma Desmond, the lead character of the 1950’s Sunset Boulevard . She is a silent film-era actress who lives in a fantasy world where she makes a triumphant return to her glory days. In the final scene, she has completely lost touch with reality as the police and reporters with cameras fill her house. She can’t see the real...

For literally thousands of years, readers have enjoyed stories in the form of printed books. Like me, you probably have lots of novels, poetry books, or collections of short stories lying around your house or office. One of the most interesting developments in fiction is taking place in the world of audio—specifically, podcasting. Of course, audio drama has been around since the invention of the r...

It has been said that the middle of every project feels like a disaster. You’re far enough away from the starting point that you’ve lost some of the enthusiasm you had at the beginning. But you’re too far away from the end to see the finish line. How do you break through the messy middle and keep going? On this episode, you’ll discover answers that will help you push through and finish your book,...

Are you wondering what to write about? Look no further than your own skills and talents. Another way of saying this is, “What comes easy to you?” What seems obvious? What could you do in your sleep and still be better than 99% of people? On this episode, Kent shares an easy way to determine what you ought to be writing about. *** Check out my NEW book:  18 Words to Live By: A Father’s Wisdom on Wh...

You’ve heard the saying, “The devil is in the details.” This refers to the fact that when things go wrong, many times it is the little things that can derail a project or even a business or relationship. Angels are in the details, too. On this episode, you’ll be inspired by a story about how the Beatles’ Paul McCartney highlighted every song through the details he added. *** Check out my NEW book:...

We writers are a safe bunch. Business tycoons love the art of the deal. Sports figures love the rush of physical conflict. Skydivers love the sight of the ground rushing toward them, sentencing them toward certain doom unless their parachute opens. You may like all of those areas of excitement. But there’s a good chance that when it comes to your writing, you’re playing it safe. On this episode, K...

In your author journey, it is easy to view yourself as the hero. You’ve worked hard on your writing, books, and marketing. You’ve conquered emotional obstacles. You’ve proven to yourself that you can do it. All of those are heroic acts, to be sure, but it may surprise you to learn that in your author story, you are not the hero. You are not the main character. You are not whom the story is about....

Do you have an idea for a book, but don’t know where to start? If so, you’ll love today’s conversation because I’m featuring a guest who has all the answers you need to start writing that book you’ve been dreaming about. I’m excited to introduce you to my friend Morgan Gist MacDonald. She began her career in academia as a sociologist, but soon found the entrepreneurial pull to take her skills as a...

I’m excited today to bring you another conversation in our Mental Health Series for Writers. My good friend M.J. James is a member of our Daily Writer Community, and she’s also a mom and ghostwriter. But she has recently built an amazing podcast and website called Burned Out Business Mom. Even though she is focused on helping moms specifically, she has spent a lot of time thinking and building a p...

Writers tend to think about what a book can do for them, and it can certainly do a lot of things for you. You can grow a business, earn income, build your reputation and credibility, and much more. However, writing is ultimately a SERVICE to other people. If people are going to spend time, money, and energy reading your book or your writing, they need to receive value from it. On this episode, you...

There’s an old saying that goes something like this: “People who are too busy rowing the boat don’t have time to rock it.” The meaning is pretty straightforward: when you are occupied with doing the work, you don’t have much time to criticize others. William Faulkner said something similar On this episode, you’ll be inspired by William Faulkner’s insight about succeeding as a writer. *** Check out...

Remember the 1980’s movie “Field of Dreams” with Kevin Costner? He plays a farmer who is roaming out in his field one day, and he hears a voice. “Build it and he will come.” He has no idea what the voice means until he starts taking action and listening to the subsequent messages the voice gives him. The idea of “build it and they will come” makes for a compelling movie, but it’s not true in the r...

There are many advantages to being an introverted writer. You enjoy being alone, which is a big benefit when trying to get your writing done. You’d mostly rather spend your time with books than people, which can help you dive deeply into literature and learning. You’d rather observe than participate, which can help you approach life like a journalist or researcher. However, the very strengths that...

Welcome to the weekend edition of the Daily Writer. For a while now, I’ve been wanting to do a series of conversations focused around mental health for writers. Everybody knows mental health is important, and we see lots of signs of depression, burnout, frustration, anger, and even increasing rates of suicide in society. Writers are not immune to those forces. In many ways, perhaps we are even mor...

If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you’re probably familiar with my story. I used to be a pastor, then I was a teacher at a Christian college for a long time before I made ghostwriting and coaching my main gig. I am extremely familiar with the tension that comes from wanting to make a living with writing, while also at times wrestling with guilt and uncertainty because of how th...

Much has been written about the voice that lives in every writer’s head. We normally think and talk about this voice as a bad thing. So, it’s not a surprise that we think of that voice as untrustworthy. But if you listen as closely as you can, there is another voice. On today’s episode, Kent reminds us why we can trust our intuition when we make creative decisions. *** Check out my NEW book:  18 W...

John Steinbeck said, “Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” Writers are known for their creativity, but the truth is that the well sometimes runs dry. If you’ve ever found yourself fresh out of ideas, a way to instantly get more is by using a strategy called “Idea Mating.” On today’s episode, you’ll discover an effective method fo...

Every writer talks about wanting success, but what does success actually mean? How do you measure it? Is it even a worthy goal in the first place? Those are valid questions, but they aren’t what we should be asking first. Instead, we should be asking how we can add value to others’ lives. On today’s episode, Kent shares three simple ways you can encourage and make connections with the people aroun...

Author and teacher Parker Palmer wrote a profound little book called  Let Your Life Speak . In the book, he writes, “Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am.”   What does it mean to listen to your life? It means paying attention to the signposts telling you where you should go.   On today's episode, you'll discover how to recogniz...

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 his...

One of the most fascinating aspects of being a writer is that lots of people are eager to give you advice. In fact, there is a giant industry of books, conferences, retreats, coaching, and podcasts (this being one of them!) devoted to giving you writing advice. However, be careful who you’re listening to. There is a whole group of people who are eager to give advice about writing and book marketin...

Picture this: You are the co-author of an enormously successful business book series. You want to write another book in the series, but it’s on a very different topic than the others. You also want to write it with your wife, instead of your original co-author. And, by the way, you’re also going to use a different publisher than the original series. Sounds like a challenge you would back away from...