The Daily Writer

We’ve talked about the urgency of today many times before on this podcast. Why? Because it’s so easy to lose sight of the present moment when so many things beg for our time and attention. When you’re in the thick of life, when everyone and everything wants your attention, step back for a moment and remember one thing: you’ll only have this day once. On today’s episode, you’ll be reminded that tod...

Have you ever thought about writing fiction? Furthermore, have you ever considered how writing a fiction series might be a great way to expand your story world and gives readers something special? My guest today is Mary A. Felkins. She is an inspirational romance author, blogger, and contributor to writer's blogs and inspirational publications. Her debut novel, Call to Love , is set in Hickor...

One of the best and worst things ever invented was the smartphone. It can be the worst thing because of all the distractions lurking on your phone. The notifications, games, email, and social media beckon to you every second. If smartphones were designed to be addictive, they are doing a great job. Yet, it’s also the best thing because of the convenience. This is especially true when it comes to o...

A few weeks ago, I said “no” to an amazing opportunity to help writers. This was an opportunity to partner with an entrepreneur I greatly respect, a person who has been very influential in my life. He was one of the first people to help me see that I could make a living with writing, and I’ve read his books and listened to his podcasts for years. This opportunity would have let me help more people...

There is a common narrative among successful people that you must be a morning person in order to do anything worthwhile. A pretty good percentage of the world’s most successful people get a very early start to their day, sometimes as early as 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. Remember, though, that for every successful writer who is an early bird, there is another one who was a night owl. On today’s episode, you...

Writing is a serious business, but that doesn’t mean you always have to be serious. A great way to write more, and have more fun doing it, is to make a game of it. This is all part of a bigger picture of not taking yourself too seriously to begin with. Life is hard enough already without all the pressure we put on ourselves. So don’t be afraid to try new things and make a game out of your writing....

As writers, we have lots of project-based items to think about. These are big items that can take weeks or months to complete. This can include things like building a website, writing a book, creating a course, building an author platform, or starting a podcast. That is why it’s easy to get paralyzed by all the things you think you should be doing. On today’s episode, you’ll be reminded that it’s...

In the 1980s, a university student named Francesco Cirillo was having trouble staying focused, so he decided he would try focusing for just ten minutes. As part of his experiment, he used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer. “Pomodoro” is the Italian word for “tomato.” Therefore, a simple yet effective new productivity technique was born. If you’re having trouble getting focused and using your time well...

We talk about books quite a bit here on this podcast, because after all, this is a writing podcast! But what happens after you write the book? That's only half the battle, and in a sense, your journey has only just begun. I'm excited to bring you this fun conversation with a good friend of mine who's going to give us lots of great insight into marketing your book, as well as how to...

In our quest to make more time to write, we tend to focus on the big distractions. It’s easy to feel like the world is against you as you deal with events, meetings, chores, and never-ending tasks. Those items can make it difficult to squeeze in writing time, for sure. However, there is a more insidious form of distraction, and those are the little things. On this episode, Kent advises us to be aw...

A big reason writers seem to struggle is that they perceive writing as a different type of job than it really is. Many writers look at writing as a white-collar job. A white-collar job is the type of work that is professional, typically done in an office, and focuses on leadership and administration. You rarely get your hands dirty with manual labor. A blue-collar job, on the other hand, is more h...

In the push and pull of everyday life, each day pretty much seems the same. We go to work, spend time with our families, take care of bills and housework, watch some TV or movies, and rinse and repeat for the next day. Today probably seems like every other day, but it’s not. This day will never come around again in the history of the universe. On this episode, you’ll discover that one of the great...

Writers are creative by nature, and we like our independence. One of the reasons we do this in the first place is to have control over our creative work. We want to express ourselves, to make a difference in the world, or maybe even make a living with our writing. Why, then, do we give up so easily when it comes to making time to write? If we say writing is important, then why do we let everyone e...

We human beings have an amazing capacity for deception. We will go to almost any length to avoid facing the truth or giving a concrete answer to a question that makes us uncomfortable. And let’s face it: we writers are pretty good with words and language! But this gift comes at a steep price. The price is that it’s easy to dodge the question of when we are actually going to write. It’s fairly easy...

I'm honored to have my good friend, Jim Woods, on the show today to help us develop our storytelling chops. Jim is a novelist, story coach, and editor. He has worked with many authors over the years, including some whose books have been on the New York Times bestseller list. Jim is the host of the Finish Your Book Podcast. He is also the founder of Storycrafting, a coaching service that helps...

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 happen anytime soon. However, you can travel into the future in your mind. On this episode, Kent reminds us of the importance of being intentional as you move into the future. ***   Are you looking for a community of enthu...

On this episode, I answer a question sent in by Mark Revisky:  “ What is the balance between work, leisure, and creative endeavors? Many times my creative work is separate from those two areas.” ***   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 .   Check out our  Daily Writin...

I'm thrilled to bring you this bonus interview with Joe Ricci. We dive into all my geeky questions about story structure and the specifics of writing for the Hallmark channel. ***   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 .   Check out our  Daily Writing Prompts , wh...

Christmas means many things to many people. Some people look forward to parties and social events. Some people enjoy the lights and holiday displays in stores and homes. Some people love all the holiday entertainment you can enjoy, such as Hallmark movies and music specials. And of course, everybody loves gifts, especially kids. But for people of faith, Christmas is the time of year when we rememb...

It’s tempting to overlook your wins, especially when it seems like everyone else around you is having more success. On today’s episode, you’ll learn why it’s important to celebrate your wins and stop comparing yourself to others. ***   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 Commun...

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...

In 2019, I sat in a darkened theater with my son Ben. We were there to watch a movie I had been anticipating for two years:  The Rise of Skywalker . I enjoyed the movie, but let’s be honest: it was a mess. It was clear that the filmmakers of  Rise  were trying to walk back on story points from the previous movie,  The Last Jedi … which had already taken a hard right turn from the story in the prev...

If you spend any time among a group of novelists, you will pretty quickly hear two terms: pantsers and plotters. Pantsers are the ones who prefer to write by the “seat of their pants.” They love to develop a great opening, then discover the story as they write. Pantsers get bored if they know where the whole story is going ahead of time. Plotters are the ones who have to carefully outline the whol...

One of the themes of this podcast is “courage.” I want you to consistently do things that scare you.   Why? Because when you do things that feel intimidating, you accomplish greater things and you increase your capacity to impact others. After all, you can only make a bigger impact when do things that are uncomfortable and you take a risk.   That’s why I’m excited to feature this interview with my...

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...