The Daily Writer

A powerful movie, if you haven’t seen it, is Dead Poets Society from 1989. The late Robin Williams plays, an English teacher who challenges his students with this line, from Walt Whitman’s poem “O Me! O Life!”: “… the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” This leads to the question: what will your verse be? On today’s episode, you’ll be encouraged to take the stage and share your...

There are lots of skills that are important for writers, but there is one skill that trumps them all. It also happens to be the oldest communication skill in the world: storytelling. But, when it comes to fiction, what is the purpose of storytelling? What is the use of engaging in stories that aren’t even real? On today’s episode, you’ll be reminded that storytelling allows you to connect directly...

When people see a writer who is successful, they attribute it to chance. They assume that if you bloom, it means you happened to get planted in a good garden, and someone chose to water you. Here’s a different perspective: You can choose to bloom wherever you are planted. On today’s episode, Kent shares that our ability to thrive is something that we choose. ***    Are you looking for a community...

There is a good chance that you know someone who has a tattoo, or you have one yourself. What is the purpose of a tattoo? It’s a way to mark your identity. But there is another kind of marking that can define you… scars. On today’s episode, you’ll discover that your scars do not detract from your power as a writer—they are an essential part of your story. ***    Are you looking for a community of...

When you think of power, what kinds of people come to mind? You probably imagine athletes, bodybuilders, superheroes, and CEOs. However, writers have power of a different kind. On today’s episode, you’ll learn that as a writer, you have the ability to change people’s hearts, minds, and reality. ***    Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits...

On this episode, we're going old-school and talking about analog tools for writing. It may seem out of touch to be talking about pens, pencils, and notebooks when we have so many great digital tools... but that's the point. Perhaps those digital tools are sometimes more of a distraction than a help.    I've asked Dr. Don Sanders to share his passion and knowledge for analog writing...

One of the things that is a nearly universal feeling for writers is that marketing is a necessary evil. I'm thrilled to have a guest today who is here to give us a whole different view of marketing. Her name is Anna McKenzie.   As a professional copywriter and the owner of  CreativeDemand , LLC, Anna has over a decade of experience in building content production systems, developing strategic...

The comedian Steve Martin famously said, “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” The simplicity of this statement is stunning. Those seven words contain the secret of getting noticed, building an audience, and all the other things writers and creatives want.   On today’s episode, you'll learn that people will take notice of you if you’re willing to put in the work and continue getting better.   *...

Nobody intends to kill their big dream. After all, our dreams are what keep us going. We think about them day and night, we plan our future around them, we nurture them with books, movies, and other content that keep the dream alive.   But inevitably, sometimes we kill the dream. How does this happen?   On today’s episode, you’ll discover what kills your dream and how you can keep it alive.   *** ...

The problem with being human is that we are stuck in our own bodies. We secretly imagine that everybody else is confident and secure, and we’re the only ones who are feeling a little shaky.   The real question is not whether you’re alone in feeling self-doubt. Everyone struggles with self-doubt. Instead, the real question is whether you will follow through with your writing.    On today’s episode,...

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 a...

When a book is popular, it gives the impression that it was written for the masses. After all, if thousands or even millions of people love a book, it must have been written for them, correct?   Well, no. A book is a conversation between an author and an individual reader. It’s not a conversation between an author and a large group of people.   On today’s episode, you’ll learn that writing to be t...

Starting with today's episode, I'm beginning a new monthly business update. I want to fill you in on what's happening with my ghostwriting, the Daily Writer, and my personal life. I'll also talk about my biggest challenge. Although this podcast isn't really about ghostwriting, a lot of the lessons I talk about are transferable to your own writing and business.    I know ma...

My guest today is Mitch Gray, who has combined over two decades of experience as a former pastor, life coach, entrepreneur, community developer, and creator to develop a brand of leadership that is at its deepest level... human. He is the creator and host of The Mitch Gray Show podcast , author of multiple inspirational books, and a highly regarded speaker.    Mitch has a new book coming out very...

Most of us grow up believing that we can change the world.    Then, as we get older, some life experience and a bit of cynicism set in. Pretty soon we give up on the idea of changing much of anything… much less the world.   But imagine for a moment… what if you COULD actually change the world? How would you go about it?    On today’s episode, Kent reminds us that writers are uniquely positioned to...

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 metho...

As writers, we spend a lot of time worrying about people who don’t like our writing. But what happens when you are the one who hates someone else’s book?   Maybe you read a novel that you thought was poorly written. Maybe you completely disagreed with an author’s perspective on politics, religion, parenting, or a hundred other topics.   On today’s episode, you’ll learn why it’s best to remember th...

We look at our writing as a journey that takes us somewhere else. Most of the time, our normal lives seem pretty boring in comparison to the worlds we can imagine.   But you don’t have to take a crazy, dangerous journey somewhere to have a meaningful adventure. All you have to do is take a journey to the center of YOU.   On today’s episode, you’ll be reminded that one of the most significant adven...

When you read great writing, it has a magical quality. Those words can transport you to faraway worlds or help you see things you never saw before. Great writing can also help you learn something that will change your life.   But where does great writing come from? And more importantly, how can we create it?   On today’s episode, Kent answers these questions and also explains why your first draft...

Based on my interactions with writers over the years, I would categorize writers this way:   A third of you have active projects in the works.   A third of you have an idea what you want to write but have not started.   A third of you want to write but don't know where or how to start.       No matter where you fall on that spectrum, all writers have one thing in common: we constantly fight r...

My guest today is Karen Anderson, and she imminently qualified to talk about what it means to be successful as an author. She is a Strategic Book Coach and Associate Publisher for Morgan James Publishing (full disclosure: I am a proud literary scout for Morgan James!).   Karen is also a nationally published author, a co-author on numerous books, a self-published author, a ghostwriter, and an edito...

One of the most interesting questions you will ever ask yourself as a writer is this: what drives you? Some writers are driven by fame or money. Others are driven by the need for employment. Still others are driven by a need to create. All of those have their place. Yet, at our core, there must be something deeper, stronger, and more primal. On today's episode, Kent reminds us of our God-give...

We deal with a lot of obstacles as writers, but one of the biggest is rejection. Rejection can come in many forms and whatever form rejection takes… it hurts. And let’s be honest, it can hurt pretty badly. Some writers never recover from it. So how can we deal with it? On today's episode, Kent shares advice from J. K. Rowling on how to handle rejection. *** Are you looking for a community of...

Have you ever had the unfortunate luck of losing a great idea because you failed to write it down? This is one of the most vexing problems we writers deal with. We have great ideas all of the time, but we neglect to write them down. So what’s the solution? Make a notebook your new sidekick. On today's episode, you’ll rediscover one of the most important tools in your writing arsenal. ***    A...

Writers and artists seem to be prone to discouragement. It’s not easy to be a writer. We spend our lives putting our stories, thoughts, and emotions out there … and sometimes it feels like your heart gets trampled on. This is why we need all the encouragement we can get. But how do we create a ready source of encouragement for those dark days? On today's episode, Kent shares a powerful tip on...