The Daily Writer

We have talked before on this podcast about how writing is a gift.    It is a gift you can give to other people. Through your writing, you are sharing your ideas and stories with others to inspire, educate, and entertain them.   Writing is also a gift to yourself. It is a way to unleash your creative powers. In addition to helping you make money or build a business, writing has creative value even...

As a writer, you know that creativity is an essential part of what you do. Without new input and new ideas, you will resort to the same way of doing things and the same old ideas.   The question is, how do we make creativity a part of our everyday life?    The author Edward de Bono wrote, “Creativity involves breaking out of expected patterns in order to look at things in a different way.”    On t...

One of the saddest plays ever performed in American theater is  Death of a Salesman . It was written by Arthur Miller  and  first performed on Broadway in 1949.   Death of a Salesman  tells the story of the last 24 hours in the life of Willy Loman, a salesman who never quite achieves the success he always dreamed of. He has a faithful yet disappointed wife, and two sons who are equally as lost as...

As a writer, you know creativity is a vital part of your work and business.    One of the best tools for breaking through these blocks is writing prompts.  Writing prompts are a simple yet powerful tool to get the words flowing again. When you’re stuck in a creative rut, you need a little spark to interrupt your thinking pattern.    On this episode, I share ten specific ways you can use writing pr...

If you do any research on the amount of people who start a book but never finish it, it can get a little depressing. I've seen stats range from 80% to 97%. Any way you slice it, the vast majority of people who start writing a book don't actually finish it, much less publish it.   I have found myself in this place, as well, so don't feel bad if you'd started writing a book but h...

In the days before GPS, people used a little tool called a compass to help locate themselves on a map and find their way.   We writers use a similar tool. You might call this a creative compass. But instead of four points on the compass, there are only three.   On today's episode, you'll learn these three points and why you need to always be moving forward.   ***   Are you looking for a...

In the Pixar movie  Finding Nemo , we meet Marlin, a clownfish who has lost his son Nemo. On his wa y  to find him, he meets Dory, a black and blue tang fish who has short-term memory loss.   Despite her limited mental capacity, she gives Marlin a great piece of advice that eventually helps him locate his son. She says, “Just keep swimming.”   On this episode, you'll learn how to use this gre...

Do you have people in your life who are trying to help … but they’re not really helping?   Who are these people? They are the ones who try to talk good sense into you. They say things like “That book is a waste of time,” “You can never make money as a writer,” or “You should do something more practical with your talent.”   The problem is that this advice is not practical at all. Every single great...

One of the most difficult forms of magic is sleight of hand.   Every form of magic is difficult, of course, but sleight of hand presents a unique challenge. Why? The reason is because you must be flawless in presenting the illusion to the audience.   On this episode, Kent reminds you that writers are magicians, too. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you...

Western culture is permeated with the idea that we must always be winning. Social media only makes things worse. We only post our wins, our successes, and our joyful moments. Everywhere we look, we see people winning. Even though we know this isn’t reality, it is still discouraging to look at our own lives sometimes and see a string of disappointments.  On today's episode, Kent shares why you...

One of my most prized possessions is an old notebook from the 1970's. My grandmother Louise wrote poetry in that notebook. When I read her poetry, it’s obvious there is a kinship in the way we thought, and how we looked at the world. She died when I was three years old. Other than the stories other people tell me, along with a few minutes of home movies my grandfather made, the notebook is th...

I am a big believer in spending your time on activities that bring value in many different areas. For example, writing is an activity that can bring a whole bunch of different benefits to your life. That's why it's a great investment. Another one of those areas is running. I confess I don't know a lot about running, but as I've gotten into it the last couple of years, it has br...

For years, statistics have shown that eight out of every ten people want to write a book. Statistics also show that 97% of people who begin writing a book never finish it. That’s a massive difference between those who want something and those who actually achieve it. What accounts for this gap?  The answer is simple: wanting something and then actually doing it are two completely different things....

So you failed. You messed up. You didn’t do what you said you were going to do. You didn’t get the writing done or live up to your own expectations, or worse yet, someone else’s. We’ve all been there. It’s nothing new in the creative world. The good news is that tomorrow’s a new day. You have a chance to start over again and re-commit to the work. On today's episode, Kent reminds us to make a...

We spend so much of our lives consumed by moment other than the one we’re living right now. You can spend all your time worrying about yesterday and all the things you did wrong that you’d like to correct. But the problem is that you can’t go back and change yesterday. It’s done and in the books. You can spend all your time planning for an amazing today, yet completely miss the actions you need to...

It’s a simple but important question: Why do you write? There are a lot of reasons people write. Some people want to build a brand. Some people want money. Some people want a creative outlet. Some people want to leave a legacy. Some people just want to prove the naysayers wrong. On today's episode, Kent reminds us why we must look at our writing as a gift. *** Are you looking for a community...

If you have ever studied story structure or screenwriting, you’re probably familiar with the Hero’s Journey. The Hero’s Journey is a framework used to tell all kinds of stories. It shows the progression of the hero, or protagonist, through obstacles and struggles all the way to their final victory. Think about any story you love, whether it’s from history or fiction, novels, movies, or television....

What if you took a poll of a hundred people who started writing a book but didn't finish it? How many of them would say that a lack of time was a major factor in them not finishing? My guess is that at least ninety of them would say that's the case. It seems almost everyone we talk to these days is busy all the time. You probably feel the same way also. We all have a limited amount of ti...

One of the themes that I hear consistently from authors is that they don't like to market themselves.   Of course, this isn't true for every writer, but it seems to describe an impulse that most creative types have: we love to create, but we have a hard time telling others about our work. I'm thrilled to have a guest today who can help us with this eternal dilemma of writers. Her na...

One of the themes that I hear consistently from authors is that they don't like to market themselves.   Of course, this isn't true for every writer, but it seems to describe an impulse that most creative types have: we love to create, but we have a hard time telling others about our work. I'm thrilled to have a guest today who can help us with this eternal dilemma of writers. Her na...

As you begin to make progress toward your writing goals this year, you will run into some roadblocks. Life will get messy, you will feel tired, and even here in the first couple weeks of the year, you will probably feel like giving up. But why do you feel like giving up? It all comes down to unrealistic expectations. We get discouraged when the picture we have in our head doesn’t match the reality...

If you were to make a list of the most creative people from the last hundred years, Steve Jobs would be close to the top of the list.   As the co-founder of Apple, he was in large part responsible for many of the devices and apps we use today, such as the Mac, iTunes, the iPhone, the iPad, and lots of others.  Especially in his later years, he was adored and admired for his visionary approach and...

Citizen Kane is universally recognized as one of the greatest films of all time. Orson Welles and his collaborators created a masterpiece that was well ahead of its time in storytelling, cinematography, and special effects.   Yet for all its achievements, it's one of the saddest movies ever made. On this episode, you'll learn a powerful lesson from this amazing movie. *** Are you looking...

If you’re of “a certain age,” you probably remember watching Bob Ross on his TV show “The Joy of Painting,” which he hosted on PBS from 1983-1994.   If you’re a little younger, you’ve probably discovered him on the internet, where he has developed an even bigger following. Each week on his show, Bob painted a mesmerizing landscape in just a half an hour. He was known for his soft-spoken style, his...

1994’s The Lion King is one of the most beloved animated movies of all time. In case you haven’t seen it in a while, the story focused on Simba, a young cub in the pridelands of Africa. He is first in line to inherit the throne from his father Mufasa, a good and generous ruler. But there is one thing that stands in the way: Mufasa’s evil brother, Scar, who crafts a plan to have both Mufasa and Sim...