The Daily Writer

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...

One of the most popular episodes of the original Twilight Zone series is “Time Enough at Last.” Burgess Meredith plays Henry Bemis, a bank teller with thick glasses who is obsessed with reading.   One day, during his lunch break, he goes to the bank vault to read. Suddenly, there is a violent explosion, which knocks him out. He later wakes up to find that an atomic bomb has destroyed the world. He...

My guest today is Karen Anderson, and she is 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...

It can be hard to stay creative when you’re busy. Today, I’m revisiting an episode from 2019 where I answer a question sent in by Brian Mays about prioritizing your creative work: “Priority is a challenge for me. I am creative in my day job, but I'd love to shift what I'm doing as a professional creative to something a bit more niche. It's tough finding time to roll with that and do...

Are you having trouble writing? Do you feel like you can’t regain your focus? Do you feel short-tempered and irritable?   When we feel this way, the first conclusion we jump to is that we have writer’s block or that we’re just not creative. But the problem could be much simpler than that.   Maybe you need the same thing that preschoolers need whenever they get cranky. It’s probably time for a nap....

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 too...

As writers, we are constantly dreaming about what’s next. The next book. The next conference. The next interview. The next connection. The next source of income. The next five years. All you have is today, this moment, right here and now. Don’t keep your head so far in the clouds that you forget to keep your feet planted on the ground. On this episode, you’ll be inspired to be grateful for this pr...

On this brief episode, Kent shares an important update about the next few weeks’ worth of episodes. We will return with new episodes on Monday, January 3rd! ***   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 , which will help you break...

Have you ever held up an hourglass and looked it closely? From a distance, the sand looks as though it was one single element that can snake through the bottleneck between the top and bottom of the hourglass. But upon closer inspection, you can see that it’s just thousands and thousands of tiny grains. On this episode, you’ll be reminded that every day is a precious commodity that you can use to a...

Have you ever noticed that some people have an opinion about literally everything? It’s not hard to find these people. They are all over social media, and probably within your workplace, social circle, or even your family. While it’s easy to point out how others are opinionated, it’s important to look at ourselves as well. How about you? Do you have an opinion about everything? On this episode, Ke...

Have you ever felt stuck by writer’s block? If so, you’re in good company. That’s exactly the state the members of the legendary rock group Guns N’ Roses found themselves in one day in 1987. They were recording songs for their album Appetite for Destruction and had been working on their song “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”  As he was listening to a loop of the demo, lead singer Axl Rose began singing “Wher...