Can I be honest with you? I get tired of talking about platform, and I’m sure writers get sick of hearing people like me talk about platform. Why is this? I think it’s because the work writers do to build an audience often feels other than and separate from doing art. The Difference between Art […]
I recently conducted a survey for writers and received several comments and questions about the whole issue of book concepts. Below I’ll copy some survey responses and offer my reflections and advice. “I have several book ideas but can’t get focused. I am unsure what topic people would be interested in hearing about from me.” […]
Financial guru Suze Orman once said, “If you want to get out of debt, you must get more enjoyment out of saving your money than you do spending your money.” I love that. I love the idea that we can choose what we get enjoyment from, and I think she’s right. Let’s take what she […]
Have you ever felt “stuck in a rut” creatively? Ever struggled with writer’s block? Do you ever feel like you’ve simply run out of content ideas? As writers we need to be at our best creatively, yet so often we hit a wall. It is the height of frustration to have the desire to serve […]
The other day I was getting ready to go for a run when it occurred to me: I’d be more comfortable in my other pair of shorts. I also knew I would enjoy the run more if I downloaded an episode of one of my favorite podcasts. That way I could listen to it on […]
My wife and I recently watched the new documentary on Mr. Rogers, Who’s My Neighbor? I highly recommend it for several reasons, but the big takeaway for me was how Fred Rogers pushed through his self-doubt. The movie opens, for example, with Rogers questioning whether a certain metaphor makes sense. He doubts whether his PSAs […]
If you’re old enough, you might remember when there were just two flavors of coffee—Maxwell House and Folgers. Not so anymore. Not only has the number of large coffee distributors expanded, so have the blends and flavor choices! Hazelnut Creme, anyone? How about a dark Sumatra or Guatemalan blend? Why is this? Why do grocery […]
Recently I received these questions from reader Traci Rhoades: “What happens when a writer’s agent sends a book proposal to a publisher? What is the process? What do the various titles of editors mean? It seems to take a long time to review a proposal. Is that due to high volume, or do various people/committees […]
I often hear from writers who have a vague idea of their message and who they want to serve, but they struggle to nail it all down. They don’t have clarity about how to position themselves, what to write about, and who exactly is their audience. “I seem to be good at [fill in the blank],” they say, […]
I published my first blog post back in August 2012, nearly six years ago. I have warm memories of waking up at 5am to go down to Common Ground Coffee House to do my art. Eventually I wrote a manifesto, Do Your Art, daring and equipping others to do the same. Click here to check it out. […]
