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 […]
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. […]
After sixteen and a half wonderful years at Baker Publishing Group, I have decided to make a move. This blog, now six years old, has enabled me to start a small business, and I feel called to dedicate my energies to it full time. I plan to serve writers via BookCamp, Book Proposal Academy, coaching, […]
When my son was in preschool, he came downstairs with a concerned look on his face. “I don’t think I can go to school today,” he told his mom and me. He generally liked school, so this was a little strange. “Why’s that, Sweetie?” we asked. “Something’s wrong with my throat,” he said. Now my […]
I’ve been re-reading Stephen King’s On Writing, and as I come to the end of it one thing stands out to me above the rest. That’s significant because it’s a very good book, and many things stand out to me as helpful and wise. If you haven’t read it, you should. But this one things […]
Recently my wife texted me while I was at work just after a snow storm. “We started to shovel,” she said, “but it’s too much. Can you blow it?” “I’d love to!” I replied. I wasn’t being sarcastic. I love operating my snowblower, not least because it makes an otherwise grueling job a relatively simple one. […]
