When you’re struggling to write, try this simple shift. Have you ever thought to yourself, This whole writing life is just way more complicated than I thought it was going to be. Not only is there learning how to write a good story, novel, or poem, but then there’s theContinue Reading
Bookstore marketing for writers gets dismissed a lot these days. You hear the same message over and over: it’s not worth trying to get your book into bookstores anymore, and don’t bother doing signings because nobody shows up, nobody buys, and it doesn’t move the needle. Honestly, there’s some truthContinue Reading
Building writing momentum is about starting now, not waiting for the new year! If you’ve ever promised yourself that this year would be your year as a writer, only to find November and December rolling around to once again bring disappointment, you may be tempted to throw up your handsContinue Reading
If you’re a writer, you’ve probably heard that writers and people pleasing don’t usually go together. One is about self expression. The other is about self abandonment. But here’s something I didn’t know until recently: the same traits that make you creative can also make you a world-class people pleaser.Continue Reading
Is writing worth it? If you’ve been working on your book for a long time, or maybe you’ve written and published several books already, you’re probably starting to wonder if all the time and effort you’re putting into this thing called the writing life is actually worth it. Most ofContinue Reading
Writing seasons show up in every writer’s life, and the sooner you recognize them, the easier it gets to keep going without beating yourself up. I’ve been writing for over twenty-five years, and publishing books for more than a decade. Over and over, I see the same pattern: progress comesContinue Reading
Would you decide to be a writer again if you knew the truth about the writing life? Every writer thinks they know what they’re signing up for—passion, purpose, and maybe a little fame if the universe is feeling kind. You picture yourself sipping your favorite cup of coffee while yourContinue Reading
Haunted by writing procrastination? Meet your ghouls. Your writing desk is crawling with them! Clever little time thieves who slip in the moment you sit down to write. And by the time you notice, they’ve drained your writing hours dry. That’s why adding more time never works. Because if youContinue Reading
If you’ve ever googled “how to write more as a writer,” chances are you were hoping to find some magical secret, like a special app, foolproof time-blocking method, or productivity hack that would finally unlock the floodgates. I used to hope for something like that too, or better yet, anContinue Reading
Are you struggling with writing procrastination? You’ve probably had a night like this: after a full day of work, errands, or caring for others, you finally sit down at your desk. You tell yourself, just thirty minutes. You open the document, type a sentence, delete it, try again. Within minutes,Continue Reading
I ask my students a simple question: Who are your heroes? Most say what you’d expect—YouTubers, bands, maybe a pro gamer or two. But recently, one quiet student, just 13 years old, surprised me. She’s one of my music students, not someone I expected to name a writer. “Bonnie MacBird,”Continue Reading
Oh, the dreaded inner critic. Every writer knows exactly what theirs sounds like. It’s the soundtrack to your life, impossible to miss. Your inner critic has the power to stop you in your tracks and hold you stuck for days, months, even years, blocking your creative flow and swirling youContinue Reading