When you stop writing, it usually feels like the most reasonable, grown-up choice you can make. Life gets overwhelming, the schedule explodes, and most writers do the same thing. We push the writing aside, promising that we’ll get through the chaos first and then come back to the writing whenContinue Reading
“Believe in yourself” sounds like writing advice that should help, and yet for a lot of writers, it lands like a shrug. How many times have you heard this: You just have to believe in yourself. As if writing success is that simple. So you try. You tell yourself youContinue 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
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
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
It’s not easy to recover from a writing setback. An email pops up. You open it, and yes, it’s a form rejection. Or maybe it’s a bad review of your newly launched book. Dang it. You thought this was the one that would succeed. How you handle this moment couldContinue Reading
Are you struggling with a writing identity crisis? Sit with a group of writers long enough and you’ll start to hear certain phrases over and over again. “I wish I were more disciplined.” “I keep getting in my own way.” “I want to write—I really do—but I just can’t seemContinue Reading
In today’s noisy world, distraction-free writing can feel almost impossible. Have you ever sat down, fully intending to write, only to find yourself—two hours later—deep into a rabbit hole of educational videos, insightful blog posts, brilliant podcasts, and brainstorming sessions? It happens to me more often than I’d like toContinue Reading
Writers self-sabotage at times…do you? You sit down at your desk, fingers hovering over the keyboard. You intended to write, but something is stopping you. Maybe it’s the nagging feeling that your story isn’t good enough. Or you feel the urge to check social media “just for a minute.” Self-sabotageContinue Reading
You want to keep writing, but sometimes, when it’s time to pull out your laptop, you find yourself suddenly reorganizing your bookshelves, deep-cleaning your kitchen, or staring blankly at the ceiling. Anything else seems far more appealing. Maybe you’re tired. Perhaps you’ve convinced yourself that watching just one more episodeContinue Reading
Do you struggle to set boundaries without guilt? Dr. Stucki has some great insights into this issue, along with tips to help you better protect your writing time. by Dr. Bradford Stucki Last Tuesday, I stared at my phone, my thumb hovering over the “send” button. The message read: “I’mContinue Reading