The Dream That Finally Came True
25 years together! Two years ago I promised my wife the biggest anniversary gift ever. It took a little longer than I expected. Like two years longer. The Birth of the Dream It all started in January 2015. Missy told me, “I’d like to build a house on Poodle’s (her grandmother) property. We could knock […]
What to Do When No One Reads Your Writing
You spent four hours crafting a fantastic blog post. You share it on all your social media channels. Afterward, you pull up your stats every hour to see how many people clicked your link. You’re greeted with a big fat zero – zero reads, zero shares, and zero signs anyone cares. If you’re lucky, that […]
How to Get Your Writing Done When Life Gets in the Way
Have you ever had one of those weeks when you were so busy you didn’t have time to write anything? This was one of those weeks for me. Every morning as I left for work, the sky was dark. Every evening, the cloak of night descended as I drove home. When you spend what seems […]
Every Writer Who Wants Readers Should Do This
What’s the goal of every writer once she hits publish? To get readers, right? If you’re sharing because you can, that’s a good start. It’s scary to put your work before people who can criticize you. Getting no reaction may scare you more. Anyone can publish in this always-connected world. We have freedom to speak […]
How to Find Your Writing Voice Today – Even if You've Been Shamed for Sharing It
Photo Credit: ssoosay Flickr via Compfight cc What does your writing voice sound like? Do you have one? You do, even if you haven’t defined it. In this article, you’ll see how to find yours and set it free – even if it’s been silent for years! You have a writing voice – even if […]
What I Learned at the Funeral of a 23 Year Old – Frank McKinley, Author
This morning I joined some 300 friends and family to celebrate the life of Megan Twist. I never had the pleasure of meeting Megan. What I learned about her today was beautiful, inspiring, and heartbreaking. She was beautiful because she loved people well. She was inspiring because she let people feel free to be themselves. […]
Four Compelling Reasons You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Write Crappy First Drafts
What does it take to consistently write good stuff? How do you write so well your readers rave about it? Can anyone learn how to do this, or do you need special talent? You can write well – every time you write. You can connect with readers again and again. You don’t have to be […]
8 Reasons Why Every Blog Post You Write is a Risk Worth Taking
Wouldn’t it be great if you always felt ready to share your writing with the world? Jeff Goins says in his book You are a Writer: you need to practice in public. Doctors and lawyers call their work practice. We refer to work processes as practices. When someone is successful, we want to know his […]
8 Reasons Bad Grammar Ruins Good Writing and 5 Ways to Fix It
Last week I bought a book on persuasion. I’m always looking for new strategies to persuade people, so I hoped to gain something useful from it. I couldn’t make it to the second chapter. It started off small. One grammar mistake. Then another. And another. With each page, the number increased. It got so bad […]
Why Every Writer Needs a Brand: My Review of Your Brand is Calling
I just finished reading Your Brand is Calling by my friend Mike Loomis. This is the best book on branding I’ve come across. Brands aren’t only for multibillion dollar companies like Geico, Walmart, and AMC Theaters. If you’re a writer, an artist, or another kind of creative, you need a brand. Whether you realize it […]