Ugh, so many writers say. Now I have to do research. Why can’t I just write? Turn your attitude around. Once upon a time I received an offer to work for a company called Forrester Research. “What is the job?” I asked. “You do research about questions people want to know about, then you write…
Writers need to grow, or else the work gets boring. You’ll be more versatile, more employable, and happier if your always looking for ways to expand your capabilities. Seek opportunities to grow your experience in these four dimensions: Pivot and grow based on what you’re comfortable with Work can be simpler if you hold one…
You’ll change your mind about the content of your book as you’re writing it. But writing is an inefficient way to learn. You should start by meticulously planning, not writing, and you should reserve time for rewriting, too. There’s an efficient process that smart writers use and it looks like this: plan/write/revise/polish. I’ll explain. Writing…
It is easier to keep writing than it is to start writing. Productive writers plan accordingly. Why is it easier to keep writing? Even if you don’t study physics, you’ve probably seen that if you try to move something heavy, like a car, it’s easier to keep something moving than it is to start something…
I write, ghostwrite, edit, and advise writers. I also coach them. Coaching is the hardest, and the thing I have the most trouble with. The challenge is the mindset. I have a project and problem-solving mindset. This is why I like writing and editing projects. The to-dos look like this: How can I help my…
I’m now a little over four years into my corporate life as a freelance writer and editor. I try to be as transparent as possible. In that vein, today I’ll share a little of how I make a living, what works for me, and why. The work: writing and editing pay the bills In four…
This is the year! 2019. Are you going to write a book this year? If all you have is burning desire and willpower, you will fail. You need a plan. This is that plan. (While this plan is designed for non-fiction, much of this advice may help fiction writers as well.) Here’s what not to…
The best life for a writer is to spend your days writing and editing prose that matters. This is not easy, but it is rewarding. And that attitude should apply to whatever work you do. This year I am getting to enjoy, shall we say, a wide variety of work. For example: The ghostwriting project…
In the last decade I’ve been intimately involved with 11 nonfiction book projects. I wrote or cowrote four, edited five, and ghostwrote one-and-a-half (one is not yet complete). These were the most rewarding experiences in my career. Here’s what I learned: the keys to success in a book project are planning, passion, trust, perseverance, and…