Tag: writing

Plan to write. Write to learn.

Continued">

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 … Continued

Friction, writing, and timing

Continued">

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 … Continued

The trouble with skills coaching

Continued">

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 … Continued

A snapshot of my high-end writing and editing business

Continued">

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 … Continued

Is writing a book your New Year’s resolution? Better read this first.

Continued">

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 … Continued

Doing work that matters

Continued">

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 … Continued

Writer, editor, ghostwriter; what I learned from 11 book projects

Continued">

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 … Continued

Why is writing sometimes so hard, and other times so easy?

Continued">

Writing can be a joy or a chore. I thought of this as I saw this tweet from Raul Pacheco-Vega: “I’ve noticed something really funny: I struggle with putting words into paper, up until I reach a point where BOOM, the words just start pouring from my finger tips. Does this happen to you too?” … Continued