Most of us have this fantasy around famous author confidence. We think, One day I’ll sign that contract, I’ll see my book in bookstores, and then I’ll finally feel like a real writer. We think success creates the confidence. But brain science suggests it often works the other way around.Continue Reading
How do we handle too many story ideas when every one of them feels urgent, exciting, and somehow more promising than the one already sitting in front of us? Let me ask you something. How many story ideas are sitting on your laptop or in your notes right now? BeContinue Reading
Do you ever have that sinking fear that you’re going to pour years of your life into your writing only to get absolutely nothing in return? No sales. No awards. No readers. Just wasted time. Maybe you worry that the publishing industry is just too saturated right now, or thatContinue Reading
How great writers improve—do they really need to, or do they just have the talent to begin with? When you sit down to write and it’s just not working, do you secretly worry that maybe you just don’t have it? That natural-born genius that the great writers seem to have?Continue Reading
Are you desperate to finish your novel? You know the one. You love the characters and the concept, but every time you try to get back to it, something more important comes up. You tell yourself you’re just busy. And that’s probably true. But deep down, you know that’s notContinue Reading
The emotional writing life can feel like a very high rollercoaster. One week you get a great review and you feel on top of the world, like maybe this writing thing is finally working. The next week you get a one-star review, sales dip, and suddenly you’re questioning everything. HighContinue Reading
If you feel like the only way to write your novel is to clear big blocks of time, your backstage brain is about to become your new best friend. If you’re trying to write a book while working, caregiving, or raising little kids, you already know how hard it isContinue Reading
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
If you’ve ever secretly believed that writing should be easy, that could be the reason you’re struggling. Somewhere along the way, you were probably told that writing should feel effortless, that if you were really a writer, the words would come easily. But that belief is a lie, and it’sContinue Reading
When you don’t feel like writing, it can feel like you’ve failed before you’ve even typed a word. You have to write. You want to write, but your brain just hits the brakes. What if I told you there’s a psychological trick that top writers use to shatter that feelingContinue Reading
Still not where you want to be with writing? Don’t be too hard on yourself. Here’s what I learned. A couple of years ago, I posted my very first YouTube video, and I thought it was okay. But when I watch it now? Yikes! It’s hard not to cringe. AndContinue 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