So what is a mission?
When I talk about having a mission, I mean something that you’re passionate about, that consumes your time, attention, and that you turn to when you shut out the rest of the world.
To me, my mission is my writing. It’s what I spend a lot of time doing, and I think about it a lot too. Continue reading…
When I first began working as a professional writer (which was nearly 30 years ago, yikes!) it was all about time and money.
I was working as a freelance writer, and I’d spend hours a day researching new markets, pitching, and writing.
Right from the start, my aim was to earn $400 a day. Did I make it? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Continue reading…
One of the things that many writers struggle with is finding time to write and, more importantly, getting plenty of writing done during that time.
If you’re anything like me, you read as much as you can about prolific writers and how they work, hoping that you’ll find the magic information you’re looking for; Continue reading…
I am an avid reader and love to get immersed in a really good book, especially non-fiction books because I love to learn.
But just because I love to read it doesn’t mean that I always have the time because I’m also a hard worker both with my writing and in my household and family obligations. Continue reading…
It’s getting towards the end of the year again which means it’s almost time for NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, where thousands of writers all over the world get ready to write a 50,000-word novel during the month of November. But is it really possible to write a fifty thousand word novel in just one month? Continue reading…
Many years ago, when I first began earning money as a writer, I found many different freelance markets. Some I knew about, but others I hadn’t considered. So I thought I’d share some of them with you here, because some writers think that the only way to earn money freelancing is by writing for clients, which is a great, but there are other opportunities out there too. Continue reading…
I recently received an email from a subscriber who had joined my email list because she wanted to work as a writer but had no idea how to start. She wanted to quit her job but like any sensible person, wanted to make sure she was earning enough money from her writing before she did. So naturally she wanted to get writing as fast as she could. Continue reading…
Many writers have been increasingly worried about being replaced by AI. But should they be worried?
My answer is no, not at all.
And this is my opinion. Continue reading…
Today I wanted to talk to you about selling more books because as a writer, it’s one of the most important avenues of income.
Even if you earn money writing other ways, the passive income from book sales can go on working for you every day/week/month, year after year, while you carry on with your other writing projects. Continue reading…
Sometimes it seems hard to write. You know you want to write, yet at the same time it seems so hard to sit down and start writing. Why does this happen?
All writers go through this. We love to write and yet it often seems like such a huge effort to sit down and get to work. We say we love to write, yet it’s hard to do. Continue reading…
Confession – I don’t want to write this article.
Why?
For several reasons: Continue reading…
Being a writer is more than just being someone who sits down every day and writes lots of words. Writing is more than my job,it’s my mission.
The dictionary defines the word ‘mission’ as an undertaking, vocation, calling, pursuit, goal, purpose, quest, and duty (among other things). This is why to me, writing is so much more than what I do to earn money. Continue reading…
I received an email recently about a half-price sale on a whole slew of writing courses. I idly clicked through to see what was on offer and there were two that piqued my interest. I didn’t want to sign up for them, but they got me thinking.
The two that interested me were writing challenges, not courses. Continue reading…
Writing myth 1: Writing slow means writing well.
Writing myth 2: Writing fast means writing poorly.
I’ve never known why, but many writers think that if it takes them a year or more to write a book, then it’s guaranteed to be a great book.
But here’s the truth: Writing speed has nothing to do with writing quality. Continue reading…
Unless you’re planning on not writing any more in the next 12 months, now is a good time to start using your brain to set yourself up for success for not just next year, but the next 5 or even the next 10 years.
And I’ll show you the 14 steps you need to take to achieve your writing dreams. Continue reading…
Has anyone ever said to you, “You’re lucky,” when you accomplished something? And did it make you want to punch them in the face?
We’ve all been there. We’ve been called “lucky’ whenever something good happens in our life, especially something we’ve worked hard to achieve.
But did luck play any part in it at all? Continue reading…
I don’t know if it’s because I’m a writer or because I’m a life-long student. But I’m always studying and learning something. Continue reading…
One thing that surprises new writers is that if you want to do it for a living, it’s about so much more than just the writing.
Writing is the easy part (and the most enjoyable) but after that you’ll need to publish your work and market it to let everyone know it’s there.
But don’t lose heart. It’s not all bad. All you have to do is set everything up so that you can keep writing and publishing. Continue reading…