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How to Overcome Writer’s Block: 14 Tricks That Work

Writing about a writer’s block is better than not writing at all.

–Charles Bukowski

It happens to every writer. It’s inevitable. Your prose has turned to mush, you don’t have a creative bone left in your body, and you want to throw in the towel.

Photo credit: Erin Kohlenberg

Writer’s block. Every writer struggles with it. But what you do with it is what really matters. Before we talk about solutions, though, let’s talk about the problem.

Common causes of writer’s block

The reasons for your block may vary, but some common ones include:

Timing: It’s simply not the right time to write. Your ideas may need to stew a little longer before writing them down.
Fear: Many writers struggle with being afraid, with putting their ideas (and themselves) out there for everyone to see and critique. Fear is a major reason some writers never become writers.
Perfectionism: You want everything to be just right before you ever put pen to paper or touch a keyboard. You try to get it perfect in your head and never do, so you never begin.

So how do we vanquish this enemy?

It’s a tough question to answer, and I’m afraid I don’t have a great solution. I’ve personally wrestled with writer’s block on many occasions, and each victory looked different.

That’s the thing about writing: it’s an art, not a science. And you’ll have to approach it as such. There is no formulaic fix, no “7 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer Now.”

Well, except one. But you already know what it is: Start hacking away. Begin trying stuff. Sometimes, the quirkier, the better. The trick is find something that works for you.

Creative solutions to writer’s block

Here are a few ideas to help you work through your creative constipation:

Go for a walk.
Eliminate distractions (I use Ommwriter to focus on just writing).
Do something to get your blood flowing. (I like running.)
Play. (My personal preference is LEGOS.)
Change your environment.
Read a book.
Freewrite.
Listen to music (try classical or jazz to mix it up).
Brew some coffee (my personal favorite).
Create a routine. Many famous writers have daily routines to summon the Muse.
Spend time with someone who makes you feel good.
Call an old friend.
Brainstorm ideas in bullet points.
Read some inspiring quotes to get you started.

The possibilities are endless, but movement is critical. You need to generate momentum to get out of your funk.

Once you start heading in a direction, it’s easier to pick up speed. And before you know it, your block will be a distant memory and you’ll be doing what you once thought impossible. You’ll be writing.

How to not overcome writer’s block

And just for fun, here are some anti-solutions to this problem:

You do not overcome writer’s block by refusing to write until you feel “inspired.”
You do not overcome writer’s block by wallowing in self-pity.
You do not overcome writer’s block by procrastinating or making excuses.
You do not overcome writer’s block by watching TV.
You do not overcome writer’s block by reading articles on how to overcome writer’s block. (Kinda shot myself in the foot there, huh?)

The fail-proof solution

If you’re still not satisfied, you have one last resort, an ace up your sleeve. The silver bullet solution. The fail-proof way to overcome writer’s block is one you already know. In fact, you’ve been avoiding it this whole time, because it’s precisely what you don’t want to hear.

You overcome writer’s block by writing. (Tweet)

Start somewhere, anywhere. Write a few lines. Say anything. And see what happens. Don’t think about it too much or make any fancy announcements. Just write. It doesn’t need to be eloquent or presentable; it just needs to be written..

Write for the joy of writing. Because you can’t not do it. Don’t try to say or produce anything; just get some words on paper, now. No excuses or justifications.

You can write. Don’t make it harder than it has to be. Just type a few words. They don’t have to be good (all first drafts suck). It just has to be written. Then you have something to work it. You can tweak from there.

If you do this, you’ll get past the hump. I promise. The difference between professional writers and amateurs is this: Both encounter blocks, but one pushes through while the other gets paralyzed.

You can do this. Just write.

(One caveat: This technique only works if you’re truly blocked and not “empty,” which is an entirely different matter altogether.)

If you need some help getting started with a daily writing habit, I encourage you to join my 31-day writing challenge. It’s free! Click here to get started.

How do you overcome writer’s block? Share in the comments.

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027: There is No Easy Button: Johnny B. Truant & Sean Platt on Self-Publishing [Podcast]

Do what you love and the money will follow. We are all tempted to believe this myth. But it simply isn’t true. Along with pursuing what we love comes a lot of hard work. And this may be most evident in the field of writing.

Photo Credit: Bert Kaufmann via Compfight cc

Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Johnny B. Truant and Sean Platt, two of the guys behind Sterling and Stone, an independent publishing company.

I met both of these guys years ago when they were more focused on online marketing, and since then, they’ve taken the leap into becoming full-time authors. But they haven’t completely left their business sense behind.

In an age when every writer seems to be trying to build an online platform and then publish, these guys did the opposite. They left their big blogs and online membership sites to just write books. And I wanted to know why.

In this episode of The Portfolio Life, we talk about all their transition from online marketing to writing fiction, what success looks like for them (and maybe most writers), and why doing what you love is always more complicated than you think.

We also discuss the process of publishing, from start to finish, and why it’s a journey worth sharing.

My interview with Sean and Johnny

To listen to the show, click the player below (if viewing this in email, click here).

You can also download it at iTunes or on Stitcher.

About the guests + some interview highlights

In this interview, Sean and Johnny talk about following their heart and the process behind it, as well as what it takes to succeed as a writer in the Information Age.

Even though they decided to focus primarily on writing, these two are living portfolio lives. Along with their friend David, they write and publish serialized fiction. They also host The Self-Publishing Podcast and recently wrote Write. Publish. Repeat., a walkthrough of the self-publishing process (and why it’s way different than it used to be).

We also discussed:

How following your heart is not easy — it comes with a lot of hard work.
How authors must think business too — why it’s important to be an author and entrepreneur.
If Kickstarter is a good platform for writers (their advice just might surprise you!).
The process of publishing a book from start to finish.
The importance of being prolific as a modern writer.
And a lot more!

And of course, I ask all kinds of hard questions.

Special bonus: The self-publishing process from start to finish

Johnny, Sean, and Dave, decided to let you in on the entire process of writing and publishing a book.

They wrote a book from start to finish in just 30 days. They started without a single idea. They didn’t even know the genre before they began. And by the end of the 30 days they had a published book.

In that short amount of time they brainstormed, generated ideas, and came up with a storyline. And they filmed it all. At the end of 30 days, they had a 100,000-word novel, and lots of video, audio, and written content, documenting the entire process.

And they share the whole process in Fiction Unboxed. Check it out here.

I hope you enjoy the interview. Feel free to download it and share with friends. And I’d love for you to take a moment and leave a review on iTunes.

Have you ever considered self-publishing? Share in the comments.

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3 Reasons Why You Read Those Ridiculous Lists on the Internet

“13 Ways to Look Sexier.” “47 Celebrities Who Have Killed People.” “8 Secrets to a Happier Marriage.” If you’ve ever scanned a celebrity website, read a marketing blog, or browsed your local grocery store magazine rack, you’ve noticed that media outlets love lists. But why?

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What’s all the fuss about list posts and so-called “click bait”? The Internet is full of these lists that we know aren’t the best journalism out there, but we can’t help but read them. Can we?

Here’s why list posts and click bait work

The truth is this stuff works. In certain moments of weakness, I can’t resist clicking those tantalizing headlines. I’ve tried to reform my ways, but still find myself crawling back to this embarrassing addiction.

Maybe there’s a reason why. (In fact, there are three.)

Lists create order out of disorder. Even if it’s sometimes artificial, the numbers in a list tell the reader there’s a defined start and end point to the article. The organization gives the person a sense of security. You know what to expect, which makes it easy to “get in” and “get out.”
Lists (the right kind) provoke the reader. It’s not just that these lists are about some random topic. The numbers themselves are not enough to create interest; there’s always an element of mystery and intrigue to the catchiest headlines we see on Buzzfeed and similar sites. Whether it’s a voyeuristic look into the lives of celebrities or a painfully honest portrayal of teenage life, we can’t stay away from these articles.
Lists are easy to scan. Whether we like it or not, the Internet is full of scanners — busy people browsing the web, asking, “What’s in it for me?” A good list post can capture a person’s attention and keep them engaged long after they’re done picking through a website.

I know. It seems cheesy and beneath your intelligence to do this. But why would these magazines and high-traffic websites do this, if it didn’t work? They care about one and only one thing: eyeballs. And they only do stuff that gets results.

So what can you and I who have a message to share with the world, a message that hopefully matters, learn from this? We can redeem the list post, using it to capture attention while doing more than contributing to the noise.

Redeeming the list post

Here are three simple steps to take to make your list best better than the average Internet drivel most readers encounter:

Write a good “lede.” Don’t just jump straight into the list. Use the first paragraph (often called the “lede” or lead) to tell us what you’re going to share and why. Actually write an article — don’t just drop a bunch of random bullet points on a page.
Don’t go crazy on the list items. Don’t write a list of seven things when three will do the trick. Refrain from doing a brain dump and expecting your reader to follow along, and please, for the love of Pete, don’t just pick some arbitrary number and try to fill it. Value your audience’s time.
Make it exclusive. Write something specific that not everyone will be able to relate to (examples: “7 Signs You Grew Up in the 90s” or “19 Awkward Moments Every Vegetarian Understands”). What makes this content go viral is that it’s extremely relevant to the reader. These bloggers aren’t writing for the masses; that’s impossible to do nowadays. Instead, they are targeting a particular niche. And it’s working.

Oh, and here’s a bonus tip: Tell the truth. Don’t use the list to manipulate or coerce someone into reading your stuff. Use the power of a list to share something important that when they click your link, they are wowed, not disappointed.

Your readers (the real ones, not just those scanning for free tips) will thank you.

Note: I’m currently running a blogging challenge this month for anyone who wants to use a blog to reach an audience and share their message. We’re several days in, but you are still welcome to join.

What’s an example of a great list post or article you’ve encountered (or even written) lately? Share in the comments.

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026: The Single Best Way to Grow Your Influence [Podcast]

It’s better to give than receive, but we gotta eat. Right? We can’t keep giving forever… or can we?

Photo credit: torbakhopper via cc

What happens when we try to take more than we give? Or when we try to take credit for things that aren’t really our work? I discuss this and more on this episode of the podcast.

Click to listen

To listen to the show, click the player below (if viewing this in email click here).

You can also download it at iTunes or on Stitcher.

The secret to success

When they’re trying to get ahead in life, people normally ask “what’s in it for me.” In fact, I tried the “what’s in it for me?” approach for a lot of years, but nobody was really interested. They were all interested in themselves.

When I stopped and looked around, though, I realized the most successful people I know aren’t takers — they’re givers. And when I tried to follow their lead, I discovered an amazing trick:

Stop keeping score. (Tweet that)

Instead of worrying about whether something will benefit me or cost me, I learned to just think about what was right. I stopped wasting time keeping track of favors, and I ended up just being a friend.

More highlights

Be sure to listen to the episode to catch the detail behind these nuggets:

3:20: Marcy from mudpiewriting.com shared a little bit about how devastated she was when her literary agent quit before she had a chance to sell her debut novel and how she recovered her confidence after finding Jeff’s blog.
12:20: The most successful people in the world are givers. But some of the least successful people in the world are also givers. So what gives? Check out Give and Take from Adam Grant.
18:29: Find out what happened when bestselling author Jonah Lehrer decided to not give proper credit, and my own example of how tempting it can be to embellish the story…just a little. (You’ll also find out how smart my wife is.)
26:20: “You can have everything in life you want, if you will help just enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar (Tweet that)
28:40: I predict a new market emerging for simple dumb phones. People will crave a more minimalistic experience. And I will buy one.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, I’d love for you to leave an honest review on iTunes to help other people find the show.

And if you’re not a fan of iTunes, you can also copy and paste this URL into the podcast player of your choice: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ThePortfo...

Thanks for listening.
Be a friend

I know a lot of people are skeptical about this. I sure was when I started trying it. But trust me, it works.

What can you do for someone today to help them get what they want? Share it in the comments.

You just finished reading 026: The Single Best Way to Grow Your Influence [Podcast]! Consider leaving a comment!

Are you ready to embrace the "in-between" and experience all life has to offer? Check out my new book.

The Most Overlooked Piece of Real Estate on Your Blog

Note: For the month of October, I’m leading an Intentional Blogging challenge. If you want to start a blog or take your existing one to the next level, check it out (there’s a free course, community, and more!).

There is a place on your website that you’re probably neglecting. It’s the same place new visitors flock to every day to see if what you have to say is worth listening to. And many of these would-be readers leave your website, disappointed.

Photo Credit: Kevin_Morris via Compfight cc

What is this place, this magical part of your blog that, if you paid more attention to it, could be a big-time difference-maker?

It’s your about page.

Say what? You mean, that silly little “about me” page I created on Day 1 of my blog and haven’t been back to since?

Yep. That’s the one.

Why your about page needs more attention

Other than your homepage, which is usually the first place most first-time visitors drop by, your about page is the most important, and often the most viewed page on your website.

Why is this?

Because nobody reads something from a writer they don’t trust.
Because people want to connect with other people – especially on social media.
Because sometimes it’s hard to tell what your blog is actually about, even after reading a few articles.

An about page is a powerful resource, because it can quickly and easily address those three issues in one fell swoop. A good about page will immediately build trust with a first-time visitor, make readers feel more connected to the person behind the blog, and give them an idea of what to expect in the future.

Three keys to awesome about pages

So what does a good about page contain? A few things (with some real life-examples):

A welcome. This could be as simple as a headline that says, “Welcome to my blog!” followed by a brief bio on who you are and what you do. Chris Guillebeau does a great job with this without getting too wordy, as does Penelope Trunk. (Note: I recommend writing your About page in the first-person as this makes people feel more like they are talking to a real person. I learned that tip from Michael Hyatt.)
A promise. This is where you tell the reader what it is you do, why you do it, and how often. For example, my friend James Clear promises on his about page to send you helpful habit-building articles via email twice a week (every Monday and Thursday). He sticks to that schedule and to his published values regularly, because he understands that delivering on what he promises is essential to building an audience.
An invitation. This is where you ask people to follow your journey, to read a few articles, or maybe even to subscribe to your blog. See how I do that on my own about page. I learned this from Derek Halpern who leverages his about page to get more email subscribers. It’s a smart strategy.

It has to be epic

Okay, so you’re still not convinced. Or maybe you are, but you don’t know what that means for you. Fair enough.

How about one last story, and some practical application for how you can turn your about page into a powerful resource that gets shared across the interwebs? Great. But I have to warn you: this isn’t easy. Your about page has to be over-the-top awesome.

As an illustration, let’s take a look at Clay Collins.

Clay is the founder of a software company called LeadPages. But before he did that, he was just a blogger trying to generate leads for his online business. When he turned his average, run-of-the-mill about page into an epic story of awesomness, he saw his social shares go through the roof and his traffic explode.

This is what I call the “Epic Story About Page.” It tends to be more long-form, usually 500–1500 words, and it only works if you have a really good story to tell (fortunately, you do).

Basically, this is just an article sharing your story and inviting readers to join you. It works when you offer valuable content that encourages people.

The lesson: Don’t just tell us about you. That’s a rookie mistake. Instead, share an inspiring story that will compel people to not only join you but tell their friends about you. Good stories spread.

So what does this mean for you?

Well, that’s kind of up to you. I suggest you begin here:

Review your about page. If it’s less than a few hundred words, you might want to beef up the content. Make sure you have a welcome, a promise, and an invitation.
Tell an epic story. In addition to the three keys, make sure you bio section is amazing, the kind of thing that could be turned into a movie. How do you do this? By focusing on your struggles, on the areas in your life where you saw some kind of extraordinary breakthrough (you may have to dig, but we all have those stories).
Ask people to read and share. This is the last step, when you see if what you’ve written is actually good. Because if you share your about page and people don’t respond by telling others about you, then you haven’t scratched the right itch. You need to go back and tweak things.

Want more advice on blogging? Don’t forget to sign up for this month’s free blogging challenge! Click here to begin.

What’s something that I missed? Have you seen other examples of powerful about pages? Share in the comments.

You just finished reading The Most Overlooked Piece of Real Estate on Your Blog! Consider leaving a comment!

Are you ready to embrace the "in-between" and experience all life has to offer? Check out my new book.

Why You Should Start a Blog (Even If You’re Not a Writer)

Note: There are only two days left to sign up for my free, 21-day blogging challenge. To get the free lessons on blogging, go here.

I waited way too long to start blogging. And that just might be one of the biggest regrets of my life.

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I often tell my sister Marissa who to my amazement has been able to maintain a regular blogging discipline while going to college, that she is way ahead of where I was 10 years ago.

Blogging helped me find my calling. If I had started sooner, I would’ve gotten published in magazines faster and would’ve written more books by now.

Why is this? Because blogging taught me how to practice, how to edit, and how to write for a deadline. What more does a writer need to know? But even if it didn’t launch my writing career (which it did), I would have still started blogging sooner.

Here’s why I would still do it (and why I think anyone can and should start a blog):

Blogging teaches you discipline. Having to sit down once a day or once week (or at whatever frequency you do it) and write is an important skill. It forces you to learn the difficult lesson that some of the best things in life happen as a result of delayed gratification. Writing is one of those things, but there are others.
Blogging teaches you introspection. I’ve already shared how blogging helped me understand myself and my place in the world. But I’m not the only one. My friend Scott Dinsmore told me he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life until he started a blog. Sitting down to write made him realize what was important. Now, he leads a global community of people who are rethinking the way they approach work — all because Scott started a blog.
Blogging gives you a voice. We all have something to say, even if we don’t think of ourselves as writers or speakers. A blog gives you a place, free from censorship and criticism, to say what’s on your heart and find other people who connect with what you believe.

It’s a wonderful age that we live in, this era when we can publish ourselves and share our best thoughts with the world: when we can step onstage at a TedX event and reach a million people or post a video on Youtube that gets shared on another continent or write a blog post that touches just one other soul.

It really is an amazing time — at least, it is for those brave souls who take a chance and choose to speak up. The question, I suppose, is will that be you?

To join my free challenge that will help you start and grow a blog, go here.

Do you have a blog? Why or why not? Share in the comments (include a link to your blog or to your favorite blog).

You just finished reading Why You Should Start a Blog (Even If You're Not a Writer)! Consider leaving a comment!

Are you ready to embrace the "in-between" and experience all life has to offer? Check out my new book.

The Surprising Self-Discovery Lessons of Blogging (Plus a 21-Day Challenge!)

I am a writer. It’s what I do. But the truth is I didn’t learn this truth about myself and then go do it. Confidence came slowly and awkwardly. The epiphany didn’t precede action; it followed it. And I learned a lot of this from blogging.

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I love writing, not just because it’s my job, but because it’s a tool to help you better understand yourself. Sharing my thoughts on this blog helped me understand that writing isn’t just something I do; it’s who I am.

This, it seems, is true for others, as well. Flannery O’Connor said that she never knew what she thought until she read what she wrote. Writing and journaling, even blogging, can be a means of self-discovery.

Why writing?

Because:

Writing is honest. It’s something you do in solitude, which means that in that privacy you can be a little more truthful than you might normally be.
Writing vulnerable. When you put words to paper (or on screen), you share a part of yourself that the world doesn’t normally get to be. You stop hiding behind your shadow self and reveal who you really are.
Writing is a process. It takes time, and with that time comes revelation. You understand yourself in ways that you wouldn’t normally consider, because you’re forced to work through your ideas and thoughts in a slow, methodical process.

When I began blogging, I realized that I wrote first for myself and second for an audience. As big as I am on helping others and serving your readers, there’s something cathartic about writing just for the sake of writing.

If you’ve ever wondered what your place is in the world, if you’ve considered the possibility that you might have a calling – some purpose that’s bigger than you — then maybe it’s time you started a blog.

A free blogging challenge

I’m dubbing October “Intentional Blogging” Month. For 21 days , I’m going to be leading a group of people who want to get serious about blogging and are willing to let the process teach them something about themselves.

If you join this free challenge, you’ll get exclusive access to me, a 12-part blogging course, and opportunities to connect and share your work with other bloggers. I’ve never done this before, so it could be a lot fun!

You don’t have to be a great writer to start a blog.

You don’t need a plan or a big budget.

You don’t even need to have any aspirations of making a ton of money.

You just need to want to grow. I promise you: blogging will push you and challenge you in ways that you’ve never before experienced. It certainly has for me. And you just might learn something about yourself that surprises you.

What to do next

The “rules” for this are pretty simple: do one thing every day for 21 days to grow your blog. If you want to jump in, here’s what you need to do:

Join the challenge (be sure to enter your email address for some free resources).
Follow the community on Facebook for daily blog challenges.
Make sure you’re set up with a blog (watch the video for step-by-step instructions).
Leave a comment on this post, saying you’re in.
Tell your friends (totally optional, but why not?).

See you in the community!

By the way, you don’t have to blog every day to be part of this challenge. These will be very small steps to start a blog and then take it to the next level. The first day, for example, you just have to set up your about page (spoiler alert).

We’ll get started on October 8 (you have until then to sign up and get setup — be sure to pop into the group to connect with other bloggers in the challenge).

What do you hope to learn about yourself from this blogging journey? Share in the comments.

You just finished reading The Surprising Self-Discovery Lessons of Blogging (Plus a 21-Day Challenge!)! Consider leaving a comment!

Are you ready to embrace the "in-between" and experience all life has to offer? Check out my new book.

025: Saying Yes to the Best Things: How Do You Balance It All? [Podcast]

We have to slow the rhythm of rush in our lives so that the best of who are can emerge.

–Lysa Terkeurst

Inevitably in life, a certain level of success will mean embracing the necessity of saying no. I think we all know this. But when and to what do we get to say yes? That’s what we cover in this week’s podcast.

Pin this.

In this episode of The Portfolio Life, best-selling women’s author Lysa Terkeurst shares with me her story of learning to say no and how it led to her eventually getting to say “yes” to the best things.

The Best Yes

Lysa’s latest book, The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demand, is a faith-based guide to making important decisions. And let’s be honest — we can all relate to these struggles:

When do we say no to friends to work on a passion project?
When do we say yes to family and no to working late?
How do we stop saying yes to things just of guilt?

Whether it’s chasing a dream, prioritizing relationships, or simply wanting to be productive with your time, understanding what your “best yes assignments” are is essential to living a meaningful life.

As the leader of a Christian women’s ministry and a successful author and speaker, Lysa’s schedule is anything but sparse. It would be easy for her to rush from one activity to the next, always operating in urgency mode. But she does her best to do the opposite.

Every Monday night, the Terkeurst family gathers for a dinner full of conversation and friends and, of course, food. It’s a staple in their house and community. This is just one of many things Lysa does to keep herself grounded in what matters most.

It’s a simple reminder to herself and her family that relationships, not tasks, are what matter most. And that just may be true for all of us.

Interview highlights

In the interview, we discussed:

Why we can’t make more time or find more time.
The importance of planning out your week ahead of time — and how to use all 168 hours efficiently.
What it cost Lysa when she got serious about writing.
Why scheduling in blocks of productivity is the only difference between a dreamer and a doer.
How Lysa arranges her schedule around her family and not the other way around.
Why study is something productive people can’t neglect.

Some takeaways

There’s no such thing as balance, but we can be honest about our struggles with saying “no.”
Life is unpredictable, but we can be intentional.
The only difference between where I am today.
Saying no is not a rejection, but a necessary protection of the things that matter most.
As soon as you set a priority, a distraction will come (which is why you have to plan your priorities ahead of time).
Study one topic for an hour a day for five years, you’ll become an expert at that topic.
Making decisions that create dread, disappointment, or drama aren’t worth saying “yes” to.

Start saying yes to the best things

If you’re ready to start saying no to the good so that you can say yes to the best things, here are some next steps to take:

Plan your time intentionally. List out all your hours in a week and identify reality so you can identify how much spare time you actually have.
Schedule work around priorities, like family and friends, not the other way around.
Fill yourself with good things so that when life squeezes you, good things come out.
Think about the long-term effects of every decision you make, not just what feels good right now.
Celebrate relationships, remembering that people, not projects, ought to occupy the sacred parts of your life.

Also, if you’re enjoying the podcast, you can check out past episodes in iTunes or Stitcher. Be sure to subscribe so that you don’t miss a thing. Thanks for listening!

Here’s one final quote from Lysa (if you enjoyed this, feel free to share!).

If I say yes, it may feel good today. But wisdom makes decisions that are good not just for today but that will still be good tomorrow. (Tweet)

—Lysa Terkeurst

For practical ways you can start saying no check out Lysa’s post 10 Ways to Graciously Say No When You Feel Pressured to Say Yes.

What’s an example of a “best yes” in your life — when you said no to a good thing so that you could say yes to the right thing? Share in the comments.

 

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Three Steps to Start a Daily Writing Habit

It’s one thing to call yourself a writer and quite another to actually write. So what separates the pros from the amateurs? Is it God-given talent? Natural skill? Or something else?

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Real writers do one simple thing: they write every single day. Forming a daily writing habit isn’t easy. It forces you to give up your misconceptions about writing and embrace the truth. It’s not a gift; it’s a discipline.

Of course, we all have things we’ve been given, skills we inherited and opportunities we didn’t deserve. But what we do with those gifts and opportunities is what separates the outliers from the rest of the pack.

The difference between a professional and an amateur is simple — it’s practice. But that sounds a lot easier than it is. So how do you get up every day and write? This is the question that plagues those of us who struggle to stay motivated in our creative lives. We know we have something to say. We’re just not sure how to say it.

Fear is what holds us back. The trick is to form a habit, to get up and do it without thinking. That’s what the pros do. And it’s what you must do, too, if you’re going to get serious about your craft.

The three steps

There are three steps, I’ve found, to starting a daily writing habit:

Pick a space. It can be your dining room table or a desk, even the couch. But the idea is that this is special, sacred even. It’s where inspiration happens. Try to set it apart.
Set a time. It can be 5am or 11:30pm. Whatever it is, just try to make it consistent. You need to show up every day at this time and put your butt in the chair. It doesn’t matter if you have any idea what you’re going to write; until you commit to a time, you never will.
Choose a goal. This can be a hundred words or a thousand words. Whatever it is, give yourself grace. Hemingway was renowned for writing 1500 words one day and 300 the next. In my experience, anything from 300-1000 is sufficient to forming a writing habit.

Do this over and over and over again, every day and every week. And within months, you’ll be surprised by how much easier writing comes to you.

Sounds too good to be true, right? I can already hear the objections…

“What if I don’t know what to write?”

That doesn’t matter. Write anyway. If you haven’t formed a habit yet, your writing may not be that good. All you’re trying to do is show up, to be consistent enough to start practicing and get good.

Still, if you need a prompt or two, here are some ideas:

Write about your surroundings.
Write about what you did today.
Write a section of a chapter to that book you’ve been working on.
Write a letter to your kids… or one to yourself.
Write anything!

I’m not kidding when I say what you write about doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t. At the end of the day, there is one box you need to check, and it reads:

“Have I written?” (Check YES/NO)

If you miss your word count, blow your scheduled time, and write a bunch of malarkey — but you still get to check “yes” — then consider the day a success. Get up tomorrow and do it again.

Good luck.

It’s one thing to call yourself a writer; it’s quite another to actually write.

BONUS: Ready to get started writing daily? Sign up for the My 500 Words Writing Challenge and get a prompt every day for a month to help you stay on track. Click here to get started.

Do you write every day? Why or why not? Share in the comments.

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Yes, You Can and Should Self-publish (Here’s Everything You Need to Know)

Recently, I released a paperback version of my first book, which had been available previously only as an eBook. The process took longer than expected, but I learned a lot.

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It might seem funny posting this right after doing a podcast on how to land a traditional book contract, but the two actually go hand in hand.

Here’s the deal: I think everyone should publish a book. That’s a bold statement, I know, but the lessons you learn through the process are invaluable. And since you might be waiting a long time before signing a book deal, why not just get on with doing it yourself?

Even though I’ve published two trade books and am working on my third, when I went through the self-publishing process, it taught me three lessons that I thought might be helpful for any aspiring author.

Lesson 1: You need a team

Successful self-publishing is something you can do on your own, but you’d be better off working with a team of professionals. This is one area where traditional publishers tend to have the upperhand on indie authors: they have more people working on a single project.

But is it possible to publish a book that rivals the quality, both in terms of content and production, of a traditional book? Absolutely. You’ll just need to have the right people onboard. The essential roles of a publishing team are:

Editor. This is the person in charge of getting the manuscript into shape, getting proofreaders to catch all the typos, and make sure the book makes a coherent argument or tells a story that makes sense.
Designer. This is the person who designs not only your book cover but your interior, as well (deciding what fonts and art work go into making for an enjoyable reading experience). This can be two people but it doesn’t have to be.
Publisher. This is the person who helps you get your book published and into the appropriate distribution channels (e.g. Amazon). You can pay a company to do this, but I think it makes more sense to just hire this person outright. You will save money in the long run and get more personal attention.

Building my team

Of course, you can do as much of the above as you want, but it’s better to hire a team of specialists. But here’s the catch: it doesn’t have to cost money.

When I first self-published an eBook, I got the design, editing, and publishing services done for free. It’s not that hard to get good work done at an affordable, if you know what motivates people and are willing to swap favors. However, if you can afford to hire people, do it. That’s what I did with this new edition of my book, and it was well worth it.

Here’s how we divided responsibilities:

All my editing was done by Christine Niles, who did an amazing job helping me reshape the argument, update the content, and make everything flow better than the original edition did.
The interior and cover design were done by Andrew Sale, who does most of my graphic design work (including my logo).
Brandon Clements served as my publisher, helping me decide how to print and lay out the book, as well as how much we should charge for it. Any time I had an issue with the printing, he got on the phone with Amazon and took care of it.

These people made my job as author so much easier. It was still my book, but they helped me create a much better finished product. I could have saved money by not hiring them, but I’m so glad I didn’t. Investing in a good team will yield a better product that you can be proud of and that the reader will notice.

Lesson 2: You need good distribution

Do you want to work with a local printer? Do you want your book available in bookstores? These are the questions you have to consider when self-publishing.

I recently met someone who had self-published a book and intentionally not put it on Amazon. I do not recommend this. You’re leaving money on the table if you do that. Even if you make more money selling directly to your readers through your website, you’re going to reach fewer people.

Listen to me, dear author: Amazon is your friend. It’s not just an “everything store” — it’s a distribution channel, a discovery engine. Many people don’t realize that Amazon is the world’s largest retail search engine.

Unlike Google or Yahoo, when people are searching Amazon, they’re doing it with their credit cards out, ready to buy. If you have something to sell, like a book, you want to be where those people are.

What I did for distribution

I decided to publish exclusively on Amazon for several reasons:

The quality of CreateSpace is nearly as good as any print-on-demand publisher I’ve seen (this used to not be the case).
They offer bulk order discounts (which I will take advantage of for speaking gigs and gifts). They aren’t the only ones who offer this, but it was a nice perk.
They give you incentives that you don’t get elsewhere (including access to the Matchbook program and KDP select, which I will be taking advantage of).
My Amazon book sales (for this title) outnumber all other retailers 10:1.

I did consider working with LightningSource (now, IngramSpark) but decided against it. Having done this in the past for other people and seeing some of my friends go this route, I knew sometimes books from other printers could be backordered on Amazon (saying things like “ships in a few weeks”). I didn’t want my readers to have to deal with that.

Even though Ingram has slightly better quality books (in my opinion), I knew most people would get the book on Amazon. Publishing it there made it easy to keep my print book on the same page as my eBook, and the same should be true for the audiobook when it’s available.

By the way, I’m not an Amazon fan boy or anything. I still love going into a brick-and-mortar bookstore. It just made sense for this title. And I think it’s a good place to start for many indie authors.

Lesson 3: You need a powerful launch

You can do all of the above work but if you don’t launch well, it won’t matter. I can’t tell you how many emails I get every week from well-meaning authors who have put their book on Amazon but haven’t seen anything happen. And this is where they fail.

You can’t just “put” your book on Amazon. You have to launch it! Think about what that word means for a second: a launch is a powerful, explosive event that sends objects into space. It takes time and money and lots of resources.

If you want people to discover your work, you’re going to have to put your book out there. You’re going to have to work hard to get it into the right hands so that people talk about it. You’ll need a strategy.

When I first launched You Are a Writer two years ago, I individually emailed over 100 people, sending them a free copy of the book, asking them to consider sharing it with their audiences.

I also emailed my list, which after a year had grown to several thousand people, telling them that I was offering the book at an early discount if they bought it the first week. That drove an initial spike in sales, which led to the book becoming a #1 bestseller in several categories (this is not that hard to do — selling a few hundred copies in a week can sometimes get you to this point).

After that, I took any interview I could, guest posted on every major site I had access to, and kept talking about the book on my blog (even doing a 15-day series on it). The result was for three months straight, the book sold more copies than the previous month. In six months, I had replaced my wife’s income. By the end of the year, I would replace my own. And that was just the beginning.

My launch plan (and what I’m doing differently this time)

Other than an email to my list, an earlybird discount, and a few social media mentions, that’s all you’re really going to hear about this book. I want to save most of that energy for the release of my next book, which comes out in March.

So why did I do this?

I did it because people had been asking me for a paperback version of the book for two years, because I thought it would be fun to go through the process and share about it on the blog. Of course, I still want the book to sell. My goal, though, is to have a long-term asset available for years to come, which was why I released it now.

Some lessons on launches:

Urgency matters. Offer a limited-time deal for early adopters (this could be a discount or a bonus package for the first week or so).
Advocacy matters. Email anyone you know who would want the book or be willing to talk about it. (Building an email list ahead of time is important, but if you haven’t done this, then just email your friends and family.)
Buzz matters. Drive some initial traffic to Amazon so that it starts referring your book to new readers.
Generosity matters. Do intentional giveaways to get the book out there.
Reviews matter. Ask for reviews (these have been proven to positively affect your sales rank on Amazon).
Awareness matters. Keep talking about the book (as old as it feels to you, it still feels new to everyone else).

Closing thoughts

So that’s what I’ve learned about self-publishing, much of which was gleaned from working with traditional publishers. Personally, I like both self-publishing and traditional publishing for different reasons. If you have the chance, I recommend trying both to see what works for you.

Sometimes, it makes sense to publish a book yourself if you already have a built-in audience who wants what you have (as was the case with this book).

Other times, you have a message that, with the right help, could allow you to reach a much larger crowd. Which, I hope is the case for my next book (and why I’m working with a traditional publisher on it). The point is there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to publishing.

What you can’t deny is the opportunity available to anyone who wants to publish a book. If you’ve said those words to yourself — “some day, I’d like to publish a book” — then you no longer have an excuse. Your some day is today.

That’s why I wrote this post, to show you that anyone can do this. The tools are available, the information is available. So what’s really stopping you?

For a step-by-step process, read this post: The Complete Guide to Self-publishing a Book That Doesn’t Suck. And be sure to check out my book, You Are a Writer: So Start Acting Like One , which is now available in paperback and on sale this week.

What’s holding you back from publishing a book? Is there any question I didn’t answer? Share in the comments.

You just finished reading Yes, You Can and Should Self-publish (Here's Everything You Need to Know)! Consider leaving a comment!

Are you ready to embrace the "in-between" and experience all life has to offer? Check out my new book.