Bryan Collins's Blog, page 108

How To Get Up Early in the Morning (And Why Your Writing Depends On It)

Do you write at night or in the morning?

Would you like to create an early morning writing habit?

What’s the most productive time of the dayfor writing and for becoming more creative?

For years, I wrote in the evening or late at night. I enjoyed the idea of writing into the wee small hours with only Frank, the moon and the blank page for company.

Yes, I am a night person.

There was just one problem with this way of working.

A job and the demands of family life make it difficult to write late...

6 Twitter Secrets For Writers

Writers use Twitter to engage with their readers, to promote their content and to talk to other writers.

In this guest post I present to you six time-saving secrets that will help you get started on Twitter today!

1. Create a bio like Neil Gaiman

Your bio should be easy to read, explain what you do, and how you can help readers.

Avoid writing a bio that reads like a sales pitch. A little bit of colour or humour goes a long way. For example, Neil Gaiman’s reads “will eventually grow up and...

Blogging For Writers: Read This and Then Knock Your Readers Out

Do you want to share your writing with the world?

Are you struggling to find a direction for your work?

Will starting a blog answer these questions and help you become a better writer?

I started blogging three years ago when I was let go from a dream job that didn’t work out.

Knocked down, dejected and running out of money, I wanted to set myself a realistic writing challenge: to fill my free time and find a job through blogging.

That blog was a failure because no one found my content useful...

How To Become a Writer of Thriller Books: An Interview With Ian Sutherland

Do you want to become a writer of thriller books?

Would you like to use Twitter or another social media platform to promote your work?

What kind of struggles are other indie authors facing today and how can you overcome them?

I recently interviewed Ian Sutherland, the author of cyber crime books Social Engineer and Invasion of Privacy as well as the non-fiction book Advanced Twitter Strategies for Authors.

In this interview, Ian explains how he got started with self-publishing.

He also descr...

How to Write When You’re In Physical Pain

Are you a writer in pain?

Do you want to find a way to practice your craft even if it hurts?

Can you write and overcome physical pain at the same time?

I write during the day in an office, and during my free time I sit at a desk at home and write again.

I spend over fortyhours a week sitting down.

Here’s the problem:

Sitting is the new smoking.

A couple of months ago, my foot went numb for hours at a time, and I experienced enough knee pain to find sitting for more than an hour unpleasant.

I...

Learn to Say No and Love Your Creative Work Today

No.

Make friends with this word.

It will help you avoid getting distracted, get out of unnecessary commitments and spend more time writing.

Saying no to nonesssential tasks will help you finish your creative work.

In this post, I’ll explain why no is an important word for writers and creative people.

Then I’ll describe the types of activites you can refuse.

Finally, I’ll give you practical tips for using this word more often.

Three Famous Writers On Why Creative People Say No

It’s not rude,...

Why You Must Finish Writing What You Started (And How to Do It)

“Whatever it takes to finish things, finish. You will learn more from a glorious failure than you ever will from something you never finished.” — Neil Gaiman

Let me guess.

It’s stuck in the bottom of a drawer in your office.

Or maybe it’s lost on your hard-drive.

Or perhaps it’s sitting in a notebook in your attic.

I’m talking about the stubborn writing project you gave up on because it was too hard to work it out.

I know it’s there, because almost every writer gives up on a writing project...

The Real Cost of Self-Publishing a Book: What New Writers Need to Know

Do you want to self-publish your book?

What services do you need to pay for when publishing your first book?

How much does it cost to self-publish a book for the first time?

These are just three of the questions I faced last year when I self-published A Handbook for the Productive Writer.

In this blog post, I’ll explain how much it costs to self-publish a book on Amazon and other digital stores.

What You Need to Self-Publish a Book

Got a book draft that you want to self-publish?

Great. Here’s...

Grammarly Review: Is This Grammar Checker Worth It?

Do you know the fundamentals of grammar?

Are you confident that what you’re writing is error-free and easy to read?

Would you like a tool to help proof-read your work?

I think you’ll agree with me when I say typos and grammar mistakes are embarrassing.

I recently discovered Grammarly, a grammar checker for proofreading articles, book chapters and blog posts.

I spent 30 days using Grammarly.

In this Grammarly review, I’ll explain how it can help you check grammar and spelling online, and if t...

Grammar Checker: A Writer’s Review of Grammarly

Do you know the fundamentals of grammar?

Are you confident that what you’re writing is error-free and easy to read?

Would you like a tool to help proof-read your work?

I think you’ll agree with me when I say typos and grammar mistakes are embarrassing.

I recently discovered Grammarly, a grammar checker for proofreading articles, book chapters and blog posts.

I spent 30 days using the free trial and premium version of Grammarly.

In this review, I’ll explain how Grammarly can help you check gr...