Advice for Writing, Editing, Reading, and Life.
New posts on Mondays (for non-fiction) or Fridays (for fiction)
Building a Brand: The Difficult Simplicity of Defining Your Audience
Your audience is not how many people are reading your content. Your audience, at its most basic level, is who your content is for. Knowing this shapes what and how you write—what information has to be communicated, what can be assumed, and what can be otherwise ignored.
Building a Brand: What is “Voice”?
Imagine the voice of your best friend. Imagine the voice of your mother. You wouldn’t have to see their faces to distinguish them; as long as you can hear them speaking, you’ll know who they are because you are so familiar with what they sound like. In some ways, voice in writing is similar to this; obviously, it’s not an actual, audible voice, but it does identify you as a writer.
Building a Brand: What is a “Brand”?
Perhaps it is unsurprising that, in modern usage, many people associate “brand” with “logo.” A simple, elegant, effective logo is certainly a part of effective branding, but the word brand goes much further than just a logo. Your brand is possibly the most important part of your organization.
Helping Fledgling Ideas Take Flight: Advice from a Self-Published Author
I cannot begin to tell you how many times I’ve spoken with someone who excitedly shared a book idea. When I eagerly inquire what they’ve done with this idea, too often they say, “nothing.” They haven’t written it down, or if they have, they haven’t taken steps to find out how to publish.
This saddens me, so here is some advice for aspiring authors
Christmas with the Cross: A Modern Take on an Ancient Tradition
All over the world, for hundreds of years, Christians have celebrated the weeks leading up to Christmas, a season known as Advent. Christmas with the Cross is a new, free Advent family worship guide to help you and yours prepare for Christmas.
How to Receive Feedback Well
Writing with the intent to distribute is a beautiful paradox; it’s at once intensely personal and intimate, and highly collaborative and public. Asking for feedback can be terrifying, but it’s also very often thrilling and always necessary.
How to Give Feedback Well
Every bit of feedback you provide should be helpful above all else. When you work with another writer, you’re a collaborator, not a competitor. The more good writing that makes it into the world, the better off we all are.
Five Qualities Writers Should Strive to Exhibit
Some traits are pretty universally useful in basically any career context. However, every career path will require certain characteristics more than others, or require them to manifest in different ways. Here are five traits that I think are of particular importance for writers.
Five Exercises to Make Writing Easier (and More Fun)
Writing is hard. At times it’s brutally hard. The sense of awe and dread from staring at the cursor as it blinks defiantly on a blank page intimidates even seasoned writers at times. If you find yourself avoiding writing because it feels too difficult, but somewhere deep down you still want to write, try these exercises.