Kent Sanders 
Think back to your high school years. Like most of us, you probably knew a kid in high school who was supremely gifted. His or her natural talent was head and shoulders above the rest. They might have even been voted “most likely to succeed” or “most talented.” Everyone fawned over their natural talent. Everyone … Read more
One of the most interesting characters in literature is the unreliable narrator. This character might be delusional, a liar, or is simply prone to exaggeration. Or, they might not have a firm grasp on reality because of their personality or mental state. The unreliable narrator is so effective as a storytelling device because you don’t … Read more
William Goldman was one of the most successful Hollywood screenwriters of all time. He was the creative genius behind scripts for The Princess Bride and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, among many others. In total, he had nearly three dozen scripts produced, which is remarkable by anyone’s standards. In his funny and insightful book … Read more
As I mentioned yesterday in my podcast intro, I’m forgoing the usual weekend introduction and just diving right in. This weekend, I’m doing a couple of shorter episodes that can help you with practical aspects of your writing. On today’s post, I’d love to dive into the topic of perfectionism. This is an area where … Read more
A few months ago, I left my job as a full-time college professor after doing that work for 17 years. Even though I had a fair amount of discretionary time in that job, and I also worked from home during the summers, it has been a big switch to go from having a college office … Read more
One of the most pervasive ideas in Western culture is the concept of “finding your dreams.” No one knows for sure where this idea came from. It has probably been around in some form for as long as there have been stories about heroes and their goals. The idea goes something like this: the main … Read more
Do you struggle with being a perfectionist? If so, here is a strategy that can help you overcome it immediately. But first, what is perfectionism? It is the tendency to get paralyzed by the idea that your work is never good enough. Perfectionists imagine there is a standard out there and they can never reach … Read more
One of the most helpful perspectives we can adopt as writers is understanding that we don’t have an objective view of reality. This is hard to hear because most of us naturally believe we see things as they are. We assume we can see ourselves and everyone else clearly, as they are. We trust that … Read more
There is a common trait among successful writers, and it has nothing to do with skill, talent, genre, or style. Instead, it has everything to do with taking responsibility for your own life choices. Most people are passive observers of their own lives. They accept the choices that life hands to them. They assume what … Read more
Have you ever sat in a coffee shop and listened to the conversations happening around you? It’s fascinating. 99% of the time, people are only talking about themselves. Almost everyone in every social situation makes a conversation about them. It is rare to hear someone who is listening empathetically to the other person who is … Read more