There are a lot of sad words in the English language. But one of the saddest ones is “someday.”

How many dreams have never been fulfilled… how many books have never been written… how many great works of art have never been created… all because someone thought they would get to them “someday”?

That’s why I’m excited to have my friend Mike Brennan as a guest on today’s episode. Mike is going to share the importance of a daily creative habit that will help you bring your “someday” into the realm of “today” where you can start to make your creative dreams a reality.

Mike Brennan is a creator and communicator, telling stories on pages and stages. He inspires creators and entrepreneurs to show up consistently on their quest for creativity and innovation through a daily creative habit.

Mike’s childhood dream was to be a cartoon. When he realized that wasn’t possible, he became the next best thing: an artist. Mike loves sharing experiences and making connections through his art, and helping fellow creatives establish a daily creative habit of their own.

Mike is the host of the Creative Chats podcast, the author of the Daily Creative Habit Journal, which will take your creativity to new heights, and several other books. You can sign up for his free email newsletter at https://dailycreativehabit.com or connect with Mike on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

In this conversation, you’ll learn much more about Mike’s story, the importance of a daily creative habit, and why you must become a student of yourself. Mike also shares some great advice for those of us who have always wanted to learn how to draw but didn’t know where to start.

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There are many different types of writing—journalism, novels, short stories, nonfiction, blog posts, graphic novels, and a hundred others. But one thing that ties all writing together is storytelling.

Stories are the way we process information and make sense of our lives. Therefore, it is critical that we learn how to construct and weave stories the best way can. It’s a craft I am still very much learning, and I’m thrilled that our guest today is here to help us learn to be better storytellers.

John David Mann is co-author of more than thirty books, including four New York Times bestsellers and five national bestsellers, including The Go-Giver (coauthored with Bob Burg). The Go-Giver has sold over 1 million copies and won the 2017 Living Now Book Awards Evergreen Medal for its “contributions to positive global change.” John is married to Ana Gabriel Mann and considers himself the luckiest mann in the world.

You might remember that I had both John and Ana here on the podcast as guests a couple of months ago to share about their new book, The Go-Giver Marriage. I have the pleasure today of talking to John about this even newer book that was released just this week: Cold Fear, which he wrote with Brandon Webb. This is a sequel to their previous novel, Steel Fear, which was very successful.

In this conversation, we dive into all things storytelling. I get to ask John about his experience as a ghostwriter and collaborator, the biggest challenges of writing a sequel, the ins and outs of writing a novel, how to write an action scene, how to start a story, and much more.

You can learn more about John David Mann or pick up his awesome books below:

Get a copy of John’s free ebook, How To Write Good (Or At Least, Gooder)

Steel Fear by Brandon Webb & John David Mann

Cold Fear by Brandon Webb & John David Mann

https://WebbAndMann.com

The Go-Giver Marriage: A Little Story About the 5 Secrets to Lasting Love  by John David Mann & Ana Gabriel Mann

https://howtowritegood.com

https://www.johndavidmann.com

Follow John David Mann on Instagram

Connect with John David on Facebook

Check out John David’s Twitter

Learn more about John David on LinkedIn

The post John David Mann on the Art & Craft of Storytelling appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

If you were to guess what the most requested image in the National Archives is, what would your guess be? Would it be something related to the moon landings? Maybe something historic, related to WWII or the Civil War? Maybe something from the turn of the century?

If so, you’d be wildly off base. The most requested photo in the National Archives was taken on December 21, 1970, in the Oval Office. It shows Richard Nixon shaking hands with Elvis Presley, who was wearing one of his famous jumpsuits, along with a giant gold belt buckle.

You might wonder, how in the world did these two famous figures end up in the same picture, and what does it have to do with writing?

Let’s tackle the first question first. On December 19, 1970, Elvis Presley abruptly left Graceland and flew to California to meet his friend Jerry Schilling, who joined him on a flight to Washington, D.C. They were met there by another of Elvis’s friends, Sonny West. Elvis often did things on a whim, and this time he had decided he wanted to get a DEA badge. He had always been a big supporter of law enforcement, and he often collected badges from police and other officers when he went on tour.

Despite his image as a rebellious rock ’n roll star, Elvis was actually quite conservative. It bothered him that the problem of illegal drugs was getting out of hand, and he wanted to do something about it. His solution, as crazy as it sounds, was to become an official undercover drug enforcement officer. He felt that his status as a public figure could help lend support to the fight against illegal drugs.

Having struck out with the powers that be in D.C., who refused to give him a badge, Elvis decided to go straight to the White House to seek an impromptu meeting with the President himself, Richard Nixon. He directed his limo to pull up to the White House gates at 6:00am and gave a handwritten letter requesting the meeting to the guards, asking them to pass it along to the President. At first, he was rebuffed, but later in the day he received the call at his hotel that the meeting was on.

And yes, Elvis did get his DEA badge that day. He was immensely proud of it and was excited to show it to his family and friends when he got back to Memphis.

So… what does that crazy story have to do with writers?

It all comes down to taking initiative to get what you want. Do you want a podcast? A book deal? Do you want to write a book series? Do you want to write full-time? What specifically do you want to do in your life as a writer?

Whatever it is, go for it. Take initiative. Get assertive. So many writers just sit passively by, waiting for something to happen to them. You’ve got to get off your duff and start making things happen.

On the wall in my home office, I have a printout of that famous photo showing Elvis and Nixon shaking hands. I hung it as a reminder to get a little crazy, to take action, and to do whatever it takes to make my writing dreams come true. They’re not going to happen for me by accident, and they’re not going to happen by accident for you, either.

Daily Question: What did you learn from this story about Elvis, and about taking initiative as a writer?

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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 purpose of your life, vocationally speaking, is to find your dream. The dream is what you are meant to do. It’s granted by some otherworldly force or power. Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to keep seeking and searching, defeating obstacles and naysayers, until the dream becomes a reality.

There is some truth to that story. Most anyone who has achieved anything worthwhile has defeated obstacles and ignored naysayers. But the main fault in this philosophy is that a dream is “out there” somewhere. And if you work hard enough and seek it out, you will eventually find it.

The truth is that dreams are not found. A dream does not exist out there somewhere. The whole idea of finding your dream is based on the idea that you are a passive observer of your own life. In truth, a dream doesn’t exist anywhere outside of yourself. A dream is created from within.

A lot of writers operate by the idea of passively waiting for their dream to come true. Maybe they’ll get discovered by an agent or a publisher. Maybe that book will magically get written. Maybe someone will hand them that opportunity they’ve been waiting for.

But for the most part, that’s not how it works. Yes, people do get discovered sometimes, and their dreams come true. But for the vast majority of writers, their dreams become reality because they worked for them. They did the work. They put in the years of effort and built their platform, their business, and their success one brick at a time.

It’s the cold, hard truth… but it’s also the most liberating thing you can possibly hear. Your dreams are not out there… they’re in here, in your mind and heart. But it’s up to you to do the work and take them from the realm of possibility to the realm of reality.

The post Dreams Are Made, Not Found appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

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 they see other people doing is what they should be doing also. They go along with the crowd, never rock the boat, and never achieve their dreams.

On the other hand, successful writers know that life is not a multiple-choice test. If they don’t like the options in front of them, they create new ones.

How do we do this? We do this by taking advantage of all the amazing opportunities we have today as writers. There is an almost unlimited number of opportunities for you to get your work in front of readers and make a good living while doing it.

Is it hard to strike out on your own pathway while everyone around you is conforming to social norms? While everyone else is doing what other people expect? While everyone else is not writing books or putting in the work to build their own writing business?

Of course it’s challenging. Nobody said this would be easy. But if you are going to make something happen, this is not the time to be passive. This is not the time to limit your options. The world is a giant buffet of opportunity. Will you take advantage of it?

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Van Halen was one of the greatest rock bands of the 1970s and 80s. Although they had a number of popular songs and albums, they are probably best remembered for their song “Jump,” which was featured on what was arguably their best album, 1984.

The song is great for many reasons, including its catchy lyrics, great drum fills, and, of course, Eddie Van Halen‘s amazing guitar licks. But who could forget the music video for “Jump,” which featured the band running around on stage in spandex and massive early 80’s hairstyles?

The word “jump” is not just a great title for a popular rock song. It’s also great advice as you consider your next step to success in your writing life.

As you are considering that next project or next step, you’re probably dreading it a little bit. You’re not sure how you’re going to get it done. You feel intimidated and scared.

One of the defining qualities of successful people—no matter their industry—is that they take action now and figure it out as they go along.

The famous science fiction writer Ray Bradbury said, “First you jump off the cliff, and you grow your wings on the way down.”

So don’t wait around doing analysis for the next six months. Figure out your next step and take it in the next 24 hours. You’ll be energized by some forward momentum.

Six months from now, you will be amazed at your progress if you keep on taking that leap, knowing you will figure it out as you go along.

Go ahead and jump!

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The main theme of this podcast is writing every day. After all, it’s the very title of the show! But sometimes people ask, “Do you mean actually write every day?”

And yes, I mean write something every day. But what am I suggesting that you write? Here is my definition: write something that advances your goals as a writer. That can include material for your blog, book, podcast, or some other type of content that helps you reach your goals. But it can also be just writing in your journal.

Now, whether you include weekends, or whether you actually do it every day is completely up to you. But I liken this to someone who is trying to live a healthy lifestyle. If you want to be healthy, you eat healthy every day, not just when you feel like it.

So, the real question is, “How healthy do you want to be as a writer?” If you want to be in tip-top shape, I encourage you to write every day, preferably the first thing in the morning when your mind is fresh, before you have started checking email and getting into the details of the day.

But the main thing is not when you write, but if you write. Long or short, morning or evening, computer or notebook, it doesn’t matter. Just write something—anything. Your actions are far more important than the best intentions followed with no action. Action beats intention, every single time.

So I must ask… have you written today?

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So… you’ve done it again. You promised yourself you wouldn’t do it. You swore up and down that last time would be the last time. Yet here you are, feeling guilty because you’ve given in to the temptation once again.

Are we talking about some forbidden sin? Some horrible act that is slowly destroying your life or your family?

No, we’re talking about downloading yet another free PDF that will languish on your hard drive. It’s one more resource you won’t read, but you will still feel guilty because you know it will probably help your writing or business.

Don’t feel too bad. We’ve all done it. In today’s Information Age, it’s almost impossible not to be overwhelmed with email lists, free PDFs, podcasts, books, courses, and much more.

So how do you deal with this flood of information? Here is the key: the next time you read or listen to something that is helpful, determine whether it is something you need to do. If so, take action on it immediately.

This one simple concept can work wonders for your confidence and your success. When you do something you know you must do, you develop the habit of breaking down barriers. You also build your anti-procrastination muscle.

Don’t get overwhelmed by all the information out there. In fact, you should delete or unsubscribe from things that are not helping you on your journey right now. Too much information can absolutely paralyze and confuse you.

You can always download something again or find a similar resource on the internet when you need it. But the best course of action is clearing your mental clutter and taking the next logical step in your writing journey.

After all, the most successful writers are not the ones with the most talent. They are the ones who keep their life simple and take action every day toward their goals.

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