One of the most vital questions we can ask in our writing is, “What can I cut out?” This is a great habit to adopt because cutting makes your writing sharper, crisper, and cleaner. When you write, go back through it and take out all unnecessary adverbs, filler, and padding. Longer does not mean better. … Read more
Why don’t people finish goals that are important them? There are probably many answers to that question, but an obvious reason is that they simply get tired and don’t see a lot of discernible progress toward the goal. Take writing a book, for example. If you tend to be a perfectionist, writing a book can … Read more
If you have ever watched behind-the-scenes documentaries for movies, you have probably heard directors talk about the impulse to keep tweaking a movie. Sometimes they will say, “The studio had to come and take the movie away from me.” What’s this all about? It’s pretty simple, really. When you’re working on a big creative project, … Read more
There are lots of enemies we have to battle as writers. One of the most ferocious ones is self-editing. Self-editing is the tendency to edit as you go, to clean up and try to perfect your writing while you’re creating it. The big problem with self-editing is that you’re trying to use your right and … Read more
One of the best and worst things ever invented was the smartphone. It can be the worst thing because of all the distractions lurking on your phone. The notifications, games, email, and social media beckon to you every second. If smartphones were designed to be addictive, they are doing a great job. Yet, it’s also … Read more
In J.R.R. Tolkien‘s epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, we meet the creature Gollum, who is obsessed with the magical One Ring. Back when he a Hobbit known as Sméagol, he had taken it from his cousin, who found the ring in a riverbed after being dragged into the water by a large fish. For … Read more
For new writers, one of the most surprising elements of the craft is how much editing and revision it takes to produce good work. Until you get into writing as a serious hobby or a career, it may seem like writing should just come out clean and ready to publish. But experienced writers know this … Read more
What is the difference between an expensive steakhouse and a fast-food burger place? They both use the same ingredients for their main product: beef. Yet the experience can be vastly different. When you have dinner at a great steakhouse, it’s not just about the food. Although it may be wonderful, it’s also the experience that … Read more
Here at the Daily Writer, we talk a lot about the habit of writing regularly. That’s nothing new. Every good writing teacher talks about the importance of a good writing habit. Another habit that is equally important, yet for some reason emphasized much less, is the publishing habit. If you want to impact other people … Read more
One of the most important lessons we can ever learn as writers is that good writing happens in stages. Whenever you read a great book chapter, blog post, screenplay, or speech, it did not begin that way. It was most likely outlined, drafted, revised, and edited—probably several times—before it took its final shape. This is … Read more