Born To Create

One of the most important lessons we can ever learn as writers as that good writing happens in stages. Whenever you read a great book chapter, blog book, 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 the way almost all good writing, as well as all good art, is created. Take the Beatles, for example. In the years since the Beatles made their original recordings in the 1960’s, there have been lots of behind-the-scenes albums released that show how their songs progressed in stages. On this episode, Kent shares an example from the Beatles, and a quote from Faulkner, that reminds us to keep writing and revising. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders

Most of us live in the present moment. We focus on the things we are doing today, next week, or perhaps later this year. But that’s about as far as it goes. Just for a moment, set aside the distractions and think about the year 2026. It’s five years into the future. You will be five years older. How do you want your life to be different? What goals do you want to have achieved? What does your world look like in five years? We all want to be more successful, but how do we do that? The author and motivational speaker Charlie “Tremendous” Jones famously said, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” On this episode, Kent shares a few ways to connect with successful people. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/

Writers have always been fascinated by the relationship between writing and courage. Does it take courage to write? Or does writing produce courage? The answer is yes. Both are true. For example, many authors and writing teachers the last few decades have talked about how you need courage to write. And that is certainly true. Writing is hard work. It is self-expression. It can create change or provoke strong feelings in others.  So it certainly requires courage to put your pen to paper and share your words with the world. On this episode, Kent shares a quote from Anne Frank that will inspire you to be more courageous. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

There’s a wonderful scene in a wonderful little movie called The Empire Strikes Back. There are lots of wonderful scenes in Empire, but there’s one in particular one that has great application for writers. Luke Skywalker is training with the Jedi Master Yoda on the planet Dagobah. They are both getting frustrated because Luke is not catching onto the lessons as quickly as he wants. Yoda tells him that he must unlearn what he has learned. Luke responds that he will try. Then come the immortal words from Master Yoda: “Do or do not. There is no try.” On this episode, Kent encourages us to stop over-analyzing everything and get on with the things we need to do. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

Every writer has felt like this at one time or another. You’re chugging along with your content and things are going smoothly. The ideas are flowing. You’re feeling great. Then it happens. You hit the wall. The creative juices have dried up and you sit there wondering where to go from here. It happens to the best of us. Even to the very best of us, like Ernest Hemingway. What did he did do when he hit a creative wall?  On this episode, Kent shares Hemingway's advice for getting past creative roadblocks. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

Ray Bradbury said, “Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.” Most of the time, we writers are focused on output. We spend most of our time focused on the content we are creating, whether it's blog posts, podcasts, books, articles, or client work. But the basis for that content has to come from somewhere. There has to be an input. Our work as writers can't be focused just on the output. That's why reading is such a critical part of what we do. In fact, last year I released a podcast episode called "10 Ways to Read More in Less Time," and I encourage you to go back and listen to it. In this episode, I share five books that I believe every writer should read this year, and why you should read them. The books are: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King Perennial Seller: The Art of Making & Marketing Working That Lasts by Ryan Holiday You Must Write a Book: Boost Your Brand, Get More Business

If you spend much time around writers, you begin to see patterns. There are certain things most writers love, such as telling stories, creating content, and connecting with other writers. However, there are also things that most writers don't enjoy. One of those things is marketing. Most writers perceive that marketing is a pain in the neck, something that distracts them from their real creative work. But what if you could market in a way that makes use of your natural storytelling skills. What if you could it in a way that was natural and fun? My guest today is here to help us do exactly that. His name is Keith Griffis, and he has been a digital marketer for the last 20 years. Keith is here to share his fascinating PowerStory framework, which uses the power of stories to help you communicate. He has taught this same content at places such as MIT, Microsoft, and universities. He is also a self-described geek when it comes to neuroscience and the psychology of influence. Keith is a wonderful storyteller, busin

Do you ever feel overwhelmed as a writer? No, that’s not a trick question. It’s just an acknowledgment that anyone writing in our modern world can easily get overwhelmed by the sheer number of opportunities we have today. It’s hard to know where to invest your time and energy. Some writers get paralyzed by all the choices and just give up out of sheer confusion. And if we’re all honest, we can probably relate. In today's episode, Kent shares Ray Bradbury's secret to writing success. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

If you spend enough time around entrepreneurs or marketers, you can get the sense that writing is a one-dimensional pursuit that only has value if it brings you business results. It’s true: writing can get you more consulting clients, a bigger audience, and more credibility and authority in your industry. But there is another dimension to writing. It doesn’t focus on the external, but rather the internal. Henry Miller put it best when he said, “Writing is its own reward.”  On this episode, Kent shares three internal rewards that writing can give you. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

Whatever you may think of Star Wars Episode IX, The Rise of Skywalker, one thing is for certain: Kylo Ren’s journey is fascinating. Throughout most of the previous two movies in the sequel trilogy, he’s a conflicted villain who is fighting against Rey, Poe and the rest of the Resistance. But after a battle with Rey on the wreckage of the second Death Star, he imagines a conversation with his father Han Solo. This turning point sets Kylo Ren on a different path where he turns good and eventually helps Rey defeat the evil Emperor Palpatine. Deadlines are the Kylo Ren of the writer’s world. We usually perceive them as a threat, as something to take away our joy and make writing more stressful and frustrating. That’s why it’s so much fun to ignore them.  On this episode, Kent challenges us to embrace deadlines instead of ignoring them. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow K

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 is not the case at all. Effective writing doesn’t happen by accident. First you create a rough draft, then a solid first draft, then a second, third, and final draft. These drafts can vary depending on the project, of course. On this episode, Kent challenges us to grow along with our writing. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

Imagine if you were a writer living two hundred years ago. You probably lived on a farm and woke up at the crack of dawn with the sound of the rooster. You worked all day and went to bed not long after sundown. If you were a writer, this would be an ideal environment to get your work done. There were not many distractions except for your family, a farm, and some animals. That’s not the case today. We have a constant stream of distractions all around us. Social media, streaming services, email, notifications, text messages, and a hundred other things compete for our attention every second.  On this episode, Kent asks how far you're willing to go in order to deal with distractions. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

On this episode, we dive into a topic that may seem disconnected from writing. However, depression and other mental health issues affect writers just like they do everyone else. In fact, writers and other creative types may be more at risk than the average person. Why? Because we already have lots of internal battles going on, and we tend to stay isolated. I don't have all the answers, but I do have a story. On this episode, I share my decades-long journey through depression and how I learned to deal with it (most of the time). Specifically, I share 5 lies I believed about depression and why each one is false: Lie #1: I can manage my depression on my own. Lie #2: Self-medicating my pain is an effective coping strategy. Lie #3: I have no control over the forces that make my depression worse. Lie #4: I don’t need professional help. Lie #5: My struggle with depression means that I am deficient in some way. Over the last few years I have learned to manage my depression pretty effectively. I still have occasional

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the daily writer podcast. I am excited to bring you this short bonus conversation with Jessica Brody, author of over twenty novels, as well as the amazing writing guide, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. She is also the founder of the online writing school Writing Mastery Academy, which I joined a few years ago. You can find out more by visiting her website. If you are working on a book or plan on writing one, you will enjoy this brief conversation about traditional publishing vs. self-publishing. *** Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

I'm excited to bring you my conversation with Jessica Brody. She is the author of the #1 bestselling novel-writing guide, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and the founder of the online writing school, Writing Mastery Academy. Jessica has also written over twenty novels for teen, tweens, and adults. These include The Geography of Lost Things, The Chaos of Standing Still, A Week of Mondays, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, Better You Than Me, the Unremembered trilogy, and the System Divine series, which is a sci-fi reimagining of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, co-written with Joanne Rendell.  Jessica's books have been translated and published in over 23 countries and several have been optioned for film and television.  She lives with her husband and three dogs near Portland, OR. Visit her online at JessicaBrody.com or on Instagram. In this conversation, Jessica shares some great tips on how to make 2021 a great year as a writer. She also talks about writing routines, her book Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, how to

So, you’re feeling tired. You’re feeling discouraged. You’re partway through your first draft and it’s not coming together just as you’d like. Or perhaps you’ve already launched your book and it’s not getting the attention it deserves. You’ve spent what feels like every ounce of energy on writing it … and now you’re supposed to market it also? It makes you want to give up. Maybe it’s neither the first draft or the book launch. Maybe you’re trying to just get ahead with your blog posts or a speech. Maybe you’re in the middle of a big client project. It could be one of a hundred different things. The point is, your emotions are telling you to quit. There is no one pressuring you to keep going. It would be easier just to stop. On today's episode, Kent challenges us to live by the words of the immortal Winston Churchill. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Fa

Writers often talk about the need to feel inspired before they write. But what exactly does it mean to feel inspired? And more importantly, how do we get it on a daily basis? Inspiration comes when we have that creative spark which allows us to get moving. It helps us overcome interia and conquer the fear of the blank page. But how do we capture it? Is it even possible? On today's episode, Kent reminds us about a basic principle of productivity. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

Have you ever stopped to wonder why we sometimes don’t do the things we really want to do? For many years, statistics have shown that at least 8 out of every 10 people want to write a book. Why, then, do so many not follow through on their writing dreams? But the problem is not just out there. It’s in here, too. We can think of times when we shrunk back and didn’t follow through on our goals. Is it laziness? Lack of discipline? A lack of talent? On this episode, Kent reminds us to be courageous and not get sidetracked by negative emotions. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

Writing is mainly a solitary activity. Most books, articles, blog posts, and other content is created by people working alone. Yes, there are editors and others along the way who help, but writing is primarily done by people sitting at a desk doing their craft by themselves. It’s easy to feel a bit isolated. Stephen King identified this problem and also proposed a solution when he said, “Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference.” Writing is hard enough as it is. It’s downright impossible if you don’t have a support system. Who are the people in your life that truly believe in you? On this episode, Kent challenges you to surround yourself with people who support you. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitt

It’s the sinking feeling every writer knows. You had a brilliant idea but didn’t write it down. Now you could kick yourself because you can’t remember it. Inspiration can strike at the most inconvenient times. Sometimes it wakes you up in the middle of the night. Sometimes it comes while you’re in aisle 10 of the grocery store. Sometimes it decides to visit when you’re on a phone call or in a meeting. There is a simple solution to this persistent creative problem. Henry David Thoreau said, “Write while the heat is in you. … The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with.” On this episode, Kent gives a simple tip so you'll never again lose a great idea. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out our Daily Writer Community. Follow Kent Sanders: Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders Twitter: https://twitte