Born To Create

It has been quite an eventful week at the Daily Writer. This past week, I did an official public launch of the Daily Writer Community. I know that I have mentioned it several times already here on the podcast, and I even did a full episode a couple of weeks ago sharing about it. But this past week was the first time I really put it out there on social media and shared it more widely than I ever have.  On this episode, I wanted to dive into the behind the scenes of creating this group and what I have learned from it.  We take a look at these five lessons: 1) Do your market research before you launch something. 2) When you launch, you will be surprised by the people who will ignore you and support you. 3) You must put in the work to build something meaningful. 4) You will never feel ready to launch, but do it anyway. 5) Don't take anything personally. *** 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 C

I'm thrilled to bring you this bonus interview with Joe Ricci. We dive into all my geeky questions about story structure and the specifics of writing for the Hallmark channel. 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 this conversation with one of the coolest and most interesting people I have met in a while. His name is Joe Ricci, and he is an actor, playwright, screenwriter, and director. Joe has been an actor in stage productions such as the off-Broadway hit “I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change,” the national tour of “Carousel,” the first national tour of “Saturday Night Fever,” and the Broadway revival of “A View from the Bridge” with Scarlett Johansson and Liev Schreiber.  As a director, Joe’s two current projects are the rock musical Whiskeyland!, as well as a play called Squirrel Screams and Other Dating Sounds (major points for a great title). He just recently adapted Whiskeyland! into a screenplay and they are in the very early stages of developing Squirrel Screams into a TV pilot. Joe has also written for the Hallmark channel, most notably the movie In the Key of Love, which we will talk about more in the bonus episode airing tomorrow. His other current writing projects include a rom-c

If you’re not mechanically inclined, maybe you can relate to this scenario. You’re driving down the road one day, and all of a sudden you realize that your car has been running kind of rough lately. The engine is a little bit noisier than it used to be and wonder what might be wrong. Then it dawns on that you can’t remember the last time to had the oil changed. You wonder if maybe you’ve done some damage to the engine, and you’re also thankful you haven’t let it go on for much longer because you might damage the engine. A lot of writers and creative types operate this way. They keep working, keep driving, keep pushing and never do the basic maintenance required to keep their emotional, physical, and mental engine running smoothly. On this episode, Kent challenges the notion that in order to make great art, you must destroy yourself in the process. *** 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 Com

Michelangelo was one of the greatest artists who ever lived. As a sculptor, painter, designer, architect, and so much more, he transformed history and was a major force of the Italian Renaissance.    But have you ever considered exactly what it was that made Michelangelo so great? Was it his creative genius? His relationship with powerful and influential people such as the Pope? His ability to organize massive projects such as the painting of the Sistine Chapel?    All those factors surely played a part in his greatness. But above all, Michelangelo was a guy who got things done. He finished projects and saw them through to completion.   On this episode, Kent explains how this artist's great example can help us finish 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/kentsand

There is something quite magical about a book. Of course, you already know that since you’re a writer. You’re already committed to the art and craft of writing books. But it’s interesting that so many writers don’t make a lot of time to read. We love books and are committed to creating them … but we struggle with fitting reading into our schedules. Reading is a critical part of the creative process. Of course we need to have other inputs as well, such as listening to great talks, watching videos and movies, seeing plays, and other ways to experience great art. But above all, we must read. On this episode, Kent shares a very simple tactic for getting more reading done. *** 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 

It is common in the entrepreneurial world to view a day job as the enemy of a writing career. You have a boss, you have office hours, and you have job responsibilities that feel a million miles away from the writing you want to do. If you want to build a full-time writing career or gain more financial freedom, then building your own business is certainly a great goal. But while you are in your day job, it is important not to view it as the enemy. On this episode, Kent shares ten tips for using your day job to develop great skills as a writer and communicator. *** 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 is a strange dynamic within the world of writers. On the one hand, there is a huge amount of collaboration and community. We support each other, we buy each other’s books, we write books together, we share resources, and we generally try to spread the love. On the other hand, it is also easy to be jealous of other writers who we perceive to be more successful. We wonder why we don’t sell the same amount of books or get as much attention. We may even start to wonder if we have the talent to succeed. On this episode, Kent reminds us why comparison is a losing game. *** 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 

Here in the first couple weeks of the year, everyone loves to talk about goals. But once a week or two passes, the reality of life kicks in and the idea of a nice goal is not enough to carry you through the messiness of life. Having a goal is not enough to make that goal a reality. That is where habits come in, which is the subject of today's episode. One of the most influential books of the second half of the 20th century was Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The premise of the book was that you must take personal responsibility for your success. I'm borrowing the concept of the "7 Habits" to share some key actions that every writer should implement into their lives. Read books that help you achieve your goals. Write every day. Publish your work. Market your work. Help other writers. Thank those who helped you. Persist through the hard times. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and grow your writing business? Check out

On this bonus interview, Pastor John Stange shares his thoughts on the structure, writing, and marketing of his upcoming book, Dwell on These Things. I encourage you to listen to yesterday's interview with John if you haven't already. It will give you lots of context for the information in this episode. If you are working on a book, or considering writing a book, then you will find a lot of gold here. You will especially enjoy John's words of wisdom for aspiring authors. Make sure to pre-order your copy of Dwell on These Things. You can find links to John's podcasts and his other books at DesireJesus.com, and you can connect with John on  Facebook. *** 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 today's episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing my good friend John Stange about the release of his upcoming book, Dwell on These Things. Last month, John asked me to interview him for a special episode on his podcast. John and I talked about how the book can help people, especially right now in a time where man people are under a lot of stress financially and emotionally. A bit about John: he is the Lead Pastor of Core Creek Community Church in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. He hosts three podcasts: The Chapter-A-Day Audio Bible, Daily Devotions with Pastor John, and Dwell on These Things. John has written over twenty books, all of which are focused on spiritual growth, leadership, marriage, and practical aspects of following Jesus. John also recently started The Healthy Discipleship Community, which has been a great success. Dwell on These Things is a 31-day challenge to help you replace unhealthy messages you preach to yourself with Gospel-centered truth. Everyone deals with negative self-talk, and John'

As you begin to make progress toward your writing goals this year, you will run into some roadblocks. Life will get messy, you will feel tired, and even here in the first couple weeks of the year, you will probably feel like giving up.   But why do you feel like giving up? It all comes down to unrealistic expectations. We get discouraged when the picture we have in our head doesn’t match the reality in front of us.   We see the messiness in front of us and assume that the great books we love, or any great work of art for that matter, is perfect.   On today's episode, Kent shares how The Godfather can inspire us to embrace the flaws that come with being a human artist.   *** 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 

You were having a perfectly good streak. Things were going well with your writing, and you were making great progress with your book, blog, client work, or something else you were working on. But then it happened. Maybe it was family drama. Maybe it was a work situation. Maybe an appliance or a car broke down. Or maybe there was political or social chaos that made it hard to focus. Whatever it was, it was an outside force that made it harder for you to get your writing done. What should you do? How should you respond? Here is a great example from the history books. The 2nd century Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius had plenty of distractions and crises coming at him every day, particularly in the years he spent away from home engaged in battle. Yet he did not allow external events to determine the destiny of his thoughts. On today's episode, Kent shares a powerful quote about focusing on what you can control. *** Are you looking for a community of enthusiastic, generous writers to help you build better habits and

Here at the Daily Writer, we are a huge advocate for not just writing books, but for reading them. They are a critical facet of your growth as a writer. You will be hard-pressed to come across a great leader in modern history who has not also been a great reader. However, there is a danger in focusing too much on consuming ideas, and not enough on action. Reading doesn’t guarantee that your life, writing, or business has improved. In fact, within creative and entrepreneurial circles, there is a “culture of consumption” where each leader and influencer tries to outdo the next by bragging about all the books they have read. On today's episode, Kent reminds us about the dangers of reading too much and taking too little action. *** 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:

During this first week of the year, you will hear a lot of people talk about their goals. You will see social media posts, articles, emails, and news stories about all the big plans people are making for 2021. Perhaps you have set some goals for yourself. If so, congratulations! That is an important step toward being successful as a writer. Maybe you even shared them with a few friends or posted them online. Goals are important, but there is also a danger in talking about them too much. The more we talk about them, especially on social media, it can easily feel like we are making progress without actually having done the work. On today's episode, Kent reminds us of the simple way to get started on working toward your goals. *** 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:

It’s the beginning of a brand-new year. You have dreams. You have goals. You have big things you want to accomplish in the next twelve months. And your mind is consumed by one overriding question: “Can I do this?”   It’s not a question of whether anyone needs to give you permission. Rather, it’s a question of whether you can muster the resources, energy, creativity, discipline, and focus in order to do things you have never done before.   On this episode, Kent reminds you that even if you have a huge goal this year, you CAN do it.   *** 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, I share details about the brand-new Daily Writer Community, which is now open for application! You'll learn why I'm launching this group, what's included, and how it's different than other writing groups. If you're looking for a small, intimate, supportive, generous, action-taking group of writers who are working to achieve their goals, then DW might be for you! To apply for membership, visit https://dailywriterlife.com/apply.  For more info on the community, visit https://dailywriterlife.com/community. WHAT'S INCLUDED? Private FB Group Courses Monthly Mastermind Calls Monthly Expert Calls Weekly Writing Sprints Access to an Exclusive Group of Mentors Book & Storytelling Discussions Exclusive Resources Daily Writing Prompts Content Archive Live & Virtual Events PRICING: Right now, while we are building the group, the Founding member price is $25/month for the first 25 members. If you pay for a year up front, it's $250, so you get two months for free. We are rewarding the action-take

When it comes right down to it, everything about writing success comes down to productivity. We may have great ideas, we may feel inspired, and we may have great connections. We may even have a publishing contract. But if we don't actually produce the work, nothing else matters. I'm excited that my good friend Jennifer Harshman is here to give us some tips to become more productive in our writing and business. Jennifer is a successful editor, book development coach, ghostwriter, and business owner. She is the owner of HarshmanServices.com and the editor of the book Find a Real Editor: Avoiding the Posers and Scammers, which is a helpful guide to evaluating editors for your writing. In this conversation, Jennifer walks us through four obstacles to productivity, which are procrastination, perfectionism, pessimism, and paranoia. She also walks us through several P's that we need to put into practice, which include purpose, planning, persistence, and others. I encourage you to also sign up for Jennifer's email li

On today's special edition, I review the successes and challenges in my writing and business over the past year. I also share eight major goals I'll be working on in 2021. 2020 Successes: Ghostwrote two client books. Became a Literary Scout for Morgan James Publishing. Re-launched my podcast as The Daily Writer and changed to a daily format. Launched beta version of The Daily Writer Community. Wrote a first draft of my next book, Let It Flow. Focused my client services to book development coaching & ghostwriting. 2020 Challenges: Balancing my day job and side business. Perhaps building too many things at once? Learning to write faster and more efficiently. Managing my energy and getting healthier. Working ON my business instead of IN it. 8 Major Projects for 2021: Get healthier, lose 50 lbs., and run a 5k/10k/Half Marathon. Release Let It Flow and another book I've co-written. (And two other possible books.) Grow the Daily Writer Community to 100 members. Ghostwrite 4 client books. Grow 4 marketing c

I’m taking a very short 1-week hiatus from the podcast to work on my next book and do some extra planning for 2021. We have nearly 300 episodes of the daily writer podcast published, so I encourage you to take some time to look back through the archive here and catch up on some episodes you might have missed. I especially want to encourage you to check out a few episodes from the last few months that have really struck a nerve with people, and I think you will enjoy also: Interviews: Bee Evans: Tear Out the Tags (Nov. 28) Bethany Lee: The Journey of Writing a Novel (Nov. 14) David Hancock: Morgan James, the Publisher for Entrepreneurs (Sep. 10) Solo episodes 15 Ways to Make Money as a Writer (Nov. 15) 20 Podcasting Lessons from 200 Episodes (Sep. 24) The Introvert's Guide to Networking (Sep. 8) I’ll be back on Jan. 1 with the next episode: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Writers. *** If you enjoyed this episode, we would be grateful if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people discover t