Become A Writer Today

How important is solitude for the creative process, and how can you balance finding solitude for your creative work with everything else that's going on in your busy life? In this week's episode, I catch up with Bryan Crosson. He's the author of the Lonesome Thread, and his book is all about creativity, solitude for creatives, and why it's so important.In his book, Bryan draws on his experiences when he was serving in Afghanistan, and he relates that to creative work and writing. The book particularly resonated with me because I believe in having time and space for writing and creative work each dayThese days, I have enough time to write full time, but when I first started Become a Writer Today and taking writing a bit more seriously, I used to get up early in the morning and write for an hour or more before the kids got up.I particularly liked writing early in the morning because it was quiet, and I didn't have to check email or worry about work meetings or phone calls, or daily life

How can you write creative non-fiction? And what makes it stand out?I am fascinated by creative non-fiction. It is a type of writing where the writer or author injects something of themself from their personal life or a little bit of creativity into the work.In other words, it's not simply researching a topic and turning it into another dry business book.Writing creative non-fiction can be a challenge. In addition to selecting an intriguing idea, you need to find the best way to express that idea and tell compelling stories that will captivate the reader's attention.This week's guest is a specialist in writing creative non-fiction. Her name is Susan Scott.Susan has written three books over her career and is a New York Times best-selling author.In this episode, we discuss:Her 22 years plus writing journeyHow to approach creative non-fictionHow creative non-fiction and non-fiction differSusans' research and writing processAnd her influences and inspirationResources:Website: http://thefiercel

How can you collaborate with other writers and authors? And what should you know before you decide to write an article, essay, or book with someone else?This week's interview is all about collaborative writing, and I caught up with two authors from Nebraska, Becky Breed, and Lucy Adkins, to discuss the process. They are collaborative authors who have known each other for over 20 years.Collaborative writing involves embarking on a creative project, whether big like a book or small like an essay, and writing everything from the first to final draft together. You will both work through the topic, ideas, and edits and decide what the final piece looks like.This seems a challenging process to me, but many authors have great success with collaborative writing projects.In this episode, we discuss:how they got started togetherthe advantages of collaborationwhere to look to find a suitable collaboratorSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can fin

In this episode, I caught up with Sharlene Anders, better known as Shallalla who is a creativity coach based in Germany. Shallalla turns the tables during our conversation and asks me questions about my creative work and what I do when I feel like a project doesn’t have any meaning.Like all authors, I enjoy the process of writing. But when I was writing my parenting book, I would turn on the news and be faced with grim stories about the virus, lockdowns, and other world issues. It left me feeling depressed, isolated, and lonely because I couldn’t see anybody outside my immediate family circle due to the country being in lockdown. There were times when I wrote the book when I would say to myself, “What’s the point in writing this book about parenting when there’s so much more going on in the world? Am I just wasting my time? Shouldn’t I be doing something with more purpose or something that adds more value to everything I’m reading and listening about?” Shallalla explained that it’s a pretty common experience

If you're a regular listener to this podcast, you know I stick to a format where I interview an expert on a particular topic. I talk to them about their background and ask them about their writing process and journey.I like the interview format, but there are other formats that you can use for podcasts like the one popularized by Serial, where you script out an episode in advance and tell a story within the episode. That takes a lot more work, but it's an excellent format for writers.I wanted to get in touch with a podcaster who does just that, which led me to talk to Jack Rhysider. He's the host of Darknet Diaries, an award-winning podcast all about the world of hacking and security. Publications like The Guardian and The New York Times have featured the podcast.Jack has been podcasting for over three years, and he says there is real value in consistency and turning up. He describes some of the growing pains he had at the start of his podcast when he found a competitor talking about the same t

Steve Krug is the author of the book Don’t Make Me Think. He’s rewritten the book three times, and so far, it’s sold over 600,000 copies. During the interview, I got into why he decided to rewrite the book several times and how the book helped him build a business around writing technical non-fiction for his audience. Steve also talks to me about what he’s up to these days and gives some valuable tips for overcoming problems in the creative process like procrastination and writer’s block. Listening to Steve is reassuring as it shows that writers of all levels have issues with procrastination and motivation. In this episode, we discuss:The best approach for setting up a new website todayHow Steve came to write his bookWhat Steve is writing todayUsing the Getting Things Done methodology How procrastination has been an ongoing problem for SteveThe books that have significantly influenced him.Resources:Don't Make Me ThinkSensibleGetting Things DoneSteve on TwitterSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show pleas

As a writer, you may be concerned that AI writing tools will replace you. The answer is no, at least not just yet. I've tested multiple tools, and while they're helpful and save time, they won't help if you are writing something complex or requiring creativity or in-depth research. What they can do is help overcome problems like writer's block. They can help you figure out topics you need to cover in your articles and content. They can also help you develop headlines, meta descriptions, and other elements that you should include to help your content rank. Now, I wanted to catch up with someone who is an expert on the topic, and so in this episode, I talked to James Scherer, the VP of Growth at Codeless. In the first half of the interview, we talk about James's SEO approach and recommendations for somebody who is starting a site from scratch and his approach to link building. In the second half of the interview, we get into AI, and James provides some practical tips which will help you

Jessica Artemisia Mathieu is a sci-fi, fantasy author and digital marketing agency owner. She's also the creator of The Sovereigntii, which uses NFTs on blockchain as a new form of storytelling, community, and income.Jessica is one of the few writers I've talked to so far who's successfully using NFT as part of her writing career. I wanted to find out how she's doing it and how writers can get involved today. My key takeaway from talking to Jessica is that we're still incredibly early, so if you find some of the language, terminology, and steps to buying NFTs confusing, don't worry, you're not alone. But now's a good time to learn about the space because NFTs are here to stay for creatives. And it'll be interesting to see how writers and authors use NFTs in future years to connect with their fans and readers. In this episode, we discuss:How to create an NFT based on a piece of writingHow NFTs are opening the door for artists worldwideAre NFTs expensive and what are

Dr. Joan Smoller is a creative non-fiction writer, a writing coach, a former lecturer at NYU, and author of three books.She’s also written for multiple high-profile publications in the United States, including the New York Times. In this interview, she talks about the power of non-fiction, how writers could use it to inspire social change and what non-fiction has done for her. Joan demonstrates that a writing career can be diverse. She has taught, instructed, edited, has prepared multimillion-dollar grant proposals, has written about topics like skin cancer, and has run a successful writing program. In other words, the genre or subject that you’re writing about today doesn’t necessarily have to be the genre or topic that you will pursue tomorrow.Joan talks about advice she gives her students: the importance of writing every day and the value of freewriting. I was delighted when Joan mentioned free writing because I’ve used it on and off over the years. If you’re not familiar with freewriting, Joan describes h

Jay Clouse is the host of the popular podcast, Creative Elements. A couple of months ago, I took one of Jay's podcasting courses, which changed how I think about podcasting and creative work. In this episode, Jay and I discuss the value of consistency. He's interviewed several top performers, like Seth Godin, and turning up and doing consistent work is often the key to their success. Jay also says that it's not too late to start a podcast, write a book, or whatever your creative goals are. Jay has talked to podcasters who started their shows as late as 2007, proving that if you're passionate about a topic and understand your niche, you can connect with an audience. I also asked Jay how he's promoted and built his podcast over the years, and he offers some actionable tips.  We finish the interview talking about NFTs or non-fungible tokens. So if that's something you're interested in, stay tuned until the end of the podcast.In this episode, we discuss:The techniques he's

Amardeep Parmar is a content creator and a prolific Medium writer. Within around two years, he built up approximately 60,000 followers. One of his articles went viral, he's got millions of views, and he's featured in top-tier publications online like Wired and Morning Brew. Amar's experience shows that if you feel like it's too late to start online writing or it's too hard to build an online portfolio and stand apart, you can still do it. It is possible to start writing today and have readers and followers tomorrow.Amar talks about balancing creativity with a scientific approach to the writing process. And he describes how he picks his topics, plans and edits them, and then prepares them for publication. Amar also talks about why he set up his podcast and describes how he turns content from the podcast into articles. In this episode we discuss:Amar's viral Medium articleThe writing processTools that Amar uses when writingPlanning out future articlesRepurposing podcast contentHow

Debbie Gartner is known as The Flooring Girl. Her website is all about home improvements, but the emails she sends to her list are all about SEO, creating content, and affiliate marketing. I wanted to find out how somebody can run two different business models and earn a living.Debbie is very open and transparent about what works in her business and what she earns from it. She produces monthly income reports where you can see the types of digital courses that people are interested in and she provides inspiration for the types of digital products you can create. Debbie started The Flooring Girl as a side project and it turned into a business when she found herself in debt. She also honed her SEO skills and began coaching clients in SEO and then transitioned to teaching what she knows about SEO into digital courses and other products. Debbie confesses in the interview that she doesn’t like to write which is interesting considering she’s built a successful content business. She also describes her process for cre

Dan Clarke is the founder of Brain.fm, a service designed to help you focus on your task. It was popularized in 2016 via an AppSumo deal but has gone through many iterations since then.Brain.fm helps you manage distractions which can be a real challenge for writers. Distractions can take you away from your flow state and affect your writing.Dan Clark talked with me about how Brain.fm evolved and how writers and creatives can use it. Dan also states that it pays to understand what time of the day you’re creative, what time you’re productive, and what times you should step back from your work, switch off, and even do nothing. He talks about finding a balance between being bored and hyper-energetic and how that sweet spot can help you get into a creative groove. This interview is a more extended episode than usual because Dan has given a free preview of Brain.fm, which you can listen to at the end of this episode around the 25- or 30-minute mark. In this episode, we discuss:What is Brain.fm and how does it work?

The internet thrives on great content. Somebody has to write it, and while some people say AI could replace writers, that’s not going to happen anytime soon.That's a topic I talk about in this week’s interview with the expert content marketer, Pam Didner. Smart content marketers write books, articles, or publish content that aligns with a product or service that they create. Non-fiction authors like Pam will write a book about a topic which potential clients find interesting so they may then hire the author. Pam also talks about writing for the sake of writing, which can be fun but it’s not necessarily something you do with commercial intent. I’ve interviewed a number of non-fiction writers for the Become a Writer Today Podcast, and if you like this interview with Pam, check out my chat with Neal Schaffer.In this episode, we discuss:How to make your content stand outWill AI change how content marketers do their jobKey analytics and stats to look out forHow writing a book can boost your careerResources:Pa

Matty Dalrymple has been the host of The Indy Author Podcast since 2016 and published her first book in 2013.She's the author of the Ann Kinnear suspense novels and suspense shorts and the Lizzy Ballard thrillers.  In this episode of the podcast, I ask Matty why she decided to set up her podcast and if it’s too late for aspiring podcasters today. We also get a little bit into the workflow of podcasting and the various software and hardware that she uses. Matty also describes how podcasting has shaped her writing and why she believes it’s a fantastic format for creatives.In this episode, we discuss:What encouraged Matty to start her own PodcastMatty's personal podcast highlights Forward planning podcast episodesThe process for finding new guestsHow many hours a week to spend preparing and promoting your podcastMatty's podcast set upReviewing podcast metricsResources:The Indy AuthorMatty DalrympleSupport the showIf you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions

Jon Tromans is a fellow podcaster. His podcast is called Not Another Marketing Podcast, and he uses content marketing to build his business and provide consultancy services to his clients.It can be challenging to balance creative work, like writing a book or writing stories, with content marketing, so I wanted to talk to Jon about his productivity tips for creatives. Jon explains that if you want to build a lasting business, you need to experiment with different formats like blogging and podcasting. In this interview, he gets into some of the tactics that have worked for him. He explains his definition of content marketing, and he also talks about how he structures his day so he has time for creative work and building his business.The content that you create encourages your audience to act. So, if you’re a blogger, they’re joining your email list or buying one of your digital products. If you’re an author, they’re buying your book. If you’re a podcaster, they’re subscribing to your show and leaving a review.W

Treasa Edmond has been an accomplished ghostwriter for over 15 years. She's written across many different genres and, in this interview, she talks about how much ghostwriters can earn, how to get started, and the types of questions you should ask clients before you decide to work with them.You'll learn a lot from this interview, especially if you are a freelancer who struggles to find clients and never really negotiate a proper contract. Treasa covers both of these topics in this interview.Treasa also describes how she structures her day, spending several hours in the morning writing up to 5,000 words and then using the afternoon to work on the administrative work that keeps the lights on in her business. In this episode, we discuss:Writing articles and books in the client's voiceHow many ghostwriting projects Treasa takes on each monthThe five structures for writing a non-fiction bookProofreading and editingGetting started as a ghostwriterFinding your clientsHow to balance working on one proje

Mariah Sinclair is an Arizona-based book cover designer who recently set up and sold a book cover directory.  I wanted to know what a book cover directory is, how authors can use them, and how her sale went. I also asked Mariah to critique a book cover for one of my earlier books that didn’t sell well. Mariah gave me some interesting insights that I could use if I decided to relaunch the book at some point.Book covers are an investment in your craft. I’ve spent anywhere from $100 or $200 to over $1,000 on book cover designs. I also worked with professional designers while working for a software company, and one thing I’ve learned is that design is a different discipline from writing. It’s still creative work, so if you’re going to work with a book cover designer, it pays to understand the language of design.In this episode we discuss:How long it can take to design a book coverHow a good book cover can sell more copies of a bookMariah critiques one of Bryans's book coversCliché book coversWhat different f

If you've not heard of it before, the Zettelkasten Method is a way that will help you collect and organize your research, thoughts, and ideas, and any information you come across in a structured manner or a single system.It has its origins in the mid part of the 20th century. The German scholar Niklas Luhmann is the man behind it, and he used the Zettelkasten Method to write over 70 books and more than 400 different articles.His Zettelkasten method was a paper-based system. When Niklas read or came across an interesting piece of research, he wrote a single idea down on an index card and filed it in a cabinet. He also referenced where he found the idea on the index card and interlinked each index card using a numbering system.Today, you can replicate much of what Niklas Luhmann did using digital tools and software. But you don't necessarily need to have fancy software to build your version of the Zettelkasten Method.Resources:Digital Zettelkasten by David KadavyThe Zettelkasten Method Means You’ll Ne

In this episode, I talk to Geoff Kullman about his writing journey and how he became an instructor in the art of copywriting.Geoff also helps authors turn their ideas and non-fiction books into emails, landing pages, and other digital assets, which help them earn more money. Geoff taught me that there are different types of copywriting. If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of using words to sell, then take heart because copywriting can help you convince your audience to make a decision that’s in their best interest. It can also help you earn a better living as a writer and as a creative, and then you can use that money to invest back into your craft and improve the quality of your work. In this episode we discuss: Working as a freelancerFinding your nicheRecommended copywriting booksCreating an email campaign to sell your bookMap out an email campaign before you write your first emailUsing bonuses and incentives in a campaignHow to balance different businesses and interestsResources: Geoff KullmanThe Psychol