TakingDictation

The Only Mistake a Writer Truly Can Make

As I continue to work on multiple personal writing projects that mean a lot to me, I urge all other writers to avoid one mistake: Do not sacrifice truth and the freedom of your voice....

5 Brilliant Ways to Respond to Bad Writing Reviews

It's a dream of mine. I'll admit it. I just want to hop online someday to see a ton of glowing reviews of my books. But as plenty of writers will tell you, bad writing...

The Value of Quotables in Writing

Do you have material in your drafts you can pull out as quotables? Include some and the value and memorability of your work likely will go up. I explain in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgQdu0ilUwo Watch/Subscribe:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgQdu0ilUwo The...

5 Things to Try to Do Every Day as a Writer

If you've read any of my previous work, you probably understand that I don't subscribe to the idea that there is any singular way to write. Every writer will find their own process that works...

Don’t Let Someone Else’s Perspective Ruin Your Opportunity

Writers, I know the industry is hard right now. I know how tempting it is to see only brown spots all over your drafts as rejections pile up. But don't give up. Don't let someone...

What to Put in a Writer Portfolio

Every writer needs a good writer portfolio. But what do you put in a writer portfolio to ensure you attract the right readers and clients? Here's my take after almost two decades as a professional....

Book and Screen: How Thinking of Your Writing as Film Can Improve Your Draft

Lord of the Rings. Matilda. The Wizard of Oz. Bridgerton. They're all works that started out as books but moved to the screen. It might be debatable whether the movies/series are better than the novels....

A Smart Alternative to Using Word-of-the-Day Tools

Word-of-the-day options can be FANTASTIC. But if you want to make sure you learn new words YOUR audience uses and understands, here's an alternative. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unZ97Wht8vM Watch/Subscribe:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unZ97Wht8vM The idea here isn't that word-of-the-day options are bad....

The Problem with Low-Content Books

You might have noticed that people have figured it out. If you publish a super short book or a book that has almost no words, you still can put it up for sale on sites...
boys-reading

The Value of a Reading Nook

Caught these two boys finding a perfect spot to read at my library's book sale. I love that they just flopped on the floor with books. Made me remember the reading nook I had in...