Category Archives: Writing Tips

4 Common Misconceptions About Writing

If I had a nickel for every time someone said, “I want to write, but I heard [common misconception about writing],” then I’d be a rich man. It’s a shame that there are so many people out there who won’t take that step toward becoming a writer because they believe something they heard from a friend of a friend that turned out to be untrue. At the same time, there are people who believe certain misconceptions that make writing sound so simple that they could easily master it. They eventually give up when they realize the shocking truth.

That’s why I’m here to clear up any confusion by breaking down the four most common misconceptions about writing, and sharing the truth behind them.

1. Misconception: Writing Is Very Difficult

Truth: There are people out there who are afraid to start writing because it’s too difficult. While it’s not exactly easy to write quality material on a consistent basis, it shouldn’t be viewed as some impossible feat. I always say this, but writing is like working out: the more you do it, the better you become at it. If you write a little bit each day, even if it’s just a paragraph or two, you’re improving your craft, and it will become much less difficult as time goes on.

2. Misconception: Everything Good Has Been Written Already

Truth: We live in a glorious time for entertainment. There are countless books, movies, television shows, etc. that cover unique material. This may be excellent for viewers, but some emerging writers may find it frustrating since they believe all the good stories have been taken. The truth is that there are countless ways to spin a story. Take a look at one of the most successful movies of all time: Avatar. Did you know that it’s plot is extremely similar to a previous film called Dances with Wolves? You should always strive to write something original, but if you find out that you’re idea is similar to something that’s already been created, don’t toss it in the garbage. Find a way to weave it into your own version.

3. Misconception: Writing Will Make You Rich

Truth: I’ve talked about this topic before, but I want to continue to stress the point: it’s tough becoming a rich and prosperous author right out the gate. If you decide one day that you’re going to write a best-selling novel and quit your full-time job to pursue that endeavor, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. It takes a lot of hard work, plenty of time, and some good luck to turn your writing into a full-time gig that will pay the bills.

4. Misconception: You Need To Use Big, Fancy Words

Truth: Out of all the misconceptions I frequently hear, this one irritates me the most. When I was in college, I had to peer-edit a lot of essays where the writer tried to use as many long words as they could because they wanted to hit that page limit or they thought it would impress the professor.

If you want to use longer words, then write to your heart’s content. But don’t think that in order to be a good writer, you need to have a thesaurus propped open next to your laptop and that you can’t use words with less than five letters. In most cases, brevity is key.

5 Harsh Truths About Being an Indie Author

Deciding to become an author has been one of the greatest choices in my life, and I’m sure a lot of other independent authors feel the same way about their careers. However, while being an author has its rewards, it’s not going to be a fun ride 100% of the time. In fact, there are many obstacles that you will have to deal with if you join the author game. Here are just a few of the harsh truths about being an indie author.

1. You Probably Won’t Become Rich

There are some independent authors out there who managed to strike gold and become rich and famous, such as E.L. James or Andy Weir. There are even more independent authors who aren’t rich but have done very well for themselves and can completely live off their ventures. But in truth, a majority of self-published and independent authors are not very wealthy.

If you’re self-publishing books and hoping to become the next Stephen King or Colleen Hoover overnight, you’re going to be disappointed. That’s not to say that you won’t become financially secure from your writing, but you should have realistic expectations.

2. Not Everyone Is Going To Enjoy Your Work

Head on over to Amazon and look at some of the most popular books that are selling right now. Now take a look at the 1-star reviews. Not even those books can escape poor reception. Entertainment and taste are subjective, and no matter what you write, you cannot expect every single person to enjoy it.

You need a thick skin to be an author who plans to put their work out there, especially nowadays when the Internet has given everyone a voice, and some people will use that voice to spread negativity more than positivity.

3. You May Get Sick Of Your Own Writing

Many authors write the stories that they want to read. When you write, you have the choice to create a world exactly how you see fit. No matter how exciting a book premise is, you might get sick of your own writing after a while.

Just imagine your favorite movie and being forced to watch it over and over and over again. I can’t even re-read my own books after I’ve published them because I’ve already heard the story many times.

4. Not All Fellow Authors Are Nice

I’m very lucky in the fact that 99% of the independent authors I’ve met are extremely friendly and supportive. Unfortunately, there is still that small percentage of authors out there who aren’t as nice. These authors seem to see others as competition and will refuse to give you so much as the time of day.

I’ve spoken with fellow authors who tell me stories about how they’ve gotten the cold shoulder so many times that they’ve considered leaving the author world. I’ve also been part of Facebook groups where authors (some of which are very successful in their endeavors) are some of the rudest people you would ever meet and can’t even answer a question without giving you an attitude.

5. Not Everyone Will Support You

When I first published a book back in 2011, a lot of people were happy for me. A few bought copies of the book to show their support. And then there were a couple of people (mostly former coworkers) who mocked me. There was an incident of someone actually editing one of my covers with an inappropriate image and sharing it on their Facebook as a mean-spirited joke.

There are going to be people who won’t take your work seriously, and there will be people who will go the extra mile just to make you feel bad. I don’t have much advice besides ignoring it. Going back to my earlier point: you can’t please everyone. Fortunately, many of the “haters” who go out of their way to mock your career are typically insecure and jealous, so you can relish in that fact and use it as fuel to continue your work.

5 Money Management Tips For Writers

Wouldn’t the world be grand if we could pursue hobbies and careers without needing to worry about money? Unfortunately, a very select group of people are able to do so. The rest of us have to juggle a full-time job in addition to working on our craft. However, whether you’re writing full-time or you’re currently pursuing it as a side-gig to another career, it’s always a good idea to be responsible with your finances. Here are 5 money management tips for writers that you should consider.

1. Hold On To Your Receipts

I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping all receipts for transactions related to your writing. Whether you’re buying notebooks, printer paper, a new writing desk, an organizer, or even a new set of pens, keep that receipt. When tax time rolls around, you may be able to deduct these purchases as business expenses if they’re used as part of your writing work. Not only do I hold onto these receipts, but I also have an Excel spreadsheet that lists the purchases, the dates, and the amounts. Please speak with a licensed tax professional to learn more about deductions.

2. Don’t Be Tempted By The Bells And Whistles

How often do you stroll into the book store and see a row of fresh notebooks with gorgeous covers and think, “I need a new planner!” Then, when you get home, you discover that you have a stack of unused planners and notebooks that may look nice, but will never be used. I’d love to fill my writing desk’s drawers with the latest writing gizmos and gadgets, but I manage to stop myself and think about how often I’ll actually use them. Even if you’re following the previous tip and writing these items off as business expenses, it’s always a good idea to consider the difference between “wants” and “needs” so that you’re not overspending on unnecessary items.

3. Write At Home

Before Covid, I loved writing in the local bookshop/cafe because I enjoyed the atmosphere as well as the easy access to good food and drinks. But then I realized that I’d be spending close to $10 each time I went to write (and that’s not including travel costs). I started writing at home, which is a little more solitary than I like, but my wallet has thanked me. If you want to continue writing somewhere besides your home, I recommend the local library where it’s nice and peaceful, and you won’t be tempted to spend extra money.

4. Avoid Ordering Food So Much

This point goes hand-in-hand with the previous paragraph. Writing can build up a massive appetite, and after you’ve knocked out about 4,000 words in one sitting, you might want to treat yourself to a quick snack, so you pick up the phone and order takeout or delivery. Although tempting, this can end up being very pricey, especially if you do this every day. Eating at home is much better for your wallet (and usually your health), but you may be like me and not want to take a half-hour out of your writing binge to make yourself food. I recommend making a “writing meal” and store it in your refrigerator before you begin your writing session. That way, you can go and grab your food and head right back to your desk in less than a few minutes.

5. Use A Budget Calculator/App

Sometimes, you need a little assistance with keeping your finances organized and in determining where all your money is going. Once you’ve figured out the money drain, you can work on fixing it. Fortunately, there are numerous budgeting apps available for any kind of phone, computer, or tablet, and the best part is that many of them are completely free. I personally use Mint because it helps me break down and categorize all my spendings and savings. Other great apps include YNAB, EveryDollar, and Goodbudget.

How to Balance Your Author Career and a Full-Time Job

Let’s get real for a second: if you decide to become an author, the chances of writing a best-seller and being able to live off the profits right out the gate are slim to none. Are there authors who have achieved that? Sure, but those are a few people out of tens of thousands. For many authors, such as myself, it’s not uncommon to have a full-time job in addition to your author career, which can be a rigorous job in itself.

If you’re an author who works an additional full-time job, it’s important that you strike a proper balance between the two. Being an author is your passion, but your other job is (hopefully) going to pay the bills and offer you health insurance. Therefore, you cannot allow yourself to lose focus in either area. Here are some tips to help you balance your author career with your full-time job.

Note: The term “author” can be attributed to anyone who composes an article, report, essay, etc. In this article, I’m using the term strictly to refer to people writing and/or publishing their own creative works like novels, short story collections, poetry compilations, etc. I am also using the term “job” to refer to an additional full-time position outside of authoring.

Don’t Feel Despondent

As mentioned before, the chances of immediately becoming a self-supporting author are very low. I’ve published nine books and I’m currently entering my 12th year as a self-published author, and I still work a full-time job outside of my author career. I know authors who have been doing the same for decades. While it may feel good knowing that you can support yourself solely on your books, there is nothing to be ashamed about if you need the extra assistance of a full-time job. Do not let these negative feelings affect you or else you can find yourself losing interest in your authorship because you see it as a lost cause. One of the key ways to balance your author career is to keep your morale up.

Celebrate the Small Wins

I’m a firm believer in celebrating the small wins in all aspects of life. A win is a win. That logic should apply to your attempts when trying to balance your author career with your full-time job. Did an agent request to see your full manuscript? Did you manage to sell 10 copies of your book in a month? Did you publish your very first book? Then celebrate! Allowing yourself to cherish and celebrate these “small” wins will do wonders for your morale and motivation. Some people never make it to those benchmarks, and you managed to do it while still working a full-time job! You deserve a pat on the back.

Dedicate Specific Time to Your Writing

Working full-time is no picnic, no matter what you do. Whether you work as a landscaper, or as a receptionist, or as a postal worker, or as a teacher, you might find yourself exhausted at the end of each day. You want to just watch a movie or hang out with friends rather than write since it feels like more work. However, if you don’t dedicate time to your writing, it just becomes harder and harder to get back into it after a break.

I always say that writing is like working out. The more you do it, the easier it is and the better you become. Much like if you were to dedicate time to exercising each day, you need to commit to writing if you want to see your author career take off. At the same time, it cannot interfere with your full-time job.

My own personal goal is to write at least 1,000 words a day (it doesn’t have to be all at once) This can be done in the morning, in the afternoon, or even on my lunch break. Some people may choose to block out specific times of their day for writing. One person in an old writing group told me how she tried to write a complete short story at least three times a week. There is no singular path to working out your writing muscle.

Give Yourself a Break

Your life shouldn’t be dedicated solely to being an author and working a full-time job. You have to give yourself a break every once in a while to balance your author career in a healthy manner. Aside from blocking out chunks of your day for your writing, you should also consider dedicating times to self-care. Go to a restaurant with your friends. Go see a movie. Read a book. Do some gardening. Giving yourself a break is an excellent way to maintain great mental health, which is necessary if you want to excel both in your author career and with your full-time job.

Learn to Prioritize

At the end of the day, you want to figure out what is most important to you. It’s at that point that you need to step back and re-evaluate your priorities. You may need to adjust one aspect of your life to accommodate the other. Maybe you will need to shorten your writing goals so that you can dedicate more time to your full-time job, or maybe you’ll want to modify your job so that you can properly dedicate time to your authorship.

Unfortunately, not everyone has the luxury of being able to do the latter. In this day and age, money is king, and many of us have a host of monetary responsibilities like paying bills or raising families. This means the authoring will usually have to take a backseat. However, if you find yourself in such a position, I recommend not giving up the author game completely. Even if you only have time to write a few sentences each week, make sure you take advantage of it.

This small amount of writing might not be your preferred way to balance your author career with your full-time job, but it’s important to keep that spark alive in case you want to reignite the author fire somewhere in the future when you have more time and freedom.

Taking a Big Risk: How I Started My Career in Writing

This isn’t one of my usual blog posts where I offer my sage advice (although, you may learn a thing or two by the end of it). This is going to be a more personal post where I discuss how exactly I dove into the world of writing, both personally and professionally. I briefly discussed some tips and tricks on how to make a career in writing in a previous post, but I didn’t go in-depth on my own personal journey into the industry, and I feel like I owe it to my readers (all four of you) to explain myself. After all, if you’re going to take writing advice from a stranger on the Internet, you want to at least know their experience, right?

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Overcoming Self-Doubt

Does your self-doubt lead to you writing page after page, and then going back and deleting all your work? Do you refuse to let anyone read your writing because you’re afraid of a negative reaction? Do you just think you’re a bad writer overall?

You’re not alone.

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It’s Been Done Before: Being Original When Writing

First off: my apologies for taking so long to pen a new writing post. I’m pretty embarrassed about waiting almost four months to write again. To be honest, it’s been a hectic couple of months. I’ve been tied up with the new job, I’ve finally published the sequel to Dodger’s Doorway, Return to Storyworld, and I’m moving into a new apartment tomorrow. It’s a crazy time for me. But that’s not much of an excuse. I set up this blog to help out fellow writers who needed advice, and although only a small handful of people actually read these posts, I still think it’s my duty to maintain a steady stream of blog posts. Now that my life has somewhat calmed down, I’m ready to kick off the New Year with a fresh batch of advice!

This week, we’re discussing a heavy topic that hits close to home for me: originality in writing.

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Making Time for Writing

If you’re reading this blog, you’re most likely a writer, or you wish to become one. If you’re not a writer yet, what’s stopping you? Do you not know what to write about? Do you think your writing is bad? Do you lack the patience to sit down and churn out words? Whatever the reason, there’s usually an easy solution. But there’s one particular writing issue that isn’t that simple to resolve: lack of time.

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Contacting Literary Agents: How to Write a Query Letter

I speak a lot about self-publishing because that’s the route I decided to take for my own writing. However, while I found to be self-publishing to be much easier and better suited for my tastes, I don’t think you should count out traditional publishing for your own work. After all, traditional publishing is the big leagues. 99% of the books you find on bookstore shelves are from established publishing houses. Why not take that leap and see if you can make it? Do you think you have what it takes to get published?

But before you can get published, you need to find a literary agent. And how do you go about getting an agent? You need a query letter.

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