Try this approach instead — Morning pages, as Julia Cameron calls them, are a way to kick-start your daily writing. The premise is simple. You set a timer and write for 15 minutes about whatever’s on your mind before tackling anything else. But there’s the crux. When you use your creative energy on this exercise…

Layer your work instead — My first drafts are terrible. Ramblings, incomplete storylines, no sense of order or cohesion. The second and third drafts aren’t much to brag on, either, but I don’t stress about them as much as I used to. Why? Because I’ve learned the value of layering my work. The Process in Action One chilly winter…

An in-depth look at the latest tools, applications, and systems — A few months ago, I was lost in a sea of papers and files. Incorporating the right tools and integrating an organizational system that met my needs helped me get back on track. My output has since quadrupled, my viewership and earnings on Medium have increased, and I’m energized about…

But what does that mean, really? — “Congratulations! Your story has been boosted on Medium.” This email was both a surprise and a sweet victory to my ravaged writer’s soul. I wasn’t trying to be boosted. I was simply writing about a struggle I frequently face. The success of a boosted article — and the triple-digit earnings…

If writing on a schedule doesn’t work, try this approach instead — “You will be amazed at what you can achieve in a focused twenty-five minute burst.” This quote from Sarah R. Painter in Stop Worrying; Start Selling could be the mantra for anyone who struggles with the linear approach to writing. Like fireworks, our thoughts often come in bursts, kicking off…

When pain tells you what you don’t want to hear — At the peak of my professional career, I should have been ecstatic. I’d worked my way through several positions and had finally been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. With that title came a great sense of achievement. But I wasn’t happy. I was struggling. Every day was a breathless dash…

Use this application to improve your writing efforts — During a recent file clean-up, I sorted, combined, and deleted hundreds of files. As I stared at what remained, I felt no inspiration to create. Worse, I had little faith in the system I’d perfected. The files were tucked away, but everything I’d just organized was static. My brain dump…

Abide by your natural rhythms for the best results — Our cat’s purr at 3 a.m. is distinct. Not a full yowl, but enough to wake me. Sometimes I make it back to bed after feeding him, but most mornings I head to my office instead. I’m tired, yes, but the off-hours schedule suits me. No neighbors mowing their lawns…

Why that’s a good thing — I finally did it! After 100 Medium posts, including this boosted one, I finally earned enough to surpass the cost of my membership fees. But this isn’t a slam on the platform, or even a post about the benefits of the new algorithms to lesser-known writers. It’s a celebration. I…