Writers: Your fandom is killing you, and you don’t even know it
Writers are kind of obsessive people. It’s actually one of the traits that makes us good at what we do. But can I be honest with you? 95% of writers are wasting this gift in a really obvious way. (OK, I made that number up, but the point is—it’s a lot.) If this...
Three Writing Tips that Saved My Bacon (and took me to #1 New Release!)
Enjoy a guest article from one of my former apprentices and now published author, Vella Karman. After you read her article, be sure to check out her website and subscribe to her newsletter at VellaKarman.com. If Brad hadn’t given me the advice I'm about to share with...
Authors: Stop trying to imitate McDonald’s (Do this instead)
A couple of years ago I was speaking at a conference. The keynote was the kind of person whose books you see at the airport. In the opening address, she gave an absolutely inspired presentation. I can’t recall anything helpful she said, but it was about imagination...
Want to get better at writing? Solve quantity first.
If you’re waiting until the quality of your writing improves before you invest time to create quantity of writing, you will wait forever. There’s a place for learning. For reading books on a subject. For considering theory. But facts are facts: you can only learn so...
Are agents good for authors? Do I need a literary agent?
Do you really need an agent to help you publish your book? How do literary agents help you become a more successful author? Why would I pay a literary agent? Not everyone needs an agent. There are three major ways to publish a book in today’s market: Traditional...
How The Novel Matrix Helped Me Write a #1 New Release
This is a guest article from Alli Prince. Connect with Alli at AlliPrince.com. I love The Novel Matrix. Now, before you’re sent into an uproar and are all like, “Alli, you have to say that, you’re a graduate of The Company”. I most certainly do not have to say that. I...
Degenerate List (and Friends) – Three 2025 Short Stories
With other projects demanding my attention, I've had a bit of a dry spell with short stories. That changed in 2025, with three new short stories finding their way into print! In recent years, developing and launching The Company, and then launching The Novel Matrix,...
Set goals like Theo (don’t)
My 16-year-old son has a YouTube channel. He does sciency-engineering-stuff. He began the year with a couple hundred subscribers, and he wanted to reach 1,000 subscribers by the end of the year. Reaching 1,000 subscribers is a terrible goal. Fact: he could produce 100...
How do I start writing a Creative Nonfiction story? (Three Methods to Jumpstart Your CNF and Write True Stuff like a Pro)
You have something true to share: an opinion, a story, a lesson. How do you actually make it interesting? How do you grab somebody's attention, not let go, and kick them in the teeth? (too violent?) This is the essence of Creative Nonfiction. Writing a great piece...
What is Creative Nonfiction?
Over at The Pearl, my apprentice Lucy Grecu is launching a print magazine called The Abalone. For the first issue, we’re looking for Creative Nonfiction. That prompts the question, “What the heck is Creative Nonfiction”? Creative nonfiction, or CNF, is true things...
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