Become a Writer Today

What was the first children's book you ever read? Mine was The BFG by Roald Dahl. Thinking of that book could help you tell better stories and even connect with readers today.

That's an approach branding consultant and children's book author Leah Komaiko recommends.

In this interview, Leah explains:

• How she got started writing children's books
• Why the first children's book you ever read is so important
• What effective copywriting looks and sounds like
• Why I (and you) should re-read the first children's book you remember...and      what it could mean for your creative work

And lots more.

I start by asking Leah to describe how she transitioned from writing children's books to advising Fortune 100 clients about storytelling.

Resources

Story by Robert McKee

The BFG by Roald Dahl

Quote "I discovered, in writing kids' books, that there's a very strong connection between what makes a great kids' book and what makes it a very powerful brand."

Attention writers

Grammarly is one of my favourite proofreading tools. Now, claim a 20% discount with this Grammarly coupon

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

 Being able to earn money from your writing is an amazing feeling!

I'm sure we all wish that earning an income as a writer was as simple as writing something, thousands of people seeing it, and then money is deposited into your bank account.

Unfortunately, earning a good living as a writer online today isn't that simple.

When you’re first starting out as a writer, everything is smooth sailing you can focus all of your energy just on writing.

You’re having a great time, but you’re probably not earning as much as you wish you could.

Once that frustration kicks in, you look for ways to turn your passion for the written word into a business.

But once you start to make this transition, one difficult task presents itself in many different ways…

Fear not:

In this podcast episode, I cover 3 strategies that will help you become a more efficient writer.

This is based on my new course The Efficient Writer.

Join now

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

The internet is a noisy place for writers. If you want to build a relationship with readers and earn more from your creative work, consider starting a newsletter. Substack is an example of a popular service that you can try.

I recently interviewed co-founder and COO Hamish McKenzie. In this interview, he explains:

• Why newsletters are a great way of earning more money as w writer
• Why your first newsletter starts with an ideal reader
• How to build a relationship with readers and fans
• What it takes to grow a newsletter that people will pay for

And lots more.

I started by asking McKenzie to explain what Substack is and why he set it up in 2017.

Resources:
The Blank Page with Bryan Collins
Substack
The GaryVee Content Model
1000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly

Attention writers

Grammarly is one of my favourite proofreading tools. Now, claim a 20% discount with this Grammarly coupon

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

January is one of my favourite times of the year. Much like a blank page, it's a fresh start rich with possibility.

A key part of any new year involves putting the past to one side. The best way to do that is by writing an annual review, a practice I follow every year.

In this annual review podcast and article, I'll explain what I did and wrote during 2019. I'll also cover what did and didn't work.

Strap in.

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Malaysian-Indian entrepreneur Vishen Lakhiani is writing three books at once and is the founder of Mindvalley (Mindvalley.com), a personal development online education company.

He's also the author of New York Times best-seller The Code of the Extraordinary Mind and is about to publish a new book The Buddha and the Badass.

He explains:

• Why he's writing 3, yes 3, books at once
• How meditation helps him become more productive and creative
• Why typical approaches to setting goals don't work
• How he finds time for writing so many books and running a business with over 200 employees

And lots more.

I started by asking Vishen to describe why he set up Mindvalley in 2004.

Resources:
How to set writing goals
6-Phase Meditation Quest?
The Best Online Writing Courses

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

168 hours.

Every writer, no matter what stage they're at in their careers, gets the same amount of time each week to waste or spend.
So how can you accomplish more with what you have?

Nir Eyal is the author of Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. He's also an angel investor, productivity consultant, and former university lecturer.

He explains:

• How time-boxing and constraints can help writers become more productive
• Why he spent five years writing Indistractable
• The problem with many popular productivity books today
• What his ideal writing routine looks like
• And lots more.

I started by asking Nir to explain one of the core ideas in his book: time-boxing.

Resources:
Nir's scheduling tool Indistractable
How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant co-founded Sterling & Stone and the authors of a touchstone non-fiction book Write. Publish. Repeat. They've just released the follow up to that book The Fiction Formula and are co-hosts of the Story Studio podcast.

In this interview, Johnny and Sean explain:

• Why they stopped creating courses and hosting in-person events for authors
• How they're going to publish 150 books in 2020 (yes, 150!)
• What it takes to generate thousands of dollars a month in revenue each month on Amazon
• Where new indie authors should start if they want to self-publish quickly
• How the Flywheel Effect (a concept from the business world) informs their creative process

And lots more.

I start by asking the pair why they decided to write a follow up to Write. Publish. Repeat.

Resources

 The Fiction Formula

Write. Publish. Repeat. The No Luck Required Guide to Self-Publishing Success

The Flywheel Effect by Jim Collins

Attention writers

Grammarly is one of my favourite proofreading tools. Now, claim a 20% discount with this Grammarly coupon

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Dr. Megan Jones is chief science officer at Headspace, the company behind the popular meditation app of the same name. Meditation offers several benefits for entrepreneurs, leaders and creatives. In this interview, she explains:

• How meditation enables creative thinking
• How to get started meditating even if you have no time
• What happens when you practice for just three weeks
• The type of meditation creatives should start with

And lots more.

I started by asking to explain how meditation can help someone become more productive.

Resources
Headspace.com
Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
Become a Better Writer by Free Writing

Attention writers
Are you looking for a job? Check out my list of the best writing jobs

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

Do you want to become a more creative writer?

Dr. Roger Firestien is a creativity consultant and senior faculty member at the Internal Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State College in the United States. He's also the author of Create In A Flash: A Leader's Recipe for Breakthrough Innovation.

In this interview, Roger explains:

• How creativity works for writers
• Why it's important to force connections between different ideas
• What do to when you feel blocked and uninspired
• What his writing routine looks like

And lots more.

I started by asking Roger about his new book Create In A Flash: A Leader's Recipe for Breakthrough Innovation

Resources
Create in a Flash by Roger Firestein

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!

What does it take to become a great leader? There are many great books on this topic. One book I read recently is Outward Bound Lessons to Live a Life of Leadership by Mark Brown.

From Ohio, Brown has worked with the learning and leadership organization Outward Bound for over twenty years and has served as a transformational coach in many industries.

In this podcast episode, he explains:

• Why he wrote a book about leadership
• How to apply the 70/20/10 leadership model
• Why interviewing other leaders and coaches formed key parts of his book
• How he broke his book up into three acts

And lots more

I started by asking Mark to explain what the organization Outward Bound is and how it helps aspiring leaders.

Support the show

If you enjoyed the show please leave a review on Apple. And if you have any questions you can find me on Twitter @BryanJCollins

Thanks for listening!