The Daily Writer

What is a professional?

It seems like such a simple question. A professional baseball player is one who plays on a pro sports team. A professional attorney is one who has a legal practice. A professional plumber is one who has been licensed by the proper authorities.

Judging by those examples, a professional writer is one who gets paid to write, correct? It would seem pretty cut and dried, but we writers have a bad habit of complicating things, especially when it concerns our creative identity.

The aviation and fantasy writer Richard Bach helped shed some light on this issue when he said, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”

On this episode, Kent draws three key lessons from Bach's quote and helps us see the pathway to becoming a professional.

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If you enjoyed this episode, we would be grateful if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people discover the show, and the more people listen, the more we can invest into it and improve the show.

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On this month's Listener Q&A, we tackle a number of great questions (time stamp and the name of the person asking the question are included):

• 1:57 - How do you stay productive during the pandemic, and when you have a lot of different ideas? (By Shawn Washburn & Mike Singleton)
• 6:20 - How do you deal with being a perfectionist? (By Ted Biermann)
• 11:50 - How do you get past emotions to write a memoir? (By Becca White)
• 17:25 - What are some tips for dealing with writer's block? (By M.J. James & Sree Sripathy)
• 20:15 - What do you think about Dorothy Parker's quote, "I hate writing, I love having written"? (By Derek Brink)
• 25:35 - How do you include the right amount of background information in a novel? (By Brittany Musgrave)
• 27:04 - How can I overcome feeling shy around others? (By Brittany Musgrave)
• 31:58 - Should I work from an outline or just start writing? (By Tad Dickel)
• 34:10 - How can a new writer gain confidence? (By Josey Sewell)
• 38:28 - I can't afford to self-publish . . . what should I do? (By Ray Jewell)
• 42:50 - What are 3 mental muscles to build good daily writing habits? (By Ben Killoy)
• 45:25 - How can I develop my writing voice or style? (By Susan Stitch)
• 46:42 - Where do I get started as a writer? (By Mike Snyder)
• 51:08 - How important is the use of story in a non-fiction book? (By John Stange)

Thanks to all of our listeners who submitted questions!

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If you enjoyed this episode, we would be grateful if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people discover the show, and the more people listen, the more we can invest into it and improve the show.

Follow Kent Sanders:

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I'm thrilled to bring you this conversation with my good friend Terry Stafford. Terry is an award-winning author who has written four novels, the most recent of which completed a trilogy. Terry is also an editor, and in fact, he recently edited a book I ghostwrote for a client. He did an amazing job.

Terry has a background in the US Navy, and also with NASA as a project manager. Based on his experience in project management, Terry saw how his experience in that field could bring order out of creative chaos in his own writing life. He strongly believes that leadership principles can be taught through story, which is what we're here to talk about today.

Terry shares how he explores leadership through his novels, as well as his process for crafting a story. He also talks about writing habits, the writing tools he uses, and much more. You can connect with Terry on LinkedIn or his website.

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If you enjoyed this episode, we would be grateful if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people discover the show, and the more people listen, the more we can invest into it and improve the show.

Follow Kent Sanders:

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One of humanity’s most enduring myths is the Fountain of Youth. For well over two thousand years, people have fantasized, and at times even searched for, a magical spring that would restore the youth of anyone who drank or bathed in it.

The earliest appearance of this legend is from the Greek historian Herodotus, writing in the 5th century B.C. Numerous other writers mentioned it over the centuries, but the Fountain of Youth gained true legendary status in the 16th century when it was attached to the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon. Since then, it’s appeared in books, movies, and other media, including the 1985 film Cocoon.

And why wouldn’t we be obsessed with a magical Fountain of Youth? The idea of getting back all the energy and vibrancy of your long-lost youth is pretty appealing. 

But while the legend of the Fountain of Youth may not be literally true, there is a way you can light up that creative spark that may have dimmed a little bit over the years. This is the power of curiosity.

On this episode, Kent gives us a challenge to explore our curiosity as a way to become more vibrant and energetic in our writing.

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If you enjoyed this episode, we would be grateful if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people discover the show, and the more people listen, the more we can invest into it and improve the show.

Follow Kent Sanders:

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit down with one of the world’s most successful authors and ask them the secret to great writing?

Fortunately, you don’t have to. Many of the world’s great authors have shared their wisdom in books, articles, and interviews. One such piece of advice comes from Stephen King, who said, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

We get the writing advice, but what’s going on with the “reading” part? What Stephen King is saying is that the input is just as important as the output. As a writer, the best nutrition for your mind, heart, and soul is reading great books.

On today's episode, Kent offers a challenge to become a better writer by always taking a book with you and making time to read each day.

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If you enjoyed this episode, we would be grateful if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people discover the show, and the more people listen, the more we can invest into it and improve the show.

Follow Kent Sanders:

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Picture yourself as a third grader. It’s May and you have two weeks of school left. It’s warm outside and all you can think about is a fun-filled summer full of sprinklers, fireworks, and ice cream.

Yet here you sit at this uncomfortable desk, listening to the teacher droning on and on about some lesson in math or history or science. You’d rather be anywhere but here.

We never quite escape this impulse of wanting to be done with our education. We move on to middle school, high school, most likely college, and perhaps grad school. With every level, there is a sense in which we just want to be done so we can move on with life. 

That is the kind of attitude most people expect from formal education, where we follow a prescribed path someone has laid out for us. There are lots of benefits to formal education, but nothing compares to the curriculum you create for yourself.

As Ernest Hemingway said, “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” On today's podcast, Kent challenges us to be a constant learner.

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If you enjoyed this episode, we would be grateful if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people discover the show, and the more people listen, the more we can invest into it and improve the show.

Follow Kent Sanders:

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The scariest monster in ancient Greek mythology was not a cyclops, sea monster, or dragon. It was a woman named Medusa.

Legend has it that she was assaulted by Poseidon in Athena's temple. In her anger, Athena transformed Medusa's hair into venomous snakes and disfigured her face so badly that anyone who gazed at her would be turned to stone.

Medusa was finally defeated by the hero Perseus. He crept into her cave one day while she was sleeping. Using his polished shield as a mirror, he cut off her head.

Medusa is a good representation of the fear we feel sometimes. It's 2020. There are problems and distractions on every side. Politics, the economy, a global virus, social unrest, and a million other hissing vipers threaten to stop us dead in our tracks.

We imagine our creatives lives to be nice and calm, like walking through a field of dandelions on a spring day. But it's more like a battle. Every day you must take up your sword and shield.

On today's podcast, Kent challenges us to summon our "inner Perseus" and slay the monster of fear.

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If you enjoyed this episode, we would be grateful if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people discover the show, and the more people listen, the more we can invest into it and improve the show.

Follow Kent Sanders:

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1994’s The Lion King is one of the most beloved animated movies of all time. In case you haven’t seen it in a while, the story focused on Simba, a young cub in the pride lands of Africa. He is first in line to inherit the throne from his father Mufasa, a good and generous ruler.

But there is one thing that stands in the way: Mufasa’s evil brother, Scar, who crafts a plan to have both Mufasa and Simba killed in a giant wildabeest stampede. Young Simba manages to survive, but Scar orders the traumatized cub to leave and never return.

Years go by as Simba grows up in the jungle and loses sight of his true identity. At a critical point in the story, the spirit of his father Mufasa appears in the sky and delivers an important reminder: “Remember who you are.”

On today's podcast, Kent reminds us why it's important to remember who we are as writers.

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If you enjoyed this episode, we would be grateful if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people discover the show, and the more people listen, the more we can invest into it and improve the show.

Follow Kent Sanders:

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I'm thrilled to bring you the first episode of my new podcast, The Daily Writer!

If you consider yourself a creative entrepreneur who wants to build a business with your writing, or writing is a key part of your business, this show is for you. If you write books, articles, blog posts, newsletters, curriculum, sermons, novels, short stories, screenplays, video scripts, or anything else . . . this show will help you be more successful.

The title "Daily Writer" has a double meaning. First, this is a daily show. On weekdays, we'll bring you short lessons to help you be more creative and productive. On weekends, we'll bring you listener Q&A, conversations with notable writers and thinkers, and expanded teaching content.

Second, the show is designed to help you write every day. A big factor in your writing success is establishing a great writing habit. Writing is not just an activity or obligation, it's a lifestyle.

I go into lots more detail about what to expect from the show, including the four key practices of a great writer: Creativity, Consistency, Courage, and Connection.

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If you enjoyed this episode, we would be grateful if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people discover the show, and the more people listen, the more we can invest into it and improve the show.

Follow Kent Sanders:

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Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders 

It's hard to let go of what's familiar and comfortable. But that's what is probably holding you back. Is it time to let go and move on?

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Need a ghostwriter for your next project? Learn more here: https://inkwellghostwriting.com. 

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If you enjoyed this episode, we would be grateful if you leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people discover the show, and the more people listen, the more we can invest into it and improve the show.

Follow Kent:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/kent.sanders

Instagram: https://instagram.com/kentsanders

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentsanders