inspiration

This Is What You’d Do If You Took Your Writing Seriuosly

/ Stuart Danker / 123 Comments

Woman biting a notebook

If you took writing seriously, your first instinct would’ve been to click on this post to tell me I spelt my title wrong. Awesome job. That’s what a serious writer would do.

But don’t feel left out if you didn’t, because you’re here, and that means you’re awesome either way.

Besides, writing is more than being the grammar police, am I right? It’s not just about being keen with the language. You’ll also need to approach it from a crafter’s perspective rather than an artist’s.

That’s why I’ve always enjoyed Ann Patchett’s book on the craft titled The Getaway Car. You don’t see it brought up often, especially when compared to the usual suspects such as Stephen King’s On Writing or Anne Lamott’s Bird By Bird, but boy is it filled with tons of crafting wisdom.

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Don’t Tell Me You Don’t Think These Thoughts When You Write

/ Stuart Danker / 109 Comments

A woman with a beret lying down on a table

So you’re writing—which, if you’re me, means going down the YouTube rabbit hole for five hours—and you’re overcome by a bunch of emotions and thoughts that shouldn’t be part of the deal.

Sometimes, these thoughts discourage you from writing. Other times, they could even make you doubt your worth as a writer.

If you’re going through a similar thing right now, fret not because I have just the thing for you. Today we’re going to put these thoughts under the spotlight and help you realise that you’re not alone, and that it’s all just part of the process.

And perhaps we should start with the most common thought, which is…

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This Is Why You Will Never Write Like Me (And Why You Shouldn’t)

/ Stuart Danker / 125 Comments

A woman sitting in front of few laptops with a red glowing VR headset on her head

I don’t know exactly when I made the transition from regular writer to a consultant of sorts, but I’m thankful for the messages I’ve been getting. Most being questions on how they too can write for a living.

And the more I listen to to their dreams and circumstances, the more I realise something—that I’m not the best person to give advice, even if I were to continue writing professionally for another decade.

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Here Are Some Copywriting Tips That Don’t Include ‘Learn SEO’ Or ‘Find Your Niche’

/ Stuart Danker / 84 Comments

Man in cafe with a Macbook holding a book titled Expert Secrets

If you google ‘how to be a copywriter’, you’ll find 33.6 million articles that supposedly cover the ins and outs of the vocation.

But upon further inspection of the search results, you’ll quickly learn that some of these posts have typos in the first paragraphs (automatic disqualification), while others read like fresh-grad material instead of actual copywriting. There are a few posts that offer solid advice, though most of them end up trying to sell you a course.

But I digress. We’re not here to judge content. Instead, for this week, we’re going to discuss things beyond ‘build a portfolio’ and ‘learn SEO’.

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I Read Someone Else’s Journal And It’s Teaching Me How To Live Life

/ Stuart Danker / 132 Comments

A row of stone statues in a library

You know what I love more than journalling? Reading other people’s journals.

What’s with the look? You’ve probably done the same, or at least know someone who did. Anne Frank’s diary, perhaps? Leonardo da Vinci’s? Sylvia Plath’s?

Anyway, the journal in question (Meditations by Marcus Aurelius) is a couple thousand years old, so I doubt that there’s any invasion of privacy. Besides, Meditations is loaded with so much wisdom that it’d be a waste not to share it with the world.

Here’s my best takeaway to entice you to read more: No matter how separated we are by time and culture, we all still share the same fears, hopes, and desires.

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