While I’m an extrovert (words just come out of my mouth sometimes), I’m not always comfortable speaking with people I don’t yet know. However, I want to make a real connection with other people. It doesn’t matter if I’m writing, speaking, or networking. I still want that real connection. I use stories and examples to […]
Many writers struggle with perfection. They interrupt themselves with editing and trying to make the writing “perfect.” In their pursuit of perfection, they don’t finish and publish. But not publishing creates two problems: Not publishing means the writer receives no feedback. Sometimes, that means the writer stops writing. Worse, the writer continues to try to
You’ve written something. But before you hit “publish” you’re worried about how some readers will react. Will they like what you wrote? Will they dislike it? The answer is “yes” to both. That’s because each reader has a different context. If you write to one ideal reader, you have a good shot of finding readers
Several newish writers have asked me how to help their readers find their writing. What they’re doing does not seem to work. They write on LinkedIn and on other social media sites. But the people they want to attract to their writing do not seem to find it. That’s the writer discoverability problem. Every writer
Each week for a little over a year, I’ve been recording a little podcast and video. It’s called “60 Seconds of Johanna’s Writing WIP.” I’m doing this as an experiment for two reasons: Market the writing before I publish it. (Yes, the “launch” is a form of marketing, but I’m also planning to experiment with
My Q3 2024 writing workshop is now open for registration. The workshop is based on my bestselling book, Free Your Inner Nonfiction Writer. You’ll learn how to write faster and better by integrating thinking and learning as you write. Even better, you’ll learn how to postpone editing until you’re done explaining the ideas. Yes, effective
After I delivered a talk about product management, Fred, a prospective writer, asked a question. He said, “It seems like there are no new ideas. How can I write something that’s already been done before?” I said, “Write your truth, your experiences. Don’t worry about what’s come before.” He said, “But someone already wrote that.”
I read a lot online. And I love it when writers offer me subheadings to break up the content into consumable chunks. But not every writer does that. When writers don’t use subheadings, I have to work to grasp the key ideas in the piece. The more text between subheadings, the less likely I will
Do you want to improve your nonfiction writing skills? I offer a 6-week writing workshop to do just that. You’ll learn how to write faster and better, all while educating, influencing, and entertaining your readers. (That’s a big part of how you sell your nonfiction ideas.) You write. I offer you specific feedback on your
Want to write better and faster and with more ease? Register for the Q1 2024 Free Your Inner Nonfiction Writer workshop. That page has all the details. Free yourself from all the old rules that prevent you from writing fast and well. Never have the blank page problem. Instead, create ease with your writing. You