I love it when brain science vindicates my intuition and gives me the “why” something has always seemed true. I’ve long known at a gut level that focusing on small, regular commitments (15 Magic Minutes) works better than setting grand goals. Now I know why: it’s all about the habenula. In “The Power of Process” … More How to Keep Your Habenula from Blocking Your Writing
“Shoot for the stars. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Right? Wrong. Dangerously wrong. Overly ambitious writing goals often backfire. “Give it a try, what do you have to lose?” is not always your best strategy. What you have to lose is your motivation. If you failed before or anticipate the possibility … More Are Your Writing Goals Too Ambitious?
How much attention your readers can bring to reading depends on whether they’re reading your work onscreen or from a traditional paper book or magazine. I’m about to encourage you to link to an essay about this, but before you go, I ask you to notice, if you can, how the ability to link to … More Which Brain Do You Want Your Readers to Use?
How’s that New Year’s Resolution working for you? Or did you, like me, resolve to not make resolutions? Either way, you can increase your chances of writing success by examining why resolutions often fail. Failure: Fuzzy Resolutions Most New Year’s Resolutions are vague. “I’ll write more.” “I’ll eat better and get fit.” “I’ll travel to … More What Writers Can Learn from Failed New Year’s Resolutions
Bane of Your Resistance 