Popular | Goins, Writer

Stop Waiting to Be Picked

by Jeff Goins | 113 Comments | Twitter, Facebook, Google+

The reason publishers are signing authors who have built their own platforms is the same reason YouTube sensations are appearing on car commercials. It’s because they’re not waiting to be picked. They’re choosing to start in spite of the fact that no one’s given them permission. Ironically, this is what makes them so attractive.

These are the trail-blazers, the trendsetters, the true difference-makers of our day. They’re the ones “crazy enough to change the world.”

And you could be one of them. If you could just stop waiting to be picked.

Your Clutter Is Killing Your Creativity (And What to Do About It)

by Jeff Goins | 147 Comments | Twitter, Facebook, Google+

Some weeks, my desktop is a disaster. Full of papers and files and sticky notes with half-baked ideas, I am your typical creative. Disorganized and disheveled, I proudly chalk it up to the artist in me.

But if I am honest, this is embarrassing, not to mention unproductive.

Clutter is not my friend; it is my enemy. Clutter is procrastination. It is the Resistance — a subtle form of stalling and self-sabotage. And it keeps me (and you) from creating stuff that matters.

Every Writer’s Dream: Never Pitch Your Writing Again

by Jeff Goins | 98 Comments | Twitter, Facebook, Google+

I just signed a book contract. It’s a dream come true.

The book (which I’ll tell you more about later) is slated to come out next September. I am beyond elated and excited.

What I’m most eager to share is the process of how it happened.

Why You Should Tell the Ugly Parts of Your Story

by Jeff Goins | 164 Comments | Twitter, Facebook, Google+

When you tell your story, how do you talk about yourself? Are you completely honest?

Why not do something different than most writers? Make yourself a hero in the worst kind of way.

Really great heroes sacrifice themselves, right? So do just that.

The Secret to Effortless Writing

by Jeff Goins | 149 Comments | Twitter, Facebook, Google+

I wrote this post in 10 minutes. No joke.

These days, writing is the most effortless it has ever been for me. I can crank out a thousand words in less than half an hour without breaking a sweat.

But it didn’t always used to be this way. It didn’t always use to be so easy.

The World Needs More Artists

by Jeff Goins | 91 Comments | Twitter, Facebook, Google+

The other week week, I heard Ann Voskamp advocate for poetry over prose. She reminded that in a world of reality TV and fear-driven media, beauty can still captivate us.

I saw my friend Mark deliberate over the last final iterations of his memoir that’s about to be published. And I saw my other friend Carl spend night after night, recording his solo EP in a studio in downtown Atlanta.

I see all of this, and I realize: There is still a place for artists in this world.

The Difference Between Good Writers and Bad Writers

by Jeff Goins | 82 Comments | Twitter, Facebook, Google+

The difference between good writers and bad writers has little to do with skill or practice.

It has to do with perseverance.

Bad writers quit. Good writers keep going.

Why Your Work Never Feels Good Enough

by Jeff Goins | 117 Comments | Twitter, Facebook, Google+

If you are a true creative — someone prone to perfectionism — then you are rarely pleased with your work. It always feels incomplete, never quite good enough. You are constantly disappointed. And that’s okay. It’s normal.

Book Ideas for Young Writers

by Jeff Goins | 87 Comments | Twitter, Facebook, Google+

You’re just getting started as a writer. You’ve never published a book. And you want to. But you’re not quite sure how to begin. No publishers are knocking down your door, but you still feel like you’ve got a book in you. Do you wait? Do you try to get noticed? Do you keep polishing your book proposal skills? Maybe not. Maybe it’s time to get started now.

3 Reasons to Travel While You’re Young

by Jeff Goins | 581 Comments | Twitter, Facebook, Google+

The other night, I had a conversation with a young woman who had a number of decisions ahead of her, one of which is whether she would go to grad school or travel the world. I told her to travel. Hands down. No excuse. Just do it. She sighed. “Yeah, but…” Never were more fatal words spoken.