Blog
The "Incredible" Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer (Reviews)
A few weeks ago, my friend’s step father posted a link on his Facebook Profile to the Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer on Amazon. No explanation. I honestly thought it was a glitchy ad on Facebook’s behalf - I’ve seen more than a few. But then he did it again, and people...
5 Most Effective Types of Blog Posts
I’ve been writing for and managing blogs of various sizes for more than 6 years. This blog is almost 7 years old and has nearly 500 posts, and that’s only a small percentage of the thousands of blog posts I’ve written for clients over the years. That means I get to...
Changing Gears Rapidly as a Writer
Freelance writing is not easy. The bidding. The editing. The actual writing. It’s a complex process and you don’t have any backup. You’re in charge of everything from communicating with clients to paying your own taxes. It’s a lot for one person to do, not to mention...
How to Be Controversial without Being a Jerk
Whether you run your own blog or ghostwrite for those that do, one of the biggest challenges you probably face is engagement. How do you get people, when they visit the site, to leave comments, share, and subscribe? Do a quick Google search for “how to get more...
How to Write 12,000 Words in One Day
I write for a living. I’ve been doing it for six years, during which time I estimate I’ve written more than 10 million words. On an average day I write between 5,000 and 8,000 words. On a very busy day I can write 12,000 to 15,000 words and I can do this four or five...
How to Have a Productive Weekend without Working
For years I’ve killed myself trying to find the perfect balance of working without driving myself into the ground. When I work too much I feel like I’m missing out on time with my family and when I’m not working I feel like I’m falling behind the people who grind...
7 Ways to Get Over Writer's Block Fast
Whether you’re on a deadline and just hit a brick wall or have been scrabbling for a few extra minutes for weeks and FINALLY have it only to find you can’t think straight, writer’s block is a pain in the butt. Having written a few million words in the last 6 years on...
"A-ba-DA!" Translating the Baby
This is pure “cute baby” anecdote, so if you roll your eyes when a friend gushes about their kid, you may want to avert your attention. For the rest of you, keep reading. We’ve reached an interesting time as parents. Our son, Jack, has started speaking in so much that...
On the Importance of Reading as a Freelance Writer
Our son is already showing the signs of being a little bookish. He sits and stares at his picture books for long periods of time (by toddler standards), and in the morning he’ll often rotate through his favorite five or six books, having us read them over and over...
The Problem with Holiday Advertising and Why Cheesy, Happy Ads Work
A couple days ago, I was sitting downstairs with my wife and mother in law and they were comparing car commercials. You probably know exactly which ones I’m talking about - the Christmas-y luxury car commercials with families all in sweaters in fake snow marveling the...
Saturday Afternoon – A Lesson in Patience
I'm not what my wife would call a patient man. I've come to terms with that and as a result I feel I've developed a much keener sense of patience than I once had. I have a small amount of self-control when it comes to Best Buy and Gamestop (though that may at least...
The Extra 20 Minutes
I like to be efficient. No matter what I'm doing, I like to get it done as fast as possible and in the process I end up competing with myself. It got me promoted at my first and third jobs and it kept me in good graces with my boss at my fourth (who I eventually...