Every writer needs to know their audience. Writing for “everyone” often means reaching no one, but tailoring your story for a specific readership builds clarity, resonance, and loyalty.
Success Points Highlights
‘Why’ You Write Is ‘Why’ They’ll Keep Reading
In this essay, I want us to reconnect with our core intents. Every writer hits that moment: the plot stalls, the characters go quiet, the pages stop piling up. And, if you’re honest, pantser or plotter, it’s not just the book that is stuck. You’re stuck! How could...
The Silent Promise: Why Writing is a Commitment to Yourself
If you’re like me, writing isn’t just about putting words on a page. It’s about writing something with meaning. It’s a promise. Every time you write, you make a silent contract with yourself that your thoughts, stories, and ideas are honest, fair, and worth capturing....
How Layered Writing Engages Readers and Elevates Your Story – Writing Tips from Clay Stafford
Writing Tip of the Day: Introduction to Layered Writing — What Is It and Why Should You Care? Layered writing sounds pretty much like it is. It involves weaving multiple narrative elements into the same passage or scene, such as plot, character, theme, emotion, and...
Writing Is a Habit, Not Talent: How Mindset Shapes the Writer’s Journey
I don’t know how often someone has told me about their idea for a book, and I’ve told them they should write it only to have the next line out of their mouth be, “I would if I had the talent.” Talented writers love to say it is about talent, but I’ve known some...
Creating Writing Accountability for Self-Discipline and Productivity
Writing, unlike many other professions, is a self-employed endeavor. This unique aspect of our craft necessitates cultivating writing accountability for self-discipline and productivity. Every day, the responsibility is solely yours. It would be best to find...
Self-Empowerment: The Key to Getting Things Done
We just finished an election season. Thank God that’s over. It never ceases to amaze me that many elections are held around the premise that someone else will fix our problems. They are not. Ever? Never. We fix our own problems. Bringing this home to writers, it's...
The Next Time You’re Feeling Down…Write
I’m all about reading, but I’m also all about writing. Answers are not necessarily found in self-help books, in fixing everything that “is wrong with you,” or staring out the window thinking about how things could be better. Sometimes, our self-reflection seems...
Navigating the Writing Labyrinth
Being a writer often feels like wandering through a labyrinth. Every path offers possibilities, but not every path leads to success or fulfillment. I know; I’ve been there. Writers who contact me sometimes feel overwhelmed and paralyzed by the complexity of career...
Choices Have Consequences
Everything has consequences, from ethical considerations to long-term goals. Every choice we make, from what we eat to how much activity we get in the day or how much we write each day, is a short-term choice that affects long-term goals. Life is not a tidal wave; it...