Josh Shares A Crappy First Draft: Weird

March 18, 2015 By Josh Leave a Comment

Primate screaming. Courtesy of New Old Stock Photography

One of the secrets to good writing is crappy writing, specifically crappy first drafts. Rough drafts are one thing, but crappy drafts are golden because they allow us to set low expectations. They remove some of the pressure of hitting the blank page with quality writing. They also get us into the right headspace for […]

Writer’s Block: How to move beyond “I don’t know what to write.”

March 13, 2015 By Josh Leave a Comment

Journal open to a blank page with pen ready to write

I don’t know what to write. I don’t know what to write. I don’t know what to write. This is how my writing sessions usually begin, unless I am already in the middle of a project. It’s how this started. Usually, I go back and take that out once I’ve picked up a little steam. […]

Create or consume: Choose wisely

March 1, 2015 By Josh 2 Comments

Photo of silouetted figure at sunset, courtesy of Lee Scott from Unsplash.com

While I like to think of myself as a creator, most of my life, I have just been a consumer. I read a lot but wrote very little. I watched television and movies but never made one (not counting several home video experiments from junior high that I might want to disavow at this point). […]

Risk and Safety: Why You Should Swim without a Lifeguard

February 28, 2015 By Josh 1 Comment

Photo of lifeguard stand courtesy of www.gratisography.com

The lifeguard is there to protect us. That is what we believe. The lifeguard is there to bail us out when we get into trouble, when we move beyond our capabilities. The lifeguard is the assurance that someone will take care of us when the swimming gets to be difficult or we grow tired. But the lifeguard […]