I believe the point of emphasizing “external structure” (and by that I mean the outer things; environment, clothing, schedule, systems) is to work your way inward…to impose that outer discipline on your inner thoughts and habits.  Once you are inwardly disciplined, that’s when you can riff on the outer stuff.  The inwardly structured trust themselves…

I’ve heard a lot of people push the philosophy of only writing when they feel like it—when inspiration hits them.  Hey, if you can use that method to produce quality material as often and as reliably as you want, then great.  But I favor the opposite approach: I like to apply myself on a mind-numbingly regular basis,…

Demonstrating that you can safely navigate the most powerful addictions/aversions means demonstrating DISCIPLINE. In simpler words:  Big boy rules are earned by big boy conduct.

Society will make pressing arguments:  Settle.  Conform.  Avoid risk like it’s the plague.   But if you’re a writer (or any kind of artist), the arguments you make will be AGAINST inertia.  Your cover, your opening line…everything up to the last character on the last page will be an invitation to dream, to cheer, and to travel…