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The Writer’s Notebook (August 2026) · The Daily Writer

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hey my friend, welcome to the Daily Writer, where we help writers become authors of their own lives.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I want to officially welcome you to the Writer's Notebook for August 2026.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now you might be wondering what the heck is the Writer's Notebook?
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: Well, the Writer's Notebook is a monthly digest that I do.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's sort of like a greatly expanded version of one of my regular podcast episodes.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: Or if you subscribe to my email list, it's an expanded version of the email list.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's really the same kinds of things that I normally talk about, but it's more of a digest format where I want to dive into things a little bit more deeply than I normally do on my podcast and in my email newsletters.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: The whole purpose here is to dive a little bit deeper into books, conversations, and moments that have shaped my thinking and my writing over the past month.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: And my goal here is to give you some resources and questions to help you become the author of your own life.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope that these pique your interest and give you some things to think about.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: And this is really divided into several sections.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I'll kind of give you the subheads, as it were.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of weird to do this over audio, but I'll give you the subheads or the sections as I go through these.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: First up, let's talk about the book that stayed with me.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Now, in last month's Writer's Notebook edition for July 2026, I talked about a few different resources, and I've decided to just boil it down to one thing and do a little bit of a deeper dive into one single book that really impacted me over the last month.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: So, what I want to talk about for a few moments here is Tim O'Brien's book called The Things They Carried.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm actually working my way through this book for the second time.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: And this book is a strange mix of memoir and fiction, with the author's approach being that he's giving you the essence of what it was like to be in Vietnam.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I first read this book about 10 years ago, and I was completely mesmerized.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, I remember the chair that I was sitting in when I finished this book about 10 years ago, and I believe that I read it on Kindle, if I'm not mistaken.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: I really don't read ebooks or I don't listen to a lot of audiobooks, to be honest with you.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm pretty much a print book guy.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I remember reading that final page on my Kindle and thinking, wow, that was really powerful, and just kind of sitting with that for a few moments.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, I would say this is the kind of book that leaves you in a certain mood for a couple of days, not just a few moments.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I really, really love those kinds of books.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: So I am currently co-writing my dad's Vietnam memoir, in addition to my own next couple of books, and uh, of course, my client books.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: His Vietnam memoir will be out next year or so.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm looking to this book, the things they carried, for some inspiration on the tone and the mood that I wanted to try to include in my dad's book.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: Now, my dad's book is titled The Long Way Home, and obviously his story is completely different than what Tim O'Brien talks about and the things they carried, but I always find it helpful as a ghostwriter or a collaborative writer to identify one or two books that have the same tone or the voice that I want to convey in the project that I'm currently working on.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: You know, filmmakers do this all the time.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's very common for directors to have their cast and crew watch a handful of films that convey the style or the tone that they're going for.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: So you might try this approach with your next project to help you feel inspired and get into a groove if you feel a little bit stuck.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Honestly, I like to read widely and I can take something valuable away from almost any book or any genre.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I find it especially helpful to read something totally different than my normal stuff.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: And so the reason I mention that is because you may not necessarily think that you're interested in a Vietnam memoir type of a book, like the things they carried, but you might be surprised when you get into it.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope that you'll give Tim O'Brien's book a shot if you've never read it.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: Honestly, I was gripped from the very first sentence.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Let's go on to this section of this digest called A Conversation That I'm Thinking About.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to tell you about a conversation that I recently had with a writer friend of mine as we sat over coffee.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the funny thing is that we went to a Starbucks to have coffee, and neither of us actually had coffee.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: I had hot tea, and they had a, I think it was a matcha tea or something like that.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: And we spent a big chunk of the conversation talking about the risks and the rewards of being more vulnerable in our writing.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I will be the first to admit that there are all sorts of considerations when it comes to being more public about our weaknesses, our mistakes, or our fears.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: On the one hand, being vulnerable in public can make you seem like you're more human.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: After all, we're not robots, and I don't relate to people who project this image of being perfect all the time.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: You probably don't either.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: But on the other hand, if you're running a business as a writer, and by the way, if you're selling anything, including books, you are in the business of being a writer.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: You do have a business.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're running a business and you want to project confidence and authority and competence, then you don't want to be the person who always appears to be a hot mess and doesn't seem to have their life together on some sort of basic level.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: So there has to be a balance between those two things.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it's up to each of us to figure out what vulnerability looks like in our given situation.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think there are times to lean into confidence and authority, and there are also times to let our guards down.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I think also it depends on what kind of writing you do.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: If your content is more oriented towards storytelling or memoir or narrative nonfiction, for example, that's one thing.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: But if you're writing a business book to position yourself as the go-to choice for your clients or your customers, I think that's actually a very different thing.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: So that's just some food for thought.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: I'm grateful to my writer friend for having this conversation and being vulnerable with me about vulnerability.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: Now let me move on to this section that I'm calling a question I'm wrestling with.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: And let me take a sip of tea real quick.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: We're currently enjoying some hot peach tea, which is very, very good.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: By the way, I know this probably sounds weird, but I usually don't put any sweetener in my hot tea.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: I just put the bag in to hot water, let it steep for a few minutes, and then I drink it.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: That's actually the same way I drink my coffee most of the time, just straight up.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: I don't put stuff in my coffee normally.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: I just like it black.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Same thing with espresso.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: We have an espresso machine here in my co-working space, and I don't ever put anything in it.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: I just sort of like it the way that God made it, I guess.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um maybe you're that way, maybe you're not that way.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't make any difference, but I just enjoy a cup of hot tea.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: I really, truly do.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: So let's talk about a question that I'm wrestling with.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I am grateful, I have to say, for all the benefits of social media.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: I truly am.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: However, one of the biggest drawbacks is that I think social media can warp your view of happiness and success if you let it.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe you've fallen prey to the same trap that I've fallen into many, many times, where you're feeling pretty good about yourself and your success.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: And then you get on social media and you see half a dozen other writers who seem to be far more successful.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: And suddenly you don't feel so good about yourself.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why I have recently been mulling over this question What does it take for me to be happy and successful every day?
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: So instead of, for example, instead of waiting for the next book or the next big win, quote unquote, what if we completely changed our perspective so that every day can be a great day?
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: What if we set up our lives so that we can win every single day?
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: And here at age 52, I'm learning more than ever that setting and achieving big goals is great, but the reality is that so much of our lives are outside of our control.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: Hitting a bestseller list, getting a big client deal, or reaching a certain income goal involves factors that we don't completely control.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: So as a result of that, even though I still am shooting for big goals in my life, bigger than ever, in fact, much bigger than ever, at the same time, I'm also redefining what success and happiness means to me.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: So here are four things, four or five things to consider.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Today, if I woke up in the morning, today, if I have people who love me, today if I got to do meaningful work, today if I helped somebody, today if I had food, shelter, and resources, then I consider today to be a win.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: I consider today to be a great day.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: Now again, I'm still shooting for those big goals, but I also want to have a point of view that lets me say as often as possible, you know what, today was a really, really great day.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: I woke up, I helped somebody, I got to do work that I love.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: I have food, shelter, and resources, I have people in my life who love me.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: If those are present in my life, then today is a really, really good day.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I hope that that perspective is helpful for you as you think about how you define your own success and happiness.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: Well, let me wrap up this edition of The Writer's Notebook by sharing a little bit about what's ahead for me during the month of August.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: Now, in addition to my typical client work as a ghostwriter, the most important thing I'm working on this month is a ramp up to the launch of my next book, which is called The Ghost Powered Author: Save Time, Build Authority, and Amplify Your Voice with the Power of a Ghostwritten Book.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: And this short book is for business leaders who want to harness the power of a great book, but they don't have the time or the skill, or frankly, the desire, to write it themselves.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now, as a ghostwriter, I answer a lot of questions from prospective clients and writers about how ghostwriting actually works and why leaders should hire a ghostwriter.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I've wanted to write this book for a long time, and I felt like it was finally time to put those answers into one place and basically make the case for why people should hire a ghostwriter.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: Well, right now I'm in the final stages of edits and design, and you're going to hear much more about the Ghost Powered author book over the coming weeks.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope that you will not only check it out, but perhaps pass it along to somebody that you know who could use a great ghostwriter.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: Well, my friend, thanks for checking out this month's edition of the Writer's Notebook.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: This one's a little bit shorter than last month, but that's okay.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a big fan of keeping things short and sweet, as you probably already know.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: And this digest is a way for me to share some insight into my world as a full time writer.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I hope that it adds value to your world as well.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: As always, my hope for you is that you stay safe, healthy, and productive.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: And if there's ever anything that I can do for you, please don't hesitate to let me know.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see you tomorrow.