Write With Ozzy

Category: Writing

  • Metrics That Matter

    —

    by

    Ozzy
    in ,

    “Words Per Day” vs. “Days of Words” Writers love to count. Word counts. Writing streaks. Minutes in the chair. Hours spent “researching” (an overly generous term, sometimes). And don’t get me wrong—metrics can be useful. But some of them do more harm than good. Take one of the most common: Words per day. The Trouble with…

  • Inspiration Strikes at 9am

    —

    by

    Ozzy
    in ,

    Writing Needs Routine More Than Romance W. Somerset Maugham famously said: It’s a joke, of course. But like many good jokes, it lands because it’s true. Most people misunderstand how creative work actually gets done. They imagine writers waiting for a flash of brilliance, for the muse to appear with a smirk and a cigarette…

  • Keep Your Promises

    —

    by

    Ozzy
    in

    It’s your job to make sure the story you’re telling is the story you promised.

  • You Don’t Find Your Voice, You Build It

    —

    by

    Ozzy
    in ,

    Writers talk a lot about “finding your voice,” like it’s some lost object waiting under the couch cushions. As if one day you’ll stumble across it fully formed—Ah, there it is! My voice!—and from then on, the words will flow perfectly. It doesn’t work like that. Your voice isn’t something you find. It’s something you build.

  • No One Will Love Your Book Like You Do

    —

    by

    Ozzy
    in ,

    Readers can care deeply about your story. They can love it, be moved by it, recommend it to friends, reread it a dozen times. But their relationship will always be different from yours. For them, it’s a story. For you, it’s part of your life.

  • How Do I… (You Do The Work)

    —

    by

    Ozzy
    in ,

    A lot of writers get stuck waiting for someone to give them the right tip, the perfect answer that will fix their story instantly. That doesn’t exist.

  • Your Work Should Stand By Itself

    —

    by

    Ozzy
    in ,

    If you need to explain your story after people read it, something’s not right. There’s work still to be done. That’s a harsh truth, but it’s one worth facing.

  • Your Two Whys

    —

    by

    Ozzy
    in

    Everything in your story has two Whys: Why does this happen in the story? Why did you, the writer, add it to the story?

  • Involve (all) the Senses

    —

    by

    Ozzy
    in , ,

    Your readers live in their bodies, just like your characters do. If you want your story to feel real, you need to give us more than just what we can see. The creak of floorboards. The prickle of sweat. The tang of salt in the air. The feel of fabric under fingertips. The stinging burn…

  • The Confidence Game

    —

    by

    Ozzy
    in ,

    There’s a tricky balance we all face as writers: the tension between self-belief and the desire for validation. At its best, writing is an act of confidence—saying, this matters enough to write down. That confidence is fragile and can crack early, especially if you share too soon or ask for opinions before you’ve even figured…