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  • kevintjohns@gmail.com

    Reply Reply December 27, 2016

    So… who are YOUR pneumonia angels?

    • Carina

      Reply Reply February 27, 2017

      Hi Kevin
      I think my Pneumonia angels are first and foremost my son, then my daughter and then also my father. My son is someone I admire for all the focus he possesses to reach for his dreams and the tenacity to work at them. I actually view him as a mentor with great wisdom. My daughter has a beautiful soul and is my light and loving support. She keeps me grounded. With the support of my children I embarked on a journey and really want to become an author at 50!
      My father wrote a book of 500 full A4 pages and at age 82 wants me to facilitate the process of editing and making his voice heard. It is so much more important to me now to be able to do that, as he recently had a huge setback in his health and I really want this to happen before he dies. My son planted the seed that I should try writing my own book first to “pave the way” and to discover all the pitfalls to assist me with my dad’s book. I have felt so inadequate and not good enough to do that for my father. Due to my father’s health issues I came to realize that I actually want to do it for him and to ensure his legacy and life’s work will come to fruition. I am really focused and driven and it was through all my surfing on the net that I came across your site. Thank you for your inspirational video which gave me the drive to start now by writing my first pages today.

      • kevintjohns@gmail.com

        Reply Reply February 27, 2017

        Carina, I love how important family is to you and what a strong role it’s playing in your desire to become an author. One of my books is a children’s picture book I specifically wrote for my daughters. One of my favourite experiences as an author has been reading the book to their kindergarten and first grade classes. Family is such a powerful motivator!

        Regarding helping you father write his book, I would recommend giving voice recording a shot. I’ve ghostwritten several books and the process has usually invovled a series of interviews that I record with a voice recorder or just an app on my phone. I then take those recording and use the information to develop chapters in the book. It’s a great process for getting information out of someone in a natural and pressure free way.

    • Natalie

      Reply Reply February 12, 2018

      My inspiration comes from my three children
      They are grown but still live at home and I️ am their cheerleader
      Trying to get them to go for their dreams
      My daughter often throws I️t right back at me to go for mine.
      I️ tend to write great poetry
      Especially when depressed
      But have a novel started
      And a whole series of children’s book still in my head
      Not on paper
      Can’t wair to see more of your videos
      And get started already

      • kevintjohns@gmail.com

        Reply Reply February 12, 2018

        I love that your kids are your inspiration, Natalie! I have three daughters and they were the inspiration for my picture book, “Rocket Princess vs. Snaggletooth the Dragon.” And congrats on starting your novel!

    • Henrietta

      Reply Reply December 27, 2019

      Hi, Kevin,
      My pneumonia angels are the members of a Memoir Writers group that I belong to in Butte, Montana. We meet once a week, and the feedback that I receive from the other writers is always enough to keep me going with my own writing for at least another week. It also helps to hear and read the writing of the other writers in the group. They always inspire me to continue and improve my own work.

    • Alan

      Reply Reply June 4, 2020

      Hi Kevin,
      I think my pneumonia angel might be me. It just took me a long time to realise that it was me also who was the demon diseasing my soul.
      When I was 28 I had it sorted. Great idea for a novel, I had spare time, I wasn’t hard on myself and confidence came in buckets full.
      I lost my confidence about the same time I hit no man’s land. I spent ten years there.
      I never wrote a word in that time.
      I finished the first draft but was busy trying to find my confidence. Self doubt and cynicism were my booze buddies and they didn’t care much for my old friend.
      Fast forward: I’m 52 now, though I won’t be for long. It has taken me 23 years, and an excellent wife and step kids, a career where (ironically) I help others, for me to finally say I have found my confidence. The last 2 months I have been writing regularly and have found my drive, my passion and most of all my ol’ mate confidence back with me. I think I am my pneumonia angel but I needed many hands and hearts to help me. Art has also held my hand in those shadows. Music, theatre, books – they never left me. It’s nice be back. Now I’m halfway through my second draft and me and my confidence are right there. Your video resonated with me and my own story.
      Thanks.
      Al.

    • Judy

      Reply Reply January 7, 2024

      My pneumonia angel was Jenny England from Wisdom In Action. I was moving up the professional ladder of a Direct Sales Company but wasn’t happy with my performance or myself. I was trying to keep everybody happy at my own expense. I heard about Jenny at a business meeting and thought maybe this was a course of action I could benefit from.. We began working together as a business arrangement but this quickly changed to her becoming my personal coach. Over the course of many sessions I came to realize I no longer wanted to continue with my business. I resigned from my leadership role and for the first time in ages began to feel better about myself. Jenny and i continued working and I took notes during each session. Suddenly I had enough information that I could use to help other women who may feel the same as I did – anxious, unfulfilled and wondering what now? My first memory of writing was when I was in grade 4 and the teacher encouraged me to keep on going. Writing had always been a dream of mine but I lacked the confidence to proceed. Anyway I took this information, wrote a book called Be Who You Be, self published it on Amazon and I was off into a new career. I have self published fourteen books. and have three more in various stage of development. Now I love what I do. Its not about the money, but the satisfaction I get when i write the words The End. I write about women’s issues and hope that my words help another woman find the courage and strength to move past her situation, whatever it may be. Writing is my gift and I feel blessed.

      • kevintjohns@gmail.com

        Reply Reply January 8, 2024

        Judy, thank you for sharing you story with us. It sounds like Jenny has played a hugely positive role in your life. Also, congratulations on the prolific publications!

    • judy bossart

      Reply Reply January 13, 2024

      Hey Kevin:
      Sorry to disappoint, but I really don’t have any Pneumonia Angels.

    • judy bossart

      Reply Reply January 13, 2024

      Hey Kevin:
      Sorry to disappoint but I don’t have any Pneumonia Angels.

      • kevintjohns@gmail.com

        Reply Reply January 14, 2024

        That’s alright, Judy! Sometimes we can be our Pneumonia Angels!

  • Shyma and Mohan

    Reply Reply December 29, 2016

    Hi, Kevin, thanks so much for being an inspiration, for all the times I feel like giving up and not wanting anything to do with writing, and its not because
    I dislike writing it is because I like it very much but sometimes life gets in the way much more that I anticipated . Sometimes it is all the things I love the most and cannot avoid, e.g family, myself sometimes is my worst enemy. Anyways, I hope you had a good holiday with your family and friends. I promise myself to work really hard this year and break some ground, I have had for so long, many children’s picture books to finish and two adult fiction as well. Wishing you a and your family a very happy New Year! You truly are an inspiration.

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply January 5, 2017

      Shyma, I’m so glad you found the video inspirational. As you said, life can certainly get in the way of us achieving all the goals we set for ourselves, so I’m glad I was able to provide you with some motivation to stick with it! Like you, I write both fiction and children books too. Keep up the great work!

  • Kimberley Strobel

    Reply Reply January 5, 2017

    I guess my pneumonia angels is a friend that got my into writing and helped me discover my passion for writing.

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply January 5, 2017

      Kimberley, that is such a great point! While artists and celebrities can certainly inspire us, quite often the most influential people in our lives are our immediate circle of family, friends, and colleagues. I think this is important to remember for two reasons. 1. It means we can look to that immediate circle for support and mentors. 2. It serves as a reminder of the role we ourselves can play. We can be leaders and inspire those around us through our actions. We don’t have to be rich and famous to make an impact on the world!

  • Lisa Stammer

    Reply Reply January 6, 2017

    Hi Kevin,
    Thanks for your inspiration!
    I have several angels that I call “creativity angels.” One of the most important angels is author Brene Brown. I watched her on the Katie Couric talk show in 2012 when I was home recovering from injuries resulting from a bicycling accident. After hearing Brene speak, I immediately bought her book Daring Greatly and devoured it. It is because of that book that I now have completed the first draft of my first novel. My goal is to complete the second draft by June 1, 2017.
    My biggest mental stumbling block to this day is the fact that I didn’t start writing my novel until I was 43 years old. I am now 48. I feel like time is no longer on my side and it scares me.

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply January 6, 2017

      Thank you for sharing your inspiration, Lisa. I know Brene Brown has had a huge positive impact on many people’s lives!

      Regarding time not being on your side, I have to disagree! 48 is certainly not too late to become an author. Many, many successful authors came to writing or found success later on in life. I cover many of them in this article, which I would encourage you to read: http://www.kevintjohns.com/not-too-late/

  • Chris Shumate

    Reply Reply January 7, 2017

    Not to sound too patronizing, but I do consider you to be one of mine. After following you at Write Along Radio and to the Writing Coach and even working with you in a one-on-one coaching capacity you continue to inspire me. You’re a dad, so am I. You have a day job that you may or may not like, so do I. We have a couple of other things in common too which we’ve talked briefly about in one of our calls.

    Apart from you, I’d say Joanna Penn is someone too. I feel inspired whenever I listen to her podcast, like I feel inspired when I listen to yours.

    I need to get past the feeling of being inspired and actually do the work. It’s tough lately though to keep going when things aren’t progressing at the speed I’d like, especially when the credit card bill comes due. I tend to go full throttle on whatever I do and then I suddenly stop. Writing has been tough lately, but know that you are an inspiration not only to me but to many others.

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply January 8, 2017

      Chris, I’m so glad you’ve gotten value out of the work that I do. Regarding your frustations about the speed you’ve been able to produce your writing, I’ve spent a lot of time studying and implementing productivity techinques over the last several years, and I’ve actually come to a place in my thinking where I believe we completely over-emphasize the importance and value of the speed of production. Ultimately, a novel is a big project that takes a long time to write, and there is nothing wrong with that. As a father yourself, you know how quickly time seems to go by as you watch your kids grow. Three years as a parent goes by in the blink of an eye, and yet we get frustrated for some reason if it takes us three years to write a book. What’s three years in the long run? Nothing. In a world where everything seems to be going faster and faster and there is more and more pressure on us to get things done quickly, working on a novel is actually an opportunity slow down, enjoy the process of creating art, and make small, steady gains over the long term.

  • Shirley Ann

    Reply Reply January 8, 2017

    I am inspired by the people who use Gods spirit to help those in need. An organisation called Mercyships has volunteer doctors and nurses give their time and skills to help people in the poorest laces regain their sight . I wish to publish my anthology of verse and give 10% to them and the rest I would invest for the futures of my kids and grandkids to make the most of their own potential .

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply January 8, 2017

      That’s wonderful, Shirley Ann. When my clients are facing roadblocks with their books, I often encourage them to return to their “why”, i.e. why is it important to them to create this story in the first place. Having a goal like donating a portion of the proceeds of your book to charity, as you describe, can be a very strong motivator for pushing through challenges and sticking with a project through to completion.

  • Rachel Smets

    Reply Reply January 10, 2017

    Hi Kevin,
    I’m so happy we’ve met and did the podcast together. All of it made me more interested in what you do. And now I”m watching your video’s.
    In my case, I”m not lacking motivation or courage, but it’s getting an outline, a structure, a plan.
    Writing a book went well and I’m into my next book project now.
    But, I wish to create courses from my books and I even enjoy doing video’s too, so all of that is great.
    But I have had this idea for so long and still NOT one course done. Not even an outline ready as I’m not sure how or what I need in the course.
    Frustrating really ….

    Thanks!!!

    Rachel
    ~Awaken your confidence ~

  • kay

    Reply Reply January 13, 2017

    Hi Kevin,
    My writing angel was a close friend that contacted me at a very low time in my life. I was recovering from an operation for cancer and had given up on my writing aspirations. I was shocked when he popped up in my emails out of the blue after ten years apart. He was expecting me to tell him of my novel publications because I had been such an avid writer before my illness. To cut a long story short he shook me up and inspired me to write again.
    Thank you for doing these free podcasts I think you will be my inspiration too.

    With gratitude

    Kay

  • Peri June

    Reply Reply March 14, 2017

    Hi Kevin. Thank you for being inspiring.
    I guess my ‘pneumonia angel’ was my grandfather; he was the person who had first encouraged me to write and I’d always told him ‘maybe someday’. After his death I realized that ‘maybe someday’ might never arrive if I didn’t do something about it. So I sat down and wrote my first novel, and here we are.

  • My pneumonia angels were some of my closest friends at the time I wrote my first book. “Earthwind Book One The Journey Begins” I began by doing what I have always done. Let my fingers go! Powerful man… Powerful…

  • Philiana

    Reply Reply April 9, 2017

    Hi Sir Kevin! Thank you for the DM you sent me on twitter about your couching!
    Well, perhaps my ‘pneumonia angel’ is music… I’m still not a professional, I’m 15 and currently writing my first online book, “A Splitting Of The Mind: The Past Ain’t Got No Vacancy In Our Lives” Because of the music that I’m listening to, I began to learn things in an upside down way… Growing up realizing that we all want to be everything and realizing that many teenagers can be influence to believe and do something bad just to fit in and it will be the mistake and lesson of their future… The band that made me realize these is My Chemical Romance… Their albums are all concept and dark and got beautiful plots on it!! I’m planning to get Master’s Degree in Literature and Fine Arts….

  • Carol Linn

    Reply Reply April 26, 2017

    My pneumonia angels are my brother John and my best friend Cheryl. They keep me going especially when I get discouraged, like right now. My writing right now is going nowhere and I feel like I am just spinning my wheels but am getting no traction. I sure hope your videos can help because I need all the help that I can get!

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply May 6, 2017

      We all go through ups and down with our writing . . . and with our lives! Continue to seek out resources that can inform your craft, and friends like your brother and Cheryl who can help you push through the discouragement and make progress towards achieve your writing goals. I know you can do it, Carol!

  • Oliver Newman

    Reply Reply April 28, 2017

    My pneumonia angels are my Family, there are three people in particular who have helped me to become who I am today. It is because of these individuals support that I was able to write my first book – A Fan’s Perspective: One Man’s Exploration of British Wrestling which was released last August on Amazon (Paperback and Kindle). They are the reason why I’m currently writing book number two (as well).

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply May 6, 2017

      Congratulations on publishing your first book last summer, Oliver! The experiences you had and skills you learned on that book will be put to good use on this second book, I’m sure!

  • Angie H

    Reply Reply May 17, 2017

    My pneumonia angels would be the few family and friends that keep encouraging me to move forward even though I am my own worst enemy. At a high level, I want to give back to the creative community that has inspired and entertained me over the years in countless ways. But the real truth, my real why is I want to complete my first manuscript for me. To prove to myself that I can. To find the creative spirit in me that I allowed life to stifle years ago. Like you there was a health issue along the way that was a wake up call. Clueless and motivated I started outlining, then stopped. Started again, stopped again. 160 pages into my first rough draft decided I had no idea what I was doing and stopped…again. Not ready to give up, I recently started a new outline and was off to a good start then got stuck and seriously thought about giving up this time.

    Then I watched your first video. Thanks for that. Looking forward to the next one.

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply May 17, 2017

      Angie, I’m glad to hear you found the video helpful, and I hope it’ll help you keep pushing on with your story. We all feel like we don’t know what we are doing sometimes, but it’s by continuing on that you’ll develop your craft as well as your confidence. As a writer, the only failure is giving up.

  • Denise Brixey

    Reply Reply September 12, 2017

    I have several pneumonia angels. First, my best friend and Mom, who has recently passed to be with the angels in heaven. Of course, my Dad is a major “angel”. He has always been there, helping me with all that I do. He has Alzheimer now, so I must be his pneumonia angel, as well. The last angel, but certainly not least, is my good friend, Andrea. She has been like a sister to me. She prods me on with love. In the past, I been in a couple of medical life threatening situations. I had come as close to death than I ever wanted to be. She was there at my side, helping me by keeping my eye on God and doing for me what I couldn’t do for myself. I love my life and am ready to share it with all.

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply September 12, 2017

      Denise, thank you for sharing your angels with us! It sounds like you have been through some difficult times but have had some wonderful people in your life to inspire and support you. I’m thrilled to hear you are going to be sharing your love for life with the world. We need that more than ever these days.

  • Mary Van Everbroeck

    Reply Reply September 14, 2017

    Hi Kevin: Very interesting. Looking forward to hearing the others.

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply September 14, 2017

      Thanks Mary. I am glad to hear you found video 1 helpful!

  • J. O. Quantaman

    Reply Reply September 17, 2017

    Since WWII.. the authors who’ve inspired me…
    ___James Blish
    ___Greg Bear
    ___Collen McCullough
    ___Connie Willis
    ___Sven Beckert
    ___Henry Miller
    ___Kim Stanley Robinson
    ___Stieg Larsson
    ___Walter Jon Williams
    ___Bruce Sterling
    ___William Gibson

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply September 18, 2017

      Thank you for sharing this great list of authors, JO. Some of them I have read, but others I new to me!

  • Darrie

    Reply Reply September 18, 2017

    I am both a visual artist and a writer of essays and poetry. About twenty years ago, my daughter was born, and she has been my muse for my visual art ever since. As for the writing, I only started do that about a year ago, and the poetry seems to come out of the ether and through my fingers. The essays are usually snippets of thoughts or memories that almost write themselves.

    I used to say that I was no poet, and was staunchly adamant about that… Until, on a dare, I tried one. I haven’t looked back since! The essays? They’ve been coming on their own my entire life.

    I’m not a writer of fiction, I don’t really have the imagination for that, tho I am an avid reader, and I envy anyone who can create entire worlds, species, people, and more all out of their head! This is not me..!! I do want to do a collection of my works so far. I have about 50 poems to date and nearly as many essays. When I get stuck for words, I generally walk away for a bit, go into my garden, or even just turn up the music and sing along. Sometimes you just need to let it stew a bit before it’s ready to come out.

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply September 18, 2017

      You sound like an abundantly creative person, Darrie! I bet you would surprise yourself if you gave fiction writing a shot. That said, I think all of the advice in this training should apply to poets and visual artists, as well as novelists.

  • Saroni

    Reply Reply September 20, 2017

    Hey Kevin! I’ve always flirting with the idea of writing, probably an extension of my love of reading. I never pursued it until I started doing transcription, editing, and proofreading for others. My children would be my first pneumonia angels, since I have proofed their writing from middle school into grad school. I just couldn’t ignore it anymore and started writing for myself.

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply September 20, 2017

      Great to meet you Saroni. I think that “I just couldn’t ignore it anymore” feeling is exactly what gets a lot of people writing!

  • Janine

    Reply Reply September 26, 2017

    Hey Kevin,
    I don’t have any pneumonia angels as such, I just have this yearning to write and I’ve been ignoring it for so long telling myself, ‘who am I kidding thinking I can write a book’.
    I need help getting out of my own way and just sorting through all the ideas I have.

  • Janine

    Reply Reply September 26, 2017

    Hey Kevin,

    I don’t have any pneumonia angels as such, I just have this yearning to write and I’ve been ignoring it for so long telling myself, ‘who am I kidding thinking I can write a book’.

    I need help getting out of my own way and just sorting through all the ideas I have.

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply September 27, 2017

      Hi Janine, I love that you are ready to stop second-guessing yourself. As you said, now it’s a process of deciding what idea you are going to pursue and then going after it with singular focus!

  • Denise Matthews

    Reply Reply October 3, 2017

    Hi Kevin

    Let’s see I can never tell so my pneumonia angle is. He or she comes when I’m at my lowest point in my life and writing.
    Like just recently I was working on book 3 of my series and I just stopped. I couldn’t get past the chapter I was working on, and started deleting it. I started doubting my work and believed no one will ever like it. What’s the point? I even wonder why I’m alive. That went on for three days.
    Then it hits me, something in a past chapter needed to be added so this chapter would make sense. It was like a cloud lifting and letting the sun shine through. My confidence went up and now the story is flowing again.
    I loved the video and can’t wait for more. Thanks.

    Denise

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply October 5, 2017

      Thanks for comment Denise. I’m sorry to hear you were having a difficult time with book 3, but it sounds like soldiered on and got through it. Having written several books already, I’m sure you know those dips in productivity and confidence are inevitable. It’s sticking with your goals and figuring how to push through the blocks, like you have done, that keeps us moving forward towards achieving out goals.

  • Nicole W

    Reply Reply November 19, 2017

    In some ways, Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic is my “pneumonia angel.” He writes songs that really resonate with me, such as “Made For You” and “Better.” I also identify with his problems with anxiety, as I have bipolar disorder and go through a lot of the same things. He has made albums, gone on tour, and written songs for other great artists. I hope to be as inspiring as him someday. I’m a writer, though, not a musician, but I’d still like to write some books and be fortunate enough to go on book tours. I’m almost finished with an outline for my memoir, and I’m going to finally start writing soon!

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply November 20, 2017

      Hi Nicole. Thanks so much for sharing your pneumonia angel. Ryan Tedder wasn’t on my radar, so I’m definitely going to go give him a listen!

  • codyshrum

    Reply Reply January 3, 2018

    Kevin what is a ghost writer ?

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply January 3, 2018

      Hi Cody! A ghostwriter is some who works with another author and writes their book either for them or in collaboration with them. A lot of people have expertise or ideas they want to share with the world, but don’t necessarily have the time or the skill-set to actually sit down and write a book. Those people can work with a ghostwriter who will take their ideas and knowledge and then write a book that is published under that person’s name.

      • codyshrum

        Reply Reply January 4, 2018

        ok and the person that inspired me is the artist mark crilley and R.L Stine and the people that inspire me to continue on my drawing
        and you Kevin with the videos on your youtube channel and a youtube artist peter draws

  • Rebecca

    Reply Reply January 27, 2018

    My pneumonia angel is my daughter. I hit a really low point just 3 weeks before I discovered I was pregnant, and since that day, I’ve been working to live a more purposeful life. My creativity had been starved for so long, but now I’m proactively seeking ways to reincorporate it into life with my little one.

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply January 27, 2018

      Rebecca, that is so wonderful! I have three daughters, myself, and they have been a great inspiration for me as well! I absolutely love that you are being proactive and purposeful about your life and your art.

  • Anthony

    Reply Reply March 19, 2018

    Greetings, Kevin!

    I’m sort of like Janine (previous commenter), in that I have this burning desire to write novels but do I have the right to? That’s my inner-editor talking whenever I read my own work. I second guess myself and lose steam in the writing process. It’s an internal struggle, to say the least, but it doesn’t stop me from seeking out resources and guidance on how to become a better writer. Anyway, one of my pneumonia angels is the indie author Chris Fox. He’s around my age and came from the tech industry (the industry I’m in now). He wrote part-time and now writes full time. I’m constantly visiting his YouTube channel as he regularly posts videos aimed at aspiring authors. I figure if he can do it, follow through with his desire to write and publish, then I certainly can as well.

    Thank you for this course. I just found your podcast through Overcast which is awesome!

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply March 21, 2018

      Great to meet you, Anthony! Chris Fox definitely seems like a cool guy. I read his book “5000 Words Per Hour” a few years back, and thought it was really neat how he developed an App to accompany the book! (See: a background in tech can continue to pay off even when you are writing full time!)

      I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the podcast. Chris is actually one of the people I’ve been meaning to get on the show for a while, so I’ll use this as motivation to reach out to him!

  • Lake

    Reply Reply July 21, 2018

    My inspiration is a crappy book. I love to read. About six years ago, I realised everything I was finding to read was self-published, not edited well, and structured badly. I was spending half of my reading time correcting the book.
    I decided I could do it better. I embarked on a year long adventure that ended in failure. It’s a lot harder than it should be. I read at least four books a week. I can tear apart structure in my sleep, but building it seemed beyond me. I put it all away and didn’t read or write for going on five years.
    Boredom got the best of me. I am a an efficient worker and I end up with a lot of free time at work. Instead of shopping online all day and ruining my budget, I bought a book. Then I bought a kindle. Then I bought the subscription plan so I didn’t have to buy books.
    Now I am back where I started six years ago. I know it can be done better than what I am reading. I pulled out all my old work and read it over. It’s not as bad as I painted it in my head. It’s not bad at all. I was surprised.
    I started researching. I want to find out where I went wrong. I don’t want to make the same mistake again. My fiance has helped me overcome my confidence problems. I no longer have time issues. All the procrastination problems I hear about are not a problem for me. It’s lack of knowledge I worry about.
    I have a story. I have an outline. I have characters with flaws. I let the characters drive the story. I feel like I am finally doing it right.
    Even I hear the “but” in that. But I worry that I might be missing something. What if I end up at a full stop again. You don’t know what you don’t know until it’s pointed out to you.
    That’s why I’m here researching again. Just in case I missed something. Thank you for what you do. It is helpful.

  • Lorraine Johnston

    Reply Reply August 14, 2018

    First, my husband. He’s always exploring new things. Second, the people who audition for American Idol or The Voice or Britain’s got Talent or any one of these shows. All of these people are pursuing their dreams in a most public way. Some are out of this world amazing and yet absolutely terrified. They do it anyway

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply August 14, 2018

      Reminds me of a wonderful Roosevelt quote, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” In other words, it’s not about not being afraid… it’s about not letting that fear stop you from achieving something great.

  • Carolyn Gage

    Reply Reply August 22, 2018

    I don’t have a pneumonia angel other than myself and seeing how far I can go. My mother’s family is very artistic and musically inclined, but not many of them are writers, and I basically started to see what I could almost “get away with.” I don’t have a good word for that. I’ve enjoyed poetry and composing songs and I took a short story writing class in college and enjoyed it, and I wanted to see if I could take it a step further with a full-fledged novel, and I finished my first draft, but I don’t know how to edit, so here I am. 🙂

    • kevintjohns@gmail.com

      Reply Reply August 23, 2018

      Carolyn, I think that artistic background will serve you well in your novel writing. I started out writing songs for punk rock bands I was a member in throughout my teen years. A lot of the skills I learned crafting the lyrics and music for those songs came in handy when I began writing fiction.

  • Janneke

    Reply Reply June 16, 2019

    I’m inspired by a lot of the beauty around me. The countless books and movies I absorb, the plants and animals on my route every day. But they’re not what keeps me writing. Writing has always been a hobby of mine. It’s something I do whenever an idea pops into my head. It’s never something I’ve done seriously, until now. Now I have a story that’s more than just a character or scene. It’s a fully fledged idea (ish). And I keep writing because I want to do it justice. I want to know how it ends. Whether I publish or not… we shall see ^_^.

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