The Real Baseline for Becoming a Better Writer

What does success look like for a writer? It’s tempting to believe other writers have it easier. That they found a secret door. That publishing used to be simpler. That the writers who seem to be “making it” must know something you don’t. But in this episode, I’m sharing a surprisingly encouraging reminder from a 1951 editorial in Galaxy Science Fiction: even at the highest rates of the day, it took “a stupendous amount of writing” to support a writer. And honestly? That may be the most useful writing advice of all. There is no cheat code. There is no magic shortcut. There is only the work — the false starts, the experiments, the stories that don’t quite work, the drafts that surprise you, and the moments when you realize you’re becoming the writer you hoped you could be. In this episode, I talk about: Why visible success is often the wrong metric for writers Why hard writing doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong What StoryADay can teach you about creative stamina How to build a writing life without burning out Why writing often enough changes your relationship with success If you’ve been wondering whether you’re “really” a writer because your writing feels messy, inconsistent, or harder than you expected, this one is for you. Resources mentioned: StoryADay writing prompts: https://storyaday.org/blog StoryADay May Handbooks for 2024: https://stada.me/handbook StoryADay May Handbook for 2026: https://stada.me/2026handbook Keep writing.