Writing is not for sissies, or wimps. It’s hard to do. It’s hard to get published. It’s hard to make a living at it – if that’s what you want to do. Rejections are inevitable. So is criticism of your work (once you’re brave enough to show it to somebody). You’ve got to learn to take the lumps.

You won’t get any trigger warnings from me, nor will I attempt to create a safe space for you. There are no safe spaces in creativity. Ray Bradbury, a BRILLIANT science fiction writer whose stories I devoured as a kid, said that creativity is about “jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down.”

As a creative, you need to be willing to take risks. To put yourself out there. And, depending on what you write, to make public the most private of feelings, thoughts and experiences.

Writing can be scary as shit.

It can also be gratifying and satisfying, thrilling and thought provoking. You can tell your story – or tell someone else’s story. You can write nonfiction that brings a topic you’re passionate about to the attention of others (and maybe make them passionate about it, too). You can write for self care, or to capture your family’s history for subsequent generations, or to see your words performed on a stage.

If you allow fear and self-doubt to get in your way, it will not just hinder your writing practice; it will weaken the writing itself. You won’t make bold choices. Your writing will be tame and…safe. Another word for that would be boring.

You can write for passion or for profit or for both. I do. (Yes. It is possible to make money from your writing. It isn’t easy, but it is possible.)

In addition to writing, I love teaching. That’s why I’ve launched Write Like a Badass. You’ll find a ton of free resources on this website. I also have a variety of courses available. Check ’em out. Take advantage of the free stuff.

You’ve landed on this website because you want to write, or you want to write better.

So join the Badass Writers community. No trigger warnings. No safe spaces. No bullshit.

SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION ALERT: