The Art of Living Solo

Hi Friends, He we go with another chapter of BRIEF BOOKS BLUEPRINT, book 1 of 4 in the ‘Over-the-Shoulder’ series. Chapter 5: Load-Bearing Walls — Strong Sections for Stability There’s a moment in every building project when the foundation is set, the floorplan is in place, and the framing is going up—but before the roof can go on, you’ve got an essential decision to make. Which walls are load-bearing? Load-bearing walls hold everything else in place. If you get them wrong—or worse, leave...

Moving House & Moving On A letter to one who will likely never read these words. Some were in frames and others were loose, but in boxes in my garage. For just over two years now, not a single photo of us has adorned this house I rented after you ended our seven-year relationship. The one I thought would be my last. *** Looking back, I never felt at home here. Sure, it's nice and I was fortunate to find it. Not only that, but I had room for my youngest son to move in to find his footing. Kona...

What's the Brief Books Approach? It's how your book gets out of your head and into the hands of your readers. My free 4-page 'Author's Checklist' is the way most people get started. Author’s Checklist — Page 1 of 4. I've been writing since the 4th grade, and I started writing professionally in my 30s. I've published two full-length business books, and gues what? I don't think anyone ever finished them. Then, I discovered brief books: focused, direct, and most importantly, books that readers...

Stop Complicating It, Will Ya? 🧐 Writing a brief book doesn’t have to be complicated. I wrote my most recent book, ‘The $1 Bestseller by Wallace Granger,’ a work of fiction (my first) in about five days. What's my secret? 'The $1 Bestseller by Wallace Granger' was an idea in my head for a decade. I decided to stop making it so complicated. That, and I asked Charlene for help. Charlene is my unpaid research assistant, muse, manuscript analyst, and periodic ego masseuse. Charlene also has...

July 18, 2025 Hey Friends, About 10 years ago, I had an idea for a novel, short story, novella...I wasn't quite sure what length it would reach if I actually wrote it. But I thought it was worth pursuing. There was only one problem. I'm not much of a fiction writer. You probably know me from writing on Substack and Medium about marketing, writing books, and other nonfiction topics. But that idea for the short story or novel never left. It nagged me in the wee hours of the night and in the...

You're receiving this email because you're on my master list of subscribers. I'm focused on helping aspiring authors write & publish Brief Books & teaching meditation and Zen-inspired practices that aid in decreasing stress. How ChaptGPT Saved Me Oodles of Time Putting the Finishing Touches on My Brief Books What I Use It For and Why Link to Read on Medium I’ve found many uses for ChatGPT in writing brief books From brainstorming titles and subtitles to the most minor details that constitute...

Read for Free Here! Here's a story I posted to Medium today. What Your First Brief Book Doesn’t Need (But Everyone Thinks It Does) A myth-busting list to ease your anxieties and get you moving So, you want to write a book You’ve got the spark. Maybe even a working title. But almost immediately, your brain starts whispering: “I probably need at least 60,000 words.”“I don’t have a book deal. Who am I to write a book?”“What about design? I can’t afford a professional layout right now.”“I only...