Daniel Ford

How Writers Can Stop Being Scared of Their Own Voices

Tips on How Writers Can Stop Being Scared of Their Own Voices

The biggest roadblock for writers trying to perfect their voice isn’t using the correct grammar, proper spelling, or consistent syntax. It’s fear. One of my college professors once called me out for being too tentative in a story. I was writing a review of the movie “High Noon” and after a decent lead, I just [...]

Web Gems: The Art of Being a Web Editor

web gem art of being a web editor

Guess what? It’s not all about you. Anyone who has ever played on a team knows that. And shortstops know it best. This idea is the fabric of his or her nature. While pitchers, outfielders, and catchers have received the lion’s share of the glory in baseball, they would be nowhere without a good shortstop. [...]

5 Ways to Become a Better Writer in 2012

become a better writer in 2012

I wrote my face off in 2011. Both professionally and personally, I wrote more words this past year than any other in my life. I can now honestly tell people at parties that I’m a writer and not have it be some part I’m playing in my mind. I’ve worked my entire life to get [...]

Born to Write: 3 Lessons from Rock Stars to Writers

rockstars to writers

It’s rare that I’m surprised by music. I am a product of my father’s musical tastes, so as a teenager, I was baptized by Neil Young’s “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere”, Jethro Tull’s “Aqualung”, and the Moody Blues’ “Tuesday Afternoon”, rather than new releases by Foo Fighters or the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Call it [...]

Why We Read: An Ode to Content

why we read, picture of a stack of books

My parents were my first audiobook. I’d wildly run up to them with my children’s book of choice, incoherently babbling to get their attention. Apparently, that’s what I thought they sounded like.

This Blog Post is Brought to You by Paper…Mostly

crumbled paper

This blog post was written mostly on a blank piece of paper. Yes, actual paper, with ruled lines and everything. I can’t remember the last time I sat down and scribbled away until I figured out what on earth I was writing about.

The Country That Tweets Together …

vintage radio

I watched the Twin Towers collapse on 9/11 my senior year in high school. However, I did so several hours after the event.  I went through my first two periods of the day not knowing that the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor had occurred shortly after I got off the bus that [...]

More Please: Why I Welcome the Technology Overload with Open Arms

technology overload

I had my MacBook open on my older brother’s couch one lazy afternoon, busy browsing the Internet for nothing remotely important. My iPhone happily chirped that I had a message. I found my phone wedged under some couch cushions, and fired back a response within moments. I picked up my Kindle, downloaded a book, and [...]