The Quiet Quotient

The Half-Finished Draft Still Counts

We love the feeling of finishing something.
The final period. The saved document. That small, satisfying moment when we hit “done.” Completion feels like proof. It validates the hours spent hunched over the keyboard.
But what about the unfinished pieces?Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

The First Line Is A Door, Not A Destination.

Writers obsess over the first line. We want it to be perfect. We want it to hook, to sing, to carry the weight of the whole piece. But that’s a lot to ask of a single sentence.
The truth is, the first line is a door. It doesn’t need to do everything. It doesn’t need to be the final version of itself. It just needs to open the way.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

If You’re Uncomfortable, You’re Probably In The Right Place. (Creating Relatable Characters)

There’s a moment I come back to a lot when I’m writing a character. It’s not the moment they save the day, or fall in love, or say something profound in the rain. It’s the moment just before that—when they want to bolt. They are—unequivocally—uncomfortable. And that, I’ve learned, is usually where the story begins.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

Not Every Piece Needs A Purpose

Not every piece needs a purpose.
You can write without turning it into content. Without planning to post it. Without packaging it for feedback or building it into something bigger. It can exist simply because you needed to write.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

The Lines You Cut Out, Still Matter To Your Story.

Writing is about choices. You put words on the page, you shape them, and then, more often than not, you cut them.
It’s easy to think those cut lines are wasted effort. You delete them and move on, and they disappear from the piece. But they still matter.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

When You Feel Stuck, Shrink The Page.

Big ideas can freeze you in place.
You sit down to write an entire article, story, or post—and nothing comes out. The scope is too wide. The pressure builds. You stare at the screen, thinking about the end before the beginning exists.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com
Here’s the trick: shrink the page.

The Draft That Looks Like a Mess, Might Be The One.

Sentences trail off. Paragraphs contradict each other. The tone shifts mid-thought. You stare at the screen and wonder what you were thinking when you started. It’s tempting to delete it and move on. Don’t.
Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

If You Want To Be A Writer You Have To Write (Simple Advice Goes A Long Way)

We wait for permission before calling ourselves writers.
A byline, a book deal, a paycheck—something to validate the time we’ve spent. We think we need a stamp of approval before we can use the word with confidence.
But writing is the only requirement.
If you write, you’re a writer.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

Not Every Character Fits The Mold (The Most Memorable Don't Follow The Rules)

When we think about great stories, it’s easy to picture the hero at the center—the one who overcomes the odds, who follows the familiar path and emerges victorious in the end.
But not every character fits the mold. Some of the most memorable characters are the ones who don’t follow the rules.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com

Write What You Actually Mean (One Minute to Better Writing)