The Quiet Quotient

The New Drafting Partner: What AI Can (and Can’t) Do for Writers

Writers often hear that AI is going to take over content creation. That idea sounds dramatic, but it misses the real story. What’s actually happening is that AI is changing the way we write, not replacing the need for writing itself.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com/

The Upside Down Of Writing (The Stranger Things of Writing)

Every story begins in the ordinary world—coffee cooling on the desk, a notebook half-filled with scribbles, a cursor blinking like it’s daring you to type something. But the best writing doesn’t stay in that safe, tidy place. At some point, the wall cracks open. You’re pulled into a realm that feels familiar but twisted—your own personal Upside Down.Connect with mehttps://www.jimhansenmedia.com/

Humanity Over Machinery - Why My Voice (& Your Voice) Matters More Than Ever

I’ve been thinking a lot about what writing means in an age of algorithms. Everywhere I look, content is being shaped to please machines, optimized for clicks, for views, for shares. And yet, the more we write for the machine, the less we connect with real people.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com/

The Power of Minor Edits and How They Impact Your Writing

Writing looks like it comes from big moments, finishing a book, publishing an essay, releasing an article into the world. But behind every big milestone are small choices, decisions that often go unnoticed. Life often feels like it is shaped by big events, graduations, jobs, moving to a new place, having a child, but look closer, and it’s the smaller choices that shape the road.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com/

What It Sounds Like When Your Narrator Can't Be Trusted

A narrator who always tells the truth, always sees clearly, and always explains everything can feel… safe. Too safe. The story becomes predictable, the tension soft, and the reader passive.
But what if your narrator isn’t entirely reliable? What if they hide things, misremember events, or interpret situations through their own skewed lens? That uncertainty is where stories come alive.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com/

Where Are We On The AI Hype Curve?

If you’ve been following AI for the past year or two, you’ve probably felt the emotional rollercoaster. First came the excitement, the “this changes everything” moment. Then came the flood of new tools, courses, and promises. Everyone suddenly became an AI expert.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com/

Writers, Stop Wasting Time on Rituals (Here’s What Really Works)

Writers are athletes. Not in the traditional sense, no medals, no world records, no endorsement deals. Our sport is weirder. It involves coffee mugs, playlists, notebooks, candles, snacks, pens that cost too much, and an almost superstitious belief that these things hold the secret to getting words on the page.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com/

Think of Rejection Letters as Love Letters

Rejection is a writer’s first language. Before the book deal, before the glowing review, before anyone cares what you’re doing, you’re going to get told no. Over and over. And over.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com/
 

Killing Darlings and Other Editing Techniques

Every writer is a murderer. We kill words. We kill pages. We kill entire chapters that once felt untouchable. And the worst part? We call them “our darlings.”
“Killing your darlings” is one of the most famous pieces of writing advice, and one of the most brutal. It means letting go of the lines you love the most, the ones that made you feel clever, poetic, maybe even brilliant. Those are the exact words most likely dragging your story down.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com/
 

Why Finishing a Draft Feels Like a Breakup

Finishing a piece of writing should feel like triumph. You’ve battled through the false starts, the bad drafts, the afternoons of staring at the blinking cursor. You’d think the ending would taste like champagne. Instead, it feels like a breakup.Connect with me:https://www.jimhansenmedia.com/