7-40 Challenge | Planning Week A few days ago I wrote that posting my first piece of book promotion took five minutes. Then I tried to make the next ones and watched each one balloon to thirty. Here's what was actually happening: I was overproducing. Building stylized videos — my cover, my music, text timed … Continue reading Stop Overproducing
Category: Books & Writing
The Only Way Out Is Through
7-40 Challenge | Rest Week I wrote a song this week. It's called "The Only Way Out Is Through," and I didn't set out to write a midpoint reflection on the year — but that's what came out. The verses are claustrophobic on purpose. Same four walls. Weight on the chest. A voice saying you're … Continue reading The Only Way Out Is Through
Editing Life
7-40 Challenge | 6-22-2026 I cut almost half of my first novel in editing. Scenes I loved. Lines I was proud of. Whole subplots I'd spent weeks building. Every cut made the book better. This round, I did the same thing to my year. I started 2026 with a list of everything I wanted to … Continue reading Editing Life
The Short Letter
7-40 Challenge | Round 4, Day 30 There's a quote attributed to Blaise Pascal: "I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time." Most people read that as a joke about editing. It's not. It's one of the truest things ever said about how real clarity works. The simple version … Continue reading The Short Letter
Undiscovered Territory
7-40 Challenge | Round 4, Day 29 I've been calling promoting my creative work a foreign country. A place I don't speak the language, don't know the customs, don't belong. I've been treating it like something that requires a translator or a guide just to survive. That's the wrong metaphor. And the wrong metaphor was … Continue reading Undiscovered Territory
David Willis 