Here’s why that matters and how I did it. — I started posting on TikTok about two weeks ago. Late last night, I reached 1000 followers. You can find that here. Ninja Writers (Shaunta Grimes) (@ninjawriters) TikTok | Watch Ninja Writers (Shaunta Grimes)'s… Ninja Writers (Shaunta Grimes) (@ninjawriters) on TikTok | 2.5K Likes. 1K Fans. Writer/Teacher Bit of a mess I'll help…www.tiktok.com There are a couple of reasons why it’s important to get to 1000 followers on TikTok. I’m going to talk about each of them. …

Control what you can control. Let the rest take care of itself. — I came across someone on Tik Tok this week. They have 10 million followers. Ten. Million. They put on makeup and 10 million people pay attention. And someone else who has 1.5 million followers. They got a book deal. I’m not going to lie. It’s hard to look at my…

It’s time for the second annual Blog-Your-Own-Book Challenge! — Last June, I thought to myself — what if we challenged everyone to write a blog post a day for one month. That morphed into something more like what if we challenged everyone to write a blog post a day for a month and turn those posts into a book? …

Meet FRED . . . — FRED is the folder for reaching the end of your draft. And he is magical. This deceptively simple little tool keeps me on track, reminds me that I’m a real writer (when I need that reminder), and makes sure I actually finish my projects. …

A look into horizontal vs. vertical growth. — I truly believe that all it takes to be a writer is to write with the intention of being a writer. If you want to be a writer and you’re working at it by putting words down, then you’re a writer. You can call yourself a writer. And you should…

Never wonder what to write again. — I’m pretty sure that every author, at some point, is asked: where do you get your ideas. Probably just as often as we’re asked whether we’re afraid someone will steal our ideas. It’s kind of a hallmark of new writers, I think, to worry that their current idea is the…

A system that works. — Once you figure out who your niche — which is just a fancy way of saying ‘readers’ — is, it’s time to think about what they need. Because they definitely need something. And you’re in a service industry, dear writer. …

Hint: It’s not a what. It’s a WHO. — The term ‘niche down’ is so common in spaces where people who want to be writers hang out. Gurus shout it from the roof tops. If you want to be successful, you need to niche down. It took me a long time to realize why taking their advice never really…

Hint: You don’t have to do it alone. — Today is Sunday, July 31. The last Sunday of the month and my favorite day. I legitimately spend every month dreaming about the last Sunday. I plan for it. My family knows that for this one day — Mom’s busy. Because the last Sunday of every month is Ninja Writer’s…