Ellen Frances
Bio
Daily five-minute reads about writing — discipline, doubt, and the reality of taking the work seriously without burning out. https://linktr.ee/ellenfranceswrites
Stories (208)
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How to Keep Writing When You Hate Everything You're Producing
I deleted 600 words from my new novel this morning. Not because they were objectively bad, but because I hated them. Every sentence felt forced. Every idea felt obvious. Every word choice felt wrong. As a draft, I couldn't stand to read them back, let alone ferociously turn them into something mildly readable.
By Ellen Frances16 days ago in Writers
How to Know If Your Writing Is Actually Good (When You Can't Tell Anymore)
I reread an article I published last week. I couldn't tell if it was good or garbage. I'd thought it was decent when I hit publish. Now, seven days later, I was reading it as if it were written by a stranger, and I genuinely couldn't assess its quality.
By Ellen Frances22 days ago in Writers
I Wrote Every Day for 6 Months and Burned Out Completely. Here’s What I Was Doing Wrong.
Six months of writing every single day without a single missed day, and I was proud of that streak. But I was also completely exhausted, resentful, and starting to hate the thing I'd committed to doing.
By Ellen Frances23 days ago in Writers
I’ve Started 23 Writing Projects. I’ve Finished 2. Here’s Why.
I have a folder on my computer called "Writing Projects." It contains 23 documents. Each one is a project I started with full conviction that this was the one. There is a book that would I would call my masterpiece. And the series that would take off. Most are ideas that were too good not to pursue.
By Ellen Frances24 days ago in Writers
How to Write When You’re Afraid Your Ex/Boss/Family Will See It
I hover over the "publish" button for three full minutes before I finally click it. I do this every single time. As soon as I publish, my article goes live. What I've written is now searchable, findable, and anyone can read it. I mean, literally anyone.
By Ellen Frances25 days ago in Writers
If You Write A Book, Don’t Tell Anyone. Top Story - February 2026.
There are days when I’m grateful Amazon doesn’t tell me specifically who has bought my book and who hasn’t. If they did, I would be heartbroken when I read the list and noticed all the important names in my life were not on my list of customers.
By Ellen Frances25 days ago in Writers
I Had 2 Hours a Week to Write. Here's How I Still Showed Up Daily.
Two hours a week. That's all I had when I was working full-time and trying to build a writing practice on the side. Maybe 15–20 minutes a day if I were lucky. Some days, all I had was literally five minutes before I had to leave for work.
By Ellen Frances27 days ago in Writers
I Couldn't Write for 3 Weeks. Here's The One Thing That Got Me Unstuck.
Three weeks. Twenty-one days of staring at a blank screen. Of opening my laptop with good intentions and closing it an hour later with nothing written. Of telling myself "tomorrow will be different" and having tomorrow be exactly the same.
By Ellen Frances28 days ago in Writers
Why Writing in Public Feels Like You’re Faking It (And Why You Should Do It Anyway)
I published an article yesterday about building a writing habit. I wrote it like I have this all figured out, like I'm some authority on consistency, showing up, and doing the work.
By Ellen Frances29 days ago in Writers
How Long It Takes to Form a Writing Habit (Honestly)
Everyone says it takes 21 days to form a habit. Or is it 30 days? Maybe 66? I've seen articles claim everything from three weeks to three months, all backed by "science" and "studies" that supposedly prove their numbers are the right ones.
By Ellen Frances30 days ago in Writers
