Wednesday

HOW TO START WRITING


WHEN SHOULD I START WRITING

 This may seem contrary to the purposes of a workshop but begin writing before you do much planning, researching and organizing. Writing – authoring, is a creative process and as such, it is not so much a process as an adventure of the spirit.
If it is a book you want to write, then start writing and forget editing, correcting and second-guessing and let your pen move across the page without the constrictions of a “plan.”
Creation, or more accurately, creativity does not respond well to a plan, it responds better to allowing your inner muse a free reign.
Soon enough, you will have a blueprint for harnessing that creativity but true authenticity and connection with your reader comes from letting yourself write what is inside.

Trust yourself!

excerpt from the WRITE YOUR BOOK NOW WORKBOOK

Thursday

WRITE ANOTHER BOOK?

And yet another reason why retirement for writers and mayors is not always in the cards. If your book isn't finished, or perhaps not even started, have faith, there are others who still have things to do, too. Like Hazel...



thanks to follower CD for the heads up

Sunday

ARE WRITING WORKSHOPS WORTH IT?

Today I had an interesting question from a potential writing workshop participant who wanted to know what he would learn in the half day event that he couldn't learn online by himself. The reply is - nothing. The difference is that a workshop (mine, anyway) is based on hundreds of hours of online research, years of personal experience from writing over 3 books ( I could make a case for 5 or 6), thousands of hours of client writing time, the combined knowledge gleaned from coaching authors of every stripe, 60 years of reading, collaborations with editors, artists, printers, distributors, internet experts, publishers, designers, online media professionals and marketing experts, about 100 hours spent in other writer's workshops, countless webinars, the consistent reading of about 3 dozen writer's blogs, the lifelong thirst for knowledge and a desire to share it and Sister Mary Andrew, my grade 8 teacher from St. John's School in Kitchener, Ontario who made it alright to be intellectually curious and OK to carry a book for the pure pleasure of reading it.
The most important part of this answer is that the workshop combines all of these resources and then distills, organizes and energizes it into three hours dedicated to making the participants successful authors. Added to this is the ability to ask questions, receive feedback, make connections, learn real-world and real-time lessons based on today's realities and walk away with an actionable plan that will result in a better book, written faster and easier that will provide incredible value to the readers and the author.
It was a great question because it forced me to really look at my workshops and revisit the value they bring to the participants over and above the marketing used to sell them. I am very proud of the workshop that I have created because it is based on my lifelong passion for the written word and the absolute belief that everyone has a story to tell and my mission is to encourage them to do just that. Thanks again for asking.

Tuesday

ARE YOU STILL WAITING?

Sometimes we wait. We wait to take the vacation of a lifetime. We wait to tell someone we love them. We wait until we have enough money. We wait until we retire. We wait until we have a heart attack. We wait until we have more time.
If you are still waiting to start or finish writing the book you have always threatened to create, perhaps you will find some inspiration in this video - it's a good one! Thanks to "follower" Dawnie for the heads up.


Sunday

MORE ABOUT SELF PUBLISHING, E-BOOKS & PRICING

Still wondering about whether this e-book craze will catch on?
Still think that e-books should be priced the same as hard copy books?
Still wondering how to make money as a writer.
Still hoping to land that publishing contract with a traditional?

You might not have the same results but if one person can do it, then why not you and me?
Good writing plus good promotion - that's what every author is responsible for, and what every author has in her control.
Take a look here.