Write Well Me

[FUEL] How Do You Know When You're Writing From Your Soul?

By Dawn Goldberg

I talk all the time about writing from your soul and how important it is to really connect your message to your audience. I've talked about how to do it, how to set yourself up for success, and what gets in the way.

But how do you know if you're actually writing from your soul? That you're actually doing it, real time, right now?

Think of it as a path you're on, with steps (even baby steps) and milestones.

First, you're a bit scared when you hit the publish or send button. You feel naked and vulnerable and afraid that people can see deep down into the real you. Because that's what you've allowed them to do - get a glimpse of your soul.

Secondly, you recognize that you're not playing it safe. That you're trying new things. That you're willing to be messy and just put it out there.

Third, you know. :) You'll really feel as if you nailed it. That you were able to reach deep inside and grab EXACTLY what you wanted to say - and then you said it! It's more than just, "I wrote that really well." It's that you finally translated those concepts into the right words.

Fourth, people respond. Here are some of the comments I received when I went to that deep and scared place: "Beautiful marketing- your persistence and undaunted efforts are noteworthy and so I'm writing to acknowledge you." "I LOVE your analogy of finding my personal beacon." "I welcome your Fuel ezine again. This was a particularly good one with its tips on having a Writing Plan." "Loved your article, btw!!!" I've gotten more feedback like this than I ever did before. When you are writing from your soul, other people notice. They feel as if you're connecting to them. And some of them let you know.

Finally, you're ready to stand up and claim your power as a brilliant, gifted person on the planet. And you stand up straight and tall and tell the world. Sometimes that can be in small ways, as long as you're claiming YOU as valid and valuable.

You could look at this as a process or a continuum of writing from your soul. Where are you on the continuum?

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When you're writing, you don't see what's there

Years ago, I entered the realm of fantasy books fan with Terry Brooks's The Elfstones of Shannara.  Many fantasy series later, I made my way to George R. R. Martin and The Game of Thrones.  (By the way, this was YEARS before HBO thought of making a series.  Just sayin'.  It bugs me when it seems as if I'm following the herd.  No, I found it before the herd did. So there.)

Now that Mark is in my life, and comic books have been a big part of his for decades, I have a different appreciation for comic books than I have before.

(Actually, that isn't completely true. I fell in love with the Elfquest series in high school. What drew me was the fantasy aspect - big surprise - and the gorgeous art.)

Anyway, during a visit to our local comic store, when I saw that The Game of Thrones had been made into a graphic novel, I bypassed titles that I'd never heard of and opened it up.

What drew me, again not surprisingly, was the breathtaking art and color, along with the story I already loved.  I bought it, and just recently picked it up and read it in two days.  And, like the geek I am, I read it cover to cover, including the making of the graphic novel.

What struck me, and what I wanted to share with you, was what the artist, Tommy Patterson, said about his process:

"Laying out the pages takes the most brain power of anything I do. I do twenty-nine layouts over two days, and I am zapped the next day. As an artist who likes to draw because it's fun, this is true labor. I'm in the process of convincing my whiny butt that it's good for me and the story to do them all up front. The work flow is way easier, so Anne, Tricia, and Daniel can find errors BEFORE they get drawn on the actual page. So much of being a pro is working through bad days or working on corrections. I'm still in the process of developing productive habits. I'll figure out an easy way one day."

And

"I like blue for the underdrawing because when I come in with graphite, it's like correcting someone else's drawing. I find errors are easier to see that way. After the page is done, I scan it in and print it out at reduced size. Again, it's like seeing someone else's drawing. Artists are blind to their own work, so you have to trick yourself to see what is really there and not what you think is there."

As writers (artists using a different medium), we can take the following from Tommy:

• He has a process (like using a different color to draw with and then scan and reduce). He knows what works for him. He is also looking at the ENTIRE process, not just the creating.  He knows he'll have to edit later, so he has a process that works.
• Creating can be hard.  We have to convince ourselves that we want to create, especially when it's for a deadline or a project, not just whimsical, "Oh, I'll just play around a bit..."
• "Artists are blind to their own work." PLEASE HEAR THIS! We are not objective judges of our own work. That's why, if we self-edit, we must step away from it for a period of time so that we can come back to it as if we weren't the ones who created it.
• Along that line, what is there and what is what we THINK is there are not always the same.

How does this apply to you and your writing?

Advice to a former student - and to you

Last week I received an email from a student who had taken two of my writing programs I delivered to the organization she works for in DC.

Here's what she wrote to me, "I'm writing to you today because I need your advice.  I’m really frustrated with my writing and I’m interested in taking some writing courses immediately. When I write, I get frustrated. It could take an hour or so before I put my thoughts down on paper.  My sentences do not flow like it should and I tend not to think about the reader. From reviewing my previous homework assignments, what classes would you recommend me to take?  I’m looking at colleges in the metropolitan area that offers a 6 weeks course; this would be more beneficial for me."

After reading her email and reviewing the writing she did for my classes, it was pretty clear what she needed. 

I wanted to share what I responded because it's a reminder to all of us for two things: 1) We can create (write, brainstorm, etc.) better and more effortlessly when it's aligned with how we process the world, 2) Always keep your audience in mind.

First, a comment.  I suspect that you get frustrated and take a long time to get your thoughts down because you haven’t been taught (and most of us weren’t) the creative process, especially as it aligns with how you process the world.  For example, I’m very verbal (not a big surprise!).  I see the world through the written word.  So, if I’m going to brainstorm or create, I need to play with the written word: write lists, bullet points, phrases, mind map, etc.  Someone else who doesn’t process the world that way, and instead processes the world through what she hears (auditory) would need more sound-based ways to brainstorm: talk to someone, record herself talking, etc.

So, one of your challenges is probably that you haven’t found the way that works for you to brainstorm and create when it’s time for you to write something.  And so you struggle.

Secondly, based on reviewing your writing samples, you do want to bring in the audience more (and you noted that, too!). You want to illustrate the situation, paint pictures for them, make your writing come alive, engage the audience.  One way to do this is to put yourself in their heads.  What do they want? What do they need? Why do they want this information? What is going to appeal to them?

With all that, the best course, in my opinion, for you to look into is a creative writing course. While you could work on grammar and mechanics, what you’re looking for is beyond that.  A class that focuses more on the mechanics won’t give you the opportunity to really practice the deeper stuff.  A creative writing class – one that’s safe and nurturing as opposed to critical – is what you want.

Basically, you want to practice writing! You want to practice getting in the heads of the audience.  Writing more fully.  And letting go of some of the more rigid kind of writing you’ve probably been doing.

Where do you see yourself in this response? How do you process the world? And what do you need to do to get in the heads of your readers more?

[FUEL] How to Get Motivated - When You're Not

It happens... you set aside time to write and create. Or a client cancels at the last minute. Or that rare thing of a block of time drops into your lap. You're even all set with what you're going to work on.

And you stare at the computer.

You frown at your list.

You shuffle papers on your desk.

You look at your plan.

You do nothing.

And it's so frustrating!!! Especially if it's the case where you got the very rare gift of extra time. You DREAM about having a block of time to create and write. And then you get it, and you can't seem to even press a key on the keyboard.

I'm a big proponent of following your energy, so I don't believe in forcing one's self to be creative... "Dammit! You WILL be creative." Uh, no.

But if it's not that your energy and will just aren't there, and you need a bit of a nudge, here are 10 options to cure the Non-Motivated Paralysis.

1. Do the easiest thing on your list. Sometimes you just need to get started, and that first motion will get everything else lined up and waiting to be done, too.

2. Do the hardest thing on your list. This hard thing you need to tackle could be paralyzing you... it might be the very reason you aren't doing ANYTHING - because you don't want to do THIS thing. Maybe you've heard the saying from Mark Twain, "Eat a live frog every morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day."

3. Reassess your creative and writing to-do's. Maybe the list isn't valid anymore. Maybe you're not feelin' the love of some of the things on the list. It's okay to change your mind. It might have been a great idea a month ago or a day ago. And maybe it's not any longer.

4. What do you want to do? Close your eyes and think about what you actually, really, truly want to do. Maybe it's on your next-up, creative, writing list... buried among all the other ones. Or maybe it's new. Follow your energy and do the creative thing you WANT to do.

5. Set the timer for 15 minutes - and convince yourself to actually dive in for just 15 minutes. You might be motivated to do more once the timer goes off... or you'll know that you got at least 15 minutes done.

6. What inspires you? Loud music? Outdoors? Flipping through design magazines? Do it! Blare the music. Go to your favorite state park. Get out those magazines. Then see how you feel.

7. Go somewhere out of pattern for you: a cafe, the woods, your backyard, the library (they do still exist). The different atmosphere will change your energy and your mood.

8. Get out pen and paper. Or markers. Or your sketchpad. Try writing with a different implement or on a different surface. Try dry-erase markers on your mirror - storyboard or mindmap your next article that way.

9. What can you get out of this experience? (Guess how this article came about! I thought about all the ways I could motivate myself, and voila! The article was born.)

10. Just be with it. Sometimes there's no way around it. Be gentle with yourself and let be whatever needs to be.

Next time you're feeling paralyzed, pull out one of these strategies. (They work when you're plenty motivated, too!)

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Have a lot to do? Want 4 hours to do it?

Ah... grand plans of writing... I'll get up in the morning, get my cup of tea, read a writing magazine, journal, and then slam dunk a teleclass registration page, a marketing email, a blog post, an ezine article...

And how much of that actually gets done?

(Well, the cup of tea is a given. Always.)

It's the writing stuff that doesn't always happen.

I personally look forward to my monthly Just Write! Virtual Workshops because I definitely need to set aside time to write. I always have these grand plans that I'll fit this ezine article in here, the rewrite of that class materials there... oh, and I'll blog three times a week.

Uh huh. Yeah, right.

I swear if I don't have scheduled, on-my-calendar time to do all the writing I need to do for my business, it's a whole lot less likely to get done.

Hence, why I created the Just Write! Virtual Workshops in the first place. So *I* could write.

I need regular, scheduled writing time - just like you do - to get all that writing done. So, what am I going to be working on this Friday?

• (Hopefully not my ezine article since it's supposed to come out BEFORE the workshop starts. So, if Fuel hasn't come out that morning, you KNOW what I'll be working on!)
• Marketing for my free upcoming teleclass on July 18. (Yes, that sounds like it's a looooong ways away, but there's a lot of back-end to get done in order to start promoting it... like, now!)
• Rewrite of my freebie Writing From Your Soul system. I have some graphic and rewrites to do, and I just don't seem to be finding time plopping into my lap.

What could you be writing this Friday?

Join me and other business owners and writers and get cracking!

WHAT: Just Write! Virtual Workshop
DATE: Friday, May 31, 2013
TIME: 12:00pm - 4:00pm eastern each day
LOCATION: Virtual! From wherever you want to write
PRICE: $29 for each workshop - includes the four-hour workshop, handouts, and on-the-spot coaching.

You have plenty to write... I know you do. Get your cup of tea, coffee, Diet Coke, or whatever, and come get lots of writing done!

The 16 Rules of Writing, According to Dawn

Writing is sacred, or at least, the power of words is sacred. We need to respect the word, the writing, and the process. While I believe there are no real rules to writing, here are 15 rules I use in my own writing life as well as with my clients and students.

Feel free to break any as necessary, as long as you're always respecting the creative process.

1. Prepare your environment. Maybe you can write everywhere, or maybe you need to go somewhere different. Alternatively, make an environment as conducive to writing as possible.

2. Get rid of the idea that your beginning has to be perfect… that you have to hook them with the right starting sentence.

3. There is no place for the "I don't want to have to do too much editing" mindset. Editing is a huge (one of the three) component of the writing process.

4. Don't edit when you're trying to create. It's the biggest danger to getting started (and to writing in general). The more thoroughly you brainstorm and idea generate, the sooner your material will sort itself out.

5. Give it time. Play with your idea, let it sit, and come back to it with fresh eyes and a fresh mind. You'll be surprised at the revelations and connections you make.

6. Don't force it. It will eventually come.

7. Follow your energy. If you feel like going down Path B instead of Path A, do it. Your writing will be stronger, and you will be more productive.

8. Celebrate the advances you have made. As I was writing one day, I realized that I had done a lot of pre-work already. While the big picture could tell me that I haven't written a thing, the REAL bigger picture told me that the last few months involved me gathering information, which was necessary to get to the place where I was writing.

9. Pay attention to the world around you as well as to openings of movies, tv shows, articles, blog posts, novels, short stories…. What appeals to you? What do you like?

10. When you're writing, no email.

11. No phone either.

12. No social media! (Uh, yes, that means Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Google+.)

13. Commit to doing it badly. If you try to write it perfectly straight out the gate, then your inner critic gremlin gets in the way of the creation.

14. Respect the process. If you're flowing between the various steps of the writing process (creating, writing, editing), then give yourself a break. Get up and walk around. Shift your seat. Change the music.

15. Take projects in chunks instead of trying to look at entire project. How can you break your project down into smaller steps (write one blog post, do research on ____, etc.)?

16. If you're having trouble getting started, free write. It gets your mind uncluttered, and helps you focus.

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[FUEL] 8 Strategies to Get in Touch with Your Soul

By Dawn Goldberg

We've all read the piece of writing that lies flat, that seems as if an intelligent monkey in a room with a typewriter could have randomly come up with that particular combination of words - words that make sense, but no soul to the writing.

What we want - what we crave - (to read as well as to write) is that intersection of our deep message translated into words that then connects powerfully with our audience.

THAT is writing from your soul.

It's more than just keeping your reader's interest. It's enthralling and compelling her to want more.

"Great," you say, "but how does one actually write from the soul? It's hard to do that all the time."

It's actually only hard if you're not in touch with what you're trying to get across. You have something to say that's important enough for you to decide to go through all this hoopla to actually write it down.

THAT's where the soul comes in. Write from your soul, and your readers will be pulled into your writing and your message.

How do you get in touch with your soul?

1. Get rid of distractions, as long as they are absolutely keeping you from connecting with your soul. If doing a few quick things will get those things off your mind, great. Do them. And then get to that appointment with your soul.

2. Listen. Sometimes this means you have to sit quietly. (I know - it's hard.) Let your soul be heard. Let your soul speak to you. What does she want to say? What's so important that she has to have you write the words? Why? Why? Why?

3. Reflection. What do you need to do to get in touch with yourself and go deeper? It's going to be different for everyone. Sometimes just writing in my journal will do it for me. Sometimes, though, that's not enough. If I write about my Power Words or my gratitude list, that will almost always allow me to go deeper. (And that's the key - going deeper.)

4. Inspiration. Read or watch or look at something that inspires you. Not something to get off your to-do list ("I'll just read a chapter in this business book..." Uh, no). Some of my favorites: divination cards, A Knock at the Door inspirational movie, photos of mountains.

5. Pay attention to your beacons. What is it that motivates you? What's important to you? For some people, it might be the idea of healing the world, helping others find their authentic voice, entertaining through fiction.... What are your beacons? Keep those in mind as you write from your soul.

6. Write everything you hear. Don't worry about what you're writing, if it's good enough, if it's SOUL-ful enough. Get it all down. You can go back later and rearrange, bridge, connect, make sure it flows, add, subtract. But right now, don't censor your soul.

7. Put away fear and vulnerability. Let your soul's words come out. Again, you can always refine later. Right now, do the deep listening and write it all. You can always choose later not to include something. But letting it all come out now allows your soul to have a voice and for you to have plenty of material from which to craft your writing piece.

8. Commit to just writing. Forget about each and every step and how you have to research this, make sure you include that. You can can investigate and look deeply later. Right now, you're just letting your soul speak.

When you let your soul be heard, your writing is yards better. Your readers can tell when you're really passionate about something or if you're holding back to play it safe. Leave playing safe behind and dive into your soul.

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[FUEL] My 5 Favorite Writing Rituals

When it's time to write, especially writing from one's soul, one doesn't just turn on a dime. At least, I don't.

If I'm going to write from my soul, connect with my peeps, and write powerful, compelling material, I have to write consciously, not unconsciously.

First, what do I mean by writing unconsciously?

It usually happens when you have a task ahead of you: write the next ezine article, sales page, promo copy, social media updates for the next teleclass. When it becomes this "Oh, I have to do this so I can cross it off" or from a feeling of "it just has to be done," you're not in contact with your soul.

And if you are disconnected from the deeper message and purpose, your writing will be harder and not nearly as compelling. I've seen my clients write what they thought was awful stuff, but it was authentic and from their soul... the result was a powerful set of words.

To connect with your soul, you need to transition from that to-do mode to the soul mode. It's a little like transitioning from driving on the Interstate to driving through the rural countryside with all its twists and turns. You have to pay attention and go slowly.

In order to help me transition from that to-do mode (which, I admit, permeates a great deal of my work day), I have few powerful rituals I rely on. Here are my top 5.

1. Asking, "What do I mean by that?"
From Writing the Mind Alive, a great book written by Linda Trichter Metcalf and Tobin Simon. The whole book is about creating a writing ritual, but what sets this particular ritual apart is the constant question, "What do I mean by that?" Just asking that question forces you to go deeper. You ask it and then answer. And then ask again. And answer. And ask again. And answer. Eventually, you get to that deeper message.

2. Listening to my current favorite song over and over.
That way going from one song to a different one doesn't distract me, and, depending on the song I choose, the energy of the song can match my writing mood. (Right now, my favorite song is Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" - Pretty easy to write when you're all fired up!)

3. Pulling a card from one of my 14 divination/oracle decks (my favorite is Collette Baron-Reid's "Wisdom of the Hidden Realms") and letting that card and its message inform me.
Whether it's the message I need for the day, the intention I want to set for a project, or an answer to a specific question, this one card is my beacon.

4. Determining what my Power Words are in that instant.
In my life, there are words that are very powerful for me and evoke a positive, strong reaction. These are words of desire, emotion, need, feeling... words that as soon as I see or say them, I'm filled wiht whatever emotion, concept, or idea they bring up for me. These Power Words end up being a snapshot of who Dawn is - way deep down.

5. Playing with my creativity, whether that's cross-stitching or creating photo quotes.
I find when I disconnect from the the to-do-ness of life and embrace the creative side, it sets my mind free.

What are rituals you can put in place in order to help you break out of to-do mode and access that deeper part of you? I'd love for you to share in the comments below!

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[FUEL] Making Writing Easy - The Continual Process

So, as you know, I'm committing to writing more and more, and what that looks like (ideally) is more blog posts, more ezine articles, and books.

That means writing. A lot of writing.

And THAT means actually writing. :)

The other day, I ended my work day at 3:00pm with the intention to write. Oh my goodness, was that hard! As soon as I finished my last work task, I felt completely lost. What do I do next? What's the next step? How do I get started?

I almost fled back to my office, to the solace of a to-do list that was very clear about what my next task was.

But I didn't.

Instead, I started straightening up the kitchen, organizing receipts, and filing.

Uh, really? Filing?

I hate to file, so why in the world was I filing?

Because it's hard to write, and it is so much easier to work, clean up the kitchen, file, do the dishes... because we know the next step. We don't have to figure it out. A pile of receipts to be organized? Go through each one, and categorize by whatever system you use (in my case, determine if it's a business receipt and then categorize by year). A messy kitchen? Clean it up one dish at a time. They're all right there in front of you, waiting to be processed.

Writing, though? The next step for me is to see where I left off last time and.... continue.

Pretty vague.

To make writing easy (or at least easier), we need to know the very specific, concrete next step. You might have an action plan that helps (something I help my coaching clients create).

• "Work on Chapter 7."
• "Review introduction for chapter 3."
• "Research mating habits of golden finches."

Although sometimes those actions can be too big, too.

Here are my favorite methods for making that make that next step as concrete as possible.

1. When you do actually write, at the end of your writing session, stop in the middle of your last sentence. Don't finish it. If you need to, take that partial sentence, just that sentence, and copy it onto a blank sheet of paper. That sheet of paper is your next concrete step.

2. If #1 won't work for you, when you end your writing session, what's the obvious question? For example, in my Phoenix Rising story, there's a scene where the other main character knocks on the door, and Phoenix opens the door. If I had ended my writing session there, the question for me to ask (and to pick up the next writing session) is "What does Phoenix say to Rend?"

3. Create your own Writing Action Plan. If you're writing fiction, have a plot outline so that you know, generally, what happens next. If you're writing a nonfiction piece, you may have an outline, a book proposal (which would have a chapter list), or at least a list of concepts you want to cover.

4. If writing a nonfiction book, especially personal development or self-help, do you have a process you follow? If so, there's your outline. Take each step of your process and flesh it out.

The way these strategies work is to give our brains something specific to work on. We can't help but try to finish the incomplete sentence or to answer the question or to go to the next step. We're wired (or trained by years of school) to do do so.

So, next time, instead of filing or doing the dishes, work on developing your Writing Action Plan and then your obvious, next concrete steps are waiting for you. And hopefully their call will be louder than the pile or receipts or dirty dishes.

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Big Dreams Require Big Upheaval

"Writing From Your Soul: necessary for a rich, fulfilling life."

Pretty big words, huh? They're easy words to live by... and hard words. It's kind of like the saying, "The days are long, but the years are short." In the big picture, we KNOW we want to be our best, deepest, most authentic selves. Day-to-day, though, it's easy to get caught up in small and big drama, kids sick, homework to review, the report due to the client tomorrow, what to make for dinner...

That's why I'm going to be working on my big dream: writing and publishing a book. I say all the time that my biggest dream is to be a published author, yet I make very little headway on a daily basis. It's the big goal, but my daily actions don't support it.

That's going to stop now.

In trying to go after my big dream, I'm also trying to let go of the Superwoman syndrome where I think I can do it all, and that I'm responsible for everything. What that means is that I have to let something go, and right now, that something is a big portion of Write Well U programs and products.

Don't get me wrong. I adore creating new programs and products, but the truth is that it takes me away from my bigger dream. Any time and energy spent there is time and energy NOT spent on writing my book (well, actually, books - plural. I have three in the works).

It's like I have a flowchart...

Does this action/product/program/idea/request take me further along my goal of writing my book?

No --> Then, don't do it.

Yes --> Then, do it.

Simple, huh? :)

We'll see, and right now, I'm committing to finishing my one book (an inspirational visual book) in 30 days, and having a manuscript to send to an agent or publisher by December 31, 2013.

30-Second Marketing Series Tip 16: The Power of a Handwritten Note - A True Story

Welcome to the 30-Second Marketing Series!

Each day in this 30-day series, I'll be sending you a tip via email... great marketing tips, in small enough bites that you can actually digest, makes sense of, and USE! These tips will be in a variety of formats: to keep you interested, anticipating the next tip, and to meet different learning styles: text, audio, video, graphics.

Are you ready for today's tip? Here we go!

30-Second Marketing Series Tip 16: The Power of a Handwritten Note - A True Story

 

I hope you've enjoyed today's tip... I'd love to hear your comments about today's tip on handwritten notes. Feel free to leave a comment below!

And if you're not subscribed to the free 30-Second Marketing Series, don't miss this 30-day series with one marketing tip each day... only 30 seconds each! Find out more and register here.

What could 15 minutes a day of writing do for you?

Okay, I really am not trying to copy Geico here. 15 minutes just seems like a nice, manageable chunk of time. Not too long, as in "Hey, I could do anything for 15 minutes!" and not too short, as in "5 minutes? That won't get me squiddly."

Frankly, I can't wait to see what I can get done in 15 minutes of writing a day during my 15-Minutes-A-Day Writing Challenge starting Thursday, November 1. Even just one day of writing for 15 minutes feels luxurious during a time where I feel as if I'm just rushing from one minute to the next. I'm really looking forward to carving out a whole 15 minutes of writing each day.

I know I can commit to just 15 minutes a day of writing. But then there's also the almost-opposite appeal of a longer-term commitment of 15 days of writing for 15 minutes. I know one segment of writing for 15 minutes will be really helpful - for that day.

But then for 15 whole days?! I really can't wait!

What could you get done in 15 minutes?

• You could write a blog post.
• You could take a picture for a blog post.
• You could write the outline for an article.
• You could jot down ideas for a sales page.
• You could put together a survey for your community.
• You could write a paragraph or two for your book.
• You could draft a response to a potential client inquiry.
• You could write six Tweets.
• You could update Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and Twitter.
• You could research information for your next article.
• You could brainstorm features of your next program.

Are you ready to play with us?!

DATES: Weekdays starting November 1 through November 21
TIME: 7:00pm eastern | 6:00pm central | 5:00pm mountain | 4:00pm pacific
LENGTH: 25 minutes each day
PRICE: $45, includes daily check-in calls, 15-minutes-a-day Worksheet, and the bonus 10 Surefire Ways to Get Started audio and mini workbook

 

Find out more and register for 15-Minutes-A-Day Writing Challenge.

What could 15 minutes of writing do for you? What are you going to write?

Neil Shusterman and the Power of the Unexpected

So yesterday, as part of my mom duties, Itake Teen Child the Elder to a book signing.  It's Neal Shusterman, author of dozens of published books and tv and movie scripts, and he's promoting Unwholly, sequel to Unwind.

What started out as one more activity to take a kid to turned into an amazing experience.  For 90 minutes, Neal answered questions from the audience, ranging from how he was inspired to write his various books to who his favorite characters are to his writing process.

As a writing coach and a writer myself, I asked the question I ask all writers: "Describe an average day, including your writing life and 'real' life."

His answer: "I get up a 6am to take my daughter to school at 6:15am. I come back at 8:00am and sleep for 15 minutes until I have to take my other daughter to school at 8:15am. I come back to check email for 15 minutes. 3 hours later... I decide I should do some writing.  As I work on current story (and am stuck), I get a call from a fellow writer who is equally stuck.  We decide to meet for lunch and complain to each other about being stuck in our stories.  Finally, we decide we should get some writing done, and we write for about 45 minutes until it's time for me to go pick up my kids from school. The rest of the day, I play dad."

The point to all this? He is helping dispel the myth that Real Writer writes for 8 hours a day, every day, no matter what, and is divinely inspired all the time.

Neal reinforces the idea that we can be successful writers, even just writing 45 minutes a day. (Although he did say that when he's in the creative flow, he might write for 2-3 hours at a time. In addition, he takes cruises in the off-season to get a lot of writing done.)

I certainly didn't expect enter the writing world last night. I'm glad I did.

Your Inner Critic Gremlin Lies to You - 6 Questions to Get to the Truth

You're no good.

You don't know what you're doing.

That's a stupid idea.

What makes you think anyone is going to buy from you?

You're sending too many emails.

You're promoting too much.

No one needs what you have to offer.

____ [fill in the blank] does that better than you do.

You offer the same service/product as _____. Why would someone buy from you?

That last question is the only question that the Inner Critic Gremlin has that is even remotely helpful.

Why would someone buy from you?

But that's the end of its helpfulness. Gremlin will give you all the negative reasons why someone would NOT buy from you.

And that's just not true.

You DO have something to offer that is different from anyone else in your industry...

You.

You just have to figure it out. :) Here are some simple, yet powerful, questions you can ask yourself to get to the truth. The answers will tell you - and Gremlin - why someone WOULD buy from you.

1. People need me because... Your answer is going to include special skills and gifts that you bring to the game. You provide something. What is it? (And there is an answer, because you're not just taking up space. You matter.)
2. What's special and unique about what I do is... This one may be a little tricky. The thing about a natural gift is that we don't usually realize it's special. We think everyone does it and does it that way. Because for us, it's so easy and natural. That's your first clue that what we're talking about IS a gift. So, what is it that you do that is special?
3. I solve these kinds of problems: ____ What is it that you do? How do you help others?
4. People tell me they're amazed I can... People HAVE told you this. You may just have to delve deeply to remember. (Because it's so much easier to remember the bad stuff, especially our own self-critical stuff.)
5. I'm really good at... You are. It may be hard to admit to it, because, for some reason, we're taught that it's bad to say, "This is what I'm great at." So.... what are you great at?
6. No one else seems to be able to _____ like I can. This one may be easier to answer than #5 because it's easier to see yourself in comparison to others (good and bad, unfortunately). What do you do that other people don't do as well? Hint: what do other people come to you to do because they can't or they're not as good as you?

You may have to run through this exercise several times before it becomes somewhat automatic - your automatic answer to what the Inner Critic Gremlin tells you. Because Gremlin always has lies for you. It's up to you to find the truth.

"Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip Series - Tip #4

I hope you're enjoying the "Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip Series where each day for four days, I give you a Quick Tip and a Quick Action you can implement right away to write all the things that are going to help you create movement and momentum in your business!

"Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip #4 - Set up accountability systems. When we write for ourselves, we only have ourselves to be accountable to. That gives us a ton of wiggle room... room to wiggle out of the tasks we've set for ourselves. Because no one else is looking over our shoulders, making sure we get done what we stated we wanted to do.

1. Understand the place this writing project has in the bigger picture of what you're trying to do. It's not just an article, a proposal, a campaign. It's part of the path to your bigger goals (more credibility, visibility, income, clients). It also helps to have a chainlink of dependencies. "I can't launch this new service until I write the sales page."
2. Set deadlines. Yes, you're the one setting the deadline, but sometimes we can fool our brains with a hard date. Advertise an upcoming teleclass in your ezine. Put your next workshop on your Events calendar on your website. Tell someone you're writing a book. Now, you've created some external deadlines, not just an arbitrary one.
3. What will happen if you finish your writing project? It's more than just getting one thing done and going onto the next. Really think about what that means: the sense of accomplishment, the pride, the "I can do it." Plus, forward movement on your bigger goals. (See #1 above.)
4. What will happen if you DON'T finish your writing project? What are you delaying? No, the world won't end, but you are delaying those bigger goals. Hopefully, the pain of NOT doing it outweighs the pain of doing it.

Quick Action: Jot down the bigger picture of your goals and how writing project fits in. For even greater accountability, post in the comments below and tell me that bigger picture!

Really want to boost your writing?

Four hours of writing allows you to make HUGE progress on what you're working on. Because, honestly, you're not going to get as much done with 15 minutes here, 5 minutes there.

Write with us on Friday and be amazed at how much you can get done!

WHAT: Just Write! Virtual Workshop
DATE: Friday, June 29, 2012
TIME: 12:00pm - 4:00pm eastern
LOCATION: Virtual! From wherever you want to write
PRICE: $29 for each workshop - includes the four-hour workshop, handouts, and on-the-spot coaching.

I know how the writing projects I'll be working on tomorrow fit into my bigger picture. Would you like to make some progress on YOUR bigger picture?

"Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip Series - Tip #3

I hope you're enjoying the "Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip Series where each day for four days, I give you a Quick Tip and a Quick Action you can implement right away to write all the things that are going to help you create movement and momentum in your business!

"Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip #3 - Set yourself up for easy. If you have to spend time finding the document you started two weeks ago, gathering the research, looking for that email with the guidelines for the proposal, you're less likely to (and certainly less enthusiastic about) plunking yourself down to write.

Instead, set yourself up for easy. Do what you need to do the night before, the morning before your afternoon writing appointment, whatever... to get everything ready so all you need to do is to start working on your project.

A few rules about setting yourself up for easy:

1. Gather all the materials, data, documents, emails, EVERYTHING for your project. Then, it's all in one place, and you don't have to spend time (or excuses) looking for it.
2. Have inspirational reminders about what you're working on around you. If it's in your everyday consciousness, you'll be more likely to want to write. Use pictures, images, mindmaps, index cards on a bulletin board, quotations about writing... whatever is going to inspire you and make writing the want-to-do activity instead of the have-to-do activity.
3. Make shameless use of external motivators. If you're proud of your blog traffic, print out a graph of recent traffic to motivate you to keep writing. If people have written to tell you how much they love your articles and how helpful they are, post those around you. Ice cream works, too.
4. Set up accountability check-ins. Tell a friend or loved one that you'll be writing tomorrow at 2:00pm and set up a time that you'll call her with a progress report. Better yet, join a writer's group or writer's workshop. When other people are involved, you're much more likely to do the activity. (More about this in tomorrow's Quick Tip.)

Before you're done with today's writing appointment, set yourself up for easy for your next writing appointment:

1. Stop writing in the middle of a sentence. Just leave it undone, and you have an easy place to come back to.
2. Write questions about the next stage in your writing. That way, when you come back, the first thing you're doing is answering those questions. You don't have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out where to go next.
3. If you're using an outline or a mindmap, mark where on that outline or mindmap you'll be starting up. So, like with the questions in #2, you have a handy reference for where to start.
4. Leave your writing out. If it's a notepad, leave it on the kitchen table. If it's on a computer, leave the document up on the screen. Not only is it out as a reminder (and you might actually stop by a few times during the day and add a bit here and there), but there's no prep work. You're ready to go at a moment's notice.

Quick Action: How will you set yourself up for easy for your next writing appointment? For even greater accountability, post your comments below and tell me what those easy steps are!

Really want to boost your writing?

Four hours of writing allows you to make HUGE progress on what you're working on. Because, honestly, you're not going to get as much done with 15 minutes here, 5 minutes there.

Write with us on Friday and be amazed at how much you can get done!

WHAT: Just Write! Virtual Workshop
DATE: Friday, June 29, 2012
TIME: 12:00pm - 4:00pm eastern
LOCATION: Virtual! From wherever you want to write
PRICE: $29 for each workshop - includes the four-hour workshop, handouts, and on-the-spot coaching.

I've been gathering everything I need for Friday, and I'm making it as easy as I can to WRITE on Friday!

"Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip Series - Tip #2

I hope you're enjoying the "Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip Series where each day for four days, I give you a Quick Tip and a Quick Action you can implement right away to write all the things that are going to help you create movement and momentum in your business!

"Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip #2 - Break your project into manageable chunks. One reason we don't write regularly or we put off what we need to write is that it looks too big. (And it might be too big for just one writing appointment.)

"Write book" doesn't work so well in that scheduled appointment time I talked about in Quick Tip #1. You can't exactly cross it off your list.

You can, however, set the goal of writing for, say, 30 minutes (and you've scheduled that). Or the goal of jotting down the outline of your article. Or mindmapping your sales page. Or writing emails to gather testimonials for your latest service offering.

A few rules about breaking your writing up into manageable chunks:

1. Plan your project. Think of every step, no matter how small, and write that down. Even if you're just writing a blog post, you could note the following steps:

A. Draft blog post.
B. Upload picture to use for post.
C. Draft title.
D. Edit blog post.

Each of these steps is much more manageable, AND you might even be more motivated to do them. ("Oh, that won't take long. I'll just upload this picture right now...")

1. Know that tasks usually take longer than we plan. So, if you have an hour of scheduled writing time, plan about 30-45 minutes of tasks from your breakdown in #1. Then, when you finish all of them, you'll have a great sense of accomplishment.
2. As an alternative, just write for as long as you've scheduled. When that time is up, you're done. End of story. No worries about where you are on the task list, and you still have that sense of accomplishment because you wrote during your scheduled writing time.

Quick Action: Quick like a bunny, write down all the steps of your current writing project. For even greater accountability, write in the comments below and tell me what those steps are!

Really want to boost your writing?

Four hours of writing allows you to make HUGE progress on what you're working on. Because, honestly, you're not going to get as much done with 15 minutes here, 5 minutes there.

Write with us on Friday and be amazed at how much you can get done!

WHAT: Just Write! Virtual Workshop
DATE: Friday,June 29, 2012
TIME: 12:00pm - 4:00pm eastern each day
LOCATION: Virtual! From wherever you want to write (but try to make sure it's a quiet place, as there will be a group of us together).
PRICE: $29 for each workshop - includes the four-hour workshop, handouts, and on-the-spot coaching.

I have my list ready for Friday, and I have lots to write. I hope you'll be writing with us on Friday!

"Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip Series - Tip #1

We have a million things to write, or so it seems. Sales pages, emails, proposals, responses, social media updates, campaigns, books, articles, blog posts....

Maybe not a million, but really, really close. :)

So, how do we get all that done?

Enter the "Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip Series where each day for four days, I'll give you a Quick Tip and a Quick Action you can implement right away to write all the things that are going to help you create movement and momentum in your business.

"Keep It Going-Get It Done" Quick Tip #1 - Schedule regular time to write.
Some people will say you need to write every day. Not me. As coaches, consultants, writers.... our schedules vary day to day.

But that doesn't mean that you can't schedule regular times to write. Once a week, every weekday, Monday/Wednesday/Friday, a big chunk on the weekend....

A few rules about scheduling your writing time:

1. Actually schedule it in your calendar. Don't just put it on your to-do list. Attach it to a time.
2. Treat that appointment like you would treat an appointment with a client. It's nonnegotiable time. You wouldn't give away the time for Client B when you already have Client A booked for that time, right? Treat your writing the same way.
3. Allow margin in your schedule so you can get into the mindset of whatever you're writing. Finish whatever you're working on at least five minutes before your writing appointment (and don't use it to check email just real quick....). Use those five minutes to sit quietly, meditate, get your environment ready.
4. Write for the time you've scheduled. Whatever you get done during that time is perfect. In other words, keep to the time, not the scope of the project. (Hint: a future tip later this week!)

Quick Action: Get your calendar out now and schedule your next writing appointment. For even greater accountability, write in the comments below and tell me what that writing time is!

Really want to boost your writing?

Four hours of writing allows you to make HUGE progress on what you're working on. Because, honestly, you're not going to get as much done with 15 minutes here, 5 minutes there.

Write with us on Friday and be amazed at how much you can get done!

WHAT: Just Write! Virtual Workshop
DATE: Friday,June 29, 2012
TIME: 12:00pm - 4:00pm eastern each day
LOCATION: Virtual! From wherever you want to write (but try to make sure it's a quiet place, as there will be a group of us together).
PRICE: $29 for each workshop - includes the four-hour workshop, handouts, and on-the-spot coaching.

I can't wait for Friday. I depend wholeheartedly on these Just Write! Virtual Workshops, and I know my regular attendees do, too. I hope to see you on Friday!

Let Creativity In - 6 Easy Steps

"I have an article to write, so I'll just start writing."

A few moments go by.

"Hmmmm. Why aren't the words coming to me easily? Ah, it must be because I struggle to write."

A few more moments go by.

"This is hard."

"I'm not very good at it."

You stare at the screen.

"I give up. Maybe I'll feel more inspired tomorrow."

It's not really that you're not a good writer. It's not even that it's hard for you.

It's more about you're not allowing creativity (and your own personal power) in to let the words - your message - flow. See, your message, that soul purpose, is more likely to come through if you allow yourself to be creative.

I'm not talking about painting a masterpiece with acrylics. I'm talking about letting your unique method of being creative out from way deep inside. Because when you allow yourself to be creative, then the words flow more easily, and your message is more clear and powerful.

So how do you let creativity in?

Intentional space - While you can't force the muse to come out, you can set up the mental, physical, and emotional space that tells her you're ready for her. Decide when you're going to write, set that time aside, and know that that time is yours.

Time - It's awfully hard to be creative when you're trying to fit it in the five minutes you have between a client phone call and the kids' soccer game. Set aside a block of time.

Environment - If you're sitting at your cluttered office desk with your to-do list of 29 things staring at you, creativity is going to run and hide. Get out of your normal workspace. Sit outside on the patio. Go to that funky coffee shop down the street. Sit on a park bench by a lake.

Be gentle - In that lovely space you just created, don't force yourself to be creative. "I must be creative NOW!" Let yourself daydream. Let your mind wander. Let creativity know that it's safe to come out and play.

A clear mind - In this day and age, you probably have a million things going on, or so it seems. Do what you can to clear your mind of all the voices. That might mean that you actually do a couple of pressing tasks that otherwise would be sucking at your energy. A word of caution: this isn't permission to do-do-do for three hours when you've set aside the time to be creative.

Manageable chunks - You're not going to get your entire book proposal done in one session. Break your project (even it's a simple blog post) into segments. Schedule additional sessions if you need to.

Follow these steps, and you'll find that you don't struggle near as much, and you'll be much happier with what you actually create.

Happy creating!

20% Off Every Product and Program Starts Today (and Ends Tomorrow)

I have finally gotten the rest of the 2012 calendar in place, full of popular programs and even a new, begged-for quarterly workshop.

To celebrate and in the spirit of helping you achieve your business (and personal) goals this year, I'm making available to you a 20% discount on every program and product I am offering for the rest of 2012 (and even one workshop in January, 2013).

And there is reason to celebrate. Although I sit down and figure out my program and product offerings twice a year (and I've been doing this for six or seven years now), I was shocked this time at how much time it took. It wasn't simply a matter of plopping a workshop on this date, and then I was done. It was a heck of a lot of work! Website updates, shopping cart back-end, thank-you pages, and more. Of course, there's also the fact that I just redesigned the website, and there were tweaks here, there, and everywhere.

To be honest, I couldn't have done it without my own Just Write! Virtual Workshops or the Create Your 2012 Writing Plan for Your Business. Just sayin'. :)

I want to offer you tools, strategies, accountability, and support to help you do all you need to do in your business.

• Do you want to write?
• Do you have lots to write for your business? (Think sales pages, blog posts, ezine articles, speaker sheets...)
• Would you like to have an organized plan to help you achieve your business goals?
• How about some really cool (and fun) strategies to get your creative juices flowing?
• And of course, there's always working on your writing and becoming a more confident writer.

If it's on the calendar, and it's a product or program I offer, you can get 20% off (even including the private, one-on-one Writing From Your Soul Private Coaching Package.)

The 20% off sale only lasts today and tomorrow, so you'll want to take advantage of this great deal right away.

Here is a snapshot of the products and programs I offer (and that you can save 20% on).

(By the way, there is no limit to how many programs you sign up for and use the 20% discount... Sign up for one, two, three, all... and save 20% across the board. Just use coupon MAYDAY.)

Another hint: The "Continue Shopping" button is a great way to return to the Write Well U website and select other products and programs you want to save 20% on.

Create Your Writing Plan for Your Business Tool - You may be thinking, "But I'm not a writer," but if you own a business, you have a lot to write! Blog posts, ezine articles, video scripts, RFP responses, website copy, sales pages, emails... the list goes on and on and on.... The Create Your 2012 Writing Plan For Your Business (which comes with free annual upgrades) helps you organize your writing and marketing plans, so that everything is in one place, making for easier and more efficient running of your business.

 

Create Your Writing Plan for Your Business Quarterly Companion Workshops - Specifically requested by people who bought the Create Your Writing Plan for Your Business stand-alone product. They wanted structure and accountability around creating that writing plan for their businesses. "Frankly, I have my sheets and haven't filled them out! (I really didn't want to tell you this, but decided, I'm just going to be honest!). I think if I had had the accountability of someone there saying "where are you on this...", I probably would have done a better job. If you were to do this in the next couple months or the next quarter, I would say 'Sign me up.'" 3 DATES TO CHOOSE FROM!

 

Just Write! Virtual Workshops - monthly (and sometimes more often), we spend four hours writing. The accountability and support (and the time to write) are priceless. MONTHLY DATES TO CHOOSE FROM!

 

Ready, Set, Write From Your Soul 4-session live program - In this live, virtual, interactive class, we cover creativity, how you process information, 50 strategies to get creativity flowing, and how you can use that knowledge to write. Comes with the Ready, Set, Write From Your Soul Toolbox (see below). OCTOBER, 2012.

 

Ready, Set, Write From Your Soul Toolbox - 100+-page manual with information on how you process information (and how you can use that to help you get started with writing more easily), more than 50 strategies to help you brainstorm, generate ideas, and get you past any stuck points in your business writing, as well as an extensive resource library. You get worksheets, examples, websites, and step-by-step instructions for applying these strategies to your writing

 

15-Minutes-A-Day Writing Challenge - This was so popular, I had to bring it back! 15-day program where we get together and write for 15 minutes a day. You'll be amazed at how much you can get done! NOVEMBER 1-21, 2012.

 

Writing From Your Soul Complete Toolkit - The Complete follow-up system from the free Writing From Your Soul 13-step process. The Complete Toolkit provides more tools and resources in the form of audio guides, checklists, worksheets, and articles to help you tap deeply into your purpose and connect with your target market. For the business owner who wants to fully tap into her soul and unleash her power and brilliance.

 

Writing From Your Soul Private Coaching Package - If you've ever wanted a personal, caring, knowledgable guide to help you tap into your purpose, what your soul wants to say, and then say it, this is for you. You get four 30-minute sessions along with review and feedback on marketing materials you're working on. For the business owner who wants guided support and expert feedback on her marketing.

 

Use coupon code MAYDAY to save 20% on all the programs above.

Are you ready to get lots of writing done, unleash and expand your creativity, and make marketing easier and perhaps more fun?!

Are You Hiding the Pea?

In the fairy tale, the Queen wants her son the Prince to marry a true Princess, so she devises a test.  Only a true Princess would be able to feel a small pea in her bed, which would prevent her from sleeping.  Even if twenty mattresses were piled upon the very small pea, a true Princess would still feel the pea and not be able to sleep.

So, woman after woman comes to the kingdom, and the Queen puts them up for the night.  The next morning, the Queen asks the woman how she slept.  Woman after woman says how comfortable the bed was (all those 20 mattresses!) and how well she slept.

Evidently, the Princess and the Pea test was not well-known throughout the land.

Then, one woman comes to the palace and is offered a night's stay. The next morning, as usual, the Queen asks the woman how she slept.

"Awful! If felt like there was this small thing stabbing me in my back. And no matter how much I searched the sheets and blankets, I couldn't find it. And the mattresses were so soft and comfy.  I don't understand why I didn't sleep well!"

And now the Prince had himself a wife.

It's not quite the same thing with writing and reading, but it's close.  See, readers must not be true Princesses, because they can't feel the pea (your true message) under all those mattresses. Every time you the writer add fluff on top of the pea, you hide that pea from the reader.  It's too much for the reader to have to figure out what that pea is and even where.

So, remove the fluff - the mattresses - and the pea will be revealed.

You can see this in action with this great example of editing. Much of those strikethroughs are getting rid of fluff, those pesky mattresses.  What is left behind is the crucial pea.

Setting Yourself Up For Easy - Experiment Part 2

When I did Part 2 of the Setting Yourself Up for Easy Experiment, it made sense to apply what I had learned from Part 1 with my cross-stitch project to writing: leave out the computer with my short story up, and I'll be reminded and motivated to write on my short story all throughout the week.

The results?

I didn't write on my short story once.

Now, this is also the week that I suffered from a migraine, had my hopes dashed about a house I was hoping to rent, saw three other houses, and made arrangements to see five more.

As my significant other remarked, "Perhaps this wasn't the week to do an experiment on writing."

Perhaps, but I also know that there will always be stuff.  Granted, it might not be as big, important, and heavy as finding the ideal place to live for your family, but there's still stuff.

Here's what I learned from Setting Yourself For Easy Experiment Part 2:

• What worked for cross-stitch doesn't necessarily translate to writing
• Working on my cross-stitch provided some stress relief as well as something for my hands to create while my mind was free to process the day's events (VERY IMPORTANT). Writing doesn't do that. Writing is somewhat of an effort, a glorious effort, yes, but still effort.  It takes creativie energy. Cross-stitch kits provide a map and a key to follow. I don't have to create the pattern. 
• Now, having my laptop on the dining room table did provide some benefits (just not what I had anticipated).  I could do my house search on a different computer from that in my office, thereby separating house search from work... very necessary.  I also took time to play Settlers of Catan on the computer, which ended up being another stress relief.

Setting up one project for easy and what that means differs from thing to thing, so I have to figure out what I can do to set up my short story for easy. Some thoughts...

• Just having the story up on the computer isn't enough. I have to actually schedule appointments to write. So, that means setting up the date and time.
• It's probably going to work best if I get out of my house. Go to Starbucks, the park, the canal.... and all I bring is my laptop and the short story. No work. No other writing.

Stay tuned for Part 3 coming.... who knows when.  :)

And I'd still love to hear in the comments below how you set yourself up for easy when it comes to writing.

What We Can Learn From Comedians

If you think about how everything you watch on tv or on stage started out in written form, it puts a whole new light on writing.

Even comedians' routines, unless it's improv, are usually scripted (and practiced and tweaked - much like creating and editing in the writing process).

I think about some of my favorite comedians: Bill Cosby, Ron White, Denis Leary, Tim Allen... If you watch some of their routines, what do you notice? And what can we learn from their delivery and apply it to writing?

The set-up: Usually, they'll just start right in. They don't give a lot of background to make our eyes glaze over. Apply to writing: Don't give the reader all the background... just jump right in so you don't lose him/her.

Body language: Sometimes body language and facial expressions can contradict the words being said. Apply to writing: This is a little harder, of course.  Use sarcasm or outright refute a statement.

Pause: It creates tension and has you waiting on the tip of your seat for the next word. Wait for it.... Apply to writing: Use ellipses like I just did, or start a new paragraph. Make the reader have to wait until the next paragraph to find out what's coming next.

Repetition and Parallel Structure: Many times, a comedian will repeat a word or phrase in a different part of the routine to tie the many different jokes together, to make a coherent piece. Apply to writing: If you're focusing on a theme - increasing profits, for example - repeat your catch-phrase throughout your sales page.

Strong Voice: If you like certain comedians, you'll notice they have a strong voice. You can recognize them from one routine to another. Apply to writing: Embrace your authenticity and write as if no one were looking. Confidently state what you want to say.

Transitioning: So that their routines don't seem disjointed, comedians employ transition devices (like a word or phrase, "Now take this other time...").  Apply to writing: You need your writing to flow as well, so use transition words (in addition, also, however, though, although...).

Timing: This is the most important part of being a comedian. He/she has to have the timing right. Apply to writing: Use shorter sentences and more paragraphs. 

What are you going to apply to your own writing? I'd love to hear in your comments below!

Setting Yourself Up For Easy - Experiment

As usual, when I talk about all the things with regard to writing, it's usually because they're also valid for me.  Same with setting yourself up for easy. It's not only quilting where I need to set myself up for easy; it's also with writing, same as you.

So, this last week, I did an experiment with a cross-stitch pattern I've been working on since 1996.  Yep.  In a whole different century.

Now, this isn't some little project.  It's huge.  Some day I'd love to calculate how many thousands of stitches this thing is.Usually, this project, like a couple of other UFOs (UnFinished Objects) sit in my needlepoint bag next to the couch, tucked away neatly in case I ever feel like cross-stitching. Sure, I'd think about working on it every now and then, especially on a Saturday morning during an old movie on TCM, but it always seemed like too much trouble.

Now, cross-stitch doesn't have much lead time. At the most, you have to thread a needle and then figure out where you left off last time.  That's like a whole two minutes. No big deal.

Yet there's a reason this thing is still hanging out there after almost two decades.

In the spirit of setting yourself up for easy and experimenting, I decided to try a few things. Here's what I learned:

• Leave it out. I have a visual reminder all the time that it's right there waiting for me. 
• Because it's out, I am much more likely to pick it up for a few minutes here and there. I've probably cross-stitched more in the last week than I have in the last six months.
• I do not like clutter, so I've had to deal with the cross-stitch project being out all the time. It's a question of the project winning out over my desire to have everything in its place. It's been a conscious effort.
• I see the progress, even in cross-stitch where 100 stitches might be something like .000005% of the project, which makes me want to work on it more.

Now that the week is over, I'm going to move onto part 2 of my experiment - actually apply this to the short story I've been working on for over a year. Based on what I learned above, here's how I plan on morphing setting myself up for easy in cross-stitch to setting myself up for easy in writing.

• Leave the laptop out and on.  Again, because I don't like clutter, I usually turn it off and put it away after I've used it.
• More so, leave the short story I'm working on up on the screen. That way it's there, and I don't even have to go through the effort to open the file.
• I have to find the best place to leave it out.  I'm thinking the dining room table because it will be in my face, so to speak, but then I might really have to overcome my resistance to clutter.

Tune in next to week to see the results!

And if you'd like to join me in your own Setting Yourself Up For Easy experiment, leave a comment below and tell me what you're working on, how you set yourself up for easy, and what the results were. Have fun!

Setting Yourself Up For Easy

For whatever reason, it's not as easy as one would think to sit down and write. I mean, all you need is a pen and paper, or a keyboard, right?

You could get a lot of writing done if you add up all these extra bits of time (yes, they really do exist)... The 10 minutes before your next client call. The 15 minutes before you have to start dinner. The 5 minutes while the kids are getting ready for bed. The 20 minutes (I'm being optimistic here) you're waiting in the doctor's office.

But you don't. And it's because effort is involved. It's not as simple as checking your email. Think about it. You check your email. You quickly read the latest RSS feed, and you delete. Boom! You've read something (yay, you're intelligent), and you've deleted an item out of your inbox (and you're productive to boot!). And then you might actually forward it to a client (now, you get to add being thoughtful and even more intelligent to the list of things you've accomplished.)

Writing is rarely that default activity. If you do get that unlikely extra bit of time, or you have a spare five minutes in between activities, you don't head straight for the pad and pen; you do something quick and easy and that gives you that little jolt of achievement.

How do you make writing a default activity, or at least get it closer?

First, identify your default activities. Mine is definitely email. Check my email and see if I can handle a few and maybe, just maybe, get my inbox down to 0.

Once you know why you're heading toward that email inbox or the filing cabinet or the unwashed dishes, you can then consciously decide if you want to indulge or not.

Next, what is it about that default activity that feeds something inside you? What are you trying to fill up? For me, again with the email, it's that black hole of "Surely I can get everything on my list done today and have nothing left to do. Then I can rest easy." I have to constantly work against that mistaken belief. So, a more positive and productive action is to list what I *have* accomplished, instead of what is left undone.

Third, design ways to set yourself up for easy. When I'm done quilting for the day, I try to leave things so that it's easy to pick up again next time. I've had it happen that I've made a mistake - just when I was getting ready to stop - and I make sure I fix it because I don't want the first thing I have to do the next time I come back to quilting is to fix a mistake. I want to start clean.

How do you do that with writing?

1. Stop writing in the middle of a sentence. Just leave it undone. Then, not only do you have an easy place to start up, you might be even more motivated to come back.

2. Write questions about the next stage in your writing. That way, when you come back, the first thing you're doing is answering those questions. You don't have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out where to go next.

3. If you're using an outline or a mindmap, mark where on that outline or mindmap you'll be starting up. So, like with the questions in #2, you have a handy reference for where to start.

4. Leave your writing out. If it's a notepad, leave it on the kitchen table. If it's on a computer, leave the document up on the screen. Not only is it out as a reminder (and you might actually stop by a few times during the day and add a bit here and there), but there's no prep work. You're ready to go at a moment's notice.

5. Have inspirational reminders about what you're working on around you. If it's in your everyday consciousness, you'll be more likely to want to write. Use pictures, images, mindmaps, index cards on a bulletin board, quotations about writing... whatever is going to inspire you and make writing the want-to-do activity instead of the have-to-do activity.

6. Make shameless use of external motivators. If you're proud of your blog traffic, print out a graph of recent traffic to motivate you to keep writing. If people have written to tell you how much they love your articles and how helpful they are, post those around you.

7. Set up accountability check-ins. Tell a friend or loved one that you'll be writing tomorrow at 2:00pm and set up a time that you'll call her with a progress report. Better yet, join a writer's group or writer's workshop. When other people are involved, you're much more likely to do the activity.

How can you set yourself up for easy in writing? Leave a comment below - I'd love to hear your ideas!

Start Here.

So  it's been a busy day.  5 1/2 hours (and counting) of business calls where I was either coaching, teaching, or consulting.  In each of the 4 calls, I ended up asking these questions:

What is your purpose?

Who is your audience?

It didn't matter if we were talking about writing a chapter for the second edition of a textbook, designing and marketing a workshop, or starting a new business.

Those two questions have to be answered first.  Because you can't get to the next step until you do.  You can have an amazing marketing plan with some great strategies, but if you don't know your purpose and your audience, it's going to be rather difficult to market your prduct.

The clearer you can get on your purpose and the audience, then the easier it is to write that chapter, create that business, or design a marketing plan for that workshop.

If you're not clear - as a writer, a business owner, or a workshop presenter - how do you expect your audience to be clear?  They won't know what you want from them. They won't know what to buy or why they should buy.  And they won't know what they're supposed to be doing at your workshop.

So how do you get clear on your purpose and your audience? Ask - and then answer - questions.

What is the purpose? Why am I doing this? What am I doing?  What do I hope to accomplish? What do I want people to get out of this?

Who is my audience? Who is reading this? Who is coming to my website? Who should come to my workshop? What do they need? Why would they come to my website, read my chapter? What can I offer them?

Go through these questions every time you have to start something, whether it's as small as a blog post or as big as starting a business.

2 days of writing. Savings of $10. Tons done.

What are you doing this Friday?

Want to write with us?

Every month (and sometimes twice a month), a group of us get together and write for four hours. We check in frequently, share our challenges and successes (mostly successes because this WORKS!), get coaching if needed, and, most importantly, get a heck of lot done.

Imagine ending your week this Friday with a sense of accomplishment and huge progress toward your goals.

Just about everyone who has ever taken a Just Write! Virtual Workshop has been thrilled with their results. Here's what some people have done during a Just Write! Virtual Workshop:

• Finished a book manuscript
• Rewrote the home page of a website
• Created a sales page for a new program
• Wrote an article
• Wrote three blog posts
• Researched information for an article
• Drafted an email marketing campaign
• Started a novel
• Journaled
• Created a 2012 business plan
• And more...

Here's how it works:

At 12:00pm eastern, we'll call in, introduce ourselves, and I'll present a little bit of content (not too much - we're here to write!) on writing and the process. Then, we'll all go our separate ways to write.

At 1:30pm eastern, we'll call in and do a quick check-in. We do this in order to keep the support and accountability going, and it's quick so we don't lose momentum. At 1:45 we'll go off and write for an hour.

We'll check in again at 2:45pm eastern for fifteen minutes, and then off at 3:00pm eastern for the last writing segment.

Finally, at 3:45pm eastern, we'll do our final wrap-up check in and celebrate what we've accomplished!

In case you need a little more incentive, sign up for both Just Write Virtual Workshops in March (Friday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 21) and save $10. Just use coupon code MARCHWRITE when you check out. That makes it less than $50 for 8 hours of writing.

Wow! That's a lot of writing!

Are you ready to write?!

WHAT: Just Write! Virtual Workshop
DATE: Friday, March 16, 2012 and Wednesday, March 21
TIME: 12:00pm - 4:00pm eastern each day
LOCATION: Virtual! From wherever you want to write (but try to make sure it's a quiet place, as there will be a group of us together).
PRICE: $29 for each workshop - includes the four-hour workshop, handouts, and on-the-spot coaching. (But don't forget your $10 coupon when you sign up for both March workshops.)

I really hope you'll be writing with us!

Find out more and register for the Friday, March 16, Wednesday, March 21, or both Just Write! Virtual Workshops.

Writing doesn't have to feel like a marathon. Sprints work, too.

Writing for 15 minutes is a bit like interval training for marathon runners. Yes, you have a lot of miles to run, but to make running those miles easier in the long run (heh heh), you do interval training in short spurts to develop different muscles and to make the eventual marathon running faster.

I'm not sure how far I can carry the running metaphor, but here's a go!

So, you have a ton to write for your business. Rewrite the website. Write a speaker sheet. Rewrite the manual for an existing, but revamped program. Create an entire launch for a new product. Write short, succinct, powerful descriptions for your speaking topics.

That would be the marathon.

But you don't train for a marathon all at once. You build up to it. You start by running a mile, and then you build up to 8 miles. Then, you do a 12-mile run. Eventually, a couple of weeks before the marathon, you do a 20- or a 22-mile run.

A 20-mile run is still a lot, though, and marathon runners don't always do long runs. Sometimes, they do interval training to build up different muscles and to improve their speed.

They might run 200 yards at top speed and then walk. And then another 200 yards at top speed followed by a walking pace. And so on.

That would be the 15-Minutes-A-Day Writing Challenge starting on Monday, March 5.

Each day, for 15 weekdays, a group of us (think of it like your own personal running group) will meet and write for 15 minutes.

Here are some of the things you could do in 15 minutes of writing:

• Write a blog post.
• Take a picture for a blog post.
• Write the outline for an article.
• Jot down ideas for a sales page.
• Put together a survey for your community.
• Write a paragraph or two for your book.
• Draft a response to a potential client inquiry.
• Write six Tweets.
• Update Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and Twitter.
• Research information for your next article.
• Brainstorm features of your next program.

And those things you get done in 15 minutes a day for 15 days will help build those muscles and get you much closer to your marathon goal.

DATES: Weekdays starting March 5 through March 23
TIME: 6:00pm eastern | 5:00pm central | 4:00pm mountain | 3:00pm pacific
LENGTH: 25 minutes each day
PRICE: $45, includes daily check-in calls, 15-minutes-a-day Worksheet, and the bonus 10 Surefire Ways to Get Started audio and handout

Find out more and register for 15-Minutes-A-Day Writing Challenge.

Ready to run, er, write, with us? We're stretching and gearing up now!

Find out more and register for 15-Minutes-A-Day Writing Challenge.

5 Ways to Protect Your Creative Energy

A couple of weeks ago, I led a local, in-person meeting of a women-in-business support group. This was the fourth time we'd met, and all the meetings before had been full of amazing connection and even transformation for some of us. I always came home energized and filled up.

This time, though, it was different. One of the women sucked at my energy. Not on purpose, I'm sure, but she was so negative, and her energy was so barbed that I actually felt attacked. Again, not deliberately, but the effect was still there.

I went home, exhausted.

No big deal, mostly, except that I was going to be leading one of my monthly Just Write workshops at noon. And I had been planning on using my own workshop to get a lot of work done: new website copy, marketing campaigns, video scripts, and more.

I just couldn't do it. Even after the 30-minute nap before the workshop to try to recover my energy, I was still utterly depleted.

I got nothing done during the four-hour workshop. During the time I had set aside. I was useless during that time. There was nothing. No creative spark. No energy to do even small tasks.

It felt like a waste - my wasted, set-aside, creative time.

What I realized is that when I have time put aside to create - precious time, I might add - I need to protect that time. Basically, I need to protect my creative energy: swaddle it, keep it safe, nurture it, and growl like a wolf if something threatens it.

Whether you have formal time set aside to do your writing and creating, or it's time you spend every day, make sure you protect it.

1. You have to be conscious, first of all, that you have this block of time set aside, whether it's 30 minutes or 4 hours. Think of it as a precious commodity that must be protected. By being conscious of it, then you can better able to sense attacks or anticipate when something wants to bash up against your creative time. It's the difference between being proactive and reactive.
2. Whether you're going from a normal work day, a meeting or out-in-the-world activity, or other day-to-day tasks to writing, make sure you have some sort of transition activity. Meditate. Breathe. Journal. Read. Have a cup of tea. Go for a walk. Transition in some way from Activity A to Activity B.
3. While this could be a subset of #2, create margin around your creative time. Don't schedule things right up to the beginning or right after the ending of your creative time. Don't do work or household tasks up to the minute that it's time for you to start creating. Schedule margin. (There's a reason paper has margins. It's too hard on the eyes and on the brain to read a piece of paper that has writing filled from very edge to very edge. It's exhausting.)
4. Place boundaries and shields around your creative time. These can be physical as well as mental and energetic. Don't check email. Don't answer the phone. Heck, turn off your phone! And if you're susceptible to other people's energy (life-giving or draining to you), then learn how to shield yourself from that as well.
5. Get centered and grounded before your creative time. This is different from the transitioning I mentioned in #1. This is where you go to that peaceful, quiet place where you feel grounded. Remove worries and concerns about other things going on in your life. Right now, this is your creative time. Create a sacred bubble around it. Get yourself in the mindset of what you'll be working on in your creative time.

Your energy is your most precious natural resource. And creating is an incredible manifestation of who you are and what you have to offer the world. Protect it as such.

It can be easy, or it can be hard. I like easy.

C'mon.... make all the writing you have to do easier, too.

Ready, Set, Write From Your Soul - From Blank Page to Powerful Marketing

In the five-part Soulful Creative Marketing Series that ended a couple of days ago, we talked about the four hurdles that get in the way of writing from your soul as well as four different strategies that you can use to unlock what your soul has to say.

Imagine.... you need to write a sales page, or an ezine article, or a response to an email, or a proposal for a chapter in a collaborative book.

And it's a blank page.

And it stays blank.

And stays blank.

And stays blank.

What you need are strategies and tools to move from a blank page to your powerful message from your soul.

The five-week class, Ready, Set, Write From Your Soul, gives you access to more than 50 strategies like the ones I covered in the Soulful Creative Marketing Series. In this class, you'll explore your custom style, creativity, and get hands-on experience with creative strategies in each class.

During these five weeks, you'll

• Discover how you process information. More importantly, you'll learn how to use that information to help you be more productive and creative
• Learn the importance of creativity and managing your to-do energy, as well as your creative energy
• See several strategies in action during our interactive class sessions
• Practice using the strategies on your own writing projects with hands-on exercises
• Get feedback on your writing projects

Never be scared of the blank page again!

 

Find out more information and to register for Ready, Set, Write From Your Soul.

 

The class starts next Tuesday, February 28, and there are only 6 more spots available. Registration ends this Friday, February 24, so don't miss out on making writing for your business easy, creative, fun, and impactful.

Here's to bringing passion, creativity, and soulful work together!

Soulful Creative Marketing Video Series Day 5

I hope you have been enjoying the free Soulful Creative Marketing Video Series where your soul, creativity, passion, and business come together to really make an impact! (If you need to, catch up with Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4.)

Today, Day 5, we'll dive into the Mandala and 4 Gateways Strategy, and you'll get to see in action how I use this strategy to really tap into my soul and what I want to say to my target market.

I hope you'll join me! Just click on the image below, watch the video, and maybe change the way you think about business and marketing.

Soulful Creative Marketing Video Series Day 4

I hope you have been enjoying the free Soulful Creative Marketing Video Series where your soul, creativity, passion, and business come together to really make an impact! (If you need to, catch up with Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3.)

Today, Day 4, we'll dive into the Question Strategy, and you'll get to see in action how I use this strategy in breaking down a big concept into manageable pieces for a blog post.

I hope you'll join me! Just click on the image below, watch the video, and maybe change the way you think about business and marketing.

Get 4 Hours of Writing AND a Chance to Win a Starbucks Gift Card

It's time for another Just Write! Virtual workshop!

Just about everyone who has ever taken a Just Write! Virtual Workshop has been thrilled with their results. Here's what some people have done during a Just Write! Virtual Workshop:

• Finished a book manuscript
• Rewrote the home page of a website
• Created a sales page for a new program
• Wrote an article
• Wrote three blog posts
• Researched information for an article
• Drafted an email marketing campaign
• Started a novel
• Journaled
• Created a 2012 business plan
• And more...

What could you write in four hours?

So, you know you want to write. That's a given. But to make it more fun - AND GET YOU WRITING!!!! - I'm going to offer a tiny little incentive... I'll give away two Starbucks gift cards ($10 each), choosing randomly from everyone who is registered for this Friday's workshop.

Hey, and here's an idea.... register for this Friday's Just Write! Virtual Workshop... write.... win one of the Starbucks gift cards.... and go off to Starbucks next week AND WRITE AGAIN!!

(Sense the theme, here?)

Are you ready to write?!

WHAT: Just Write! Virtual Workshop
DATE: Friday, February 10, 2012
TIME: 12:00pm - 4:00pm eastern each day
LOCATION: Virtual! From wherever you want to write (but try to make sure it's a quiet place, as there will be a group of us together).
PRICE: $29 for each workshop - includes the four-hour workshop, handouts, and on-the-spot coaching.

Get lots of writing done AND win a Starbucks gift card. (You know you want it!)

Go Deep. Let Go. Then Write.

When I created my Writing From Your Soul process, what came to mind was a spiral. Not just as a symbol for what we're doing when we try to connect with our community (go deeper, deeper, deeper, and deeper still), but the process itself fits within that spiral.


(This is a photo of my Writing From Your Soul process in graphic and symbolic form. I'm working on a better, possibly even more visual graphic.)

Because I'm very much into symbols (you can take the girl out of the English teacher, but you can't take the English teacher out of the girl. Or something like that), I looked up "spiral" in The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols.

Immediately, I could see how this symbol, which I had just intuitively glommed onto, truly fit the writing process I had created.

(Download your free Writing From Your Soul system and get the complete, detailed, 13-step process, if you don't already have it.)

Below, I've noted what the Encyclopedia had to say about the spiral symbol, and then I've applied that to the concept of writing from your soul.

• The origin of the Universe. As far as writing from your soul, I interpret this as that place inside us that is a part of the Universe. Our gifts. Our purpose. Our calling. We, as part of the bigger whole, carry that Universe inside us, and so we need to share and continue to be part of the whole.
• The seed of potential energy. Wow. Imagine... your soul yearns to connect. You have a passion, which is what caused you to start your business in the first place. You take that passion and its message, and connect it to the world. You've planted a seed that will grow, expand, develop.
• Tremendous energy, like a whirlwind. I know I've experienced this. Once I hit on my soul purpose of helping others write from their souls, it was as if the floodgates opened. I'm still in awe as I look back over the last few months at what I've created and the new ideas in front of me, inches away, waiting with baited breath for me to step into them. It's intoxicating, and I love that whirlwind energy! (Although I'll say for the record that there needs to be a downtime to that high-energy cycle.)
• Full of possibilities. Gee, ya think? Once you go deep into what your soul wants to say, it opens up the world. The spiral is never-ending, and the deeper you go, the more the possibilities grow.
• Journey. You don't stay in one place when you're traveling along the spiral. You're going on a journey. It can be scary, yes, but it's well worth the risk.
• Cyclical phase of evolution. Think about it... DNA is a double helix, two spirals together. Nothing in the world is static. When you dig deep into what your soul wants to say, you'll say it, and then go on to the next thing. You will evolve. Your customers and clients will evolve. Your business will evolve.
• Curiosity about what's coming next. This has been the most fun part of my own journey into writing from my soul. The possibilities have unfolded, and what could come next is so exciting. "Ooooh, I could do this! And I could do that! And I wonder what would happen if I did this and that...."

The trick is to go deep, listen, and then let go. Yes, it's hard. We so want to be perfect, great, have impact.... But those wants stop us in our tracks. It's as if we have to embrace one part of the path (what our soul wants to say) and let go of another part of the path (attachment to results and outcomes).

So what would happen to you, your business, your clients and customers, your products, if you took a step on that first path and really listened to what your soul wanted to say?

And then you said it?

If you have a business, you want this tool. You need this tool.

(Gotta love A Few Good Men. C'mon... quote it with me... "You want me on that wall.  You NEED me on that wall.")

Seriously, you would not believe how much you have to write in order to market yourself, your business, and your products.  Basically, you're pretty much writing all thetime. Don't believe me?

Do you have any products or programs you'd like to sell and fill this year?

Do you have an ezine?

Do you write a blog?

Do you participate in social media (or wish you did more)?

Do you need to write or rewrite your website copy?

Do you need a speaker sheet?

Do you want to write a press release?

Do you need to revamp your bio?

If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions (and especially if you answered "Yes!" to more than one), then you need a 2012 Writing Plan.

You might have all these ideas and plans floating around in your head (keeping you up at night trying to figure out how you're going to get it all done). Floating around in your head isn't going to help you much, though.

You need a plan for...

• When you publish your ezine
• How often you'd like to blog
• Any teleclasses you want to offer
• Any product or program launches you're planning
• Regular social media updates

And then what about...

• Website copy (If you're like me, there is ALWAYS something that needs to be updated)
• Webinar scripts
• Video scripts
• Podcast interviews
• Workshop outlines
• Speaker proposals

When does all that get done?

If it doesn't get scheduled and managed, it probably won't get done. Or if it does, it will be rushed and last-minute, instead of planned out and systematically connected with everything else you're doing in your business.

What you need is the Create Your 2012 Writing Plan for Your Business teleclass on January 18. During this low-cost teleclass, you'll get the Create Your 2012 Writing Plan for Your Business tool, tips on how to use it, strategies on how to make it work for YOU, as well as a live Q&A period to get your specific questions and concerns answered.

DATE: Wednesday, January 18, 2012
TIME: 12:00pm eastern | 11:00am central | 10:00am mountain | 9:00am pacific
LENGTH: 75-90 minutes

Get more information and register for the Create Your 2012 Writing Plan for Your Business teleclass!

Let's make doing all the writing you need to do in your business easy!

Here's to a profitable 2012!

Start the Year Right - And Write! (And Save 20%)

(Sorry, I couldn't help the play on words. Call me a word geek.)

While I don't believe in New Year's resolutions, I do believe in putting into place tools and strategies that help us do what we want to do.

• Do you want to write?
• Do you have lots to write for your business? (Think sales pages, blog posts, ezine articles, speaker sheets...)
• Would you like to have an organized plan to help you achieve your business goals?
• How about some really cool (and fun) strategies to get your creative juices flowing?
• And of course, there's always working on your writing and becoming a more confident writer.

In the spirit of helping you achieve your business (and personal) goals this year, I'm offering a 20% discount on every program I'm offering for the first six months of 2012. (Sorry - I don't have the last six months planned out!)

If it's on the calendar, and it's a program I offer, you can get 20% off (including the big, honking, 24-week Writing Essentials Program).

The 20% off sale only lasts today and tomorrow, so you'll want to take advantage of this great deal right away.

Here is a snapshot of the programs I offer (and that you can save 20% on).

(By the way, there is no limit to how many programs you sign up for and use the 20% discount... Sign up for one, two, three, all... and save 20% across the board. Just use coupon JAN20.)

 

Create Your Writing Plan for Your Business Teleclass - 90-minute teleclass that will help you create a writing and marketing plan for your business. Comes with a cool, 30-page tool that you can use all year 'round.

 

Just Write! Virtual Workshops - monthly (and sometimes more often), we spend four hours writing. The accountability and support (and the time to write) are priceless.

 

Ready, Set, Write From Your Soul - In this five-week, interactive class, we cover creativity, how you process information, 50 strategies to get creativity flowing, and how you can use that knowledge to write.

 

15-Minutes-A-Day Writing Challenge - brand-new, 15-day program where we get together and write for 15 minutes a day. You'll be amazed at how much you can get done!

 

Writing Essentials Program - While the Writing Essentials Program covers grammar, structure, and style in writing, what it really does is immerse you in writing. You come out the other end a stronger, more confident writer who isn't afraid of anything. It's 24 weeks and starts in June (but don't forget that you can save a whopping 20% off the program cost!)

 

Use coupon code JAN20 to save 20% on all the programs above.

Here's to a successful 2012! May all your dreams come true!

5 Common Pitfalls That Keep You From Getting Started Writing

It's time to sit down and write your article, and you can't seem to write a thing. You stare at your paper or screen, twirl your pen, tap the keys, get up and get a glass of water, sit back down, get up and go to the bathroom, sit back down, check Facebook/Twitter/Google+, twirl your pen some more...

And nothing gets written.

It's not because you don't have anything worthy to say - you do. You absolutely do. You are in business because you know something; you have a unique perspective on a problem and how to solve it. You have experience, client stories, case studies, maybe even research.

You have plenty to write about.

But nothing gets written.

You're probably suffering from one of the five common pitfalls that keep you from getting started.

1. You get stuck in the "What's the best way to say this?" You know you need to speak directly to the reader. You know your writing will be more powerful if your reader (i.e. potential client or customer) can see herself in your words.

While this is VERY important, don't let yourself be stalled at this point. Write what you can, and then start answering the following questions:

• How does this apply to the reader?
• Why does she need to know this?
• How has she struggled with this particular issue (whatever your article is about) before?
• How can you solve her problem?

Answer those questions, and you're much closer to talking directly to your potential client. And you'll have created some great fodder for your article to boot.

2. You think you need a formula or magic bullet. There are many article templates (and other templates for other kinds of business writing - sales pages, bios, speaker sheets, press releases...), and they can be helpful. However, if you spend too much time searching for the perfect formula and then following it exactly to the letter, that's exactly what your writing will look like: formulaic and just like everyone else's who follows that formula.

Don't forget to put YOU in your writing. What is it that makes you special and unique? What is your distinctive take on your niche? Who is that quirky person behind the words? (We're all quirky, more or less, to some extent.) Let the reader see YOU.

3. You don't think you're a good writer. Yes, some people are better writers than others, but the more of YOU you put in your writing, the more the reader can excuse some lapses in grammar and mechanics.

Write passionately about what you do, and the writing will reflect that. Then the words themselves actually become secondary.

4. You don't know how to start, and you can't move from there. You might think that every person who writes starts with the first sentence and writes chronologically until the last sentence. Not so. Think about movie making. Do you know that directors usually shoot scenes out of order, based on lighting, sets, actor availability, location, weather? It's only the final product that is in chronological order.

If you don't know how to start, but you know what you need to write, start there. Then, come back to the beginning. It may be that you don't know enough to write the beginning until you've written the rest. For example, for this article, I wrote the five ways you have trouble getting started and then the end before I wrote the first six paragraphs. (And, actually, I discarded the original end and did something different - but it helped me get the whole idea down in the first place.)

5. You don't think you have anything good to say (write), so why bother? If you started a business, then you have something good to say. You want to help people, so write about what you do. If you don't think you do anything good, then quit your business.

Yes, that's harsh, but one goes with the other. If you believe passionately in what you do, then you have something good to say.

So say it.

It comes down to just getting started and getting rid of those pitfalls that get in the way. Write what you can. Immerse yourself in the concept. Play with your ideas. And write what comes out.

Something will get written - something more powerful and compelling than you might believe right now.

Thoughts from 3 Days of Writing

Last week I hosted (and participated in) three consecutive days of my Just Write! Virtual Workshops.  I usually offer one a month, but I thought since last year's dead week between Christmas and New Year's was so popular last year, I'd do a three-day run. 

There were seven of us writing for the three days, and it was an amazing experience.  I was, at times, exhausted, exhilerated, proud, dejected, inspired, creative, plodding, on fire...

And it was even better than I'd hoped.  The seven of us created a lovely bubble around us.  Even though I was the only common denominator (no one knew anyone else), we all came together so nicely.  We were supportive, understanding, nonjudgmental, and motivating.

Here is a snapshot of some of our experiences:

• I didn't get as much done as I'd planned, but then I hadn't exactly scheduled it all out.  "This sales page will take this much time. Add time to write this campaign..." etc. AND I also know that what I got done wasn't done before; it's done now.
• One writer finished the draft of her book. She met her writing goals each day and felt that she earned her downtime after the workshop.
• Some writers deliberately planned activities for when their energy lagged (usually the last segment of writing). This might be looking through magazines for article ideas, filing, light research... whatever could be done that didn't take too much brain power but was still part of the writing process.
• One writer gave herself permission to write poetry and journaling to help clear her mind, instead of the business writing she had planned.  She followed her energy and allowed herself to whatever writing called to her. She also found that some things came out that she might not otherwise have allowed.
• Another writer learned she needed to be easy on herself.
• A new-to-Write-Well-U workshop participant (but actually a high school friend - cool!) worked on two novels. What he found most helpful was to break the projects down into bite-sized chunks. It's awfully hard to cross off "Write novel" on your daily to-do list. :)
• We learned that it doesn't have to "look" like writing to be part of the writing process.
• One writer found that not editing during the creative and writing processes allowed her to be much more productive and helped quiet the inner critic gremlin.
• We found that setting aside the scheduled writing time allowed (and in some cases forced) us to focus and get a lot more done.  (Having to call in and tell the others what we accomplished helps that too!)

And then some general tips we can all benefit from:

• Just do it.
• Good enough for now.
• Once the din settles, you can hear your authentic voice.

What is your best writing tip?

When Your Children Are Sickeningly Creative and Intelligent

Actually, it's only sickening when they're way more creative and talented than you.

At twelve years old.

Sigh.

Small Child wrote this on a whim.  She had an idea, and she threw this together.

Made me almost want to smack her.

I am black.  I’d always said it made me ugly, that it was a fault in me.  He said differently.  He said that nothing could be further from the truth.  He made me believe that it brought out the beauty in me.  And I believed him.  I had devoted myself to him, him to me.  Why wouldn’t I?  We were a pair, a match.  And I thought nothing could change that.

Until the day when I woke up and he was gone.  I let myself believe that it was against his will, and he was in trouble.  Even though the thought pained me, it kept me from facing the lurking belief that he had left me intentionally.  I asked his friends, and he wasn’t with them.  There was nowhere else I thought to look outside of our dark little town.  It was truly dark, and a week after he had gone, the darkness consumed me.

It engulfed me, trying to pull me into its cruel legion of malice.  I fought against it at first, convinced myself that he would return to pull me into the light.  But he didn’t.  And I slowly gave myself away to the darkness, to the cruelty.  I started believing that he hated me, that there was something wrong with me, that I wasn’t perfect enough for him.  We had always been different, but different together.  We brought out the best in each other.

And so I blended into the darkness, and became part of it.

When you give yourself to someone else completely, you are left with nothing when that someone leaves you.  And that is what I was now.  An empty black hole, sucking in darkness and spitting out my true emotions somewhere far from here.  I started not moving for days, sitting in an empty corner, relishing the loneliness.  And nobody bothered me.  I was the one without a match, without a pair.  I was different, but this time it was only me that stood out.

And then, there was another.  He was tossed into the darkness along with me, and I could tell that he suffered the same loss I had.  I slowly watched him go through the agonizing steps that I had taken to become the black hole I was.  He transformed from something definite and alive into something vague and forgotten, like me.  I suddenly realized that I had become a monster, that I was not worthy of a soul mate, a match.

So, slowly, I came to find the light, and stepped into the world.  I saw faces that I had seen only in distant memories.  I came to the world, welcomed it, even.

But it did not welcome me.  The damage was done.  I was neglected and tossed aside.  I saw friends enjoying the world, savoring it.  But they all had a match.  They savored life with another, a soul mate, just like mine.  I saw them, and I knew I would never be the same.  I would never be accepted.  Only with him would I be included.  I was nothing without him.

I found the other, dark, lonely soul who had gone down the lonely path I had, and I thought it didn’t have to be this way.  My soul mate was elsewhere, but could I not be a pair with another?  I approached him, offered my accompaniment, and at first he declined, as I probably would have, but then he reached out.

It didn’t last.  We reached the sunlight once, and that was it.  That was that.  I was black, empty, forgotten.

Then was the day when he came back.  My match.  My true soul mate.  The one who could fill my blackened skin with love and cherishment.

On that first day, we were distant, unsure, wary.  But when night fell, we embraced each other and simply relished in each other’s presence.  And now we were together.  Whole.  A pair.

Because that is the life of a sock.  You cannot be anything without your match.  But when he is lost or forgotten or folded in between a couple of towels, you have nothing.  But when he comes back, if it is possible, you seem to love him even more.  And I do.

New and Review

Lots of changes.  Tons of changes.  Some of which I've embraced and others where I've had no choice.  And my great belief and faith is that all the change, all the Phoenix Rising moments, are exactly what are needed and wanted.

I'll be - I AM - the better for all the change.

I journaled for the first time today since I've been back in Maryland (there's a perfect coffee shop in downtown Carmel, California, where I wrote four days - unheard of! - and I miss it so much).  After I did my journaling today,as I do once or twice a year, I went back to journals I wrote in the last four years.

Wow. That was quite a perspective.

If I ever needed the movie of my life to show how different things are now compared to a year ago, two years ago, three years ago...

I'm different. And yet somehow more me.

The biggest thing I've realized is that I've spent the last forty years (sigh, it just SOUNDS old) with many of my relationships have been unequal in power, with me usually on the losing side. As I delve more into chakras and archetypes, I was particularly struck by the archetypes of the third chakra: dysfunctional Victim and functional Warrior.

I've consciously spent the last six or so years taking back my power and being more the Warrior.

All the important relationships in my life are there by choice. No victim status here.

Anyway, the point is really how struck I was by how I go back and review journals, and the insight that brings. Do you read back over journal entries you've written?

Beauty Is Necessary

I've been struggling for a few years with  my idea of a writing divination deck.  I had a great idea combining the principles of feng shui with writing.  And I just about finished the deck (52 cards) and its accompanying guidebook.  I've only lacked 7 cards.

And it's been in that state for at least a year.  I've struggled with those last 7 cards as well as an idea for a design.  While I've entertained lots of ideas and concepts, nothing grabs me.

Recently, I figured out why this project has stalled, in all actuality, stagnating.

It's not the deck my soul cries out to create.

I need to be inspired from the design of something to how it reaches me deep inside.  What's come up for me is a different deck, Writing From Your Soul Divination Deck.  I've come up with 100 words, started the guidebook, and already  have an idea - that thrills my soul - for a design.

All in about ten minutes.  Really.

THAT is what has been missing... the inspiration of beauty, of words, of really reaching into my soul (and hopefully the souls of people who will use this deck).

And even though the words are important, and the heart and soul of the deck, they have to be beautiful.  I have to love holding them, feeling them, turning them over and over in my hands and loving what I see.  I have to want to gaze upon them and just feel soul-filled when I do, almost with an ache of "Could something truly be this beautiful?"

Here's to beauty that makes our souls ache.

Be Bold. Be Brazen. Be You.

You have a product or service that solves a problem and that people need, and you want to share that.

But then it comes down to communicating with your target market… that's where you get stuck. You have to write blog posts, ezine articles, sales pages, campaign emails, affiliate materials… the list goes on. You have trouble taking that concept of your valuable product or service and confidently and powerfully communicating it.

You feel like you are not connecting with your market. (And you're not.)

You don't feel like anything you have to say is worth reading. (It's not UNworthy; it just needs more of you.)

You doubt that anyone cares, will buy, will sign up…. (And you will have fewer sales and sign-ups to your list-because they won't feel compelled. They won't believe. Because you don't.)

And so you stay small. Which gets you nowhere.

Sure, there are models and templates to help you with the technical aspects of what you need to write. But here's one thing they don't do: they don't have room for your soul.

THAT - the soul piece - is what's going to allow you to connect, reach more people, make a difference.

To really write from your soul, you have to claim the bigness of who you are and what you do in your business.

Because if there's any part of you that's playing small, wanting to hide, afraid of rejection and what people think, you can't very well write from that place.

So, what if you believed wholeheartedly in yourself?

What if you truly accepted that you and your business are needed in the world?

What if you stood up, shoulders back, chest out, arms open wide and yelled, "I need to be here! The world needs me! Watch out! Here I come!"

What if you chose to give all yourself and put it all out there?

What would your writing look like then?

People will be attracted to you. They'll mimic the woman in When Harry Met Sally: "I want what she's having." They'll watch you. They'll pay attention. They'll take you seriously. They'll notice what you're doing.

So, how do you go from being small to stepping into your bigness?

Be bold. Be brazen. Be you.

Breathe the following statements your body. Let your heart believe them. Act from them.

• I am confident in expressing who I am.
• I am different from all the others - boldly so.
• I am confident in my uniqueness, not ashamed.
• I am proud to express that uniqueness, to claim it.
• I claim the beauty in me and in what I do.
• I am bold. I am brazen. I am me.

When you write from that place, the world is going to stand up and take notice. So feel that, feel that bigness, feel that uniqueness, feel that youness… revel in it.

Do whatever you need to do to be in that place. Journal. Create a soul map. Call your voice mail and record a lovely message about how wonderful you are. Phone a girlfriend and say, "Okay, tell me about my bigness. Tell me what I need to do to be bold, be brazen, be me."

Whatever you need to do to claim how big you are… do that. And then, when you are in that place, write from your soul.

Being With Ourselves

I was recently writing with one of my favorite writing rituals, from Writing the Mind Alive: The Proprioceptive Method for Finding Your Authentic Voice, where you set up a certain kind of music to play for 25 minutes, and you write, without stopping, until the music stops.

And it's a deep writing.  You write whatever comes to mind, but the proprioceptive writing method forces (in a good way) you to go deeper.  You're constantly asking yourself, "What do I mean by ____ [a certain word or phrase that you've written]?" You go deeper and deeper and deeper.

It can be liberating and insightful, as well as exhausting.

During one of my writing sessions, as I was diligently writing and writing and writing, after each song, I'd say to myself, "Surely, this is the last song, and it's going to be done. And I can stop writing." And the music just kept going.  At one point, I almost got up to see if there had been a glitch and the music had somehow started to repeat. But I made myself keep writing.

What that told me was that it can be hard to be with one's self. We don't often allow ourselves to (or maybe even want to) listen.  We're afraid of it.  And what do I mean by "it"? :)  We're afraid of our own power, our own brilliance, the amazing life that is there waiting for us if we would just let go of that fucking iron grip.  We're afraid to let go and step up.  We're afraid to let that brilliance out for the world to see. We're so afraid that people won't accept it or see it... or maybe that they willl...

We end up keeping that brilliance hidden, even from ourselves. And we hide, cower, cover, dampen our light.

So, don't.  Be with yourself, as hard as that is, step up, be brilliant, and let the world see.

And let's not cower any more.

Creating Your Sacred Writing Bubble

"Writing time? Sure! I have a ton of stuff to write! Blog posts, Tuesday's ezine article, promotional copy for my upcoming program.... I could just write and write and write... But I'll get to it after these client calls. Oh, and preparing for my workshop. And let's not forget checking email and responding. Must respond right away, you know!"

So how much writing do you think gets done? Not much.

What I know from working with business owners with the amazing amount of STUFF to write is that they feel great when they write. They feel positive and successful. They wrote!

But getting them to that place where they write? It's like herding cats (or children).

What I've learned is that writing happens best when you create a sacred bubble around it. Writing doesn't just "happen." You have to plan for it.

• When are you going to write? Schedule that time and put it into your calendar. It's nonnegotiable. Do not give that time away. If something comes up - a client needs to talk with you, for example - treat your scheduled writing time as you would any other appointment. It's not a space of time that can be eaten into.
• Where are you going to write? Can you do this kind of writing in your office, or do you need a different environment and different energy? Plan for that and go to that place. Set yourself up for success from the very beginning.
• Structure your writing. Know for how long you're going to write. Just "until I'm done" might not be sufficient, and you might be setting yourself up for failure. "Gee, I planned on writing 80 chapters, and I didn't get it done. I suck." Personally, I like time limits as opposed to project limits. I write for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, whatever is appropriate for the day and/or the project ... I set that up ahead of time, and use a timer. I'm done writing when the timer goes off, and that's my benchmark of success.
• Turn off the phone ringer and close your email. If you have a cell phone (and who doesn’t?), turn it off or put it on silent. Put it in another room if you need to. (I speak from experience about this!)
• As part of that sacred bubble, create the sacred environment that works for you. Light candles or incense. Play inspiring music. Pull a card from your favorite divination deck. Watch a video to get into the mood. I find what works for me is to create a ritual that I tap into each time I’m going to write from the soul. It’s like Pavlov’s dog... my brain, heart, and soul know what’s coming.
• Have an ending ritual. You want to bring some sort of closure to your writing time. Otherwise, it feels anticlimactic. Blow out the candle, turn off the music, log how many words you wrote, give a silent blessing to the Universe for the words you wrote. Honor the sacred bubble.

How are you going to create your own sacred bubble of writing? Look through the points above, create your sacred bubble plan, and send it to me at dawn@writewellu.com. You might be surprised at the writing that actually gets done.

Are You Tired of Writing Being Hard?

Is writing hard for you?

Do you shudder every time you have to write something, even an email, because you're afraid of what people will think when they read it?

Do you struggle with where to put a comma, what the heck a semicolon is, the right word to use, how to end a piece of writing powerfully, or how to keep your audience's attention?

How much time are you spending in struggling to write a blog post, ezine article, marketing materials, emails?

What if you could just shoot off an email response? What if an ezine article or blog post just flowed right out of you?

What if you sent off a proposal or an information request, confident that your writing skills were strong?

Do you know how to get to that place?

I do. It's the six-month Writing Essentials Program. We'll cover just about everything to do with writing, including

• grammar
• punctuation
• easily confused words
• style
• voice
• introductions and conclusions
• flow
• creating tension (yes, you even need tension in a sales page and in an ezine article)
• Concise writing

It's an amazing journey that you'll go through in the Writing Essentials Program. Your writing will start to shift and improve almost instantly. You'll be aware of things you've never even thought about before. You'll get past any of your personal roadblocks and spend time where it's important - making sure you convey your message powerfully.

Here's the thing... you don't want to agonize over where to put a comma or how to end your article. You want to spend time focusing on your purpose, why you're writing in the first place, and then beef that up.

Purpose, not commas.

In the twenty-four week program, I'll also be incorporating my new Writing From Your Soul process so that you never lose the focus of why you're writing.

Ready to join me?

I’m offering a pretty steep discount for the remaining two seats in the class, which starts October 27, 2011, and ends April 26, 2012.

Here’s the special offer: $1800 pay-in-full for October's Writing Essentials Program - save $900 off the regular price. I'm also offering a generous payment plan: eight monthly payments of $300 - saving $100 off the regular pay-in-full price and $300 over the regular payment plan. This offer is available for you until Friday, October 14.

Find out more and apply today.

In addition, after teaching this class for six years, I’m making some improvements to make it even better – and really help you hone your writing skills. (And maybe even fall in love with writing!)

The last day to apply and take advantage of this great offer for this comprehensive twenty-four week class is this Friday, October 14. Don't miss out on being able to write powerfully and easily.

No Other Place To Go

The pain overtakes you, runs after you, tackles you to the ground.
You stay there, because, really, there's no other place to go.

Tears fall, witnesses to your failure,
Silent reprimands of all you should do, all you could do, all you don't do.

Steps are leaden, trying to drag you up,
But they just continue to drag you down.

You want to run away, but, really, there's no other place to go.
You sink to the ground, alone.

You cry out. No one hears you.  You're destined to be alone.
To despair. To suffer. To feel.

You take a step. And then another.
You write a word. And then another.

You hope, because, really, there's no other place to go.

Writing From Your Soul in the Real World

So you've decided that you'll set aside time to write every day, and maybe you've even scheduled a particular time to write.

You know you want to write from your soul.... it's the only way to truly to connect to your tribe and get your message across.... Your deep message, the one that's so all-fired important that you have to get it out in the world.

So you figure you'll just fit it in between dropping the kids off at school and your first client phone call at 9:00am.

Easy-peasy.... drop off the kids, walk in the door, grab your computer, sit down, and start writing from your soul...

And write powerful, impactful blog posts, articles, sales pages, and marketing emails.

And be done by 9:00am.

Of course, your mind doesn't stop. "I have to get such and such done before my 9:00am call." "I have to remember to respond to that email." "My assistant is waiting on that response from me." "I should call the three prospects for my new program." "Soccer practice is at 7:00."

Maybe not so easy after all.

Yes, you have a busy life. Yes, you have many commitments. Yes, you're trying to do it all.


But you can't force writing from your soul.

Now, that doesn't mean that if you're not feeling it, you just give up (and give in) and go answer those emails and do those tasks.

There's a process to writing from your soul. You have to figure out exactly what works for you, but here's a start.

1. Set a time to write. This can be every day or a specific time that you need to work on a project. Schedule it in your calendar. Don't let yourself give that time away; no exceptions. Turn off your phone (or put it in another room). Close out of your email programs.

2. Pay attention to your environment. Can you do this kind of writing in your office, or do you need a different environment and different energy? Plan for that and go to that place. Set yourself up for success from the very beginning.

3. Sit quietly for a few moments. You're going to have mind chatter; just accept that. Give yourself a few moments to hear all the crap that's going on in your head. Then, thank your mind for sharing, and turn your thoughts to your project.

4. Tap into your purpose and your audience. What is it that you want to write? Why? Who is going to read it? What do they need to hear? Why is what you have to say so important? What is it that you're going to share with the world? Connect to that deep place inside, and just BE from there.

5. Just write. Forget perfect. The most important thing is to get those core feelings, the essence of your soul, out into words. You're capturing the pain of your readers and the relief of your solution. You will come back to it later to polish it up.

You can write from your soul. You just have to give it a little help.

Me

Me.

Not me.

Me Yet To Be.

Not me.

Me.

What I Want For You

I want you to feel confident in expressing who you are.

I want you to be different from all the others - boldly.

I want you to be confident in your uniqueness, not ashamed.

I want you to be proud to express that uniqueness, to claim it.

I want to help you find the beauty in you and in what you do - and to help you express it.

I want to help you write from your soul.