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- Lessons Learned From a Creative Writing Retreat - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2015 from Dawn ShulerWe may not be able to sit down and write anywhere. Some people can. Yay them! For me, though, my environment is ultra important. The energy of people around me affects me. The location. The natural environment. Maybe that sounds like I'm a diva and everything must be perfect if I'm going to ...
Views: 633 - How to Convey Your Message With Power and Passion - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2015 from Dawn ShulerOver my entire adult life, I've run into a lot of people who really struggle with writing. And some of these people are amazing at what they do, but they can't write. But, more importantly, they didn't THINK they could write. As a result, I started to take what I could see their problems were ...
Views: 1354 - 10 Specific Ways to Jazz Up Your Writing - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2015 from Dawn ShulerThe clearer (and more specific) you are about your message and the results you want to achieve, the easier it is for you to write. Then the words flow, because they're flowing from the heart. Once those words are flowing nicely and easily (because you're connecting with your passion), then you ...
Views: 922 - What If - Your Writing - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2015 from Dawn ShulerAs a writer, you might find yourself stuck - at the beginning (can't even get started), in the middle (where the heck do I go now), or at the end (is this really a good ending) of whatever you're writing. There are all sorts of techniques to get past writer's block, but it's even more than ...
Views: 628 - I Don't Want to Write, and You Can't Make Me - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2015 from Dawn ShulerThe statistic that writing coaches, book marketing coaches, and write-a-book-in-a-weekend programs love to shout to the world is that 80% of people say they want to write a book. What do you think the key word is in that statistic? "Want." They want to write a book. The number of people ...
Views: 640 - The Writing Rhythm and Blues - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2015 from Dawn ShulerAs I talk with my coaching clients and work with people in my programs, the self-criticisms and struggles of gotta write, "Just do it," and feeling not good enough abound. As writers, it's what we all struggle with. "Am I good enough?" "I should just stop what I'm doing right now and ...
Views: 689 - The Writing Race: Keep Writing, Even If You Think It Stinks - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2015 from Dawn ShulerMany writers, maybe all writers, have trouble being objective about their writing. As you're writing or immediately after you're writing, you're thinking, "God, what am I doing? This is pure drivel. It's awful. I should just stop." Luckily, you don't stop; you keep going. And, with more luck, ...
Views: 613 - 5 Common Pitfalls That Keep You From Getting Started Writing - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2015 from Dawn ShulerIt'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 ...
Views: 565 - Setting Your Writing Up For Easy - by Submitted on Jun 14, 2015 from Dawn ShulerFor 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 ...
Views: 684 - Let Creativity In - 6 Easy Steps - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2015 from Dawn Shuler"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 ...
Views: 1001 - Making Writing Easy - The Continual Process - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2015 from Dawn ShulerI've committed 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 ...
Views: 734 - 5 Writing Rituals to Get You Writing - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2015 from Dawn ShulerWhen 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 ...
Views: 590 - Words Have Power - Use That Power Wisely - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2015 from Dawn ShulerWords are powerful. The little ditty we heard and sometimes used as a mantra (See? Words ARE powerful) of "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" just isn't true. Here's an example. One of my favorite memorials in Washington, D.C. is the Franklin Delano Roosevelt ...
Views: 559 - 16 Rules of Soulful Writing - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2015 from Dawn ShulerWriting 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 16 rules I use in my own writing life as well as with my clients and students. Feel free to break any as ...
Views: 1250 - What Movies Can Teach You About Writing - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2015 from Dawn ShulerAfter watching Gettysburg several months before, both Mark and I were champing at the bit to watch Gods and Generals. Mark's a huge Civil War buff, and while I'm not an aficionado, I really loved Gettysburg. Great characters, good writing, action that moved along... An hour into Gods and ...
Views: 585 - How Do You Know When You're Writing From Your Soul? - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2015 from Dawn ShulerI 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 ...
Views: 605 - Vantage Point - Your Audience's Point of View - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2015 from Dawn ShulerA few months ago, I met with a former coaching client for a lovely dinner, and we spent some time catching up since it had been a couple of months since we had connected. We told each other our stories, including how some relationships, business and personal, had ended. She said it's like ...
Views: 539 - Connect the Dots for Your Readers - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2015 from Dawn ShulerIn conversations or in words, we usually know what it is we're trying to say. We have the concept in our heads. We can see it. Then, the trick is to translate that concept (which is not word-based) into words. Just like in a conversation with your spouse, you don't mention every single ...
Views: 581 - The Ladder of Abstraction: 5 Techniques to Strengthen Your Writing - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2015 from Dawn ShulerWhatever we're writing, fiction or nonfiction, blogging or articles, sales letters or emails, we often find ourselves needing to convey an abstract concept. For example, in a marketing email, you are supposed to tap into your audience's pain. Whatever your audience's pain point, it's probably ...
Views: 2043 - Are You Being Confusing in Your Writing? Six Steps to Make Your Writing Clearer - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2015 from Dawn ShulerThe most important aspect of connecting with your audience through words is being clear... Because if you're not clear, your readers certainly won't be. I was at a high-school band concert, and there was a box with "Cleaning Supplies" written on one side and "Lost and Found" written on ...
Views: 560 - 11 Lessons Art Taught Me About Writing - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2015 from Dawn ShulerIf you had ever asked me if I was creative, my answer would have somehow revolved around my writing. While both my grandmothers painted, I didn't feel my artistic bents leaned that way in the least. But art has been sneaking in for years... through mandalas and collages and vision boards and ...
Views: 583 - When You Don't Know What to Write - 6 Options to Get You Moving - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2015 from Dawn Shuler"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both... " One of my clients was writing a novel, and she was extremely frustrated. She had two different tracks she could follow, and she just couldn't decide which one to take. So she was stuck... and wasn't writing a ...
Views: 552 - Rant: Writing Well As a Barrier to Creativity? - by Submitted on Feb 17, 2015 from Dawn ShulerA few years ago, I ran across a blog post where the author claimed that those who think that writing well is important sap the life out of creativity. She recounted how she was discouraged from sending a letter to Mad Magazine because her English teacher critiqued it too harshly. I feel sorry ...
Views: 549 - Cooking Up a Few Words - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2015 from Dawn ShulerAs a writer, I see metaphors everywhere, and one of the lenses through which I view the world is that of writing and words. So, it's not a surprise that when I'm cooking a meal, my mind goes inevitably to writing... and tries to make connections. (One definition of writing could be "finding ...
Views: 636 - What Is Your Content Creator Personality Type? - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2015 from Dawn ShulerWriting looks like many different things (outlining, taking notes, recording our thoughts, stream of consciousness, to name a few), and we writers are all different, too. The biggest problem I see would-be writers and even those who make the leap and proclaim themselves writers to the world ...
Views: 641 - Strong Writing Part I - Powerful Beginnings - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2015 from Dawn ShulerGrab 'em at the beginning and don't let 'em go. Powerful beginnings - whether we're talking about short stories or sales pages - are crucial to capturing your reader's attention. If you don't grab her right away, she has no reason to keep reading. And you've lost her. Conversely, if you've ...
Views: 1035 - The Top 5 Pieces of Content You Need to Be Writing - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2015 from Dawn ShulerI have a checklist of over 70 types of content that business owners could be writing. That sounds overwhelming, but as a business owner, you probably don't need to write all 70+. And... to keep in front of your market and your community and to establish your credibility, you do need to be ...
Views: 503 - Strong Writing- Powerful Endings - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2015 from Dawn ShulerYou need a great beginning in order to grab your readers' attention, but if you don't end just as powerfully, your reader could walk away with a bad taste in her mouth, your content forgotten. You can take a so-so piece of writing and make it powerful with a good conclusion. If you start with ...
Views: 954 - All Stories Tell a Journey - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2015 from Dawn ShulerWhether you're writing fiction or nonfiction (even business writing), all writing tells a journey. There's a starting point and an ending point. Your job as writer and author is to get your reader from Point A to Point B. The most popular format for a journey story is Joseph Campbell's Hero's ...
Views: 585 - Writer's Block - Is It an R.O.U.S? - by Submitted on Feb 15, 2015 from Dawn ShulerAs a creative, I have tons of projects in the works: two short stories, one short story that could turn into a novel, twelve quilts, three cross-stitch projects, one painting, one creative tool for an upcoming workshop. I'm in no danger of running out of things to do anytime soon, ...
Views: 616 - Qualities of an Excellent Mystery Shopper - by Submitted on Feb 08, 2015 from Anita BigginsMystery Shopping can be a fun and flexible freelance job. The hours and times that you work depend on your schedule. Only choose to work the jobs that you know that you can do. Employers rely on you being dependable. You may work for as many companies as you would like as an independent ...
Views: 988 - Some Facts about Working with an Editor - by Submitted on Dec 22, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorIf you’ve never worked with an editor and you’re wondering things like what’s involved, how much it will cost, how long it will take, and other such aspects, here are some helpful facts for you to know. The more informed you are, the easier the editing process will be for you. First, it’s ...
Views: 1074 - The Old Model vs. The New Model of Online Book Marketing - by Submitted on Dec 05, 2014 from Kathleen GageRecently I surveyed a group of several hundred authors. "What's your greatest challenge with marketing and selling your book(s)?" was the only question asked. The results were as follows: 38% knowledge 33% time 17% money 7% fear 5% other It’s not surprising ...
Views: 1518 - That Which We Resists Persists - by Submitted on Dec 05, 2014 from Kathleen GageBy now just about everyone has heard of how powerful our thoughts, words and beliefs are. Yet, for some unknown reason people subject themselves to listening to and talking about how bad things currently are with the economy. Over and over we hear how absolutely terrible things are. The fact is ...
Views: 1485 - How To Make An Enthralling Short Story - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2014 from Jennifer BradshawA short story is nothing more than a simple tale portraying the protagonist or title character in a small but captivating narrative that easily reaches its climax without going extending the details but keeping everything short and stick strictly to the main plot. In short stories, the author ...
Views: 1671 - Slideshare, social media, social networks, social media marketing - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2014 from Kathleen GageWith all the choices of social networks and social media marketing you might wonder where your time is best utilized. The standard locations are: Facebook LinkedIn Twitter YouTube Google+ One social network proving to be incredibly valuable is ...
Views: 1182 - Feeling Naked - by Submitted on Nov 17, 2014 from William DiedrichI feel naked. As I am writing this I am actually wearing clothes. It’s thirty degrees outside. I just published my first novel—Human Adulthood: A Spiritual Romance. I have written and published four non-fiction books. There certainly is a level of vulnerability with those, especially since I ...
Views: 1320 - 10 Tips for Writing Reflective DSP Portfolio Summaries - by Submitted on Nov 15, 2014 from Bobby HarrisDirect Support Professionals may frequently be asked to write a reflective summary about their work with intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals. The summary is supposed to be an analysis of the DSP's experiences and learning's as they work towards supporting an individual, and ...
Views: 1007 - Best Writing Apps and Online Tools - by Submitted on Oct 29, 2014 from Robert MorrisAspiring and established writers think of great ideas at strangest times. How many times have you thought of an amazing concept that evaporated away because you didn’t find the time to write it down? Instead of carrying a pen and paper everywhere around, you can turn to modern technology and ...
Views: 1353(1 vote) - Setting the Scene: Fiction and Non-Fiction (Including Memoirs) - by Submitted on Oct 20, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorScene setting, whether that’s for fiction or non-fiction, which includes memoir, is all-important to give readers a sense of time and place as they read. And, you want to provide setting early in each scene or segment, and as you go. You can provide scene setting through narrative, as well as ...
Views: 1331 - Writing Tense - by Submitted on Sep 28, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWriting tense doesn’t refer to how tense a writer may feel when writing, but is instead about the tense the story is written in. There are a few no-no’s about this that writers, especially new writers, should be aware of. It doesn’t occur often, but occasionally a client sends me a ...
Views: 1174 - Characters and Dialogue - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorA novel, and even a memoir, will have characters and dialogue. You want to make sure dialogue is easy to read, sounds natural, and does what it’s meant to. Good character development in fiction includes making characters’ voices so distinctive that readers can tell who’s talking without ...
Views: 1336 - The Importance of Setting in a Fiction or Nonfiction Book - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorSetting is where the story and each scene take place, which you know. But do you grasp that setting can set the tone and mood readers experience, and can reveal and or trigger characters’ moods? You want to give enough (not too much) description for each scene to set the appearance, atmosphere, ...
Views: 3408 - Don’t Put the Cart before the Horse with Your Manuscript - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorA writer, especially a new writer, is understandably excited and eager to get his/her manuscript to an agent for consideration or self-published. But, it’s imperative you submit writing that shows an agent there’s reason to be interested in you as a promising writer, or make certain it’s ready ...
Views: 1039 - The Importance of Suspense in a Novel - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhat makes suspense work in a novel? There’s quite a lot to know about this, but here are some highlights. Every story benefits from some level of suspense. Plot relies on it. For suspense to work well, readers have to care about or be curious about what will happen to one or more characters. ...
Views: 4877 - The Importance of Plot in a Novel - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorWhat makes plot development work in a novel? There’s quite a lot to know about this, but here are some high-points. A strong novel writer causes readers to feel they experience a slice of someone else’s (one or more characters) “real” life. Even Science Fiction and Fantasy must accomplish ...
Views: 1135 - How to Develop Strong Characters in Your Novel - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorPeople fall in love with novels because of the characters. This means it’s imperative for you to know how to develop them, and why. Plot development is important, but action and events, alone, cannot hold readers’ interest or keep them interested in a series that involves one or more ...
Views: 1171 - Proper Use of Abbreviations in Fiction and Nonfiction - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorTo abbreviate or not to abbreviate—that is the question. In this day and age of texting, people are becoming adept at using abbreviations. However, this is not appropriate, for the most part, when writing fiction or nonfiction, unless your characters have dialogues that involve texting. You have ...
Views: 4767 - Tips for Creating and Proofreading Your Manuscript Draft - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorBest-selling author James Michener said, “I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.” Many writers impede their progress and stifle their creativity by not doing two particular “somethings” while writing their first draft and once their draft is completed—and waste time and ...
Views: 1122 - Costs of Becoming a Writer - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2014 from Joyce Shafer, Book DoctorThere’s a lot involved in becoming a self-published or traditionally published author, but there’s nothing like seeing your efforts in a paperback or hardback copy you hold in your hands. Your dream becomes your reality, and it’s a feeling of accomplishment you don’t soon forget. But it’s also a ...
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