Creativity Boosters

We've all felt like we've been up against a brick wall at one time or another with our writing. Here are some creativity-boosting tips for busting through writer's block.

1. Free write. Set a timer for ten minutes and just write. If you're writing in a journal, you may want to have a prompt or ask yourself a question. Write the prompt or question at the top of the page and go. If you're working on your book or an assignment, review your notes or what you last wrote and then write for ten minutes. Start each writing session this way. Getting started is the hardest part of the writing process for most people. Allowing yourself the freedom of free writing, without censure, lets you begin.

2. Have several projects. In the event that your novel's characters are being totally uncooperative, switch to another writing project. This is a good time to think about headlines for a press release or to work on your query letter or proposal. Or perhaps you have an article you're working on or an idea for an article you want to pitch to an editor. A caveat: Stick to writing projects and stay off the Internet. If you start to answer email, you'll be pulled away from writing. Even worse is to work on "research" via the Internet. An hour will pass and you'll have not written a word!

3. Read your journal or take out the notebook you keep with the notes you've jotted down for stories. If you don't keep a notebook, begin immediately! Write down any thoughts about characters, scraps of overheard conversation, or events that stimulate an article idea. Keep this notebook with you at all times. And, always, always have a pen. Part of developing the creative habit is to be prepared. How many good ideas have you lost because you didn't write them down?

4. Take a break. If the words are truly stuck, try something else entirely. Take a walk, sew, paint, cook, read or do some activity you enjoy. Be sure to return to the page, though, within a short period of time.

Portions of this article are reprinted from 4Ps to Publishing Success: Get Your Manuscript Off Your Desk & Into Print by Shelley Lieber. If you liked the article, you'll LOVE the book! A complete step-by-step guide to getting published. Find out if you need 4Ps to Publishing Success>>>

VIP Author Talks 2009 Kickoffs with Marlene Chism: “Success is a Given: Reading the Signs While Re-Inventing Your Life”

Change is probably going to be the key word of the year 2009--and possibly the next four years. Whether you are facing change by choice or by chance, you can use new circumstances as a catalyst for growth--or better, a book.

 

VIP Author Talks kicks off the 2009 tele-series on Wednesday, January 21 at 8:00pm ET with someone who knows how to make change work for you in your life: Marlene Chism, author of Success is a Given: Reading the Signs While Re-Inventing Your Life (www.successisagiven.com).

Having successfully transitioned from factory worker to speaker, coach and author. Marlene will share the insights, tips and resources she used to fashion her circumstances into a successful career. Based on what you hear in this presentation, you can learn how to:

• Choose the topic and title for your book


• Organize your material


• Use your book as a tool to build and expand your business 


• Use writing, speaking and coaching to build an audience (readers)

Bonus Content!

Marlene will also

• Reveal what she would do differently so you can learn from her hindsight (mistakes)


• Answer questions from the audience

This is one conversation you don't want to miss. Mark your calendar now for this free event*. Here's how to get on the call:

What: VIP Author Talks with Guest Marlene Chism

When: Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 8:00pm to 9:00pm Eastern (7:00pm Central, 6:00pm Mountain, 5:00pm Pacific)

Call-In Details: To get on the call, please dial 1 (218) 339-4600, and enter Access Code 992777# when prompted.

*The presentation will last one hour and is free to attend, but long distances may apply. Please note that anyone may call in and listen, but the audio recording will only be available to VIP Author Inner Circle members. If you are not yet a member and would like a recording of this call, find out more about all the benefits of VIP Author Inner Circle membership here>>>

Are you SMART?

The only way to make continual progress with your writing is to set goals. There's no job description for writer and no standard measurement for advancement. So, it's up to you to establish a framework that defines your goals and strategies for success.

It's a good idea to set a mixture of short- and long-term goals. Ask yourself where you want to be in the next three months, six months, one year, two years, five years and ten years. Dream big dreams and don't let "reason" restrict your vision for yourself.

Use the well-known acronym, SMART, to help you create your goals. SMART stands for:

Specific: Be precise. Instead of "I will write more often," say, "I will write every morning."?

Measurable: Write quantitative, rather than qualitative, goals. Make sure you can measure progress, or how will you know when you've attained your goal??Action-Oriented: Choose goals you can control. Rather than "I will be published in a national magazine by June of this year," write "I will send a query letter each week to possible markets until I am published in a national magazine."?

Risk/Realistic: Set goals that will make you stretch your capabilities, but don't set yourself up for failure. If you have a full-time job or small children at home, writing a novel in one month is an unlikely feat.?

Timed: Deadlines help you pace yourself to complete your goals within a specific period of time. The publishing world rises and falls on making deadlines, so push yourself to hold firm to your commitment. ? ?

Other Tips

1. Put your goals in writing.


2. Post your goals where you can see them or make it a point to read them at least three times a day: when you awake in the morning, mid-day and before you go to sleep.


3. Share your goals with a supportive friend or relative. Your writers' group may be your support group. The act of sharing your intentions releases them to the Universe and also will help keep you accountable--you will want to perform to expectations.


4. Celebrate your successes! When you can cross off a goal or make a check mark on your list, buy yourself a new journal, pen or book. See a movie or have lunch with a friend. Schedule a manicure or massage.


5. Get back to work after your celebration. Keep going.


6. Be flexible and adjust your goals when necessary. New opportunities always arise and you may find yourself attracted to magazine writing when you thought you wanted to write screenplays. Be open to possibilities that are as yet unseen.


7. Never beat yourself up or consider yourself a failure for not completing a goal in a specified time. Review your setbacks and revise your strategy. Never, never, never give up!

Portions of this article are reprinted from 4Ps to Publishing Success: Get Your Manuscript Off Your Desk & Into Print by Shelley Lieber.  Find out if you need 4Ps to Publishing Success>>>

The Ultimate Resolution that Changes Everything

Are you tired of making lists: things to do, goals to make, promises to keep...? I am. It seems it never ends and there's always another list to make. So, I decided to take a good, honest look at why I haven't lost the weight, made the money or gone on the trip.

This is what I discovered. I've accomplished far more than I had thought, but there are still important milestones I've yet to reach. So, what is the difference between what I have accomplished and what I have not?

At first I thought is was a matter of belief. But I truly do know I can lose five pounds, make more money and go on a vacation, because I've done that all before. So I looked again at my list of what I've done and what I haven't done--and something jumped out at me with serious "aha" velocity.

The single distinguishing factor between my lists was that on one I had let go of my old ideas about how to do something and tried something new. Where I was stuck in the mud, I was holding on to how I've always done it. So, it was no surprise that what hadn't worked in the past still did not.

And so, I have made an Ultimate Resolution that I believe will change my life. I am open and receptive to all possibilities. That means never saying (or thinking) I can't do that, I'm too old for that, I don't have enough money for  that...and so on. It means never dismissing any idea just because it challenges my comfort zone.

In the past year, just changing my attitude about social networking (that it's only for kids) has revolutionized my business. And once I decided that I would just play around with it, suddenly it wasn't so hard to navigate the websites. The know-how seemed to come to me in all sorts of ways: tips online, people who knew how to do it, and my relaxed attitude about it all seemed to make the instructions easier to follow.

Several business strategies I wanted to employ but hadn't because of the costs become possible when I decided that I'd find a way to do it without spending the money. Suddenly people who could provide what I needed showed up and wanted to partner with me for an exchange of services. 

Do you see how simply opening your mind to all possibilities can change your whole world? No big visible big effort needed, just an ongoing gentle reminder to yourself not to reject anything or anyone without first looking with open eyes and open mind.

How many opportunities have you dismissed just because it didn't fit your current view of reality? The only reality is that things change, so why not go with the flow instead of resisting?

Say it out loud. "I am open and receptive to all possibilities." 

Doesn't that feel good? Much better than "I can't," which makes you feel yucky. And it applies to everything on your to-do list and goals sheet. 

Join me this year in a creative thinking exercise. What's really holding you back from achieving what you want? The circumstance, or how you think about the circumstance? Let's all employ the Ultimate Resolution--I am open and receptive to all possibilities--and meet back in a year to tell our stories.

Are you in? Write your comments below. Do it now!

Life's Milestones are the Markers for Success: An Interview with Melissa Soldani-Lemon

When did you start your blog, Stories for Invisible Friends?

I officially started in Summer 2005 when I was moving from South Florida to take a faculty position as a history professor in Tallahassee.  Before that I had a website where I published the articles I wrote for parenting magazines.

Why did you start your blog?

The first time I heard the word "blog" and became aware of their existence was in Summer 2005 when I read about a New York Beauty editor/blogger losing her job for writing about work while at work.

Minutes after I read that article I followed a few links and had my own blog up.  I had no specific intentions, no desired audience. It felt very much like buying a new leather journal - exciting, inspiring, fresh and new.

What is the significance of turning 40 and posting your 1000th blog entry on the same day for you?

About two months ago when I logged on to Blogger,  I saw that I was at post 950, and decided to pace myself to hit 1,000 on my 40th birthday.

Honestly, I'm amazed at how effortlessly the stories have come, and how they show how my perspective and voice have evolved over the past three years.  One thousand sounds like a huge number, but really, it works out to less than a story a day, reflecting only a tiny corner of my life.

At first I thought I would write about turning 40, but I have a bigger story to write --  one that doesn't involve me at all. It's called "Hearts: Broken and Hopeful."

New Blog Address

Hi, if you're looking for my blog, it's moved to
http://wordywoman.com

See you there!

My book on iPhone

Back in October Forbes reported that iPhone had stolen the lead over Kindle. And just last week, Random House and Penguin announced mobile phone initiatives, with an emphasis particularly on the Apple iPhone and the App Store. Neither publishing house offers new titles on iPhone, however. Random House is offering older titles for download and Penguin is offering only promotional material for new titles.

Visual Impressions Publishing is proud to take a leading position in the world of publishers and bring its titles to iPhone. 4Ps to Publishing Success: Get Your Manuscript Off Your Desk & Into Print, is our first title available for download on your iPhone.

Wondering what a book will look like on your iPhone? Check it out: vertical or horizontal (widescreen) orientation. (Press the carat symbol to start the presentation, then sit back and watch.) The book can be purchased on iTunes or via the web.

Cover the basics with your Internet book marketing

Learning the tips and tricks of today's technology is a big part of what a successful author needs to do. If you're just getting started with Internet promotion, here are some very basic tips. 

1. Create an email signature. How many emails do you send out a day? Every one should have your contact info below your signature...that's just a professional courtesy. Add the name of your book or product, your blog or web address or just an interesting quote. Think of your emails as an electronic business card.


2. Use an email delivery program such as Constant Contact or Aweber to manage your email lists for your newsletter. Whether you use html design or text-only format, your newsletter will appear much more professional coming from this type of delivery system. The other benefits include: unsubscribe and bounced emails deleted automatically, sign-up box for your site provided and reports on who opened the emails and which links were clicked.


3. If you're haven't started your own blog, read blogs by other people in your industry and comment on them. You can link back to your site, and at the very least, get your name out there. This can be very helpful if you comment on blogs with high readership. Lots of eyes get used to your name. Of course, it's most beneficial when you can link to your own site or blog, but don't wait to begin--just do it!


4. Join some social networking sites. Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, GoodReads and Book Marketing Network are just a few. Don't panic if you are new and don't know what you're doing. Just set up a profile to begin, browse and join some groups and watch what others do. Before you know it, you'll be addicted to making "friends" and posting your information. (See my Facebook and LinkedInprofiles, or follow me on Twitter.)

If any or all of this sounds foreign, scary or just plain overwhelming, you may want to consider getting some assistance. Having a mentor to guide you step by step through the process can be reassuring when navigating new and unfamiliar territory. And this is just the tip of the iceberg of what you can and need to be doing to build your audience. (And you know you need to do this before and while you're writing the book, right?)

As the new year approaches and you write "get my book published" to yet another year's resolution list, do something for yourself that can truly help you reach your goal. Don't let another go by without taking real action.

VIP Authors Inner Circle is a group mentoring program for serious writers who have the vision but need the insider know-how to make their dreams reality. Inner Circle members receive a stream of valuable publishing information and have an opportunity to get personal feedback during live coaching and teleseminar calls with publishing experts. Join in December and save $30. Program description and full list of benefits here>>>

 

The end of publishing marks the beginning for authors

More articles and blog posts about the future of the publishing industry have been written in the past two weeks than I can ever remember reading (and I spend 2-3 hours per day reading industry news). The massive layoffs at the major houses, cutbacks or freezes on manuscript acquisitions and gloomy sales reports have many predicting the fall of the industry and the end of books.

Considering that I have been in this industry over 30 years and love books, these gloomy forecasts might have made me sad, but I'm not. Not at all. I am JUICED at the prospect of some real change in an industry that has operated in an outdated model for years. (Of course, I am compassionate for those who lost jobs, but there are other jobs, and much work to do for those who are committed to their own success and the future of book publishing.)

Looking to other creative industries, we have the models for change. I believe the salvation of the industry lies with the creators of the written word, not the publishers. Publishing has been slow to recognize the value of independent authors, unlike the music and film industries where indie artists are revered. I've attended writers conferences for decades and the message was always that it's hard to get published, but follow our rules, even though we probably won't accept your work anyway.

Faced with that bleak advice, many authors looked to other outlets for their message and found them in the form of self-publishing via print on demand, ebooks, blogs, spoken word, podcasts and books on cell phones. Yes, in the beginning quality was shaky and not of comparable quality to what the big houses put out, but all that has changed.  "Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come," said Victor Hugo. The technology has made it possible and now authors finally have the opportunity to connect directly with their readers, a strategy that has been hugely successful in the music industry.

When I look ahead my vision is clear and hopeful about the direction of the industry and the future of publishing. We are entering the Age of the Author. Whoohoo!

Is your blog creating a buzz or just Z's?

You probably started your blog as a way to communicate with your audience, perhaps hoping that an Internet presence would help increase your readership and ultimately sell your book or service.

How's it working out for you so far? Do you sometimes feel you are pouring your heart out on the page (or onto the computer) and you've no idea if anyone even knows you exist? Do you ask yourself if you're wasting your time when you could be writing your book instead? If you're not getting any feedback in the form of reader comments or trackbacks from other blog writers, it may be time to ask yourself, "Is my blog creating a buzz or putting people to sleep?"

Like books, blogs are meant to educate and entertain. To be successful with your blog (or your book), ask yourself these three questions before beginning:

1. Who will read what I write? Identifying your audience before you begin will get you focused on communicating your message and help eliminate writer's block. Having a clear picture of your reader will also help you figure out how and where to reach them in the real and virtual worlds. 


2. What new information or solution am I bringing to the marketplace? This may be the single-most important factor in determining whether you will keep and grow your blog readership. Certainly a pleasant design and good writing helps, but if you're not educating, offering new information or providing a solution to a problem, then there's little reason for readers to follow your blog.


3. How can I balance creating value for my readers with marketing my book, product or service? Readers understand that you have a book or service that may help them; that's why they read your blog or newsletter. They appreciate hearing about your new offerings, especially if there's a special reward, such a discount, bonus or gift. The key is balance your promotion with real value to the customer. If ever in doubt, go with this maxim: The more you give, the more you will receive.

Blogging can be an effective and fun way to spread your news and your views. The most popular blogs are the ones where the author keeps a clear and authentic voice. So be who you are: funny,chatty,  radical, serious, intense--just don't be boring and your readership (and sales) will grow.