Fun and Free! Contest from Tales2Inspire!

Today, guest blogger Lois W. Stern is offering my visitors--both writers and readers--a fun free-to-enter contest.  It may be the first such contest I have ever offered on this blog (I have been doing this blog, for a long, long time and memory is short!)  The marketers among you may get some ideas you can adapt to your own promotions! 

Lois W. Stern, creator of the Tales2Inspire’Authors Helping Authors’ project/contest, invites readers to enter the NEW HONEY BEE AWARD contest.

As a child I was taught Hillel’s meaningful words:

If I’m not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, 
what am I? If not now, when?

I often think of the message behind those words, and lately, as an author and creator of Tales2Inspire, have been pondering how they might relate to us as authors.

I’ve come up with an idea to satisfy all three parts of Hillel’s creed, starting with, If I’m not for myself, who will be for me? Like all of us authors, I want reviews for my books. But then, in adherence with Hillel’s words, If I am only for myself, what am I?, I wanted to give those writing reviews some benefits as well, and just like Hillel, asked myself, If not now, when?

To this end, I have created a NO FEES, MONTHLY HONEY BEE AWARD CONTEST.

To satisfy Hillel’s words, If I’m not for myself, who will be for me?.I am asking you to write a review for ONE single story published in ANY of the Tales2Inspire books.Use the form at: http://tales2inspire.com/honey-bee-award/

Each month Carolyn Howard-Johnson will select a winning review. What’s the pay off for winners? In adherence with Hillel’s words, If I am only for myself, what am I?each monthly winner’s name, review and credits will be posted on CHJ’s The NewBookReview blog,and tweeted to herover thirty-six thousand Twitter followers. Furthermore each monthly winner will get a coupon for a FREE Tales2Inspiree-book of their choice. 

*** More goodies await you ***

Step it up a notch and get a permanent place on the Tales2InspireHoney Bee Hall of Fame.

Click on this link to watch this two minute video first. 

https://youtu.be/YJol2Y8FgYY

Write a review for any Tales2Inspirebook, post it on Amazon.com and get acoveted spot on our Honey Bee Hall of Fame page at:

 http://tales2inspire.com/honey-bee-hall-of-fame/, 

where your headshot photo and name will appear, with a click through link to your choice of URL.

LIMITED TIME OFFER: As a thank you, Lois will send you a FREE Tales2Inspirebook of your choice (continental USA only). 

The Tales2Inspiremonthly newsletter is the perfect way to learn about free give-aways, Amazon countdown deals and much, much more. Sign up at www.tales2inspire.com/gift and get a sampler of six published stories for only $.99.

MORE ABOUT THE GUEST BLOGGER AND HER TALES2INSPIRE PROJECT

Lois W. Stern's Tales2Inspire was a kernel of an idea that started in 2012 and has grown to proportions even she didn’t dare to envision. Her innate curiosity about potentially fascinating human interest stories was the spark that ignited this idea. But it was the confused state of traditional publishing that propelled her forward. Tales2Inspire delivers exactly what it promises as both an ‘Authors Helping Authors’ project and a contest. Winners get their stories published in print, e-book and some even in video formats, with their names, headshot photos, and mini-autobiographies included. Then she spreads the word about the winners and their stories on her blogs, social media and monthly newsletter. FREE to enter, this is a great competition for talented newbies and seasoned authors alike. 

Learn more here:

Tales2Inspire website: http://www.tales2inspire.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tales2inspire2

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/tales2inspire

LinkedIn profile: http://tinyurl.com/odtw2wt

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

 Howard-Johnson is the multi award-wining author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the award-winning second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor. Her latest is in the series is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page, http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile. Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal helps writers who want to be traditionally published. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques (http://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, she helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com)

Writer's Digest Author Riffs on Author Attitude

I met Nina Amir at Book Expo America. She came by my signing podium at the USA Best Books booth to buy a book, get it signed, and chat a bit. I'm telling you this because she is a good one to listen to. She didn't let our immediate connection stop there but continued to network and you'll see her advice on tenacity (in her case, tenacity mixed with charm!) below.  Now she has a second book, The Author Training Manual, coming out--another indication of her tenacity.  Yay, Nina!

The Four Elements of Author Attitude


Adapted from The Author Training Manual: Develop Marketable Ideas, Craft Books That Sell, Become the Author Publishers Want, and Self-Publish Effectively (Writers Digest Books)

The most successful people in the world will tell you that, more than anything else, their attitude helped them achieve their goals. If you want to succeed as an author, you need more than a good idea and writing skill. You need an Author Attitude.

Author Attitude consists of four primary characteristics:

W-Willingness

O-    Optimism

O-     Objectivity

T--     Tenacity.

 

I have arranged the four characteristics of Author Attitude to create an acronym to help you remember them. It spells a word that recently has come into common culture: WOOT!

 

Let’s look at each characteristic.

 

Willingness: To become a successful author you need a general willingness to change and grow. Your old attitudes, actions, behaviors, thoughts, decisions, beliefs, and habits have only gotten you this far. They helped you achieve your current results. If you want a new level of success as a writer, something has to change. For that to happen, first and foremost, you need to be willing to change. Every one of the following characteristics require that you have some degree of willingness to explore, do, learn, evaluate, try something that may be new or different, or do something you know how to do already but in a different way.

 

Additionally, you must be willing to change your book idea. The actual story, characters, subject, angle, theme, purpose, audience, or any number of other aspects of your project might need to be altered to make it viable in the marketplace. This may be difficult to swallow at first, but successful authorship relies on your ability to evaluate the marketability of your idea from every angle possible and to make the tough calls. Only when you have discovered that you have created a salable idea can you turn to writing the book. When you have completed the manuscript, you must be willing to receive feedback on how your writing and manuscript can be improved to make it successful and to make those changes.

 

Optimism: Whether you call it faith, positive thinking, reverse pessimism, Positive Psychology, or learned optimism, to become a successful author you must be willing to see everything that happens to you as pushing you closer to your goal of successful authorship. This means a rejection from an agent presents an opportunity to improve your query letter or your book proposal. A negative review of your manuscript by a book doctor at a conference presents a chance to rethink your plot or your content—or even to hone your craft. A session with a proposal consultant who tells you your platform section needs strengthening offers the opportunity to rethink your pre-promotion activity level.

 

Objectivity: To become a successful author you need to see yourself and your work objectively, from a different perspective than your own. Specifically, you need to see through the lens used by publishing professionals, such as literary agents and acquisitions editors. Both view your book idea not only as a creative project but also as a business proposition. They view you as a potential business partner. Even if you don’t plan on seeking a traditional publisher for your book, you must learn to stand back and evaluate yourself and your work objectively from a publishing business perspective. Doing so becomes even more important if you plan to independently publish since you become the publisher of your own work.

 

The publishing industry is the book production and selling business; if you want to become an author you must be willing to make this your business as well. You have to be willing to craft your work with an eye to the industry’s needs and standards, which are more often than not focused primarily on marketability and sales.

 

You also must distance yourself from your idea. You must detach from it so you are willing to receive, hear, and act upon criticism—and so you can learn to evaluate your idea and offer constructive criticism of your own. And you must make the necessary changes without cringing as if you are cutting off fingers and toes. You must do this with excitement because you know you are making the end product more salable. In other words, you must act in your book’s best interest—even when it feels hard.

 

Ultimately, you must see your project from the perspective of the consumer, as well. Only when you do this can you pinpoint why they might pick up your book, carry it to the register and purchase it, and then tell their friends they must read it, too. That’s when you and your book become successful.

 

Tenacity: To become an author, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes for however long it takes to reach your goal. Determination, persistence, and perseverance carry you though to successful authorship, whether you are rewriting your manuscript, building author platform, submitting to the one hundredth agent, contacting the one thousandth reviewer, or writing the fiftieth blog post or press release about your book. You must have passion for your project and feel a sense of purpose. Every day you must show up eager to move forward, even if it is only by one small step or in spite of the challenges that have presented themselves.

 

You must love what you do. You must be in love with writing, being an author (or the prospect of becoming one), and your book. For you, authorship must not be about making money or selling books; writing books or this particular book must feel like a passion, a calling, a vocation, or a soul sole purpose. This will keep you doing what must be done to succeed every day.

 

Despite this focus on Author Attitude, the need for a great idea and outstanding writing remain a factor in the success of any book. These will take you far, especially if you write fiction. However, in all cases, to go the distance and become a successful author you need the elements included in an Author Attitude—Woot!

 

About the Author

Nina Amir, author of the bestselling How to Blog a Book: Write, Publish, and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time (Writers Digest Books) and The Author Training Manual: Develop Marketable Ideas, Craft Books That Sell, Become the Author Publishers Want, and Self-Publish Effectively (Writers Digest Books), transforms writers into inspired, successful authors, authorpreneurs and blogpreneurs. Known as the Inspiration to Creation Coach, she moves her clients from ideas to finished books as well as to careers as authors by helping them combine their passion and purpose so they create products that positively and meaningfully impact the world. A sought-after author, book, blog-to-book, and results coach, some of Nina’s clients have sold 300,000+ copies of their books, landed deals with major publishing houses and created thriving businesses around their books. She writes four blogs, including Write Nonfiction Now and How to Blog a Book, self-published 12 books and founded National Nonfiction Writing Month, aka the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge.

 

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .

Karina Fabian Wants To Give You a Break on Negative Thinking

The Power of Positive Negativity

By Karina Fabian

 

Negativity is underrated.

In our society, we are bombarded with the power of positive thinking:  You can do anything you desire!  Everyone can succeed!  Believe in your dreams and they will come true!

I’m sorry; reality doesn’t work that way.  You can’t nail water to a tree.  Success is not guaranteed, no matter how much you believe in yourself.  Not every negotiation can end in win-win.  You can’t always have your cake and eat it, too.  But you know what, that’s okay.  Take a breath and embrace the can’t!

I’m not talking about blanket pessimism, which is as counterproductive as unrealistic optimism.  I’m talking about knowing when to harness the power of negative for your benefit.  Sometimes success lies not in telling yourself that you can, but that you can’t—or won’t—and remembering that you don’t get to have it all.

Done right, this kind of negativity (or realism) liberates.  There’s pressure in thinking you can do anything, and in believing you deserve it all.  It also makes failure, especially after multiple tries, all the more disheartening.  Parenting, I think, teaches this.  Much as we’d like to, we cannot raise our children to be successful in every endeavor (whether of our own aspirations or their own goals).  We do our best, and they become the people they become, whether we like it or not.  We don’t have to stop trying to guide them, but if we keep in mind that we can’t dictate the make of their lives, we can open ourselves to enjoy the individuals they become.  We can find joy in what they choose.

On a personal level, realizing you can’t do anything you want removes pressure and allows you to open yourself to surprises and new successes.  When I was growing up, I was a straight-A student and was told—and believed—that I could be a scientist, engineer, or computer programmer—any kind of technical, really smart job.  Then, I went to college.

Anybody else have that comeuppance?  I discovered that while I could study and understand the concepts and ace the tests, I could not work the equipment nor extrapolate from facts to discover new things.  The same thing for all the technical fields I tried.  What if I’d kept pushing, kept trying, kept “believing in myself” and that I could do anything?  I’d have been miserable.  Instead, I came to terms that while I was smart and creative, I was not a great technical or scientific mind. Although I kept my math major and went into signals intelligence in the Air Force (which I did not enjoy, btw), I knew that was short term to finding what I really was good at.  I married, had four kids (I’m great at having babies!), and became a writer. 

I can write!  I can take the most disparate elements and make something new—and I can make a plot work in ways I could never do with an oscilloscope.  However, if I’d kept pushing at being a scientist like I’d dreamed, or even at being a career military officer, I’d have sapped my energy and never discovered what I can do so well. Instead, I accepted that I can’t do everything I wanted, no matter how much I believed in myself, and as a result, discovered my vocation.

Oh, and let’s talk about “can’t” in a smaller, more practical sense.  Sometimes, to reach a goal, you have to deny yourself.  You can’t pay off the credit cards and buy fast food whenever you like or have the latest cell phone.  You can’t lose weight and eat whatever you want and not exercise.  You can’t do everything for everyone and do it all well.  Saying “no” frees you.

But you have to use it correctly.  You just sabotage yourself if, for example, you say, “I can’t lose weight, so why bother?” as you reach for the Cheetos.  If a medical issue keeps you from losing weight, then, you can accept that, treasure your body, and still do what you need to via diet and exercise to keep fit.  And don’t say “can’t” to something you want unless you really tried.  You can’t get an A?  Really?  Did you do all the assignments, and double-check them?  How much did you study?  Did you seek help from the teacher or other students?  Did you give it your all?  “Can’t” is an acceptance of reality, not an excuse to slack off.

I’m sure there are people who are going to hate this message.  No one wants to be told they can’t do things, and our society is all about gratification and encouragement—whether it’s useful or not.  But negativity—used positively—can relieve stress, free you to find new goals, and help you achieve real success.

 -----

Karina Fabian is an award-winning fantasy, science fiction, and horror author, whose books make people laugh, cry, and think.  Mind Over Psyche is the second in her Mind Over trilogy.  Learn more at http://fabianspace.com

 

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .

Six Tips to Awaken Your Inner Muse from Kala Ambrose

Today's guest on SharingwithWriters is Kala Ambrose who will be a fellow presenter at the Book Em book fair in North Carolina in February of 2012. It's always exciting to network with authors, grow friendships with those who share our passion for writing. Today she gives us her favorite six tips for keeping that passion going.

Six Tips for Inspired Writing

By Kala Ambrose

The ancient Greeks spoke of nine Goddesses called Muses who ruled over the arts and sciences and provided inspiration to all who called upon them for assistance. As writers, we can appreciate the opportunity to receive an extra dose of inspiration in our work. Perhaps it’s time to ask the Muses to bring forth insight from the depths of your imagination and personal experiences in order to create enchanting tales.

Here are Six Tips to Awaken Your Inner Muse:

1.     Look Within and Ask Yourself These Two Questions

Who Am I and Why Am I Here?  When you can identify who you are at the core level, your authentic voice becomes clear in your writing. When you understand the reason you write, your words will resonate with power, purpose and conviction.

2.     Discover the Secret of Persistence and Tenacity

As writers, we often want to wait until inspiration strikes before we write.  A common theme among best selling writers is that they dedicate time to writing every day, even when they don’t feel inspired, even when they have no idea what to write and even when they aren’t in the mood to write. The commitment to the work establishes a habit that leads to better writing.

3.     What Do All Great Writers Have in Common

They all love to read, read, read. Read daily. This serves as a reminder of why you want to write in order to deliver this same experience to others using your words.

4.     Be Open to Receive Flashes of Inspiration

The creative side of your brain is in constant communication with your Muse. Together they are always tossing around new ideas and when they hit on a good one, they send it out to you as a flash of inspirational thought. They deliver the message as soon as they receive it, so it may come to you in the midst of a conversation or even while in the shower. Keep a notepad nearby so you can jot these inspirations down as they arise in order to reflect later in greater detail.

5.     See the World with New Eyes

Everyday something interesting is happening around you. The key is to observe the magical forces at work in nature, in people and in the rhythm of daily life. When you can slow down long enough to observe the symbiotic interactions, there’s always a story waiting to be told.

6.     When All Else Fails, Walk Away.

If your Muse is has disappeared and you find yourself writing for several hours only to find nothing is coming together, take a break and walk away. Go do the most mundane activity, make a sandwich, do the laundry, or go for a walk. This allows your mind to relax, creating an opening for your Muse to reappear with new ideas. When you return to your desk you’ll find that the words flow, when they were blocked only hours before. 

About the guest blogger:

Kala is the author of four books including the award-winning 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled, Ghosthunting North Carolina, The Awakened Aura: Experiencing theEvolution of Your Energy Body and coming September 2012, Spirits of New Orleans: Voodoo Curses,Vampire Legends and Cities of the Dead. A highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire, Kala writes for the Huffington Post, the Examiner, AOL, Yahoo and Fate Magazine and presents workshops nationally on the Mind/Body/Spirit connection including Auras and Energy Fields, Developing Business Intuition, Haunted History and Wisdom Teachings at the Omega Institute, John Edward Presents Infinite Quest, the Learning Annex, LilyDale Assembly, and the Daily Om

Noted wisdom teacher, author, intuitive, inspirational speaker, and host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Radio and TV Show (www.ExploreYourSpirit.com), Kala Ambrose's teachings are described as discerning, empowering and inspiring. Whether she’s speaking with world-renowned experts on the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show, writing about empowering lifestyle choices, reporting on new discoveries in the scientific and spiritual arenas or teaching to groups around the country, fans around the world tune in daily for her inspirational musings and lively thought-provoking conversations. Kala is the author of four books:

Follow Kala on

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/kala.ambrose

Twitter http://twitter.com/KalaAmbrose

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/kalaambrose/

Download her FREE Explore Your Spirit App from iTunes

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/exploreyourspirit/id412793161?mt=8#

----- Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second ediction of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:

Make The Law of Attraction Work for Your Career--Whether You Believe It or Not!

I’ve been trying to inspire some of my most talented clients these days. When I was sharing this little affirmation with them, it occurred to me that, you, too, might need some inspiration. So here it is. One must believe in oneself. Here’s what I said to them:

If you do—or you do not—believe in the law of attraction, copy and paste this and print it out. Put it on your bathroom mirror and on your computer and say it once a day—or more—with passion. Sing it. Come to believe it. Make it and the universe know you are sincere and it will work miracles for you. It’s about energy and even quantum (particle) physicists are coming to understand and believe this process’s magical powers are, in fact, science. You, of course, must substitue to genre of your book or the category of your own writing. (-:  

The Universal Intelligence gave me the ideas for my book
and the motivation to learn about writing one and then to do the job.
I accept that the Creative Intelligence within me opens the door to its perfect fulfillment.
I know that the Law of Attraction is working for me and that I am attracting the right people
who will accept and promote my work.

I give my book to my deeper mind, the Miracle of the Universe.
I know that just as a seed deposited in the soil grows,
expands, and unfolds
so will my novel deposited with positive thoughts
be manifested and fulfilled.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second ediction of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:

Itty Bitty Advice for Writers

It's Book Expo America time.  Thanks to Mindy Philips Lawrence for this inpsiration in my time of need and for her unbelieveable dedication to editing my Sharing with Writers newsletter and providing Itty Bitty columns (all of them sooo different depending on her mood!) for that same letter!

An Itty-Bitty Column on Writing

You Can’t Back Up
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Mindy Phillips Lawrence

“Keep moving forward. That is probably the best advice I can give you as you continue toward your writing goals, whatever they may be. Just keep moving forward.” ~  Chuck Sambuchino, Editor of Guide to Literary Agents

Life doesn’t have a beep, beep, beep alarm that allows you to back up and do something over again. You MUST go forward. The good old days weren’t. They are a concept in someone’s mind and different for every person. Going back to the old publishing model and the old way of writing won’t work anymore. Traditional publishing isn’t dead, but it must be shaped into a different mold if it wants to survive.

Think about the airplane. The one that everyone said wouldn’t get off the ground. Have you been looking up lately? They’re overhead every hour of the day. Cars were never supposed to take the place of a horse and buggy. Now self-driving cars may soon be licensed in Colorado. They aren’t supposed to make it either but don’t bet currency on it.

You have to learn NEW. When you start looking backward instead of forward, you miss the present and are clueless to the future. When you write, don’t just write what you used to. Branch out. Go a different direction and see where it takes you. You’ll find some dead ends but keep trying. You’ll discover that you can do much more than you ever dreamed by looking forward instead of backward.

 Links for you to explore:

Writer Lost: Carlos Fuentes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Fuentes

Writer Unboxed
http://writerunboxed.com/

Keep Moving Forward

http://www.inspiredwebworks.com/inspiration-and-dreaming-big/5-winning-strategies-to-keep-moving-forward.html

Working Through the Writing Process
http://www.csun.edu/~hflrc006/coaching_student.html

Forward Thinking

http://www.arts.qld.gov.au/blog/index.php/think-forward-think-big/

Journalism’s Future

http://www.therisetothetop.com/davids-blog/journalisms-future-writing-web-adwords-business-pundits-drea-knufken/

~ Mindy Phillips Lawrence, www.freewebs.com/mplcreative, is the author of the poetry collections One Blue Star and Above and Below. She is co-author of The Complete Writer, an editor and a publicist. She is in the process of putting together an e-book and paperback based on her Itty-Bitty Column for Sharing with Writers. Blogging at:http://mplcreative.blogspot.com/. Her specialty is helping writers with their media releases. She also writes The Itty Bitty column for Sharing with Writers.  Reach her at mplcreative1@aol.com.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second ediction of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:

Itty Bitty Gratitude Prompt for New Year

Mindy Philips Lawrence line edits my Sharing with Writers newsletter and contributes an Itty Bitty column each issue. They are always loaded with links and resources for authors.  I thought you'd like this one--a little inspiration on this first day of a year of gratitude. By the way, if you'd like to subscribe to the newsletter that gives back to writers, send me an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject window. HoJoNews @  AOL  .  com.

Gratefulness: A Perspective on Being Thankful
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ By Mindy Phillips Lawrence

“Pied Beauty”  ~ Gerald Manley Hopkins

Glory be to God for dappled things—
For skies of couple - colour as a brinded cow;
For rose - moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh - firecoal chestnut - falls; finches' wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, frecklèd (who knows how?)
With swíft, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers - forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise hím.
Hopkins’ poem, written in 1877 but not published until 1918, celebrates creation in all its variety. Although the work has layers of meaning, I’ve been thinking of it as a poem of gratitude.

Life is complicated. We have to deal with money problems, relationship problems, and the challenges tomorrow brings. Because we are consumed by our troubles, we often don’t stop to see the dappled sunshine dancing in a park or take the opportunity to see the fish shining as they move in
the water. We lose out.

Some people I know make a daily list of what they are thankful for and post it to Facebook. When I thought about doing this, I realized how grateful I was for simple things: That I got to know my sister Rose before I lost her, that I’ve had the same job for twenty years, that my electricity works and I have a place to live. I live in a little town with a small area where I love to park and just look at the trees.

Uncomplicated. Tranquil.

Why not take a piece of paper and write down at least ten things that make you grateful. Periodically add to the list. When you get frustrated and the world comes at you too fast, read your entries over again and realize how fortunate you are.

May you be well.

LINKS

“Pied Beauty"

http://www.potw.org/archive/potw162.html

Gratefulness
http://www.gratefulness.org/

Light a Candle
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?l=eng

Create a Life of Gratitude
http://zenhabits.net/three - truths - to - help - you - create - a -
life - of - gratitude/

I Am Thankful: Everyday Gratefulness
http://www.iamthankful.com/category/everyday - gratefulness

~ Mindy Phillips Lawrence, www.freewebs.com/mplcreative, is the author of the poetry collections One Blue Star and Above and Below. She is co-author of The Complete Writer and a publicist. She is in the process of putting together an e-book and paperback based on her Itty-Bitty Column for Sharing with Writers. Blogging at: http://mplcreative.blogspot.com/. Her specialty is helping writers with their media releases. Reach her at mplcreative1@aol.com.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:

Catch Your Dream--Whatever That Dream May Be

Always wanted to write that memoir or finish that novel?

If you are a writer, then I'm pretty sure you have! Even experienced writers run up against a wall now and then.

 My good friend Allyn Evans made her writing dream come true in 2005. Recently Allyn contacted me about a workshop she’s putting together for individuals who want to push forward and make things happen in their own lives. Lately I've been paying more attention to positive thinking, affirmations and manifesting my own good luck. Most of the readers of this blog know that I believe in providing self-help resources for writers, too,  so I thought this would be something you'd want to know more about.
Allyn and her collaborator, Pam Boyer, have been very successful in planning and launching projects and ventures. Let’s see…since I met Allyn, she wrote her own memoir, she launched a successful résumé writing business and she cruised for free (because she got on board as an enrichment speaker)…just to name a few things. And Pam has had similar success. She’s done things like launch a corporate training business and established a successful coaching practice. Just last May, Pam joined forces with Wild Quest to offer workshops where you swim with wild dolphins in the Bahamas.
Turns out now that these two women want to help you no matter how complicated or out-of-reach you believe your dream to be. The two have put together a new workshop titled:

Catch Your Dream: And Live It!  To sign up go to: http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=1233453

The essentials of making life work for you can help build careers, too—specifically your writing career. The other thing is, I know this event will be catch your attention, too. I've watched Allyn's speaking career bloom. She is is an honored member of Toastmasters and had has charmed audiences the world over.

For more details click here.

Contact Allyn Evans: E-mail: allynevans (at) suddenlink.net)  Phone: 1-405-612-7782


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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:

A Little Inspiration Here for Young Writers

I am publishing a poem written by D. B. Pacini. She says, I title the following poem 'Young Poets' but it applies to all young writers that I mentor." I feel the same way about the writers I work with -- young or old -- for we writers are among those artists who share their souls.


Young Poets

Dedicated especially to SMV and Dallas


You are the morning
That comes in the afternoon.
You are the scraps
Of many old books,
The authors of new ones.
You take this ancient world
Into your hands,
And make it new.
You are bold.
You are powerful.
You are hope.
You are the only chance left.
You are an unbroken promise.
When you speak
We should listen.
When you whisper
We should listen hard.
I have been writing
More years than you are old.
But it is you that amazes me.
Like a river
You quench thirst.
Do I believe in you?
Yes, more than you do.
Are you precious?
Yes, more than gold.
Are you important?
Yes, as much as oxygen.
I compare you
To true love and the sweetest dreams,
To mountain tops and clear trickling streams,
To sunrises, sunsets, and inventions not invented yet
Because I can’t think of anything
That compares with you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~D. B. Pacini

Thank you, Donna!
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.