Natural Inspiration

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This week I spent Thursday night at the Oregon coast. I live about 90 minutes away, but still only manage to make it to the beach two or three times a year. This trip the weather wasn’t particularly warm, but even fifteen minutes in front of the Pacific ocean still managed to make an impact.

I don’t think I can adequately explain how much peace I find when I get into nature. Red Rock Canyon, the beach at Lincoln City, Multnomah Falls in the Columbia Gorge – it doesn’t matter where. When I let it in, something inside me just opens up. My morning pages become full of descriptions and images where wind and water and rock are living beings that interact with me.

Even if that’s all it was – just fleeting moments when I feel connected to the world around me – it would be worth it. But it’s more than that. Making that connection stays with me, helps repair and restore the bridge that allows the words in my head to flow onto keyboard or paper.

When was the last time you touched nature? Did you put your hands in the earth of your garden? Walk barefoot in the city park? Watch the sun on the water and listen to it rush against the shore? Feel the wind on your face while you packed a snowball?
It doesn’t have to be a major event. Just get outside, and really open your senses to what’s around you. You’ll be glad you did.

Wiley Wednesday: In Defense of the Pen

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How many of you use a pen and paper to write? A handwritten journal? Post-it notes??

Yeah, I thought so. Not very many of you. I’ve learned in doing Prompt Group meetings for the last couple years that modern Americans don’t seem to write much anymore. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised; after all, I am a Technorati of the first order, a modern-day “power user.”

Yet, philosophically, I have a lot in common with Luddites.

What’s a Luddite? They were a sect that shunned technology and modern contrivances. As I type this on a laptop in a friend’s home whilst using her wireless, for use on a group blog the authors of which reside all over the planet, I can’t in all honesty claim to be a Luddite, but still. I love me a pen and paper!

And here is something I’ve learned: there’s something alchemical that happens when one sits down to write that doesn’t happen in the same way when one sits down at the keyboard. I believe that it’s the kinesthetic process of one-handedness.

Say wha?

Bear with me. Kinesiology is the study of muscles and how they work. “Kinesthetic learners” learn, literally, by doing: by working with their hands or bodies. When we write, we do so one-handed – even if we are the rare ambidextrous person, when writing, we’re not doing so with a pen in each hand. We write with one hand, one pen, on one surface. When we type, we do so either with one finger of each hand, or we know how to touch type and use all ten fingers.

We know from the treatment of Epilepsy and cognitive developmental theory that things that bridge the left/right brain hemispheres helps, literally, to teach the brain to think. That’s good, right?

I believe, though, that writing with one hand can, if done for long enough, help us to bridge the hemispheres in another way: by literally giving one “side” voice to the other side. We can, over time, get to know ourselves better and to even start to communicate with our own subconscious minds. This happens more easily, I’ve observed, by the tool of handwriting and not the tool of typing. I don’t know why this is so, but I’ve seen it happen so consistently that I’ve accepted its reality even if I don’t understand all of the methodology.

My long-time readers have heard my arguments on Morning Pages, an idea put forth by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way and others. Three pages of longhand writing, done in the morning, can alter our waking reality. I have seen this to be true in my own life as well as others that I’ve known that have used the tool. What’s more, at the end of a Prompt Group, where we write to prompts for two hours, I see it happen in the writers who attend. (For more information on the Prompt Group, please visit our website.)

I urge you to try it for yourself: try writing three pages a day, or hand write a letter or card to an absent friend. Postcards are good, too. Try writing the response to a story prompt (if you don’t have one, just Google “writing prompt” and pick one). See if you can unlock the magic of the pen for yourself.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – My NaNoWriMo Revisit

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The year is half over and I just realized that I never went back and revisited my National Novel Writing Month project from November. It’s hard to believe so much time has passed! So this past weekend seemed the perfect time to look at that material and consider revisions.

The interesting part about this NaNoWriMo product is that I changed both point of view and gender of the main character from an older, shorter piece. Fellow writers can probably imagine what a difference those alterations caused. Like trying to recall a dream, I don’t really remember what I’d written, which makes this whole reading experience all the more interesting.

A part of me knows that I should just do a quick read through and then go back and consider changes. However, resisting rewrites just isn’t happening. I’ve decided not to worry about my irresistible temptation as long as the inner critic doesn’t rear its ugly head.

What about you? Did you participate in NaNoWriMo or have another project collecting dust? I’ll hope you’ll join me in rediscovering a rough gem. Happy writing!

Wiley Wednesday: An Interview with Casey Lynn Marketing and Media Services

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For this week’s Wiley Wednesday, we have the opportunity to have a chat with Casey Lynn, of Casey Lynn Marketing & Media Services. Casey helps authors to market themselves and to navigate the new reality of self-promotion. Casey has kindly consented to answer some questions for us.

WR: First off, what IS a marketing/promo plan?

CL: Before we start, let’s lay out some definitions. “Marketing” comprises all the actions you take to connect a product or service (for writers, a book) with an audience. “Advertising” is any paid method of marketing, like buying a Facebook Ad or space in the Romantic Times magazine. “Promotion” is everything you do to promote yourself, your brand, and your product/service, like teaching classes, guest blogging, or being active on social media. Marketing is an umbrella term that includes both advertising and promotion, with neither one being necessarily more effective or better than the other. So, a marketing plan just is a way to formalize your goals and methods of reaching the target audience for your product/service. The most powerful aspect of it a marketing plan is putting it on paper (or on the computer, of course). This makes the plan not only more real, but holds you accountable for defining and reaching those goals. Remember–your goals need to start with your audience. What are their needs? How does your product/service fulfill an unmet need? If you take this approach–giving something they can use rather than foisting something upon them–you are more likely to form connections with your audience. And those connections are what turn the casual reader a dedicated fan, or a client into someone who will passionately refer your services to others.

WR: What should I include in my plan?

CL: Above anything else, give yourself measurable goals with a given time frame. A marketing plan is for accountability and a structured plan of attack, yes, but beyond that it can act as a test of how effectively you are promoting and advertising yourself. For example, if your goal is “I want to increase my twitter followers,” then adding one person could be considered a success. But have you reached your true goals and your audience? Probably not. On the other hand, if your goal is “I want to gain ten new twitter followers a week–not spam bots. On average, five will be follow-backs from relevant new tweeters that I follow, and the other five will be people with whom I interact using hashtags.” That is a measurable goal in two ways: One, you have a quantifiable number (ten) and two, you have a time limit (one week). Therefore, you could set up a spreadsheet to track your progress by week. That way, you can see if there are any positive correlations between promotional actions you take (like participating in a hashtag-based twitter chat) and meeting or exceeding your goals.

Some things to include in your plan: Targeted audiences (as specific as you can make them), Audience needs and desires, ways of reaching audience (where they spend time online, what resources they read and trust, etc), and tangible actions you can take to connect with this audience. Will you do guest posts? Pay for advertising on a certain website? Connect with them via social networking groups? I’d also suggest finding a way to chart out your actions and their results, so you can constantly evaluate your plan to make it more efficient.

WR: Where can I go for more information to do it myself?

CL: Before you run out and buy every book your Barnes & Noble has on marketing, promotions, and social media, check out the internet first. A slew of amazing blogs provide quality content–and it’s free. I have an ever-growing blogroll of places to pick up information, all gathered on my resource page, here. Or you can check out my marketing and social media blogrolls via Google Reader.

When you find a blog that provides information you can use, add it to your RSS (Really Simple Syndication) reader. For more information on what RSS is, and how to set up a reader, go here. By doing this, you can aggregate all the new blog posts into one site, like Google Reader, and read all the updated posts in an efficient manner–it’s almost like a customized newspaper.

Finally, experiment with the different marketing techniques you encounter. Eventually, you’ll build up a personalized list of methods and tools that put your product/service in front of the best audience.

WR: Where can I go to get help if I need it?

CL: I’m always happy to answer questions (via e-mail to CaseyLynnMMS AT gmail DOT com or via twitter @CaseyLynnMMS), and on most of those blogs you’ve added to your RSS (because you’ve already done that, right?), you can ask a post-related question in the comments section and a bevy of readers will help you out. I can’t guarantee that all their advice will be equally effective, but they will give you a starting point. Also, because marketing it NOT a science–it is trial and error, for the most part–ask your fellow authors. Many will be able to point you in a good direction. If not the right one, they’ll at least get you closer to the answers you need.

We are grateful to Casey for her time and information. Be sure to check her out at Casey Lynn Marketing & Media Services and remember – your success is in your hands!

Thoughts on The Artist’s Way

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In Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way”, one of the issues she brings up for blocked artists is poisonous relationships. They can come in many forms from a non-supportive parent or spouse to a jealous acquaintance who tears down your artistic attempts at every turn.

Struggling with a bit of my own blight, I realize how fortunate I am. The gang here is wonderful, as well as others in my life, both on the internet and off. Even a coworker who knows of my passion for writing has expressed interest and gentle concern.

As a result, I’m taking baby steps toward picking up the pen again. I owe a lot of thanks to the folks who have helped by giving me pressure free challenges. You gals rock!

Is there anyone in your life who actively or passively sabotages your creativity? If so, I hope you’ll rethink your friendships and how you relate to family. I definitely recommend reading Cameron’s book and wish the best for you!

Now I’m off to type up something I wrote during the wee hours of the night. The opportunity actually makes me grateful for a brief and rare bout of insomnia.