Creativity as magic

  • Michael Shapiro’s latest book is a winner.

    Below is an excerpt from the introduction of The Creative Spark: How musicians, writers, explorers, and other artists found their inner fire and followed their dreams.

    It reminds me of an important message for every one: We are all unique and have our stories to tell. No one else can tell your story. Only you can.

    From The Creative Spark by Michael Shapiro

    Something magical happened as I completed this book. One evening just before sunset I was in our backyard watering the planter boxes. On a stem of parsley I noticed a startling pattern of color, concentric rings of orange and black dots. Looking closer I saw the segments of a swallowtail caterpillar and could identify its tiny feet. For the next few days the caterpillar chomped on the parsley plant, absorbing energy for the next stage of its life. I placed a stick in the pot, at an angle to give the caterpillar a place to hang its chrysalis.

    The caterpillar’s appearance felt like a message from the universe. For many months I’d been working on transforming interviews I’d conducted with some of the world’s most creative people into a coherent set of chapters. I’d distilled the essence of these interviews into a tonic of ideas about the creative process. And I’d written biographical introductions that sought to put each person’s life in perspective and offer insights about the sources of his or her art.

    As I write this, on 2019’s summer solstice, our adopted caterpillar (my wife has given it the gender-neutral name Jordan) is undergoing a miraculous transformation into a butterfly. During the past week, we’ve watched the caterpillar turn into a chrysalis that matches the color of the branch from which it hangs, its striated brown camouflage the antithesis of the colorful creature it was just a few days ago. Yet it’s what is happening inside the chrysalis that is truly astonishing.

    The caterpillar is dissolving, using enzymes to digest itself. It’s being broken down into nonspecific cells that can be used for any part of the butterfly. Yet some “highly organized groups of cells known as imaginal discs survive the digestive process,” according to Scientific American. Each of these constellations of cells is programmed to build a specific part of the butterfly. There are imaginal discs for wings, for eyes, for legs, for every part of the butterfly. Typically, after about two weeks, a yellow-and-black swallowtail butterfly will crack open the chrysalis, dry its wings in the morning sun, and fly off seeking nectar.

    Why bring up a caterpillar in a book about creativity? First, because it offers such a rich metaphor, and the name “imaginal discs” suggests that making art depends on imagination. And to prepare for its transformation, the caterpillar needs to first feed itself, just as a musician or author must absorb the thoughts and influences that come from songs, books, conversations, memories, and observations. Many creative people seek to isolate themselves, cocoon-like, to escape the relentless drumbeat of popular culture so they can hear their own voices.

    “What I noticed at an early stage was that the writers I admire are living a long way from the world,” the author Pico Iyer told me. “The great originals are originals because they’re living outside the received conversation, outside secondhand words and secondhand ideas, to some extent living in a space of their own where they’re able to hear their deeper self and come up with things completely outside the norm. I think that’s why they really shake us.”

    Isn’t that what we crave in this era of information overload: songs or stories that really shake us and offer new ways of seeing the world, of hearing ourselves, of feeling, on a soul level, our deepest truths? That’s why I’ve chosen the 31 creative people in this book. They’re original, pioneering, dynamic, and insatiably curious. The authors, musicians, and others profiled in these pages could coast on their earlier accomplishments, but every one has continued to seek adventurous new avenues for igniting their creative spark.

    Of course, seeking solitude to hear one’s inner voice doesn’t mean we should shut out those who came before us. As Iowa folk singer Greg Brown says, “I feel links back to a time that not much is known about. Songs, poetry, whatever you want to call it, that urge, it just goes way, way, way back there. And that’s a good connection to feel to life. It’s hard for me to imagine life without that.”

    Back to me (Marlene) 

    I hope you can spend 15 minutes a day (or longer, if you can) and write your story, as only you can.

    Meet Michael at the launch of The Creative Spark.
    Nov 9 at 4 pm. Book Passage in Corte Madera. 

  • Guest Blogger, David Moldawer, is the author of The Maven Game. He writes weekly essays for writers.

    Perfection vs Good Enough

    Take the old quote:   Perfect is the enemy of good.

    Voltaire might have been the one to say it in this form, but the idea of “good enough beats unattainable ideal” has been around much longer. In fact, it warrants its own Wikipedia entry, if you’re curious to trace its history.

    However it’s expressed, it’s good advice for a writer. But is it perfect? (See what I did there?) I’ve often said, “remember, perfect is the enemy of good,” to people stuck in the trap of perfectionism, but over time I’ve come to question the effectiveness of simply saying the words.

    If you’re working on a solo project with no genuine deadline, more can be done to improve it. And even more. There is always a better solution to even the smallest creative problem in any work, whether or not you can find it in a reasonable amount of time. That simple fact can be paralyzing. In fact, I’d argue that while writers might not actually get “blocked”—nothing is truly in the way of getting words down—they can definitely be paralyzed by perfectionism.

    While I’m skeptical of the value of the adage—it’s never gotten me out of any ruts—I do find demonstrations of the good-enough philosophy motivating. They get me going when nothing else can. Seeing good-enough in action, it becomes just a little bit easier to inject a little pragmatism into your own work.

    I’ve written before about my love of the competitive forging reality show Forged in Fire and this is a part of it. When a smith accidentally snaps his blade in half with thirty minutes left on the clock, it’s inspiring to see a feat that took over two hours the first time somehow repeat itself in a quarter of the time with comparable results. A few minutes of an episode of Forged in Fire is often the kick in the pants I need to push through and finish instead of finesse.

    Another place I turn to for good-enough inspiration is the YouTube series Pitch Meeting. In it, writer/actor/comedian Ryan George portrays both a sociopathic studio executive and the manically productive screenwriter tasked with pitching him on his latest project. (He’s the writer behind all the big movies.) As the screenwriter explains what happens in the film, the exec can’t help but point out all the things that don’t make any sense, or that might annoy viewers, or that might be downright offensive. “Whoopsie!” the screenwriter cheerfully replies. “Whoopsie!” The exec repeats. And on they go to the next plot point. After all, they’ve got a movie to make.

    For over two years, George-the-screenwriter has pitched George-the-exec on dozens, if not hundreds, of movies.

    The beauty of the Pitch Meeting concept is that it forces you, the viewer, to grapple with the fact that a real writer and a real exec—at minimum—had to force their way through all the inconsistencies and logical fallacies inherent in a screenplay in order to get it made. It goes without saying that they solved many more than they ignored, but at a certain point, the originators had to say “whoopsie!” and leave it at that.

    Click here to read the rest of David’s “Whoopsie” essay.

  • Guest Blogger Alisha Wielfaert encourages us to work through the difficulties rather than be stuck in the mud.

    This excerpt is from her December 4, 2017 blog post, with her epiphany about her year of travel.

    The glowing orange moon rose over the cypress swamp as we drove home with tired limbs, hungry bellies and full hearts after a long day of kayaking. I had almost bowed out of this trip before it even started. 

    Maia called me on my last trip to DC before I left for Paris and said, “We’re camping at Carolina beach and taking a few of my students to kayak the three sisters swamp to visit some of the oldest cypress trees in the world.  Can you join us?”  

    Maia, full of energy and excitement, just isn’t someone you tell “no” even though I knew saying yes meant two days away from home after only 3 nights in my own bed. That’s how I found myself in a swamp in the middle of nowhere, NC somewhere near the coast.

    Sunlight streaked through the bare trees and flooded over us, floating on the water with two adventurous women. I reflected that this time last week I had been in Paris running next to the Seine then eating a bistro dinner. 

    It’s now December and I’m in a swamp with muddy, soaking wet shoes and socks because I just jumped out of a kayak to see, touch, and feel trees that are over 2500 years old. Older than Jesus.

    This self-proclaimed year of travel has been a wild ride. The backs of my eyes sting with tears I’m holding back as I realize that this year of travel adventures has ended.

    In addition to a touch of sadness, there is also extreme relief that these adventures are over because I’ve been spread thin more than when I was working a full-time job and running a yoga studio.  

    Reflecting on this through the cypress swamp I’m suddenly aware of the magnitude of everything I experienced in the last 12 months, and I’m emotional.  

    I’ve gained so much but also at a cost. I’m spent financially, relationships at home need tending, and I’m ready to give my new business my full attention.  

    I’m not ready to sum up the year just yet, there’s still too much to process and I need some space between the experience and writing about it.

    One of the biggest lessons of the year of the travel has been “too much of a good thing is still too much.”

    But if I had followed that lesson I would have said no to this camping trip and I would have got to rest at home, maybe even getting work done, but I never would have got to car camp at the ocean, and connect deeply with these men and women in the absence of many words while floating down a river and visiting 2500-year-old cypress trees in the middle of no-where.  

    While we were floating on the river, I realized that when you’re on the right path it feels like you’re being pulled and the current will carry you in the right direction.  Even if you do nothing you’ll at least be ever so slowly pulled in the right direction.  

    When you get off the right path you might find that you’ve landed on a sand bar alone and getting back into the current can be really difficult.

    When I worked in corporate America, I didn’t feel like I was moving. I was stuck in the mud.  

    I’ve had to claw and dig my way back to the current, to the right path, and now I feel like I’m being physically pulled in the right direction.  

    Looking back over this whole year I realize that as soon as I made my mind up to leave what didn’t serve me, I’ve been pulled in the right direction.  

    Frankly it’s not been a gentle process. It feels like I’ve been pulled through a class 5 rapids over the last 12 months and I’ve been hanging on for dear life trying to keep it together.

    But that’s a much better feeling than being stuck in the mud alone.  

    Meet Alisha Wielfaert

    I’m a leadership, life and creativity coach who specializes in working with women. I do this work because my purpose in life is to use my curiosity, empathy and listening skills to walk as a guide with seekers on paths towards clarity of purpose.  

    I’m the compass to point you towards your north to ensure you fully step into your own power.  

    I spent over a decade in corporate America in sales for an insurance company, a great company and a great career, but for someone else.

    I went about gathering tools, looking for the map and the compass to find my own north.

    I became a certified yoga instructor, taught yoga classes, opened a yoga studio and created a program to teach others how to share the gift of yoga.

    Yoga and the trainings I’ve received as a yoga teacher brought me closer to my calling, it gave me the map, but I wasn’t quite there.  

    After selling the yoga studio, I started leadership, life and creativity coaching.  

    For the first time in my life, I knew I could stop searching. I had my compass. This was the work I’d been put on this earth to do.  

    I coach individuals and groups, lead workshops to move you north of neutral, speak on topics to help others flourish, and lead retreats all over the world.  

    This work is my calling and it’s a gift to share it with you.  

    When we step into our power, we make the world a better place. Let’s shine our lights brightly together! 

  • Hello from Marlene, host of The Write Spot Blog,

    I originally read the post below by Julie Valerie on Anne R. Allen’s Blog with Ruth Harris.

    Today’s guest blog post is longer than my usual posts. Take it in small bites. There is a lot of content here. All good stuff.

    I learned so much I didn’t know about things such as bookstagrammers and influencers (the book kind).

    Guest Blogger Julie Valerie:

    From Book Blog to Book Deal

    Julie asks: Does a book blog still land a book deal?

    Of course they do. Great writing and great content will always find an audience, and where there’s an audience, especially a sizable one, there’s typically a book deal waiting to happen. Think Julie Powell, Candice Bushnell, Jen Lancaster, and Jenny Lawson.

    Not to mention, entire empires (with books launched along the way), have been built on the humble foundations of blog sites that just wouldn’t quit. Think ProBlogger’s Darren Rowse and Content Marketing Institute’s Joe Pulizzi.

    Getting Visible is an Uphill Battle – Bookstagrammers and Influencers

    For published and unpublished writers, whether traditionally-published, hybrid, or self-published, it’s often an uphill battle to garner attention for our work.

    Working with influencers such as book reviewers, bookstagrammers, and book bloggers is an excellent way of reaching both a wider audience as well as an audience that may lead to signing with an agent or landing a traditional book deal. (If this is something you are seeking, not all authors share the same goals.)

    Many authors invest considerable time networking with book influencers. Some have worked to build influence and audiences for their work by becoming professional book reviewers, bookstagrammers, and/or book bloggers.

    Julie is one of those authors.

    How Her Book Blog Worked For Julie

    Though I do work closely with bookstagrammers now that the first book in my Village of Primm series is releasing with Lake Union Publishing December 2019, I do not have professional experience as a bookstagrammer. 

    Note from Anne R. Allen: Bookstagram is a book-related platform on Instagram. Here’s more info on becoming a bookstagrammer.

    Back to Julie: As a former book-reviewing book blogger, I reviewed 200+ books in my genre while writing my debut novel, seeking an agent, and signing with a publisher.

    Technically speaking, I was not “discovered” solely because of my book blog, though many authors have been. I did, however, cite my work as a book reviewer and book blogger in the query letter that ultimately led to signing with my agent.

    And I believe the body of work I produced on my blog over the course of many years helped with that. So did the audience I built and the network of fellow writers I nurtured, as well as the market research and knowledge I acquired reviewing 200+ books in my genre. They helped to strengthen my credentials as an author in today’s competitive book publishing industry—whether I had pursued a traditional or indie path toward publishing.

    I signed with an agent who sold my women’s fiction series to a publisher based on the merits of the manuscript, at the time, I was an unpublished writer.

    Having that book blog demonstrated I could meet deadlines, produce a lot of writing on a timely schedule, and sustain a writing life that not only built readership (very important) in advance of the first book, but also one that built relationships with other writers.

    When You Have to Step Aside from Your Book Blog

    Unfortunately, I had to give up my book blog in 2016. The development of the Village of Primm series, coupled with the launch of the 85K Writing Challenge, led to a redesign of my work life.

    I miss my book blogging days.

    But I do produce steady content for my author site at julievalerie.com, including a monthly author newsletter, and I will continue to do so for as long as I’m in the industry. I feel it’s a necessary part of conducting business.

    Why Bother with a Blog or Website?

    There are many benefits of hosting your content on your own website. One, unlike content shared on social media, what you write on your site isn’t fleeting and isn’t bound by the rules of someone else.

    Two, you own that content – not so with content published to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

    And three, as long as you keep your domain name and web hosting services active, no one can pull the plug on what you want to present to the world. Your author site is your space, your portfolio, your home.

    If you’re pursuing a publishing contract, be mindful of copyright law before publishing excerpts of your unpublished work. A publisher may consider what you post as already “published” and in the public domain.

    Was book reviewing and book blogging a lot of work? Yes, it most certainly was.

    Was it worth it in the end? Absolutely. But enough about me.

    Let’s Talk about You

    I’m here to share a broad overview of the “influencer” sector of the publishing industry so that you can decide how best to proceed according to your goals. Who knows where your work in this sector of the book industry might lead you?

    Are you interested in reaching readers, building name recognition, increasing awareness of book titles, and driving sales? Of course, you are. Who wouldn’t be? But how does an author do that? Let’s drill down, starting with why any of this should matter to you.

    Should You Start a Book Blog or Become a Bookstagrammer?

    What are the benefits of working with or becoming a book blogger or bookstagrammer who posts book reviews?

    Though the what, the why, and the how of book reviews, bookstagram, and book blogs differ slightly, what they all have in common is their exceptional ability to reach an author’s end consumer, whether that end consumer be agents, publishers, other industry professionals, or the most coveted end consumer of all: readers.

    Many authors have enjoyed careers that skyrocket after receiving coverage in the book review, bookstagram, and book blog ecosystem. And many writers, while writing their first novel, have gained meaningful access to the book industry through their work as a book reviewer, bookstagrammer, and/or book blogger.

    Book reviews, bookstagram, and book blogs are important constituents within the book industry because they offer authors the opportunity to attract attention that:

    • builds name recognition
    • raises awareness for book titles, and
    • drives sales

    How Does an Author Maximize these Opportunities?

    Start by considering the people behind the book reviews, bookstagram, and book blogs as well as the role those people play as influencers in a crowded book market.

    A great place to start is understanding influencers and influencer marketing.

    What is an Influencer?

    An influencer is anyone who uses their knowledge, authority, social position, audience, or relationship with others to affect the decisions of an audience.

    Types of influencers:

    • celebrities
    • industry leaders
    • industry experts
    • thought leaders
    • content creators
    • journalists
    • book reviewers
    • bloggers
    • micro-influencers
    • social media mavens
    • vloggers, podcasters, booktubers, etc.
    • other authors

    Celebrities are typically considered the original influencers. They play an important role within the book industry, especially celebrities with book clubs. They carry a lot of clout due to their large, already established, and loyal fan base, which helps to move the needle on sales.

    Industry leaders, industry experts, and thought leaders are often executives, brand or genre specialists, and often work for publishing companies, trade publications, professional organizations, and the like.

    Content creators and journalists provide a steady flow of information consumed by broad audiences.

    Book blog reviewers, bloggers, micro-influencers, social media mavens, vloggers, podcasters, and booktubers all fall under the focus of this discussion but differ from the above types of influencers due to their unique ability to speak directly to their audiences with peer-to-peer “voice,” which lends authenticity to their influence through active, often daily interactions with their fan base. With these types of influencers, fan bases are treated as a wide web of interconnected friends.

    Because of this “extended conversation with friends” and the unique blend of highly niche book chatter and its resulting word-of-mouth book recommendations, agents, publishers, industry professionals, authors, and most certainly, readers, take notice.

    I have experience as a book reviewer and book blogger and would love to share a few insights with you.

    The Inside Scoop on Working with Book Influencers

    1. Know what you’re asking. 

    The behind-the-scenes life of a book influencer is hard, time-consuming work.

    When seeking a book review on either Instagram, a book blog, or some other media like a podcast, vlog, or booktube, keep in mind you are asking someone to commit about five to eight hours of their life to you.

    I estimate it took me about four to six hours to read the book, about an hour to write a thoughtful review, and then another hour creating a blog post, scheduling social media to support that blog post, and then finally, uploading the book review to the various book review sites. And that doesn’t count time spent monitoring the published post to engage with readers in the comment section.

    Taking all of this into consideration, what are my tips?

    Be courteous. Submit all materials in a timely manner. Remember to thank them, share their coverage on your social media channels, and be sure to engage with their readership in the comment section of the post.

    2. Research first.

    No one likes a cold call. And it’s frustrating when someone asks you to review a book from a genre you clearly don’t cover. It shows they took no time to get to know you, your work, and your audience.

    My first name is Julie. My last name is Valerie. I make this distinction clear on my website and sign off on all emails as simply “Julie” (with a notation in my email signature that clarifies my first and last name).

    But there was one author who kept swinging by my site whenever she had a book release, asking for coverage (remember those five to eight hours I described above?), and she simply could not stop referring to me as if my first name was Valerie. Now, I typically don’t care if you get my name wrong. Truly. (It happens all the time.) But this one particular author really bugged me. It seemed selfish on her part. Not to mention unprofessional.

    If you’re asking someone to devote possibly eight hours to your book, and you’re asking someone to share your book with their readers, please, spend meaningful time researching their platform, don’t send a form letter, do nurture the relationship, and for goodness sake, get the person’s first name right.

    Some tips: Start by interacting with their platform. If they’ve posted something you enjoy, leave a comment, or consider sharing their post with your audience on your platform (author Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, your website, etc.). Get to know them as people. Try to establish authentic, meaningful connections. Some of my closest friendships in the book world are with book lovers that are not authors or writers, but rather, people who love the written word as much as I do and seek to connect readers with great books.

    3. Don’t show up only when it suits you.

    Here’s a novel idea: be present and participate in conversations when your book isn’t launching or in promotion. I think most people understand if there’s a spike in your activities around the time of your pub date or promotion, but if you’re nowhere to be found in the “off-season” and if you don’t support others when it’s their time to shine, people will sense your interest might be a little one-sided. By the time my first book will be released, I will have spent seven years participating full-time in the book community. Seven years.

    My tip? Always remember that more often than not, it’s not about you. It’s about someone else. So help each other out. Celebrate. Do onto others. You know, that stuff you learned in kindergarten.

    4. Tips on how to ask.

    Be polite. Write a courteous, personalized letter addressing them by name (the correct name.) Write a few sentences that either reflect your current relationship, or, if your query is the attempted start of a working relationship beyond baseline social media interactions, then include a few sentences that indicate you know who they are, what they do, and what they are seeking to cover on their platform.

    Include enough information about your book to help them decide if it’s a match for them and their audience. If they indicate a preferred format (ebook, paperback, etc.), try your best to accommodate them. If you can provide a signed book giveaway (or similar), say so. Also, indicate if you can answer interview questions and the like.

    Note from Anne R. Allen: And here’s a post on how NOT to query a blogger.

    5. Be prepared with a complete media kit. 

    Some items to include in your media kit: book cover, jacket copy, early endorsements, an excerpt if available, publisher name, pub date, buy links, author press photo, author bio, social media links, and a subscribe link to your author newsletter. The goal here is to anticipate ahead of time and then gather in one place everything that book influencer may need.

    6. Follow up and work to maintain the relationship.

    After coverage of your book goes “live,” thank the influencer in the comment section of the post. Keep an eye on the comment section of the post so that you can interact with the influencer’s audience (when appropriate and with proper etiquette).

    Be mindful of the valued and very important relationship the influencer has with their audience. If you’re a guest on their platform, then please, first and foremost, be friendly, be active, and be kind and considerate to the influencer’s audience.

    That’s a Wrap!

    I hope you found this discussion about book reviewers, bookstagrammers, and book bloggers useful. I’ve always felt that through the work of these influencers, authors have great potential to reach agents, publishers, industry professionals—and especially, readers.

    I hope you’re having a great day and I wish you every success.

    So what do you think, scriveners? Do you have any tips you’d like to share about reaching book influencers? Julie would love to hear what you found helpful and she’ll answer any lingering questions you may have. Did you know about the importance of bookstagrammers? 

    For more on how blogging can lead to big success in the publishing industry, see Anne R. Allen’s post on How Blogging Leads to Many Career Paths.

    Julie Valerie writes upmarket contemporary women’s fiction and is developing a series set in the fictional Village of Primm.

    Her debut novel, Holly Banks Full of Angst, Book One in the Village of Primm series, publishes December 2019 as part of a multi-book deal with Lake Union Publishing.

    A voracious reader, Julie has reviewed 200+ books in her genre, won the BookSparks 2015 Summer Reading Challenge Grand Prize, and founded the 85K Writing Challenge (85K90.com), providing writers with a supportive, enriching forum to pen 85,000 words in 90 days followed by 12 months of writing, editing, prepping to pub, and publishing support.

    With a master’s degree in education and a bachelor of fine arts degree in fashion, Julie earned an editing certificate from the University of Chicago Graham School and enjoys testing her knowledge of the Chicago Manual of Style. Connect with Julie at julievalerie.com. On Facebook and Instagram  @JulieValerieAuthor. On Twitter and Pinterest @Julie_Valerie.

  • Brad Yates

    Today’s Guest Blogger is Brad Yates.

    In Manifestation 101 (& Taking Likely Action) Brad talks about a five-step process for manifesting what you really want.


    1. Create It
    2. Clear It
    3. Live It
    4. Let Go

    5. Likely Action

    Step One: Create It

    Decide what you really want.  Write it down. Start with something like:

    “I am so happy!  I have . . .”

    Then list the qualities and features of what it is you want (as if you already have them).

    It’s important that you write it in the present.  If you write “I want this,” then you are vibrating at a frequency of want – and the wanting of it is what you will continue to attract. You want to be vibrating in harmony with already having it.

    Write positive things, stating the positive aspect (what it has), rather than what it doesn’t have. If you write, “My new boyfriend isn’t a loser,” you are putting “loser” vibrations into the ether.  

    Rather than asking for money, focus on what you want to have. I focused on a trip I wanted to take, which I estimated to cost about $1,200. [And this is what Brad received.]

    Don’t limit the Universe by saying it has to be paid for in cash. If you want a new car – focus on the car. The money might show up, but you might also win the car.

    Once you’ve given the parameters of what you want, write at the end, “This, or something better – for the highest good of all concerned.”   Give the Universe an opportunity to give you something better and/or more appropriate – it knows better than we do.

    Step Two: Clear It

    Here’s where Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) comes into play. Too often we send contradictory energy, keeping what we consciously say we want at a distance from ourselves.

    Clear any contradictory thoughts.  The Universe picks up on them all. The biggest, in my experience, is: “I don’t deserve to have this.”  Tap on it, or use whatever other tools you might have for releasing blocks to your success.  

    You also want to be clear on your intentions. If you have doubts about your motives, you will either block the attainment of your objective, or limit your ability to receive it in a joyful manner. Make sure you want it for the right reasons (and only you can decide what is right for you.)

    Keep at this until you can think about the successful attainment of your objective without feeling any resistance.

    Step Three: Live It

    Now that you can think about the successful attainment of your objective without feeling any resistance – do so. Really think about having it – and allow yourself to enjoy that.

    Indulge in all the positive feelings you expect to experience while enjoying this thing in your life. Really feel how good it feels.

    Now would be a good time to tap yourself into trance and visualize yourself really enjoying your objective. As you do so, allow the positive feelings to wash over you and through you – feeling good in every muscle, nerve, fiber, tissue, cell and atom of your body.  Do this once a day – a daily reminder of what you are up to.


    Step Four: Let Go

    I also call this “Let Go and Let God.”  

    You need to be unattached to the outcome. Otherwise, you might start clenching your energy, asking “Where is it?”

    Not great attracting energy.

    A farmer doesn’t plant a seed, then stare at it in frustration hoping for it to grow. He does what he can to nurture it, but otherwise leaves it to nature to do what it does.

    Also, you don’t want to be attached to how it happens. You might be staring at a door waiting for that someone to walk in, and completely miss them because they came through the side door.

    Now, this doesn’t mean you don’t take action. Do what you can – let the Universe know you are serious about making things happen. Just don’t be surprised if the manifestation comes in a way that doesn’t seem to be directly related to what you are doing.

    Tapping can be very helpful with this step, too.  “Even though I feel I HAVE TO HAVE THIS NOW!!!.”  Let that go.

    If you’ve created your vision, cleared all internal objections to it, allowed yourself to experience living it and really feel how great it would be to have it – and it still isn’t showing up – then you need to trust that maybe it really isn’t in your best interest to have this objective at present.  

    But, “God’s delays are not God’s denials.”

    More often than not, there’s more clearing work to do. Abundance just is. It is all around. The extent to which we are not experiencing it is the extent to which we are resisting it.

    Stop resisting it.

    Manifest it.

    You deserve it.

    Step Five: Likely Action

    The Universe has many ways of making something happen – and yet we routinely limit ourselves to what we can think up on our own.

    Our job is to decide what we want, and focus on that in a positive way. Not to figure out how it is going to happen.

    That’s the Universe’s job.

    Instead of waiting until you know the right action, take a likely action, an action that is likely to move you toward your goal.

    Come up with lots of likely plans of action. Act on one of them.

    When thinking of your goal, ask yourself: “What could I do that might get me there?” No need to censor yourself – let the ideas flow, and ask of each, “Is this likely to move me in the right direction?” Then choose one and begin.

    Sure – you might make a mistake, and there may be consequences for that. You don’t have to be married to an idea – you can change strategies along the way. But there is a definite consequence for not taking action: you stay stuck.

    Decide what you want. Be clear. Then take likely action.

    That’s how the Universe knows you are serious about your intention. If you aren’t willing to move on it, the Universe may consider it just one of your countless whims. Show your commitment to your objective by getting going.

    And don’t be surprised as better ways to do it “magically” show up along the way.

    Now…what are you waiting for…? Get going! Do something now!

    Brad Yates is one of the top teachers of Emotional Freedom Techniques® (EFT), a quick, simple, effective method for overcoming fear and relieving stress. EFT, also sometimes referred to as Tapping, can help just about anyone dealing with anxiety and negative emotions.

  • Nancy Julien Kopp

    Today’s guest blogger is Nancy Julien Kopp. Her blog, Writer Granny’s World features tips and treats about writing.

    Her brilliant August 20, 2019 post (excerpt below) focused on how to use action with dialogue.

    Fingers flying across keyboard, Marlene types, “On with the show, Nancy.”

    How to show action when writing dialogue.

    I see writers putting action after dialogue. That’s backwards.

    Examples of action with dialogue.

    A.  “Stop that!” Sally slapped his hand from her arm.

    B.  Sally slapped his hand from her arm. “Stop that!” 

    C. “Stop that!” Sally said. Sally slapped his hand from her arm.

    Which is the best? The worst?

    I think B is best.

    And C is the worst.

    In B, we see the action, then hear the words that go with it.

    In A, would Sally say the words, then slap his hand away?

    Note from Marlene: This would be a “delayed reaction.”  Sally says “Stop that.” THEN slaps his hand away. In real life, of course, it would happen at the same time.

    Although it’s hard to show action and dialogue that happens simultaneously, I think B does that.

    Back to Nancy’s post:

    Your mind sees the action in Example B, then absorbs the words.

    And C? Adding the tag is unnecessary as the action tells you who is speaking. 

    Another example but this time adding feeling (or thought) prior to the action and dialogue. It’s called the FAD Principle. Feeling-Action-Dialogue

    “Susan knew Mary would take the biggest piece of cake. She stepped between her friend and the table full of cake slices. ‘I’ll take this one.’”

    Feeling-Action-Dialogue:

    “Susan knew Mary would take the biggest piece of cake. (Feeling/thought) She stepped between her friend and the table full of cake slices. (Action) ‘I’ll take this one.’” (Dialogue)

    The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing  features the FAD principle: Action should be shown first.

    It seems more logical that Susan would step in front of the table before she speaks.

    Even if you don’t have the Feeling part in the dialogue, just the Action and Dialogue, put the action first, then the spoken words.

    Why? For clarity.

    Develop the habit of using the action prior to the dialogue. We aren’t always going to have the Feeling included, but if you do, remember FAD.

    Feeling-Action-Dialogue

  • I am delighted to recently “meet” today’s guest blogger, David Moldawer, through a friend’s recommendation of his newsletter, The Maven Game.

    “going through the goop” by David Moldawer

    Just hold that happy thought, Peter!

    —Tinker Bell, Hook

    I’d always imagined a pupa as something straight out of the original Transformers cartoon, the caterpillar sealing itself up in its chrysalis only to [transform] into a beautiful butterfly. Turns out, no. The caterpillar actually digests itself, squirting enzymes throughout its own body to dissolve all its tissues. This goop is then assembled into a new insect. Thus the caterpillar doesn’t transform; it transcends. Only through this sacrifice can the butterfly take shape.

    I’ve come to learn that I need order in my life in order to function. Absolutely require it, in fact. Yet to write anything worthwhile, I must pass through one or more stages of disorder—of goop—with my ideas jumbling together and coming apart and turning inside-out in extraordinarily uncomfortable ways. I think this is why messy thinkers are so creative and prolific. They’re comfortable working with goop. Not me. I hate it. But when I refuse to acknowledge the necessity of the goop stage, I become inescapably blocked.

    I say this as much to myself as I do to you: There is no creative work without a goop stage. Likewise, no creative career. You, too, must become goop in order to fly, not just once but over and over again throughout your working life.

    Or you could just stop creating altogether. I still think about law school now and then. I really don’t like goop and I don’t think I ever will.

    I raise this in regard to last week’s essay on having the courage to plan your entire writing career out like an opera singer.

    More than a decade ago, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was published and became an international phenomenon. To date, nearly 100 million copies of the book and its sequels have been sold worldwide. Dragon Tattoo wasn’t to my taste, but I still found myself admiring the author, Swedish journalist Stieg Larsson. The guy had vision.

    Larsson embarked on writing his Millennium “trilogy” (he actually had a ten-book series in mind) with absolute confidence in its eventual success. His professional experience had been entirely rooted in journalism—he’d written some short stories as a teenager—but he told friends he was certain the books he was writing would not only find an audience but make him rich to boot. Were it not for his sudden, if not shocking, heart attack at fifty—according to Wikipedia, “his diet largely consisted of cigarettes, processed food and copious amounts of coffee”—Larsson would have far exceeded his ambitious goals.

    Though he may not have used the Swedish version of the term, Larsson had decided to write potboilers. In “the old-fashioned days,” as my daughter likes to call the past, authors were sometimes forced to lower themselves to writing books with commercial potential. This kind of book was called a potboiler because it was intended to “boil one’s pot,” i.e. pay the author’s daily living expenses so they could write “real” books, i.e. the artsy kind most people don’t want to read.

    Isn’t that funny? Can you imagine knowing how to sit down and write a book guaranteed to make a lot of money and doing so only under duress? Today, nobody knows how to do that!

    Here’s the thing about Larsson: He’d nearly completed the third book before he found a willing publisher for the first one. That’s confidence. That is exactly the kind of long-term thinking I advocated in last week’s essay. Larsson could have stopped working on the series after finishing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, investing all his energy into finding a publisher or simply waiting for approval to come to him, as so many would-be authors tend to do. Instead, he kept working, kept executing on his plan. More goop. He knew, or allowed himself to feel, that success was inevitable. As a result, he felt no need to spare himself any effort. He had no fear of that universally dreaded fate: working on a project that doesn’t end up succeeding in the end. (Isn’t that the real terror lurking in every blocked writer? “Wasted effort”?)

    In retrospect, of course, Larsson’s second and third book would never have been written had he waited, but even if he’d had many years ahead of him, putting his project on hold because of any external circumstance would likely have sapped the precious motive energy at the heart of it, the kernel driving the books in his own mind.

    Ideas just don’t age well, people. When have you ever looked back at a scribbled note from more than a few months ago and thought, “Hey, I can use this. Glad I held onto it.” More often than not, it’s “I can’t believe I thought that way back in May. How embarrassing. I’ll have to eat this paper to hide the evidence.” Use it or lose it.

    Meanwhile, creative seeds grow to all sizes. One idea is just a pyrite nugget; another is a vein of gold so deep it threads the roots of the earth. Antiheroine Lisbeth Salander runs deep enough that another Swedish journalist, David Lagercrantz, is continuing the series himself with the permission of Larsson’s estate.

    Think of how many ideas of similar potential never achieved their true scope because their creators didn’t have a signed contract from the Universe promising them life everlasting to complete their work under perfect conditions and blockbuster success at the end of the road. Think of how many great works only exist because their creators held onto their confidence in the face of universal rejection or, worse, apathy.

    Personally, I never feel all that certain I’m even going to finish what I start. The idea of beginning a project with full confidence in its eventual success feels crazy to me. And yet, we have two children.

    Unlike, say, science or economics, writing seems to benefit from a kind of absolute self-confidence that simply has to be decided, worn like a mantle. Yes, I will finish this. Yes, it will turn out as well as I imagine, no matter how gruesome it appears along the way. Come what may, I’m going through the goop.

    Your work will suck until it doesn’t. Always. To quote multiple characters in Mission: Impossible—Fallout, “That’s the job.” There’s nothing pretty going on inside a chrysalis, either. You don’t judge the butterfly by its goop. All you can ever really do is decide to have full confidence in your ability to wrest order from chaos. As Tinker Bell tells Peter Pan, the trick is to hold onto that happy thought. Otherwise, you’re going to eat dirt.

    About David Moldawer

    David spent over a decade as a book editor at a slew of New York publishing houses including St. Martin’s Press, McGraw-Hill, and Penguin’s prestigious Portfolio business imprint, acquiring and editing bestselling nonfiction in the areas of business, technology, health, and memoir.

    Today, he is an independent writer, editor, and creator of the Maven Game, a newsletter for experts, authors, publishers, and agents on making ideas and knowledge public—writing, speaking, sharing—without hating yourself in the morning. Sign up here for a new issue of the Maven Game every few weeks.

  • Today’s Guest Blogger, Cara Wasden, writes about the value of story-telling and listening.

    One day our [Toastmaster’s] club president emailed members asking if anyone would be interested in volunteering for one hour at a seniors community. She said administrators wanted to set up a Table Topics session for their residents.

    I thought, “That sounds like fun, and it’s only an hour!”

    I signed up and headed over to the seniors complex the following week. I was immediately introduced to Albert, Larry, Terry, Shirley and Joan, and I became fascinated by their world of living history.

    I loved the stories they shared that day. Albert recalled a harrowing time for his family more than 50 years ago, as they awaited hearing whether his lottery number would be called in the Vietnam War draft.

    Terry talked about his career as a professional photographer on an African safari.

    Larry shared how he recently bought a stranger lunch—an act that was out of character for him.

    Joan spoke about her terrifying experience being stranded at an airport as a child.

    What particularly stuck with me was what Albert told me after the session. “Joan never talks. That was so special to hear one of her stories.”

    I knew right then that Table Topics with seniors shouldn’t be a one-time event. I offered to return the next week if they were interested. That was three years ago.

    Today, there are ten regulars; others come and go. Some have passed away, and tears have been shed.

    “We have become a family,” a sweet woman named Pat says regularly.

    When people get into their 70s, 80s and 90s, they have a lifetime of heartwarming, humorous, and cherished stories to share, but they often don’t have anyone willing to listen. If I hadn’t stuck around, I would have missed the truly beautiful love story of Charles and Charmaine.

    Charles is 95 years old, and the couple had been married for 75 years. Charmaine passed away a few months ago. Charles has spoken over and over again about his one true love, and of their continuous honeymoon at their home in Hawaii, where they frolicked in the waves sunbathing and skinny-dipping.

    The best part of this opportunity is that residents feel listened to. They feel loved. They laugh and they hear laughter.

    Some residents have lost most of their cognitive abilities, so their contributions are more from the here and now. Whatever question Pat gets, she always says, “I love it here, just being surrounded by all of you!”

    When Gerry speaks, her stories often don’t make much sense, but she has such variety in her voice and facial expressions that her body language is enough to keep us fully engaged.

    Every week that I’m at the seniors community, I also feel listened to, loved, and rewarded with a gift of smiles and laughter.

    Excerpted from “My Turn,” Toastmasters International, August 2019

    Cara Wasden is a member of the Toast of Petaluma club in Petaluma, California. She is a public speaking coach, a middle-school speech teacher and a tour guide for nature hikes with kids.

  • Today’s guest blogger is the extraordinary Brad Yates, Emotional Freedom Technique Tapping (EFT) instructor.

    Reposted from his 8/19/2019 Email.

    Reviewing the Past

    In spite of all the encouragement to live in the present or focus on the future, most of us are likely to still spend a fair amount of time reviewing the past. And, more often than not, the moments we dwell on are not necessarily the highlights.

    It’s normal … but it isn’t without cost. Because the mind can’t tell the difference between something that is real and something that is imagined, just thinking about past troubles triggers the same chemical reactions and the same uncomfortable feelings.

    Given that we create our reality based on what we are feeling, you can see where this could be problematic.

    Each time we go through those unpleasant experiences, we hardwire those memories and feelings more firmly, making it more likely we’ll keep recreating the same kind of stuff. This phenomenon can be positive if you focus more on past victories, but that’s not what most of us do.

    Don’t worry… I’m not going to suggest that you force yourself to never relive past moments. That would be a pretty tall order. But I am going to encourage you to do a certain something when you find yourself playing those old tapes again…

    Tap. (I know… big surprise.) 😉

    When you tap, you are reducing the stress response. When you tap while reviewing a past memory, you can remove the uncomfortable feelings.  As you clear those away, it becomes safer to remember those events, because they will not cause you the same – if any—distress. No more negative vibes being put out into the cosmos. 

    In this way, you can change the past. You can’t change the events (as far as I know… but we don’t yet have all of quantum physics figured out) – but you can change your response to them. And it’s only your response to events —the thoughts and beliefs you have about them—that causes distress, not the actual events themselves.

    Tapping while reviewing past events helps you unlock the emotional patterns, giving you the freedom to reconsider what happened, and look at other possible meanings. 

    You can even decide to manufacture a positive meaning – something more empowering.

    (Note: you don’t owe it to anyone to stay stuck in a negative interpretation.)

    As you might imagine, this works as well with envisioning the future. When we think of possible future events with a negative expectation, we are stirring up the same toxic cocktail of chemical as when we dwell on past misfortunes. Again, tap when you find yourself doing this. Create the freedom to give yourself permission to imagine and anticipate great outcomes, then bathe in those good feelings. This definitely increases the likelihood of positive results.

    Be mindful of the kind of energy you are putting out there – it comes back. Give yourself the freedom to feel good and think more positively while reviewing the past and imagining the future.

    Change your mind, change your vibe. Change your vibe, change your life.  😊

    Thanks for reading! Please let me know how I might be of further service as you clear emotional pain and embrace the joyful success you so richly deserve!
    Be Magnificent! Brad

    Basic Recipe of EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) by Brad Yates

    The tool I primarily use in guiding folks to greater personal freedom is Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) – also commonly known as Tapping.

    It is a remarkable healing modality based on the same principles that have been used for thousands of years in acupuncture—but without the needles. EFT has been reported successful in thousands of cases covering a huge range of emotional, health and performance issues. It often works where nothing else does.

    Best of all, anyone can learn and use EFT in a relatively short amount of time, and achieve great results in relieving stress and other uncomfortable feelings.

    Brad Yates is known internationally for his creative and often humorous use of Tapping/EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques).

    EFT is a very flexible process and there are many ways to use it.

    www.TapWithBrad.com

    Write Spot blog posts to help when writing about a difficult topic:

    How to Write Without Adding Trauma    

    Why Write Your Story

     

  • Today’s Guest Blogger, Creativity Coach, Suzanne Murray, asks:

    DO YOU RESIST ENGAGING YOUR CREATIVITY?

    Suzanne’s thoughtful answer:

    Recently I got a note from one of my writing students saying that she was really enjoying writing when she managed to find the time. The three top reasons that people give for not being able to fully show up, move forward or change some area of their life are, “I don’t have enough time, I don’t have enough money or my health isn’t good enough.”

    On the surface these excuses appear valid and hard to argue with. In truth they always cover up some deeper resistance. When we really want to do something and commit to it we can always manage to find the time, the resources and a way to work around any physical limitations.

    Robert Olen Butler who won the Pulitzer Prize for his collection of short stories A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain worked full time and had a difficult home life so he wrote everyday on the train computing into New York City. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, was a single mother struggling on state aid in Edinburgh Scotland where she sat every day in a local cafe writing the first book in the series that would turn her into a multi-millionaire. These stories point to the reality that you don’t have to have everything together or know exactly what you are doing or how you are going to make something work to begin whatever it is you want to create. Beginning opens you up to new possibilities.

    With my writing coaching clients, I start by asking for a commitment to write a minimum of ten minutes a day. It would seem like everyone could find ten minutes, but if there are some unconscious beliefs and fears around expressing yourself or being creative then you will put it off until the end of the day and then say you are too tired. This is what resistance looks like.

    If you are having trouble showing up to your writing, painting, music or exploring your creativity in some way, stop and get quiet. Take some deep breaths. Ask your deeper or higher self:  what’s in the way? Then just see what comes to you. It may be a memory of your third grade teacher humiliating you in front of the class by criticizing a drawing you did or your father’s refusal to let you take the dance class you so much wanted.

    Such events really can impact the tender, vulnerable, innocent part of us that is our creative self and years later have us not wanting to risk being creative. If something comes up for you, honor your feelings around it. If you feel sad or angry feel those feelings as a way of allowing them to shift and release their hold on you. Then send love to that part of you. 

    We also resist our creativity because it can take us into unknown territory and our mind, which is committed to keeping us safe, will put the brakes on when we veer from the routine. Becoming aware of what’s in the way of your desire to create and being mindful and patience and kind with your self will help you cross new thresholds into being creative and finding time to show up.

    Check out Suzanne’s new website.

    Work with Suzanne Murray:

    Creativity Coaching, Creative Life Coaching, Writing Process Coaching & EFT Sessions

    EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques)

    Combining Western psychology with Chinese acupressure work together to rewrite subconscious patterns and limiting beliefs that keep us stuck. I’ve had miraculous results and have been working with EFT in new ways that allow us to laser in on the issue and shift it at the core and change your life from the inside out. We often make significant shifts in a single session.
    Sessions are available by phone and Skype.

    CREATIVE LIFE COACHING

    Would you like to live from an expanded place of grace, ease and flow? Would you like to tap the wisdom and power of your heart and soul? We work with soul based ways to let go of limitation and gain clarity of the next steps to living a more joyful, authentic life.

    More about Suzanne Murray.