OK, it's time to chill out a bit after my last post.
Here's a beautiful song and video from composer/producer/chill-out artist Reuben Halsey and musician/author Miranda Dickinson, otherwise known as Wurdsmyth of Mywriterscircle.com. It's called The Meaning of Life...
As ever, if you are receiving this post by email, you will need to visit my blog to see the video.
In her recent blog post Miranda says that the song is being released at www.indiestore.com on 1st December 2008, just in time for Christmas!
My post about the launch of the new Brain Evolution System earlier this week has generated a lot of interest. In particular, several people have asked if I can explain how the system works in a bit more detail.
I'm clearly no expert on this, but by doing a little investigation using Research Wizard Pro I found two videos in which the main developer of the system, Michael Kelley, explains the science in more detail. Here's the first one...
And here's part 2...
As ever, if you are receiving this post by email, you will need to visit my blog to see the videos.
As previously mentioned, I am evaluating the system myself and will be posting a review here soon, but already I am excited by the results I have been getting. I am a regular user of WCCL's Writer's Block CD, which helps entrain your mind to a more creative state, but the Brain Evolution System takes this process much further and deeper.
My colleague Karl Moore, in collaboration with brainwave pioneers Michael Kelley and Lee Benson, has recently launched a new personal development program called the Brain Evolution System (or BrainEv for short).
This is a massive six-CD program that has been almost a year in the making. I'll be reviewing it fully once I've had a chance to evaluate it properly myself, but briefly it uses advanced scientific methods for 'entraining' your brain, helping you to control stress, become more productive, sleep better, increase your creativity, and so on.
Just to emphasise, this is nothing to do with self-hypnosis, 'positive thinking', or anything like that. The Brain Evolution System uses sonic technology to help you control your brainwaves to achieve peak performance. It uses audio CDs, which you have to listen to via headphones to get the full benefit from.
The Brain Evolution System employs some of the same technologies as WCCL's popular Writer's Block CD, e.g. binaural beats. The new program is designed to be much more wide-ranging, however, and it's not only for writers. Users should experience benefits across almost every aspect of their lives.
The Brain Evolution System is currently on offer at a special launch discount price. In addition, you can test it out for free for 21 days, to assess exactly how it works and how it may be able to help you. There is also an unprecedented seven-months' money-back guarantee if you are in any way dissatisfied with the results you get.
For more information about The Brain Evolution System, click through any of the links in this blog post, or on the banner below. As mentioned above, I'm currently trying out the program myself, and will publish a full review here soon.
For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month.
It is a challenge to write a novel of at least 50,000 words in a month, and it comes around every November.
From humble beginnings in 1999, when there were just 21 participants, NaNoWriMo has grown into a world-wide phenomenon. Last year 101,510 people took part, and the numbers this year are expected to be even greater as the event becomes better known.
There is no entry fee for NaNoWriMo (though donations are welcome), and no prizes either. Essentially, it is a challenge to help you write that novel you had always meant to write but keep putting off. By registering with NaNoWriMo, you are joining a world-wide community of writers who are all seeking to achieve the same end, and are thus able to encourage and support one another.
This year quite a few members of my forum at www.mywriterscircle.com have registered for NaNoWriMo 2008. If you are looking for some 'buddies' to share notes and compare progress with, check out this forum topic.
Although there are no prizes for completing a novel for NaNoWriMo, if you do (and you have to prove it by uploading your work to the NaNoWriMo site), you will be able to download an official 'Winner' web badge and a PDF Winner's Certificate, which you can print out. And, of course, you will have the first draft at least of a novel you should be able to polish and submit for possible publication.
The world seems to be in a topsy-turvy state right now, with banks folding left, right and centre, or else being propped up uncomfortably by national governments.
The knock-on effects of the 'credit crunch' are hard to predict, but one thing that's certain is that sadly a lot more jobs are going to be lost in the coming months.
I'm no economist, but I'd like to offer my 2c worth here on how writers can best survive and even prosper in these tough times. In particular, I'd like to offer two pieces of practical advice...
The first is to diversify. In times of recession (which is where the world seems to be headed right now) no business is safe. And in the publishing world, many are already feeling the pinch as people cut back on 'luxuries' such as books.
So it must make sense to have a variety of sources of income. If books are your main writing interest, then, consider trying your hand at articles and short stories as well. Conversely, if you're mainly an article writer, why not look at other options as well, e.g. writing an e-book and selling it on the Internet?
In my view, every writer should have a broad portfolio of projects. This might, for example, include books, articles, short stories, Internet writing, comedy writing, TV scriptwriting, advertising copywriting, and so on. That way, if a particular market vanishes or a regular client goes to the wall, you still have plenty of other irons in the fire.
And, of course, there is no reason why you can't have some non-writing-related sidelines as well. When I started out as a full-time freelance writer, many moons ago, I also sold copyright-free artwork packs by mail order. That business eventually died as electronic clip-art became the norm, but in my early days I was very grateful for the extra income it provided. Nowadays, the Internet offers lots of potential sideline-earning opportunities - check out my Pseudotube site and my Squidoo Lens which explains about it, for example.
Moving on, my second piece of advice is to invest in the best and safest place you possibly can: yourself!
In uncertain times, you need to build up your palette of skills, to increase your employability (if you're seeking a job) or offer a wider range of services (if you work for yourself). Learning new skills can also provide a means for earning extra cash in its own right.
So it's important to invest some time - and, yes, money as well - in developing your skills. A writer seeking to diversify might want to build (or improve) their skills in other areas of writing, such as comedy writing, self-publishing, TV or movie scriptwriting, copywriting, travel writing, and so on. If you're interested in any of these, by the way, you could do a lot worse than check out WCCL's WriteStreet website.
It's also worth developing skills in related areas, e.g. HTML and website design. These days I do a lot of work writing content for company websites. While I'm never going to be an expert web designer, I know enough HTML to insert formatting codes, check hyperlinks, and so on. Allying this with my writing skills has helped to generate a lot of extra work for me. There are courses you can take at many local colleges, or by distance learning, or online. One free resource for learning HTML I highly recommend is PageTutor.
But whatever method you choose, the returns from investing in yourself can be far greater than any stock market investment, and with far less risk. I think that the twin methods of diversifying and investing in yourself should be at the heart of every writer's strategy for surviving the current economic crisis.
Well, I've just discovered that two other WCCL sites are also in the Writers Digest list. In case you've not seen them, I thought I'd mention them both here.
WritersFM is WCCL's free online radio station for writers. The station broadcasts 24/7 via the Internet, with a mixture of interviews with successful writers, laid-back music, and writing tips and advice (and, by the way, no advertisements).
Among the writers you can hear on WritersFM are historical novelist Bernard Cornwell, British politician-turned-writer Edwina Currie, US screenwriting guru Syd Field, and many more (including yours truly).
You can either just tune in to the station and listen to what is currently playing, or download most of the interviews from the podcasts page. Note that either way, you will need to have a broadband/DSL Internet connection. WritersFM doesn't work on dial-up, unfortunately.
The other WCCL site in the Writers Digest 101 list is WriteStreet, or Trent Steele's Write Street as it's described on the list. This is actually WCCL's writing portal. Here you can find details of all of the company's writing products and courses, along with other book and product recommendations, inspirational quotes, articles about writing, and so on.
Also from WriteStreet you can subscribe to WCCL's free Smart Writers email newsletter, and help yourself to a range of valuable free gifts just for signing up. Smart Writers includes articles about writing, along with reviews of the latest writing products. Of course, you can unsubscribe any time if you don't like it and still keep all the free gifts.
I hope you will try visiting both these sites, to see why they were voted on to the Writers Digest list by writers themselves.
And if you'd like to vote to keep any of them on the list for 2009, you can do so by sending an email nominating the site in question to writersdig@fwpubs.com with "101 Websites" as the subject line. The closing date for nominations for the 2009 list is 1 January 2009.
And yes, a vote for this blog would be very much appreciated too!
If you want to make the most effective use of your time, you need a plan. Without one, trying to do a lot will give you a major stress attack. Whether it's daily to-do lists, business plans, or a productivity system, choose your weapons and put them to use.
Personally I have two planning tools that I use constantly. Next to me I keep a notepad with daily to-do lists. They usually span two A4 pages because I like to do some serious multi-tasking.
I also carry a Moleskine notebook with me literally everywhere I go. I spend a couple of hours a week writing ideas, goals, plans, and lists in it. What's coming up next, how to increase income on a website, lists of actionables to launch a new project, the chapters for a book, points to write in an article. You name it, it's in there, combined with enough squiggles and doodles to impress the most idle mind.
All this planning means that my time in front of a computer is spent purely executing. There's less wondering 'what next?' or 'what should I write?' and more getting things done.
I can really relate to this. When you're a busy working freelance writer with a number of regular clients, it's easy to spend all your time working to other people's agendas, and not focusing enough on your own goals and priorities.
Anyway, having read Collis's article, I'm determined to spend a bit more time on planning my own schedule in future. And I'll be doing my best to apply his other productivity advice as well!
Today I'm pleased to welcome a new guest author to my blog, Ruth Barringham.
Ruth is a prolific and successful author and publisher, and I'm also very pleased to count her as a friend and collaborator. Here she offers some good advice for everyone - which includes me on occasion - who claims that they don't have time to write.
Stop Making Excuses! - by Ruth Barringham
The biggest complaint of most would-be freelance writers and authors is that they don't have time to write.
Wrong!
Everyone has time to write. We all have the same 24 hours in every day. The difference between us all is how we spend our time.
Some people do actually manage to squeeze in a couple of hours to write during their busy day. But instead of focusing on their work, they waste their time reading unimportant emails or online articles that are irrelevant to what they should be doing.
Does this sound like you?
Well, don't worry, you're not alone.
Most writers are the same. We all say we love to write and will even spend all day thinking about it. Yet when it comes to actually sitting down and beginning to write, we'll look for other things to distract us.
But to be a successful writer you need to be able to write quickly and be as productive as possible, and you won't be able to do this if you constantly allow your attention to be diverted when you should be writing.
So here's a word that is the most important to anyone who wants to be successful in anything and everything they do. Knowing this word and having a complete understanding of its meaning can change you from a reluctant writer into a hard working and profitable writer.
And that word is - FOCUS.
When you know you should be writing, focus on it. Force yourself to apply bum-to-chair. Once you're sitting comfortably, begin the task of writing immediately. Don't check your emails or surf the net. Just sit down and begin working.
It will help you stay focused if you know exactly what you have to do. So at the end of every day make a list of the writing tasks you have to do tomorrow. That way, when you sit down you just have to check your list and you'll know where to begin.
If you find you work better in the mornings, then get up early and write. If you work better in the evening, work late when the house is quiet and the rest of the family is asleep.
Just make sure you allocate a portion of every day to write. Then focus, and don't let your mind be distracted by anything else.
Once you get into a routine of writing regularly, you'll find that focusing and writing becomes extremely easy, and will be a habit you never want to break.
I'm pleased to welcome another guest blogger today, Nigel Edwards from Letsgetpublished.com.
As you'll see from his article below, Nigel has some strong views about what the future holds for readers - and, by extension, writers. I'll let you read what he has to say, then give my personal response to his comments.
Readers are Doomed to Extinction!
That's a bald statement to read, isn't it? As it stands I imagine many, if not most writers would call it a ridiculous notion - but is it? Let me explain my thinking.
Ask this question: why is the written word so popular? The answer is that books provide the medium for people to indulge in their fantasies. They bring us escape from the drudgery and indifference of modern living, and have done so for a long, long time. Stories have entertained us for thousands of years, though only comparatively recently has the written word replaced the narrator. Imagine in pre-history a camp-fire was lit, and around it huddled a hunting party, squatting by its glowing warmth to hear their leader recount the time when he single-handedly bested a wild and enraged boar? That was perhaps the beginning of an oral tradition that was long appreciated, and indeed still is in some dwindling corners of the world; but this is the important point: where in modern society are the oral story-tellers now? What happened to that tradition? It's virtually gone. Why?
Once upon a time, someone figured out a way to capture thoughts and ideas in a physical medium and, to cut a long story short, invented writing. At first it was crude and limited, but over time it grew in sophistication until it came to a point where you didn't specifically need a story-teller with a great memory and a good voice; all you needed was to have someone write the words, thereby replacing the memory, and someone to read them - and remember, reading can be done silently. At first, as we know, the art of reading and writing was rare, and only a few had the skill. The old story-teller still had his place, perhaps as the reader of narrative, but by the time we come to the present day his presence is virtually nil, made redundant by education which spread the ability to read and write far and wide. When the general populace finally reached the point where the majority could read, I can imagine that there would still have been many people who remembered the enjoyment of the camp-fire and preferred to be read to, rather than read for themselves; but gradually their number declined, and with the advent of mass book production they all but disappeared.
And it's going to happen again. Sort of.
Who reads for pleasure today? According to many reports that I have come across the number of people actually reading books for pure enjoyment is on the decline. The reason is new technology. As the introduction of writing resulted in the death of oral tradition, so will the presence of new, more exiting methods of communication replace the book. It's a spreading canker. Take the cinema. A really good writer can construct a story that is gripping and thrilling, and can compete well with the cinema, except on one front - the reader has to interact with the story, become involved with it, and this requires the active use of their brain. You actually have to do some mental work to get the best out of a book. Now compare that with the cinema. What does it take to simply sit in a seat and let the mesmeric film envelope you. There's no need to read thousands of words to imagine the final confrontation at the OK Corral - there it is in glorious colour and surround sound, dished up for your gratification for the price of a ticket.
Do you see where this is leading, yet?
Take television. You don't need to go to the cinema to see and hear the movie; today it gets piped directly into your home. Press the button and there it is. You can record it, or buy the DVD, and play it over and over without having to exercise your interpretive powers one little bit. Then there are computers. You don't even need a television any more; just download the feature or film you want onto your laptop or desktop, or even your mobile phone! Entertainment wherever you go, and no more need to cart cumbersome volumes to your deckchair on the beach. Just pick up the phone and enjoy.
What this means is that the reader, the one thing over which no author has any control, no longer needs to read to get their pleasure. And if they don't need to, they won't. It's because they- we - are lazy. We always look for the easiest way to do something, and if we can get our thrills passively, why should we bother with getting them in any other way? The story-teller died out because he was old-fashioned, because people either had to go to him, or wait until he came to them; and people today are taking the next step, which is to discount the written word in favour of the instant gratification of immediate explosions of light and sound pulsed almost directly into their brains. You might say that technology has become the new story-teller. Could it be that we are coming full circle?
Not convinced?
The demographics for reading are changing. The days when our children all enjoyed the delight of a bedtime story are disappearing. How many youngsters now will pick up a book when there is the alternative of television, computer games, and the internet? Here's a bold prediction for you: within my lifetime the average age of a regular reader will rise to 60. Within 100 years the number of books being sold will drop to a point where the supermarkets don't even bother to stock them. Within 200 years the only people to read for pleasure will be the few remaining authors themselves, devouring each others' words in sad, cannibalistic indulgence. Let me know if I was wrong! ;)
So, not only the end for readers, but authors too in the general sense. Only those who can successfully adopt the skills needed to produce stories for translation into multi-sensual experiences will be able to make their way to public acclaim, and reap the rewards thereby associated. Why bother writing the intermediate step of a book when you can go straight for the final product? It's a corporate world we live in, and the money that is its blood will demand economies to maximise profit. The old fashioned, traditional writer of words for pleasure will become redundant, and virtually extinct.
Thanks for a thought-provoking piece, Nigel. I largely agree with the points made above, although I think it will be a while yet before books become a thing of the past. Yes, people increasingly want their entertainment in multimedia formats. But equally, you only have to look around any beach or swimming pool on a hot summer's day to see that books still have something going for them. And it's still the case that popular films and TV series are spun-off into book form.
But Nigel is definitely right about one thing - writers today need to become (multi)media savvy. Even 'literary' authors can longer afford to focus exclusively on producing fine prose, when in many cases it is the potential for a book to be adapted into a variety of media that determines whether or not publishing it will be viable.
Anyway, those are Nigel's thoughts, and my responses. What do YOU think? Feel free to post any comments below!
WCCL publish high-quality courses, manuals and software in a range of fields. I thought you might perhaps be interested to hear about some new products they have released recently, even though none of these is directly writing related.
As the name indicates, Watch TV on Your PC lets you watch TV from around the world via the Internet. You can also use it to tune in to thousands of Internet radio stations, as well as web cams, videos, and more.
Watch TV on Your PC works on any Windows computer (including Vista). No TV tuner card or any other hardware is required - all you have to do is install the software on your PC and decide what you want to watch first. Of course, as with all WCCL products, there is free, unlimited customer support available 24/7, and with Watch TV on Your PC you also get free lifetime updates.
I must admit, however, what surprised me most about this software was the price. WCCL are currently selling it for just $14.95 US or 7.95 UK pounds. This is a lifetime fee - unlike most similar services, no monthly subscriptions are required.
If you like the idea of watching TV from around the world - including sporting events that in your own country may only be available on pay-to-view - Watch TV on Your PC has to be worth a look.
Moving on, WCCL have always specialised in privacy and security software, and they've recently introduced a new and improved undelete tool called Undelete File Recovery.
As you may know, even when you delete a file from your PC and empty the Recycle Bin, the file remains on your computer's hard drive until eventually it is over-writen. In this 'deleted' form it is normally invisible, but with the correct software it can still be viewed and - if you wish - recovered.
Enter Undelete File Recovery. This powerful program will instantly display hundreds of deleted files from any drive on your computer. Full details of the files are shown, and you can even preview them to see what they contain. Then all you have to do is choose which files to restore with the aid of the Recovery Wizard.
Undelete File Recovery is currently available for just $24.95 (around 13 UKP). What's more, right now buyers also get a completely free copy of WCCL's powerful Backup Magic software, which makes backing up all your important files a piece of cake. This one looks like another no-brainer to me ;-)
Moving on again, my colleague Karl Moore has been raving on his blog recently about The Quantum Cookbook, WCCL's brand new guide to the hot topic of manifesting (it was even mentioned recently on the UK soap opera Coronation Street!). The term manifesting is used to describe the process of reordering your personal reality to obtain the things you want. It's also sometimes referred to as The Law of Attraction.
The concept of manifesting has been around for many years, but The Quantum Cookbook brings it firmly into the 21st century. Written by self-development expert Bradley Thompson, it includes a 140-page manual crammed with little-known tricks and techniques for manifesting anything - from a new house to a soulmate, from a new car to more money. Buyers also get bonus CDs, interviews with celebrities who have successfully used the manifesting technique, and more.
I'll be honest, I'm normally more than a little sceptical when I see these sort of claims being made. But I've always thought that people do, to a large extent, make their own luck. It seems to me that what this guide does is try to explain how this process operates and set out strategies you can use to make it work for you.
Anyway, if you're interested, it's all explained on The Quantum Cookbook website - and, of course, WCCL's usual money-back guarantee applies.
Lastly, I appreciate that most readers of this blog are primarily interested in writing. That being the case, you might just like to check out WCCL's WriteStreet website, which lists all their writing-related products and services (including my courses), and Smart Writers, their free email newsletter for writers.
Today I'm reprinting (with permission) an article by author and newspaper columnist Jim Edwards that struck an immediate chord with me. My computer is prone to random crashes that leave me sitting fuming as my PC goes through the whole reboot process again. But having read Jim's article, I'm determined to start using this "spare change" time provided by courtesy of my computer more productively!
Discover Hidden Profits in "Spare Change" Time - by Jim Edwards
Fact: Take the spare change out of your pocket every night and put it in a child's piggy bank. At the end of a year you will have at least a hundred dollars to spend as you wish. Now take this same principle and discover the huge payoff in the "spare change" time you've been wasting all these years.
How often do you sit in front of your computer and wait?
Everyone waits for the computer to reboot, restart, unlock, "scandisk", "defrag", finish printing, download a file from the Internet or generally accomplish tasks that have you sitting twiddling your thumbs for at least 60 to 90 seconds or more.
The shocking truth is that those one, two and three minute nuggets of time contain the seeds for accomplishing all the tasks you never seem to have enough minutes in the day to finish.
Computers represent a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they are supposed to save us time by efficiently helping us with big tasks such as balancing our checkbooks, running our businesses, and doing our taxes.
In reality, it seems the time computers save you gets sucked right back up in time-consuming tasks such as installing software, scanning for viruses and waiting for the computer to restart!
Think about the spare change in the piggy bank example. Now use that same principle to your advantage by developing an awareness of how you spend your "pocket change" time in front of the computer every day.
Small bits of wasted time add up quickly over the course of a day, week, year - all of it in 2 to 3 minute increments. Fifteen wasted minutes a day equals well over 11 working days wasted per year!
Take this "one-day challenge".
Today, try these alternatives to sitting and watching the "hourglass" on your monitor while waiting for your computer to finish a task!
~ Organize your desk ~ Sharpen your pencils ~ Make a quick phone call ~ Check your "to-do" list; if you don't have a "to-do" list make one ~ Write a fast note to a friend ~ Put in a load of laundry ~ Go to the bathroom ~ Get another cup of coffee ~ Pay a bill ~ Catch up your checkbook entries ~ Pick up your office ~ Brainstorm an idea ~ Stand up and stretch ~ Day-dream for about a happy thought for 90 seconds!
Carefully watch how much time you spend in front of the computer waiting for it to do something and then see how many things you can accomplish with that time.
Nothing could reward you more than developing a consciousness about how you spend those spare moments that add up to enough time to write a book, take a trip with your family or take positive actions that will change your life forever.
Use your "spare change" time to accomplish the things you claim you never find time to finish!
----
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist (http://www.TheNetReporter.com) and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to work less, get paid more... and have tons more fun! - "The Lazy Man's Guide to Online Business"
============================== Are YOU a "Lazy Achiever"? "The Lazy Man's Guide to Online Business" How to Work Less, get Paid More and have tons more Fun! Proven tips, tricks, techniques and strategies of Superstar "Lazy Achievers"! Click=> http://tinyurl.com/2v8etn ==============================
For the most part I enjoy being a freelance writer. However, it's a solitary occupation, and sometimes I do miss the camaraderie of working in an office (as I did in my earlier existence). In particular, there are times when I wish had colleagues to bounce ideas around with, or to give a second opinion on some point or other.
Well, I may not have colleagues any more, but I do have the next best thing. And that is, my forum at www.mywriterscircle.com. I know quite a few readers of this blog belong to the forum, but many still don't. So I thought in this post I'd mention some of the benefits that I, and other members, derive from belonging to the forum.
To start with, the forum is great when you want a second (or third) opinion from a fellow writer. In my recent Day in the Life article for Linda Jones's Freelance Writing Tips blog I mentioned an occasion recently when I used the forum this way. You can read the whole story in the article if you like, but briefly I was writing a profile for a client, and wasn't happy with my closing sentence. So I decided to post it on the forum and see if anyone could improve on it. Three forum members rose to the challenge, and one came up with the perfect solution. I was pleased, and so was my client!
The forum is also used regularly by members needing help with research. For example, a new member, Collegeguy, wanted some advice on creating a convincing bank robbery scene. On the topic in question several members offered comments and ideas. At the end Collegeguy wrote: 'Thanks a ton for all your help, everyone...it's coming along well, and I'm positive it would be totally different (and a lot worse) if it wasn't for your suggestions!'
Plotting is another area where the forum can be a life-saver. Written your hero or heroine into a corner where you can't see any way out? Describe the situation on the forum, and see if the ingenuity of MWC members can deliver a solution for you. Long-standing member (and forum moderator) Cathy C had this problem and sought help from our members. In the topic in question, she wrote:
I've managed to leave my character without money (the result of a house fire which destroyed everything - credit cards, cheque book, bank card etc.). Even worse, it's a Sunday and all the banks are closed. (Man, when I mess up I REALLY mess up). Anyone got any ideas as to how she can lay her hands on some money fast? (And no, robbing a bank/shop/house is not an option...)
Take a look on the forum to see the range of answers members came up with!
And, of course, if you have any questions about grammar and punctuation, correct manuscript format, how to write a query letter, or any other writing-related topic, our (nearly) 6000 members are ready and waiting to help. Check out the All the Write Questions board for a range of questions that have been asked - and answered - recently.
And finally, it's not just writing-related matters you can raise at MWC. On our Coffee Shop board, members have asked questions about or simply debated a huge range of topics, some serious, others less so. If you need advice, support or information on almost any subject, our members are ready to help if they possibly can.
So there you are. I hope in this post to have convinced you that Mywriterscircle.com is an invaluable resource for any writer, especially if (like me) you work on your own. If you're not yet a member, it's quick and easy to join, and of course it's free. And if you are already a member, ask yourself whether you are making the most of the forum? Remember - to harness the power of the friendliest writing community on the net, you only have to ask.
OK, so it's Monday...the holiday period is over...the decorations are down...you're back at work...and (in the northern hemisphere anyway) we still have the worst few months of the winter to look forward to...
Never mind! Here's a YouTube video featuring another beautiful track by my favourite band of the moment (well, one of them), Conjure One, the electronic music project headed by Rhys Fulber.
The track is called Sleep, and it's sung by a guest artist, Marie-Claire D'Ubaldo. The track can be heard on Conjure One's debut CD, also called Conjure One.
As ever, if you are receiving this post by email, you will need to visit my blog to watch the video.
As with Conjure One's Endless Dream, which I featured in this post last year, I like the lyrics of this number as well (any song that includes the line 'kindred spirit of candlelight' is OK by me!). The video is nicely done too, though I did find one or two of the anime-style images unintentionally scary!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video, and that perhaps it may give you a bit of a lift on a cold, grey Monday.
Happy new year! I hope you had a great Christmas (even if you don't celebrate it in your religion) and are entering 2008 reinvigorated and bursting with enthusiasm to achieve your writing ambitions.
If you haven't yet made a new year's resolution, why not make it that in 2008 you will complete your first non-fiction book, novel or screenplay? After all, you have 364 days left after today. That's loads of time to get one complete first draft - at the very least - under your belt!
I thought I'd also take this opportunity to suggest a number of (free) resources that can help you to achieve your writing goals...
The Motivator program from my publishers, the WCCL Network, is a great piece of software. It uses the power of programmed rehearsal to help you recall and focus on your goals. You can read more about The Motivator, and download your free copy, from this web page.
Another valuable resource I discovered recently is 43 Things. This free website lets you set personal goals or join shared ones. You can then get support from other people who have achieved that goal or are working towards it. When I checked, 18,235 people had entered the goal "write a book". If you choose this particular goal on 43 Things, you will be in very good company!
Don't forget, also, WCCL's free Internet radio station WritersFM. If you have a broadband Internet connection, you can listen to inspiring interviews with successful, published writers, from historical novelist Bernard Cornwell to British politician-turned-author Edwina Currie. You can simply listen in to whatever is being broadcast right now, or choose any of the most popular interviews and download or stream them from the WritersFM site.
And, of course, I can't leave out my free forum at www.mywriterscircle.com. The forum has been running for over two years now, and has almost 6,000 members from all over the world. It's a great place for getting feedback on your work, asking writing-related questions, finding new markets, or just chatting with your fellow writers in our chat room or virtual coffee shop.
I'd like to conclude with a quote from James A. Baldwin: "Those who say it can't be done are usually interrupted by others doing it." Don't ever let the nay-sayers hold you back from pursuing your dream.
Good luck, and please let me know when, later this year, you've completed your book or screenplay!
It's the start of December, and time to get into the Christmas spirit! So why not make your computer a little more festive by downloading the free Christmas screensaver just produced by my colleague and publisher Karl Moore and available from his blog at www.karlblog.com?
Karl's Christmas screensaver displays 100 beautiful festive scenes from across the globe, smoothly shifting from one image to the next. It's free of charge, and naturally it is also spyware-free, adware-free, and so on.
I should mention that Karl's Christmas screensaver is quite a large file. It's 35MB in total, and took around ten minutes to download on my broadband (cable) connection. I don't think I would recommend trying to get it this way if you're still on dial-up, therefore!
To download Karl's Christmas screensaver, just click on any of the links in this post, which will take you to the relevant post on Karl's blog, and click on the Download link (under 'Want to Download your Copy?'). It's a .exe file, so I recommend that you save it to anywhere on your PC (e.g. the desktop), then double-click in the usual way to launch it. The Christmas screensaver will then be installed on your PC. Of course, you can remove it permanently or temporarily at any time via your computer's Control Panel.
Finally, as I've mentioned Karl's blog here, I'd just like to recommend it to anyone who is interested in personal growth and self-development. It's a fascinating and inspiring blog, with an addictive mixture of odd facts, inspirational quotes and stories, random acts of kindness, and much more.
The same, incidentally, applies to Karl's forum at www.karlforum.com, which is great place for chatting with like-minded individuals and discussing some of the matters Karl posts about in his blog. Neither of these sites is commercially-oriented, but if you'd like to know more about the growing range of self-help products and publications sold by Karl's company, the place to look is Self Help Street. Do check them all out!
...That's the title of an article I saw the other day on The Positivity Blog by Henrik Edberg, a 26 year old student from Sweden.
In his article, Henrik has set out seven pieces of advice for writers gleaned from horror writer Stephen King's book On Writing- which I highly recommend, by the way. Here's the first (and shortest) of the seven items:
1. Get to the point.
Don't waste your reader's time with too much back-story, long intros or longer anecdotes about your life. Reduce the noise. Reduce the babbling. In On Writing King gets to his points quickly. Get to your point quickly too before your reader loses patience and moves on.
The other tips in this article on The Positivity Blog are all well worth reading too. OK, none are Earth-shattering, but it's all solid stuff, and relevant to all types of writing, not just novels and short stories. Check it out!
One of the nice things about working in this business is the stream of messages I get from buyers of my courses such as Quick Cash Writing and Write Any Book in Under 28 Days, who have fulfilled their writing ambitions by putting my advice to good effect.
Most of these messages I simply acknowledge and pass on to my publishers, WCCL, in case they wish to use them as testimonials. But in the case of the following message that arrived last week, I thought (with the author's permission) I would reproduce it in full on my blog...
My name is Dustin Hsiao and I am a disabled 17 year-old high school student. I just wanted to write and thank you for your fabulous "Write ANY Book in 28 Days... Or Less!" course.
With your help, I managed to write and e-publish my book, "Stupid Kid: Learn from Matt and Luke; how you can get better grades without effort" within 15 days of my summer holiday."
Stupid Kid" started as a simple attempt to help struggling students. I teamed up with renowned educational analyst Fredrick Grimmer (Mr. G) to provide new high school students a "crash course" on how to succeed in school.
That was two months ago...
Since then, "Stupid Kid" has been warmly received by both educators and students. Using the tactics outlined in your course, I wrote to a few celebrities. Not only did I collect many kind words and endorsements, I was invited to meet international pop artist Jesse McCartney for a personal publicity photo and endorsement.
Essentially, using your course, I went from being a nobody to a rising educational expert within 5 months; it only goes up from here! Thank you Mr. Daws, you've literally changed my life.
Most sincerely, Dustin Hsiao Author of "Stupid Kid: Learn from Matt and Luke; how you can get better grades without effort" http://www.BetterMarksNow.com
OK, this is a great testimonial for my Write Any Book in Under 28 Days course, but I wanted to share it with you for three other reasons as well...
1. It proves yet again that almost ANYONE can write a book if they want to. Look again at the first line of that message: it comes from a 17-year-old disabled high school student from an ethnic minority background. By no stretch of the imagination is this someone for whom starting a writing career was an easy or obvious career path. Meaning no disrespect at all to Dustin, if he could do it with all his disadvantages, almost anybody can.
2. It makes the point that simply buying any course - even one of mine! - isn't enough on its own. You have to apply the advice it contains, and that means (shock! horror!) you actually have to sit down and do some work. But with good advice and a suitable system - such as that set out in Write Any Book in Under 28 Days - it really is possible to produce a complete book in a short period of time. Notice that Dustin wrote his book in just 15 days - 13 days fewer than the 28 days of the title!
3. And finally, it demonstrates a point that often gets overlooked about my Write Any Book in Under 28 Days course. It is NOT just a system for outlining and writing your book. Important though that is, the course covers many other areas as well, from coming up with ideas and titles, through researching and editing your book, all the way to promoting your finished book with the help of celebrity endorsements (as Dustin has done so successfully).
Anyway, I'd like once again to thank Dustin for his kind words, and congratulate him on his initiative in completing his first book at such an early age. I hope it marks the start of a long and successful writing career for him. Do check out his sales site at http://www.bettermarksnow.com/, and consider ordering a copy of his e-book if you know anyone for whom it might be relevant.
And, of course, if you're thinking of writing a book yourself but need a suitable method to get you started, do check out this page of my website for more info about, and an extract from, my top-selling course Write Any Book in Under 28 Days. It worked for Dustin, and it can work for you also!
My colleague Karl Moore made another great post on his blog the other day, so I thought I'd draw your attention to it.
The post title I'm referring to is I Love My Office. In this, Karl says of his own office:
It's the heart of everything I do. It's Communications Central. I have my PC, my glass desk, my orange sofa, my bright-yellow walls, my aquarium, my phones, my books, the minty-lemon essential oil mix constantly floating in the air, my fridge stocked with juice. It's my own little paradise. No wonder I love my work so much!
Karl goes on to suggest eight great ways to enhance your office (or any room you spend time in). I particularly liked number 8: "Add a water feature. According to Feng Shui, a picture of the sea, placed in the northern aspect of your home is said to promote wealth!" I like the sound of that, Karl...
I'm afraid my home office doesn't really match up to Karl's description. It's cluttered and untidy, books and papers are piled everywhere, and I've just noticed that I can write my name in the dust on my bookshelf. I do still enjoy working here, but I'm sure Karl is right and I'd achieve more
.
