Writers’ Blogs: 5 Essentials for Engaging Your Readers

by Joel Friedlander
The instructions to authors have been repeated up and down the publishing line over and over: blog, blog, blog.

Last year, Simon & Schuster urged all their writers to get going on their author blogs. Every author I’ve spoken to in the last year has told me they are either trying to get a blog started or planning on setting one up soon.

Traveling the web, you come across many of these blogs. Some are lively places where readers and bloggers spend time together. Too many others look like ghost towns, places rarely visited, and not welcoming to the casual passerby.

How did all these blogs end up abandoned, dusty and neglected?

We can’t know for sure since we weren’t there. But I know the thing that makes or breaks your blog, if you’re an author trying to attract a community of readers: reader engagement.

And I don’t just mean readers who don’t visit or don’t leave comments or don’t participate in events, either. This is what I do mean:

 I mean bloggers who don’t engage their readers. Bloggers who write about whatever comes into their head, or about nothing at all.

 I mean bloggers who publish sporadically, whose writings vary in quality, in voice, in subject matter.

 I mean bloggers who appear to have given no thought at all to what readers might actually want to read or learn about.

 And I also mean bloggers who use their blogs as a place to post bits and pieces of various works in progress as a way of fulfilling their “blogging quota.”

How to Tell When Someone Cares

The blogs I read regularly are the ones that engage me as a reader. They leave me satisfied that the blogger has produced something useful, or entertaining, or educational, or all three. I get the feeling the blogger actually knows the kind of information I’m looking for and is working to give it to me. I trust them. And so I follow them.

Now what appeals to me, what engages me, may not be what appeals to you. But there are things bloggers can do to get people excited, make them happy they read your post, and make them want more from you.

As authors, we ought to be able to use our blogs to test just how appealing our ideas are, shouldn’t we? After all, if we can’t attract an audience and involve people in what we care about, how much success can we imagine for the books we want to publish?

So blogging, besides all the other benefits you can get from it, is also a great place to test ideas you want to publish. Why? It puts both the writing and the marketing of your content directly into your own hands. Not only that, it allows you to measure, on a daily basis, just how successful your writing has been.

We all want our blogs to be “sticky.” We want readers to anticipate the next post, leave comments, tell their friends, tweet our articles and do all those things we do when we’re really engaged. But you’ve got to have a good foundation to begin with. Here are some tips to get grounded and get started on your engaging writer blog.

5 Essentials for Engaging Your Blog Readers

1. Make sure you know what your blog is about. If you write about Egypt today, and what you’re planning for lunch tomorrow, and your work in progress on Friday, can you blame readers for being a bit confused about what your blog is about? We’re all interested in many things, but usually only one at a time. Pick a subject and stick to it. If you can’t, at least make a stab at explaining or showing why this is related to your topic.

2. Have a publishing schedule. Bloggers are media publishers, plain and simple. If Time magazine decided to be a monthly, then switched to weekly, then started publishing every day, then didn’t publish for a couple of months, I don’t think they would have many subscribers? Whatever schedule is comfortable for you is likely to work. It’s really important, I think, to enjoy blogging, because people can tell your mood when you write.

3. Take care of your readers. It doesn’t matter how many readers you have today, take care of them. Take care of them by being on time, answering questions or comments, and thinking about who you’re writing for and why they might come to visit your site.

4. Get familiar with analytics. Blogging is at the foundation of web interaction. In its simplest form, you publish content, and invite comment. This two-way conversation is one of the things that makes blogging such a powerful way to connect with your readers. Analytics helps you to find out which articles resonate weeks or months later, which ones continue to provide enough value that they keep attracting traffic long after they’ve been publishing. That information is incredibly valuable to you as a publisher.

5. Ask for it. Hey, if you never ask, how will readers know you want their opinion, their input, their comments? As writers, sometimes we get caught up in the creative process. We live inside our heads a lot, maybe we’re used to sitting in a dark room by ourselves and the whole idea of social interaction is a bit weird. But this works: if you want a response, ask for it directly. “I’d love to hear your opinions on this issue. Please let me know by leaving a comment.” Do it.

So let’s recap: Having a focus for a blog that publishes regularly, cares about its readers, works to find subjects in which they are interested, and asks for involvement is much more likely to promote reader engagement. These are all things within the reach of authors who blog, so go out there and engage, you’ll be glad you did.

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author and book designer who blogs about book design, self-publishing and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He's also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.

Tweet

Book with a View August 2011

Book Title: The Pineville Heist
Author: Lee Chambers
ASIN: BOO5DST2U8
Reviewer: Dana Micheli

In Pineville, Nothing Is As It Seems...

Lee Chambers' novel The Pineville Heist (based on his award-winning screenplay of the same name) may have been intended as a teen thriller, but anyone who reads it--regardless of their age--will find it impossible to put down. I know I did, and I absolutely loved it.

Seventeen-year-old Aaron Stevens has everything a kid could want. As the son of wealthy mill owner Derek Stevens, he lives in a luxurious mansion, surrounded by hi-tech toys and a designer wardrobe that most people only dream about.

But underneath this idyllic surface, Aaron's life is anything but perfect. He's lost his mother to cancer, and his relationship with his workaholic father is turbulent, to say the least. To make matters worse, the Recession has taken its toll on the small town of Pineville. Businesses are closing, people are losing their homes, and they've begun to look upon Aaron's father—and Aaron--with a combination of jealousy and distrust. Aaron's wealth has begun to feel like a prison, and his father, a warden. He finds solace only when he is rehearsing for his lead role in the school production of Hamlet, or when he is walking in the woods on the outskirts of town.

One day, after a particularly nasty fight with his father, Aaron is hiking among the trees when he discovers a mysterious white van with two security guard uniforms and two Halloween masks on the seat. He wants to investigate further, but he's late for play practice and continues to school. It is only after he overhears the sheriff talking about a $5 million heist at Pineville Savings and Loan that he realizes he has found the crooks' getaway vehicle. Along with his two friends, Mike and Steven, Aaron returns to the forest. But when they get there, the van is gone, along with any proof of Aaron's story. The boys are about to leave when they stumble upon the robbers' hideout and are pulled into a web of violence, intrigue and murder that threatens everything that Aaron holds dear.

As he races to uncover the truth about the robbery, Aaron is faced with the realization that everything he had believed about his life, his town, and those closest to him may be a lie. For every layer he peels back reveals yet another secret, and Chambers' tight prose promises—and delivers-- a hairpin turn with every page.

Learn more about Chambers' work at http://leechambers.com/

Purchase for Kindle Reader only 99¢.


Title: L.A. Blues
Author: Maxine Thompson
ISBN: 978-1601623072
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp., 2011
Reviewer: Yvonne Perry

Healing the Racial Divide

Nine-year-old Black/Spanish Zipporah Saldano (a.k.a. "Z") made a panicked phone call to her father, who lived across town, to let him know that her mother, Venita, was being beaten by her latest live-in boyfriend. That phone call changed Z's life forever. Even though Z was sent to live in a loving, foster home, she blamed herself for getting her father killed, having her pregnant mother put in jail, and sending her siblings into multiple foster homes. She turns to alcohol to cover the pain she refuses to feel.

Z decides to become a cop and join the LAPD, hoping to stop some of the gang violence she and her people have seen way too much of. Her time on the force is cut short when her drinking problem causes her to be fired after her partner is killed. Her downward spiral lands her at rock bottom where she has no choice but to deal with the pain that is destroying her life. She joins AA and finally begins sorting through the years of emotional agony she has buried within her heart.

This story takes the reader deep inside the home and hearts of Z's infertile foster parents, Daddy Chill and Shirley, who love all their foster children unconditionally. Even after Z and her foster siblings reach adulthood, Shirley continues to provide emotional support during the hardships this bunch experiences quite often. Shirley even takes in the children of her drug-addicted foster child, Chica, and raises them as if they are her own grandkids.

When death hits close to home and nearly devastates the entire family, Z, who has become a private detective, begins her search for their loved one's killer. That search turns up more answers and secrets than she ever anticipated finding. I'm thankful for a happy ending to this tragic story that caused tears of compassion to well up in my eyes as I read.

The storytelling skills of this author are great. The story is told in first person. While I was a bit puzzled by the narrator's shift from present to past tense (sometimes in the same sentence), I must admit it helped define the protagonist's character. I finished the book in one weekend even while tending to my young grandsons because I couldn't put the book down. I had fallen in love with the characters and had to see what was going to happen next. The pace of the story is perfect.

Knowing that inner healing can change an entire culture—and ultimately our world—I recommend this well-researched book to all races because it gives hope that our Black and Latino brothers and sisters can take responsibility for their choices and find peace within themselves. There is no place love cannot reach!


Title: Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road
Author: Neil Peart
ISBN: 1-55022-546-4 (cloth) 1-55022-548-0 (paper)
Publisher: ECW Press
Reviewer: Tracey L. Brackett

At the tender age of sixteen I was introduced to a band called Rush. The Canadian trio filled my ears as well as my soul and to this day Rush still rocks my world.

Unfortunately, after the tour to support their album, Test for Echo, ended on July 4, 1997, the band disappeared. Rumors spread that one of the trio had cancer while others heard they simply broke up.

In 2002 the explanation about the band's hiatus was finally revealed to the world and the truth was exposed. Neil Peart, Rush's King of Kings drummers, lost his nineteen-year-old daughter to a car accident on August 10, 1997 and his common-law wife went into a deep depression and died of cancer ten months later.

So, on a rainy, late summer morning on August 20, 1998, just two months after his wife's funeral, without any reason to carry on and having no interests in his work or his life, the drummer of drummers secured his home, revved up his BMW R1100GS motorcycle and rode down the driveway of what used to be a happy home. He didn't know where he was going, but he would let his bike lead the way.

For fourteen months, Neil ventured 55,000 miles of highways and byways from eastern Canada to the American west coast and Mexico. All the while, keeping a journal of everything he experienced.

When he finally placed the kickstand down on his bike in early autumn of 1999, he began piecing together the notes from his journal and titled the book to describe how he felt about himself. Thus, Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road was born.

This book will warm the hearts of Neil's long-time fans as well as anyone who wants to read a sad, yet uplifting story. While Neil details out the events of his travel, he sprinkles in the memories of his once-happy life. By the time you finish the book, the entire picture is before you—and you understand.

Neil divides his piece into two books: Book One is titled Riding the Healing Road, which specifically records every rain drop and winding turn he experiences on his journey. Book Two Homeward Angel, On The Fly is peppered with his reflection and his determination to look and move forward.

The author brings humor and intimacies into the book and allows the reader to watch the dissection of his spirit, his mind, heart, and his "little baby soul." Neil introduces us to his best friend, Brutus, and his alter ego, Ellwood, which is actually his middle name. We also become acquainted with Carrie Nuttall, the woman who was ". . . the answer to a prayer I hadn't dared to voice, or even dream" and on September 9, 2000 became his wife.

The only frustration I had with the book is the amount of ad nauseam and unnecessary detail. I found myself many times in frustration screaming "GET ON WITH IT" and would rifle through pages of description-overkill of a rock or how the wine tasted on his tongue.

Many words the author uses such as nadir, majordomo, euphoniously, gelid, and vicissitudes were so unfamiliar to me that I found myself looking to Webster for clarification. The extremity of pointless detail became so exhausting that it took me quite a while to get through the book. I found his writing style arrogant and vain.

I've labeled Neil a narcissistic wordsmith as I now realize how much he loves his words. It is very clear to me after reading this book and listening to his lyrics for the past thirty years that he wants his readers and listeners to know just how much he loves his words and how well he can put a plethora of complicated words together to invoke a simple meaning.

Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road, although frustrating and sometimes exhausting, is a must read for any Rush fan, rocker, or those who like a complicated read with a good ending. Delightful and fun, yet heartbreaking, this book will not only give you a new outlook on life, but will motivate you to buy a motorcycle and "Take off to the Great White North."

Tweet

Rock Your Business: Leverage, Package, & Market with Group Support!

This is the time to shake yourself out of excuses and limitations and rock your business. Over the last eight years of ACPI’s growth, I’ve seen coaching practices thrive; and I've seen new coaches become overwhelmed, and a few practices collapse. Why?

You enter the helping professions for the right reasons. Your natural talents, so perfect for coaching, teaching, counseling, or care-taking make a huge difference or serve people in an awesome way. You've learned powerful transformational strategies. Moreover you want to share those ideas with others. Therein lies the dilemma.
Does this sound like you? Most people in the helping profession are so passionate about the content they spend the majority of their time focusing on it. They fail to see that this content must be organized, packaged, structured and leveraged into an effective business model to consistently connect with your customers. Without this demonstrated business model, everything comes to a sudden halt. Why?
Without a proper business system, the numbers of people that you actually reach and the extent to which you connect with and eventually serve them remains small.
There are two simple reasons. First, you feel like you have to create new content consistently to be fresh and new. The second reason is the lack of leverage. You don’t use the principle of leverage, which is comprised of the system to re-purpose and package your content and the action can use those gifts to make a HUGE difference and have a thriving business along the way.
Wouldn’t you like to create a specific action plan so that you know exactly what you should be doing in your coaching business every day? Organize your overwhelmed mind into the system to leverage your expertise? The benefit to you is no worry, increased clients, and a larger income.
Dr. Caron Goode is offering “Leveraging Your Expertise & Expanding Your Incredible Presence” –a 6-month mentoring program for a unique group of six persons. The program starts September 1, 2011.
Leveraging Your Expertise is for more advanced business owners—visionaries and big thinkers who have business success and are ready to expand credibility and influence leverage with social media, packaged content, and marketing.
In this small group, you’ll be developing some specific skills:
 Developing content

 Packaging content in several forms

 Developing an E-book , a white paper or webinar, if you desire

 Engaging through social media
Mastering the principle of leverage is an extraordinary experience, and the nature of the training itself results in relationships that will last a lifetime. Your business will be transformed.
Read more here

Tweet

WITS Tip of the Month on Microsoft Word

An index lists the terms and topics in a document, along with the pages they appear on. First you must mark the index entries: Select the text and press ALT+SHIFT+X then "mark all." Microsoft Word will insert an XE (Index Entry) field formatted as hidden text. The hide/show feature will automatically pop up. To hide the marks, click on the backwards "p" (paragraph mark) on your toolbar.

Once you mark your index entries scroll to the place at the end of the document where you want the index to appear. Then go to insert/reference/indexes and tables and select the index tab. Click ok. Word then collects all your index entries, sorts them alphabetically, references their page numbers, finds and removes duplicate entries from the same page, and displays the index in the document. Don't modify index entries in the finished index; if you do, your changes will be lost when you update the index. If you make changes in your document and want to add new entries to your index you can right click your mouse somewhere inside the index and click "update field."


Tweet

Entrepreneur Marketing to Inspire You, Not Tire You

By Dr. Caron Goode

Last week, a student in the ACPI coaching marketing class floored me with her praise, “Caron I have to say that your class inspires me, not tires me. I took a year-long marketing class at a prestigious business school last year, and I thought this marketing class would be the same old. I was wrong, your marketing mentoring is uniquely different...finding my passion and taking it forward. Just WOW!”

Language of Marketing Old

Her comment gave me cause to watch the words and sales of other marketing ezines I read. I noticed how subtly different my marketing mentoring program is in that does inspire as opposed to the language of my marketing email within the last 10 days, which asked these questions:

What problems are you solving?

Why aren’t you making a six-figure income?

Not working hard enough? Outsource what you hate!

Want to be a millionaire like me?

Of course I want all of those things, but I never sign up because the energy doesn’t feel like a compatible match. Here are my answers:

 Well, I’m not solving problems. I like inspiring people to solve their own problems.

 Well, I am making a six-figure income, I just don’t shout it to the world or belittle others who don’t have a six-figure income or tease them to find an easy way to do so.

 YES! I am outsourcing, and I still work long hours by choice – if enjoying your passion is work. I love it!

 Yes, I want to be a millionaire too, like everyone else who buys a lottery ticket a week (I don’t) because isn’t that the American myth and motivator. We can all see it and feel it.

Language of New Marketing

The marketing questions from other ezines are old school; they are based on being competitive.

Instead, The heart is where we start. I’d rather ask questions like . .


What does your heart tell you is true in this situation?


What is the possibility of you making a six-figure income? In what time frame?


What is working for you right now?


What is true and possible with these products?


You can learn any marketing system, but if you still aren’t focused on the “doing” aspect, you won’t move ahead. Marketing fatigue is doing all of it by yourself. Inspiration comes from high energy of group support and mentoring.

When seeking marketing information, we want role models to emulate, and we make our decisions from emotional compatibility. Do the following marketing principles resonate with you?

 Your self-esteem, not your mentor, is the foundation of your inspiration.

 Yet, we all need a buddy system or group support to keep focused on the work.

 Move beyond competition to seeking cooperative marketing efforts with a group that shares your values.

 Finding ways to take your expertise and wrap it like a Christmas gift for your clients and having partners to do it with is exceptional!

Leveraging Your Expertise & Expanding Your Incredible Presence
You’ll find Dr. Caron Goode’s mentoring programs unique, and an inspiring investment that results in products, group marketing, and master-mind friendships. If you have six-months and three hours a week to invest in grounding and solidifying your business with packaged content and social media marketing, then please visit http://acpi.biz/.


Tweet

Editor's Corner August 2011

By Yvonne Perry
What a wonderful month—past two months actually. Two of my grandsons turned two years old and had fabulous birthday parties. Now we have all new toys to play with. Yay! No matter how old I get, I will never lose my love for children—I even act like one at times. Hopefully, that doesn't mean I'm child-ish, but that I'm child-like. Hahaha!

Speaking of children, I have completed the audio story album for The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children and these sweet stories are now available individually (99¢ each) or all 12 stories as one MP3 download ($8.99) on Amazon.com. Try a few for traveling with the kids this summer. I think you'll like the sound effects!

Two WITS team members have recently taken full-time jobs and are only available part-time. I hadn't planned to take on a new writer, but this occurred about the time I decided to take a sabbatical from working with clients. (I want to focus more on my spiritual endeavors.) I had a student enroll in my 6-week freelance writer training program. After reviewing her work and professionalism, I realized she was highly skilled and well prepared to work well with clients. So, please welcome Tracey Brackett to the Writers in the Sky team.

One of the things I'm focusing on is organizing "Empaths Shifting into 2012: A Telesummit to Help Energy-sensitive People Understand Their Spiritual Role on Earth" to be conducted all four Tuesdays in September 2011. The purpose of this telesummit is to help people understand the science of the Earth's shift in consciousness as we approach 2012 and how this is affecting all people—especially empaths. A panel of eight experts will give tips for getting free from detrimental energy and staying joyfully clear. Sign up at http://live-spirit.com/empathytelesummit or read more about the free event and the expert panelists at http://dld.bz/adU8s


Yvonne Perry,
Owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services
http://writersinthesky.com/
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter

Where Do You Like to Write?

By Sarah Moore
While I appreciate the wonderful technology that is the home computer, and consider it an indispensable tool of my chosen profession, there is still something to be said for grabbing a spiral notebook and a pen and putting ink to paper. I love to write outside while sitting on a blanket that is spread in a field or perhaps on some flat rocks by the side of the lake. There is something about communing with nature that helps me to tap into the artistry that comes from the written word. Beyond the scenery, I simply love the smell of paper and ink. I feel more connected to the sentences I am crafting when I see each letter formed from my own hand.

Through my work with Writers in the Sky, I have had the opportunity to interview dozens of authors about their work. One question that I always like to ask is, "Do you have a specific way that you like to write?" Some people with whom I spoke dedicated the same three hours to progressing on their manuscripts every morning without fail. One gentleman opted to do his writing while sitting at the kitchen table and listening to a baseball game on the radio. (I'm not sure what he did during the off-season.) Yet another author had created a space in her home that she only entered to write, and she made sure it was painted and decorated in such a way to pull out all maximum creative energy.
Writing is a very personal and emotional process, whether you are writing a graduate thesis for a chemistry program or your memoirs. You leave a piece of yourself on the page. You are forming something and then presenting it to the world for their enjoyment and scrutiny. Where you choose to create is important.
So, what about you? In what environment do you feel that your writing is best able to develop and flourish? I would love to hear from you!
Sarah Moore has nearly a decade of experience in higher education administration, having worked at University of Maryland, Boston University, and Middle Tennessee State University. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, she taught research and writing courses at these institutions. Sarah also taught high school government and history for several years, and always included a strong emphasis on writing in her students' assignments. Sarah was raised just outside of Washington, D.C., but has called Nashville home for nearly eight years and enjoys life there with her two young children.


Tweet

Network with Us August 2011

Check out the e-books designed especially to help authors promote their books online. http://tinyurl.com/DanaWITS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Each story in The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children focuses on life skills such as environmental awareness, helping others, being true to one's self, overcoming fear, and following inner guidance. http://thesidseries.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kristen House has developed a summer writing program called "A Novel Idea." It is aimed at teaching middle-grade students (rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders) and high-school students (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors) to write a novel in a month during their summer break. Contact Kristen for details.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Empaths Shifting into 2012: A Telesummit to Help Energy-sensitive People Understand Their Spiritual Role on Earth" is scheduled for four consecutive Tuesdays this September. There will be eight panelists sharing more than 12 hours of useful information about helping humanity shift into higher consciousness. More info at http://dld.bz/aaK6e.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You is a guidebook for empathic people who have been unknowingly carrying energetic burdens that belong to someone else. See all purchasing options at http://whosestuffisthis.blogspot.com/p/purchase-book.html .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Read the first chapter for free and then decide if you want to download the 3-hour-long mp3 audio book of More Than Meets the Eye ~ True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife for only $7.00 http://deathdyingafterlife.blogspot.com/p/chapter-1.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tracey L. Brackett has joined the Writers in the Sky team as a ghostwriter. After thirty years as a high-level executive assistant, which placed her in a position of becoming the sole editor and proofreader for company proposals, presentations, and business correspondence, Tracey decided to take Yvonne Perry's six-week course "How to Start and Manage a Freelance Writing Business." Through the knowledge she gained in that course, she successfully opened The Feather Walker Customized Writing Services and is now affiliated with WITS. She is excited to be a part of such a phenomenal team of writers.

Tweet

The August Issue of Writers in the Sky E-zine is Now Available!

The August issue of Writers in the Sky E-zine is now available! This publication provides a rich resource of articles and information about the craft and business of writing, publishing, and book marketing.  Go to http://writersinthesky.com/writing-newsletter.html and scroll down to the archives and click the link to this month’s issue. It will download as a PDF. If you would like to get once-a-month email delivery of the e-zine, you may subscribe for free at https://app.quicksizzle.com/survey.aspx?sfid=13065

Tweet

WITS & We Are One in Spirit Podcast Schedules

WITS Podcast


August 19 -- Ian Anderson speaks to Dana Micheli about Modern Disciples Vol. I, his first novel and the first in this fantasy series about a group of mythical heroes.

August 26 -- Lynee Davis sits down with Dana Micheli to speak about A Widow's Walk: From Pain to Peace, a memoir chronicling her journey to healing after the untimely death of her husband.

We Are One in Spirit Podcast

August 11- Carl Bozeman will be joining LavendarRose to discuss his new book, On Being God Beyond Your Life's Purpose. Carl is a spiritual pioneer who's message is to provide new ways to inspire, uplift and challenge everyone to see through the limiting illusion they accept as life - to challenge their beliefs and all limiting behaviors in such a way that a new awareness surrounds them; an eternal awareness where no boundary exists. On Being God is a testament to our divine nature and a guide to show us how to find that place inside where God dwells. We can find our way back and many will find the words of the book compelling and uplifting as they rediscover that under all the trappings this reality provides there is so much more.

August 18-  Tisha Morris will be joining us to discuss how our world is changing.  As the news stations ‘Countdown to Doomsday’ over the debt crisis, shootings, suicides, and anxiety are meanwhile at an all-time high.  What’s going on?  Is the world going crazy? Is the world ending? Is it 2012?  I can’t help but think of the REM song, “It’s the end of the world as we know it.”  The phrase, as we know it, is the key.  Our world is changing and changing very fast – as we have known it.  Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and the author of Feng Shui Your Life: The Quick Guide to Decluttering Your Home and Renewing Your Life and 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing).

August 25- Angelica Rose will be joining us to discuss her book, Living Life As You Always Dreamed.  Angelica is a national gifted Essence Specialist since 1991 presents group talks and offers private sessions to spiritually gifted, heart centered and creative people which provides opportunities to expand spiritual and creative gifts and into greater levels of awareness.  In Living Life As You Always Dreamed, you will learn how to identify, minimize and even eliminate the distractions that divert you from living a happier productive life. Angelica defines these distractions as beliefs-programs such as insecurities, fears, self-induced limitations, that hold you back from being the 'great' person you are meant to be.
Tweet

WITS Tip of the Month on Microsoft Word

If your 2007 Word document is too long, has too many words or is too verbose, you may want to shorten it without losing the main thoughts. You can set the percentage to show higher or lower levels of summary. Go to the MS Office button , and Click Customize. Click the Microsoft Office Button In the list under Choose commands from, click All Commands. Scroll through the list of commands until you see AutoSummary Tools. Click AutoSummary Tools, and then click Add. The AutoSummary Tools button now appears in the Quick Access Toolbar.
Make your selection for whether you want the summary to show or hide the unnecessary parts, or put the summary it into a new document.

Tweet

Some Thoughts for Those Considering a Ghostwriter

By Sarah Moore
I have the opportunity to wear many different creative hats as a team member with Writers in the Sky. I write articles and blog posts, edit manuscripts, develop marketing ideas, and proofread novels that are just a few steps away from becoming published books. Also among the challenging and exciting tasks that I get to fulfill regularly are those of a ghostwriter. I love instances in which I get to sit down with a person who has an amazing idea, and probably has heard something to the effect of "you really need to put that in a book" from friends and family for years, but simply does not have the time or perhaps the writing expertise to bring the vision to life.

If you have thought about hiring a ghostwriter to help your book idea become a reality, I would like to offer you a few thoughts that will be helpful to know before you even begin the process.

First, this is your book and should be crafted using your voice. I have many conversations with my ghostwriting clients to get to know who they are and what perspective they wish to share with a reading audience and also ask them for any material they have already developed (lectures, articles, journals) that could be useful in my writing. If you hire a ghostwriter and find yourself getting lost in the process and even pushed aside as the writer begins to control the message, it is time to have a conversation about your working relationship.

Second, get ready for a fluid process. While I enter into a contract with a client having an estimated completion date and cost in mind, I cannot give definite figures at the outset. I see your manuscript as a living and breathing entity that likely will change as we progress. You may realize more people you want to interview for content or decide to take a particular chapter in a new direction. If you want the book to be the best possible product, you have to let this evolution happen. At the same time, of course, your ghostwriter should never charge a fee that seems completely unrelated to the initial estimate and always should account for how her time was spent for every dollar received.

Finally, communicate with your ghostwriter. With my clients, I like to have a constant back and forth dialogue about the developing book. While my client is reviewing and editing a chapter I just submitted to him, I am at work writing the next one. This continual dialogue results in a better product. If you wait until five chapters have been written to offer any feedback to your ghostwriter, there is the potential for a lot of time and energy being spent before discovering that the two of you are not following the same line of thought at all.

Do you have an idea that you just know would make a great book? If so, I would love to talk with you about it and see how I might be able to help. Please contact me at sarah@writersinthesky.com or (615) 423-2467 and let's spend some time brainstorming and seeing if maybe we just might make great partners in making your thoughts a published book!


Sarah Moore has nearly a decade of experience in higher education administration, having worked at University of Maryland, Boston University, and Middle Tennessee State University. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, she taught research and writing courses at these institutions. Sarah also taught high school government and history for several years, and always included a strong emphasis on writing in her students' assignments. Sarah was raised just outside of Washington, D.C., but has called Nashville home for nearly eight years and enjoys life there with her two young children.


Tweet

Book with a View July 2011

WITS Book Reviews

Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog, A Pawsitive Coloring and Paper Doll Activity Book
Author: Barbara Gail Techel
Publisher: Joyful Paw Prints Press, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-9800052-5-7
Reviewer: Yvonne Perry, author of The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children http://thesidseries.com/
A Totally Pawsitive Experience for Every Reader!

I'm always delighted when author Barbara Gail Techel asks me to take a look at her latest work because I know I'm in for a treat. Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog, A Pawsitive Coloring and Paper Doll Activity Book brought back memories of when I played with paper dolls as a child.

This book not only offers hours of coloring fun and dressing Frankie up in all her adorable outfits, it tells the story of how Frankie became disabled yet overcame and kept on rolling. It complements her first two books about Frankie. Speaking of outfits, my favorite Frankie outfit is the polka dot bikini! I got a chuckle imagining a wiener dog wearing that!

Best of all it gives a pawsitive (love that new word) message about overcoming difficult situations we may face in life. There's even a certificate/award you can fill in and print out when your child overcomes a challenge. Or, perhaps a child would award a friend with this honor. Such a creative and loving idea.

The book is interactive in many ways. The author has included a list of places where she and Frankie can be found online in order to connect in a real-life experience through her blogs and on Twitter. Truly ingenious!


Title: Sleepless Nights
Author: Norwood Holland
Publisher: Windmill Books Ltd.
ISBN: 0983165602
Reviewer: Dana Micheli

Amidst the Cherry Blossoms and historical monuments of Washington D.C., a gritty drama is unfolding. Norwood Holland's novel Sleepless Nights took me on a journey of life in the underbelly of our nation's capital. Holland's minimalist prose and authentic dialogue paints a vivid picture of the dark side of the American dream. Throughout the book I was struck by the irony that this story of loss, poverty and destruction was taking place against the backdrop of a city famous for the freedom and prosperity it symbolizes.

Sleepless Nights is the story of three young men whose horrible crime threatens to unravel their friendship and change the course of their lives—and the lives of those around them--forever. It seems like Tyrone Jones, Gustavo "Gee" Garcia and Jean "Jinx" Legere have been friends forever. More than friends, they are an urban family, bound together by deprivation and a life lived on the streets. But lately, Gee is feeling the pull of a different life, a better life. He is going to college and works at the Farragut, an upscale D.C. eatery. But his pursuit of success is causing a fissure in the once rock-solid bond he shares with Jinx and Tyrone.

Jinx is on the edge. Years of neglect by his drug-addicted mother have left him hopeless and angry. He sees no way out of the life or the neighborhood. I could feel the sadness and desperation in him as he committed the crimes. I could feel the loneliness in him as well, even when he was threatening his victims or manipulating Gee.

At the center of the story is the handsome and well-to-do Drew Smith. As one of D.C.'s hottest criminal attorneys, Smith has built his career on helping people outrun their demons. He, however, has a few demons of his own, including an ex-girl friend he still loves and a son who doesn't know he exists. More than anything else, I found this story to be about Drew's chance at redemption.

From the streets and strip clubs of inner-city D.C., to the packed courtroom of a homicide trial, Sleepless Nights is a gripping, edge-of-your seat drama that will keep you glued to every page. The only good part about reaching the end was when I learned that Sleepless Nights is only the first installment in the Drew Smith series! I look forward to seeing more of Drew Smith in (hopefully) the very near future.


Title: Kiss Me Quick Before I Shoot
Author: Guy Magar
ISBN: 978-0982866344
Publisher: Sea Script Company; First edition (May 4, 2011)
Reviewer: Vonnie Faroqui


Kiss Me Quick Before I Shoot, is Hollywood filmmaker, Guy Magar's, memoir detailing his journey from child immigrant, through college, years of filmmaking, and love along the way to becoming an accomplished director, writer and producer. In an industry known to gloss and glamorize a turd until it looks appealing, this book is being given all the best hype and promotional backing you might imagine the autobiography of a recognizable celebrity and talent would get. However, in this case the hype is REAL. Kiss Me Quick Before I Shoot deserves every bit of praise and recognition it gets and more.

For those of us who love the movies or have ever dreamed of, aspired to, danced around, or dived into a career in motion pictures or television, Kiss Me Quick is a "director's cut" commentary of life on the road to and inside the industry. When I read Guy's recollections and experiences, I wept just thinking of all the hopeful seekers and dreamers struggling for a break who never get one. The detailed behind-the-scenes knowledge and wisdom he so generously shares is beyond priceless to any aspiring film or television talent seeking entry into the industry. This is "must" reading for acting and directing students seeking film and television careers. Theater and film school do not prepare you for the cold reality of the industry, but Guy's conversational and revealing memoir sure will.

Readers looking for a Hollywood fix, an insider's candid perspective on breaking into the business or stories of life among the stars will lock themselves behind closed doors to indulge their celluloid passions with this master story teller. I think I'm in love. Too bad Guy is taken. Which leads me to another aspect of this book, which I think places it a cut above other memoirs and books of its genre. Kiss Me Quick is more than a Hollywood success story, it also relates the very real human drama and love story between Guy and his wife, Jacqui, sharing intimate details of her diagnosis with Leukemia and of the trial medical treatments that saved her life. Guy opens his heart and with incredible spirit, courage, and candor shares it all.

The creativity and passion which infuses Guy's film work also comes through in his writing. Kiss Me Quick Before I Shoot has all the excitement, flare, human interest, and drama Hollywood promises the hopeful, with a measure of reality, and God's grace thrown in. Both of my thumbs are up for Magar's Kiss Me Quick Before I Shoot. Hand me the popcorn. I am reading that again. http://www.kissmequickbeforeishoot.com/


Title: The Answer: A Journey from Anger to Peace
Author: Allison Wynn
ISBN: 978-1432770945
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Reviewer: Vonnie Faroqui

The Answer relates a pivotal moment in the lives of Eric McPherson and Allison Wynn, two strangers drawn together by chance, who experience a life-changing connection. Eric, frustrated and full of self-loathing, stops at the local Starbucks on his way to work and finds a journal laying on the only available table. He opens it to look for identification, but there is none and so he reads the day's entry.

When Allison returns to her table she finds him weeping, her journal clutched in his hand. "Are you okay?" she asks. And so the tale begins. . .

The Answer explores the destructive anger cycles that cripple human interactions, causing frustration and pain for so many individuals. The book is written using a journal entry format, from the perspectives of Eric, Eric's wife (Mary Ellen), and author Allison Wynn. The Answer provides a deeply insightful and poignant look into human relationships and the significance of feeling insignificant.

"How do we deal with anger in either ourselves or in others?" and "How do we create a more peaceful life?" These are the questions that Eric and Allison are asking. Eric knows that his anger is destroying his life and damaging his relationship with his wife, but he can't seem to stop his angry outbursts. After spending the day deep in discussion with Allison, He returns home to share with Mary Ellen what he has discovered about himself and the changes he would like to make in his life.

This is a must read for anyone who is struggling with anger issues and domestic instability. The message of the book is one that everyone could benefit from. Emotionally charged, intellectually stimulating and insightful, The Answer offers an eye opening perspective on relationships, and the need for significance. This book will change lives.


Title: Lee's Bread Machines
Author: Jerome T. Peoples, MS, ED
ISBN: 978-1432763374
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Reviewer: Vonnie Faroqui


Many of us are familiar with George Washington Carver and possibly one of the other great African American and former slave inventors who have had a lasting impact on the industrial revolution and life in America today. Most of us, however, will never have heard of Joseph Lee, the inventor of the automatic bread making machine that revolutionized the bread industry. This former slave overcame incredible hardship to rise (pardon the pun,) above adversity to have a significant impact on modern day America. The impact of his inventions--the first bread machine, then the bread crumber—changed the slice of bread on America's table by allowing bakeries and restaurants to produce loaves more efficiently and in greater numbers than ever before. Why without Joseph Lee there wouldn't be a bread industry as we know it. And yet, in spite of the impact this man's incredible inventions have had on us, hardly any information has been available about his life and accomplishments until now.

Much credit is due to retired science teacher turned author, Jerome T. Peoples MS. Ed., who researched and wrote Lee's Bread Machines as an educational and inspirational tribute to this minority hero. With chapters covering the African origin of bread, the life of house slaves, secret schools, the Civil War, Joseph Lee's move to the north, his journey to greatness as an entrepreneur in the restaurant business, and especially his work as an inventor, this book is a treasure of information.

The book has a school primer feel, but the layout makes for easy reading and information retention. Every child should have access to this book in school libraries and the knowledge of this American inventor should be included in school curriculum. Joseph Lee belongs to all of us, but his history as a former slave opens a door for further exploration of social history that could really capture and ignite the hunger for knowledge in students. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Joseph Lee, his life, and his inventions. I hope that others will read and be as deeply moved as I was by the example set by this African American inventor who rose from slavery to find freedom, enterprise, and lasting significance through the power of creativity and invention.

I recommend this book for youths and for general informational reading. The content is well documented and presents interesting images and records that will educate as well as fascinate most readers. Grade A work Mr. Peoples!


Title: The Killing Game
Author: Joe C. Stevens
ISBN: 978-1432769086
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Reviewer: Vonnie Faroqui


The Killing Game is a novelette about a former mob hit man, Bronson Trellisane, who is being forced out of Retirement to kidnap a government witness. Why kidnap when, as Bronson puts it, "I'm a shooter, not an errand boy?" Ah, now we get to it. You see Bronson isn't just any hit man and this witness isn't testifying about the run of the mill mob activity. The whole messy business centers around the last job Bronson handled before disappearing into anonymity. Linda Masters is a bit of flash secretary for his former mob boss and she is running scared with information about the mob's involvement and Bronson's part in the assassination of JFK. Bronson needs to know what she's got on them and at the same time extricate himself for good. Add to the mix a shady CIA man and the game they are all playing just gets deeper.

J.C. Stevens has written an interesting "what-if" story for conspiracy theorists and crime fans to enjoy as a quick read. Perfect for airplane reading or an easy day on the beach. The Killing Game offers intrigue and a fast-paced cross-country ride to thrill audiences. There are a few surprising twists that I won't spoil for you. Over all, The Killing Game is a good time read.

J.C. doesn't attempt to prove any conspiracies with this book. He approaches the idea of a hidden gunman in the grassy knoll as if it was fact and not fiction, treating the assassination of JFK as background for the story he wants to tell. There comes a time when the truth can never be discovered and the myths develop. The Killing Game is an example of where one person's creativity and imagination can journey out of the realm of fact and into the haze of fantasy.

Although it isn't easy to find much sympathy for a person such as Bronson Trellisane, the author doesn't seek to win hearts. This book isn't about getting answers or true justice for JFK. This isn't even a serious consideration of the JFK assassination, or an author's attempt at historical reconstruction. The Killing Game is a creative exploration down one road in the many facets and theories surrounding the JFK murder. It isn't intended as a school primer or to be confused with fact.


Title: Summer Is Her Name: Born in Kentucky
Author: Betsy Houser
ISBN: 978-1432767778
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Reviewer: Vonnie Faroqui

Summer Is Her Name relates the coming of age story of Summer Rogers. Follow Summer through her childhood on a farm in Appalachia, through painful losses, youthful infatuations, and disappointments. Share Summer's college days, and join her during World War II as she earns money for school working in a defense plant. Travel with her around the globe and witness other cultures, places, and people. Finally, return home with her to find true love and peace in the old farmstead where she was born. This isn't a typical romance coming-of-age book. It isn't written in the typical fashion. The story doesn't rise and fall following all of the conventional plot formulas. Summer Is Her Name reads like a life. I like life. I like it a lot. This book reminded me of how much.

There is a quality of grace and an acceptance of the "what-is-ness" of life contained in its pages that affected me in a way I hadn't anticipated I would feel. Betsy has given breath and flesh to her characters, placed scents on the wind, and transported me into the heart of the farmlands. I have tasted the wild blackberries and felt the sun-warmed grasses of Kentucky embrace me. In reading, I have felt the flush of embarrassment, the burn of surprise, the shudder of fear, and the thrill of anticipation. She has distilled life experience into a bottle and poured me a glass. I hope to taste the like of it again. I feel completely humbled in reviewing her work. What can I say?

It is a damn shame that Betsy Houser waited to publish her first book until she was 85! I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I am sure that Betsy has many accomplishments of worth to her credit but, oh, what a sweet treasure she has given us in this lovely fiction. I am actually choked with emotions at the thought that she might have passed away without sharing it.

I interviewed Betsy, and she told me that there were aspects of the book based in part on events and people she had known, lived or heard tell of during her lifetime. Betsy shared that she wove these bits into her tale, but that Summer Is Her Name really is a work of fiction and not autobiographical. I can't say I was disappointed, because deep down I had already determined that, for me, Betsy is Summer, whether she says it is so or not. I just want the story to be true; for there to have been a Summer Rogers and a Mont, and for the story of Summer's life and their love to be real and to last. I want this badly enough to convince myself that it is so, just as Betsy has written the story out for me. Thank you Betsy, for being you and for sharing Summer with us. You move me.





From Texting to Text: How to Change the Way Kids View Writing and Themselves

By Kristen House, Chief Executive Muse, A Novel Idea

What would happen if kids spent half the time writing that they spend texting? Or playing video games? Or watching TV?

Those are the questions that kept me up at night, worrying about the hours of study that my college writing students had spent in front of electronic devices that stole their time during their tenure in middle and high school.

And as of this summer, I've started an experiment to discover the answers to those questions: I started teaching teenagers to write novels.

A Novel Idea engages teenagers in a way that no other interactive media device ever will. It empowers them to create people, places, and entire lives from scratch, and then translate those ideas into ink-and-paper representations that become a full-length manuscript.

Oh, and they're writing their books in a month!

Not only can they do it, they want to. They're thirsty for this kind of engagement. And the press in Nashville thinks it's pretty cool, too. Check out the article that The Tennessean just printed about A Novel Idea. http://dld.bz/ANovelIdea

And we're not stopping there. A Novel Idea is offering a one-day novel-writing class for adults, too. And we are scheduling classes for teenagers for the fall. Those classes will stretch out the novel-writing process over nine weeks to accommodate for their busy school schedules.

Research shows that this wacky plan actually works. I'm in the process of writing a book about my adventures in novel-writing, supported by lots of science and plenty of academic studies. I'm interested in fundamentally changing the way we think about teaching research, reading, and writing in this country, and so far, my little experiment shows that the country is ready. This summer, over fifty kids will earn the new title of "novelist." I can't wait to see where the adventure will lead!

For more information, visit us online at www.thisisanovelidea.com
Tweet

Editor's Corner July 2011

By Yvonne Perry, Owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (http://writersinthesky.com/)

I've had a terrific month while spending time and putting my love and energy into producing a series of audio stories to complement The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children. This has been a dream/goal of mine since I first published this book in 2009 and it is finally a reality. Woo hoo! I am excited to share these audio stories that highlight unique lessons about love, acceptance, self-worth, caring for the body, diversity, facing fears, dealing with change, coping with the death of a pet, and understanding the spiritual experiences children exhibit. Great for the preschool classroom, young readers, or toddlers being nurtured at home. Parents who wish to teach their children to live holistically will appreciate these profound lessons. Listen to a sample at http://writersinthesky.com/holistic-children.html#sample.

I had a wonderful experience in sharing concepts from my book, Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those around You, with a group of energy-sensitive people at Cosmic Connections in Nashville in June. Like a stem cell that knows exactly where the pain/disconnect resides and how to heal it, Spirit moved beautifully to meet each person at their point of need. I'm looking forward to sharing like this on a regular basis. In fact, I'm meditating on how to best offer my experiential wisdom in using this intuitive gift that has long held many empaths in captive solitude. I plan to coach sensitive people who want to take the next step toward empowerment. Stay tuned to this e-zine for future developments.

My two-week (notice the hyphen—see Kristen House's Grammar Hero column in last month's newsletter about compound modifiers) vacation with family in Florida and South Carolina was wonderful, and I'm back in my office where I'm enjoying working on several projects that I'd like to mention. One is with Steve Brannon, the author of The Two Agreements, which is a reinterpretation of the gospel story. As soon as we finish editing and proofreading the book, WITS will help him promote it online through our author publicity services.

Dr. Tom Goode is the founder of International Breath Institute, LLC and the author of numerous natural health books. His latest is Breathe and Grow Rich, Self-Care LoveCare™ Through Full Wave Breathing to Enrich Your Whole Life for which I've helped him develop a companion workbook. He will also be one of the panelists for the telesummit I'm organizing for its debut in September (read on for more info about this event).

The co-author of Whose Stuff Is This? and dear friend of mine, Dr. Caron Goode, is launching Live-Spirit.com, a new membership Website for spiritual seekers. We will celebrate the grand opening with an event titled "Empaths Shifting into 2012: A Telesummit to Help Energy-sensitive People Understand Their Spiritual Role on Earth." More than fifty people have already register for this free telesummit to empower people to help facilitate humanity's shift into higher consciousness. Join Caron, Tom, and me along with a panel of experts all four Tuesdays in September 2011. Each content-rich call will last about 1.5 hours in order to allow two speakers to make presentations and listeners to ask questions. Go to http://live-spirit.com/empathytelesummit to see the lineup of speakers and topics for this event and enter your email address so we can send you more information and a reminder this fall.

Yvonne Perry,
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter

Tweet

The Grammar Hero is in the House! Say What?

By Kristen House
I was having lunch with my best friend yesterday and she said she "could of" bought a new pair of shoes if she "would of" saved more of her paycheck. The friend in me wanted to hug her and tell her that she could borrow my Jimmy Choo heels any time she wanted, but the Grammar Hero in me couldn't keep my mouth shut.

"Beth," I said, "I think you meant that you could have bought those sassy pumps if you would have saved your cash. See, we use 'have' to speculate about something that didn't happen. 'Of' is a preposition and signifies possession. So it just doesn't make sense."

It might not have been the explanation she wanted, but I think I saved her grammar day. Grammar Hero to the rescue!

Kristen House is an Adjunct Instructor of Writing at Belmont University, and the Chief Executive Muse of A Novel Idea. She writes fiction every day for hours, even when there isn't anything to write about. Kristen lives in Nashville with her husband, Andrew, sons, Holden and Shephard, and a yippy little dog named Osie.


Tweet

Writers in the Sky Podcast Schedule July 2011

July 1 - Vonnie Faroqui interviews author Guy Magar about his book, Kiss Me Quick Before I Shoot.

July 15 - Yvonne Perry is back on the show as the host for author Maxine Thompson as she shares her book, LA Blues.



Tweet

Network with Us July 2011

Check out the e-books designed especially to help authors promote their books online. http://tinyurl.com/DanaWITS.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kristen House has developed a summer writing program called "A Novel Idea." It is aimed at teaching middle-grade students (rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders) and high-school students (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors) to write a novel in a month during their summer break. Contact Kristen for details.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You is a guidebook for empathic people who have been unknowingly carrying energetic burdens that belong to someone else. See all purchasing options at http://whosestuffisthis.blogspot.com/p/purchase-book.html.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out the children's audio stories produced by Yvonne Perry. Each story in The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children focuses on life skills such as environmental awareness, helping others, being true to one's self, overcoming fear, and following inner guidance. http://thesidseries.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WITS team member Dianna Calareso published her memoir, At Ease, in digital format through Smashwords. The book only costs $2.49, and she's donating 25 percent of every sale to the Alzheimer's Association (the memoir is about her grandfather, a retired Marine who suffered from Alzheimer's until his death in 2005). Here's the link for downloading: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/53669.

If you need help formatting your book for Smashwords, Kindle, or Nook let Dianna know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Empaths Shifting into 2012: A Telesummit to Help Energy-sensitive People Understand Their Spiritual Role on Earth" is scheduled for four consecutive Tuesdays this September. There will be seven panelists sharing more than 12 hours of useful information about helping humanity shift into higher consciousness. More info at http://dld.bz/aaK6e.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dianna Calareso recently taught a blogging workshop with Kristen House at Wakins College of Art and Design. The workshop was a great success, as students learned how to set up blogs, how to establish an appropriate voice, and how to market and network with other writers. If you're interested in learning more about blogging, email Dianna at dcalareso@hotmail.com.

Dianna Calareso's essay "Half-Moon" appears in this month's issue of Her Nashville (July). Check it out!

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kristen House is a member of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services, a Nashville-based company that helps authors get their books ready for publishing. Kristen is also a writing instructor at Belmont University, and she came up with a novel idea about helping kids convert their creative talent for texting into a novel this summer. Learn more about the program at http://www.anovelideanashville.com/. She was featured in The Tennessean, a local Nashville newspaper, and her is a link to the article written by Julie Hubbard.

Tweet

The July Issue of Writers in the Sky E-zine is Now Available!

The July issue of Writers in the Sky E-zine is now available! This publication provides a rich resource of articles and information about the craft and business of writing, publishing, and book marketing.  Go to http://writersinthesky.com/writing-newsletter.html and scroll down to the archives and click the link to this month’s issue. It will download as a PDF. If you would like to get once-a-month email delivery of the e-zine, you may subscribe for free at https://app.quicksizzle.com/survey.aspx?sfid=13065 .

Yvonne Perry
Freelance Writer, Editor, Author, and Owner,
Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (WITS)
Web site: writersinthesky.com
Blog: http://www.writersintheskyblog.com/
Follow WITS on Twitter: http://twitter.com/writersinthesky

Tweet

WITS Team Member Featured in The Tennesssean

Kristen House is a member of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services, a Nashville-based company that helps authors get their books ready for publishing. Kristen is also a writing instructor at Belmont University, and she came up with a novel idea about helping kids convert their creative talent for texting into a novel this summer. Learn more about the program at http://www.anovelideanashville.com/. She was featured in The Tennessean, a local Nashville newspaper, and her is a link to the article written by Julie Hubbard.

A Novel Idea: Making News! Featured in The Tennessean

Article, "Course Helps Teens Find Way With Words," featured on the Front Page of the Local Business Section, June 24, 2011

It's no secret that the young people who are a part of this summer's first class of novelists with A Novel Idea are doing fantastic work.

And as of today, that work is news.

Julie Hubbard, a reporter for The Tennessean, visited our class on Thursday, June 23rd, and was able to speak with students about their novels, their texting habits, and their confidence with the written word.

The article points to falling national trends on the SAT writing exam, and the increased importance of written communication in the 21st century workplace.

A Novel Idea seeks to address these concerns, introducing students to a daily writing habit that they can continue to foster after the program ends.

Most students in class have written over 15,000 words, with many topping the 20,000 mark. We just finished our second full week of writing.

You can read the story on page B-1 of today's Tennessean, or online, here. July's classes for middle school and high school have a few spaces remaining.

For more information, email kristen at anovelideanashville@gmail.com

Class C & D details: So you've been thinking about enrolling your son or daughter in A Novel Idea, but you haven't taken the plunge yet. There's still time (at the moment - The Tennessean article is just the first in a series of media stories).

Class C for middle school students begins on July 11th, and meets every Monday and Thursday until August 8th.

Class D for high school students begins on July 12th and meets each Tuesday and Friday through August 9th.

A Novel Idea is about passion, and not perfection. We strive to create daily writers of our students, not to stifle their creativity with criticism.

Students in class A are writing passionate prose, forging fast friendships with other wordy young people, and building incredible confidence in the process. For more information, email Kristen or visit http://www.anovelideanashville.com/. 

Note from the Chief Executive Muse

I have been humbled by the overwhelming response from educators across the state, and across the country! Thank you so much for your support, and thank you so much for recommending this truly novel concept to the wordy people in your lives.

Kristen House
A Novel Idea
Write Something Big!

News at a Glance Jumpstart: one-day workshop for adults enrolling now!

ANI Classes C & D: A few spaces remain

ANI T-Shirts and Buttons: Now available for purchase through http://www.thisisanovelidea.com/

Parents & Teachers: You've encouraged your students to sign up for A Novel Idea this summer. Now, it's your turn! A Novel Jumpstart is designed for busy adults like yourself. And if you're interested in teaching long-form fiction in your classroom, here's where you should start. Intrigued? Contact Kristen for more info.

We're Growing! ANI will soon be coming to a city near your friends! Interested in knowing where? Send an email to Kristen to find out if your favorite town is on our list of expansion cities. We're not wasting any time, are we?

Tweet