It was a good week and a very creative one. I started two new book projects as well as starting my first pastel painting in over fifteen years. I love times like this and it's one of the joys of being a writer. The first project was inspired by my listening to a new audiobook by Spider Robinson, Stardance. What prompted the new project was that the book was recorded by the author. I'd enjoy recording [...]
Some indie authors (and not so indie) authors have been doing a blog-post-chain-letter thing called The Next Big Thing. It has finally reached me through my good friend and fellow author, Joseph D'Agnese. It’s an ongoing process where one writer answers a series of questions (see mine below!) about a current book or upcoming book, and then tags 5 others writers (see below the below!) who get to do it all again the following week. Confused? [...]
Have you finally finished writing that book that's been trying to be birthed, perhaps like the small creature in the Alien movie? And perhaps you have decided to publish it yourself through Kindle and Nook, even Create Space. So, you're finished, right? Now, all you need to do is wait for the money to start flowing in. Well, I'd like to suggest one other possibility for your book that might just expand that flow of money [...]
In two weeks one of the largest, most fun, and challenging writing opportunities will begin -- NaNoWriMo. And if you happen to be a writer who's been sleeping under a rock for the past several years and think I just spoke a word of Klingon, NaNoWriMo actually stands for National Novel Writing Month. That month is November. And now is the time to prepare for it. You see, the aim of NaNoWriMo is simple - complete a 50,000 [...]
Click here for the Passion Police Exercise The Spark of Passion Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a purposeful, published and profitable writer? To not only to be able to express your true self and purpose through your writing but to share it with others while also making a good living from your efforts. Then read on as I explore the role that purpose and passion plays. Why so much emphasis [...]
Ann and I have been hard at play in revising and updating a book of mine that chronicles the key principles I've learned about the power of creating a coaching climate in a professional business, and now we're looking for the right title and subtitle for it. So, being a big believer in the power of collaboration as well as creating fun games, I'm seeking assistance in finding that right title and subtitle that will help [...]
I'm working on Lesson #6 of a projected 12 or 13 total lessons that will make up the From Spark to Flame Online Writers' Course. This course is based on my book, From Spark to Flame: Fanning Your Passion & Ideas into Money-making Magazine Articles that Make a Difference. You could also say that the book itself is based on or has as part of its foundation the Life On Purpose Perspective. You can learn more [...]
I've had on my "to do list" and future purpose project list to create my next purposeful product and passive income stream based on the book I published in 2009 - From Spark to Flame: Fanning Your Passion & Ideas into Money-making Magazine Articles that Make a Difference. My vision for the online writers' course is to outline the proven, systemic process that I developed over the past 20-plus years that I've used to publish well [...]
In 2009 I published From Spark to Flame: Fanning Your Passion & Ideas into Money-making Magazine Articles that Make a Difference. The book outlines a proven, systemic process that I developed over the past 20-plus years that I’ve used to publish well over 350 articles in dozens of different national and regional magazines, and that has resulted in thousands of dollars of income for my family and me. I’ve taught this process in live classes, as [...]
My friends and writing colleagues know that one of the main reason I'm writing the Zak Bates Eco-Adventure Series is because I care greatly about our planet and the young ones who are inheriting it from us (not in all that great a shape I might add). So, in celebration of Sunday's Earth Day I decided it would be fun to write a short story that answers the question: Where do magic cats come from? Specifically [...]
