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NOTE: Oops. Not sure how it happened but this part of the Manifesto was scheduled to be posted out of order, but it's simply too juicy a one to not include, so here it is. Better late than never.) Elsewhere in the Manifesto I mentioned creating a pet writing Purpose Project that I entitled Project Purpose: Project Purpose: to write and publish articles about people whose lives are dedicated to a bold and inspiring purpose or [...]

Growing up, one of my favorite places to spend summer vacation was along the coast of North Carolina at Atlantic Beach, and one of my fondest memories is of watching the automatic taffy-pulling machine. Into one end of this magical machine the owner would pour the ingredients for making taffy that, of course, included a lot of sugar. He would then turn the machine on and after a few minutes, it would begin churning out multi-colored [...]

I’ve taught the “From Spark to Flame” writing approach (also known as the Writers Taffy Machine) in a workshop setting to hundreds of aspiring writers through the years.  At this point, if we were in one of those workshops, I would ask you to close your eyes for a brief guided visualization.  I know that can be kind of hard in a Bloginar setting, but let’s see what we can do to come close to duplicating [...]

A fair amount of this manifesto has been taken from the book and process entitled From Spark to Flame: Fanning Your Passion & Ideas into Money-making Magazine Articles that Make a Difference. (How's that for a subtitle?) So, if you're impatient and want to 'jump ahead' or like the feel of a real book in your hands, you can pick up a copy.  But I would still encourage you to subscribe to this site either through [...]

What stirs your passion? The question isn’t as silly as you may think. Many people have lost touch with their passion, the inner spark that ignites them into inspired action. The best they can muster is a mild curiosity or a passing interest. The following exercise will help you get in touch with your passion and help determine what’s really important to you. I recommend that you take out your notebook and find a nice quiet [...]

Why so much emphasis on passion? There are several reasons. Writing about subjects that interest you and ignite your passion is a whole lot more fun, and the articles are easier to write. Besides, the final product is likely to be much better. Several years ago I discovered that I’m passionate about writing profiles, interviews, and other kinds of articles about people who are committed to making a difference in the world. I had also determined [...]

Here’s the really cool thing about finally knowing your life purpose with crystal clarity: When you’re clear what your true purpose is in life, you’re able to use that purpose to tap into a wellspring of passionate energy that then propels your forward in all the different ways you choose to express your purpose, including your writing. You may be thinking at this point,  “But can’t I get published writing about something I am not passionate [...]

By this time, you may be asking what this life purpose stuff have to do with writing, even Visionary Writing.  My response is EVERYTHING, because without a clarity of purpose, your writing will be missing the passion that turns so-so writing into the type of writing editors are willing to pay good money for. And let’s face it, making a living as a writer isn’t always that easy.  In fact, most professional freelancers would probably say [...]

 Also known as:  Where the Rubber Meets the Road When you’ve done the inner work to uncover your Inherited Purpose so you can begin to be responsible for it, and you’ve clarified your true, Divinely Inspired Life Purpose, you’ve set the stage for a profound and lasting transformation in your life. However, the work isn’t done yet. In fact, the last piece can be the most challenging and ultimately most transformational of all; it’s living true [...]