writing – Page 6 – Success Strategies

My Favorite Getaway Space…

The sun, sand and sea is my favorite place to be.

I was asked to write about my favorite space to share with a visiting friend. I must confess that my love of nature transcends everything. It provides inspiration and a peace that boosts my writing prowess. That said, as my friend Chrissie comes for a 5-Day-visit, I will steal away to the island that captivates. None other than Captiva Island in Sunny Florida. It is a place I getaway to whenever I need to relax and unwind. When you get to Captiva Island, it feels like you are away from all the worries and cares of the world. Indeed the perfect distraction. The rooms overlook the bay or garden, your choice dependent on your budget.

Once I hosted a group business session at the end of the year to this ideal place. The goal was to reflect about plans for the new year with entrepreneurs and career changers. Suffice it to say, the two-day retreat and planning session went well … with participants so relaxed that it provided the right spot to add a bit of future gazing.

Back to my friend. Chrissie is an entrepreneur. So I figured that would be the ideal getaway place for her. Not only is she guaranteed to relax all week, there is no doubt the time would go by in a flash through this envious plan.

5-Day Getaway Plan

Day 1:
Road trip to Captiva
Lunch at Wicked Wings, a low-keyed hole in the wall pub that satisfies starving travelers before hitting the road to their final destination

Day 2:
Relax in the Sun, Sand, Sea engulfed in a delightful adventure riding the waves

Day 3:
Spa Day – Body massage, Facial, Mani and Pedi, a sure rejuvenation for the exhausted

Day 4
Shopping and Late dinner at the Harbor Side Bar and Grill

Day 5
Early morning beach wet. Late breakfast followed by reluctant afternoon ride back to the fast life.

Where’s your favorite getaway space? Do share. We would love to hear!

Cheers!

The Biggest Challenge Writers Face….

Success Strategies

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.
― Maya Angelou

A public writers forum asked the question “what is the single biggest challenge you as a writer face?” Here I share responses as writers chimed in:

Writing everyday
Marketing
Not enough erasers
Find an agent
A full-time job that isn’t
Learning all the required skills – writing, editing, cover art, publishing, marketing, salesmanship, accounting …
Identifying my audience
Details
Time
Reviews
Getting books sold
Selling myself
Lethargy
Butt in chair
Discipline
Marketing costs. Dispite what some may say, it is expensive to self-publish. Editor, copy editor, cover design, copyright, ISBN numbers, authors copies, advertising, website, domain name, contests, give-aways, and on and on it goes
Self-Doubt
Stay Motivated
Writers block

The list goes on. Are you a new or published author? Is anything missing? Do share. We would love to hear.

Need help? Let’s

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Writers 5-Star Books That Inspire…

In a social media forum Readers and writers responded to books they rated as 5-star. Here I share gleanings from their responses.

Others have shared. How about you? Any 5-star books missing from the listing that you can recommend? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

My Writing Journey…

My writing journey began when I was 10 years old doing an important entrance exam to enter high school. I wrote a fiction story and was so engulfed that I did not realize I was doing an exam. Suffice it to say, I excelled. I went on to writing policies and procedures in the Pharmaceutical and healthcare industries in my International Human Resource Leadership Career.

Finding Meaning

My journey found meaning during my dissertation writing process as I pondered what to do for a 3-year writing project to meet the requirements for my doctoral studies. I wanted to do something that would make a difference to society. After deciding on researching the topics of Leadership and Success, my dissertation received outstanding recognition.

Challenges Along The Way

I was thrilled to have achieved my personal goal and Published my first book from my dissertation title Success Strategies of Leaders. The process was longer than anticipated and challenging as it involved translating the research from academic writing to storybook form in anticipation of public readership.

As many inquired about how to achieve success, I wrote Success Strategies Workbook to show them how. I was then recognized by the University for writing books based on my research as an example to other doctoral students. I was later invited to advise Doctoral students on the process I followed.

Community Leadership Initiatives

Along the way, I got involved with the Institute of Caribbean Studies in Washington DC doing work within our community, and was appointed as Chief Judge for the 30 Under-30 Millennial Change-makers. It was an initiative held at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) annually.

Same Goal–Different Paths

I subsequently published Books on Motivation to encourage New Entrepreneurs and individuals along their Career Success Journey. A few years later, I went on a slightly different path and published GreenLight, a book which contains stories of encouragement, inspiration, and exhortation. In response to reader request, I obliged and converted GreenLight into my first Audiobook. A different path but the process was enlightening and boosted my creativity.

Book Coach

As my writing journey progressed, aspiring new and longtime authors reached out asking for help. It transformed by role as coach for organizational Managers, employees, and Career Changers into my most enthusiastic role as Book Writing Coach as I responded to private and public calls for help. I also became a member of the writers community of South Florida for Authors of Color.

Satisfaction From New Authors

It brings me great joy and satisfaction as new writers experience novel personal growth when their first book has been released. My greatest pride is having worked closely with Reggae Music Matriarch Patricia Chin as she wrote to leave her legacy of a lifetime contribution, initially working close to Music Icons like Bob Marley while nurturing the careers of artists, Maxi Priest, Shaggy, Beenie Man, Sean Paul and more.

With more books on the horizon, my Writing and Book Coaching Journey continues. Thanks for allowing me to share my journey with you. Do share yours.

Cheers!

To Read Or Not To Read The AudioBook Way? 5 Benefits…

The book club. It was the first. The apologies came in droves. Oh I started but couldn’t finish. It was the kids, the husband, household chores and so much more. Who has time to read anyway?

My secret and I remained silent. I had ordered the required paperback to be read by the time the group met. But delivery time would be a few days before the meeting. For sure I would have barely started much less finished reading.

Audiobook Rescue

Then the idea came to me. Why not order the audiobook version online and start listening immediately? Then by the time the paperback arrived I could finish my reading with the hard copy. And that I did.

So as the group complained they finally asked and I told them what I did. The envy on their faces grew like a fiery furnace.

I shared that experience to acknowledge that audiobooks work. As an author of several books on Success, leadership, and career development, my last book was different. It was more inspirational. The book GreenLight is filled with anecdotes, uplifting short stories, prayers and exhortations. Readers share it’s encouraging benefits. Many inquired of its audio format. So I complied.

Audiobook Benefits

Not an audiobook reader? Here I share 5 advantages:

1. Better Time Management

2. Enjoy the convenience of multitasking. You can listen while working, commuting or running.

3. More than one one person can read simultaneously. Road trip anyone?

4. Greater reach for authors as consumers are given wider choices of eBook, paperback or audio. Whatever their reading style, there’s an option.

5. Ability to read more books in a shorter time.

So while some are skeptical, audiobooks is the fastest growing channel these days and offer great benefits to those still on the fence.

What kind of reader are you? Audio, paperback, eBook? Do share, we would love to hear!

Happy Reading!

Books: Readers Share Their Top Getaway Reads…

Readers Read. Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.

Anna Quindlen

Success Strategies

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. ~Ursula K. Le Guin

We have all had our favorite books that we have read from a young age. Some have left an impact on our lives. On a B&N public forum, a reader asked “What Book has stayed with you long after you’ve read it?” Fellow readers poured in with responses. Here I share a few that may prove worthwhile for your vacation, getaway, or a mid-summer night’s read.

Man’s Search for Meaning
Pecan Man
The Power
We Were the Lucky Ones
The Book Thief
Before I Fall
The Lovely Bones
It Ends with Us
The Sparrow
The Lovely Bones
One Hundred Years f solitude
The Alchemist
Harry Potter
We Were Yours
East of Eden
The Chrysalids
The Bible
The Savage Song
To Kill A Mockingbird
The Notebook
The Outsiders
A History of Loneliness
Tell Me Your Dreams

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11 Tips To Help You Start Your Writing Journey…

What do I need to write my first book? That is the question I am often asked. After researching the topics of leadership and Success, I published over 6 non-fiction books, people figure that I am doing something right. Here I share 11 tips for beginners interested in starting their own Writing Journey

Aspiring Authors Writing Tips

Write. Keep writing.
Read a lot so you understand how others do what they do
Be yourself. Tell the story
It takes a lot of sacrifice so keep going.
Start writing. Just keep writing. Stand at a bus stop, look at a fence and …write. Sit in a cafe, get yourself a drink and write about the next person who walks through the door – not his description… but his life story, his family, his job. Just write
Read the classics and discover why they are rated so highly
If you don’t know what to write or have writers block, use writing prompts to get those creative juices flowing.
Don’t shy away from criticism. Being critiqued doesn’t always feel amazing, but it always makes you a better writer. Every time someone tells you what they think of your manuscript, you get closer to an objective understand of your work, which is invaluable
Don’t worry about perfection when you are writing your first draft. Good writing is re-writing
Believe in yourself.
Never give up.

Good luck as you start your journey.

Cheers!

Traveling To A Place I’ve Never Been…

Corona Air Travel to a place I have never been.

6 Feet apart on the ground.

Masks, face covering and all as orders came for businesses to reopen

Next day mandatory

Embarked on flight observing the usual.

Full flight. Clumped together

White paper bags distributed on entry with tiny pack of cookies and bottled water.

The usual. No changes there

I can see the signs

Less crew to come.

With safe distancing, there’s nothing they need to do besides the initial guidance in preparation for take off

And even then, that’s automated

Three hours later, the friendship State I arrived.

Big airport. Masks everywhere

Until I get to my mountainous destination

Scanty. A few masked ones. The rest on their own.

Free to wander. Free to decide.

Spread the germs

Get the germs

The virus

Will it ever end?

Second leg. Flight empty except for a few dozen passengers

I arrive at my seat.

Backpack in hand and rollercase

I was assigned to sit next to another passenger

I looked around. Why?

The flights empty for crying out loud!

Lovely lady. Kind. Helped me get ‘settled’ into my window seat

Except…. there’s no window.

Oh that’s weird.

A window seat with no window, hmm

Of course I couldn’t settle

One of my pastimes while traveling is to stare out the window

I read. I write. I plan. I stare. Eyes fixed until the earth beneath disappears behind the clouds

Then I gaze at the morning’s sunrise, midday sun or evening sunset

At nights I just stare at the lights until they are gone

Then I zoom into the plane’s flicker against the night sky.

Absolutely love

But then back to my story.

My kind neighbor who looks like a mayor’s wife who bakes cookies and welcomes all at Christmastime agree that I can make haste to the window behind.

No flight attendant in sight. I settle in.

Flight ready for takeoff they asked me to elevate the seat back

The sure demise of a previous passenger

I wiped the place clean … well as clean as I could without looking like a germaphobe

Settled in.

Look around at a passenger dressed in spacesuit

Extra precaution I’d say

Hungry …. had not eaten from morning and airport snack counters closed for obvious reason

I slaughtered a pack of biscuits brought from home

I usually sleep during take off but was too ravished to nap.

I dived in and ate and ate until the pack of biscuits disappeared

Now I await the 3 hour flight to a place I’ve never been

Writers Escape. The She-Shed Inspiration …

Writers desired escape seems far fetched. The longing to get away to a quiet place to write. It seems the more the writer seeks the faster it disappears. Yes that quiet space to retreat.

HGTV’s 16 She Shed ideas provides the perfect solace. Here I share my favorite two. Ohhh the dream to steal away to write, just write in an ideal writer’s space.

Take a peek and share your own fav.

Cheers!

The Daily Habits Of 5 Famous Writers…

Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please. ~Mark Twain

I must write each day without fail, not so much for the success of the work, as in order not to get out of my routine. ~Leo Tolstoy

Haunted by the desire to write, yet each day ends the same with a blank sheet? Here are the daily habits of famous writers penned by Danielle De Wolfe. Five captured my interests. All seemed to write in the mornings and hated when they were interrupted by family, friends, or the outside world. Here I share my top favs:

Mark Twain. Began writing daily after breakfast. Skipped lunch and showed up for dinner at 5:00 pm. working uninterrupted for hours.
Stephen King Works in the mornings after breakfast to meet his writing goal of 2,000 words daily.
Jane Austin Wrote in the sitting room daily after breakfast with her mother and sister knitting close by. If someone came she would quickly pretend she was knitting.
Charles Dickens wrote in absolute quiet accompanied by his idiosyncrasies of writing utensils (desk by the window, pen, ink and fresh flowers).
Leo Tolstoy wrote in isolation. In his must write each day without fail, not so much for the success of the work, as in order not to get out of my routine.

Stay tuned for 20th century famous writers’ habits. But for now, what are your own writing habits? Do share. We would love to hear!

Cheers!

Writing Inspirations From The Beach

Footsteps

Inspirations come alive at the beach. Writers write. Children play. Musicians compose. The depressed are relieved. The sick can be healed.

A person can listen to the waves, cry, laugh, read, yawn, sleep. Such lazy waves forces peace, quiet, and welcomed relaxation.

The beach… a place where moments come alive. Steal away and bask in the sun, sand, and sea.

Swoosh….

Read. Write. 27 Things I Like…

Success Strategies

As I look over the circus of things I like, I realize that though I enjoy them and they bring me satisfaction, I find myself not doing them as much and in some cases at all. For over two decades I have been caught up in work, work, work. So this prompt helped me pull away and ponder the things I once enjoyed, or get to enjoy on a rare occasion.

But even as I finalize the list I realize that life’s not promised, so I intend to start doing the things I like and stop leaving them for …one day soon.

Watch The Waves By The Sea

That said, the things I like are:

1. People watch
2. Explore the world
3. Simple things
4. Enjoy a good laugh
5. Acting | Participating in drama presentations
6. Wearing a smile
7. See people mentored achieve their best potential
8. Watch movies
9. Write, ponder, reflect
10. Decorate the house
11. Go…

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5-Day Getaway Plan

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5-Star Books

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Finding Meaning

Challenges Along The Way

Community Leadership Initiatives

Same Goal–Different Paths

Book Coach

Satisfaction From New Authors

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Audiobook Rescue

Audiobook Benefits

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Aspiring Authors Writing Tips

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Watch The Waves By The Sea

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