bloggers – Page 13 – Success Strategies

7 Cities For Writers To Perfect Their Craft…

The creative creed that exists among writers is electrifying. Writers eat, sleep, and dream writing. Often they seek the space to write to satisfy their longing. Here I share 7 cities for writers for those who wish to slip away to the ideal place to perfect their craft.

San Diego, California
Portland, Oregan
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Boston, Massachusetts
Seattle, Washington
Asheville, North Carolina
Chicago Illinois

Thinking of a shift for a year or two? Consider these cities and well, there’s always New York. They would be ideal. Any missing that you would like to add? Do share. We would love to hear!

Cheers!

Be Your True Authentic Self…

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else, is the greatest accomplishment. ~Waldo Emerson

Oprah Quits 60 Minutes hmm…why? The INC article captured my attention. Interest sparked because of the hundreds job hunting who consistently ask what aspect of their education and experiences they should omit from their resumes, or when completing job applications on websites. This question often comes from individuals who are looked at as ‘overqualified’.

Overqualified refers to having qualifications that exceed the requirements of a particular job

Job Search Caution

Do exercise caution when accepting jobs that fall below your experience level. So for example, if you are a Senior Marketing Manager in transition, be careful of accepting positions at a mid-junior level. The challenge… it can compromise your ability to get the right job that you are looking for. Similarly, if you have a degree that may not be applicable to a job that you are applying for, good resume writers will tell you to omit it (for now). However, how sad is that? You spent years studying as well as paid a vast amount of money to acquire your education, only for it to be shelved.

On the other hand, there may be circumstances that you cannot help which causes you to accept whatever opportunities come your way. But let it not be for long. Keep looking. Accept the opportunity and continue your search in order for you to get back to your appropriate level in good time.

Career Change?

If however, your plan is to change careers… due to your own personal situation such as being a new mom, furthering your education, or you just don’t want the responsibilities of a manager anymore, your choice may very well be that you want to work at a lower level. In such cases …it’s all good. However, if you are trying to get back to your senior level, don’t wait too long. Hiring managers will be confused about the reason you are working at the lower level. It may compromise how you are perceived.

Conforming To Expectations

Naturally, some organizations wish to change you to conform to their expectations. You are expected to fit into a ‘box’ built by the organization. This was the case discussed in the article about Oprah. By any means, working with 60 Minutes would be a great opportunity… even for Oprah. But they were asking her to reduce herself from being who she was at heart. After many attempts to conform, she gave up. She walked away from the opportunity. Her decision? To stick to who she was.

The Moral Of This Quest

You too can do the same. The lucky organization that hires you will benefit from your critical thinking and other skills that you are sure to bring to the job if you work hard.

The Moral of this quest… when you are in need and can’t do any better, you may decide that you “gotta do what you’ve gotta do“. Oprah is a billionaire …and you are barely getting by. But the lesson here is to strive to be your one true authentic self.

Need help? Lets connect.

Cheers!

Writers Share 37 Funny Places To Do Book Signing….

After months, years or a decade of toil, you have finally finished your masterpiece! Yeaaa! Now onto getting it out to the world. But where? How? Can you do it with a difference? In a writers forum the question was asked…

Where would be some funny places to do a book signing?

Here I share authors’ thoughts as they poured in their tales:

Funny Places For Book Launch

Flea market
The side of the road somewhere
Ihop
Outhouse line at the county fair
Outside an Apple store
3D Theater
Bluegrass Festival
The Bathroom
Carnival
Chucky Cheese
Beauty Salon
Cemetery
Hospital
In the Bait shop at a local lake
At a sign store
At a winery
Night club
Funeral home
Church
County jail
An organization for the blind
High-end men’s clothing store
McDonald’s
Boxing gym
Liquor store
Laundromat
Planned Parenthood
An internet cafe
A vet for a dog book
At a book burning
The stationary aisle at the local pharmacy
In a kids backyard tree-house
At the end of an obstacle course
Under a mistletoe
Bed, Bath & Beyond
Aquarium
Bowling alley

Yep, some of these are sure funny. But the thing is… it all depends on what your book is about. Your book’s theme can help your choice. For example if it’s about the story of dogs, then why not consider a veterinarian’s office. If it’s about building the perfect home, then Bed, Bath & Beyond will do.

So if you’re an author, go for it! Let your juices flow! Do the non-traditional. You and your guests will walk away with a smile. Any missing? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

Don’t Feel Bad If People Remember You Only When They Need You…

Don’t feel bad when people remember you only when they need you. Feel Privileged that you are like a candle that comes to their mind when they are in the dark.

How many can relate? Just keep being you.

Interested In Starting Your Writing Journey? 18 Tips For Beginners…

Read a lot. Write a lot.

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ~Sylvia Plath

Tips gleaned from experienced authors to those interested in venturing out on their own writing journey.

Write. Keep writing.
Read a lot so you understand how others do what they do
Learn the craft …that is part of writing
Proofread. Rewrite so it makes sense
Learn the craft. Books, classes, YouTube
Be yourself. Tell the story
Brainstorm writing ideas
It takes a lot of sacrifice
Find online sites that accept free submissions. Publish 800-1200 word articles on a subject that interests you. Write and submit articles to many sites. Once accepted try longer pieces
Don’t let “no thanks” deter you.
Read, read, master the language you want to write in. Read, read and read a bit more
Start writing. Just keep writing. Stand at a bus stop, look at a fence and …write. Sit in a pub, get yourself a drink and write about the next person who walks through the door – not his descript 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.

Solid thoughts of inspiration for those new to the writing craft. Anything missing that you would like to add? Do share. We would love to hear!

Cheers!

Do What Is Uniquely You…

Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own. ~Bruce Lee

When The Pen Slows: Writers Share What To Do When You Don’t Feel Like Writing…

When the pen slows… writers share what to do when you don’t feel like writing.

Write more often
Do fun stuff and write for 30 minutes per day
Try a different genre
Draw a comic
Write about something you love without edit
Write something short. It’s like riding a bike
Prepare several projects and switch between them when you feel the need
Think of a reward that would motivate you to write more
Read. It will revive your writing appetite
Re-read books you found inspirational years ago to bring back lost inspiration
Don’t worry. Get some rest and exercise. You will be motivated again
Indulge other hobbies
Take a holiday
Freewrite
Read through your work like a reader not a writer
Voice record
Go with the Flow
Don’t beat yourself up

Personally, I suggest you write about what it feels like to not want to write. It will help others. Whatever you do, don’t give up.

Cheers!

Let Go Of The Old. Do Something New…

Take the leap.

Being stuck is a position few of us like. We want something new but cannot let go of the old – old ideas, beliefs, habits, even thoughts. We are out of contact with our own genius. Sometimes we know we are stuck; sometimes we don’t. In both cases we have to DO something.

Rush Limbaugh

The Scariest Moment…

The scariest moment is just before you start. ~Stephen King

Is that you? Is that me? We suffer a loss and we are frozen. We lose a key contract and we are frozen. When writing we want the words to flow and we are frozen. Sickness, health, business crisis, job-loss, a wayward child, spousal disappointment. In all of these, if we are not strong, we become frozen. Scared. Stuck.

We reflect on the story of the eccentric Miss Havisham in Charles Dickens novel, Great Expectations. Her fiancé left her at the altar and she remained scared…frozen in time. She lived the rest of her life in her wedding gown never able to recoup.

Steven King was the opposite. He was turned down numerous times for his writings. Estée Lauder too. She was turned away many times for something she believed in. Her product. Her perfume.

Both of these individuals persisted and never gave up on something they believed in. Both remained steadfast. Unfrozen. And in that state, they were able to achieve their best. They achieved success and became known among society’s finest.

Have you suffered a setback? Have you become frozen? Take the step to break-free! Become an object of admiration. Hold your head up high. Ask, seek, knock, connect! You will then be able to move on despite the odds. Unfreeze.

Need help? Lets connect.

Cheers!

The Very Thing That I Spent Years To Build Has Turned Out To Be My Worst Nightmare…

Tis sad. As I reflect, I have come to realize that the very thing that I sought; the thing that I spent years to build; the very thing that I depleted my resources for…has turned out to be my worst nightmare.

Education

Yup it’s education. I invested my resources in education. Every last penny that I had, I invested in higher education. When that was done, I took out student loans. My thinking? I’d have a great job that will pay me more than enough to cover my loans and have more left over to live comfortably for the rest of my life.

Not So

Alarmed I now realize that it’s not so… for the very thing I sought, hides from me. They say I’m too qualified! It makes me weak to think of their mediocre thinking. Sad minds that don’t realize that the very thing they seek – qualified, experienced, good worker, committed, dedicated, forward-thinking, hardworking, results-driven, is the very thing they push away.

So what do I do?

The Future Is Bright

This rant was shared with me by a friend. Tis Sad. For her it’s education. For you it might be a relationship with your spouse, children, family or friends. It might be your house, car, assets that you have worked long and hard for.

But though my friend has a point and it’s hard when she’s going through this rough patch, the Future is Bright! Daily I encourage her to never give up. To fight the good fight. Things will get better. Through prayer, resilience, and continued fight for a better life, the revelation will come . As she seeks clarity in her path she will realize that one day soon things will get better.

Are you like my friend, frustrated with retarded career growth? Don’t go it alone. Let’s connect.

Cheers!

If We Stay Where We Are…

If we stay where we are, where we’re stuck, where we’re comfortable and safe, we die there. We become like mushrooms, living in the dark, with poop up to our chins. If you want to know only what you already know, you’re dying. You’re saying: Leave me alone; I don’t mind this little rathole. It’s warm and dry. Really, it’s fine. When nothing new can get in, that’s death. When oxygen can’t find a way in, you die. But new is scary, and new can be disappointing, and confusing – we had this all figured out, and now we don’t. New is life.” ~ Anne Lamott

Don’t Confuse A Season For A Lifetime…

You have to stop thinking that you’ll be stuck in your current situation forever. We feel like our hearts will never heal, or we’ll never get out of this impossible struggle. Don’t confuse a season for a lifetime. Even your trials have an expiration date. You will grow, life will change, things will work out. ~Brittney Moses