Tag: Dailypost
21 Authors Share How Their Writing Journey Began…
Writers Write. Readers Read. Together they are one
I am always intrigued by stories, especially those told by others about new beginnings. Here I share as writers told how they writing journey was inspired.
- I wrote to escape the loneliness of my husband who had to work away from home as we transitioned to the cold north.
- When I moved away from my childhood friends
- My short essays and fiction have all been written from my life.
- It must have been engrained in my blood
- A nosey irritating neighbor who believed I needed company
- Daydreaming during a long commute that had dialogue and scenes that demanded to be written down
- 26 months solitary confinement with short stories from my childhood as a start
- A terribly boring book I read to my son at age 6. I knew I could do better
- God gave me the desire to write
- The pandemic and Quarantine made me take the plunge
- A dare from a neighbor
- Getting into trouble for talking in the study hall and being assigned to write a 500 word theme to write on anything I wanted as punishment. Next day I turned in a 13 page short story.
- My first novel resulted from an ugly divorce
- The loss of my beautiful baby boys.
- The ideas and content come to me in dreams. I have to just put them in order.
- Car accident that left me disabled for a while
- A dream and three nouns
- My right (creative) side of the brain dying a slow death in a left side dominant (rational) job
- My imagination
- Sitting in the airport for a 2-hour-layover, waiting on a flight to hunt with my kids. The rest is history
- Nature walk with just me and headphones
Interesting new beginnings! How about you? Do share how your own writing journey began. Here’s mine.
Cheers!
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The Price Of Success…
You’ll never be brave if you don’t get hurt. You’ll never learn if you don’t make mistakes. You’ll never be successful if you don’t encounter failure.
Unknown
My daughter’s Little 9-year old team lost the game in the basketball finals. Naturally, he was disappointed. Sulked all the way home. But later he came to me a little brighter, and said he remembered a Quote:
“You will never succeed if you don’t encounter failure”.
Then he walked away.
I know his future’s bright because that’s what you do when things go wrong, You get back up and try again.
So today I encourage you to never give up on your dreams, goals and aspirations.
See you at the finish line.
Cheers!
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Entrepreneurs Share Positive Learnings From 2020. Here Are 15…
2020 The year of the pandemic which shocked many. There is hardly anyone left untouched. Rich, middle class or poor. The lives of many were turned upside down as lives were lost, jobs cut, business closures as the world simply stopped. As the year draws to a close in this fourth quarter, a social media tribe was asked the question:
What’s the best thing that 2020 has taught you?
Susan Ancillotti
2020 Learnings
Here I share excerpts captured as entrepreneurs chimed in:
- Always have more than one income
- Be willing to pivot rapidly
- To love peace and calm over a frenetic stress filled life
- Building a completely online business around your purpose is pandemic proof
- Just get it done
- Be true to yourself while honoring others to do the same
- The need for true leaders to step up
- That so many people put ‘fear’ in the gas tanks instead of filling up everyday on ‘love’
- Take full self-responsibility for health and spending time with loved ones
- Doing nothing differently
- Containment
- Plan B
- Don’t book a holiday until the last minute
- I can rebound
- Be yourself. Don’t follow the crowd
What is your opinion of the year? Any omitted from this list? Do share. We would love to hear!
Stay positive,
Cheers!
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To Read Or To Listen? Booklovers 9 Reading Apps….
When the newest version of your book GreenLight shows up next to a celebrity’s, what do you do? You promote!
GreenLight audiobook is now available wherever you listen. On medium such as ListenUp, OverDrive, KOBO, Libro.fm, scribd, googleplay, and more.
Feeling down or discouraged? Listen in now. Or Gift it to someone who is sick, fearful or demotivated during this very long period of the Pandemic.
Booklovers Reading App
Naive to the fact there are many reading apps available? As a writer I guess it’s important to know the different media available as a resource. So too should booklovers. So I delved in and here I share 9.
- AMAZON KINDLE
- AUDIBLE
- BLINKIST
- GOODREADS
- LIBBY BY OVERDRIVE
- COMIXOLOGY
- EPIC!
- MARVIN 3
- SCRIBD
Hope this has enlightened you to review the lust and select one or two as your favorite. Oh and by the way, if your own medium is missing, do share. We would love to hear.
Cheers!
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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!
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The Biggest Challenge Writers Face….
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.
5-Star Books
- The Help
- Power of Habit
- Wonder
- Pride and Prejudice
- The alchemist
- Inferno
- Man’s Search for Meaning
- Outlander
- The Goldfinch
- GreenLight
- Good To Great
- All The Light We Cannot See
- The Book Thief
- The Fault in our Stars
- Orphan Train
- Gone Girl
- Sycamore Row
- To Kill a Mocking Bird
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!
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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!
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Living Your Life As A Mask…
We have all been placed on this earth to discover our own paths and we will never be happy if we live someone else’s idea of life.
A new writer shared her Instagram name. It was nowhere close to her real names . I beckoned to her… smile in tow…”you do make it hard, don’t you? In haste she retorted “it’s so my employer can’t find me”.
I smiled.
Our Lives In Compartments
How many of us are like that? We live our lives in compartments trying to separate our true selves from what those around us see publicly.
To Hide To Be
It’s a hard choice but sometimes you have to hide in order “to be“. I pray one day that you will be able to just be. To reveal your true identity and just be the you that you want to be.
Cheers!
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Wanna Getaway? 5 Workation Hotel Stays You’ll Love…
Workation is the concept of a place to getaway for business and pleasure.
Forbes Travel Guide which gave 26 Ideas of Workations to take right now. It’s not really a new concept as I have always traveled for business. However, in my workaholic haste to return home, I regret not taking the time to chill and relax after my meetings and/or conferences….essentially, to smell the coffee.
Enter the advent of the worldwide COVID Pandemic. Hotels suffered grave hit as travel took an unfortunate plunge. As creativity stepped in, hotels have had to come up with innovative ways to stay afloat as individuals stay indoors to do the traditional yet now expanded survival work-from-home strategy. Unfortunately, as this tactic has becomes more common, misery stepped in at the end of the day. So this is a cute idea to take a deliberate action to getaway, work, relax and play after. Who can beat that 3-in-1 deal? I’d only suggest you ensure there’s WiFi! To give you a push start, here are 5 hotels that I have worked from which drove my own writing passion.
1. Disney’s Contemporary Resort
2. Sundial Beach Resort and Spa
3. Sonesta
4. GalleryOne DoubleTree Suites By The Hilton
5. Hutchinson Island
Hope these selections have opened your appetite to change things up a bit. But be very careful and disciplined with your selections. Your productivity may be compromised.
Happy Workation and keep Safe!
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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!
