Writing Retreat. Alone Or With A Group?

As a writer you have to have the three D’s: drive, discipline and desire. If you’re missing any one of those three, you can have all the talent in the world, but it’s going to be really hard to get anything done.

Nora Roberts

An author at a Writers forum asked the question whether to attend a writing retreat alone or with a group. Intrigued I dived in. Here are top responses as authors chimed in with their preferences.

  1. A combination. Alone at first to get some writing done, then others can join after to chill
  2. Always with at least one person, Would never travel anywhere alone
  3. Either. Done it
  4. Alone
  5. I like both. But prefer to have a couple of other writers. That way there is someone to talk over plot points and such with.
  6. Would probably accomplish more alone, but a group is nice too
  7. I have done both. You can also go to the location (Tennessee Williams Writers Festival in New Orleans) with non writer friends who will go off sightseeing and leave you blissfully on your own to attend master classes, panel discussions and book signings. But bring your new writer friends with you to dinner so you have something satisfying and intelligent to talk about.
  8. Both could be fun
  9. Alone but towards the end I want to meet up with a friend for dinner
  10. Writing retreats are so fun with a friend, but the point as in writing is not to have fun, but to be productive. Learn, write, make a few new friends after hours but you are there to write.

I think point 10 sums it all up. Writing is indeed fun but the point of writing is to be productive. Personally, I believe writers write alone but after compile the pieces and celebrate together.

As a writer, what’s your preference? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

We Are The Caribbean

As we commemorate National Caribbean American Heritage Month, the tribute written by talented Poet Charmaine Allwood-Hanson sums up the history and cultural perspective. Be intrigued as you read.

Charmaine A.'s avatarI Speak. You Read.

WE ARE THE CARIBBEAN
COUNTRIES AND ISLANDS
CONNECTED BY THIS VAST BLUE SEA
PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RACES
RELIGIONS AND CREEDS

WE ARE THE CARIBBEAN
A GREAT MELTING POT
BRED FROM SLAVES, COLONIZERS
MERCHANTS, INDENTURED LABORERS
AND INDIGENOUS TRIBES
CULTURALLY WE ARE SO DIVERSIFIED

WE SPEAK ENGLISH, FRENCH
SPANISH AND DUTCH
PATOIS AND CREOLE
OUR LANGUAGES EMBODY
THE NEW AND THE OLD

WE ARE THE CARIBBEAN
OVER 26 NATIONS STRONG
LET ME NAME A FEW
AS THE LIST IS LONG

WE ARE GUYANESE, BARBADIAN
BELIZEANS AND JAMAICANS
PANAMANIANS, HAITIANS AND GRENADIANS
CUBANS, DOMINICANS, AND ANGUILLANS
WE ARE THE NATIONS OF ST. VINCENT
MONTSERRAT AND MARTINIQUE
WE ARE COUNTRIES, SMALL AND LARGE ISLANDS
WHICH MAKES OUR REGION UNIQUE

WE HAVE MOUNTAINS, VOLCANOES AND TOURIST RESORTS
WATERFALLS, HEALING AND HEALTH SPAS
TOP NOTCH SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES
WE ARE KNOWN FOR OUR DIVERSITIES

WE HAVE MANY HISTORICAL SITES
WE TRADE TOBACCO, SUGAR AND BANANAS…

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9 Steps To Writing Your First Book

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies

It’s such an exciting time to think about publishing your very own book! It certainly was for me when I did my research and got it published in the Journal of American Academy of Business Cambridge (JAABC), as well as my books on success strategies and leadership. I am now busy writing a new inspirational book. Tons of Lush near Edible excitement especially when you receive the first printed copy! Woo-hoo!

I have been getting requests from interested first time writers and decided to share my personal thoughts on how to get the writing done in order to get published. To be honest I understand the Seriousness of this goal. So here are my own 9 steps to get you going.

9 Steps to Getting Your Book Done

1.Develop that mindset.
Goal achievement begins in the mind. Think of the saying “if you can imagine it you can achieve…

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3 Intriguing Post Covid Etiquette …

I’m a hugger! I give hugs. A Hug has always been my mantra to business associates and colleagues. But with the Covid pandemic, not so anymore. A fist or elbow pump or shoe touch had to do. But it’s been hard for huggers and those touchy-feelers. So it’s with great news that the CDC cleared us! Yea. But now we must learn how to properly greet those we meet. Here are 3+ from what those in the news say.

Ask. Just Ask.

  1. Ask just ask. Ask do you mind shaking my hand?
  2. Do an air-handshake. What’s that? It means extending your hand and telling the other person you’re greeting them from a distance (smirk)
  3. Wear a mask. If you feel the need for extra protection, forget about the mass, do what makes you feel safe.
  4. In a place where everyone else is wearing a mask? Do it. The response… when in Rome, do as the Romans do

Yesssss we are still learning the new norm. Hope this etiquette tip that I gleaned, helps. Want to learn soft skills? Check Maxine for more. Any missing from the list above? Do share, we would love to hear.

Cheers!

15 Authors Tell How To Spot A Hater…

A person who has an intense dislike for another person or thing

dictionary.com

A hater is someone who speaks trash…said a 5th grader. This term was not as rampant a decade ago. These days, the media shares stories which spread like wild fire at the click of a button. All you have to do is simply tune into any channel. Suffice it to say, writers on a social media forum was asked to Explain what a hater is or tell their experience. Here are 15 extracted.

  1. Someone who despises anything contrary to what they think is right.
  2. A jealous, envious, bitter person angry at another’s success
  3. A person projecting his/her shortcomings to the other person. Unwilling to accept his/her role in the incident in case it is directed at a person or racist/nationalist when directed towards a skin color or a country
  4. Those who can’t do it, teach or complain
  5. The process by which a miserable and/or failed person attempts to achieve equality with a happy and/or accomplished person not by improving themselves but by ruining whatever achieves beauty or virtue. In short an egalitarian of the latrine
  6. Literary folk who discover you write genre
  7. Those who latch out with with vitriol to mask their fear
  8. One who is experiencing the absence of love – the result of serious disconnection
  9. They are those who are so broken inside that they only find joy in causing pain to others they envy
  10. Someone who repeatedly expresses their dislike of someone or something which dislike is firm and unshakable despite any evidence tending to show its inappropriateness or error
  11. Severe dislike or disgust, abhorrent
  12. Someone whose self-esteem is so low, they can see the good in those who are different from them
  13. A person who due to bitterness, envy or jealousy, looks at others with disdain, being incapable of showing them support, compassion of kindness
  14. A person who is obsessively negative about a particular target
  15. Someone without kindness, tolerance or forgiveness

When Haters Hate Fill Them With Love

It’s crazy that we look at such terms these days. In a recent Instagram post, I shared a quote to which a fellow writer expressed surprise that she shudders to think that there are those who wish to see her stagnate. Sadly, as the above definitions show, there are indeed many who dislike the progress that others make. To them it would be wise to not dwell on it but fill them with love.

Ever had a dissatisfying experience with a so-called hater? How did you handle it? Do share. We would love to hear!

Cheers!

The Sea. The Beach. The Waves. Quiet Reflections…

The sea. The beach. The waves. It’s my safe place. I never want to leave. I sit coiled at the edge of the lazy beach chair, gazing in melancholy at the morning’s sunrise. All is still as time stops. As the sun began its heated quest, I sat pensively not wanting to leave.


Still fast asleep there’s no one in sight. Just me, as the waves batter the shore. My heart tugs as I long to rid life’s woeful work-related stress. I just want to stay to listen to nature’s quest. In quietness is where the heaven’s awake and gives me the strength to reach forward to start a new day, a new chapter, a time of serenity. I pray that I’ll listen as the spirit quietly leads, guides and directs my path.

In stillness is where I find my strength. Strengthen me lord, strengthen me. Speak and make me listen.

Blessing overflow.

Self-Care: 9 Ways To Sharpen The Mental Blade…

Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.”

Stephen Covey

The concept to sharpen the saw highlights the point that when you have been going, going, and going …and you can’t seem to see any results. Acknowledge that it’s time to stop. It’s time to refresh. It’s time for a break to get the rest you need to start thinking so you can be productive again.

Here are a few suggestions that Brett and Kate McKay shared in their article on how you can fuel your brain’s recovery and sharpen the mental blade:

  1. Read the Great Books
  2. Write a position paper on a topic of your choosing
  3. Listen to a stimulating podcast
  4. Listen to a Great Courses course
  5. Take an online course
  6. Attend a lecture at a local college
  7. Join a discussion group (synergizing mental and social domains!)
  8. Visit a museum
  9. Watch a documentary

Did any of the above inspire you? Are there one or few that’s missing that works for you? Do share, we would love to hear.

Cheers!

Trapped In Your Own Perception Of Where You Belong…

Some prisons don’t require bars to keep people locked inside. All it takes is their perception that they belong there.

~Lysa TerKeurst

42 Ways To Improve Yourself…

Binge-Watching For Personal Growth. 9 Must-See…

People are hungry for something Different

Miles Millar

Binge Watching is the practice of watching multiple episodes of a television program in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming.

Dictionary.com

Patty’s text excitedly read “hey, I’m here binge watching your YouTube videos”. Hmmm an untapped medium, I thought about it and decided to share a few of the top videos. Below are 9 listed and shown below for your convenience. Go grab a snack and tune in. Build your personal growth as a writer, leader, new entrepreneur and more.

Happy watching!

  1. A Conversation With Reggae Music Matriarch Pat Chin On Overcoming Barriers As A Woman In Business
  2. 15 Leadership Traits
  3. Get Unstuck. A Literary Conversation with Lawyer Turned Author Meg Nocero
  4. Authors Of Color Books, Literary Hooks And Nooks
  5. LIVE Interview with Journalist Grace. How She took The Step From Career To Entrepreneur
  6. Simply The Best Or Naw: Signs A Business Needs to Change
  7. A Conversation With Entrepreneurial Investor David Mullings On How To Ditch Your Fear
  8. Success Defined by Millennials
  9. Success Defined

Enjoyed watching? Which one was your favorite? Do share. We would love to hear!

Cheers!

Photo by Alexander Suhorucov on Pexels.com

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

Write. Just Write

Dr. Shelly's avatarSuccess Strategies

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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.

  1. Write. Keep writing.
  2. Read a lot so you understand how others do what they do
  3. Learn the craft …that is part of writing
  4. Proofread. Rewrite so it makes sense
  5. Learn the craft. Books, classes, YouTube
  6. Be yourself. Tell the story
  7. Brainstorm writing ideas
  8. It takes a lot of sacrifice
  9. 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
  10. Don’t let “no thanks” deter you.
  11. Read, read, master the language you want to write in. Read…

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The Challenges, Mysteries And Magic Of Writing Book Event…

You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.

– Madeleine l’Engle

Personal Growth is a delight and it is a joy to participate in the Hogges and Cowins Book Festval and Writers Conference. Panelists will include Dr. Rose Stiffin, Dr. Susan Davis, Rosemarie Cole and yours truly. We will dive into the Challenges, Mysteries and Magic of Writing on Saturday, April 17th at 5:15pm.

A literary event.

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