Being Heard
Nice to see you again! Join in the discussion!I learned this from self-publishing my own book, 101 Things To Do on the Wisconsin Great River Road. If you want it to sell, you have to be willing to market yourself. For an introvert like me, that can be a challenge. However to stay on top of the latest business and technology, there’s the Internet. I’ve come across a few sites that I have found worthwhile.
. If you want it to sell, you have to be willing to market yourself. For an introvert like me, that can be a challenge. However to stay on top of the latest business and technology, there’s the Internet. I’ve come across a few sites that I have found worthwhile.If you have a blog, then you have to use Blog Explosion. With Blog Explosion, you earn credits by surfing other people’s blogs. These credits accumulate to impressions for a banner ad, advertising your own blog. I’ve learned a great deal from surfing, though I do admit that I don’t read these other blogs always and will often just have another tab opened to surf while I’m doing something else. Like blogging.
Another site with a unique approach is Squidoo.com. Squidoo uses what are called lens that you create on a topic of choice. It’s like a blog, but static. You can place ads for merchandise, links to favorite sites, and more. If viewers click on or hopefully, buy off a link on your page, you earn money. It’s a neat, clean format. Worth checking out.
Another option I’ve stumbled upon is Ezine Articles. On this site, you are the expert. You can submit articles on topics you have an expertise with, the idea being that you being viewed as an expert will generate traffic to your website. A great concept.
Of course, there are plenty of other ways to make yourself heard, but these are a few that I’ve had some success with.
The Muse
I’m approaching my self-imposed deadline for my book. As I get closer to the end, the muse is already talking about the next one. I’ve jotted a few notes, but am trying to stay focused on the work at hand. That muse is a funny one. Some days she is quiet and no amount of coaxing opens her up. Other days, sometimes in the most inappropriate moments, she’s yakking away.
When I later review the thoughts she has expressed, I find some that are out there. How could that possible work? Fortunately, those are few and far between. For the most part, she is focused. She craves the end of the book as much as I do.
Having reached this point in the process, I realize that these are the fun days. The days ahead of sending emails and letters, hoping and praying for positive replies will usher in an entirely new set of stresses and pressures. As far as the creative process is concerned, these are the salad days. I enjoy the rewrites, the pondering over the right word or phrase. I tried to refrain from puzzling over these details in the writing of the book. My goal was just to get it down. The rest would come. And here I am enjoying the twilight of the creative process.
Always Prepared For Character Material
If there’s one thing I learned from writing is that you can never predict when the muse will pipe up. Take the other day, for instance. My husband and I were at the local watering hole. I observed this interesting interaction between two of the patrons. Perfect, I thought. I have to add this to my book. Of course, I didn’t want to lose the thought, so I whipped out my handy Moleskine Writing Journal and entered my thoughts for the scene. There’s something about a Moleskine too, being the journal of choice of the likes of Hemingway and others. It makes me feel like a real writer.
and entered my thoughts for the scene. There’s something about a Moleskine too, being the journal of choice of the likes of Hemingway and others. It makes me feel like a real writer.I keep two journals. One is a larger Moleskine that I keep at home for entering thoughts and then the smaller one in my purse so I always have something to write on. The muse’s ways are mysterious and unpredictable. You always have to be prepared.
Research, Really.
For the most part, I live a quiet life. It’s always something of a culture shock when I visit my sister and her sons. I’m not in touch with how kids live these days. So, to get in the groove of how people talk and what matters, my husband and I will head out to the local. It’s educational, really. What I find most enlightening is listening to how guys talk to each other. You see, I work in an office dominated by females. I know very well how catty women can be, but how men relate on a day-to-day basis eludes me. Hence the visits to the pub.
More than anything else it has taught me to listen. What a marvelous revelation it is to realize you’re really listening. I can compare it to the day I realized I was experiencing color. When I’m not writing, I am painting. This particular day I remember looking at a stand of trees and realizing for what seemed like the first time in my life the varied shades of green. Green wasn’t just green anymore. It was forest green, cobalt green, undersea green, sap green, emerald green, and more. That’s how it felt to know I was listening, really paying attention to how people interact on a daily basis. And let me tell you, it was every bit as exciting.
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