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Do You Have a Book Inside You Struggling to Get Out?
If you've envisioned the perfect plot for a blockbuster novel or have a fantastic idea for the next non-fiction best-seller, yet have found it difficult to motivate yourself to get started or stick with it for very long, you may just find the inspiration you need by writing your book with novelist Holly Lisle.
Let Holly Help You Get Your Book Written!
Holly Lisle, an experienced author with over 30 books to her credit, who offers various courses in fiction writing at her website, HollyLisle.com, has brainstormed a fabulous idea for helping her fellow writers find the initiative to get their books written. She calls it Write a Book With Me.
A Group Writing Plan That's a Little Different
Perhaps you've participated in other community writing efforts, starting out enthusiastically enough but losing steam partway through because the high daily word-counts were difficult to maintain. You may have fallen behind and catching up simply required too much effort. If so, I have good news for you: You won't have that problem with this absolutely pressure-free group writing plan. Holly has made it almost ridiculously easy for any writer to participate and stick with the program by requiring (and I use the term loosely) a minimum of only 250 words per day, five days a week, and by not requiring that missed days' word-counts be made up later. What more could a writer ask?
A Program That's Not Just Fun but Guilt-Free
Holly also gives the reticent writer a convenient "out." Should you try her writing plan and decide it isn't for you, you simply quitwithout recriminations. Here's the way Holly explains it in her "official" rules:
You acknowledge that all this has to be is funit isnt work, a competition, or a form of self-flagellationand if knocking out your words at this pace stops being fun, you walk away with no guilt.
Well, that certainly is refreshing, isn't it? Writing without guiltand having fun doing it! I hope you'll pardon the pun when I say, "What a novel idea!"
You'll Enjoy the Flexibility of Holly's Plan
As you can see from the points mentioned above, flexibility is the hallmark of Holly's cooperative writing plan. In fact, the most important "plus" that I see in it (aside from actually getting your book written) is that, no matter what you do, you absolutely can't fail. And, in our often stress-burdened lives, there's certainly a great deal to be said for that! (You can also join this group writing plan regardless of your book's current stage of completion--another obvious indicator of its flexibility.)
So, what are you waiting for? Check out Holly's "requirements" for participation and then get started. Now's as good a time as anyand probably better now that this super-flexible plan has been developedto get your book written!
Holly's plan may be just what you need to free your Muse and get your creativity flowing.
Happy writing! (And I do mean happy!)
Jeanne
Do you have a book "in you"one that you've always dreamed of writing but never gotten around to? Or, have you started your book, only to lose your enthusiasm part-way through? Perhaps you've joined other cooperative writing programs that were more of a challenge than you were prepared to undertake and quit soon after. I'd just love it if you'd share your experiences with us. What were the positives and negatives of the programs you've been involved with? What do you look for in such programs? Or are you a lone-wolf writer? If writing alone is your preferred modus operandi, what don't you like about writing along with others?
A Quote That Serves Up Food for Thought for Writers
Today's Quote of the Day (in my left sidebar) says that "Silence is more eloquent than words." (Thomas Carlyle). As writers, words are the tools of our trade. What do you think of Carlyle's statement, and/or what would you say to Carlyle about his assertion if you could?
Words and Silence
Personally, I would say that there are definitely times when silence is more eloquent than words--as in those times when no words are adequate to express an emotion or when nothing we could say would ever be sufficient to respond to another person's sorrow or despair without trivializing it.
I also believe that silence can be a highly effective method for punctuating a statement and providing dramatic contrast, which can not only drive an idea home in a particularly potent manner but also encourage (and allow) a listener to really ponder it.
Of course, the above comments would apply more to verbal exchanges than written ones--though there are also many times when silence in written messages can exert a powerful (though not always unambiguous) influence.
"Silence" in Writing
We all know that not replying to something said by someone in an e-mail, letter, or comment can sometimes cause that person to question why and wonder about the significance of the omission. This type of "silence" can create serious doubts about our message's intent and sometimes even give the recipient a totally erroneous impression of what we meant to convey. This would be a negative application of silence in our written communications, which--while certainly poweful--wouldn't actually qualify as "eloquent."
In the writing arena, I also think that, in many cases, economy of words can have a similar effect to that of auditory silence in conversation. This is true in the sense that it leaves some room for individual thought, opinion formulation, and/or personal application of a concept, rather than bombarding the reader with the author's own perspective and thereby limiting the reader's engagement with the work in question. This would be a positive manifestation of written "silence" which might actually qualify for Carlyle's "eloquent" descriptor.
Another version of this type of "silence"--whether in speech or writing--would be the art of asking questions. This is because the very act of questioning implies that a period of silence will follow, during which the hearer's/reader's input will be welcome--another positive manifestation of written "silence." (Even rhetorical questions invite the hearer/reader to ponder the topic and provide the "space" for him to reach his own conclusions.)
What are your thoughts on words and silence--either from a writing or conversational perspective? You have the floor!
Thanks, in advance, for sharing your thoughts!
Jeanne
Printed Promotional Materials for Your Business
Do you use professionally printed products to promote your business? Writers are among the many small business owners and independent business people who can often benefit greatly by using professional printing services to help us create printed materials that effectively illustrate our skills, describe our experience, and promote our services.
Depending on our chosen marketing method, we writers may need such printed items as business cards, letterhead and envelopes, brochures, or greeting cards. And, if our work keeps us too busy to write and mail our own greeting cards, we might just decide that we'd benefit from outsourcing the task to a reliable go-between. After all, such a tailor-made opportunity to favorably impress our clients or business associates is not only tempting but easily accomplished via the right resource.
We might even decide that our marketing or PR campaign would benefit from imprinted promotional items, such as calendars or bookmarks, to distribute to clients or prospects. Yet, whatever our precise printing needs may be, we'll want to find a company that offers quality products which are compatible with those needs and with the goals we've determined to be important to us.
PsPrint: Combining Quality with Convenience
PsPrint is a company which provides business printing services of all kinds to entrepreneurs everywhere. Combining the speed and convenience of online ordering with the personalized service of a neighborhood print shop, PsPrint gives today's busy writer the best of both worlds. With an impressive list of print products and services, ranging from basic business card, letterhead, and postcard printing, to complete graphic design packages, PsPrint can become your one-stop professional print shop, catering to all your business needs.
While I haven't yet had the opportunity to personally use its services, a few things about PsPrint's website impress me. The first is the free sample kit which allows the potential client (you) to see firsthand the quality of the paper and printing used to create its products. The second is the wide variety of options available for customizing your print package to make it better fit your unique needs. The third is the list of weekly deals that help make your professional print job more affordable.
Every business owner must decide for him or herself what qualities are most important in a printing company and how much these qualities are worth. So, why not visit the PsPrint website today and see exactly what the company has to offer your business. You may just find that the happy marriage of convenience and quality makes PsPrint's products and services worth every cent.
To your great PR!
Jeanne
NOTE: Here's the information I promised in my last post. I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to get back into the swing of posting after my time away. Since losing Mom, life has been a challenge, to say the least.
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Comment by Jeanne Dininni
on 2 Years!
Writer's Notes