Move Your Æ by Paul Carney

We are beyond thrilled for Paul Carney, who just announced the release of his first book. It was such a joy to work with him. If you struggle with any workplace issue, THIS BOOK is the one to get. Paul has done a great job of putting every issue into no-nonsense terminology and giving step-by-step guides on how to calculate the value of your time at work. 
A must-have book for anyone wanting to further themselves.
WAY TO GO, PAUL!

Piss-Pants And Other Coming of Age Stories by Gary Ives

Our best wishes go out to Gary Ives as his first collection of short stories is released. A Pushcart nominee, Gary is a prolific writer and will, no doubt, continue putting out these amazingly well-written stories. Want a refreshingly new perspective on the art of story writing? Get a copy of Gary's book. You will NOT be disappointed.

Just...An Apple A Day by Dr. Tom Turner

Congrats to Dr. Tom Turner on the release of his 2nd book. We know it's going to be a great success! Way to go, Dr. Tom!

Memoir: What does 'legacy' mean?

      So you've decided to write your memoir. Finally. But several friends have asked if you're writing to publish or for legacy. Up to this point, you've just smiled and shrugged your shoulders, hoping the mystery would eat at their soul. 
     Allow us to help!
     Writing to publish is pretty self-explanatory. You are writing with the intent of publishing and selling what you write. But writing for legacy means that you are literally writing the story of your life so your legacy lives on. The story is for family. Those great-great-great grandchildren who see a photo of you and ask, "Mommy, who is that lady?" THEY are they ones you write a legacy memoir for...they are the ones that will be handed that book. It can include photos, copies of letters, scans of postcards, anything you feel pertains to the story of YOU. 
     Many of us think of our life like a shout into the wind. The only one that realizes it happened is you. But you don't give your life, your experiences enough credit. Someone somewhere can benefit from the times you fell and struggled to get up, because they are on the ground right now, trying to find the will to stand. 
     Don't underestimate the power of your own ability to inspire. Start writing your memories and life lessons. There is no better gift you can give those that love you. 

Choices

     While meeting with a client yesterday, I recalled the power of trust; trusting not only in yourself but relying on the knowledge and passion of those around you. 

     You must be uplifted, encouraged or challenged by those you have chosen to surround yourself with otherwise how can you expect to grow?  

     You cannot run in quicksand. 

     Recognize those individuals who insist on holding you back through negativity and send them on their way with light and love.

 

Make your mark

It's easy to feel overlooked in a world that has grown fat on blind ambition. And of course it's easy to feel out of place in a space filled with so many who would rather step on you than avoid confrontation.

If every artist worked to create their masterpiece, every day, their minds would be filled with purposeful-love. Just as any master-craftsman is driven by pure passion, each and every one of us has that same feeling of oneness with something mighty and untapped.

If you yearn to write, or you already write but have yet to begin your magnum opus...why are you waiting? It could take years to collect all of the material or research the subjects but at least those years of your life will be driven by a vision created by/for you. So, why are you putting it off?

Tell your story.
Tell your parents story.
Your grandfathers story.
Write about the letters your Great-grandmother found,
or the man you fell in love with who died in Vietnam.

The story isn't going to write itself. The words aren't going to beg for release. They will simply fade over time. Don't allow that to happen. Give them purpose. Give them a chance to make a difference, so you can look back on a life lived fully and know that you left your mark.
You left behind something tangibly you.
Your legacy.
Your story.

Knock out writer's block

I understand.
I've been there several times.
With the notebook, heavy in your hands, blank page screaming up at you.
Cursor blinking impatiently on the screen, like a tiny tapping foot waiting for you to catch up. Waiting for you to hurry along with your map of words.
But you sit, willing that invisible spirit of inspiration to take control of your hands, begging the automatic-writing gods to perform just one more miracle, 
just one more time.

The interesting thing about being a writer is that, much like bakers, surgeons, construction workers, electricians, mechanics...in order to say you are your profession, you must perform the action of that profession. Bakers bake. Surgeons perform surgery. Construction workers construct buildings and so on. Well, to be a writer, you must write and for most writers, the act of writing is inspiration based. Their words spring from a place inside. Occasionally, that place becomes blocked by outside issues. Stress, anxiety, pain, grief, etc. Writers have been combating writer's block for as long as the profession of writing has been in existence. So, how do you get around, over, under or bust through that block? Here are some great ways to keep those words flowing.

1. CHANGE OF SCENERY 

     If you have a set writing routine, your writing environment never changes. It's always that desk, or that window bench, or that coffee shop. And you might have written thousands, tens of thousands of words at that very spot, but it is now a place of irritation. So, take your laptop somewhere else. Carry your notebook and pencil out to the front porch. Go to that lake you've been wanting to visit, go to the mall and people-watch. Should you expect a lightning bolt of inspiration the moment you arrive at your destination? No, of course not. But, sitting in a different space can bring about change. And one idea, one sentence is better than the nothingness you've been staring at for months.

2. CHANGE THE KNOWN

     Turn your writing space into a personal homage to all things beautiful. If you are a poet, hang favorite lines by Plath and Rumi. Dedicate one area to favorite images. Nature writer? Make sure you have a view of outside. Military writer? Surround yourself with history. 
     All of this seems like common sense but it is easy to fall into the trap of self-sabotage. A static writing environment doesn't have to exist. The act of writing is as fluid as the emotions and words that fill each page. Keep yourself open to the option of changes, both big and small.

3. STOP TRYING AND LIVE IT

     Writers, for some reason, feel they must be solitude creatures. As if becoming a hermit is part of the overall mystique. That's great if you're actually writing. However, if the writing fairy hasn't visited you in months it's probably a relief to read that writing is quite lovely when explored as a communal activity. 
     Of course, writing and critique groups have gotten a bad rap lately for the overabundance of novice writers as facilitators. But there are great benefits to engaging in fellowship over a shared love of words. Ideas coming from different people at varying stages of life can only improve a sense of self-awareness and change the way you see not only your writing but writing as a whole.
     "Gracefully take what you feel is relevant and leave the rest at the table with gratitude."

4. FORGET YOU KNOW HOW

  
     So, for the last 36 years you've only used silver-capped No. III Graf von Faber-Castell pencils. And only writing in linen bound notebooks. You are firmly rooted in the tradition of graphite and it works. Well, it worked. The words are stuck and have been stuck for months, either in you or that ridiculously expensive pencil. 
     First things first...drop your habits, for now at least. Lose the pencil. Leave the linen at home. Start a new, albeit temporary, set of habits. Look for a typewriter. Or a wicked steam-punk keyboard to pull you out of that deep rut you've dug for yourself. The clicking of keys or snapping of a typewriter can call to the wandering Whitman-within. Begin with an old piece and see what happens. Does it re-write itself? Does the typewriter become a sort of portal to another world, allowing long-dead writers to come alive through your fingers? Whatever happens, it's good because it's something when you had nothing. 

     This is all about breaking through a wall or finding a way to see through fog.
Think outside the box. Allow yourself a chance to regroup by doing things you normally wouldn't, writing in ways you never thought of, using tools you've never tried.  
     Remember to be gentle with yourself and understand that everyone deals with the temporary disappearance of their muse.