Is Romancing the Story Preventing You from Telling the Story?

I am coming across a problem with many aspiring writers. There seems to be a movement of romancing the story, the writer is so in love with their subject, or topic, or idea of what they want to write that they are having trouble writing the story

So the first thing you must do is FOCUS. Can you come out of the story long enough to develop an outline, or a solid foundation?  You probably don’t even know that you are in a romantic relationship with your idea. Just think about how you feel when you are imagining the book. Warm and fuzzy, excited, all kind of emotions emerges when you are thinking about writing.  Then reality smacks you in the face, frustration, and fear sets in and you don’t know where to start, so you write a few pages, it doesn’t come together (yet) so you go back to romancing the story; does it sound familiar? Knowledge is power, so let’s start at the beginning.

What do you want to say in your book?  What is the message? Let’s take the memoir genre for example, in the last few days I talked with two students in my writer’s workshop. They had the same problem. It took time to pull out what they want to say, so here are some tips to help you focus enough on what you are trying to say in memoir writing.

1.  What are you writing from?

Is it Pain, Frustration, Fear, Hope, Love, Courage, Freedom, or simply a need to tell a story. Knowing what is within helps identify and determine what you want to tell the reader.  Do you want them to identify with you? Do you want to give them insight on a particular subject; do you want to inspire them to change? Are you just telling a story to entertain? Are you educating the reader through your personal experience? Feel it authentically, and then identify it.

 2.  Why do you want to tell the story? Find your motivation. Can you explain why you feel driven to write the story?  You can only accomplish this by coming out the story and rationally looking at the work in a detached way. It is the only way you can successfully START the process. This is personal, and private, and it's the drive that you can't get away from. Many writers are writing from a personal pain, or frustration with an issue, what is yours? What issue or problem do you want to resolve or expose with your story.  Remember a memoir is your story.

 3.  Define your audience. As you write begin to see a group of people in front of you, they are the ones you are writing to. It’s safe to say that’s not everybody. When I wrote this post, I see the writer who is having problems with writing their stories.

 4.  Now you begin to see something emerging….a solid idea of what, why and who. Write it out, and then begin your first chapter.  Begin to see yourself as you romance and daydream about the story, you can’t change what you can’t acknowledge. keep writing, and begin to see yourself as author whose goal it is to finish the story!!! 

The Value of an Outline

The Value of an Outline

 

The outline is one way you can develop your story around the concept of problem/resolution. Also, an outline is a fluid document. You're free to refine and change it as your story takes shape during the first draft.

 

  The rest of the process is straightforward. With an outline the writer can start a new draft and know precisely where to focus your narrative drive. Having established a solid foundation, you begin to concentrate on characterization, dialogue, pacing and all the other ingredients that make for a compelling read.
 
Outlines need not be lengthy, nor should they take long to complete. If you can't seem to finish your outline, this may be a sign that all is not well with your story idea. If you're stuck, ask yourself: does your character have a compelling and strong enough problem to build a story? Does your resolution solve your character's problem? Do your plot developments logically take the character from his problem to his resolution? If not, can you come up with a series of events that do?
 
Some stories have a mountain foundation, the main character is climbing up the mountain,  moving through the problem,  life experiences, challenges, and situations, until something changes, or the character reaches a plateau. Discovery, transformation, and understanding occurs as the character begins to descend down the mountain, armed with the strong emotions of change which ultimately leads to resolution of a problem.  
Another visual of the development of the story is the movement through hills and valleys, moving up the mountain with life experiences and then falling down without permanent resolution, only to climb another mountain, hit a plateau where change may or may not happen as the character descends down the side of the mountain, this continues until something drastic happens, or the character makes a decision to change which ultimately finally leads to resolution of the problem.

Don't leave your story's development to chance; instead, use an outline to build a solid foundation. This fundamental step will quickly and clearly show you: (1) the depth of your character's problem; (2) how the character goes about solving his or her problem, and (3) whether the final resolution supports the rest of your story.
This outline can be used for many different kinds of genres such as memoirs; poetry; children’s books and motivational self-help books.

What is the problem or what are you solving in your story/self-help book???

Inner Writing Purpose

All readers have expectations. They assume what they read will meet their expectations. As a writer, your job is to make sure those expectations are met, while at the same time, fulfilling the purpose of your writing.

  Now here is where everything shifts, often when writing we don’t think about the reader’s interpretation of the writing. The reader may interpret your writing on a personal level, you may answer a question for them, and you may remind them of something that has been long buried until they read your words. 

  I actually developed a relationship with an author who I never met, but identified with because his writing is powerful and touched me deeply. Identification is the spiritual connection that the reader receives, a powerful emotion that is a gift from the author to the reader. I feel it when it happens, when I am writing, it’s a feeling that is almost supernatural, and I just know that the reader is going to connect with me in a way that instinctively makes me happy.

  Because you are honoring your spirit and not your mind, this awareness will inspire you.  This is the inner purpose that you may not understand, but you know that it is powerful.

  Creating a legacy for your family, helping the reader through a hard time, with your interpretation is extremely influential. Someone may be nurtured from your writing to the point that it frees then from their chains.

  These inner purposes give your writing a new angle; you begin to understand that the writing is not for you, it’s for the reader who is going to be transformed by your words.  Wow!  What an honor!                         

  I venture to say that keeping this understanding in mind while writing helps a writer to make it through the dry spells and through writers block.

  Someone somewhere needs your words.  Whatever genre it is, someone will be freed because of the words that YOU wrote. The power of your words is not something to be taken lightly.

 

Excerpt from my book, Breaking the Chains of Writers Block with Passion, Purpose and Perserverance

Developing Your Writers' Approach

What is a writers approach? Basically, it's your writer's platform that sells you. Not necessarily your book, but you. And in selling you, the book will naturally follow.

It's the special positioning that will get you in front of the public, into schools, libraries, luncheons, seminars, anywhere where you can go and talk to people. You are not going to plug your book. You're going to plug you.

How do you find your writers approach? If you don't know your platform, answer these questions:

        ·         What is the subject matter of your book? 

·         What is the message of your writing project?

·         Who is your audience? 

·         Why do you write what you do?

·         Who do you hope to impact?

·         What is your long-term goal?

In answering those questions, you've started to come up with something to talk about. But now you need a one-sentence 'mission' that shows you as the expert in what you are creating.

Look up words that identify what you do, that mean something to you. Here are the ones I chose empower, teach, train, inspire. These words describe what I would like to have happen to people.

Now you've got your words, think about something in this world that you are passionate about and would like to do something about. This can be anything, if you write non-fiction; it will very often be your book topic. It can be political, financial, educational, self-help, motivational, or entertaining.  Be specific, mine is to “provide a positive forum and environment for all writers, and to guide them through the writing, publishing and book marketing processes.”

Now you have your words, and topic, now you must combine them, and create a strong, passionate mission. Here is mine: "Reaching writers, with empowering techniques and solutions to complete their writing projects.

My platform/approach doesn't have to have anything to do with the subject matter in my book Breaking Writers Block through Perseverance, Passion and Purpose. But it does have everything to do with why do what I do. And it has everything to do with how validated I feel as a woman, doing something I love, and I can't think of a better way to help a writer (goal) by providing workshops, coaching and resources, creating published authors, and creating avenues for writers to leave a legacy for their family and friends.  Now when I use this formula, I think of my platform, and can tweak it to any group, depending on who my audience is.

What's your platform or mission statement for your writing and/or business?

 

 

Moving with your writing project

So all the buzz today is about building your platform, and/or billing yourself as an expert in your field. I consider this to be the next step in your writers journey. If you have published, or if you have not, it's time NOW to take that crucial step moving from the creative side of writing to the business side of writing.

Timing is everything, pacing is everything, and creating interest and excitement about your work is the name of the game. Creating a buzz about the information that only you have and using your red hot passion about the material is the most powerful and successful way to prove this point.

How? You may ask, well I have answers, and if you have some answers, please share them with me. I'm always open to exciting ways to define ourselves.

But before I give you some of the answers, ask yourself :

• Am I ready to move to center stage
• Why I have to become a sale person
• How will reading my book/story/poetry help the reader
• Am I open to attending writers events
• Why I need to join a writers/community organization
• How do I feel about someone editing my work

Sounds like a lot of work, it is so worthwhile. One of the vehicles to help answer these questions is Reflections Intermediate Writers Workshop. We call it intermediate but it really is transformational. You see, there is a important step between writing and publishing, and it's the stage in which you believe in yourself, you change and grow by transforming into the great writer that lives inside.

One of the most important things about transformation is momentum:
Momentum can make all the difference between achieving your goals and having to live with the disappointment and frustration of never actually realizing what you desire. Momentum is a powerful force that is not only necessary, but also essential in achieving real success. Without momentum you have to consistently apply a lot of effort and willpower that will eventually cause you to just give up.
Small actions are nothing but the building blocks of big actions and great successes. Every big goal only consists of a series of smaller goals. When you act immediately, your action puts you in a psychological state that encourages more action and consequently greater results.

(Excerpts from Intermediate Writers Workshop)

I'm talking about gaining the sustaining power to complete your work and create yourself into a successful author. I hear all the time about people who start something, but never finish it. I must confess I used to be one of those people, but not anymore and another thing that helped me and continues to help me when I'm in a transformational stage is affirmations.

Affirmations are powerful tools to help you move from one state of mind to another. You have to speak the process of change into existence. You have the unique ability to define or redefine your identity, which affects your behavior. Affirmations will help you modify your behavior to obtain the results that you seek.

Developing your elevator pitch, understanding time lines and deadlines, learning different writing styles, writing on topics in this workshop will be personal stories of transformation, learn the copyright process and achieve the next step in your personal writing project by writing articles that you can use to submit for publications and/or to post on your own blog that you create in the workshop.

This is it!!! Now is the time!!!! Go to http://www.reflectionspublishings.net/ for more information about the workshop. Starting on Saturday September 22th. Sign up today, as a follower of this blog, sign up today for the Transformational Workshop. Take the next step in the writing journey, lets make this an interactive blog by posting your comments, suggestions and answers. See you on the 22nd at
Yvonne Burk Community Center
4750 W. 62nd Street
Los Angeles, CA
Saturday, September 22nd at 3pm

For those who can't join us, I invite you to follow us as this blog becomes more interactive with tips, lessons and information about the writers journey.

Establishing and Identifying Writing Goals

You were never created to be employed. you were created to BE deployED

When a tree bears fruit, it never brings the fruit to you; it attracts you to the fruit. Whatever you are born with… is never for you, it is for your serving/contribution to the world. This is the time of opportunity. Train your gift/calling by taking the next step in the writer’s journey.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT MOTIVATION FOR YOUR BOOK?

Communicating values? Making money? Getting a Book Deal? Leaving a legacy? Educating community on history? Entertain? Tell a Story?  It is essential that you operate and establish your passion on the subject, content, by the time you reach the publishing stage.

Building a Platform – Promoting - Why I need a book proposal if I am self-publishing.

What is a Writer’s Platform and How Does it Help?

·         Your writing platform is a tool you use to promote yourself and sell your writing. To build a strong writing platform, you need to be an entrepreneur and marketing guru with established followers. It’s a tall order – but take heart! In our modern technological age, it’s possible and not too difficult to do.

·         Your writing platform proves your ability as a writer to promote and sell your book on a national or international level, which drives book sales. It provides a measure of security to the publisher and acts as a vehicle to promote your book and you, the writer.

·         Some writing and publishing experts’ say not having a writing platform is an automatic death sentence to an article query or book proposal. If you don’t have a writing platform, you won’t get traditionally published. Building your writing platform is not only necessary, it’s essential.

 

IDENTIFYING SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM GOALS

What are your next step goals, in the journey of perseverance?

Can you identify the next step?

It is important to define your strategy –

What goals have you accomplished so far?

How can you benefit from completing your writing project?

Purpose always attracts prosperity. You were not born to just make a living; you were born to deliver a purpose to your generation.  You need an incubator for your dreams

Living your life from the inside – The inner purpose is inside, whatever you were born to do is inside you.  In the right environment the seed in you can germinate. You never retire from what you were born to do. You must fertilize water and seed your purpose. Reflections Publishing House is providing the incubator for the development or next step of your project.

Define 3 goals that you will accomplish in the next year.

1.

2.

3.

Senator Curren Price

4rd Annual Writers Contest

Genesis Writers Group & Reflections Publishing House

 

Call for Story and Poetry Submissions

Story and Poetry Guidelines

•

Tell an exciting story about something that happened to you.

• It can include dialogue and the character should express his/hers feelings about the situation.

• Story should result in a lesson learned or a positive change.

• 300- 1200 words

• Non Fiction or Poetry

• Stories submitted typed on 12 point Times New Roman font

• Include author’s name and contact information

• Submissions are not returned

• No more than three submissions per person

• Winner will receive a cash prize and a commendation from the State of California. Winner will also receive a personal consultation with Reflections' Publishing House. The winners will be announced at Reflections Writers Seminar in February 2013

 

Please email stories to dabellis@reflectionspublishings.net  or call for more information to

310/695-9800

 

Story Deadline is January 30, 2013

Leaving Your Words Behind

The Importance of Creating a Legacy

 In our communities we have many watering holes, anywhere where people are congregating and conversing. The barber and beauty shops, nail salons, coffee houses, smoke shops, restaurants and bars. Places where the discussion is lively. Politics, religion, sports, family, are fair game for watering hole conversations.

We debate, dream, create, discuss, argue and lament about the world we live in today. We talk loud, laugh, interrupt each other, agree, and disagree as we talk about who did what, how they did it and what they need to do. Places that yields networking opportunities, business ventures and partnerships. Some of the best sales I made were from the many street vendors that dash in and out of these establishments, selling everything from a sandwich to a suitcase.

While moving in this “village” environment   I began to see that something else was going on, sometimes the conversation shifts. It gets a little uneasy, uncomfortable, silent, and people begin to disconnect, pulling out cell phones, leaving the premises, turning back to the task at hand, until someone changes the subject. Then the conversation picks up again, as we move on to the next subject at hand.

What happens in the uncomfortable and silent time of the conversation? As I ponder the question, I began to think about the times long ago when I sat in the beauty/barber shop with my mother, listening to the banter.  I heard comments like “when is somebody going to invent a …?”Or “all you need to do is…” I heard grand ideas of inventions and solutions that made perfect sense. I’d find myself nodding in agreement, thinking I hope somebody does that because one day I’d like to buy one.

I believe that it’s our own inadequacies that we feel in the uncomfortable times, our inability to place importance on that voice that tells us to create something for the future. It’s time to get busy; we must leave something tangible for our future generations to build on because our legacies are foundational. Often our creativity or business is so simple that we don’t put ancestral value on it. So I ask the question” if we don’t who will?”  Must we wait for the right time or situation to begin creating?  Must we wait on someone to do it for us??  Or will it die with us? Why are we brushing aside the inner voice trying to guide us? I shudder to think of our answers.

I can no longer ignore it, nor do I want to, it’s time to take responsibility of our God given gifts. A definition of legacy states-something handed down from an ancestor or a predecessor or from the past. We must leave our words behind. Not only for future generations, but for present day situations, someone needs to hear our words now.  

For the past several years California State Senator Curren Price has seen the value of literacy and creating a legacy by sponsoring the Annual Curren Price Writers Contest along with the Genesis Writers and Reflections Publishing House. He is dedicated to doing all he can to give the writer the opportunity to begin the process of creating a legacy that he provides cash prizes for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners along with a commendation from the State of California, that any participant would be honored to receive at the 6^th Annual Make it Happen Writers Seminar sponsored by Reflections Publishing in February 2013.

For story and submission guidelines: email dabellis@reflectionspublishings.net or call Deborah Bellis at 310/695-9800

Establishing goals for the next step workshop

You were never created to be employed. you were created to BE deployED

 When a tree bears fruit, it never brings the fruit to you; it attracts you to the fruit. Whatever you are born with… is never for you, it is for your serving/contribution to the world. This is the time of opportunity. Train your gift/calling by taking the next step in the writer’s journey.

 WHAT IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT MOTIVATION FOR YOUR BOOK?

Communicating values? Making money? Getting a Book Deal? Leaving a legacy? Educating community on history? Entertain? Tell a Story?  It is essential that you operate and establish your passion on the subject, content, by the time you reach the publishing stage.

Building a Platform – Promoting - Why you need a book proposal if you are self-publishing..

What is a Writer’s Platform and How Does it Help?

·         Your writing platform is a tool you use to promote yourself and sell your writing. To build a strong writing platform, you need to be an entrepreneur and marketing guru with established followers. It’s a tall order – but take heart! In our modern technological age, it’s possible and not too difficult to do.

·         Your writing platform proves your ability as a writer to promote and sell your book on a national or international level, which drives book sales. It provides a measure of security to the publisher and acts as a vehicle to promote your book and you, the writer.

·         Some writing and publishing experts’ say not having a writing platform is an automatic death sentence to an article query or book proposal. If you don’t have a writing platform, you won’t get traditionally published. Building your writing platform is not only necessary, it’s essential.

 IDENTIFYING SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM GOALS

What are your next step goals, in the journey of perseverance?

Can you identify the next step?
It is important to define your strategy – that’s what we accomplish in the Intermediate Writers Workshop
What writing goals have you accomplished so far?
How can you benefit from completing your writing project?

Purpose always attracts prosperity. You were not born to just make a living; you were born to deliver a purpose to your generation.  You need an incubator for your dreams

Living your life from the inside – The inner purpose is inside, whatever you were born to do is inside you.  In the right environment the seed in you can germinate. You never retire from what you were born to do. You must fertilize water and seed your purpose. Reflections Publishing House is providing the incubator for the development or next step of your project.

Define 3 goals that you will accomplish in the Intermediate Workshop.

1.
2.
3.

 Writers Society  Intermediate Workshop

July, 2012

.

Join us at The Leimert Park Book Fair

Hello Fellow Writers

Here we go again, Reflections Publishing House is exhibiting at the Leimert Park Book Fair on June 30th in Leimert Park, for a day of workshops, entertainment, forums, and books books books.
Whether you are new to the writers journey, or taking a step in completing your journey of writing, stop by the booth for the exciting news that we have for you.
CALLING ALL AUTHORS
Reflections is once again opening up the booth for all published authors and individuals to sell your books, and materials for a nominal fee. Meet us on June 23rd, at our monthly Reflections Writers Society Meeting at 3pm, located at the Yvonne Burk Community Center, 4750 W. 62nd Street, to sign up for a slot, and get the 411 on what's going on at the fair.
CALLING ALL WRITERS
Reflections Writers Society is moving leaps and bounds, our members are receiving valuable information, feedback and resources as they move forward on the writers journey. So..for the who hasn't t been able to join us YET this is the one you don't want to miss!!  I'll leave it at that.
See you Saturday, and/or drop me a email and let me know where you are with your writing projects.

I want to personally thank all the writers who are part of the Reflections family, yes you are family and I have something for you on the Book Fair on the 30th, so if you have joined us along the way, you may have taken a workshop, talked to us personally, used us to publish your book, met us at a writers conference, if I've been your ghostwriter, writers coach or if you've attended one our seminars or society meeting... Thank you, thank you, for showing and teaching me how to believe in the power of purpose, and just how far passion has taken me.

I am so excited about the next step, however, mums the word right now, you have to see it, you have to feel it, so that's all for now. Feature program coming soon!!

Drop me a email or a post and I'll see you on the 23rd or the 30th

I am a Writer!!!

Today I'm at the Yvonne Burk Community Center, getting ready for the March meeting of the Reflections Writers Society monthly meeting. the subjects today is blogs and affirmations. At our first meeting Jose brought in a list of affirmations that I'd like to share with the group

I AM A WRITER

• My destiny is in my brillance
• I am inspired within my heart and spirit
• I always have time to write
• I am always writing and