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