Are you afraid to be yourself?
This is the second of a two-part series on overcoming fear. Part 1 of the series discusses how I overcome my of heights. Here, I explain how I use that technique to conquer my fears to overcome my inner demons and become a FEARLESS writer. I envy the writer whose words embrace me, make me…
Do you want to be fearless?
This is the first of a two-part series on overcoming fear. Part 2 of the series will discuss how I use the technique to conquer my fear to become a FEARLESS writer and to find my voice. Have you ever been afraid, REALLY AFRAID? Knee-knocking, hyperventilating afraid? Has your heart practically pounded out of your…
Creating New Year’s To-Do lists
Do you make resolutions at the start of the year? For several years I have resolved to finish off my To-Do List. As you can guess, I never succeed—the list keeps growing. Lesson learned: pick a well-defined and finite objective for a New Year’s goal. One of my past managers told me to always work…
7 concepts that violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman can teach authors
Last night I attended an orchestra rehearsal of the PMP (Perlman Music Program) in Sarasota. Each year, 12 to 20 year-old musically talented students from around the world attend a two-week program taught by Itzhak Perlman, the internationally acclaimed violin virtuoso. As he conducted the rehearsal, Mr. Perlman would stop the orchestra to suggest alternate…
Keeping records is crucial for nonfiction authors
My husband is researching his father’s WWII paratrooper activities. Since his father was interviewed by Cornelius Ryan for his book The Longest Day, we visited the Cornelius Ryan Archives at the Mahn Center in the Alden Library, at the Ohio University in Athens, Ohio (left). For his book, Mr. Ryan placed an ad in newspapers…
Use voice to breathe life into nonfiction writing
This is the third post in a series on voice. The first is Are you courageous enough to find your voice? The second is Using voice in nonfiction writing. “There are no boring subjects, only boring writers.” ~ Barry Lane I want to write travel memoirs that read like fiction. I want my readers to become…
Using voice in nonfiction writing
This is the second post in a three-post series on voice. The first is Are you courageous enough to find your voice? The last is Use voice to breathe life into nonfiction writing. Voice is important to all genres of writing, but, according to Richard D. Bank, “In writing nonfiction, the voice is critical because…
Are you courageous enough to find your voice?
This post is a first in a three-post series on voice. To read the second post see, Using voice in nonfiction writing. The last post is Use voice to breathe life into nonfiction writing. Recently, I listened to Todd Nordstrom, a guest speaker on the Libby Gil radio program. He is the CEO of the…
Misconceptions about being a writer
When I was young, I never knew how to respond to people who ask me what I wanted to be as adult. “Soldier, Sailor, Indian Chief” came to mind, but writer? The only one who ever suggested that I pursue writing was my high school junior-year English teacher, but she never really talked to me…
Writing a book takes many skills
Prior to writing your book, did you underestimate the skills required? I did. Since my book is a narrative of my Camino adventure, I learned that, in addition to putting pen to paper, I had to become a translator, a photographer, a photo editor, a cartographer, and much more. As I walked 500 miles across…