Turning Goals into actions

Lately it seems I’ve been unable to cross anything off my long list of to do items.  It’s discouraging when I feel like I’m moving and doing as fast as I can, yet I have no finished projects to show for it.  The problem is I’m focused solely on the goal, the final destination, instead of the actions, which are individual steps, to get there. I have a goal to write a short story each month. Because this is an ongoing aspiration, I’ll never be able to cross it off my list. Instead I should keep track of the actions required to meet this goal: Outline story for November, research topic, block out time on calendar, complete character profiles, etc. Blocking is a technique of categorizing small tasks or actions into a bigger goal.

According to Curtis G. Schmitt, Peaceful Productivity: “… when you’re focused on getting things done right now, it helps to chunk out individual tasks that you can laser in on and complete one at a time. If any given task seems too overwhelming or difficult, try chunking it into smaller pieces.” It’s time to take a chunk out of my to do list!

Vampires – Coming out of the Coffin

Vampires are familiar monsters in fiction, appearing in popular novels, movies, and television series.  Horror writers have transformed the image of vampires from a horrific to hip, from murderous monsters to heroic, charming and intelligent creatures.

Dracula by Bram Stoker, has become more than a novel. It has become a culture in and of itself.  Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice ignited a movement of fantasy and role playing. Some have taken the lifestyle one step further, actually consuming blood. Modern vampires are international, diverse and social, gathering in covens.

Vampires are “Coming out of the Coffin”, exposing themselves to the curious and cautious.

Don Henry has emerged as a celebrity in the community after appearing on a reality TV show, which featured “Alt” personalities.   Henry has seen spirits and auras since a young age. He is considered a “lifestyler” consuming the energy of his victims rather than blood. The Psychic Vampire Codex, by Michelle Belanger, teaches “Psy” vampires to tap into the energy shared by everyone. 

 “While the vampires of fiction and folklore are admittedly not real, many occult and metaphysical works have been devoted to a different type of vampire. The “psychic vampire” is a person who preys upon the life energies of others.” 1 

Sequin vampires or “Seq” actually consume blood.   Sequin vampires remain hidden, even within the subculture.

Blood is the common theme in all vampire legends. Eastern European vampires are repulsive monsters who hunt the living. Vampire lure was used to explain disease or bad luck. Natural decomposition was thought to be signs of vampirism. Sightings were so common vampire hunters made their living traveling the countryside and offering their services, including staking corpses to the ground so the undead wouldn’t rise.

Today, Romania attracts tourist interested in Bram Stroker’s Dracula, a fictional character, and Vlad Dracula, a historical figure. Stroker studied vampire legends from around the world, and discovered stories of the blood thirsty Romanian Prince. He was a sadistic murderer, known to his enemies as Vlad the Impaler, but a hero to his countrymen. 

Before Stroker’s Dracula, vampires were decaying creatures, evil and horrific. There was no seductive charm or sexual attraction. The sexual undertones appealed to Victorian sensibilities. 

The story speaks to each generation, but in different ways. Bela Lugosi transfixed audiences who desperately needed to escape the hardships of The Great Depression. He was represented power over the most unforgiving circumstance, death. Since then, reluctant vampires, tragic heroes who agonize over their identity have become popular. 

Horror writers will have some say in how vampires will be portrayed and perceived in the future.

 

 

 1. Belanger, Michelle: Psychic Vampire Codex : A Manual of Magick and Energy Work, Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC, Boston MA, 2004

How to Write in a Recession

 

 

 

 

Familiar markets are shrinking, magazine and newspaper readership is down and publishers are closing ranks.  Imagine two mice which live in a maze and find a delicious cube of cheese in the same corner every day. Until one day the cheese isn’t there and the mice are faced with a choice: keep going back to the same spot hoping the cheese will return or find another corner with cheese.  Has your “cheese” shrunk or disappeared altogether?  You can either hope that things go back to the way they were before, or you can search for new opportunities.

 

Writing in a recession requires flexibility and creativity. 

 

Flexibility

 

If you have worked in a particular niche, now is the time to diversify.

 

Consider different types of work.  If you write articles, try copywriting. If you write short stories, consider writing resumes.  Not only will you find entirely new markets to explore, you’ll have a chance to find entirely new talents. 

 

Don’t discount online publishers.  Writing for online markets may not pay as much as traditional publications, however, the sheer number of outlets for writers makes up for the lower pay.  Focus on quantity versus quality. 

 

Pay for post – Review products and receive $5 – $20 per post.  If you have a blog, you can sign up to view PPP offers, sign up and then write about the product or service. If your posts meets the stated requirements (word count, etc) you collect the fee.

 

Blogging has become more lucrative with more advertisers searching for consumers on line.  Even if you don’t have a blog, there is a market for online content.  You can sell articles to others with standard rates of $5 for a 250 word article.  While that doesn’t sound like much, it is possible to write 3 to 4 articles an hour.  

 

Ebooks sell well on line, especially non-fiction, how-to books.  Consider writing and marketing your own ebook, or ghost writing books for others.  You can earn .05 to .10 per word, with projects ranging between 5000 – 10000 words.  This rate includes research, writing and editing.

 

 

Creativity

 

Consider the topics that are most important to readers during these tough economical times.  People want to know how long the recession will last, ways they can cope during tougher times and when the recession will end.  

 

Employment – Top Careers, Self Employment and Interviewing

Financial Advice – Investing, Saving and Managing Debt

Home – Cooking on a Budget, Entertainment, Simplification

Travel – Cheap Thrills and Best Buys

 

Now think of any personal experience, skill or knowledge you possess that gives you a unique perspective on any of these topics.   Your experience in the subject area often counts for far more than your experience as a writer.

 

My family experienced lean times long before the current recession struck.   A creative way to use my personal experiences would be to write about free or cheap alternatives to services and products.  For example, I use our local library which loans books, books on tape and movies, rather than buying.  My family watches a movie each Saturday night which we rent for $1.00 rather than going to the theater.  We use free phone access online, free bill payer, watch cable television online and buy second hand tools and sporting equipment.  I could write a dozen articles based on my approach to saving money.  
 
Think about what people need to know to survive the recession and give it to them in an informative and personal way.  Be flexible and creative and keep writing in a recession.  One day the markets will turn around and you’ll be in a great position to increase your revenues.    

 

How to Write in a Recession

 

 

Writing Tips – Some Days Writing is Hard

It’s been hard to write lately. I begin and hesitate, unsure of where I’m going or how to get there.  I keep writing because good intentions are not enough.  Only action generates results.  To keep myself engaged I focus on each day and not “some day”.  I dream of writing for a living, but it will never become a reality if I spend my creative energies on day dreams.

Here are some tips to write even when it’s hard.

1. Make time to write everyday

Even if the words come slowly, take the time to write everyday.  Consistent action will reinforce the habit of writing.  Just like daily exercise, you will condition your muscles to perform with ease and grace.  Eventually you will find yourself flowing along a stream of creativity towards your goal.  Progress is intoxicating.  You’ll be writing more intensely, more urgently, and more intelligently. 

2.  Take regular breaks

It’ll be difficult to pull yourself away when you’re in the groove.  You’ll need to force yourself to take little breaks, even if it’s just five minutes to stretch, drink a glass of water or walk around the block.   Gene Schwartz, a legendary copywriter, would set an egg timer for 33 minutes and when the buzzer went off, he would take a five minute break.  He claimed the habit made him more productive and contributed to his success.  I find 30 minute sessions are ideal.  It’s enough time to explore an idea, write an article or set a scene.  I step away for 5 minutes, but my mind keeps working so when I return to writing I have fresh ideas or a clear direction in mind.  

3. Set realistic goals

If you overestimate your ability to produce you’ll be discouraged by the results.  I can write 500 words an hour.  If I write 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, it would take 16 weeks to write an 80000 word book.  If it takes just as long to read and edit each page, that’s 32 weeks before I have the first draft of a book.  One or two rewrites and a year has passed. I also write articles and short stories so I have to consider these goals as well.  I can’t write a book and write 5 articles or a short story a week at this rate. If I don’t write every week or fail to write 2 hours a day, I can’t achieve these goals.  My point is to be realistic. To know how much you can write in a period of time and how much time you will spend writing.  You may not be able to write a book a year if you’re writing part time. Most A list authors produce only one or two books a year and they write full time, employ assistants and have had years of experience.  

4.  Take care of your body

You won’t be able to produce your best work if you don’t take care of your body.  Get plenty of rest, exercise and good nutrition.  Also make sure your work area has good lighting and a comfortable chair.  Discomfort will be distracting

I hope these writing tips help when writing is hard.  It seems as though everyone wants to be a writer, but few people actually do it. Reward yourself for your accomplishments.   If you write every day, set goals and take care of your body, you’ll be a writer for many, many years to come.

 

 

There is a terrific new ebook that teaches you step-by-step everything you need to do to manage your time better… Master Your Time TODAY!

Imagine what it would mean to become a better time manager.
You could:

Take daily action on your important long-term goals

Live a more balanced, fulfilled, and satisfied life

Focus your time and energy on what is most important to you

Conquer common time wasters that steal your precious time

Accomplish more with less work and less stress

Take control of your commitments and to-dos

Finally put an end to procrastination and make time for your dreams and important goals

Order Now

 

Writers – Develop Quirky Characters – Phobias

There was a really strange story in the news today.  Pam Babcock spent two years in her bathroom and was rescued when her boyfriend called for medical assistance because she was stuck to the toilet.  Authorities are guessing she sat on the toilet for a month, so her skin actually adhered to the surface.  The boyfriend, Kory McFarren, was arrested for mistreatment of a dependent adult,  because he didn’t seek help sooner.  Babcock was afraid to leave the bathroom, so McFarren brought her food and water and tried to coax her from the bathroom. 

There was no speculation regarding the mental condition which might have kept Babcock prisoner in her bathroom for two years.  I’ve heard of people with obsessive compulsive disorder who become so enslaved by their compulsions they can no longer leave the house, or certain rooms.  It may have been a phobia, such as Agrophobia, which caused her to stay sealed in the bathroom. 

As a writer, I find mental disorders which affect human behavior fascinating. Dean Koontz has included obscure physical or mental ailments into his stories, with characters that are allergic to the sun, or suffering debilitating phobias.  I also remember a movie called Copy Cat, in which Sigourney Weaver suffered agrophobia and she was trapped in her house while a killer stalked her.  Even with her life at stake, she couldn’t bring herself to cross the threshold of her front door. 

You may have heard of a few of these phobias, but if you’re looking for a character quirk or plot device, consider incorporating one into your story. 

“Phobia: is an irrational, intense, persistent fear of certain situations, objects, activities, or persons. The main symptom of this disorder is the excessive, unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. When the fear is beyond one’s control, or if the fear is interfering with daily life, then a diagnosis under one of the anxiety disorders can be made.” Wikipedia

 

The Phobia List

Air- AnemophobiaAirsickness- Aeronausiphobia
Alcohol- Methyphobia or Potophobia
Alone, being- Autophobia or Monophobia
Alone, being or solitude- Isolophobia
Amnesia- Amnesiphobia

Animals- ZoophobiaAnts- Myrmecophobia
Anything new- Neophobia
Asymmetrical things- Asymmetriphobia

Automobiles- Motorphobia

Bald people- Peladophobia
Bathing- AblutophobiaBicycles- Cyclophobia
Birds- Ornithophobia
Black- Melanophobia

Blood- Hemophobia, Hemaphobia or Hematophobia
Blushing or the color red- Erythrophobia, Erytophobia or Ereuthophobia
Body odors- Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia

Books- Bibliophobia

Bums or beggars- Hobophobia

Buried alive, being or cemeteries- Taphephobia or Taphophobia

Chickens- Alektorophobia
Child, bearing a deformed; deformed people- Teratophobia
Children- PedophobiaChoking- Anginophobia
Chopsticks- Consecotaleophobia
Church- Ecclesiophobia
Clocks- Chronomentrophobia
Clouds- Nephophobia
Clowns- CoulrophobiaCorpses- Necrophobia
Creepy, crawly things- Herpetophobia
Criticism- Enissophobia

Darkness- Achluophobia or Myctophobia, or Scotophobia
Daylight or sunshine- Phengophobia
Decisions: making decisions- DecidophobiaDogs or rabies- Cynophobia
Dolls- Pediophobia
Drafts- Aerophobia or Anemophobia
Dreams- Oneirophobia
Drinking- Dipsophobia

Eating or swallowing- Phagophobia

Eight, the number- Octophobia

Everything- Panophobia, Panphobia, Pamphobia, or Pantophobia

Filth or dirt- Rhypophobia
Fire- Arsonphobia or Pyrophobia
Fish- Ichthyophobia

Flowers- Anthrophobia or Anthophobia
Flutes- Aulophobia
Flying- Aviophobia or Aviatophobia or Pteromerhanophobia
Germs- Verminophobia
Ghosts- Phasmophobia

Gravity- Barophobia

Heights- Acrophobia, Altophobia, Batophobia, Hypsiphobia or Hyposophobia
Hell- Hadephobia, Stygiophobia or Stigiophobia
Homosexuality or of becoming homosexual- Homophobia
Horses- Equinophobia or Hippophobia
Hospitals- Nosocomephobia

Ignored, being- Athazagoraphobia
Imperfection- Atelophobia

Kissing- Philemaphobia or Philematophobia
Knees- Genuphobia

Light- Photophobia

Marriage- Gamophobia

Moon- Selenophobia
Mother-in-law- Pentheraphobia
Moths- Mottephobia

Mushrooms- Mycophobia

Noise- Acousticophobia

Odors or smells- Olfactophobia
Old people- Gerontophobia
Open spaces- Agoraphobia
Opinions- Allodoxaphobia

Parents-in-law- Soceraphobia
Peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth- Arachibutyrophobia

Place: locked in an enclosed place- Cleithrophobia, Cleisiophobia, or Clithrophobia

Rain- Ombrophobia or Pluviophobia

Reptiles- Herpetophobia
Responsibility- Hypengyophobia or Hypegiaphobia

Self, being dirty- Automysophobia
Self, being oneself- Autophobia
Self, being seen or looked at- Scopophobia or Scoptophobia
Self, being touched- Aphenphosmphobia

Sleep- Somniphobia

Spiders- Arachnephobia or Arachnophobia

Stage fright- Topophobia

Staying single- Anuptaphobia
Stealing- Cleptophobia or Kleptophobia

Sun or sunlight- Heliophobia
Symbolism- Symbolophobia

Thinking- Phronemophobia
Thunder- Ceraunophobia

Trees- Dendrophobia
Trembling- Ttremophobia

Ugliness- Cacophobia

Voices or noises, speaking aloud or telephones- Phonophobia
Voids or empty spaces- KenophobiaWashing- Ablutophobia
Wasps- Spheksophobia
Water- HydrophobiaWork- Ergophobia or Ponophobia
Worms- Scoleciphobia
Worms, being infested with- Helminthophobia
Wrinkles, getting- Rhytiphobia  

Many of us might suffer a fear of enclosed spaces or heights.  A few suffer a fear of marriage, wrinkles or responsibility.   I think I have a phobia of clowns, even if they don’t send me screaming from the circus tent.  Some phobias are humorous, like a fear of old people, mother-in-laws or the number 8.  But could you imagine a fear of drinking, being yourself or sleeping?  Well, that’s the point really, imagine if your characters had to live with any of these phobias and see where it takes you. Happy Writing!

Writers – First Visualize Your Success

Writers are blessed with the gift of imagination.  You may assume everyone is able to conjure new worlds, rich in detail and history, or characters beautifully flawed, but imagination is a talent of degrees.  Just like the athlete, born with natural grace who must build their skill, a writer must apply their gift of day dreaming. 

Think of day dreaming as your mental exercise, schedule time each day to imagine, just like you schedule time to work out.  

Put the power of your mind to work by visualizing a successful future. Before you can succeed at any endeavor, you must first succeed in your mind.  You must dream a better life for your self before you can live it, and you must be willing to take action to make it a reality. Without action, your vision is a day dream; with action, it’s a plan for your future. 

According to Tony Robbins “if you want to achieve your goals and master any area of your life—your finances, your health, your relationship—you must first develop a compelling vision to get you excited about what it is you’re striving to achieve.”

Here is an exercise to help you visualize what you really, really, really want.

Write a journal entry as though you have just experienced the perfect day.  Really challenge yourself to be descriptive and detailed, use all your senses and begin from the moment you opened your peepers. 

 My ideal starts something like this –

 I left the windows open last night so I could hear the waves lapping onto the shore.  As I fell asleep, I realized my heart beats to the same rhythm.  It was a chilly when I woke up this morning, so I didn’t want to leave the snuggly warmth of my bed. The crisp white sheets and down comforter encase me like a safe, warm cocoon. The aroma of vanilla bean coffee finally lured me out of my sanctuary. It was probably for the best, because I had a busy day ahead.  First coffee, then I called my agent to discuss my latest manuscript.  She’s practically panting for a copy since my last book made the NY Times Best Sellers List. 

Before doing this exercise I had a vague idea about my dreams but I had never actually visualized them in such detail.  I know I want to be a writer – not where I would live.  I know I want to travel – not where I’ll go. 

Another suggestion to help you visualize your goals is to create a vision board. Use photos, magazine clippings or power words that represent your dreams.  If you want a new car, find a photo of the exact model and color and then visualize yourself behind the wheel. Take one step further and imagine the new car smell, the feel of the leather upholstery, the soft sound of music and silence of the road. If you’re in a convertible, imagine the warmth of the sun on your face and the cool breeze in your hair.

Now that you have a clear vision of what you want, consider the steps required to accomplish your goal. Just knowing how to achieve your dreams will make them more concrete.

The steps I need to take in order to be a best selling author –

1) Write everyday, finish my manuscript and hire top notch editor.

2) Query agents, study the market, self promotion and press releases.

3) Pay off existing debt, reduce expenses, and invest more in 401K.

4) Embrace constructive feedback, discard unconstructive criticism and persist, persist, persist.

5) Write everyday, start next manuscript and send candy to top notch editor.

 Now all you have to do is decide if you are willing to take action. If the answer is yes, start right now.