No blog would be complete without some mention of the Balloon Boy, who kept America’s glued to their televisions and computer screens yesterday.  In case you were hanging out in a cave with Bin Laden, here is the story.  A 6 year old boy was believed to have floated away from his home in a helium balloon which had been tethered in the family’s backyard.  The boy’s father is a weather enthusiast and uses the balloon for tracking storms, or something along those lines. At least that’s the father’s explanation for having an alien spaceship in his backyard.  At any rate, the boy’s brothers reported to their parents that Falcon was in the basket when the balloon took off. Authorities were called in and everyone tracked the progress of the balloon until it landed 2 ½ hours later and 50 miles away. To everyone’s horror, there was no sign of Falcon.  Search teams were formed to scour miles of terrain believing the boy had fallen from the balloon and was lying injured or dead. Turns out, Falcon was hiding in the attic the entire time. Now everyone is questioning whether or not the whole event was a hoax to garner media attention.  During interviews Falcon attempted he heard his family calling his name. When his father asked why he didn’t come out, Falcon answered, “You had said that we did this for a show.”  Obviously this story isn’t over yet.

As a writer you could take this story to new heights.  I think this would make an incredible children’s story, with our little hero Falcon flying off to adventures in far away lands.  Of course it would also make for get Sci-Fi.  Imagine if this family was from another planet and their little extraterrestrial took the flying saucer out for a joy ride.   Would the world learn the truth or would the family be able to keep their secret?

Story Starters – 25 Absolutely Free Story Starters

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 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

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

Heroes is a popular television show about ordinary people who discover extraordinary abilities. Unlikely heroes emerge from all walks of life and so do villains, each with powers such as invisibility, healing, teleportation, telepathy, the ability to fly and superhuman strength.

It’s only natural that we ask “What if?” If these super human powers were possible, what would become of the world as we know it? If I discovered superhuman abilities what would become of me?

Luke Skywalker tapped into the Force and used it to overcome evil. Like the Force, Chi (breath) is a universal energy, the fundamental energy of life that keeps the planets in orbit and binds atoms. Chi is at the core of Chinese medicine and disciplines. Martial artists channel the power of Chi to defeat opponents in battle, no light sabers required.

Stephen King’s first published novel was Carrie, the original girl gone wild. Carrie turned her telekinetic powers on the high school bullies who teased and tormented her. While King has described the work as “raw” and “with a surprising power to hurt and horrify”, the book and subsequent film have gained a cult following. Telekinesis is the ability to move matter with the mind. Pyschokinesis (PK) is a much broader range of abilities such as: object deformation (including metal softening and bending), influencing events, biological healing, teleportation (disappearing and reappearing elsewhere), phasing through matter, transmutation of matter, shape-shifting, energy shield (force field), control of magnetism, control of photons (light waves/particles).

Author Michael Crichton mentioned his experience with PK in his 1988 book Travels. “I looked down. My spoon had begun to bend. I hadn’t even realized. The metal was completely pliable, like soft plastic. It wasn’t particularly hot, either, just slightly warm. I easily bend the bowl of the spoon in half, using only my fingertips. This didn’t require any pressure at all, just guiding with my fingertips. I put the bent spoon aside and tried a fork. After a few moments of rubbing, the fork twisted like a pretzel. It was easy. I bent several more spoons and forks.”

A recent survey of 1000 Canadians forty-five percent picked healing as their top superpower, compared to 25 percent who wanted to time travel, 15 percent who selected telepathy, 10 percent who would prefer to fly and five percent who wanted to steal the powers of other people. Some mystics practice rituals of self injury and are able to override the body’s physical response to injury, stopping pain and blood flow. Skeptics may say the results are due to mass hypnosis, but believers believe they are receiving healing energy from their Deity.

Reiki is a “laying on of hands” healing. Reiki masters describe their healing abilities as a linking with the cosmic radiant energy, an opening of chakras, or an attunement with universal life energy.

Whether super human powers are real or fiction, those who possess them can still suffer fear, loss and grief. They are still human after all.

Find more Story Starters and Creative Writing articles at fictionway.com

I have loved books as long as I can remember. In fact my love of books grew into a love of writing. The best writers make it look so easy, but after 15 years of writing, I can assure you writing is hard work!  Here are the books that have inspired me to keep going. I only hope someday I can create a piece that inspires others.

My favorite books

10.  Conversations with God  by Neale Donald Walsch – Changed my perception of God as an external force.  I walked away from this book believing God is riding shotgun; happily going along for the ride but willing to navigate if asked.  Truly a life changing moment.

9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – It’s a classic for a reason.  Six-year-old Scout Finch offers a child’s perspective of racial tensions and injustice when a black man is accused of raping a white woman and her father agrees to defend him. For many it’s impossible to imagine a time of such ignorance, until you turn on the evening news and see reports of hate crimes, gay bashing and bombings. 

8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by JK Rowling  – I enjoyed all the books in the series, but I’ve listed the first because it was THE book that proved there was a market for intelligent, full length, youth fiction.  I liked the idea of writing a book that would cross generational gap; a book parents could read (and enjoy) right along with their kids.  This was an eye opener for me and I started writing YA fiction.

7. American Gods by Neil Gaiman – An extraordinarily imaginative book that explores the possibility that Gods, discarded and forgotten, live among us waiting for their return to glory.  Most lament the unfairness of being cast aside by fickle mortals, reduced to working odd jobs and bickering amongst themselves. 

6. The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III – The story of two people, divided by culture, by their dreams and their nightmares.  Their failure to communicate and cooperate leads to dire consequences.  I was reminded of this book when I watched the movie Crash, because the underlying message encourages empathy and understanding.

5. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom – Simple story of slowing down and appreciating the things in life that truly matter.  This is an autobiographical account of Albom’s weekly visits with his mentor and friend, Morrie Schwartz.  Even in his final days, Morrie never stopped teaching and has left a wonderful legacy.  

4. The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama – I read lots of self help books, so I could have included Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, but who better to offer advice on living your best life then the Dalai Lama.  After all, he’s been researching the subject for hundreds of lifetimes.  This book is a gentle introduction to Buddhist ideas and philosophy. There is a western sensibility – since the book is based on an interview conducted by a western psychiatrist and the Dalai Lama.

3.  The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold – This story will chill you to your lovely bones.  Told from the perspective of a teenage murder victim who isn’t quite ready to let go of the life or family she left behind.  Despite the unimaginable grief, each character grows and moves on with time.  Beautifully told.

2. The Stand  by Stephen King – In my opinion, this is Stephen King’s finest work. That’s saying a lot for the prolific writer who has gone on to write the Gun Slinger series, The Tommyknockers,  Misery, Bag of Bones and Duma Key – all masterpieces in their own right. The Stand was something more, frightening in the possibility it could actually happen (unlike a haunted car) and hopeful that good can indeed overcome evil.

1.  The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger –  The most romantic and heartbreaking story I’ve ever read.  The story is told with grace and clarity, despite the complexity of criss-crossing time lines and shifting points of view.

How to Write

Creativity (or “creativeness”) is a mental process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts, or new associations of the creative mind between existing ideas or concepts.” Wikipedia

Creativity is a skill, strengthened with consistency. Physical trainers will recommend variety, a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training to condition your body. The same technique can be applied to creative writing.

The following strength exercises focus on building certain skills:

1. Write a paragraph or page with short concise sentences, limiting the length of each to three words. This forces you to choose the best words to say exactly what you mean to say.

He turned away. She sobbed uncontrollably. They were through. Their love destroyed. Her sin unforgivable. Hasty lies told. Their daughter confused. Her daughter now. He turned away. Left them both.

2. Write a paragraph or page with words beginning with a single letter. This exercise, called an alliterative, is just one example of constrained writing which stretches your vocabulary and imagination. The Oulipo group is a gathering of writers who use constrained writing techniques, including:

• Lipogram - a letter (commonly e or o) is outlawed.
• Palindromes – such as the word “radar,” read the same forwards and backwards.
• Acrostics – first letter of each word/sentence/paragraph forms a word or sentence.
• Reverse-lipograms - each word must contain a particular letter

Ernest Hemingway was a master of words, using simple yet poignant words in his stories. Broaden your vocabulary and find just the right word for a particular tone or mood.

3. Begin at the end of the story and write to the beginning. They say hindsight is 20/20 so if you know where the story will end, it may be easier to see how it got there.

Aerobic exercises include reading and writing everyday.

All writers must read. Read for pleasure, but also read to hone your craft. Study the way in which other writers develop characters, set a scene or use descriptive language. Read several genres and compare the styles within genres. When you find a genre you enjoy reading, identify what it is you like – the pace, themes, settings, voice or specific writers. Douglas Adams and Ray Bradbury are both Sci Fi writers, but they have very different styles.

There is a reason why most writers recommend writing every day. You need to build and condition your writing muscles. Failure to do so will cause atrophy. Stephen King, Danielle Steele, Dan Brown or JK Rowling, didn’t give up when they were told no. Instead, they continued to write and improved. Acknowledge the fact that your writing is imperfect. Make space for imperfection and you will make space for improvement.

Edit your work over and over.

Unleashing your creative writing skills may feel awkward and difficult at first. When you work out the first time, your muscles don’t instantly get stronger and muscular. Creativity is a muscle that you have to exercise.

Find more Story Starters and Creative Writing articles at fictionway.com

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.

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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 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.