When I was a journalist, I interviewed a farmer known for saving all kinds of rare and common things in the loft of his barn. Some neighbors called his collection junk, but after spending time with him, I realized he had an emotional connection to everything he kept. As I listened, that junk in his barn began to glow like gold. As I listened, that junk in his barn began to glow like gold. Are you hiding your best stuff? Do you have an emotional connection to your business, creative dream, or new venture that you are not fully expressing? It's time to gather your junk --- the emotive elements of your personal, artistic, or business story. When you seize control of the emotional life of your story, you have the potential to reach and influence a large audience. In that sense, I believe every new book is a startup business. Do you think you already know your story? I hope that’s true. However, in my experience, many gifted people dismiss parts of their stories as common or unimportant, that so-called junk that accumulates over time. They are often wrong, and they may miss a significant opportunity to connect with others. As an editor and reporter for daily newspapers, including The Los Angeles Daily News, I interviewed countless people from all walks of life and wrote their stories. The experience proved something to me: Not only does story sell far better than the most expensive advertising campaigns, but it is also among the most fulfilling creative experiences available to men and women. Not only that, but recognition derived from story is one of the most powerful marketing tools available to any business person, individual, entrepreneur, artist, mom, dad, teacher or fill-in-the-blank. One of my ghostwriting clients was determined to tell her story of chronic pain after an athletic injury. But she was concerned about how far to go. In the end, she decided it was liberating to be candid about her own experiences. The reader would not be alarmed or offended if she merely spoke her truth in a narrative that revealed an 18-year period of her life. Amy Eicher is now a public speaker, business owner, and much healthier mom and athlete. Her book launched a lot of change in her life. The benefits clearly outweigh her initial doubts. Not every book will lead to business opportunities, because every title is written by an individual with their own sense of purpose. Also, not every book will immediately be successful. Amy's book launch was exciting because she was named a #1 New Release by Amazon. Others may see slow progress, and yet get so much in return simply by sharing what they have created. The adage, "everyone has at least one book in them" seems true. But it leaves out how fulfilling it can be to finally share your memoir, business book or novel or screenplay.
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The New York Times tells us that more authors of note are finding new ways to launch new titles. In the case of Michael Lewis, best known for The Big Short, audio is the new road to glory. To consider what is at stake, and why well-known authors now want to narrate new works, I recommend you read the article by Alexandra Alter. Meanwhile, if you are feeling left out, Startup Author Hacks suggests a few simple steps you can take to get in the game -- at very little cost, other than time. Photo by Peter Prato for the New York Times Should you wish to launch your next novel, short story or poetry collection as an audio book you'll need to recording software. Thankfully, a popular program that is fairly easy to use can be downloaded free. You may already have heard the name Audacity. Now grab the software and guidebook at https://www.audacityteam.org/ You will, of course, need some equipment. A microphone is the most obvious. But don't go spending big bucks until you have taken time to learn Audacity. For now, an inexpensive mic will allow you to practice as you master the dashboard. In his audio book course, Indie author Derek Doepker favors Audio-Technica products, such as the ATR2100-USB Cardioid Dynamic USB/XLR Microphone. You'll find models under $100. The Audacity guidebook is very helpful, as are online chat rooms and Youtube instructional videos. There are plenty to be found. If you are technically challenged, and need more guidance, consider Udemy courses. Eric Larson of Pine Alley Learning has created a 2-part Audacity course that is featured at Udemy. Part 1 is free and provides an overview and guidance while Part 2 goes into more depth and ranges in cost from about $10 to $20. (The lower fee is now offered as a limited-time promo. ) Let's remember, even if you wish to record your own audiobook, you'll still need to write your story :) Or maybe not. If you discover you like working with audio, perhaps improvisation techniques will inspire a new way of creating your library of titles. Startup authors always find a way to be productive. Maybe the new trend is your path to best-selling novelist, poet or journalist. 'Startup' Book of Miracles: A Modern Cyberspace Love Story becomes a memoir -- and you can too :)4/21/2018 Late-life romance spurns old age for technology and new beginningsStartup editor's note: OMG! You Met on the Internet? is an excellent example of a book that needs to be written. Not because the authors were the first people ever to fall in love online. What makes this story unique are the personal histories of two good people whose hearts had been broken and left for dead. Below, I offer some tips for how to handle this type of book, why knowing your audience in the beginning is helpful. —DGC John was a widower in the Northwest who was tortured by profound grief after the loss of his wife of 52 years. Donna Marie resided in the Northeast and suffered from the belief that her life had lacked a little luck and a lot of love. She was depressed, obese and needed the help of a wheelchair or walker to move about. Meanwhile, John was losing weight because sorrow had stolen his appetite. Although thousands of miles once separated these two lonely hearts, they are now a happily married couple. They travel often, love to dance, laugh a lot and occasionally bicker, but know that they share a miracle that neither of them saw coming. For that reason, their new mission in life is to preach a simple gospel to seniors and others who seek a companion: Don’t give up. “I thought life was over,” says Donna Marie, who grew up in the Rochester, New York area, married, had children, divorced and then battled cancer more than once. “I had nothing to look forward to, except death. Maybe that would be merciful, but, gosh, how about a little fun first?” John admits he could no longer find purpose in life, though he and his first wife had farmed successfully for decades in the state of Washington. “I’d lay awake at night and wonder, why go on?” he says. The answer to that question came unexpectedly when John, while fiddling with his smart phone found a dating platform. All he wanted was someone to talk to. He joined the website, identified himself as Lonely Farmer and scrolled through profiles of mature women until finally deciding DL Saucy sounded interesting. He tapped out a short note: Lonely Farmer: I recently lost my wife of 52 years and feel lost … and just need someone to write to … DL Saucy was Donna Marie’s handle. She was happy to see a message in her mailbox. DL Saucy: What’s your name I am Donna When John saw her message, his spirits lifted. Lonely Farmer: hi Donna my name is John Simple beginnings led to numerous candid online chats about family, longing, sex, aging, health and, eventually, the suggestion of a rendezvous. They’d only known each other for three weeks. The story of how negotiations for a meeting in Las Vegas eventually led to wedding bells for John and Donna Marie Peterson is included in their new memoir, OMG! You Met on the Internet? How an online romance conquered grief and depression while restoring faith in a higher power. Their goal in becoming authors was to encourage other senior citizens to stay in the game. No Surrender: Ignoring old age John and Donna Marie did not consider themselves digital experts when their relationship began. But when they began to click that provided an incentive to learn more. For example, when texting via the dating platform limited their ability to communicate in a fluid way, they decided to rely on another ubiquitous technology: The smart phone. The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank that follows social trends, reports that the number of Americans with online dating experience was very small in 2005. The advent of mobile apps on smart phones has helped participation to triple. Now over 15 percent of adults seek mates online. “Technology can sound so cold,” says John. “But it revolutionized our relationship. With Skype and FaceTime, we could see each other and communicate more naturally. Donna would take her phone on a shopping spree and I could go along for the ride. I also could meet her family, so they knew I wasn’t some ogre on the prey.” It comes as no surprise that online dating has grown among people between the ages of 18 and 24. Yet Pew also sees expanding trends among people in their 50s and 60s. Donna Marie and John are outliers: she was 67 and he was 72 when they met on a platform that has since been closed. In a sense, each of them silently asked a question that various studies have strived to answer: When does old age begin? According to the New York Times, a Pew poll of 3,000 suggested 68 as the gateway of feeling old. But the Petersons, while acknowledging the physical limitations that come with hard-won wisdom, decided to set their own standards. “I was sixty-seven, bed-ridden and yet when John and I got comfortable with each other—like in about a week—I confessed, ‘I want to be naughty.’ What man would turn down that offer? But then I added, ‘And I wear Depends.’” Love, Weight Loss and Nose Bleeds The couple finally met at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, with Donna Marie’s daughter in tow. She had to push the wheelchair her mother needed because she did not dare walk the length of the baggage area. John didn’t care that his new girlfriend was overweight. He leaned over, handed her a rose he had purchased in the arrival terminal and kissed Donna Marie on the lips. “I could have fainted, but thankfully I was already sitting down,” she recalls, adding, “He was so handsome in his blue shirt.” A wheelchair was not needed that first night on the town, which included a candle-lit dinner, wine, holding hands and a walk to a hotel room they mutually agreed to share. Yet, Donna Marie’s health issues were a hazard that might shorten the relationship. “It made no sense to say, ‘You must lose weight.’ But I wanted her health to improve. So, I encouraged Donna to do some simple things that would naturally help her drop some pounds. A change of diet, simple exercise,” he said. Donna Marie believes the weight came off because she didn’t feel pressure to suddenly change her body type. Being skinny was out of the questions, but being fit was well within reach. John’s love and patience made it easy for her to alter her habits and succeed. Then months later, when the romance had reached full-bloom and talk of marriage was in the air, Donna’s nose began to bleed profusely and it would not stop. Through the years she’d harbored some bitterness about life and had endured many serious health scares. So, naturally, her first thought was, “Just my luck. I’m going to die and not live happily ever after with John. I was hysterical,” she says. The harrowing chaos of calling an ambulance to the remote setting of John’s Washington State farm is cinematic and well-told in their memoir. John hopped in his truck and followed the EMTs at full speed with the hope that his lover could see his headlights from the back of the emergency vehicle. They remained in the hospital all night, emotionally exhausted by the ordeal. And resolute in their beliefs: Live goes on, if we believe. The Long Dance The Peterson’s stay fit, emotionally and physically, by dancing. In years past, Donna Marie was a ballroom dance teacher and while she and John were still communicating online she promised him some private lessons. He was an eager student. “We don’t pretend we’re in our twenties or thirties. But by listening to our favorite music from those times, we get the itch to dance and hug and laugh and cry. When we slow dance we hold tight, other steps mean only our fingertips touch, but we’re still attached,” she says. The impulse to teach, or rather share, became the basis for their authorial debut. They were tech savvy enough to save all their text conversations, which provide an authentic portrait of two lonely people falling in love. Portions of those chats—replete with typos and online abbreviations—are used to shape sections of the narrative. Not only were these two lovebirds utterly frank with each other, in telling their story they truthfully convey excitement, doubt, deep longing and, finally, a thoughtful decision that take a leap. One year after their online romance began, they exchanged vows and became husband and wife. The Petersons describe the miracle of their chance meeting as spiritual. Something bigger was at play, they say, and fortunately each intuitively knew that at this or any age action was required to sustain the dance. Their book is instructive not because they preach a gospel of any kind. Rather, by being unsparingly honest about the contradictory feelings they experienced throughout their journey, the reader can contemplate various life lessons. That, of course, is what sustained them through the 12-month creative process that resulted in OMG! You Met on the Internet? They simply wanted other people, lovers and seekers of all ages, to be encouraged and reconsider the possibilities of reaching out in the darkness. SMART STARTUP AUTHOR CHOICES!So what did Donna and JP do right when launching their book project?
In conclusion, a paperback or digital edition of your book is the best way of telling others who you are. This is true for people like Donna and JP who are on a mission, of sorts, and fir business people, therapists, physicians and other professionals. A book, short or long, consolidates your unique way of thinking, being and sharing. The other day I saw a notice asking for submissions of holiday-themed screenplays. Obviously, the film producers were already thinking ahead to 2018 and beyond. Then I remembered the Christmas story I wrote some years ago. I began with great trepidation. Surely, your own story cannot rank with the classics. But my attitude changed, once I began to write. My own views of the holiday didn't need to correspond with those of Dickens and other authors. How to write a story is solved simply by being honest about your feelings. I share some writing tips below. Story writing and online writing may seem like worlds apart, but begin with your strength and develop from there. The Christmas Guitar Songbook is FREE December 10, 2017 @ Amazon.com(First Christmas Story TIP: Start with a problem. The central character need not be happy or cheery. Give him or her something to grapple with while in the midst of other merry-makers. Second Christmas Story TIP: Start with a happy occasion and quickly turn it into a personal disaster. Explosions and assassination attempts are not required to create drama. What's the worst thing that could happen to your hero as the story opens? Third Christmas Story TIP: Avoid reading the classics. Choose a different approach. How many times can we watch a grumpy person be forced to reveal a painful past only to see him or her turn sunny and nice? Your creative writing skills will improve by pursuing your own voice and themes. You never know, maybe it will make you consider writing a novel about your holiday. Fourth Christmas Story TIP: Tie it to something you have a passion for. Guitar and songwriting were my choices. My Songbook Chronicles trace the progress (or retreat) of singer-songwriter Frank Gosnell. Fifth Christmas Story TIP: To develop the story, write a short article about it in an attempt to explain to a listener what it's all about. Don't worry if you don't know how to write an article. Just start. It can be sloppy, bumpy or initially illogical. By telling the story you're actually developing creative writing prompts that may inspire story beats. (BTW, as ghostwriter for hire, I often share these same tips for business books, memoirs and books by musicians. I like using fiction narrative techniques for nonfiction projects. So use these tips any way you wish.) Get your FREE copy of The Christmas Guitar Songbook on December 10, 2017 @ Amazon.comShe didn't know how to begin, despite reams of notes, lots of social media posts and a journal about her wish to write. Stephen King once said that he couldn't understand why people with talent for writing didn't get started. I understand the resistance. I've felt it too. So I've written Startup Author Hacks to help others overcome the scary notion of facing a blank pages. Gather, organize and shape is a simple process for taking the raw materials you have -- despite how disparate they may seem -- and creating the guts of a novel, nonfiction book, screenplay or article.
You very likely have the beginnings of .... something. A book or screenplay. A poem or article. Next, you want to learn how to write a story, long or short. Go for it. Startup Author Hacks is not a bunch of writing tips. You need a plan, a method for facing the blank page. Some of the most successful authors worldwide would rather begin with something on the page. Anything. Even if it is sloppy. Why? Because they know the road to perfection takes time. First they must get their raw ideas on paper or in a digital file. Everything can be reworked. But the blank page? I begin with an idea. And then it becomes something else." —Pablo Picasso Identity is also part of the process of writing a novel. Who are you? How do you like to work? Startup Author Hacks encourages you to find a process that works for you. Maybe you don't want to start at the beginning. Dive into the middle, then. Creative writing prompts are nothing more than prods to get your engine running. Ignition. Here we go. Buy it now. Startup Author Hacks will show you how to get started with the stuff you already have. But if you don't have much to work with, then download my FREE guide for authors, Ready to Happen. Just 10 minutes a day will build your treasure trove of ideas for your book, screenplay, article -- or love letter. Creative writing is not so hard if you let yourself go and give permission to be casual, messy, but honest. Best of luck! |
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