MUSE YOU CAN USE!

Great American Novel 2.0

2011-12-21T07:31:00.002-05:00

It's a brave new world for anyone who has ever harbored the dream of telling a story. Technology is radically transforming the way authors and readers connect. Pittsburgh native Dmitri Ragano tells the tale of writing his mystery 'Employee of the Year' on the frontier of electronic publishing.

By Dmitri Ragano

Photo illustration by Ben Howard/Post-Gazette

A few years ago, in my late 30s, I realized that I wanted to write a book.

I was staring into time's horizon, gearing up for the inevitable midlife crisis. I had friends my age who were taking up golf, tinkering with home remodeling or putting in extra time to climb the corporate ladder.

What I really loved hadn't changed much since I was 8 years old. I loved the world of fiction and literature. Growing up on a steady diet of Tolkien, Salinger, Bradbury, Joyce, Kafka and Beckett, I'd been trying to tell my own stories since I was old enough to spell my name.

I spent my 20s and 30s learning to a make a living through an eclectic mix of barely related professions, but my dream of being an author never really died. I still wanted to find my voice and then go out and find an audience. So I decided I was going to give it a try, happily aware that this endeavor might not go anywhere.

What intimidated me about this prospect wasn't actually writing a novel; that was fun. Instead it was everything that I was supposed to do after finishing the manuscript. Contacts in the book publishing industry told me I should plunge into a grueling, endless process of random submissions to literary agents and publishing houses in hopes that, against all odds, someday, somewhere, someone out there might actually read a few pages of my book.

The first thing you need to do is get a hundred rejection letters under your belt, they told me. I was always warned to make sure my novel was "marketable" -- it should be exactly like some other book that has sold well. It should not experiment with genres or contain any unproven themes or ideas that might scare the industry establishment.

For me, creative writing was just a hobby. So the idea that I had to spend my precious free moments butting up against a vast, depersonalized labyrinth was annoying to say the least.

It wasn't the prospect of failing that bothered me. As an unknown author, I knew I was more likely to get struck by lightning than land a book on the best seller list. (I have a screenwriter friend in Los Angeles who already was struck by lightning growing up in Florida. She's fine now and we're trying to figure what this does for her odds of a successful writing career.)

We've all heard about hit novels that made it into print through an impossibly random fluke. Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series only saw the light of day because a new assistant at a literary agency didn't realize the manuscript was way too long for young-adult submission requirements.

What really frustrated me about the impossible odds, the slush piles and the rejection slips was the fact that, like most writers, I wasn't trying to become a star. Most first-time authors just want a chance to find an audience. They know there is probably some community of readers out there that will connect with their work, they just don't know whether it's 50 readers or 50,000 readers.

So it's very important for novelists to have a quick, easy way to put a story out there to find an audience and get some kind of feedback, just like most other creative types. Actors and musicians aren't dependent on the machinery of Hollywood and Broadway to practice their art. There is a whole universe of outlets for them connect with a crowd, from the open mike night to community theater. Why should writers spend years pushing through a wall of faceless gatekeepers to get a chance at sharing their work with readers?

The importance of putting a new creation in an open forum was something I understood well from my "day job" building corporate websites. The iterative process of developing software, observing how people use it and then refining it based on feedback is the lifeblood of the Internet industry.

A new school of management known as Agile supports the theory of creating products in a rapid, flexible and interactive environment. Companies like Google, Amazon and Netflix typically roll out "beta" versions of new business lines, starting a conversation with their customers that will influence the evolution of the product without middlemen or buffers.

Agile is based on interdisciplinary studies where math, computer science and biology intersect, such as Complexity Science and Chaos Theory. One particularly important influence is Cybernetics, a field with origins after World War II, conceived by a diverse group of engineers, neurophysiologists, anthropologists and psychiatrists.

Cybernetics examines all systems that have goals and interact with an environment via feedback mechanisms. This includes the circular process of acting (having an effect on an environment), sensing (checking the response of the environment), evaluating (comparing the current state with the system's goal), and back again to acting.

I realized that there was an obvious connection between my work in the fast-paced world of Internet software and my personal dream of writing a novel. The future belonged to innovators who could interact with their audiences in an Agile work mode.

After all, innovations like Facebook, YouTube, WordPress and Twitter give billions of people a platform to say something, tell a story, test an idea or start a conversation. The William Faulkners and Jane Austens of tomorrow will communicate their art fully expecting the benefits of cybernetics.

Services like Create Space make it easier than ever for first-time authors to publish a professional-looking book for less than $1,000. E-reader devices like the Kindle, Nook and iPad reduce the distribution and inventory costs of books to practically nothing, allowing unknown authors to sell their titles for as little as 99 cents. It's true that do-it-yourself publishing has been around for a while.

But this is bigger than that. This is about critical mass of new ideas coming together at the right time.

At its core, the promise of a Web 2.0 world is about taking storytelling back to a time to when it was grounded in close relationships between authors and readers. Homer, Chaucer and Dante all read their stories for audiences, in their context of the social network. They received their own versions of Facebook "likes" for their authored works in the cities of ancient Greece and medieval Europe. Even after Gutenberg, most books still gained readership from town to town and colony to colony through the 17th- and 18th-century equivalent of "tweets" and "shares."

This isn't to say it's easy to find an audience on your own. Without the resources of a big publisher, I've realized how hard it is to get out word that my book exists. (After all, I have only a finite number of friends and relatives whom I can nag into buying a copy.)

My Internet career taught me the importance of setting specific goals that are ambitious but at least within the realm of possibility. For "Employee of the Year," I will try sell 1,000 copies total. I realize this will be really hard. After all, Nielsen Bookscan statistics show that each year only 20 percent of all books available in the U.S. sell more than 99 copies per title. When it comes to fiction, hardly any novels sell more than 5,000 copies, even with the support of a major publisher.

But the great thing is that, regardless of whether I reach my starry-eyed fantasies, I feel like I've already succeeded in my original intent when I started writing the novel more than two years ago. I've found a way to get my labor of love to a small but warm and receptive community of readers.

Since the book went live last month, I've been approached by friends, acquaintances and even a few strangers who told me they loved the twists and turns of "Employee of the Year" and can't wait for my next mystery. (I also have an uncle who thought the story was lousy. But getting his point-by-point critique was almost as much fun as the praise I've received.)

The most exciting thing about creating books in a Web 2.0 world is that it gives me the space to do what I love to do. Writers trying to tell a good story really want the chance to focus on trying to tell a good story. At the end of the day, that's all you can really ask for.

Dmitri Ragano, a graduate of Allderdice High School, is a writer and Internet professional based in Irvine, Calif. "Employee of the Year" is available on Amazon and www.dmitriragano.com.

Reprinted from Post-Gazette.com, December 18, 2011 at 12:00 am

"Go the F**k to Sleep" wakes up book industry!

2011-10-28T16:18:00.001-04:00

t may have been a “fluke Hit,” but Akashic Books publisher Johnny Temple says Adam Mansbach and Ricardo Cortes’ bestselling kids book parody, Go the F**k to Sleeep, has spent six months on the bestseller lists and has more than 500,000 copies in print. It’s so successful Akashic will publish a real kids’ book based on it next year. While the parody has also spawned a TV sit-com and a horde of copycat titles it is allowing the independent house to stabilize its finances and plan for the future.

In a phone interview with Temple, he said Go the F**k to Sleep has more than 515,000 copies in print and has been licensed internationally to 31 different territories, representing about 27 languages—including the Norwegian dialect of Nynorsk. “it’s hit the bestseller lists of Germany, Australia and the U.K.,” Temple said.

Go The F**k to Sleep has been such a hit, it didn’t take Temple and the book’s creators very long to decide to create a “real kids book” based on the adult parody—“but with no profanity,” Temple said. In April 2012 Akashic will release, Seriously, Just Go to Sleep, an actual kids book that will “have the biggest initial release we’ve ever had. It will likely be tens of thousands of copies with a big promotional push,” he said. Temple described the book as “100% children’s book, rated G. It’s by the same creative team and its still about a parent trying to get a kid to go to sleep.” Temple said the book has similar rhymes and drawings to the parody original, “but they’ve added visual depth and new elements that will really appeal to kids.”

The book has also caught the attention of Hollywood: it’s been optioned for a film by Fox 2000 and Mansbach has sold the book’s concept to CBS for a new situation comedy starring Jerry O’Connell about how the author of a parody kids book ends up becoming a parenting expert. It’s generated a flood of copycat titles as well as “inundating” the publisher with proposals for “kids’ parody books. It’s amazing how many people think they’ve stumbled on a new idea,” Temple said. “It’s not like Go The F**K To Sleep is high literature, but it does have intregity,” said Temple, who was a successful rock musician before he launched Akashic, “every verse and illustration is beautifully conceived. But these copycat titles are like everything that was wrong with the music business—people copying other’s successes.”

Temple praised his distributor Consortium for guiding him through the process of handling a surprise runaway bestselling hit, a process that has wrecked some small presses. Indeed he said, a bigger publisher offered the small house “a $1 million” to takeover the publication of the book. Temple turned them down and said Akashic has made far more money than that. “There was no better better ally during a stressful situation than Consortium,” said Temple. Indeed, the book has generated so much income, Temple said he can look down the road and make plans around the houses’ future and offer his hardworking staff something rare for a small house—more money.

Akashic has signed with Benay Enterprises, an accounting and managing firm that manages the back office affairs of such independent publishers as Granta, Steerforth Press, Soho Press and the Overlook Press. “We’ve needed this a long time but couldn’t afford to do it,” Temple said, “I’m trying not to grow too fast. We’ve been unstable financially but now we can tuck some money away. We won’t get into bidding wars over authors but now we can pay the staff long-overdue bonuses. They work so hard—myself included—it’s just not sustainable; there’s a risk of burnout around here.”

UCLA Physicist Applies Physics To Best-selling Books

2011-09-21T08:51:00.002-04:00

UCLA physicist and complex systems theorist Didier Sornette, who used statistical physics and mathematics to analyze 138 books that made Amazon.com's best-seller list between 1997 and April 2004. His team's initial results are published in Physical Review Letters Nov. 26.

"Complex systems can be understood, and the book market is a complex system," said Sornette, a professor of earth and space sciences, and a member of UCLA's Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics. "Each buyer is not predictable, but complex networks have a degree of predictability."

Best-selling books typically reach their sales peaks in one of two ways. The less potent way is by what Sornette calls an "exogenous shock," which is brief and abrupt. An example is "Strong Women Stay Young" by Dr. Miriam Nelson, which peaked on the list the day after a favorable review in the Sunday New York Times. A second example is Sornette's own 2002 book, "Why Stock Markets Crash: Critical Events in Complex Financial Systems," which spiked following a favorable review by Jon Markman on CNBC and TheStreet.com. "On Jan. 17, 2003, my book was ranked 2,000-something and then suddenly it was No. 17," Sornette recalled. "A few hours later, it was in the top 10. As a physicist, it looked to me like an exogenous shock to the system."

Sales are typically greater, however, when a book benefits from what Sornette calls an "endogenous shock," which progressively accelerates over time, and is illustrated in the book business by favorable word-of-mouth. Such books rise slowly, but the sales results are more enduring, and the decline in sales is slower and more much gradual, he found.

An example includes "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," which reached the best-seller list two years after it was published, without the benefit of a major marketing campaign. The book was popular with book clubs and inspired women to form "Ya-Ya Sisterhood" groups of their own. A second example is Nora Roberts' novel, "Heaven and Earth (Three Sisters Island Trilogy)," which peaked only after a slow rise and also fell slowly, which Sornette attributes to word of the book spreading among friends and family.

The slower peaks tend to generate more sales over time, Sornette said.

"Word-of-mouth can spread like an epidemic," he said.

The trajectories of many books' rankings are combinations of both kinds of peaks, Sornette says, which suggests that an effective, well-timed marketing campaign could combine with a strong network to enhance sales.

A specialist in the scientific prediction of catastrophes in a wide range of complex systems, Sornette said his model for analyzing peaks and falls in book sales is very similar to one he uses to understand earthquakes. He has applied techniques of physics to economic data, and has developed a quantitative model that can predict the signatures of a coming stock market crash.

"Is it possible to derive a quantitative law of how book sales behave?" Sornette asks. "We have derived a law of how a sale's shock to the system will jump up and decline over time. The books we analyzed behaved the same way. We can statistically predict how the system will evolve, how sales peaks can emerge, and we can predict the expected decline slope for books that rise sharply."

Sornette hopes this research will provide insights into complex physical systems, and will shed light on scientific questions in geophysics, biology and climatology. Sornette, who is also a research director at the University of Nice's National Center for Scientific Research in his native France, has written or co-written more than 350 papers in scholarly journals.

Complex systems in nature experience catastrophic events, such as earthquakes and climate change, but it can be difficult for scientists to tell whether these events are caused by natural, internal fluctuations or shocks from external forces. Sornette's team's success in distinguishing between internal and external causes suggests that it can be done for other extreme events in complex networks as well, he said.

###

Sornette's Web site is:http://www.ess.ucla.edu/faculty/sornette/.

Lincoln Parks hosts Summer Writer's Workshop and Conference

2011-05-06T10:28:00.002-04:00

A cool summer workshop for young writers: http://www.lppac.org/workshops/

Amazon Makes More Waves in the Publishing Industry

2011-05-05T12:17:00.004-04:00

It has been my pleasure to help many of my clients publish their books this past year, and a number of them have chosen to self-publish, partly due to Amazon's revolutionary free platform called Create Space.

Now, Amazon has announced that it is expanding its publishing arm once again by launching Montlake Romance in fall 2011 (with plans to deepen its category publishing to mystery, science fiction, and thrillers). This has many in the publishing business talking about the company’s hiring strategies. And agents have been eyeing the unfolding process closely, trying to gauge whether the retailer will become as viable a place for their books as traditional houses.

Publisher's Weekly reports as follows:

For weeks job openings at Amazon, in both editorial and publicity, have been posted online, offering positions in Seattle and New York. Rumors have surfaced that the company is recruiting a New York publishing staff and is on the hunt for a high-level executive to be the publisher of its expanded publishing wing. Amazon confirmed that it will be handling its own distribution, and that Victoria Griffith is publisher of the new Montlake imprint.

A rep for the company, who noted that Amazon "has had a New York office for some time," said that "some" of the publishing jobs with the company will be based in New York. While the rep would not comment on when Amazon will launch the other planned genre imprints, rumors have been floating that the company has already closed a deal with an author, for a sizable sum, for either its thriller or mystery imprint.

A number of sources inside New York publishing houses said there was a sour feeling about the way Amazon has, to this point, gone about its employee search. The company sent a form letter to a number of senior executives, some within the same publisher, inquiring if they would be interested in working for Amazon.

While some sources scoffed that a suite of Amazon imprints could establish respect in the industry—one insider said Amazon's publishing efforts would likely be seen as a “proprietary bookseller-publisher pretty far down the food chain of quality publishers”—agents were less damning.

One agent noted that Amazon is uniqeuly positioned to promote authors and books in a way traditional houses are not—through content on its Web site as well as by tapping into information about its customers' book-buying habits. For this reason, this agent said, there is a certain appeal to selling a book to them. He noted, though, that “when any new publishing company or imprint is created, I generally like to wait and see how they’re going to do before placing my authors’ intellectual property there.”

Regarding distribution, questions linger about whether print books from Amazon could find their way into Barnes & Noble or the independents, since both see the company as their most significant competition. One source said it would be presumptuous to assume that B&N would not stock a book simply because Amazon published it, while others added that, for the right title, having no distribution in B&N or the independents would not seriously damage sales anyway.

B&N did not respond to e-mails about whether it will carry Montlake titles. Some independent booksellers are already saying they will never carry a book published by Amazon. "Nobody that sells books needs to do business with Amazon. We don't carry titles by our competitors. We don't carry Barnes & Noble titles. Why would we carry Amazon?" said Geoffrey Jennings of the Fairway. Kans., Rainy Day Books. He added: "It doesn't matter how big you make the press, a vanity press is still a vanity press."

Steve Bercu, of Austin's BookPeople, said it is unlikely he would carry an Amazon title. "They haven't exactly endeared themselves to retailers. Maybe they're looking forward to a happy future collecting sales tax when 100% of retailers aren't mad at them."

Another insider said he thinks Amazon will likely start to “acquire big names in the editorial ranks as well as make runs at big authors.” He added: “And I think agents would sell to them, especially since they’ll probably spend big money.” Amazon has proven recently that, for the right author, it is willing to pay a lot.

After St. Martin’s Press closed a reported $4 million four-book deal with self-publishing sensation Amanda Hocking, word leaked that Amazon had put in a competitive bid in an attempt to land the author. “They probably know enough about the book business by now to do as well as, or better, than the old-school houses,” said another agent, acknowledging that he would probably sell a book to Amazon.

Of course, as the previous insider guessed, it may come down to money on the table. Yet another agent said: “The big question is whether Amazon will pay advances, and at what level. And, of course, what will their tolerance of risk be as a publisher.”

Source: Publisher's Weekly

CHANGE YOUR WORDS, CHANGE YOUR LIFE

2011-04-20T07:56:00.002-04:00

A SHORT VID ON THE POWER OF WORDS:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/19/the-power-of-words.aspx

Authors are Social Media Masters . . . or, They Should Be

2011-03-16T10:15:00.009-04:00

There are six essential elements for successful digital marketing and when used together they make for a powerful combination. Each element is important on its own, but when you use all six together you will see a strategy that is effective, scalable and long term.

Website -- A professional website is the single most important step towards your digital marketing plan. Your website is your homebase, so make sure it is updated regularly and is current. Use your site as a platform for all other activities. Post your blog and photos along with links to your social networks. Always remember your audience when developing content. If a person cares enough to come to your site, you need to make sure their trip was worth the effort.

eNewsletter -- email is still the most powerful digital tool. Every single author should have an enewsletter. You should collect as many email addresses of your readers as you can. Overtime email addresses of your readers will be a huge asset. You can communicate with your readers through a regular enewsletter sent either once a month or once every 3 months. Just keep those lines of communication open.

Blog -- A blog is the best way to share your expertise and drive traffic to your site. Use your blog on your own website along with posting it on an important high-traffic website as a guest post. Everyone needs content, and it never hurts to ask a popular blog if they want to run your blog post. Blogs don't have to be long, 500-700 words tend to be the most popular lengths.

Facebook -- Every author should have a Facebook fan page so they can socialize and communicate with their readers. It's an important element of digital marketing and honestly at 520 million people, you can't afford to ignore it. Along with being a great place to build community, Facebook fan pages also offer Insights a great tool for monitoring your audience and your interactions.

Video -- There is not a better or easier way to show your passion and personality than video. It can be fun content for your Facebook fan page, your blog, and your website. Remember to post it on YouTube as well.

Twitter -- I know many authors are intimidated by Twitter, but it's a fabulous way to share resources and develop a following. I find Twitter to be an incredible tool for listening and for doing market research. You can listen to your readers, find out what other people are doing and saying, and build a relationship with current and future readers.

If you chose not to participate in digital marketing and social media, you are only hurting yourself and your readers. There are millions of people on social networks; they don't miss you, but you are missing out if you ignore them.

Digital marketing is a wonderful way to connect with people who care about your work. Just remember that all six elements of digital marketing working together will produce the best results. There are no short cuts here, but it is all well worth the investment of time and attention.

SOURCE: Fauzia Burke for Huffington Post. Burke is the Founder and President of FSB Associates, a publicity and social media firm specializing in creating awareness for books and authors on the web.

A NOVEL QUESTION . . . OR TWO

2011-02-09T12:29:00.004-05:00

"Two questions form the foundation of all novels:

What if?

What next?

(A third question, What now?, is one the author asks himself every 10 minutes or so; but it's more a cry than a question.)

Every novel begins with the speculative question, What if 'X' happened?

That's how you start."

--Tom Clancy

DEJA VU - THIS SATURDAY :)

2010-12-06T09:09:00.003-05:00

JOIN IN THE HOLIDAY CHEER - THIS SATURDAY @ DEJA VU Books make GREAT holiday gifts, and here is another opportunity for Pittsburghers to support local authors: HOLIDAY BOOK SIGNING Saturday, December 11 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Deja Vu Books and Antiques 222 Bridge Street Bridgewater, PA (Beaver County) I will be joining about a dozen other local authors at this charming indie bookstore that specializes in antique and collectible books. Stop by and do some holiday shopping! *Hosted by Beaver County Wordsmiths - visit them on Facebook!*

Agent Tina Wexler on 6 1/2 Ways to Impress a Literary Agent

2010-11-10T10:25:00.001-05:00

1. Write a really amazing query. Which is to say: take your time, try describing your work multiple ways until you find the best approach, read successful queries online and have as many people as possible read yours so that you’re certain it makes sense and is a shiny apple.

Tina Wexler, an agent at ICM, is predominately
interested in middle grade/YA fiction and adult
nonfiction. Tina currently serves on the board of
the Rutgers University Council on Children's
Literature and is an active member of SCBWI.

2. Demonstrate knowledge of an agent's list. This doesn’t mean you have to read every book they’ve ever sold—I leave that job to my mom—but by showing them you know a bit about who they represent, you’re telling agents you’ve done your research on who to query.

3. Do your research on who to query. Period.

4. Write a really amazing manuscript. Which is to say: take your time, put your work through multiple revisions, read published works in your genre, and consider joining a critique group or finding a writing partner whom you trust who can help make your manuscript a shiny apple.

5. Be nice. Agents, like most everyone, want to work with people who are personable. This does not, however, mean “Fawn over the agent” or “Send a bushel of apples to the agent.”

6. Don’t ask me, “Why all the talk about apples?” because if you’ve read my client Donna Gephart's How to Survive Middle School, you already know it’s because I'm constantly daydreaming about Bubbe’s Jewish Apple Cake. But do ask other questions you may have. Be a part of the conversation. Agents want critical thinkers who take this getting-published thing seriously.

6 ½. Take this getting-published thing seriously. There’s plenty of fun to be had, but remember, this is a business, not a hobby or a get-rich-quick scheme. Agents want hard workers, writers dedicated to their craft who view getting published as the first step of a long journey, writers whom they will want to be with on that journey.

The biggest database of agents anywhere is
the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents.
Buy it here online at a discount.

FORGET YOUR TROUBLES, C'MON GET HAPPY :)

2010-11-03T09:35:00.006-04:00

I was recently asked to take part in the 2010 Happiness Project, designed to create the “happiest year of your life.” The project coordinator, Dr. Nancy Mramor, and I have joined a dozen other authors to present articles on the top 12 things proven by researchers to cause happiness. In this series, I report on the topic of "proximity and happiness." Consider taking a moment to read it at www.drnancymramoronline.com/GinaMazza.html . . . your happiness could depend on it!

Since we know that happiness is contagious, feel free forward this article after you read it to anyone who you want to be happy. And check out the other articles in the series at www.drmramor.com. You can also access this article under the G-vents tab on my website www.ginamazza.com.

To your happiness!

Gina

WRITE ON - TONIGHT :)

2010-10-25T10:10:00.001-04:00

Join me for this fun writer's workshop, back by popular demand :)

THE CONSCIOUS WRITER: HOW TO BE PROLIFIC IN YOUR ART, YOUR HEART AND IN YOUR LIFE

TONIGHT: 6:30 to 8:30 Expressions Cafe and Social Club

Harmony, PA

CALL 724.452.0869 to register

In this workshop you will learn how to:

View the world as the fount of glory that it is, and use this as delicious fodder for your writing or chosen art
Rise up from the umpteen demands on your life and stake out time for your creative self
Attract a conscious stream of achievement with your writing endeavors
Widen your “PVC pipe” to higher guidance
Burn through the thoughtless, negative junk that others have said about your creative dreams
Take small yet radical steps to change things up in your life so you can swim in a stream of inspiration

The E-Books Have It!

2010-10-14T11:26:00.002-04:00

Thinking of publishing your book in e-format? Publisher's Weekly reported today that while sales in the print trade segments shrank in August, e-book sales had another strong month, jumping 172.4%, to $39 million, according to the 14 publishers that report sales to the AAP’s monthly sales estimates.

For the year-to-date, e-book sales were up 192.9%, to $263 million. AAP said that of the approximately 19 publishers that report trade sales, revenue in the January to August period was $2.91 billion, making the $263 million e-book sales 9.0% of trade sales.

Compare that to the end of 2009, when e-book sales comprised 3.3% of trade sales. Wow! The face of publishing continues to morph!

Gina

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR "WAKE"

2010-09-14T15:08:00.004-04:00

What a summer! Glad to live it, glad to leave it behind. (Many of you have shared a similar sentiment!) Holding steadfast to the principles in my book, Everything Matters, Nothing Matters has helped in navigating the miasma. Now it's a brand new day and the future is golden. Do you feel this, too?

During retreat time in Sedona recently, 350 of us pondered big questions about how to best live a sacred, profound and creatively fertile life, and help others do so, as well. We were encouraged to "pay attention to our wake" . . . that is, the trail we leave behind (like waves left by a boat) as we walk through our days. Do you leave a trail of grievances or miracles? Judgement or love? Fear or courage?

As we lean into the autumn season, my intention is to live these answers with you. Here are a few places where I'll be during the coming weeks . . . or, as always, feel free to respond to this post or FB me!

Women Etcetera! Expo ~ Pittsburgh 2010

Author Showcase: Women Writers Discuss Their Books

October 2, 1:30 p.m. (event is all day)

The Mall at Robinson

Pittsburgh, PA

FREE admission! FREE parking!

To learn more: www.womenetcetera.com

Women Etcetera! has assembled professionals from a wealth of industries to create a day of rejuvenation, education and entertainment--with an emphasis on health, happiness, style and a balanced life. Fitness sessions, fashion shows, live radio broadcasts, health screenings, local women's rock bands, local authors and more.

Biz Chicks LunchMix, Lunch and Learn Program

Who Do You Think You Are?

Wednesday, October 20, 1 p.m.

Law Offices of Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP

535 Smithfield Street, 12th Floor

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

$15 for members / $20 for non-members

RSVP: bas@muslaw.com or 412.456.2587

If you don't know about Pittsburgh's BizChicks, you should! So...do you need a little dose of chutzpa to awaken to your greater self? Join me as I ask the provocative question, "Who do you think you are?" and presents 7 concepts that will help you live the fullest expression of the answer.

Expressions Cafe and Social Club

The Conscious Writer: How to be Prolific in your Art, your Heart and in your Life

Monday, October 25, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Corner of Spring and Mercer Streets

Harmony, PA 16037

Fee: $40 (includes a copy of Everything Matters, Nothing Matters: How to Live with Exquisite Calm, Euphoric Creativity and Divine Clarity)

RSVP: 724.452.0869

Back by popular demand, I will be offering my creativity workshop in this charming, intimate log cabin setting. Come and discover how to view the world as the fount of glory that it is, and rise up from the umpteen demands on your life to stake out time for your creative self. Bring your writing journal or laptop. Coffee and sweet treats will be available for purchase.

Write on, Gina

Gina's public appearance/speaking gig wardrobe is provided exclusively by personal stylist Bear Brandegee. Visit www.bearbrandegee.com.

Friday the 13th . . . Good Luck for Writers!

2010-08-13T14:30:00.007-04:00

I read this note from the editor of WritersMarket.com today and wanted to pass it along to all of you. As writers (and in life), we make our own good luck. Remember that . . . and after you're done working, play the lottery tonight!

Write on, Gina

Over the years, I've met many writers who think their struggles as a writer are merely luck—bad luck. It doesn't matter how many stories exist to the contrary, these writers are convinced that finding success is like winning the lottery. And maybe there's something to that.

I suppose if I was a writer who thought getting published was all about luck that I wouldn't invest too much energy on revision. After all, a lucky writer will find the right editor to fix up any manuscript flaws, right? I guess I wouldn't waste time building a platform or developing an audience either, because that surely comes to writers who are already lucky and/or published, which is the same as lucky.

There are examples of writers getting lucky, but let's face it: Most success stories come from writers making their own luck through working at their craft, networking (online and off), and persevering. Don't let yourself get caught in the trap of thinking you're not lucky enough to make it as a writer; you can make yourself lucky starting now.

Until next we meet, keep writing and marketing what you write.

Robert Lee Brewer
Senior Content Editor
Writer's Market
WritersMarket.com

City of Alchemy

2010-06-22T08:58:00.001-04:00

The amazing young sage Tone Anogianakis flew to da 'Burgh from Vancouver last week to interview me about EMNM, higher consciousness, PGH's role in the planet's spiritual evolution, conscious parenting and other topics. Filmed at the West End Overlook....

City of Alchemy

Looking for a Book Publicist?

2010-04-28T07:38:00.002-04:00

Hey all,

As a publishing consultant, I help match up prospective (and current) authors with whatever resources they need to get their message out into the world. If you have a writing project in the works and need an assist connecting with literary agents, small presses, larger publishing houses, POD companies, printers, typesetters, graphic design wizards and publicists, I'd be happy to work with you.

Over the years, my author clients have asked me to directly serve as their agent or publicist. While I would love to be all things to all people, I can't . . . heck, no one can. Yes, I can make valuable contacts for you and get your ball rolling in the proper direction. With that in mind, here is a link to a pretty good list of reputable book publicists. Check it out!

http://bookmarket.com/101pr.htm

Need a Shot of Creative Juice?

2010-04-19T10:22:00.001-04:00

I will be a guest on the Living at Yes radio show tonight @ 6. See Twitter banner on the right-hand column of this blog to connect!

Considering Publishing on Amazon Kindle?

2010-03-23T17:05:00.002-04:00

Kindle Bestsellers		Top Movers & Shakers
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson(Knopf) The Last Song - Nicholas Sparks (Grand Central) The Help - Kathryn Stockett (Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam) Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane (HarperTorch) Split Image - Robert B. Parker (Putnam)	The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson(Knopf) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot (Crown) The Last Surgeon - Michael Palmer (St. Martin's Press) Fantasy in Death - J.D. Robb (Putnam) The Silent Sea - Clive Cussler (Putnam)	Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II -Jason Berry (Free Press) +8400% The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Vietnam War - Phillip Jennings(Regnery Press) +3800% Arthur and George - Julian Barnes (Knopf) +2400% Marshall's Law - Denise A. Agnew (Samhain) +1900% True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa - Michael Finkel (Harper Perennial) +1900%
For more information on how to publish your titles on the Amazon Kindle, please click here.

Are you ON THE VERGE of a creative breakthrough?

2010-02-21T16:02:00.002-05:00

Don't miss this evening program on March 2 in Pittsburgh.

Created and produced by yours truly.

ON THE VERGE

Check it out: www.epiphanyworks.org/events.html

Creating a Virtual Book Tour

2010-02-11T08:14:00.003-05:00

My friend and colleague, Linda Handley, recently published an endearing children’s book, Squeeky and Louie, in honor of her father, F. R. Handley. (All proceeds from its sale benefit the American Cancer Society.) Linda had the brilliant idea to take Squeeky and Louie on a virtual book tour and was kind enough to share her process for doing so with all of you.

What is a Virtual Book Tour?

A virtual book tour is when an author visits websites, blogs and forums instead of bookstores, cafes and universities that a brick-and-mortar book tour would include. During each stop of the virtual book tour, an author "visits" a different website, blog or forum and may: be interviewed, post an original article or essay (guest post), have their book reviewed, answer questions from the blog's readers or any combination of the above.

Creating a Virtual Book Tour

When creating a virtual book tour it is important to have a well thought out and organized tour. Here are five steps to get you started.

1. Review your current contact and inform them that you are doing a tour; invite them to join you by 1) posting content to their own blog, 2) getting the word out to their social networks or 3) giving you general support.
2. Search other blogs, forums and networks for additional sites that may be interested in hosting you. Keep in mind that you want to stay in your target area and not just invite everyone.
3. Keep a schedule of your dates, keeping in mind that you will need to monitor and respond to comments.
4. Promote your tour on your web site, social networks, blog and press releases.
5. Thank the tour host and do any necessary follow-up.
6. Have an electronic copy of your media kit accessible on your web site or blog. This allows for easy sharing of your book information and you as an author.

Tips provided by Lee Drozak of My Office Assistant: www.myofficeassist.org.

Read more about Squeeky and Louie:

Squeeky and Louie is a children's tale about two gray mice and their adventures with Gus the Cat. "What are little, loving mice going to do when they want to come out and play? This turns out to be an easy problem to solve. Well, with a little clever help the two mice lead the reader on a tale of adventure." The simple text is joyous and engaging, but this is really a story told through the marvelous illustrations. Youngsters will love all the captivating facial expressions and wonderful humorous detail on each page. Squeeky and Louie is a timeless classic to share with friends, family, and future generations. Visit www.squeekyandlouie.com.

Ten Changes in Publishing Since 2000

2010-02-01T13:40:00.004-05:00

A lot has changed in the writing industry since WritersMarket.com started in 2000 (the same year that my first book, The Highest and The Best, was released). Most of us used dial-up to search the Internet for publishers and agent. Social network wasn't in the English vernacular yet (Facebook didn't even start until 2003)

Here are a few other things that have changed in the past 10 years, according to WritersMarket.com:

Many publications and publishers accept electronic submissions, whether via e-mail or online submission forms.
More than ever, writers have to brand themselves.
Writers must do the work of marketing and promoting themselves to agents, editors, publishers, and--ultimately--readers. (Wondering how? We recommend Get Known Before the Book Deal.)
Personal sites and blogs have made it easier than ever for writers to develop an audience.
Ad-based print resources (i.e., Magazines and Newspapers) have struggled to adjust to the Internet with new content strategies and pricing models. (Market Watch, exclusively forWritersMarket.com subscribers gives you insight on the latest changes.)
Due to the tough economic times, publications are relying more and more on freelancers. (With over 8000 listings, WritersMarket.com can help you find these opportunities.)
The proliferation of online content has opened up more opportunities than ever for writers from all backgrounds.
There are more online tools than ever to help writers research and write more efficiently and knowledgeably.
Social media offers easy and ground-breaking ways to network with publishing professionals, other writers, and potential interviewees. (If you're not already a member, join the Writer's Digest Community. You'll become a part of a supportive and creative community dedicated to the art and craft of writing.)
Businesses and organizations now rely on great content to attract new customers, sell products, and spread important messages--the trend of content marketing. (Wonder how much you should charge for this content? The "How Much Should I Charge? Rate Card" gives you answers!)

Words of Writing Wisdom for Twenty Ten

2010-01-12T08:53:00.003-05:00

As we begin this new decade, we're reminded of how fast time flies. Have you set fresh writing goals for 2010? Don't break that resolution before even the first of the year's 12 months is over. Take courage from these words by one of my favorite writing teachers, Natalie Goldberg:

"As writers we live life twice, like a cow that eats its food once and then regurgitates it to chew and digest it again. We have a second chance at biting into our experience and examining it . . . This is our life and it's not going to last forever. There isn't time to talk about someday writing that short story or poem or novel. Slow down now, touch what is around you, and out of care and compassion for each moment and detail, put pen to paper and begin to write."

Onward and upward!

Best, Gina

What Writers REALLY Want for Christmas

2009-12-19T15:03:00.005-05:00

I’ve had several requests to revive a little Muse You Can Use ditty that I wrote circa the winter solstice in 2003. So here it is, my gift to all of you fabulous writers out there:

12 Days of Writers’ Wishes

In honor of the season (and because “public domain” copyright law permits derivative works, ha, ha), I’m revising the lyrics from “The 12 Days of Christmas” to offer inspiration to those of you who’ve been working with the word this year.

I’ve omitted the “my true love gave to me” portion because we writers know that no one – not even our truest loves – can give us what it takes to inventively emote on the page. That gift comes from within and above.

I’ve also deleted the “days” idea (wow, this looks nothing like the original work!) and replaced each verse with things that writers REALLY want—none of that piping and drumming nonsense. Of what use are milking maids or geese-a-laying anyway, unless you own a cow or have a fetish for large waterfowl?

What remains after all this editing are 12 gifts that I hope you will receive in the coming year, if you so desire!

12 Drummers Drumming = 12 percent (or more) royalties

11 Pipers Piping = 11 hours of heavenly solitude to write, write, write

10 Lords a Leaping = 10 larger-than-life fiction characters leaping off the page, including one bad-ass antagonist and a main character who makes your heart melt

9 Ladies Dancing = 9 muses dancing in your head, rousing your imagination all year long

8 Maids a Milking = milking each of your first-rights-only articles 8 times through serial rights

7 Swans a Swimming = 7 article acceptance notices swimming in your e-box

6 Geese a Laying = 6^th sense about when your project is rightfully “done,” and the patience to keep incubating until it is

5 Golden Rings = 5 testimonials from readers saying how much they enjoyed reading you

4 Calling Birds = 4 call-in talk show offers, at least one in syndication

3 French Hens = 3 AAR literary agents offering representation (I don’t mean to infer that agents are hens)

2 Turtle Doves = 2 editors-in-charge of imprints, cooing for your manuscript (auction!)

A Partridge in a Pear Tree = a screen adaptation and a call from Oprah’s executive producer

HAPPY, HAPPY BLESSED HOLIDAY EVERYONE!

Gina

Writing a Memoir in 2010?

2009-12-10T20:41:00.004-05:00

Interested in writing a memoir? Check out this podcast I recently did with fellow author Sharon Lippincott. And while you're listening, have a glass of creamy (organic, of course!) holiday eggnog or a sweet hot apple toddy to get those creative juices flowing.

http://heartandcraft.blogspot.com/2009/11/interview-with-gina-mazza.html

Cheers, Gina

DARE TO RELAX THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

2009-12-03T14:56:00.001-05:00

REMINDER: WOMEN WHO DARE SALON

MONDAY, DECEMBER 7

6:30 to 9 p.m., MUDDY CUP COFFEE HOUSE, BELLEVUE

'Tis the season to make your lists, check them twice . . . then shop 'til your drop. Huh? Nah! For one evening, put aside the "to do" lists and take a little time for reflection. Join us for an evening of relaxed camaraderie and robust conversation amongst gal-pals. The Muddy Cup is serving up gingerbread lattes and special holiday treats in its bakery just for us. Learn more about the Salon and register here: http://www.ginamazza.com/events.htm.

Blessings of the season,

Gina

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

2009-11-23T09:01:00.002-05:00

Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving. (Kahlil Gibran)

Take a spare few moments this holiday weekend to write about what you are most thankful for. Pen your own daily prayer of gratitude and refer to it often throughout the coming months.

Wishing you a blessed holiday,

Gina

WE HAVE LIFTOFF!

2009-11-18T12:16:00.001-05:00

New website is live!

Go to it: ginamazza.com

TESTING, 1 . . . 2 . . 3

2009-11-12T13:52:00.003-05:00

Okay, the test pages for my new website are live. Still have some kinks to smooth out . . . so this is an official sneak peak for loyal Muse You Can Use blog followers!

Let me know your thoughts: www.ginamazza.com

Good day, Gina

Troy Polamalu in Faith & Family

2009-11-10T10:38:00.005-05:00

A portion of my PITTSBURGH Magazine August cover story on NFL super-hot dude Troy Polamalu was just reprinted at Faith & Family. Check out: Faith & Family : Features : The Mane Man

Go Steelers! :)

Gina

Interested in Filmmaking? Have a Script?

2009-11-06T08:50:00.003-05:00

Film Factory Competition Kicks Off Tomorrow...

Emerging talent in southwestern Pennsylvania will get a chance to have their scripts read and material developed by Film Factory advisors, who represent some of the finest filmmaking professionals in Hollywood and in the Pittsburgh.

Saturday, November 7

10:30 a.m., Melwood Screening Room

477 Melwood Avenue

Oakland, PA

The Steeltown FILM FACTORY Filmmaking Competition is Pittsburgh's own version of "Project
Greenlight." Get your script ready! To learn more, visit www.wifmpit.com.

Apparently, Nature is the Mother of All Inspiration

2009-11-03T17:54:00.011-05:00

The results of this blog's creativity poll are in! After a tally of the numbers, it appears that the majority of you (more than 80%) find your best creative inspiration in nature, such as walking in the woods, on the beach or through a clover meadow.
To a lesser extent, some of you glean inspiration from reading elegant prose from literary writers. And even fewer poll takers reported being inspired by swilling a cosmo (not too surprising) of falling in LUV (which I DO find surprising). Hmmm.....what does that say about the state of the "union"? Mother Nature, you win!

Major Tom to Ground Control

2009-11-02T17:45:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I've had to postpone my website launch for a short bit due to (1) my html person getting a hellacious flu and (2) astrological reasons. No kidding. I consult with my one-and-only astrologer on matters of personal and professional importance such as launching new ventures. I thought November 1 had a lovely ring to it but he ixnayed that idea. Anyway, I prefer to have the oomph of the solar system behind me, so sit tight, people, we'll have liftoff soon. Take your protein pills and put your helmets on.... :-0

Taking My Own Advice . . .

2009-10-26T14:29:00.011-04:00

OUTTAKES FROM MY WEBSITE PHOTO SHOOT

I’ve been acting like the doctor who never gets a check-up, the mechanic who skips oil changes, the accountant who owes back taxes. You see, part of my work is to help individuals and companies put their best foot forward in words, and I’ve been remiss at doing the same with my writer website. For a while, I’ve been saying that my site needs to better reflect who I am and how I serve. Well, the time has come to put my money where my mouth is. Time to quit being loquacious and just get down to it.

And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. One of the many hats I’ve been wearing these past few months is “doyenne of web redesign.” Far from being another chore on my marketing agenda, I’ve been giddy with excitement about reinventing this site. I assembled a highly creative and talented team—photographers, stylist, graphic designer and web master (the accompanying photos tell a bit of the story)—but in the end, it came down to doing what I do for everyone else: put pen to paper (actually fingers to keyboard) and, as Rumi says, “open the window in the center of your chest and let the birds fly out.” Ah!

My newly refashioned Ginamazza.com site launches on November 1. You DON’T want to miss it.

Stay tuned!

Gina

BLOGGING = JOURNALISM?

2009-10-23T09:46:00.003-04:00

This research just out: the average annual salary for full-time bloggers is $122,222. Is it time to rethink the definition of blogging from self-absorbed schlock to a tool used by serious, informed journalists? Click on this link:.

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/blogging-dead-long-live-journalism

Write on,

Gina

GO TO THE LIGHT!

2009-10-19T09:55:00.002-04:00

Join me this weekend!

The Guiding Light Farewell Event
Saturday, October 24, 4 to 8 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Pittsburgh International Airport
www.SoLongSpringfield.com

Beth Caldwell (founder of Pittsburgh Professional Women) and I will be signing books at this fabulous farewell to the soap opera Guiding Light. (Apparently, the ‘Burgh has a largest GL fan base in the country!)

Meet the cast, enjoy a strolling dinner and live musical performances. More than 1,500 tix have been sold so far! Proceeds benefit the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation.

ARE YOU IN YOUR WRITE MIND?

2009-10-11T14:14:00.004-04:00

Join me this week for my workshop, "The Conscious Writer: How to be Prolific in Your Art, Your Heart and in Your Life."

View the world as the fount of glory that it is, and use this as delicious fodder for your writing or chosen art
Rise up from the umpteen demands on your life and stake out time for your creative self
Attract a conscious stream of achievement with your writing endeavors
Widen your “PVC pipe” to higher guidance
Burn through the thoughtless, negative junk that others have said about your creative dreams
Take small yet radical steps to change things up in your life so you can swim in a stream of inspiration

We will also do a fun (no pressure!) writing exercise that includes enchanted music, the moon and intentional swooning on the subject of your choice.

Wednesday, October 14, 6:30 - 8:30 P.M.

The Book Place Piazza Plaza, 20550 Rte. 19, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066

$25 Includes a copy of the book Everything Matters, Nothing Matters, which Gina will use in the workshop.

Enjoy freshly brewed Tazo teas, chai and cool kombucha (Don’t know what that is? Come find out!)

TO REGISTER: 724.776.7220

Just announced: Women Who Dare Salon exclusively for EMNM readers!

2009-10-06T09:36:00.008-04:00

As promised in my previous post, I am hosting a Women Who Dare Salon exclusively for EMNM readers. We will gather at the hip, comfy and easily accessible Muddy Cup Coffee House, just a tad north of the city of Pittsburgh.

Wednesday, November 4

7 to 9 p.m.

Muddy Cup Coffee House

541 Lincoln Avenue

Bellevue, PA 15202

412.415.3144

Fee: $15

Salon details:

Are you on the verge of awakening to a greater sense of who you are but need a blast of encouragement to do so? You are so in luck.

At this soiree you will find:
A temple of feminine camaraderie in a cozy café setting

Encouragement to safely explore the outer limits of your longings and what you wish to create in your life

Empowerment to drop-kick the mental/emotional debris that others have carelessly scattered around you

How to use the ritual of celebration as joyful medicine to snap out of the “I can never do enough” stupor

Why the Global Sisterhood Manifesto is one you should personally commit to
Best practices for living a life of exquisite calm, euphoric creativity and divine clarity

Sponsored in part by the Women’s Connection Group.

Women Who Dare Salon

2009-09-30T10:54:00.002-04:00

Wow! The Women Who Dare Salon announced on 9/18 sold out in less than a week. (Think we're onto something here?) I applaud each and every women who signed up for this event and look forward to frolicking with you on October 7.

For those who contacted me after the salon sold out: If you'd still like to be a part of the salon experience, please let me know and I will be happy to schedule a second event in November.

For my faithful EMNM readers: The October 7 salon is designed to expand the EMNM message to those who haven't yet read the book. But many of you have asked to join in the salon. I would be thrilled to host a special salon expressly for those of you who already have a copy of the book. Simply respond to this email and let me know that you're interested . . . if you dare! (Of course, you do!)

Just now hearing about the Salon? Email me to learn more: inspire@zominternet.net.

Cheers, Gina

Catch me tomorrow in Cranberry!

2009-09-25T13:42:00.002-04:00

Join me tomorrow!

The Book Place
Saturday, September 26

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Piazza Plaza

20550 Route 19

Cranberry Township, PA

724.776.7220

I’m thrilled to be signing and reading excerpts from EMNM right in my own community! Come check out this new bookstore that serves northern Allegheny County and Butler County.

Monroeville rocks!

2009-09-23T11:09:00.004-04:00

A big hug to everyone who came out to my talk last evening in Monroeville. With so many events happening around the G-20 in Pittsburgh this week, it was a privilege to see such a robust turnout for this program. I had a blast. Hope you did, too.

Next on the calendar, a book signing this Saturday at a brand new bookstore right in my community! I salute you, book lovers! Visit my book site for details of all upcoming events: www.EverythingmattersNothingmatters.com.

Blessed Autumn to you,
Gina

Join me this Tuesday @ Monroeville Library

2009-09-20T19:06:00.002-04:00

Join me Tuesday, September 22, for:

Everything Matters, Nothing Matters: How to Live with Exquisite Calm, Euphoric Creativity and Divine Clarity—Especially During Challenging Times

Tuesday, September 22, 7 to 9 p.m.

Monroeville Public Library, www.MonroevilleLibrary.org

As we progress through life, our soul’s desires can become shrouded, squelched, devalued or ignored altogether. Especially in times of emotional and economic crisis, the tendency is to shut down, lose faith, think small. Forced to choose between our heart’s desires and everyday practicality—or necessity—we deny that most authentic part of ourselves or put it on a shelf to be looked into "some day" when things are "better." This talk will challenge you to consider that now is the exact right time to begin to live your higher story—in spite of what "outer circumstances" might be happening.

Best always!
Gina

Podcast on Publishing: ARE YOU READY NOW TO WRITE THAT BOOK?

2009-09-14T13:26:00.005-04:00

First of all, thanks to everyone who stopped by my author table at the Bridgewater Book Fest this weekend. What a gorgeous autumn day here in the Northeast! And books only added to the beauty! I'm joined in the photo to the right by Dave Hanson of "Slap Shot" fame.

Are you ready NOW . . right now! . . . to do something with your book idea? If so, I invite you to listen to an audio recording I just did for Pittsburgh Professional Women. In this interview, I share details about the process for getting your book published, working with agents and publishers, and how to know whether you should self-publish or work with a traditional publishing house. Respond to this post and I'll send you a web link to the podcast!

All the best, always!
Gina

Bridgewater Book / Literary Fest: THIS SATURDAY

2009-09-08T08:40:00.002-04:00

Meet me at the Bridgewater Bookfest in Bridgewater, PA on Sept 12, 2009!

Bridgewater Bookfest
Saturday September 12, 2009
9:00 - 3:00
Bridge Street
Bridgewater PA 15009-3040

Only minutes from Pittsburgh.

I will be signing copies of "Everything Matters, Nothing Matters". This is sure to be a fun party!
Check out www.BridgewaterBookFest.com

Cheers,
Gina

It's all about emotion

2009-09-02T15:21:00.003-04:00

Cheryl Klein, senior editor at Arthur A. Levine Books (an imprint of Scholastic) recently shared with Writer's Digest the best publishing advice she's ever received. "It's all about emotion," she said. "First, the emotion the author can create in me, the reader. Then the emotion I, as an editor, carry into the house, passing my excitement on to our sales staff so they'll carry it forward to booksellers and thence to readers. And then the readers discover the emotion in the book all over again."

Emotion is GOOD!

For query tips and more, visit Cheryl's website CherylKlein.com.

Cheers,
Gina

INVISIBLE WRITING

2009-08-26T10:30:00.004-04:00

I am intrigued by the theme of this year's FundsforWriters.com annual essay contest: Invisible Writing.

Submit 750 words or less on this theme, which you can interpret any way you'd like. Enter the $5 entry fee category and vie for $200 or the NO entry fee category and compete for $50. Deadline is October 31 (just in time to polish off those final words and head to a costumed Halloween party!).

Winners are announced December 1. Whether seen or unseen, get writing!

Gina

Green Writers A Go-Go

2009-08-14T15:02:00.002-04:00

As writers, we not only pay witness to what’s going on in the world, we report on trends that can benefit all. One trend that I’m happy to see turning into a national lifestyle is the green movement. It’s not just for us Grape Nuts types anymore. More people than ever are wising to the fact that we’re dust if we don’t take care of our mother—Mother Earth, that is. Here are three ways in which you can be an environmentally conscious writer.

STOP KILLING TREES. The time is now to go paperless, and the technology is available to do so. For years, I’ve been inching towards a paperless office, and now with my nifty new iMac and full proof Time Machine as backup, I feel more confident than ever storing mostly everything electronically. I send pdfs instead of faxes. I scan docs in e-format. I even threw away my leather-paper day timer and use iCal exclusively. If I have to print items for internal use, I at least print on both sides of the paper, thereby cutting in half the amount I use. For the paper that you do use, purchase recycled paper.

STOP FILLING LANDFILLS. The amount of trash I throw away—in my office and in my home—has diminished over the years, partly due to my mantra that whatever can be recycled, reused or resold, is. Just this past week, for example, I sent back 2 toner cartridges to the manufacturer, sold an unused wireless router on craigslist and donated a decent but unwanted desk chair to a local nonprofit. Visit epa.gov for information on recycling and where to donate old equipment.

GIVE YOUR PC SOME REM SLEEP. Electronics use as much as 40 percent of their energy when they are plugged in, even if they're turned off. So, if you’re going to be away from your office for a while, don’t just turn off your equipment; unplug them. And if you absolutely must leave your computer on, set it on “sleep” after 10 minutes. Oh, and next time you need to replace light bulbs anywhere in your office or home, buy the new energy saving spiral type.

It’s easy to be green,
Gina

Thanks, Writers!

2009-07-22T18:08:00.004-04:00

Thanks to all the kind writerly souls who came out for my workshops/author discussions this month. I enjoy meeting each and every one of you and hearing about your writing aspirations. it is a joy for me to talk about writing. It's almost as much fun as writing itself!

Here's a pic of me with 2 fellow authors at the Champions Series author panel hosted by Spahr Consulting. Please check back here soon...I will be announcing 2 more upcoming writing workshops, along with a special surprise I have planned for those who are really, truly serious about moving their writing project to the next level--and far beyond.

Continued happy summer, everyone!
Gina

JULY WRITING WORKSHOPS

2009-07-02T15:53:00.006-04:00

Good summer, all,
I've been invited to participate in 2 events in Pittsburgh this month, both which will address writing and publishing:

Publish, Don’t Perish: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Published
Women’s Small Business Association Small Business Week
Monday, July 13, 1 p.m.
Season’s Reception and Event Center
Comfort Inn, Pittsburgh East
699 Rodi Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15235
www.WSBA.ws
Be a part of WSBA’s Small Business Week, July 13-17, with great topics to help business owners market and grow their businesses on a budget. My talk will help you assess your writing project, deciding on a publishing venue, and learn how to submit your work to publishers and literary agents. Check out the full week’s topics at the above website.

Writing a Book: From Thought to Publisher
Tuesday, July 21, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Fifth Third Bank, 5834 Forbes Avenue, Squirrel Hill
www.spahrconsulting.com
Join me for an author panel discussion of getting published, part of the Champion’s Series sponsored by Spahr Consulting.

Imagine. Connect. Act.

2009-06-05T14:24:00.005-04:00

Writerly types,

A colleague just turned me onto this great website that lists oodles of opportunities to volunteer around the globe (which can be parlayed into stories to write about and ideas to pitch to publications). Idealist.com also is a good place to find a summer intern--which is what I've decided to do (business is so good I need a little help!). Conversely, if you are looking for an internship in journalism or various other fields, check out the postings on this site: www.idealist.org.

Gina

“In these economic times,” freelancers are booming...

2009-05-28T13:10:00.001-04:00

I read an article yesterday that noted how often the phrase “especially in these economic times” is being used in the media. As an unstoppable optimist, I’d like to turn news of our current economic downturn into an upswing for all freelance writers out there. Here are some positive things that have happened this past year:

1. I’ve found that while more companies have laid off full-time employees in their marketing departments, they still have work that needs to get done. Hence, freelancers save the day. Freelancers are a bargain because companies don’t have to pay health benefits, paid days off or sick time—something that costs employers an average of 20-35% of a full-timer’s comp package. And we don’t stand around the water cooler, idling.

2. I’ve found that once I’m “in the door” with a client company, I can parlay project work into a long-term relationship. Even after the Great Recession passes, I believe companies will still be looking to run lean and mean. Again, freelancers save to day (and the budget). Just remember to do kick-a** work.

3. Building on point #2, I’ve also been able to parlay project-basis assignments into larger scale ones. For instance, a client that hired me to rewrite their web content now has me overseeing all their company marketing/branding/PR efforts.

4. It has been incredible how much my current clients have been referring me to other potential clients. I humbly take this as a sign not just that I’m adding value but that, as a freelancer (who is nonexclusive), taking on projects with other companies is not viewed as being disloyal. And I love the feeling that no one company “owns” my time. Don’t be shy: tell your clients that you’re looking for referrals.

4. Many folks who are in between jobs or careers are taking time to delve into drafting “the book they’ve always wanted to write.” My time spent with potential authors has gone up, not down this past year. I’m just happy to see that those in transition are using their time wisely . . . and productively. A handful of clients have even gotten books onto Kindle in as little as three months.

Please feel free to share your “positive” stories of freelancing in our current economy . . . and write on!

Gina

Amazon Launches Publishing Program

2009-05-23T13:22:00.001-04:00

Online Bookseller Starts AmazonEncore

By Rachel Deahl -- Publishers Weekly, 5/14/2009 7:50:00 AM

In its most significant foray into publishing, Amazon has acquired world English rights to a self-published novel by a midwestern teenager called Legacy. The acquisition is the first for the e-tailer's newly launched publishing banner, AmazonEncore. Amazon is re-releasing the fantasy title, in hardcover, in August. The book, by Cayla Kluver, is part of a planned a trilogy--it was published under the banner Forsooth Books, founded by Kluver and her mother--and, according to Amazon, is the first in a currently unknown number of titles from AmazonEncore.

Jeff Belle, v-p of books at Amazon, said the new publishing program, while focused on self-published books with promise, could also target out-of-print titles from major houses. Belle was vague about both the criteria used in the selection of Legacy and the terms of the deal with Kluver. (Kluver does have an agent, but Belle would not disclose any details about the nature of the deal Amazon struck with her.)

In terms of the criteria used to select Kulver's title, and future AmazonEncore titles, Belle said the company is relying on a combination of sales data and customer feedback. When asked what feedback was used, in addition to the customer reviews on the site, Belle said "customers have many ways of interacting with us" and would not elaborate. And, when asked about the validity of the customer reviews, which in the past had come under question with certain customers (or authors) submitting multiple reviews, Belle said "certain controls are built into the process for customer reviews." (Kluver currently has 15 customer reviews for Legacy, 12 of which are five-star reviews.)

Belle said that Legacy was one title on a lengthy list of potential AmazonEncore books, although he declined to say how many books Amazon may release annually, noting the list will be decided by "how many great books we can identify." As for the editorial process used by AmazonEncore, Belle said a "team of editors" read a number of manuscripts on the list and their literary judgement were taken into consideration along with "what they think the incremental sales opportunity might be."

In addition to the hardcover, Amazon will release Legacy as an audiobook (through Audible) and as an e-book (as a Kindle edition). Belle said the company will make a decision about a first printing--the company's using an offset printer for the title--based on pre-order information and other data. And, moving forward, print runs will be made on a title-by-title basis.

Amazon will also work with wholesalers to get the title into bookstores.
When asked if he thought publishers might be leery of the industry's most dominant online retailer moving into what looks like traditional publishing, Belle said he doesn't see why AmazonEncore would make anyone fearful. "I wouldn't say this is a new model; there are other examples in the marketplace of retailers who've done similar things," he said. He then added that a number of publishers he spoke to about the program gave positive feedback, noting that "publishers want to see how we could work together on this model," returning to the example of AmazonEncore bringing back into print a publisher's oop title.

2 Upcoming Events

2009-05-13T12:39:00.003-04:00

The spring weather here in Pittsburgh is so lovely . . . lush and green, flowerbuds and butterflies, warmer breezes. Step out and meet other writers and creative professionals in the 'Burgh at these 2 upcoming events:

The Mary Roberts Rinehart Pittsburgh Chapter of Sisters in Crime
Monday, June 1, 7 to 9 p.m.
Mystery Lover’s Bookshop, Oakmont, PA
http://www.pghsinc.com/
Join in my discussion and Q&A of “The Conscious Writer: How to be Prolific in Your Art, Your Heart and in Your Life”. Sisters in Crime is an international organization of writers, readers, booksellers, agents, editor, reviewers and teachers interested in promoting the work of women mystery writers.

Women’s Power Lunch Spring Mixer
Wednesday, May 27, 7 to 8 p.m.
Morton’s Steakhouse, 625 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (map)
http://www.womenspowerlunch.com/
Join me for upscale networking at one of Pittsburgh’s finest restaurants, with wine and appetizers to die for. The Women’s Power Lunch organization has a special magic. Its mission is “empowering women through networking”.

Jim Carrey is My Hero

2009-04-30T09:58:00.006-04:00

Hey all! What does my new book, Everything Matters, Nothing Matters have in common with Jim Carrey, one of Hollywood's top actors? (and one of my favorites!) Find out by reading a review in the May issue of PITTSBURGH Magazine, on newsstand now! http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/.

Gina

Need More Time to Write? Get Organized!

2009-04-22T14:59:00.001-04:00

Several clients have said to me recently that they cannot seem to find time to write. There’s a lot I could say about that but for the moment, I’m going to suggest that one of obvious ways to find more time to write is to get organized. These five tips, when followed, will make you more productive.

1. Get in the Zone

Pick one task to accomplish and stick to it. Set a goal in your mind that your chosen project will be finished by a certain time (lunchtime, end of day, before next week). Zone out and tune into that project only.

Multi-tasking certainly has its value (and so does its opposite, multi-slacking, ha, ha) but when we split our attention among tasks, oftentimes none of them get done right. If you find yourself in a perpetual state of having projects started but not completed, then multi-tasking may be working against you. Choose one assignment and move it to completion. Trust me, you’ll feel good afterwards.

2. Get Out of Dodge

Once you commit to number 1, above, don't allow yourself to be interrupted by unnecessary phone calls, emails, texts, office visitors, etc. Screen calls, close your email inbox and tape a do-not-disturb sign on your office door, if necessary. (Just pretend you’re at a hotel.)

3. Get in the Habit

Once you’ve mastered 1 and 2, make them a habit. Use a trigger to remind you to do so. I set my writing time as a task in Microsoft Outlook. If you keep a timesheet, block out writing time just as you would for other work projects. I treat myself like a client—meaning that I honor my writing time as much as I do my billable client time.

4. Get Good Tools

Using the right tools on any job can increase productivity, and writing is no exception. Some of the latest software that offers templates for outlining and plotting a novel, e.g., could be just the ticket. Upgrading to a faster-running PC may be what you need. Even low-tech stuff, like having a supply of ink pens that actually work can be helpful. And using a comfortable, ergonomic chair is a must.

5. Get Inspired

Before you dive into your chosen project, take a few minutes to clear you mind and free your heart for the work ahead. Go for a quick walk, do a 15-minute meditation or gentle yoga stretches to get the blood flowing, or take a few minutes to pick some flowers from your garden to enliven your workspace.

So get organized, surround yourself with the proper tools, stop briefly and smell the roses . . . then get to work. After all (as I always say), writers are people who write!

2009 BookExpo / Writer's Digest Writer's Conference

2009-04-15T11:08:00.003-04:00

Write Better, Get Published
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
New York City

I had the pleasure of attending BookExpo America last year in Los Angeles as a new author. What an exhilarating event . . .so many people who love books in one place (as many as 50,000 people)! My publisher, St. Lynn's Press, arranged for me to sign at BEA, and I was in great company along with Barbara Walters, Mark Victor Hansen, actress Marilu Henner and a slew of best-selling fiction authors.

The Writer's Digest Books Writer's Conference is in its seventh year at BEA. This one-day intensive conference has become one of the country's leading writing conferences, with motivating workshops where aspiring writers can learn how to hone their craft in all genres of writing, as well as receive information on getting published. Admission is $199. Register at http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/Conference/Writers-Conference/.

Perhaps best of all, it's being held this year in Manhattan, one of my fav places on earth. What's not to love about being in the Big Apple around a bunch of book lovers?

Lack writing focus? Try these tips!

2009-04-09T14:46:00.005-04:00

A question that I’m asked frequently by aspiring freelance writers is this: “How do I get and stay focused on my writing?” If you’re just starting a freelance writing career and need a bit of help in this regard, here are some tried-and-true tips.

1. Give yourself time to brainstorm and make a list of all the things you would like to write about. Then breeze through that list and narrow it down to your top areas of interest. Write on these two topics for awhile and set aside all else for the time being.

2. At the beginning of your week, sketch out a plan for the week and include only tasks that include your two chosen topics. Whatever you’ve decided to write about—whether molecular fusion or growing a patio garden, for example—focus on the kinds of articles you want to write. Studying various publications and get a feel for the kinds of articles they publish. Then, get busy and write some queries to a few of these markets.

3. Start small by making a few simple changes in your life that give your writing greater priority. If you're trying to develop a freelance career while working a full-time job, ease into it. Giving yourself just 30 minutes each day to write queries, research markets or polish an article draft will be enough to get you moving in a productive direction. It doesn't matter when you schedule those 30 minutes—it could be early morning or on your lunch hour. The important thing is to do it consistently.

4. Part of your weekly plan should include networking with other businesses and writers, even if it’s just through Facebook, blogging or joining a local writer’s group. Contact with other writers will keep your passion for writing alive, even when the pressures of work and family threaten your focus. Of course, networking can result in writing assignments, as well.

5. Have fun. Writing should be a joy not a chore. If you’ve tried all these things and are still unfocused, consider hiring a writing coach (me or someone else) to give you an assist in this area. It can make all the difference in your writing path spiraling up instead of out of control!

Yes, You CAN Write a Book!

2009-04-01T09:03:00.003-04:00

For writers in or near the Pittsburgh region, consider joining us for what is sure to be a informative and inspiring conference. Here's the low-down:

Yes You CAN Write a Book!
Tuesday, April 7, 9am to noon
Registration & Book Signings begin at 8:30am
The Sheraton Station Square
300 West Station Square Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Have you been thinking of writing a book, articles, blog or workbook for life or business? This inspiring workshop will get you started! Would you like to meet and get tips from women who have been there...done that?

Meet these dynamic local authors:
Jennifer Antkowiak
Gina Mazza Hillier
Eleanor Schano
Dr. Nancy Mramor
Mary Jo Rulnick
Carole Obley

The panel will be sharing their experiences and tips to help YOU! Come and rub elbows with the finest and most accomplished business women in the area. Meet the authors in person for book signings before and after the workshop.

Cost: $35 for Members and $39 for Non-Members
Register now ONLINE (http://www.pittsburghprofessionalwomen.com/) or call 412.928.3663

Silver Lining Contest

2009-03-30T08:30:00.003-04:00

I just read about a writing competition called the Silver Lining Contest and I thought it was worthy of passing along word about it.

This competition, a partnership between Adams Media (the Cup of Comfort anthology publisher) and Redbook magazine, will award $1,000 to a Grand Prize winner. The winner's work will be excerpted in the magazine and published in full on the Cup of Comfort website. To enter, write a 1,000- to 2,000-word personal essay about finding comfort in today's economy.

Deadline is May 15. There is no fee to enter. The contest is open to legal residents of the US and Canada, 18 years of age and older. To learn more, visit http://www.cupofcomfort.com/learnmore/.

Good luck!

2009-02-26T10:22:00.006-05:00

The Healing Power of Words

Last weekend, I had a chance to attend a 3-day interactive experience at The Chopra Center in southern California called Healing the Heart. Chopra Center co-founder David Simon, MD led about 130 of us through a deep process in which we explored our emotional constraints. Integrating the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda with modern psychological principles, we identified, mobilized and released the pain in our hearts, and replaced it with emotional freedom and an expanded capacity to forgive, heal and believe in love once again.

The first full day of the course was intense. Many of us ended that day feeling spent and unresolved. Stories were shared. Tears were shed. Wounds were exposed. “You’ll feel worse before you feel better,” David cautioned us, “because you’re calling your ‘stuff’ out of its hiding place.” He likened it to what happens when cleaning a fish tank—the bottom gunk gets stirred up. Everything looks murkier. The fish thrash around, confused. But eventually, things settle into a renewed clarity—which they did by our final day of the course.

Part of what made this process so effective was journaling our thoughts. David gently glided us into the writing process by way of meditation, music and reading soul-stirring poetry from 14th Century Sufi master Hafiz. As we each found our still point, David instructed us to keep our pens moving until he said “stop”. What came out of me and onto the page was my own internal jagged poetry about my present life—expressions of disbelief, grief, acceptance and surrender. Writing is what moved me, by day three, into the light of self-understanding. My own words freed and healed me.

So when you’re feeling conflicted and murky, stir things up even more by grabbing a pen and going further into that space. Do as Hafiz advises:

Don’t
Surrender
Your loneliness so quickly.
Let it cut more
Deep.
Let it ferment and season you
As few human
Or even divine ingredients can.

The Lyrical Reality

2009-02-05T13:30:00.003-05:00

I've got to say, there's nothing like music and lyrics to add a shimmer of inspiration to one's writing day. Lucky for me, my teen-age son is an iTunes afficionado, so I've got an impressive playlist on my Mac that I can tap my foot to while I work. My words become melodious. And sometimes, the lyrics so move me that I have to stop what I'm doing, go to a site like Metrolyrics.com or elyrics.com and read each verse. A well turned phrase can get me "high on intellectualism" (Sheryl Crow) or spur me to "celebrate the malleable reality" (Jason Mraz). So, it's all in a day's work...but I've heard it sung that a Working Class Hero is something to be . . . (uh, John Lennon).

From First Draft to Firestarter

2008-10-06T18:02:00.005-04:00

It’s that time of year when I start thinking about my firewood supply for the upcoming winter. Making a romantic, roaring fire in the family room hearth is one those things that gets me through—even allows me to enjoy—the harsh winter months.

I live on several acres with lots of deciduous and evergreen trees, so wood is abundant. Over the past few years, random piles have accumulated around the yard from trees that were trimmed, damaged by lightening or windstorms, or died of natural causes. (Hmmm…how else would a tree perish?) Things were looking a little messy until my neighbor, Bud, paid me a visit last week.

Retired and an avid outdoorsman, Bud arrived in his Ford pick-up and offered to take all of my wood piles, pass them through his electric wood splitter, and stack it all very neatly near my driveway. Along with restoring my faith in basic human kindness, Bud’s neighborly deed provided me with a good analogy for the writing and editing process.

Many clients come to me when their writing projects are in the draft stage. Some parts of it are like cherry wood, sweet-scented and solid enough to be the foundation of their story. Other parts may look like a bunch of craggy sticks and small fragments but bundle them together and they’re perfect kindling to get the fire started. Still, other parts are dead wood, rotted, and should be tossed, nothing more.

Do have something in draft stage? I suggest you look at your project as a fire in the making. Keep chopping and splitting and tossing and stacking until you have not only a thing a beauty (like my picture, above) but something that will provide warmth, comfort and a glow of romance to those who read it.

On Being Published: What a Road Trip

2008-08-14T21:08:00.002-04:00

(part 2 in blog series)

To continue my story, below . . . I now had a solid first draft of something. What to do next? Life ensued, busy as always, and my daily writing work took precedence. In addition, I’d been hired to co-author another nonfiction book with a woman in Hollywood (I promise to talk about that amazing story in an upcoming blog entry); the writing of that project was to commence in the fall of 2006. As spring warmed to summer, I thought about MY manuscript. If I didn’t do something with it soon, it would have to wait until the following year.

So I made a commitment to polish that draft—again, in my spare (!) hours—enough to feel comfortable showing it to an editor at St. Lynn’s Press. Honestly, I didn’t know what I had (was it substantive enough for a book?) and didn’t actually think the publisher would be interested in it. My goal for sending the manuscript to the editor was November 10—my birthday, a gift to myself. The following week, I dove into the co-author project and stayed immersed in it through the following May.

Here’s where the story gets really good—well, for a writer, anyway. Within a few weeks after turning in the co-author project, I received a call from the editor at St. Lynn’s. The publisher was interested in my project! On a mid-June afternoon, a contract arrived in the mail. Warm summer rain fell on my arms and face as I tore open the envelope . . . warm, cleansing, redemptive rain. With outstretched arms and my face lifted heavenward, I began to twirl right there on the driveway, a happy dance of dreams come true. I signed the contract on July 14—France’s Bastille Day—as a symbol of my independence and “uprising” as a writer!

In the meantime, a second contract with Findhorn Press was offered for the co-authored project. Go figure. I’d hit pay-dirt: 2 book contracts for 2 separate manuscripts with 2 different publishers…in 2 months time.

So now I’m on a different sort of road trip. These past months, I’ve been traveling to promote Everything Matters, Nothing Matters: For Women Who Dare to Live with Exquisite Calm, Euphoric Creativity and Divine Clarity. How these writings came to be a book is itself an example of the topic I’ve written about.

And in keeping with my book’s theme of embracing paradox, I will end with this: I’m somebody . . . I’m a published author! And I’m nobody . . .meaning, if I can do it, so can you.

On Being Published: What a Road Trip

2008-04-02T12:23:00.002-04:00

(part 1 in blog series)

I’ve promised the readers of my latest book, Everything Matters, Nothing Matters (which releases nationwide in two weeks!), that I would reveal the back story of how these writings found their way into the world. I’m sharing this with the hope that all of you aspiring authors out there will gain a smidgeon of inspiration from it.

It started on a road trip in January 2005. Traveling alone with a lot on my mind (apparently), I began speaking into a digital voice recorder that I typically take with me on magazine interviews. Three hours later, to my surprise, I had dictated to myself the contents of a book outline—although I didn’t know this at the time.

Months pass. I rediscover this file on my DVR and transcribed it. Whatever “it” was certainly had good bone structure—it just needed to be filled in with connective tissue in the form of a provocative narrative. Six months later, I find myself extemporaneously pitching this content as a book idea to a literary agent at a writer’s conference. He is intrigued and asks to see some of the writings.

That winter, I feed him chapters by email, which I’m fleshing out furiously in my spare (!) work hours. He helps me to crystallize the premise, tone, content and marketing angle by offering seasoned advice (he worked at Random House for years and is the former publisher of William Morrow). By the time the snow thawed that spring, I was on my way to signing a contract for representation with this agent—or so I thought.

In the end, while complimentary of my writing, he wasn’t drawn to the topic (something he told me in his very first email) and therefore didn’t feel he could enthusiastically represent the material. “It's simply a matter of taste and sensibility, and not one thing to do with your talent,” he said. “Some people like meatloaf and peas, others like the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright.” So we parted ways and, don’t get me wrong, I was disappointed . . . but having a proclivity towards optimism (a good quality to have as a working writer), I believe that all things happen for good reason.

Yes, I remained agent-less. Ah, but now, miraculously, I had a solid first draft of something. And as Irish writer Seamus Heaney says, “The excitement of something coming out right is its own reward.” I felt good about what I'd cobbled together and that was enough for the time being. But I’d come too far to let it moulder in a file cabinet for very long. What to do next? Stay tuned for my next post…

Scenes from a Sweat Lodge

2008-01-16T14:15:00.001-05:00

Recently, I was invited to participate in a sacred Native American prayer ceremony called a sweat lodge. A “sweat” is basically a cocoon of people praying together in the heat and the dark, in a hole in the earth covered by sticks and tarps. Red hot rocks are shoveled into a pit in the center of the lodge and water is splattered on top, causing intense steam to rise up. This goes on for 7 or more “rounds.” It’s a test of physical and psychological endurance and, by the end of the ceremony, you feel purified and even transformed. This sweat was led by an author whose work I’ve always admired, Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD (Lewis is Cherokee-Lakota).

So there I was, crammed into this tiny earth-womb—doing something that I’d wanted to experience since I learned about this Native tradition—and by round 2, I’m asking myself: WHY the heck am I doing this again? Two people had already dropped out and Lewis made some comment about the Grandfather Spirits making the stones hotter than usual. By round 4, we were all suffering. Two more people had exited. Then, the woman to my left wanted out quickly—she was feeling faint. I was blocking her way, so I grabbed her arm, walked her out of the lodge, sat her on a blanket and looked around for a bottle of water to offer her. By then, the lodge door (basically, a blanket) was closed and round 5 had begun. I sat and listened as everyone ELSE sang and drank medicine of geranium-frankincense-clove.

Now I was on the “outside” and, not knowing the protocol, wasn’t sure I could go back in. I lay back on the dirt, drenched in sweat, really internally upset. The mental theatrics began: Why am I out here? Should I have thought just of myself and gone directly back in? Others outside the lodge could have helped that woman…was I using her as an excuse to not go right back in? I think I have courage but maybe I’m a wimp, a wuss. Eventually, the person guarding the door came over to ask if I needed anything. “I need to go back inside!” I said. Before the next round, he opened the door and I quietly slid back in. The final rounds were the most ecstatic.

Wow, a second chance to go back in! A second chance in the circle! An opportunity to find a deeper courage that speaks to what I really want: I want the experience! Being on the outside was more suffering than taking the suffocating heat.

So, I offer this creative thread for the day: what is it that you’ve started to write or create, then stopped because you didn’t think you had the courage or stamina to keep going? Are you suffering more now because you stopped? (Be honest!) If so, return to this project. Or perhaps there is a situation in your past that you would like to “rewrite”. Face your own fire and allow your creative spirit to purify and transform this situation. Writing is powerful that way—it has the ability to transmute. So, step back in the circle. As of this moment, you have officially been granted a second chance.

Order in the Chaos

2007-11-21T14:16:00.000-05:00

Ugh, we’re still in the midst of this house renovation project. I write mostly from my home office, so these past five months (and counting!) have been noisy, scattered and, well, transformational in more ways than the obvious. Alongside this project, our school district was recently on strike for five weeks—yes, five weeks. And my son, who broke his arm in an ice hockey game a few weeks ago, is now the permanent owner of a 4-inch steel plate and 5 screws.

All enough to drive a work-at-home writer into a frenzy? Maybe, but hidden beneath the layers of drywall dust, doctor appointments and neighbor kids hanging out here has been a valuable learning tool: how to find order in the chaos, and quietude amidst power drills squonking in the next room. For a few days, the construction crew literally worked around me as I typed away at the computer. When they were ready to replace the flooring in that corner of my office, they whisked away my desk while I took lunch; when I returned, the flooring was installed and they’d moved my desk back to it’s usual spot.

If writing is what you love, there really is no good excuse to not just get on with it. There’s no reason ample enough to not take whatever life circumstance you find yourself in and craft written finery from it. I’m happy (and relieved) to say that all of the temporary inconveniences around here haven’t stunted me creatively—they’ve simply given me more fodder for the word mill.

Picasso once said, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” That is exactly why—after I Swifter the floors for the millionth time and bake pumpkin tortes for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving dinner—I will return to my office, only to write about it. Oh wait…I just did. Now, it’s your turn. Regardless of what chaos is brewing around you, sit down (or stand up) and write. Do it now. Go ahead, do it.

Refrigerator Day

2007-09-12T09:19:00.000-04:00

It took 15 years for yesterday to arrive. For about that long, I’ve wanted a new fridge. The one we have, a 20-year-old floor model, was what we could afford at the time. This summer, we started a home improvement project, and have been without a workable kitchen for six weeks. It’s been challenging. I’m a fresh-mango-with-a-shot-of-wheatgrass kinda gal, so all the pizza, subs and take-out is getting to me. But things are looking up. Yesterday, my new fridge arrived.

A few hours after it was delivered, I got a call from my publisher saying that he’d hired a world-class cover artist to design my book (release date April ‘08). I checked out her site and was blown away. As far as book designers go, she’s a Sub-Z: top-of-the-line, edgy, pioneering. Her work graces some of the most exclusive houses in the U.S.—publishing houses, that is. For about as long as I’ve wanted a new fridge, I’ve had an eye on establishing myself as a nonfiction book author. No doubt, having a smashing cover will do wonders to help the book sell.

But what will keep it selling is what’s inside. While making final manuscript edits this month, my job is to make sure the writing is a feast for the senses, and that readers feel nourished as they turn each page. A Sub-Z supposedly “keeps fresh food fresher longer” but you have to first stock it with, well, fresh food.

Which prompts me to ask you this: Is your writing fresh, alive, raw? Or is it stale, processed, warmed over dish? When in doubt, throw it out (or hit the delete button). Then go to the market of your imagination, gather fresh inspiration and begin anew.

Speaking of new, I think I’ll meander to the kitchen, open the oil-rubbed-bronze doors of my new baby and have a look inside.

Words of Welcome

2007-09-11T14:03:00.000-04:00

As I say on my web site (Ginawriter.com), I would rather inspire than expire. So here we go...inspiration in cyberspace. This blog is intended to be a whimsical blend of both highly practical information about the writing life, as well as how it feels to live on the brink of creative abandon.

I will include deep thoughts and dreamy abstractions on living a fully sacred, juicy, creative life--particularly through writing but not limited to this. Because I unequivocally believe that creativity emanates from the soul outward, my meanderings tend to be somewhat philosophical and occasionally meta-phenomenal in tone. Otherwise, I will pass along straightforward, practical information on what it takes to work as a writer and become professionally published: how-to articles, publishing industry news, author interviews, in-depth looks at specific genres, local literary scene happenings and more.

I vow to share my intimate thoughts on the creative process, as well as first-hand findings on actions you can take to keep your creative sap flowing like the essential life force that it is. I encourage you to share your writings and musings.