In this episode, I share 5 ways to jump out of your writing slump - from personal experience!

If you're in a writing slump, hopefully, my suggestions will help you jump out of it. Let's face it, writing is a solitary job. We don't have people cheering us on from the sidelines. Often we are sitting in offices or on sectionals plunking away on computers at all hours of the day and no one sees the hard work. If that's you, go you. If you are on the verge of quitting because you are miles away from the end product, don't quit. If this is your first article, your first short story, your first book, or your first fill-in-the-blank, you need to finish. Once you finish, the next project will be just as much work, but you'll know exactly what to expect. Plus you'll have all the great feedback to cheer you on! 

Grab a cup of coffee and join me and jump out of your slump!

If you are listening to this you probably have the desire to write a book. You may have found this podcast through a google search. Or heard about it through a friend and you wanted to see if we could help you write a book. But you’re still having some doubts. You aren’t sure if you should write a nonfiction book.

You clicked on this podcast because you’ve been thinking about writing a nonfiction book. Don’t wait any longer.

1. A book helps readers solve a problem.
2. Builds self-confidence.
3. Positions you as an expert.
4. You have a physical or digital copy of your message to share.
5. Your book will Inspire readers to move forward in their own healing journey.

Grab a cup of coffee and join me as I dig deeper into the 5 reasons you should write a nonfiction book.

I had always wanted to write a book. As I’ve mentioned before, my family is full of writers and although I assisted them in various writerly activities such as laying out articles in a newspaper, I still had no idea how to organize my own writing. Much less how to write a book.

That’s a meandering way of saying – no one told me how to write a book. Of course in this day and age whatever you need to know is on the internet, there is no excuse. But it can be overwhelming to try to find exactly what you need and spend the little writing time you have searching. That’s exactly why I’m recording – so you don’t have to cry on your first day of “writing-school” or spend your precious time trying to figure out how to write a book.  Grab a cup of coffee and join me as we walk through the three phases you need to write your book!

January is Human Trafficking Awareness month with the official day being January 11th. It’s a topic that I’m passionate about shining light on – not only to raise awareness for but to prevent it in children with trauma histories. Grab a cup of coffee and join me as I share the 3 phases of human trafficking, an opportunity to grab a copy of Defining Home - a thriller human-trafficking novel, plus a harrowing personal family story.

• If you want to craft an article with a trauma-informed foundation in order to share your story.
• If you need to do some research on trauma before you write your YA/Tween/Adult novel.
• If you’re crafting your memoir and want to make sure you have the trauma-informed background to help others.
• If you have an idea for a series of articles to help others overcome the effects of trauma. 

Then this is for you. 

First of all, you have your experience. What sorts of trauma have you lived through? What has trauma taught you? Have you learned new coping mechanisms? Have specific scriptures that have helped you through? Your experience – your history plus your education (what trauma taught you) are a unique combination. If you have never thought about these questions, now is the time to do it.

You’ve finally owned your desire to write, and blocked off time on your calendar! You sit down at your computer and start typing away.

Then your inner critic rises up like a balrog. While I’d like to tell you to harness your inner Gandalf and say -” You shall not pass!” It’s not enough. There are strategies we must employ because just as our writing weaknesses won’t be addressed in one sitting, neither will our inner critic fall into a fiery abyss with one command (and may I point out, Gandalf went with the balrog). So let’s be like Gandalf. Go with your inner critic and see what she says. Ask yourself this question – Is it true?

Grab a cup of coffee and join me as I share 3 Tactics to Squash Your Inner Critic! Prefer to read the article? Click HERE.

In this week's episode, I interview Larry Schardt , author of My Runaway Summer - a coming-of-age and life adventure/memoir.

Larry Schardt (pronounced Shard) is on a journey of discovering and sharing the power of living a life of happiness and Success That Rocks! Larry's passion is people. He teaches at Penn State, is a motivational speaker, and a best-selling author.

His latest book, released in May is My Runaway Summer. A story about the summer of 1970, when Larry ran away from home (at the age of 15) to escape alcoholism, violence, and rage. He hitchhiked from Pittsburgh to Ocean City, New Jersey. On the road, he is conflicted about his decision - happy he escaped, yet sad his mother would worry, and terrified he would get caught and sent back home. The Jersey Shore wasn't what he expected. The story is a timeless and universal coming-of-age lesson. Larry learns the art of Peace, Love, and Forgiveness.

Step back in time and join Larry in this amazing runaway summer adventure. This spring Larry had a total of three works released. In addition to My Runaway Summer, he has a life lesson story, called "Career Magic," in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Your 10 Keys to Happiness, and a romance story, called "The Gazebo at Silver Lake," in the "Shell House" collection. Larry has 4 stories published in the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. He also has several stories in various anthologies. Although he doesn't consider himself a sports writer, his book, James Conner: The Triumphs of a Football Hero, was named one of the "24 Best Sports Biography Books of All Time," by CNN, Forbes, and Inc. He also co-coordinates the highly successful Mindful Writers Retreats.

Since 2015, Larry has been writing a daily Facebook blog to entertain, celebrate, share, and pay forward the good things in life. His effort to help as many people as possible starts the day on a positive note. In his writing and everyday pursuits, Larry's passion for people, positive spirit, and zest for life shine through. He loves the outdoors, walking, reading, skiing, and music that rocks . . . from classical to Rock 'n' Roll!!!

Grab a cup of coffee and listen to this fun interview with Larry Schardt! 

Today, I'm sharing the last in the series - When You Want to Quit (The Messy Middle)

We need to take responsibility for our time.

When we take those blocks of time we set aside for writing and honor them, we honor our purpose.

We can't blame other people for our choices when it comes to writing.

We all have obstacles. We can falsely assume that because we are heeding our calling as a writer, everything will go smoothly. Not true.

Grab a cup of coffee and join me as I share how we can navigate the obstacles when it comes to our author journey.