Yep. The second one hit when I was texting a friend about the first one.

Thank you❣️ As always, there's a lot going on so some days are better than others with getting my writing done.

Test Your Writing Prompts & Exercises BEFORE You Send them Out Into the World! I love coming up with writing prompts and exercises to help people get their books written and make a living doing what they love. That's heaven to me. Over the years, I've discovered how essential it is to test every prompt and exercise myself before publishing them, whether in a blog post or a book. Why? Because what feels like a helpful idea when I'm in the bliss of inspiration may not actually take people on the journey I want them to take. So many times, when I've experimented with a prompt myself, I've realized that something else was needed to inspire the insight or transformation I wanted for my readers or students. Or, it just didn't work. It's SO EASY to create writing prompts and exercises that seem right but need tweaking to take people on a truly transformational journey. The only way to know if a prompt will help people see what you want them to see is to actually use it yourself first, at least. And, if you're creating a full journal or workbook, definitely get some beta testers. Because what's clear to you might not be clear to others. In self-help nonfiction, whether in the business or personal development arena, we want to help people grow, heal, and succeed in whatever area our readers value. As a developmental editor and book coach, I pay close attention to the exercises authors I work with create because I know that the mind that makes a prompt understands it. It's important to remember that your readers aren't you. You not only need to test your exercises to make sure they "work," but you also want to make sure your readers will understand where you're going with it. You might need to build a bridge to help people understand the journey you’re inviting them on. #amwriting #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #nonfiction #writers

I haven't baked a yam in YEARS! I usually just cut them up and cook them on the stovetop with my veggies. Today, I actually baked a yam (served with less butter than this online pic), and it was DELICIOUS!!! I had forgotten how wonderful they are when you bake them. Ambrosia.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SET YOURSELF FREE FROM? This came to me while I was journaling this morning. What fear, what limiting belief, what outgrown way of being are you ready to set yourself free from? Got it? Good. Now... WRITE it away! #journaling #amwriting #setmefree

IS PERFECTIONISM GETTING IN THE WAY OF YOUR GETTING YOUR WRITING DONE AND OUT INTO THE WORLD? If it is, you're not alone. Perfectionism gets in the way of our writing because we know our writing will be seen by others, and we want to present ourselves in the best possible light. That's very human, but so is the desire to connect. So how do we marry the two? I think the answer is to accept that nobody's perfect, and nothing can change that. My next thought was to say, "Just do your best." But I realized that can easily lead to perfectionism, too. So, what I'm left with is... be real. I'm not saying "be transparent" in the way some people on social media interpret it. People who feel compelled to spill every flaw and bit of information about their messy life (that we all have), which is often received by others as TMI, and when used in sales copy sometimes comes across as manipulative. Just be yourself. Be real. Yes, try to do the best you can in the moment, but don't stress about it or strive for perfection. Because real perfection is in fully accepting and being yourself and being willing to shine your imperfect/perfectly you light in the world. And when you view what you shared today, perhaps tomorrow, or next week, or next year, and realize it could have been so much better (to the current you's perception)... just know that you did the best you could at the time and appreciate yourself for putting yourself out there, connecting with others, and taking steps to live your best life. #amwriting #writingcommunity #writerslife

IS "WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW" GOOD ADVICE??? So many writing teachers will say, "write what you know," but is that necessary? It's certainly good advice for beginning writers. It takes a lot of the pressure off if you're confident about the subject you're writing about. But it should never be considered a requirement. There are so many reasons that we write. It could simply be a desire to express yourself. I know that I tend to write what I'm exploring or struggling with or want to learn. You might want to write to share a particular message or share a topic you're passionate about. Perhaps you're taking a walk, and have an inspiration that moves you so deeply that you want to write about it, even though you've never even thought about it before. Writing is a journey of discovery, even when you're writing "what you know." What lights you on fire to write can change from book to book, article to article, or story to story. I think most writers have one general motivation, but specific projects can come from other motivations. So, what's your general writing style? Do you like to write what you know, what you're learning, or whatever inspiration has struck you recently? #amwriting #writerscommunity #writerslife

"2 MINUTES CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE" On America's (and Britain's) Got Talent, Simon Cowell often reminds contestants to "Remember, 2 minutes can change your life." Well, I want to say to authors, coaches, and course creators, it's true!!! 2 minutes really can change your life. Often, the hardest thing about getting our content creation or marketing done is getting started. Procrastination reigns supreme. What if... you knew you only had to work for 2 minutes? Would that make it easier to sit down and get started? Of course, once you get started, you often keep going. Yet, even if you only write or market for two minutes, whether that's writing a paragraph, doing some brainstorming, or posting on social media, you're creating a momentum that will make it a little bit easier to get started tomorrow. Even 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 adds up over time. So, let go of "I need to work for an hour" and grab hold of "I only have to work for 2 minutes" and see what happens. What would you most like to work for 2 minutes on today? #writer #writing #writerscommunity #bookmarketing #amwriting

WHAT CAN YOU CREATE IF YOU WRITE 500 WORDS A DAY?? I was looking through some old files and found this. I created it about 15 years ago. Do the math. 500 words a day for a year = 182,500 words. An average nonfiction book is about 35,000 - 40,000 words. An average novel is about about 80,000 words. That leaves lots of extra words lying around the house. Even if you only write 200 words a day, that's 73,000 words in a year. Either way, you can miss a few days and still get a book done. And so much more beyond that. Yes, AI can probably write 182,500 words in 2 minutes a day for about a week. But I'm talking about a book written in YOUR UNIQUE VOICE, which is your personal gold mine. When I first started out, I remember hearing the advice to "study success" over and over. But the real reason for a book's success is not its subject matter or its structure, although those do contribute to it, the real reason for a book's success is the author's unique voice and take on the subject. With the onslaught of AI-written books, that has already started and is just going to grow and grow over the years, it's more important now than ever to write from YOUR perspective, experience, and voice. WHAT DAILY WRITING GOAL ARE YOU WILLING TO COMMIT TO?

It's time for this shy writer to put myself out into the world. Care to join me? More and more, this is a video-based world, and putting your face and energy out to your potential audience in a video not only helps sell books but supports your book-to-biz success by attracting coaching clients, students for your book-based classes, and speaking gigs. As they say, done is better than perfect. So here's my "done." #writerscommunity #writerslife #writer

I got a new car battery about 6 weeks ago and when it died, I thought... either it's a dud, and they'll have to replace it, or they didn't tighten something that came loose. I knew it couldn't have been me because the last time I drove it was the middle of the day, so I didn't leave my headlights on. But when AAA jumped my battery this afternoon, one of those tiny lights above the rearview mirror came on. I have no memory of turning it on, but I must have. Oops! My bad. At least it didn't cost me any money to fix, and I'm happy about that. Oh, well. Back to work.

If you want to sell more nonfiction books, do this... #amwriting #bookpromotion #bookmarketing #writerscommunity

Yes! Your book is a journey, an adventure, a rollercoaster ride. Expect ups and downs, learn and grow from both. Because it's a long journey, focusing on your "whys" are essential to helping you stay focused and writing to "the end." * Why do you want to write this book? * What do you hope it will do for you? * What do you want it to do for your readers?

PASSION DRIVES ACTION, INCLUDING WRITING Even when we love to write, it can sometimes be hard to muster the energy and focus to write. That's why it's important not just to love "writing" but to LOVE the specific book you're writing. If you're passionate about your book's topic or the transformation your readers will receive (nonfiction) or the story you want to share (fiction), you won't have trouble starting to write... you'll have trouble stopping. When you write with passion, your readers feel it--and they catch on fire. Then they'll want your other books, and your courses, and your coaching services, and they'll book you to speak. And if there's a project that you want to write for a good reason, but you're only 50% on fire for it, then find an aspect of it that truly lights you up. * It can be the transformation you know it will bring to your readers. * It can be a book you almost completed a few years back and can finish quickly, which will fulfill a promise you made to yourself. Honoring yourself can feel absolutely amazing and propel you forward. Find anything that will change your energy from "I have to" to "I want to." If you can't, move on. Because if you don't want to write the book, people won't want to read it. You've probably heard the saying, "garbage in, garbage out." With your book, think of it this way, "passion in, passion out." #amwriting #writingtips #writinglife #writerscommunity

OFFER SOMETHING NEW by being absolutely YOU! I've been saying this for over 10 years, and it's now more true than ever because of AI. What makes your writing unique is YOU! Your perspective, stories, language and so much more. AI is great for brainstorming and can give you a great start, but YOUR VOICE is what will make your writing stand out. #amwriting #writerscommunity

📷 HAVE YOU CHOSEN A BOOK TO FOCUS ON FOR THE LAST 90 DAYS OF 2024? LET'S END THE YEAR WITH A BIG WIN! What often happens when we look at an old unfinished book is that we're not the person/writer we were when we started the book. We've learned. We've grown. We've moved on. And we often don't feel connected to that book idea anymore because of it. But if the basic idea that inspired you to start the book still appeals to you, then give it another look. You can edit what's already there as the "you" that you are today, then continue on and finally finish the book. I'm rewriting one of the chapters of a book I started two and a half years ago (one of my newer unfinished books). My biggest change since then is that I'm simplifying my writing. My tendency has always been to say everything that could possibly be said on a subject, and that's really not helpful. I'm editing a chapter to reconnect with my feelings about the book. To see if the writing flows and if the subject of the book still interests me enough to want to complete it. I have other books that are in various stages of completion and would like to complete a few of them to get things moving as quickly as possible. Do you have any partially written books that you might want to pick up again and finish? I'm running a 90-day writing challenge in my Facebook group: Book to Biz Success. Come join us if you want to end the year getting some writing done. #amwriting #writinglife #writingcommunity #writing

What do you want your writing to... * let people know? * help them to do? * get them to feel? In all the areas I write about, I want to inspire people to... * value themselves * share their gifts * live their dreams What about you? #amwriting #WritingCommunity #WritingLife

LET'S GET SOME WRITING DONE WITH WHAT'S LEFT OF 2024! As usual, this year has just sped by. What do you still want to accomplish before New Year's Day 2025? You can... * finish or write your book, workbook, or journal * write a book proposal * create a book-based course * create a killer opt-in offer to grow your email list * post every day on social media to grow your platform ... or choose something else that will move your writing or writing business goals forward. Once you've chosen what you want to focus on, then it's time to choose your daily productivity goal. It can be how much time you want to work on your project or how many words you want to write. You can follow Robin Sharma's 90/90/1 rule, which is to spend the first 90 minutes a day for 90 days on the most important task or project that will move your goals forward in a meaningful way. So that you'll accomplish something that you'll not only feel proud of but will have a real impact on your life and goals. But even if you can only spend 15 minutes a day on the project you choose, if you do it every day for 90 days, you'll achieve real progress and you'll have some momentum going that will continue and help you get to the finish line instead of having one more unfinished project gathering dust in your computer files. You've got a few days to think about it. What's important to you? What lights you up when you think about it? I lost a dear friend recently who had more books in her that she wanted to write. Her death reminded me that every day is precious and I want to make the most of each one. Care to join me? I'll be hosting this in my writing group at: facebook.com/groups/BookToBi… #amwriting #writerscommunity #writerslife #WritingCommunity

WANT TO BE A SUCCESSFUL AUTHOR? Unlock the Secret Weapon Every Author Needs If you want to make a living as a nonfiction author, then growing your mailing list and communicating with your readers regularly should always be a top priority. Joanna Penn put it this way, “Imagine how powerful it is to have a list of 10,000 people and to send an email saying... My book is available now. Click here to buy." Your email list is one of the most valuable business tools you have as an authorpreneur—to create book buzz, sell books, and market your book-based products and services. Connecting with the people on your mailing list in various ways, such as sending a weekly newsletter that shares links to your latest blog posts or videos, book updates, event announcements, and so much more, builds a relationship that benefits both you and your readers. But don’t wait for your first (or next) book to be published. Start building your list now, wherever you are on your book-writing or list-building journey. So when you’re ready to promote your book, or course, or coaching program, you have a big list of fans to connect with. #BookPromotion #NonfictionAuthor #MailingList #AuthorLife #AuthorPlatform #WritingCommunity

Just another Steamy, Stormy Sunday afternoon in September in Southern California🔥 While it's a crazy mess outside, I'm Snuggled Safe and cool inside, Scribing my book, whose Similarly "S" filled subtitle is ... 7 Surprising Secrets to Supercharge Your Journey from Feeling Stuck to Soaring Through Life! Thankfully, the Storm outside decided to pass us by so no giant hail is going to hit my baking car. The big fire near me is 30 miles away, so I'm safe. Yesterday's two earthquakes have not been followed up by any bigger ones. And two days from now this heat wave will break and it will be 20 degrees cooler. Like I said, just a typical Sunday in California I hope you're all having a wonderful day❣️