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The
Writer's Connection, SM
a publication of The Virtual Writing
Coach SM
"The Creative Process of Writing
is a Liberating and Therapeutic Experience"
www.virtualwritingcoach.com
March, 2010
In This Issue:
1. Preview
2. Publisher's Note
3. You Can Publish Your Blogs
4. Helpful Hints
1. Preview
The Writer's Connection explores the creative process
of writing and the interplay between thoughts, feelings,
and actions. We are an interactive community of authors
and readers who share ideas to enhance our knowledge,
skills, and experiences in writing fiction in any genre,
but our emphasis remains mystery and suspense thrillers.
Published monthly, the Newsletter offers writing tips
for authors, coaching suggestions, editing, and marketing
information.
Topics are presented from the perspective of Keith Barton
and represent only his ideas on producing your first manuscript,
and are provided to the general public. Because we are
an interactive community of writers, other viewpoints
are welcomed and may be printed in future monthly newsletters
with permission from Keith Barton.
2. Publisher's Note
March, 2010
Dear Writer's Connection Subscriber,
This month's newsletter features: You Can Publish Your Blogs
3. You Can Publish Your Blogs
I just finished reading a book by Tom Reynolds who is an ambulance driver in
London, England, entitled Blood, Sweat, and Another Cup of Tea. The
paperback is available on Amazon.com's Kindle for free. At first glance, one
might ask how could a daily journal about such mundane events as picking up
drunks and little old ladies and taking them to the hospital be so interesting?
That's what I said, until I started reading.
The author has the uncanny ability to engage the reader in first person so you
feel you are riding in the front seat with him. You work 12-hour shifts from
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for $14 an hour in East London with multi-ethnic groups who barely
speak English. You might be called to a gang stabbing victim who requires treatment
for a puncture wound and could bleed to death in minutes. The next 999 (England's 911)
call might be from a suspicious neighbor who overheard a domestic dispute and the police
have been alerted. Each shift averages 10-12 calls per shift including the paperwork and
cleaning and restocking the ambulance.
The movie Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell was a
successful book and movie on the life and recipes of Julia Child. The premise was a daily
blogger who vowed to learn one of Julia's recipes per day for a year to learn how to cook
and prepare meals for her husband and friends. Her daily blogs turned into a successful
book because the current generation of microwave moms had no idea of how to cook in the
French style of cooking because they hadn't heard of Child's famous bestseller,
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which first appeared in 1966.
With the advent of IPhones, IPods, and texting, anyone
can post blogs on the Internet. I have been writing monthly
newsletters for five years for executive coaches and writers
and collected some of my better pieces for a book last
year, Reflections
From a Business Coach, which I self-published.
It doesn't take time to write a book if you are blogging
daily or writing a thousand words a month.
A few suggestions for would-be authors who find the task of writing their first book a
little daunting:
- Try blogging daily about a topic you consider yourself well-informed and might be
interesting to others.
- Write a monthly newsletter on a "how to" subject that seems second-nature to you,
but for others might be a difficult subject to comprehend.
- Keep a diary of your daily thoughts and experiences for a year and when properly
edited, you will have a 300-page book.
- Write a book review on amazon.com for every book you read and self-publish as an
edited book review guide on a single genre.
- Write a "how to" book on a hobby or interest-e.g. flying radio controlled planes,
photography, study aids, computer games, exercises for busy mothers, etc.
- Write a book about your ancestors after a genealogical search and hand out your
self-published book at your next family reunion.
- Without being presumptuous, write your autobiography at age sixty for your children
on what life was like growing up for you, the choices you made, people who influenced your
life, and the legacy you want to leave to your grandchildren.
- If you are passionate about your politics and religion, show how your views influenced
your life's work and the lives you touched.
- If you are an academic, rewrite your research articles for the lay reader with practical
life applications. Thomas Sowell, the Stanford University economist has a number of books
in this area.
- Interview a sample of people in your neighborhood, church, work on how their lives were
changed by a parent, teacher, mentor, and how they transfer knowledge to the next generation.
You of course would have to get permission to publish this material.
Helpful Hints:
- Use one of the ten ideas above and begin writing today for at least a year.
Don't begin editing until a year has passed and decide if you wish to continue
or you have enough for an interesting book.
- If you're not now blogging start your own blog on a subject you're both
passionate and knowledgeable.
- With permission, interview people online with the understanding that the
material might be used in a book; if you decide to publish do not use their real names.
Subscription
The Writer's Connection SM is a free publication.
If you want to continue to receive this Newsletter, you
can
SUBSCRIBE by clicking here or by sending a blank email
message to keith_barton@att.net
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Be assured your name and email address are confidential.
We do not sell, rent or share our mailing list with anyone.
Contact Information
Keith Barton, Ph.D.
Voice: 281-583-5005
Fax:281-583-5008
Web: >http://www.virtualwritingcoach.com
E-Mail: keith_barton@att.net
(c) Copyright 2010 A. Keith Barton, Ph.D.
All rights reserved.
Distribution Rights
The Writer's Connection SMis copyrighted, but
you may retransmit or distribute it to whomever you wish
as long as not a single word is changed, added, or deleted,
including the contact information. However, you may not
copy it to a web site.
Republication of The Writer's ConnectionSM
in paper media is encouraged and permitted by individuals,
organizations and associations, as long as the issue is
reprinted in its entirety, without change, and includes
the contact information.
With advance permission, we are happy to edit an issue
to fit your space requirements. Republication also is
encouraged under other circumstances. However, the advance
permission of A. Keith Barton, Ph.D. must be obtained
in the event that changes in the text are desired.
The Writer's Connection SM Mission:
The Writer's Connection SM is dedicated to
helping first-time authors create their first manuscript
for publication and to offer an exchange of ideas and
opinions from our readers who might be interested in becoming
authors.
The Writer's Connection is a publication of The Virtual
Writing Coach and Keith Barton, Ph.D. and a registered
trademark.
We would like The Writer's Connection SM to
be as interactive as possible. If you have feedback, comments,
topics you would like addressed, or can suggest additional
resources to benefit us all, please email us at any time.
Send your e-mail to
keith_barton@att.net.
Please forward this issue to anyone you think would find
The Writer's Connection SM interesting and
beneficial. Your recommendation helps us keep growing,
and ensures an excellent exchange of information and techniques.
Archives
You can read previous issues of The Writer's Connection
SM in our archive section.
About Keith Barton, Ph.D.
Dr. Barton received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University
of Texas at Austin and has been a practicing therapist
for over thirty years. He is currently enrolled in MentorCoach
and is accepting new clients.
He has been an adjunct professor at the University of
South Carolina, consultant to Fortune 500 companies in
executive development, founded and managed Texas Community
Living Ventures, Inc., in 1986 for providing group home
services to persons with mental retardation. Keith founded
and has been running a clinical practice in Northwest
Houston since 1990.
He writes part-time with the goal of completing one novel
a year. His desire to coach others derives from his passionate
interest in helping others become attuned to their creative
powers of storytelling.
Dr. Barton has training in coaching, cognitive and family
therapy and health psychology. He has published articles,
made presentations and conducted workshops about:
Anxiety and achievement
Stress management
Self-esteem
Communication skills
Marital/relationship enrichment
Wellness issues
The relationship between psychology and spirituality |
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