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Catalyst News
November
2007
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Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
November 2nd, 2007
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Well All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween to use it's commercial name,
has been and gone. It is traditionally a time to reflect on the
'veil between the worlds' - or to dress up and frighten people
silly while eating lots of sweets - but whichever method you
used to celebrate it, I have used that as a theme for this
issues creative coffee break exercise. Plus a big thank you to
those who signed up for my new e-course on writing your life
story - especially Frank who insisted on signing up before it as
even launched!
So to all you out there now starting to chronicle your life's
story, it would lovely to hear your experiences to share with
others - check out the site at www.writeyourlifestory.co.uk if
you want to know more.
To your continuing growth and creativity - AnnA
IN THIS ISSUE:
Could or should?
Best Resource for Writers?
Singing Your Heart In
Creativity Coffee Break
COULD OR SHOULD?
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It is interesting to me how many people use these words inter-
changeably as if there was no difference between them, when in
fact they are worlds apart. What's the difference? Well one has
five letters and the other has six. One if full of the weight
of expectation and one gives you choice and possibility.
When you 'should' do something it is worth asking yourself whose
voice you are hearing because generally a 'should' comes pre-
loaded with someone else's agenda. For instance, if I am tired
and just want to fall into bed, but the dishes from supper are
still in the kitchen I know I 'should' wash up and I know
exactly
whose voice that is - it's my mother's and that was her mantra.
In fact she was so keen on washing up I don't think I ever got
to finish a cup of coffee to the end before the cup was whisked
away, washed, dried and back in the cupboard. Now I live alone
so my supper things aren't overflowing the kitchen, but sitting
tidily in the bowl waiting for my attention. And yet, however
tired I am I hear that 'should' nagging at me.
My solution? It's one I am going to suggest you try if you are
beset by the 'should' mechanism. It's really simple, you just
substitute the word 'should' for 'could' and see how differently
that feels. It's not about outcome but attitude. If I think
'well
I could do the washing up now' then I am at choice, I can do it
or not. I can still choose to do it, but without the guilt, and
the same goes for if I decide 'I could do it first thing in the
morning' instead.
Where do you regularly 'should' yourself and what difference
might it make it you gave yourself permission to make it an
option with a 'could' instead?
BEST RESOURCE FOR WRITERS?
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One of the most frequent questions writers ask me is what is a
good resource for anyone wanting to market their work. If you
have
signed up for the novel writing competition you may well be
thinking ahead of who would be best placed to handle your
masterpiece, so my usual answer is the Writers' and Artists'
Yearbook and the 2008 edition is now out. It is not just for
writers either, it is very useful for photographers, artists,
illustrators and designers.
You will find everything you need in there from lists of news
papers and magazines, radio and tv stations, publishers, agents
and all with up to date contact details and what they specialise
in - so that saves you sending your adventure thriller to a
publisher who only handles crime and romance - and excellent
articles on tax, copyright and working from home to name a few.
Your local library usually has a copy in the reference section,
and although it retails at Ģ14.99 you can usually get it
discounted.
Amazon are currently offering it for Ģ8.99 and you can see more
about it here at their website at www.amazon.co.uk/
Oh, and you might find this quote from author Tom Robbins
encouraging as well: "There is, in fact, only one rule in
writing fiction: Whatever works, works."
SINGING YOUR HEART IN
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I know it's usually singing your heart out, but believe me I
know what I am saying. I was lucky enough a few years ago to
work
with legendary voice master, Chris James. His work is truly
extraordinary in terms of releasing energy and emotion through
toning and singing.
Chris's music and voice opens up to listeners a world of
unlimited potential, and offers us a way to experience
inner connection through the power of sound. His own voice is
acclaimed for its clarity and depth of quality. Chris teaches
internationally about the healing power of sound, song and
meditation and that through discovering our natural voice, we
learn that we can experience and trust our creativity and
intuition. His music is used to open conferences for people
like Deepak Chopra and his CDs are played in hospitals,
hospices, complimentary medical clinics and wherever people
want to experience a deep connectivity to themselves and to
others and really enjoy themselve while doing so.
He is visiting the UK until the 25th of November, beginning
with a Transformation Through Sound weekend 10/11 November in
Manchester,and continuing at various places around the country
with a number of dates having 'Big Sing' evenings, which is
just a really amazing audience experience - and no, you don't
have to be a singer! For dates and more information visit his
website at http://www.chrisjames.net/ and you can click on the
audio button to hear him toning vocally - a great way to start
the day!
CREATIVITY COFFEE BREAK
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The thought I would like to share with you for this issue's
exercise is a phrase from the Bible - the King James version as
I am a bit of a traditionalist at heart and it from the Song of
Solomon. The phrase is 'Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a
seal upon thine arm for love is strong as death, jealousy is
cruel as the grave'. Halloween is when spirits walk and we can
peer through into another world - using that phrase from the
Song of
Solomon as your starting point are you attracted to write about
a love that is as strong as death, or has jealousy ever held you
tight in a grave-like grip? Think about it, then let those
feelings flow into your writing.
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To find out more about AnnA's work, or to contact her,
visit her website: www.catalystonline.co.uk
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Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
November 16TH, 2007
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Stephen King is a master of his craft, so any advice from him
has to be worth paying attention to. I have included in this
issue his tips for writers and although simple, they are highly
effective.
To your continuing growth and creativity - AnnA
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Stephen King's Top 7 Tips for Writers
- Lulu Alert
- Useful resources
STEPHEN KING'S TOP 7 TIPS FOR WRITERS
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1. Get to the point.
Don't waste your reader's time with too much back-story, long
intros
or longer anecdotes about your life. Get to your point quickly
too
before your reader loses patience and moves on. It's like a
conversation - you don't want to ramble on and see their eyes
glaze over, but to keep
their interest by keeping it focused.
2. Write a draft. Then let it rest.
That first draft is a free form letting out of all your ideas
and thoughts. Then you need to let it 'cook' by leaving it
alone. The time will depend on you, but Stephen King puts his
manuscripts away for several months before rereading and start
the editing process. I am not that patient - but at least a week
is usually how long I hold out!
3. Cut down your text.
I know that every word is precious - but you can lose the most
beautiful diamond if it is heaped over with other less precious
stones. The literary phrase 'kill your darlings' can be applied
here, particularly to any phrase you are particularly fond of -
that's usually the one to look at first. Try and remove all the
superfluous words and sentences to 'declutter' your text and
Stephen King follows an early editor's advice to reduce by 10%.
It's not foolproof but it's a good guide, and by doing this your
reader can more easily clearly see and feel what you are writing
about.
4. Be relatable and honest.
I go back to the conversation metaphor here - keep your
language simple and as if you were really talking to an actual
person. So don't put on airs or a 'false' voice and tell the
truth as you see and feel it in your characters and situations.
People
can always recognise honesty and relate strongly to it. We know
we have our faults, so we can identify with characters who have
all the human traits of jealousy, fear, weakness, compassion,
happiness and then we can begin to engage with them and care
about their fate.
5. Donīt care too much what others may think.
Are you pleased with what you have written? Then that is the
most important first response. It is great to get constructive
feedback, but don't get attached to it as that is just their
opinion and although valuable it might not work for you. It is
great when someone admires your work, and painful when they
don't.
Remember that criticism says as much about the critic as it does
about what they are criticising and try to keep some emotional
distance. Whatever you do, do not let it stop you writing.
6. Read a lot.
I am always surprised when a new client comes to me and wants
help with a writing project and they don't read. Reading is a
great resource to get new ideas, thoughts about how a plot or a
character
is laid out and stimulus to take back to your own writing.
Occasionally it helps you identify how or what you really don't
want
to be writing, and that is very useful indeed. If you 'haven't
time' then look at how you can create some by following Stephen
King's
habit of always taking a book with him everywhere in his pocket
so
if he is standing in line at the bank he can read a couple of
pages.
If you drive a lot, then get an audio book and listen to that -
whatever you do don't stick to your own tried and true favourite
authors or genres. Startle yourself with something different -
you might hate it but that too will be useful.
7. Write a lot.
I've saved the most important tip for last. To become a better
writer you need to write - often, copiously and with no
judgement.
Writing something - however inadequate you feel it is - is
better
than not writing at all. Think of it as priming the pump of your
creativity and you may be surprised at how much it will ease the
path when you have a daily writing habit.
If you want to know more, then I highly recommend you get a copy
of Stephen King's non-fiction book called 'On Writing' and if
you
want to know about him and his work visit his website at
www.stephenking.com
LULU ALERT
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I have in the past highly recommended the self-publishing house
Lulu for their good service and the fact you can get just one or
two copies of your book printed quite inexpensively - however, I
have just had an order for 50 of my procrastination books to be
customised and take to a conference and it has been a nightmare.
Their quoted production time for orders over 25 books is 7-10
days
so I allowed three weeks, and still they weren't ready on time.
As the only interface with them is via live email chat it has
been incredibly time-consuming to sort out and to say it has
been
frustrating is like calling Mother Theresa a nice woman. So to
any of you thinking of using them, double the time they quote
and
for large orders I can recommend other print on demand companies
-
and I will be using one of them next time around!
USEFUL RESOURCES
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The Internet is a great resource if you are stuck for
information,
but it can also be handy if you are setting your work in a
location
that you are not entirely familiar with. I had this experience
recently when ghost-writing for a client who wanted the book set
in
Sri Lanka - a country I have never visited. Now much as I would
love to go and do on-site research, it just wasn't in the budget
so I used www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/country-profiles.html
where you will find countries listed with their customs,
etiquette,
useful phrases and so on. If you want to go deeper into any
city,
like Barcelona for instance, then go to www.wcities.com and you
will find all the bars and restaurants listed that your
character
might want to visit, and good resource for that is also found at
www.timeout.com/travel - so there is no excuse for not giving
your writing some local colour and atmosphere!
CREATIVITY COFFEE BREAK
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Hopefully, inspired by Stephen King, I am giving you a short
exercise that you can do in just fifteen minutes - remember,
keep it focused and personal to your own natural style.
Complete the following sentence:
'The day after my 8th birthday my father told me ......'
You can of course substitute mother, sister, brother,
grandparent, teacher, friend or anyone else that comes to mind!
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To find out more about AnnA's work, or to contact her,
visit her website: www.catalystonline.co.uk
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Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
November 30th, 2007
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I don't usually include bulletins from the police in any of my
newsletters,
but there are a couple I have recently received which definitely
come under the heading of personal development if you include
safety
in that category - which I certainly do. It's that time of
panicking
about Christmas presents - well it is for me - so I have a
creative
suggestion that might lighten your load, without having to leave
home.
Creating is one thing, but selling is another so there are some
handy
tips to help with that plus our Coffee Break exercise which will
test
your powers of writing dialogue just to round things off.
To your continuing growth and creativity - AnnA
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Marketing Your Work - Top Tips
- Safety First
- Expand Your Creativity - Learn to Paint and Draw
- Creative Coffee Break
MARKETING YOUR WORK - TOP 7 TIPS
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Have you reached the point where you are ready to let your
precious work out into the world? It can be very scary, and
rejection is one of the things all creative people have to
face - however there are some things you can do to give yourself
the best possible chance when your precious baby is in front of
someone Marketing has been described as the art of making
someone want something you have, and I would add that they are
also willing to pay for!
Here are a few 'musts' to follow:
1 Creativity is a given, but you are presenting your work in a
commercial marketplace so be businesslike.
Don't give the impression of being disorganised or wacky - it
can be seen as unreliable.
2 Before you present your masterpiece know how much you want to
be paid for it - they will want to know and you can't up the
price after it's been agreed. Have a 'sliding scale in your head
from the maximum to the minimum and if you are giving it away
make sure you at least get a full credit with contact details.
3 Do some self-promotion and widen your chances by approaching
several publishers/editors or outlets at the same time. This is
now perfectly acceptable behaviour, particularly as it can take
months to get a reply sometimes.
4 Whenever you send work out make sure it is immaculate - and in
the way that particular publication/publishing house or gallery
likes to be approached. So no resent copies with names
substituted or curled corners and no anonymous 'Dear Sir' - find
out exactly who to address your initial letter or email to.
5 Never assume your work will be returned, even if you send a
sae, so it is vital you NEVER send your original and only a
copy. Artists, sculptors, potters invest in a good digital
camera and just send photos with a strong covering letter and
musicians can send a copy CD or MP3 of their masterpiece - never
the original!
6 Wherever you are, even if you are just going to the dentist,
always carry a few business cards. If you read The Celestine
Prophesy you will discover there is no such thing as coincidence
and you are always bumping up against people who could be
interested or useful for your work. Yes, even in the waiting
room!
7 Keep up to date and accurate records, on your computer or in a
contacts book, so you can trace who you have sent work to, when
it went out and what the response was. If they said no, but
asked to see something else add that in, together with a date of
when you will contact them again and put that in your diary.
Also add any other new contacts that come up, however casual
they might be - you never know when they might come in useful.
Editors change jobs frequently so make sure you always have the
right details before you get in touch.
I am currently working on a new ebook of how to create maximum
publicity for your new project for creative people, so if you
are interested drop me an email to anna@creativecatalyst.co.uk
and I will make sure you are updated.
SAFETY FIRST
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The Strathclyde police recently sent out some tips that I
thought were incredibly practical, and very pertinent for this
time of year when it gets dark early and we are distracted with
greater crowds and thoughts of Christmas lists. One of the most
vulnerable areas of personal safety, particularly for women, is
a public car park - whether that is at a shopping centre or the
supermarket car park.
If you pay attention to this advice on approaching and
getting into your car in a car park it could save your purse,
your car and possibly even your life:
A.) Be aware: look around your car as you approach it. Then look
INTO your car, at the passenger side floor, and check the back
seat.
B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the
passenger
door. Most attackers surprise their victims by pulling
them into their vans while the woman has her back to them as she
opens the door to get into the car.
C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle,
and the passenger side. If a man is sitting alone in the seat
nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the shop, or
work,
and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. This may seem
extreme, and you will want to give in to feeling foolish and
ignore this advice, but IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN
SORRY - and better paranoid than dead.
D.) ALWAYS take the lift instead of the stairs. Stairwells are
horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot - and
this
way you get some exercise as well.
E.) If the potential attacker has a gun and you are not under
his control, ALWAYS RUN! Statistically, they will only hit a
running target 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely
WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!
And, finally, a tip if you are approached in the street by
someone who asks for your handbag, or purse. DO NOT HAND IT
TO THEM. Toss it away from you.... they are probably more
interested in your handbag than you and will go for the handbag.
RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
EXPAND YOUR CREATIVITY - LEARN TO PAINT AND DRAW
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One of the things I struggled most with at school was the two
hour weekly art class. I had it all in my head, but when my hand
picked up that pencil the hard bite of reality meant I usually
binned it long before I got to the stage of picking up a brush.
A couple of weeks ago at the Internet conference I mentioned
last
time, I met a lovely, down to earth, man called Michael Dale who
is well used to the inadequacies many of us feel around the
subject
of painting and drawing. He is an artist himself, and has a
painting
of a steam engine on his website that I know one member of my
family
would love to find in their Christmas stocking - maybe next
year!
However, Michael's real skill is in being able to help people
like
me get over their fear and learn the basics in their own time,
and
at their own pace and it all comes in a plain brown box complete
and ready for your own personal art course. Could be just the
thing
to expand your creativity into another area - or would make a
great
Christmas present if you stop procrastinating and get on and
visit
his site now by clicking on this link so you can learn more!
http://catalystuk.1color3.hop.clickbank.net/
CREATIVITY COFFEE BREAK
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We can often easily think of plots and characters and
descriptions,
but authentic dialogue can be a bit more tricky. This exercise
is
designed to help you tackle an area that many writers find
difficult, the depiction of anger and tension through words. And
as
I know you are probably very busy at the moment, it is
mercifully
short - though please feel free to continue on beyond the
original
exercise if you find it is flowing for you.
Imagine two people's conversation from which any stranger could
immediately tell how much they disliked each other, without them
saying so in an outright or direct fashion. Write it as six
lines
of dialogue, three from each person and see where it takes you.
TIP: Imagine the dialogue in your head before you write it,
think
of real conversations so you get the flow. People do not speak
'properly',
they use slang, don't always finish sentences and are not always
concise or coherent! Once you have written the first draft of
it,
read it aloud - it can make a huge difference when you hear the
words and the rhythm of the speech actually spoken and that
might
inspire you to go back and make some revisions.
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To find out more about AnnA's work, or to contact her,
visit her website: www.catalystonline.co.uk
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