15 Minute Writer

Writing Tip: Let the Child in You Out to Play

Today, I had a lot to do. I walked by my watercolors. My heart longed to stop and enjoy them. Most of the time I walk on because it takes time to get everything out and then put it away. Because of other demands with my work, those creative urges get repressed and leave an an unfulfilled longing.

However, today I decided to apply the 15 minute principle. I pulled out my little travel case of watercolors and sat down and began to play with them. I have taken drawing and watercolor classes before but set those on the shelf for years. Recently, I started going to a watercolor class again.

My grandsons inspire me with their simply joy in creating art and they don’t care what it looks like. “Look what I did!” They exclaim as they eagerly point to their paintings.

I decided to let myself be a child again and simply be creative and capture the joy I see in them. I had learned other more formal methods to make everything look good but somehow that approach also hindered me because it took so much time.

So I imitated my grandsons and simply sat down and did a watercolor sketch and then wet into wet paint. I’m sharing it here to say, “Look what I did!”

After I finished in about 15 minutes, I felt renewed and refreshed and my business tasks seemed lighter and more doable. Then I decided to write about it and I feel more inspired and creative in my writing too.

I encourage you to experiment with other creative activities and hobbies to give you a fresh approach to your work and your writing.

This is a fabulous productivity tip to motivate yourself and to get your writing done. 

Come be a kid again and learn how to write or learn how to write better. Check out “How to Write for Fun and Profit” and play and learn with me.

A proverb that inspires me to pursue the desires of my heart says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12

Be a kid again. Pursue the desires of your heart and don’t be afraid to share with us your creative endeavors even if they’re childlike. The important thing is to do them!

For additional insights, read 5 Tips to Nourish Your Creative Side and Let Play Support Your Work.

What do you like to do to nurture your creative side and how does that help you with your writing? Share with us in the comments below.

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The World Needs to Hear Your Voice

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Are You a Pond or River Writer?

Are you a river or a pond with your writing? Do you let what you have to say flow out of you or do you keep it gathering inside of you?

A river writer lets what they have to say flow out. A pond writer keeps it to themselves.

I have a confession to make. For many years I was a pond instead of a river. I  gathered all this wonderful knowledge, wisdom and insight and would not get around to writing about it.

Fears and busyness held me back. Fears and questions bombarded my mind. Will other people be critical of my writing? Will I write it right or write it perfectly enough? What if no one even bothered to read it? How can I fit writing into my busy schedule? What will I have to give up to take time to write?

I gathered my stories and thoughts into the pond. The only problem is that it wasn’t flowing out of me to anyone who could benefit from it. When  it gathered in the pond, the writing stagnated. I lost the freshness of the ideas and they became stale.

In the last few years, I’ve started pouring out more. Yet I’ve still held back out of fear of not writing perfectly. 

Well, I’m making a decision as of now. I’m not going to let those fears stop me anymore. I’m going to start becoming more of a river writer instead of a pond writer.

I self edit my writing carefully and believe in doing all you can to write well. However, the flip side of that is perfectionism which can keep you from getting out a good message which can help others.

If I make writing mistakes, let me know and I’ll correct them but I’m not going to let fear of mistakes hinder me.

How about you? Are you going to jump in the river with me? Are you afraid? Here’s 5 strategies to overcome those fears.

5 Tips to Overcome Your Fears of River Writing

1. Begin now. Whatever level of skill you’re at in your writing, start there. Start giving to others with your writing.

Zina, one of my students from my writing course started a blog to encourage those with handicaps.  At one point, Zina expressed concern that her writing wasn’t as polished as she would like. I wrote her, “Zina, you’re having a huge impact encouraging others at the skill level you’re at so keep writing!”

Last year, Zina had 12,000 views on her blog. What if she’d let her fears stop her? So many people would have missed out.

2. Understand the principle of increase. The more you use something the more it will increase. You understand this in exercising. The more you exercise, the stronger you get. You go from strength to strength. The same is true in writing, you go from skill level to skill level. The more you write, the more you learn about how to write, the more you’ll grow as a writer.

 3. Let it flow. Sit down and simply start writing. Don’t worry about whether or not you do it right. Turn off the critical side of you and let it come out. Tap into your right brain instead of your left brain and go for it. You can correct it later but for now, let it go.

4. Grow little by little. Take time to add to your writing knowledge. If you want to learn how to write or write better, take the “How to Write for Fun and Profit” writing course.

If you’ve taken the course, pull it out and review it or read another book on writing. Implement writing tips and continue to learn how to write or improve your writing.

5.  Take responsibility. You have a river inside of you but it’s your responsibility to let it flow out to others. Maybe you’re busy. Most people are. That’s where the 15 minute concept came to be. Don’t wait until you have a lot of time or another season of your life. Grab that pen and take advantage of the small increments of time you have now. Let the river flow, 15 minutes at a time.

People out there need to hear what you have to say. Even if it’s an audience of one, they need what you have to give.

So, jump in the river and let it flow. Instead of a pond writer, be a river writer. Refresh others and you’ll be refreshed.

Go write now.

Share the Gift of Writing!

How about you? What fears hold you back? How do you feel when you’re in a pond instead of a river? What is your experience? Share with us in the comments below.

Image of girls by Admar at http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

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How to Write: Have Fun Creating Word Pictures

Do you enjoy word pictures? Does it stimulate your creativity to create them with your writing?

I love to read good word pictures and I enjoy crafting them. Here’s one I created the other day. I had fun with it so I thought I’d share it with you and see if it would inspire you to create your own.

My sister and I sat in the lovely outdoor setting of the Carlsbad Inn in southern California gazing at the flowers and enjoying lively music from the sixties.

Suddenly, a woman with grey hair who looked to be about seventy-five, rounded the corner. Her bright pink shirt covered her protruding tummy as she swayed from side to side to the music. She walked/danced in rhythm with the beat as she made her way to her family gathered on the lawn under the umbrella. The look of joy on her face captivated me and drew me to her charm.

Age gave her freedom. She no longer felt she had to had to hold in her stomach in or worry about six pack abs. She was free to move, free to express and share the joy of life in a charming dance.

Could you see the woman and get the sense of freedom and energy here? How much more interesting than saying, “We enjoyed watching a seventy-five year old woman dancing.”

She taught my sister and I a lesson that day as well. Continue with the joy of living into old age.

As you read this, think about what can you do to create word pictures? If you want to learn how, study the craft of creative writing and learn the insider writing strategies. As always, you can learn how to do this when you sign up for “How to Write for Fun and Profit” writing course.

If you implement this writing tip, you will capture your readers attention and keep them engaged with your writing and your message.

Take some time now if you can. Pull out your paintbrush (pen) and paint a word picture. If you do, share it with us in the comments below so  we can enjoy it too!

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Could Your Words Change the World?

What if you could write something that would set millions of people free?

Thomas Jefferson did when he wrote the Declaration of Independence in July of 1776. Never before in the history of mankind had anyone written these words. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Those words shaped the course of history and a nation.  Because they were written down in a document, these words have guided and sustained our freedoms as Americans year after year. Because one man sat down and articulated our God given rights in writing, other countries have the courage to set their citizens free as well. Because of his courageous writing, you and I in the United States of America and all countries which protect freedom, have the freedom to write and share our thoughts.

As I reflect on this amazing expression of freedom in writing, these three words come to mind to guide us as we continue to stand for freedom.

1. Responsibility. With freedom comes responsibility. Sometimes people think freedom means you can say or do whatever you think. The truth is, the only way to have freedom is to be responsible in how we treat people, our possessions, institutions, resources and all living things. Honor and respect are the keys to ongoing freedom.
2. Protect. We have to protect our freedom. If we want to continue to enjoy freedom, such as our freedom of speech, we have to protect ourselves against those forces which would try to rob us of it. We need to draw on our courage daily to fight for freedom. Writing is a powerful way to do so.
3. Expand. We need to exercise our freedom and reach others with truths that will set them free. It’s not enough for us to be free, we need to set others free as well.

As a writer, you hold in your hand an awesome responsibility. What are you going to do with it? Are you going to let other things distract you from sharing your gifts, talents and abilities with others through the gift of writing? Are you going to let life get in the way? Are you going to waste hours on social media, the internet or TV or are you going to take the responsibility that is yours to encourage, teach and help others with your writing?

Start where you are today at whatever level you are at in your writing. Continue to improve your writing skills. Read books and books on writing, go to a writer’s conferences or take an online course such as “How to Write for Fun and Profit” which will help you learn how to write or improve your writing skills. Make a commitment to continually grow in your writing skills.

You may write something as significant as the Declaration of Independence or you may write something that will significantly change one person’s life for the better. Focus on the big achievements but don’t forget the little ways, the daily things you can do with your writing to help people.

What can you write today to make the world a more loving place to live? When you’re busy, think in 15 minute increments of time. You can write more than you think in 15 minutes. Take time to set people free as well as enrich and enhance their lives with all you have to offer.

Go write now!

Has this blog post inspired you? If so, what action are you going to take? Share with us in the comments below.

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How to Write–3 Tips to Make Your Writing Magnetic

When you write, are you enthusiastic about what you share? Do you use word pictures to describe things in an appealing way to your readers? Do you know how to write in a way that engages your reader and enthralls them with your writing?

Last spring, a friend called me, “I have to go to a meeting at this lovely resort, the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, on top of Petit Jean mountain. The drive is scenic and it seemed like something you’d enjoy. I have an extra bed in the room, and wondered if you would like to go along?”

“Well, yes–sounds wonderful.”

We drove up there and she was right, I thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of mountain with its creeks and forests.

During our stay at the Institute, I wandered into the gift store and looked at the handcrafted glass bowls and local pottery.

I ambled over to the children’s section and glanced through the educational toys for my grandsons. An older woman in an elegant turquoise blouse approached me. “That is our children’s toys section. Our book section is around the corner. We have a lot of books on the history of the state.”

She pointed to the enclosed glass box, “We have beautiful blown glass and we also have it in jewelry.  In fact take a look at this.” She held up an exquisite turquoise piece of glass jewelry on a sliver neck ring that curved into an interesting circle in  the front where the pendant hung.
The beauty of the necklace captivated me, “It’s stunning.”

“Yes, this glassware is all handmade by a local artist. Each piece is a little different. We also have handmade soaps, pottery from local potters and books you don’t see everywhere. We have a lot of unusual things.”

She went on about all the store had to offer. The gift store was lovely to begin with but she greatly enhanced it with her descriptions. She wasn’t pushy. She simply engaged me. Suddenly the store and its contents seemed more valuable and precious.  Her descriptions made me want to buy the gift items. In fact they were almost irresistible. I had to leave with something from this store.

How can you do the same in your writing? If you blog or you want to write a story, how can you take something ordinary and make it appealing?

When you write a blog post, devotional or inspiring story, use these tips below.

3 Tips to Make Your Writing Magnetic

1. See the beauty in the everyday things and share it. Think about how you can focus on a beautiful event, and add to its beauty and value as the store clerk did when she held up the stunning necklace. A writer friend of mine is writing a book in which she shares her experiences of love and care for her daughters as the Mother of the Bride. She writes with such warmth that enhances the beauty of the mother, daughter bond.

2. Look for the lessons to be learned from every day events. Recently, one of my students in my “How to Write for Fun and Profit” online writing course, wrote a story about what bike riding meant to her when she was young. She wove an inspiring message in her story and made an ordinary activity totally charming.

3. Use metaphors and similes to give magic your descriptions as you paint word pictures. Stimulate your creativity and come up with riveting ideas to “show” your reader what is going on rather than “tell” them.

If you don’t know how to do this, check out the “How to Write for Fun and Profit” online writing course. Even if you know how to write but you want to improve your writing skills, you will benefit from the course. If you’ve already taken the course, review some of the lessons and practice.  Read books to stimulate your creativity and increase your knowledge how to write well

Creative writing will enhance your blog posts or stories. If you want to make money writing, you will irresistibly draw your customers to you.

Most of all, you will have fun as you learn how to write and express your creativity. Everyone wins when you learn how to write well!

Go Now ~ Enjoy the Gift of Writing!

How do you make your writing magnetic? Share with us in the comments below.

Idea photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

blown glassware photo courtesy of Winthrop Rockfeller Institute Gift Shop

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Writing Tips — Big Impact in a Few Minutes

What could you write today, to impact someone with your words? You may think you need to write a novel, a story or a book to make a difference in someone’s life. You are absolutely correct. Those are effective ways to influence others. Stories and books transform our lives and thinking.

However,  think with me for a minute, what you could write now to impact somebody? Maybe it’s a blog post or an article. Maybe it’s simply a comment on somebody’s Facebook or a tweet. You could write a letter, email or thank you note.

Words have power. You can either destroy or build up others with your words. In addition to the longer things you want to write, I want to encourage you to think about small ways you can use your words to encourage other people and to spur them on in positive ways.

Recently, in an online class, the power of words struck me in a new way. Our coach came down with an illness and had to go the hospital. She had been recovering for a couple of weeks. When she stood for even five minutes, she become extremely dizzy. She was not able to teach class. However, she wrote these words in our membership area, “So, just because I’m down & out doesn’t mean YOU get to be! Share what you’ll do this week to advance your speaking. Or what you need help with. Go.”

Immediately, the power of her words stirred me to action. Even in her weakened state, she impacted me. Her comment motivated me to the next step in moving my goals forward. This brought a lesson home to me. You don’t have to have strength to impact other people. Sometimes you may feel inadequate or challenged in some way and you hesitate to write. Don’t let that stop you!

Regardless of the way you feel, you can impact other people in a positive way with your  words. Words of encouragement can motivate someone to change, to have confidence in themselves or to move forward towards a goal. Words of affirmation can encourage someone to believe in their value and worth. Words of compassion can bring healing to someone who is going through a tough time.

What could you write today to encourage or influence someone in a positive way? Today a writer friend wrote me, “Go on and write . . . do what you were meant to do.” Those words spurred me to write this post and now I pass on this encouragement to you. You take it from here and keep it going.  The power of your words and the ones we can generate together is simply astounding.

Set aside some time today, 5 to 15 minutes and use the power of your words change your little corner of the world for the better!

Did this post motivate you to write something? If so, let me know. Let’s encourage each other.

Image David Castillo Dominici  FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Writing Tips – 3 Wisdom Tips to Overcome the Fear of Failure

Let’s talk for a minute about fear. Do you hesitate to write and submit a story for publication or to write a book or a blog post? Maybe you want to write a report or give a presentation or speech, but you feel uncertain about it. Do you want to learn how to write but fear you won’t do it well? Do you hesitate to venture out into a new area with your writing? Or maybe you have some other fears related to your writing.

The fear of failure and rejection can be a hindrance to moving forward with learning how to write, how to write better, or accomplishing your writing goals. Yet being willing to risk is one of the keys to growing in your writing skills and achieving your goals. For sure, if you don’t venture out, you will not be successful. How can you overcome your fear of failure?

Here’s a story that gives us some clues. Sara Blakely is a self-made billionaire from her idea for Spanx, which became a big hit with women and even celebrities. She shared that her father asked her weekly if she had failed at anything that week. If her answer was no, he was disappointed. This is a wise father. He knew that in order to succeed, his daughter needed to be willing to fail.

Sarah shared that she experienced rejection and discouragement along her journey. However, she persisted to the point where she is now extremely accomplished. Not only is she successful herself, but she started a foundation to help women in third world countries with their entrepreneurial ideas so they too can reap the benefits of their innovations.

3 Tips to Overcome the Fear of Failure

• Fear of failure loses its power over you when you realize that as long as you learn something, you never fail without gaining something.
• Fear of failure loses its power on you once you realize there is no shame in making a mistake, only an opportunity to gain experience of what works and what doesn’t.
• Fear of failure loses its power over you when you realize that all successful people fail their way to success. One writer I know posts her rejection slips as proof that she takes action. If she didn’t submit her writing for publication, she would not get rejection notices, but then she also would not have the chance to get published.

You may not succeed when you write something, but you have a chance. For sure, if you don’t write, you guarantee failure.

How about you? Can you set a weekly goal to fail at something in your writing? What would happen if you set this as a goal? We think by shrinking back we protect ourselves, but actually, we hinder ourselves from achieving a new level of growth and experience.

I challenge you to think about something new and risky you can do with your writing this week. What do you think might happen if you did this regularly? Think of all the potential you may unleash if you run toward your goals free from the fear of failure.

What do you think? Does this make sense to you?  What risks are you going to take? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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7 Writing Tips From A Famous Author–Charles Dickens

How would you like to be remembered as a writer?

Could you and your writings be honored in a public way like Charles Dickens?

In Britain, Prince Charles led a global celebration to celebrate Dickens’ 200 hundredth birthday. Read-a-thons were held all over the world to commemorate his writings. Even the internet took note. On the Google search engine, a Google doodle of characters from his novels greeted internet surfers.

What can you learn from Dickens that will improve your writing? What are you writing today that can impact your world  in a positive way through your stories, articles or blog posts?

Charles Dickens was a popular English novelist in the mid eighteen hundreds.  He felt compelled to address some of the social issues of the day such as poor child labor laws. Through his novel writing, he raised the level of awareness of the injustices and the unfair treatment of orphans and child laborers.

One of his most famous novels was “Oliver Twist,” about an orphan boy who suffered grave mistreatment. It was even made into a movie that impacts us today.

Dickens sought to encourage others to be more charitable by highlighting the plight of the poor. Millions have watched the movie or seen plays of “The Christmas Carol” and have been warned by Scrooge’s behavior and  inspired to be more generous to those in need such as Tiny Tim and his family.

Dickens used vivid stories to challenge the social injustices of his day, to highlight the plight of the poor and the hardships of the working class.

This awareness of injustice and sensitivity to the poor came in part out of his own misery. When he was twelve, his father was sent to debtor’s prison and he had to go to work. He sat in a cold, dark room with rats running around, as he put labels on shoe polish cans to earn a living.

Later he drew on these experiences to create strong characters and scenes in his creative writing. He knew how to tell a story!

What can you learn from him as a writer?

7 Writing Tips From Dickens’ Writings

1. Opening sentences. He used gripping opening sentences to grab the attention of his readers. One of his openings has even become a classic line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” the first line from “The Tale of Two Cities.”

2. Powerful endings. He used cliff hangers at the end of his chapters to leave his readers hanging. In those days, chapters were released one at a time and people would line up to get the next installment because they were so eager to find out what happened next.

3. Vivid descriptions.  Here’s an example. “She was dressed in rich materials – satins, and lace, and silks – all of white. Her shoes were white. And she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white. Some bright jewels sparkled on her neck and on her hands, and some other jewels lay sparkling on the table.” (Great Expectations. Ch.8.) His descriptions gave the reader ability to feel, see, smell and hear the people and scenes. Stories came alive through his descriptions.

4. Strong characters. Dickens was a master at creating characters who linger in our minds and have become a part of our culture such as Ebenezer Scrooge. “Bah, humbug” has even become part of our language.

5. Drama. He used action and dialogue in such a way that pulled the reader into the story. His novels were easily made into movies because of his mastery of dramatic techniques.

6. Social justice writing. He used the pen to confront the evils of the day and sway public opinion. He raised the level of awareness of injustice through the use of his stories.

7. Transformed his personal suffering into helping others. He used his own life experiences and misery to be able to help others in similar situations.

A friend of mine, Lucille Zimmerman said, “I believe writing should be powerful, raw, and beautiful. It should make you think, and act, and it should change you!”

Dickens’ creative writing did that and so can yours. You can learn how to write and pick up writing tips from creative writers such as Charles Dickens. You may not be as famous as Charles Dickens but in your own way, in your corner of the world, you can learn how to write in such a way to impact your arena of  influence.

If you want to learn how to write or how to write better, you can also take courses such as “How to Write for Fun and Profit.” However you decide to learn, do take the time to improve your writing skills so you can write well.

Learn how to write a story. Write your stories, blog posts and articles in ways that captivate, challenge and change your readers’ lives for the better.

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Creative Writing – What Can A Tugboat Teach You About Thinking Big?

Do you have big dreams? Would you like to do something big with your writing, with your life? Do you feel like you are an ordinary person, one little person in the world and maybe a little shy about what you can seriously accomplish?

I understand those fears because I’ve had them myself. Perhaps some of the insights below will help you take some more steps to put those fears behind you.

Child prodigy, Arfa had these thoughts about the power you have in your mind to overcome the tendency to be shy. “If you want to do something big in your life, you must remember that shyness is only the mind. If you think shy, you act shy. If you think confident you act confident. Therefore never let shyness conquer your mind.”

Arfa Karim Randhawa was the computer programming prodigy. She became the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional at 9 years old. Unfortunately Arfa only lived until she was sixteen but she had a big dream and in her short life, impacted the world in a significant way.

Another source encouragement came in an unexpected way when I visited my sister last summer in San Diego. We enjoyed an expansive view of the San Diego harbor from her high rise condo. We’d watch the large ships coming in and out of the harbor.

One of the sights that captivated me was the little tug boats pulling a big ship–and I mean a huge ship, a ship many times its size. Once the ship was in the harbor, it could no longer use its own power but had to depend on one or two tugboats to pull it in. It’s almost amusing to see these tiny little boats pulling the great ship.

Tugboats were created to tow big ships. That is their job. It doesn’t matter that they are small, they were fashioned to do this chore and they do it well.

Sometimes I identify with those tugboats. The dreams I have and the ship I want to pull in seems huge to me.  Maybe you can relate. You may sometimes feel small in comparison to the big dream you have.

Perhaps God designed you to fulfill some big plans. Maybe through your writing He wants you to impact others in some significant way just as the tug boats were designed to pull the hefty boats. It’s not in your best interest or in the best interest of the world for you to shy away from the gifts, talents and abilities, God has placed in you. Maybe you won’t be a prodigy but you have your own significant assignment and role to play to make the world a better place with your writing.

Develop your writing skills, talents and abilities. Maybe you already know how to write but are you refining your skills and adding to your abilities? I’d like to invite you not to settle at the level you are in your writing skill. Always be looking for ways to add to your knowledge in how to write well and to grow in your creative writing skills. Implement new writing tips and ideas regularly.

If you have not yet learned to write, then begin now to learn how to write and the techniques of creative writing. One way is to take writing courses. The writing course, “How to Write for Fun and Profit” is designed to support you as you learn how to write or  move your writing skills to the next level. I would love to support you on your writing journey but whether you take a course from me or not, learn how to write and continue to improve your skills.

A proverb  which inspires me to continue to develop my writing skills says, “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings, he will not serve before obscure men.” Proverbs 22:29 (NIV 1984)

Your ever increasing ability will enable you to move big ships into the harbor–huge ships loaded with good things for yourself and for others.

Don’t be shy no matter how little you feel. Grow in your skills and have fun with it!

Go write now!

How about you? How can you overcome your shyness? What can you do to bring your big ship in?

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