tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46934012199592725642024-03-04T23:01:28.376-05:00My Name Is Not BobWriting poems, making books, changing diapers, and living thankful.Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.comBlogger388125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-54118612035682410782017-09-25T05:30:00.000-04:002017-09-25T05:30:20.892-04:00Let Yourself Be Awesome: On Overcoming DisappointmentOn Saturday, I completed my first 12-mile run since 2005, and I aced it. My overall pace was 8:02 per mile, but the final two miles were in 7:44 and 7:49--and I was holding myself back to avoid injury. This is after running 7 hilly miles the day before at 7:30 pace to "tire myself out" for Saturday's long run. Needless to say, I was ecstatic!<br />
<br />
But for weeks leading into this 2-day training session, I'd been filled with dread. In fact, I kept coming up with excuses to modify the workout or alter it completely. The major excuse was that I would end up injuring myself. I was too old; I was too out of shape; I was too heavy; I was too used to not running hard; I was (fill in the blank). Why was I so worried about hurting myself?<br />
<br />
<b>The Injury</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACH8DSoc16-eHMJU28H4QU1CEZecbyC8ZrU3UUakm2PmgVVOs8iX6aL-oH7fkWNDSCH6Xx51eQPTwvW4Ey47d3iphB4RKi6jJiVj750FvUGPYQEGnIpTkkRjVppHwdnZrlG6w95OimASh/s1600/before_longhorn_run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACH8DSoc16-eHMJU28H4QU1CEZecbyC8ZrU3UUakm2PmgVVOs8iX6aL-oH7fkWNDSCH6Xx51eQPTwvW4Ey47d3iphB4RKi6jJiVj750FvUGPYQEGnIpTkkRjVppHwdnZrlG6w95OimASh/s400/before_longhorn_run.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in April before the Longhorn Run in Austin, Texas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back in April, my training was humming along. I'd stack the miles up and knock them all down. I was even starting to get a bit cocky, to tell you the truth. Of course, I was nowhere near my trackstar days of high school and college, but I was creating a big divide from only a few months earlier when I weighed more than 265 pounds. Then, I strained my hamstring during my first attempt at an 8-mile run.<br />
<br />
10 days later, I tried running a very slow 3 miles, but strained the same hamstring again around the half-way mark. My amazing momentum had officially been halted.<br />
<br />
And the injury has been with me on every mile of every run since. Not physically, but mentally, it's there--ready to strike when I least expect it. Ready to meet me at the highest peak of euphoria and drag me back down to earth.<br />
<br />
And it's made me hesitant. I expect to be disappointed, so it's been a struggle to push for something better.<br />
<br />
<b>Let Yourself Be Awesome</b><br />
This is not the first time I've had to overcome injury, but disappointment has tried to handicap me in several phases of life throughout my entire life. The first time I suffered a serious heartbreak, I swore off falling in love ever again. Thankfully, I was able to get over it, and I have a beautiful family as a result.<br />
<br />
But there have been times in my writing when an overwhelming wave of rejections combined with a lack of acceptances makes me doubt whether to continue submitting my writing (though the writing itself will always happen--for the sake of writing). Over the years, I've learned how to get through the ebbs and flows of the quiet times to enjoy the published times. After all, that's how I got my first poetry collection published.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9E_cJKLs_WPar0NiIzgtgk031aiQw7c0-jF4Bx7ZARPxTNUiZ24RvmJnK924GJRiXJwrVL_w5kBsqI2L_skbo_dt-uvgPXAi287pdyMueeZA7j13AsIfcBXXtvhArY64K8q4H3_zRpRi/s1600/suwanee+fest+10k+finish+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9E_cJKLs_WPar0NiIzgtgk031aiQw7c0-jF4Bx7ZARPxTNUiZ24RvmJnK924GJRiXJwrVL_w5kBsqI2L_skbo_dt-uvgPXAi287pdyMueeZA7j13AsIfcBXXtvhArY64K8q4H3_zRpRi/s320/suwanee+fest+10k+finish+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me finishing a 10k earlier this month in Georgia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Which brings me back to this past weekend: I could've gone into that 7-miler on Friday and said to myself, "You're going to hurt yourself again, old man. Just enjoy the morning and take it easy."<br />
<br />
Instead, I took my run one mile at a time, increasing my pace gradually throughout until I was charging up the steep uphills in my neighborhood and clicking the stop button on watch. And then, of course, pumping my fist in success.<br />
<br />
Of course, I woke up achy on Saturday morning, and I could already feel that internal critic jumping on my back before hitting the trail, saying things like, "You really did an amazing job yesterday with that fast run...for getting yourself injured today." "What were you thinking? You've never done 12 miles, and you run yourself into the ground the day before? Don't know when it's happening, but you're going to limp home at some point today." "Just give up." And so on.<br />
<br />
To tell you the complete truth, I was a little scared headed into my Saturday morning run. The internal critic that wants to limit my awesome was winning the war in my head, but then I did something: I took those first few steps. And I then, I took a few more. And kept slowly building momentum.<br />
<br />
Even though it was the slowest mile of the day, it wasn't long before I got through the first mile, and then, the second, third, and fourth. And I started to realize something: I was feeling pretty good.<br />
<br />
Miles five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten came and went without issue. In fact, my mile splits seemed to show that I was turning in a machine-like effort of consistency in my pace. So then, I did something crazy in the final two miles: I picked up the pace, while still holding myself back from going all out.<br />
<br />
I was finally doing it: Letting myself be awesome.<br />
<br />
<b>You Can Do It</b><br />
You can do it: whatever your little piece of awesome is. But only if you let yourself take those first few steps that add up into others.<br />
<br />
Disappointments will come in this life, whether it's an injury, a rejection, a breakup, a job loss, an addiction, or (fill in the blank). There's no getting around the fact that this life is not just sunshine and rainbows.<br />
<br />
But to reach awesome, we have to let ourselves get past the disappointment; and it doesn't happen all at once. No, it figuratively and sometimes literally means taking one step at a time.<br />
<br />
<b>Welcome Back</b><br />
That's part of what I plan to share on this blog moving forward. Starting with my own stories since December 14, 2016, when I decided to take my health back into my own hands, and perhaps sharing the stories of others, I plan to use the Not Bob blog to share how I and others have attempted to let themselves be awesome.<br />
<br />
Honestly, I'm not 100% sure where I'm going to take this blog over the coming months, but we'll figure it out together: One step at a time.<br />
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-28545032406992972812014-12-19T08:30:00.000-05:002014-12-19T08:30:00.736-05:00Remixing the World's Problems ResultsThe one thing about judging poetry is that it often takes me much longer than I expect. For everyone who has waited so patiently for me to get these results together, thank you for that patience. It is appreciated.<br />
<br />
Also appreciated: Thank you so much to everyone for participating in the Remixing the World's Problems challenge! I received nearly 300 remixes of the words in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Solving-Worlds-Problems-Robert-Brewer/dp/1935708902" target="_blank">Solving the World's Problems</a>, which totally blows my mind!<br />
<br />
<i>Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!</i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWgYzeV8iFIKnOdjWJi0cTpKBWMQ2YQmUIuztxmKAkKjm3Q4TvrxRLkau3eYeaYM3NRhwCVddl2J2NaJJ2SbKT51FeUiegVnheryQ6qxv5o3Erw7V1FWc2j8hsN-5BGVf92pwiMErcT2y/s1600/Solving_the_Worlds_Problems_cover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWgYzeV8iFIKnOdjWJi0cTpKBWMQ2YQmUIuztxmKAkKjm3Q4TvrxRLkau3eYeaYM3NRhwCVddl2J2NaJJ2SbKT51FeUiegVnheryQ6qxv5o3Erw7V1FWc2j8hsN-5BGVf92pwiMErcT2y/s1600/Solving_the_Worlds_Problems_cover2.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>I still remember having the idea during one of my 500-mile drives up to Ohio and wondering if anyone would really be game for such a thing. I guess I shouldn't have worried, right? Of course, it probably helps that there was a $500 prize for my favorite remix!<br />
<br />
<b>Choosing the Winner</b><br />
Choosing the winner was not an easy process for several reasons. First of all, it's disorienting to read remixes of your own words. It's exciting, but it's also kind of...well...weird.<br />
<br />
Beyond that, it's like having grandchildren in a way--seeing all these offspring of my offspring (err, original poems). Picking favorites among my own poems is difficult, doing so with grandchildren is just as difficult.<br />
<br />
Plus, y'all came at this challenge with a lot of creativity!<br />
<br />
<b>The Approaches</b><br />
Speaking of creativity, here are a few (though not all) of the various methods people used:<br />
<ul>
<li>One poet remixed every poem in the collection as a tanka.</li>
<li>Another used the final word from each poem to construct a new poem.</li>
<li>A few poets used the poem titles as source material.</li>
<li>Some took the original poems and fit them to fixed forms, including a sevenling, pantoum, fib, triolet, sestina, and others.</li>
<li>A handful of poets did erasures.</li>
<li>One poet submitted a couple image-based poems. </li>
</ul>
Throughout the judging, I encountered incredible energy and interesting processes. In a way, it was like an advanced level course in the possibilities of revision and re-creating poems as something new.<br />
<br />
<b>So Anyway, the Winner</b><br />
The winner of the Remixing the World's Problems challenge is Jane Shlensky for her collection titled <i>simple solutions</i>. In her entry, Jane remixed every single poem in <i>Solving the World's Problems</i> to create an entirely new manuscript, a sister manuscript if you will.<br />
<br />
Here's a little of what she said when she made the submission, "Remixing has forced me to study your work and to emulate the power of its short lines and images. ... Win lose or draw in this remixing challenge, I've already won a new world view and a darned good education in poesy."<br />
<br />
Me too. Me too.<br />
<br />
I asked Jane to share a few words about the collection and her revision process, and this is what she had to say:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
First of all, a collection titled <i>Solving the World's Problems</i> is bound to appeal to teachers and optimists who believe such solutions are possible. Robert's poems, so very different in form from my own, were amazingly similar in their themes. The order of his collection helped to open up broader questions, it seems to me, and emphasized for the interaction of the self and the world, the micro and macro, and that attracted me. Also, Robert has the ability to say so much in so few words, to engage huge (dare I say global?) questions with single lines or images. Reading his poems closely, I saw how he tapped into his upbringing, observations, experiences, definitions, and loves, just as so many of us do. Studying his work was somewhat like another form challenge. I love playing with forms.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The remixing process required multiple readings for me, close analysis of what worked in each poem, and often multiple attempts to write a remix of some of those poems. My poems are wordy and longish, often narrative; sometimes I tinker with meter and rhyme or blank verse. It really was a challenge for me to condense my meanings to single images, to "squeeze the universe into a ball," as Eliot's Prufrock says. After a dozen or so tries, I got the hang of saying what I wanted in a similar form and found that the conundrum of solving world problems was in channeling Robert--and then rewriting and editing for a few weeks. It was very freeing to dispense with punctuation and capitalization, the trappings of grammar and freeing to be in another poet's head for a while and out of my own. Plus, I learned a new way of expressing myself by remixing Robert's work.</blockquote>
One thing Jane left out is that she actually published a few of her remixed poems in a journal titled <i>Prairie Wolf</i>. She described it as "the only reward I thought I would receive," but, of course, that's not the case. <a href="http://www.prairiewolfpress.com/issue_viii_fall_2014/starting_with_ourselves_and_pursuit_of_meaning_by_jane_shlensky" target="_blank">Read them here</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>A List of Finalists</b><br />
With so many great entries, I could not stop at just a winner. I also want to recognize the top 20 finalists. If your entry did not make the list, it probably had nothing to do with how much I enjoyed the remix; it's just, well, I had to make tough decisions.<br />
<br />
Here's the list (starting with Jane):<br />
<ol>
<li><i>simple solutions</i>, by Jane Shlensky</li>
<li>"Incantation," by Ellen Evans</li>
<li><i>60 tankas</i>, by Ed Bremson</li>
<li>"horizon poems," by Eric Otto</li>
<li>"Origami Portrait," by Terry Wolverton</li>
<li>"The Swirling Winds of My Awkward Life," by Linda Hofke</li>
<li>"the trees obscure the water towers," by Elizabeth Weaver-Kreider</li>
<li>"Origami Kisses," by Martin Willitts, Jr.</li>
<li>"dissolving the world," by Stewart C. Baker</li>
<li><i>Mixing Up the World's Problems</i>, by William Preston</li>
<li>"Curioser," by Ellen Evans</li>
<li>"Not Alone," by Tracy Davidson</li>
<li>"Building, Driving, Writing," by Linda Goin</li>
<li>"the end," by Beth Ayer</li>
<li>"tear," by Laurie Kolp</li>
<li>"The Creek," by Tracy Davidson</li>
<li>"Igniting," by Helen Yeoman</li>
<li>"she origamies me, and i her," by Michelle Hed</li>
<li>"Late Night Parade," by Mary Kay Knief</li>
<li>"after 'Murder & the Love Curse,'" by Alfred Booth</li>
</ol>
Congrats to everyone who was a finalist! And again, thank you to everyone who participated!<br />
<br />
This was truly an incredible adventure.<br />
<br />
<b>But the Adventure May Not Be Over</b><br />
As I relayed to our winner earlier, I'm in the process of trying to shop around an anthology of some of my favorite remixes, including ones that may not be on the finalist list. I have a plan for creating a remix anthology that doubles as a guide to the possibility of revision.<br />
<br />
We'll see how that goes, and I'll keep everyone updated if there is any progress on that front.<br />
<br />
<b>With That, I'll Leave You</b><br />
That is, I'll leave you with a poem from Jane Shlensky's <i>simple solutions</i>, one that was written off a poem titled "the end" in <i>Solving the World's Problems</i> (appropriate for ending this post, I suppose):<br />
<br />
<b>reprieve</b>, by Jane Shlensky<br />
<br />
she often gets the urge<br />
to walk away<br />
become & unbecome<br />
rest nameless blank<br />
as a summer sky<br />
no questions asked<br />
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-46346805583959730822013-07-16T16:00:00.000-04:002013-07-16T16:55:24.963-04:00Help Me Solve the World's Problems (By August 1, 2013)<br />
(<b>Special Promotion:</b> If you pre-order a signed copy, whether through me or my publisher, by the August 1 deadline, I'll enter you into a raffle for an extra bonus. What's the bonus? A signed hard copy proof--in addition to your signed book--with an extra handwritten poem that doesn't appear in this collection.) <br />
<br />
In September, my first full-length collection of poetry, <i>Solving the World's Problems</i>, will be released by Press 53. I am very excited!<br />
<br />
And I've bought a bunch of new pens to...you know...umm...sign books and stuff. Would you like a personally signed book by me?<br />
<br />
The best way to get an autographed copy hot off the presses is to pre-order a copy from me now, so that I can pre-order copies from my publisher. When I receive that first shipment, I'll sign 'em and mail 'em immediately. <b>(I need all pre-orders by August 1.)</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWgYzeV8iFIKnOdjWJi0cTpKBWMQ2YQmUIuztxmKAkKjm3Q4TvrxRLkau3eYeaYM3NRhwCVddl2J2NaJJ2SbKT51FeUiegVnheryQ6qxv5o3Erw7V1FWc2j8hsN-5BGVf92pwiMErcT2y/s1600/Solving_the_Worlds_Problems_cover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWgYzeV8iFIKnOdjWJi0cTpKBWMQ2YQmUIuztxmKAkKjm3Q4TvrxRLkau3eYeaYM3NRhwCVddl2J2NaJJ2SbKT51FeUiegVnheryQ6qxv5o3Erw7V1FWc2j8hsN-5BGVf92pwiMErcT2y/s320/Solving_the_Worlds_Problems_cover2.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Order a copy by <a href="mailto:robertleebrewer@gmail.com" target="_blank">sending me an e-mail</a> with the subject line: <b>I Want Solving the World's Problems</b>.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Who knows? I might even slip a surprise thank you or two in there as well, though I hope the value of this collection is intrinsic, not extrinsic.<br />
<br />
Here's what former New Hampshire Poet Laureate Patricia Fargnoli, author of <i>Duties of the Spirit</i> and <i>Then, Something</i> had to say about the collection (an advance proof): <i><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">"The 'World' in Robert Lee Brewer's </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Solving the World's Problems</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> is a slippery
world ... where chaos always hovers near, where we are (and should be) 'splashing around in dark puddles.' And one feels a bit dizzy reading
these poems because (while always clear, always full of meaning) they
come at reality slantwise so that nothing is quite the same and the
reader comes away with a new way of looking at the ordinary objects and
events of life. The poems are brim-full of surprises and delights,
twists in the language, double-meanings of words, leaps of thought and
imagination, interesting line-breaks. There are love and relationship
poems, dream poems, poems of life in the modern world. And always the
sense (as he writes) of 'pulling the world closer to me/leaves falling
to the ground/birds flying south.' I read these once, twice with great
enjoyment.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>I will go back to them often</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i>."<br />
<br />
Still not convinced? Wow! You're a tough customer. Good thing I've planned some hypothetical non-softball-questions ahead of time with totally-unplanned-off-the-cuff answers at the ready. <br />
<br />
<b>Why would I lay down my hard-earned money for your book?</b><br />
Because you love poetry, and this book is filled with poems. (<a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/07/solving-worlds-problems-sample-poems.html" target="_blank">Click here to read a few</a>.)<br />
<br />
Or if you need another reason: Because you want to be a part of history, since this is the first full-length collection of poems from <i>the</i> Robert Lee Brewer. You can say you were there in the beginning, and that'll make you really cool in a "I was there in the beginning" kind of way.<br />
<br />
Or if you need another reason: Because I begged and pleaded with you, and it's better than dropping the same amount of money on whatever it is that you spend money on that you usually regret later as a bad purchase. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxHMHrWJ2SE" target="_blank">I ain't too proud to beg</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Is this book really going to solve the world's problems?</b><br />
Hmm... Good question. You're pretty sharp. Sharp like a knife. Or sharp like the teeth of a shark. You know I think you'll find the answer you want to find by purchasing a copy of the book and reading it yourself.<br />
<br />
But now that it's out there, I'm pretty sure of one thing: It will drive you crazy not knowing. So spare yourself the sleepless nights and read the book. You can thank me later.<br />
<br />
<b>I know Patricia Fargnoli said nice things about <i>Solving the World's Problems</i>, but does anyone else have anything nice to say about the collection? I mean, besides your mom.</b><br />
Well, I do have a really nice quote from my mom, but I'll save that for another blog post, I guess. Since I can't use her endorsement, I'll use this one from one of my favorite contemporary poets Sandra Beasley, author of <i>I Was the Jukebox</i> and <i>Theories of Falling</i>: "Rather than solving the world's problems, this collection turns them to the sun like a prism--casting bright and spare images of humanity in flux. 'We spill ourselves all over ourselves,' one poem observes, 'our excess light / our forgiving natures.' Compassionate, challenging, and filled with slinky swerves of phrase, these poems refresh how we look at our daily lives."<br />
<br />
<b>Any other non-mom niceties coming your way?</b><br />
Yes, this is what Scott Owens, author of <i>Something Knows the Moment</i>, had to say: "These poems illustrate the vitality of poetry in our daily lives. Diverse, refreshing, even at times startling, these poems make bold claims for poetry."<br />
<br />
<b>Okay, okay. How do I purchase this amazing book?</b><br />
That's the easy part. Just send me an e-mail at <a href="mailto:robertleebrewer@gmail.com">robertleebrewer@gmail.com</a> with the subject line: <b>I want Solving the World's Problems</b>. Then, we'll work together to get the book in your hands.<br />
<br />
It costs $15 (shipping included), and I can accept check, money order, or PayPal. And you'll get a signed and dated copy to prove you were there in the beginning. Plus, I think the poems are pretty darn good. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/07/solving-worlds-problems-sample-poems.html" target="_blank">Click here to read a few sample poems</a>.<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
By the way, if you'd rather go through my publisher, that's a great option too. As with getting copies from me, the pre-order event is only valid through August 1. <a href="http://www.press53.com/BioRobertLeeBrewer.html" target="_blank">Click here to learn more</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-66835917120865472252013-07-11T19:50:00.000-04:002013-07-11T19:50:17.415-04:00Solving the World's Problems - Sample PoemsMy debut full-length collection of poetry <i>Solving the World's Problems</i> is due from Press 53 on September 1, 2013. It's been an exciting highlight to the year for me, and I can't wait to hold a copy in my hands. If you're interested in getting your hands on a signed copy, send me an e-mail at <a href="mailto:robertleebrewer@gmail.com">robertleebrewer@gmail.com</a> to get the wheels in motion--or <a href="http://www.press53.com/BioRobertLeeBrewer.html" target="_blank">order a copy here</a>.<br />
<br />
The poems in this collection represent what I consider my best up to now, and many of them have gone through a major transformation since the collection was accepted for publication. I have my wonderful editor Tom Lombardo to thank for helping guide this collection in a new (and I think better) direction.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6m5vVCxIIaWoNrvaaGLs1TImKjRSl6y9gkpqB9LAL47TH1C9kJQF2ZGr3hbE-sTXCr4XuRb0fgD6ybucRd7DbFudl5dUlAv8mPjVIeEQrpLElhrNkjHho_ywJUdqYoNoYgVQeNAUT3jTk/s1600/Solving_the_Worlds_Problems_cover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6m5vVCxIIaWoNrvaaGLs1TImKjRSl6y9gkpqB9LAL47TH1C9kJQF2ZGr3hbE-sTXCr4XuRb0fgD6ybucRd7DbFudl5dUlAv8mPjVIeEQrpLElhrNkjHho_ywJUdqYoNoYgVQeNAUT3jTk/s320/Solving_the_Worlds_Problems_cover2.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.press53.com/BioRobertLeeBrewer.html" target="_blank"><i>Solving the World's Problems</i></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Anyway, this post shares a few sample poems from <i>Solving the World's Problems</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>solving the world's problems</b>, by Robert Lee Brewer<br />
<br />
i began as eyelashes blocking the sun<br />
and my father was a digital clock<br />
in a dark cave my father counted<br />
<br />
out the minutes as i kept myself<br />
from myself in this way i learned to kiss<br />
years later when i became a horse<br />
<br />
i ran the hot blood out of my body<br />
father turned into a dream filled<br />
with fire and a horrible laugh i<br />
<br />
burned into a cloud of smoke<br />
father became a phone call and then<br />
silence i worried what i might<br />
<br />
transform into next i worried<br />
what i might already be then<br />
i forgave father<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
<b>you origami me</b>, by Robert Lee Brewer<br />
<br />
fold me into animal shapes<br />
and hold me like paper<br />
you don't want to tear<br />
<br />
i've been here before<br />
i've waited like money<br />
and spent myself evenly<br />
<br />
across your accounts of love<br />
the time has come for our withdrawal<br />
into the pleasures of night<br />
<br />
these simple transfers and deposits<br />
these points of interest<br />
fold me as you will<br />
<br />
and hold me longer still<br />
i'm not a wolf save when<br />
that's the only way you'll bend me <br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
<b>10:15 in a kroger parking lot</b>, by Robert Lee Brewer<br />
<br />
he sits with the engine off staring straight ahead<br />
through wells fargo through the next strip mall and the new<br />
half-developed subdivision with prices that<br />
<br />
start in the low five-hundreds through mcdonald's and<br />
chick-fil-a through burger king and dairy queen through<br />
thick and thin cats and dogs teenagers in public<br />
<br />
parks radio waves and satellite images<br />
carried to you the possibility of you<br />
a number on a graph some outlier who reads<br />
<br />
poetry as if reading might even matter<br />
to the man with this weight on his shoulders staring<br />
without any thoughts because his brain's finally<br />
<br />
filled past the point of pure saturation and he's<br />
sitting in his car oblivious to the world<br />
outside the store stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables<br />
<br />
and diapers and frozen pizza and toothpaste and<br />
deodorant and trash bags and prescription drugs<br />
and his eyes are wet but he is not crying blank<br />
<br />
as he feels and overwhelmed as choreographed<br />
cars park and people enter the kroger and leave<br />
the kroger to drive away somewhere without him<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
As we run up to the release date for the collection, I'll be sharing more information, including various events--both online and in person. If you're interested in either having me read at your venue or doing some kind of interview or review, just send me an e-mail at <a href="mailto:robertleebrewer@gmail.com">robertleebrewer@gmail.com</a>.<br />
<br />
To get a signed copy, send me an e-mail as well, or <a href="http://www.press53.com/BioRobertLeeBrewer.html" target="_blank">click here to order a copy directly from Press 53</a>.<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Follow me on Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer" target="_blank">robertleebrewer</a><br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Check out some other related posts:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/01/solving-worlds-problems-by-robert-lee.html">Solving the World's Problems, by Robert Lee Brewer</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/finding_success_as_a_poet" target="_blank">Finding Success as a Poet</a>.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-5631121010042773232013-05-07T18:41:00.000-04:002013-05-07T18:43:45.754-04:00Forsaking the Zone (Leah Lindeman guest post)<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Silence
permeates a musty-smelling library, shadows touched by flickers from
candlelight. In the centre of this haven is a mahogany desk upon which
sits leather-bound volumes. And the hunched over writer scribbles
furiously; his ingenuity rolls through his tensed muscles. His
masterpiece must be put into words.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Reality
is that most of us fight to a gain a sense of peace and to be in a
comfortable state when we write. Writing isn't about being comfortable;
it's about forsaking our comfort zone.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Last
year, Robert Lee Brewer challenged his participants to their build
their social media platforms in one month. Many of the daily tasks I
passed over because I was either too lazy, too busy, or too scared.
However, I kept all the tasks I didn't do in my inbox. Just last month
did I decide to revisit them, promising myself that I wouldn't provide
an excuse for any lack of action.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6k0PQgs6X4Aj3PEwTmU4mnwGxFMWTMeIBjX1HuSEToNaenrgKXzpbbwcEtL7M9WiRWrIO710K6HoVd8O2Pr66r_TEHhulZYnpafaakDadPG_BGglTRO0SAoStTC6ub1DFGtqb-f1mIPr/s1600/DSC_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6k0PQgs6X4Aj3PEwTmU4mnwGxFMWTMeIBjX1HuSEToNaenrgKXzpbbwcEtL7M9WiRWrIO710K6HoVd8O2Pr66r_TEHhulZYnpafaakDadPG_BGglTRO0SAoStTC6ub1DFGtqb-f1mIPr/s320/DSC_0153.JPG" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leah Lindeman, forsaking the comfort zone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>RSS/E-mail </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One
of the tasks was to <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-platform-challenge-day-16.html" target="_blank">set up an RSS feed</a>. When I viewed the instructions
on Google, I was ready to abort my mission. Words such as HTML, feed
burner, and RSS feed intimidated me. I am no computer genius. But I was
determined to do something new, to get out of my comfort zone. I
followed the steps slowly. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When I finally saw the RSS feed symbol on my
blog page, I was ecstatic. I went on to setting up an e-mail subscription
link, as well. This small, brave step for me has given my blog the
potential to attract even more followers; and I am now able to use my
"expertise" to help my friends set up these important functions.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Try New Things</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Another
way I try to get out of my comfort zone is to try new things, discover
new places. This correlates with the advice "write what you know." There
are arguments for its antithesis: "Write what you don't know." I won't
try to prove which point is better over than the other; however, there
is merit in writing about what you do know. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For example, I've gone
bungee-jumping twice. This daredevil stunt doesn't have anything to do
with writing directly. But if I ever were to write a scene in which my
character free falls or feels a greater force than his own pulling him
in a certain direction, I could insert a realistic feel into the scene,
making it and my character even more compelling and relatable. Try
something new; you will have a wide range of experiences from which to
glean.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Editorial Calendar</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For
those of us who like to roll with the punches, setting up an editorial
calendar is hard. We like to create order, but we may not like to work
within order. The problem with being disorganized is that it's a gamble;
our feelings are the basis for our progression toward our goals.
Setting up an editorial calendar which highlights research dates,
deadlines, blogging subjects, and more will ensure success most of the
time. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My editorial calendar mainly consists of which days are set apart
for blogging and an idea to go with each of those days. As a result,
I've been much more consistent with my blogging; and I've been gaining
more followers and connecting with them. What used to be uncomfortable
has now become comfortable.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The
first step is usually the hardest to take. But if you jump outside your
box, you will expand whilst you benefit others. For me, setting up an
RSS feed, trying new things, and setting up an editorial calendar has
helped me become a better writer. Get out of your comfort zone. In what
ways can you become uncomfortable?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
***** </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Leah Lindeman</b> <i>was born in Montreal, Quebec. Throughout her childhood, she dabbled in
different extracurricular activities such as ballet, piano lessons, and
soccer. But writing became her one passion starting a few years ago.
Wanting to become better, Leah enrolled in a writing correspondence course
given by the Institute of Children's Literature. She graduated with
honours and began working on her first novel. Presently, she is researching
material for her second novel; and she is trying to conclude the finishing
touches on the first. When Leah is not reading or writing, she's usually
taking care of her home, her husband, and two children. Some of her hobbies
include horseback riding, visiting with friends and family, and
singing</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
*****</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Follow Not Bob on Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer" target="_blank">robertleebrewer</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
(or search for him on the social media site of your choice)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
To stay plugged in here, sign up for e-mail updates (over to the right).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
*****</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here are some previous guest posts:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/facebook-groups-are-great-for-writers.html">Facebook Groups are Great for Writers</a>. </li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-year-of-changes-carol-cooney-guest.html">A Year of Changes</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/living-outside-of-your-comfort-zone.html">Living Outside of Your Comfort Zone</a>.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-83262085980954632842013-04-29T22:15:00.000-04:002013-04-29T22:15:15.523-04:00Chasing AprilOK, so the plan for April was to run all these guest posts (and even some of my own content) that were related to platform building. That obviously came off the tracks, and I'm not going to get into making too many excuses.<br />
<br />
I'll just say that April turned into an even busier month than I expected (and I expected a busy month), and we'll just leave it at that. No need to dwell on it, but I do want to acknowledge that, yes, I was expecting to post more content this month. Sooo...<br />
<br />
...let's take a look at what May's going to look like. I'm not going to over-promise, but we'll get back on track with the guest posting on May 7. Promise.<br />
<br />
And now to hit you with an extra helping of cuteness, because it's cute. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbn1SVl-0tvKExvQuzp2NJuouqw3FU0ImuYlzXUJwAW_7HBScU6cCqTB87C1E2npJvOx1sMZxQrxZzRfZvrnEoJWfsENkLlsPStrYY6UQPn9O6nM4oP_tpGzgkh0EZtGvBgjjuUttVMZ3I/s1600/pretty_little_girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbn1SVl-0tvKExvQuzp2NJuouqw3FU0ImuYlzXUJwAW_7HBScU6cCqTB87C1E2npJvOx1sMZxQrxZzRfZvrnEoJWfsENkLlsPStrYY6UQPn9O6nM4oP_tpGzgkh0EZtGvBgjjuUttVMZ3I/s320/pretty_little_girl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you really argue with cute?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-82754272472723531112013-04-14T23:19:00.000-04:002013-04-14T23:19:25.903-04:00Facebook Groups Are Great for Writers (Zara Hoffman guest post)<div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Everyone
says the Internet is either a distraction or the best thing to
happen in our lifetime. More often than not, I agree with the latter. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I
love Facebook. It allows me to keep in touch with my friends and keep
up to date on some of my favorite pages. Most recently, though, I’ve
developed a new love for the social network. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Facebook Groups</b> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The <i>Teens Can Write, Too!</i> and <i>Go Teen Writers</i>
Facebook groups are friendly communities for writers that offer moral
support and fun anecdotes to help motivate me when I’m looking for
inspiration. Some people prefer to write alone and share afterwards, and these groups give you that opportunity. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s a hangout, not a
mandatory club in which you need to contribute a specific amount to get
advice or help (as it is with some writing website forums). </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As
to balancing my time in these groups and actually writing? I generally
check in once a day and see if there are any interesting new threads I
should be aware of. I try and stay off Facebook other than to wish
people happy birthday, see the latest news on my biggest obsessions so I
can maximize my writing time. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Word Wars!</b> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Sometimes, there are “Word Wars” where
people agree to write as much as they can within a given amount of time
and we keep a chat open, it can be very effective and satisfying. I
actually have yet to do one, but <i>Go Teen Writers </i>is hosting a
similar scenario, but it’s called 100 for 100 in which you sign up and
promise to write 100 words for 100 days. Currently we’re about halfway
through and I’m over the 50% mark in word count. Forums on writing
websites also offer these opportunities, but there’s something I just
like about the Facebook Group configuration.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Facebook
Groups changed my writing experience and it may change yours too.
However you write, there are friendly writer groups all over the
internet (I also use <a href="http://figment.com/" target="_blank">Figment.com</a>, <a href="http://wattpad.com/" target="_blank">Wattpad.com</a>, and <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo.org</a>), so know that you’re not alone!</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">*****</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Zara Hoffman</b> is a teen author currently working on a YA fantasy romance called 7th Heaven and has three other WIPs. When she isn't wrapped up in projects, Zara can be found relaxing with friends, family, listening to music, reading, writing, and playing with her puppy. Learn more at <a href="http://zarahoffman.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">her blog</a>, <a href="http://www.zarahoffman.com/" target="_blank">her website</a>, or directly via <a href="mailto:zarahoffman@zarahoffman.com" target="_blank">e-mail</a>.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">*****</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Connect with Not Bob via Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer" target="_blank">robertleebrewer</a></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">*****</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Check out previous Not Bob goodies below:</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/selling-yourself-as-writer-shaun-horton.html" target="_blank">Selling Yourself as a Writer</a>. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-year-of-changes-carol-cooney-guest.html" target="_blank">A Year of Changes</a>.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/helping-other-writers-is-key-amy.html" target="_blank">Helping Other Writers Is Key</a>.</span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-8874544912591188602013-04-12T00:01:00.000-04:002013-04-12T00:05:31.763-04:00Selling Yourself as a Writer (Shaun Horton guest post)<style>
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</style>-->There are a lot of different approaches to writing as a career. Mr.
Brewer's blog is a good example of the end of the spectrum which leans towards
reaching out to readers and offering more than simply books, short stories and
poetry. The other end of the spectrum leans more towards the idea that writers
should write, and not worry about spending time blogging, doing tours, or
anything else.
<br />
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<br /></div>
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People can move up and down the spectrum as they have time, as their needs
change, and how successful they are. At this moment in time, I'm reaching out
at an extreme level. Since I discovered the <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html" target="_blank">30-day platform challenge</a> back in
August, I've created an author page on Facebook, started my own blog, signed up
on Twitter and Goodreads, and even looked into starting my own website. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I don't even have my first book out yet.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Writing and Reaching Out</b> </div>
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Now, at the moment, I have the time to work on reaching out heavily in
addition to working on my writing, and I feel like it's working fairly well.
While the number of likes I get on my author page on Facebook may not be up
where I would like, I have to admit most of my posts get an average of 30-40
views each, which is fairly substantial for a writer who doesn't have much to
put out there other than himself. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The posts I make on my author page are good examples of who I am, even
as I try to keep things related to writing or my chosen genre's. I will break
the rhythm and go off topic for something I find particularly funny or which
needs addressing though. </div>
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<br /></div>
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At the bare minimum, I want people to be entertained
by my blog, my tweets, or my Facebook posts; and I hope people get that,
because that is also what I want from my writing. So far, it certainly seems
that way. I've read on Goodreads of more established authors who have books
available, but don't get that many views for their posts. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Given that I don't have anything yet to tell people to go out and buy,
I try to keep them interested with short stories on my blog and on my Facebook
page. This way they can get a feel for my writing style, and see if they might
actually be interested in my finished works or not. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Communication Is Key</b> </div>
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All these different outlets also allow people to get in touch with me
if they want. In case they have questions about my work, my pages or my opinion
on something I may have mentioned briefly in a post somewhere. I feel like this
opportunity for communication with fans, or would-be fans is a very important
factor. </div>
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<br /></div>
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When people are accessible, it brings them down to a level on-par with
their readers and people do appreciate that. It also benefits the writer as
people can get in touch and inform them if a major mistake is made in one of
their works. With the advent of self-publishing burgeoning on the internet, it
is becoming very easy to upload a work, and then fix mistakes as they get
pointed out, re-uploading an updated version for future readers.</div>
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<br /></div>
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All these allow people to get to know me as a writer and as a person
and I'm hoping that when I publish my first short novel, which may be between
the writing and the posting of this guest blog post, that the people who have
followed along with me so far will feel like they're sharing in my success.</div>
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<br /></div>
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*****</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Editor's Note:</b> <i>Shaun did self-publish his first novel between the writing and posting of this guest post. Link to come hopefully</i>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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***** </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Shaun Horton</b> is a Freelance
writer living in Western Washington. His blog <a href="http://shaunhorton.blogspot.com/">Shaun of the Not-so-Dead</a> is a mix
of posts about the horror genre, the business of writing, reviews of
horror-themed things, and the occasional mad rant. He is expecting to publish
his first short novel in the early Spring of 2013.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">*****</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Follow Not Bob on Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer" target="_blank">robertleebrewer</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">*****</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Check out previous Not Bob posts:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html">How to Build (or Improve) Your Writer Platform in 30 Days</a>. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-year-of-changes-carol-cooney-guest.html">A Year of Changes</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/living-outside-of-your-comfort-zone.html">Living Outside of Your Comfort Zone</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-55397884161831792932013-04-10T23:09:00.000-04:002013-04-10T23:09:17.611-04:00A Year of Changes (Carol Cooney guest post)I never dreamed of all the changes 2012 would bring into my life.<br /><br />As the year started, I was working as a property manager and learning to cope with my husband’s recent diagnosis of diabetes. My writing was confined to letters and the editing of my daughter’s graduate school papers.<br /><br />But I thought I could write a blog. The subject for a blog was right in front of me – I could write about the confusion and changes that diabetes had brought into our lives. So after I made myself write multiple posts, I bought a “how to” book and started my blog, <a href="http://www.the9inchplate.com/" target="_blank">The 9 Inch Plate</a>.<br /><br />Once I started blogging, I started reading blogs. By chance, I found a blog titled “My Name is Not Bob” (have you heard of it?). In April, there was a platform building challenge. I barely knew what a platform was so I decided that this must be written for me. I followed along each day and tried to participate fully.<br />
<br />
There were times that I was more successful than others. I set up my Google+ account and joined Goodreads and Pinterest. There was a lot I did not understand fully but I was at least becoming acquainted with terms I had not heard before.<br /><br /><b>Wordsmith Studio</b> <br />
Near the end of the month, Robert pointed out that a Facebook group was formed by people participating in the challenge. I was accepted into the group and started meeting more writers. After several months of using the name the “not Bobbers,” the group name was changed and Wordsmith Studio was born.<br /><br />I am still knocked out by the support that exists in the group. If someone is having a problem, they can ask for help and members will try to help. If someone has had their work accepted, the group cheers for them. If work has been rejected, a group hug and encouragement is administered.<br /><br />When a call went out to recruit new members for the steering committee, I volunteered. It is wonderful to see the growth that has taken place in the last year. There are now at least three weekly Twitter chats and there are groups on Google+, LinkedIn, Goodreads, and Pinterest.<br /><br /><b>Learning New Tools</b> <br />
During the challenge, Robert held two Twitter chats and mentioned Google+ hangouts. Those can be counted as some of the things that I didn’t understand. Now through the Wordsmith Studio community, I not only participate in Twitter chats but I know how to moderate and post a summary of the chat after the session. As for the Google + hangout, our weekly Steering Committee meetings use that medium.<br /><br />Wordsmith Studio has a web site on Wordpress. Since my original blog was on Blogger, I had to join Wordpress to get on the site. I didn’t think much about it until one day I “googled” myself (come on, you’ve done it too) and discovered my empty Wordpress blog came up in the search. I decided I should put a post there. Then, I didn’t want it to be lonely so I started to put up more posts. My <a href="http://www.carolearlycooney.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Wordpress blog</a> became a place for me to write about random thoughts.<br /><br />After having a narrow focus on The 9 Inch Plate, it is fun to have more freedom in my writing.<br /><br /><b>Opening New Doors</b> <br />
One of the tasks of the challenge was to <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-platform-challenge-day-25.html" target="_blank">interview someone for your blog</a>. I was at a loss as to who I could interview for my diabetes related blog. And then it hit me. I could interview a podiatrist I knew. He would have a lot of information for my readers. I scheduled the interview and gave him the card for my blog.<br /><br />On the day of the interview, I was prepared with questions. As we talked, he mentioned he really liked my blog. I shared with him what I had learned about how much a blog helps to drive people to a website. He then said something along the lines of, “I should think about that . . . ” I replied that I knew someone who could write the blog for him.<br />
<br />
At that point he got excited and wanted to know who could write a blog for him. I told him that I could. And that was the beginning of my professional blogging career. It is a great relationship. He allows me a fair amount of freedom – it is not everyone who would let me invent the “Foot Blogger Chick” for their blog.<br /><br />On December 19, my biggest property management client sold their building. I found myself with some free time on my hands. With the support of my husband and a lot of hope, I am spending more of my time writing and learning. I have never been so busy not earning much money. Granted, I still have some management clients and I am busy with that work but I have more time to devote to writing, learning, and networking.<br /><br />The MNINB challenge last April set me on a course that has been fascinating and fulfilling. I have written more than I ever have in my life and I have met some of the nicest people. It is truly unbelievable how much I have learned in the last year and how happy it has made me to grow as a writer. And yes, I said I was a writer. I cringe a little on the inside when I say it but I do think it is true.<br /><br />All this in one year.<br /><br />*****<br /><br /><b>Carol Early Cooney</b> is married and the mother of two children who consider themselves grownups. She graduated with a business degree from Butler University and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. You can find her on the web at <a href="http://www.carolearlycooney.com/">www.carolearlycooney.com</a> which will give you links to her two blogs. She would love to connect with you on Twitter (@<a href="http://twitter.com/carolearlycoone" target="_blank">carolearlycoone</a>), Facebook, Google+, or LinkedIn.<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Follow Not Bob on Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer" target="_blank">robertleebrewer</a><br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
<b>Check out previous Not Bob posts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-platform-challenge-day-25.html" target="_blank">How to Ask for an Interview</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/floundering-stevie-libra-guest-post.html" target="_blank">Floundering</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/living-outside-of-your-comfort-zone.html" target="_blank">Living Outside of Your Comfort Zone</a>.</li>
</ul>
Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-31169972827525050972013-04-07T05:00:00.000-04:002013-04-07T05:00:04.916-04:00Speaking of Revising (Nichole L. Reber guest post)
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">‘He needs approval of his work by others in order to
be reassured that the vision of life he believes he has had is a true vision
and not a self-delusion, but he can only be reassured by those whose judgment
he respects.’ WH Auden in “</span></i><a href="http://narrativemagazine.com/issues/fall-2008/writing"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Writing</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">”</span></i>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’m
not very prolific when it comes to submissions. Most of my submissions have
been half-baked ideas or revisions sent before their time. Thanks to two years
of living in Peru, life has slowed to a glacial pace. which makes for
interesting lessons in patience. It also gives me a lot of time working on my
writing. I do more revising than ever. M</span><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">y
latest piece, for instance, was an exercise in <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">what </span>Lynn Emanuel, author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Then,
Suddenly</i>, calls literary fluency.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">“(Mistakes) are a kind of
rupture, and out of that rupture can grow all kinds of interesting things,” she
said on Vernon Lott’s documentary </span><a href="http://vimeo.com/56625296#at=0"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Bad Writing</span></i></a><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">.
“They are the sign of something… of an ambition that you have…or a way of
writing that you want to move into that you haven’t yet. Sometimes they are a
kind of critique of your own fluency.” <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13pt;">MR</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Moving
into that kind of writing first requires courage. For me that meant asking a
new fiction-writer friend and Pushcart Prize nominee, whom I’ll call MR, to
look at a draft over the holidays. That allowed me the pretense of patience, if
not the ability to gain some distance from the piece. When the last shreds of
confetti and fireworks wrappings were swept away, </span><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">I read MR’s critique. There was a change of diction
here. A compliment there: “You have a clear vision for this piece, and the
prose is solid.” Then the constructive part came: “(I)t reads like an excerpt,
and not a stand-alone.” He suggested a solution to the piece’s greatest
problem: Change from a double to a single narrative arc. He was spot on. I was
thrilled. Especially <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">because he offered
a look at a later draft. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Fueled by desire to see the
thing published, I set out to work revising it. Slash. Dash. Tighten. Tweak. I
implemented his changes and sent it back to him. I felt proud of the piece.
Just like when my Spanish proved fluid enough to travel solo around Peru for 10
days. My ego wasn’t inflated for long after that trip or upon receiving MR’s
second critique. My Peruvian colleagues called me out on my hubris, pushing me
into uncomfortable territory with phrases and verb tenses. MR revealed that I
wasn’t so fluent in writing either. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">“There’s too much back-story
and exposition. The story posits more questions than it has time to address…
Tone down the exposition and let your eye for description and sense of place
guide the narrative. The protagonist’s guilt is poignant and complicated, and
deserves more attention,” he wrote. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Who's Story Is It?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">My heart plummeted. MR’s red
and green edit marks burned into my head. Bloody hell, I thought, that’s not a
critique; that’s the work of Edward Scissorhands. Is this my work or is he
turning it into his own? Was it the genre difference, was it my feminine voice,
was he just high on himself for having been published in enviable places? <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Irritation skewered my concentration. I just
wanted to bandage my piece back together and shove it into editors’ hands, see
the damn thing published. Instead I sought refuge in cyberspace. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Fellow writers<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> told me when to stop listening to critiques
and start listening to my instinct. A</span> humorous piece on </span><a href="http://thereviewreview.net/publishing-tips/%E2%80%9Cshe%E2%80%99s-definitely-had-work-done%E2%80%9D-or-perils-o"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">revision addiction</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"> and another on </span><a href="http://vaughnroycroftblog.com/2012/10/26/appreciation-for-betas-or-readers-rock/"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">beta readers</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">
distracted my fingers from fumbling with my piece’s <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">structure and characters, narrative arc and tone. In </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bad Writing </i>comic writer David Nadelberg
slowed my spinning mind. “It’s not about ‘Do you care enough about an idea to
write it?’ It’s about ‘Do you care enough about it to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rewrite</i> it?’” </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Hold on. Rewrite. Do I care
enough to rewrite it? That brought everything back round. I had asked for MR’s
input. I had yearned for that level of input. Wasn’t that what I needed in
order to forge head? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Still My Story</b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt;">I sat back from my computer. Listened
to the voice whispering within to check my patience. I’d practice patience
then. Take the weekend off and gain yet more distance from the piece. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Monday rolled around and so
did another look at MR’s second critique. This time I saw that he hadn’t
shredded my piece. He had acted like a bonsai master. I implemented most of his
suggested changes— and made new discoveries of my own. I polished that draft
until it spoke. It may not earn me a Pushcart, but it’s fluent enough to
comfortably travel into an editor’s hands. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">***** </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Nichole L. Reber is likely taking a break from writing
by watching a baseball game as you read this. Talk with her about nonfiction
via </span></i><a href="https://twitter.com/NicholeLReber"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Twitter</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">, chat about publishing
on </span></i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nichole.reber"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Facebook</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">, or read
about her travels on </span></i><a href="http://www.architecturetravelwriter.com/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">her blog</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">. </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 13pt;">*****</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Follow Not Bob on Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer" target="_blank">robertleebrewer</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt;">*****</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Check out previous Not Bob posts:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/living-outside-of-your-comfort-zone.html" target="_blank">Living Outside of Your Comfort Zone</a>. </span><i><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span></i></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/02/best-blogs-for-writers-to-read-in-2013.html" target="_blank">Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2013</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/01/3-ways-to-make-your-own-luck.html" target="_blank">3 Ways to Make Your Own Luck</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-2775509679696522352013-04-06T05:00:00.000-04:002013-04-06T05:00:01.702-04:00Floundering (Stevie Libra guest post)<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>Okay, this guest post is from someone who represents many writers who've taken a stab at platform, felt overwhelmed, and are now floundering (a great title, btw, Stevie). If you have suggestions for time management or just words of encouragement, please include in the comments below. Personally, I try to budget my time, and <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-platform-challenge-day-20.html" target="_blank">editorial calendars</a> have worked wonders for my various blogs</i>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Confession time: I’ve been ignoring my author platform. </span><br />
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />I
worked so hard during the 30-day <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html" target="_blank">Platform Challenge</a> last year, but I
saw the end result as a monster that required daily feedings of
intensifying proportions. It was too much for me, but I still felt the
need to have a platform. So I decided to dedicate one weekend in March
to figuring out what the problems were and how I might address them.</span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>The Maven</b></span><br />
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Until
last summer I had a thriving website/blog on health. I had lots of
followers, lots of articles, lots of classes via e-mail, and lots of
private consultations. It was lots of work.</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I
spent hours researching and writing. I was excited about posting twice
weekly and my little idea book was bursting with subjects for more
posts. I could answer just about any question about why your body
wouldn’t do what you wanted it to do. I was the maven.</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I dropped it so I would have more time to write fiction.</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Not the Maven</b><br />I'm not the maven in fiction writing.
I'm just now learning the difference between concept and idea, subplot
and theme. It’s not the time to imitate my writerly friends and give
advice. At this time I’m a sponge, sucking up all the information I can
find.</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">So my first problem was that I didn’t know what to write about. </span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">If I were a fan of my novels, what
would I want to find on my website? Maybe story progress, photos of
settings, a bit about characters, some backstory. Funny stories about
things that go bump in novel writing.</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I’d
love to do that in the future, but with my first novel in shambles due
to the recent acquisition of plotting skills, I’m not ready to share
that sort of thing. But I guess I can share what I’m learning. Hmmm,
subject of the next post: plotting.</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Finding the Time</b><br />Another
problem is the horrendous amount of time some people spend
writing/reading/commenting on blogs, tweeting, or otherwise cultivating
their tribes. If I committed that much time to my platform, when would I
have time to work on my novel?</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I
decided there was probably a place called “Platform Light” -- where I
could keep it alive, post monthly so at least my family would keep
reading, and then study some of those “Ten Ways to...” articles about
increasing blog readership. So I dropped all but the three most useful:
my Facebook author page, Twitter, and the website/blog.</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Which leads me to those other problems I’m having...</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I’ve spent more than a few hours
pulling my hair out over services that collect e-mail addresses. They’re
supposed to effortlessly disseminate my newsletters and blog posts using
their mighty machines. I tried one free company, then another, and
couldn't get either of them to work properly. The latest one delayed my
posts by a full week. For my health website I used a fee service to do
this and it worked brilliantly, but I paid them to be brilliant.</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">On
a more basic level, I don’t like the entire idea of collecting e-mail
addresses for a potential newsletter. Why can’t I just use my blog,
Twitter, and Facebook to make announcements? Is everyone on Facebook
yet?</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">And
the most frustrating problem of all: spam comments on my posts. For
every legitimate comment posted I would get ten invitations to do all
sorts of things I would never want to do, thank you. My local television
station now requires Facebook sign-in to comment on their news stories.
I'm thinking that might work for me, too.</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Less Hermit, More Platform</b><br />So...
I think I can potentially solve the problems with e-mails and comments
just by turning my life over to Facebook. And I’ve simplified enough in
other areas to make me feel comfortable enough with the process so I can
spend more time being social.</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The
last problem, what to write, will resolve in due time. I haven’t fully
engaged in the process for several months but I have made the decision
to continue with the platform. That’s a big step from where I was just
last week when I was willing to dump the whole mess just to relieve
myself of the guilt.</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">What
to do to instill these changes into my life? My first action will be to
add Facebook comments to my website. While I’m there I can post
something about my wild ride into plotting. And then I’m going to sort
my three-inch stack of note cards into little piles on the floor and
enter the good stuff into <a href="http://literatureandlatte.com/" target="_blank">Scrivener</a>. </span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Less hermit, more platform.</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">*****</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><b>Stevie Libra</b> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">only
recently began taking the craft of fiction seriously — acknowledging
the existence of stories inside that wanted to find expression on paper.
In 2011, at the age of 60, her first story came to be written. Now she
has four to play with. She and her husband live in Columbia, SC, with
the best of family nearby. Along with attempting to keep up a platform
and plotting novels, Stevie is on staff to a ginger-colored feline. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">You can find her at </span><a href="http://www.stevielibra.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial,sans-serif;" target="_blank">www.StevieLibra.com</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">, on facebook (</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/StevieLibra.9" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial,sans-serif;" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>StevieLibra.9</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">), or twitter as StevieLibra.</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">*****</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Follow Not Bob on Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer" target="_blank">robertleebrewer</a></span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">*****</span></div>
<div style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Check out previous Not Bob posts below:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-platform-challenge-day-20.html" target="_blank">Create an editorial calendar</a>. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/helping-other-writers-is-key-amy.html" target="_blank">Helping other writers is key</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/like-online-writing-conference-guest.html" target="_blank">Like an online writing conference</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-69392076815985857212013-04-05T18:15:00.001-04:002013-04-05T18:15:30.784-04:00Helping Other Writers Is Key (Amy Freeman guest post)
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I joined the <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html" target="_blank">Platform Challenge</a> late, but once I committed,
I learned mucho. I began with the basic instruction. I created a Blog, made
Facebook pages, and joined Twitter (which up until then I swore I would never
do…didn’t see its value until Robert’s challenge). I also joined Google +,
Tumblr and eventually LinkedIn. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I sent out messages and invites to friend and acquaintances.
My stats grew--mostly friends and family. But I wasn’t getting the connection I
wanted. After mulling it over a bit I asked myself <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“What would make me want to join or follow a website? What would grab
my attention?”</i></div>
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The answer was--something that might give <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">me</i> exposure as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Back Scratching</b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I posted a thread to LinkedIn--a “you scratch my back I’ll
scratch yours” invite. I immediately received responses, people wanting to swap
blogs, pages and websites from all over the globe--from Australia to Russia,
from the U.S. to the Middle East.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I then took it one step further creating “Write Addicts,” a
page specifically designed to promote any writer’s work. Each person who
connected with me received an offer to have their work promoted on this new
writer’s page. Not a single person rejected this offer. Why would they? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
upside for me? A global collection of writers knowing who I am. I am not just a
nameless clicked “follow” button on Twitter, or a random checked “Like” on Facebook. These people know my name. Many have reciprocated, extending me guest
blog opportunities and interview spots. I have made new friends in the writing
world. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Great Karma</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best part is gaining exposure while helping other
writers like myself. The literary world is tough. Reaching out and supporting
one another in this flooded and competitive field is so crucial. If you can
lift your own stats and help someone else at the same time--well that’s just
great Karma, right? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These actions took only moments on my part and each
participant was so grateful. I have learned that successful social networking
is two-sided. I received back what I was willing to give, and so far it is a
gift that keeps on giving!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
***** <br />
<br />
<b>Amy Freeman</b> lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and 10-year-old son. She has four other children and one grandchild--all of which live too far away! She's active in several writing and critique groups, has won some local awards, and recently published an article in a global religious magazine. Amy's first novel comes out this spring. Learn more at her blog <a href="http://vedunywriter.blogspot.com/">http://vedunywriter.blogspot.com</a> or send her an <a href="mailto:amyloufreeman@gmail.com" target="_blank">e-mail</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Follow me on Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer" target="_blank">robertleebrewer</a><br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Check out previous Not Bob posts below:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/04/living-outside-of-your-comfort-zone.html" target="_blank">Living Outside of Your Comfort Zone</a>. </li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-i-give-back-to-writers-life.html" target="_blank">Why I Give Back to Writers</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/02/finding-courage-to-go-for-it-life.html" target="_blank">Finding the Courage to Go For It</a>.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-20263037553211369292013-04-02T18:30:00.000-04:002013-04-02T18:38:36.984-04:00Living Outside of Your Comfort Zone (guest post Kelly Williamson)It is with the utmost clarity that I recall the moment my
junior-year English teacher asked me to see her after class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was certain I had messed something up,
missed a due date, failed miserably at reciting my memorized poem with any
degree of style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart was racing; I
hate confrontation, still do to this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The words she uttered were not even close to what I expected.<br />
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"Do you have any idea how talented you are? This piece is one
of the best I've read since I started teaching high school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This could be your direction, your future."</div>
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<br />
Talk about being taken off guard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was flattered, though I didn't follow that
path. I went into education, a decision I will never regret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times throughout my life, however, I have
wondered what would have happened if I had taken her advice, had become a
writer right off the bat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>Reflecting on a Ship That Sailed</b><br />
I assumed
that, because I did not go to school for writing, that I was simply reflecting
on a ship that had sailed for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
is, until I participated in last April's <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html" target="_blank">Platform Challenge</a>, run by Robert Lee
Brewer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The challenge consisted of daily
tasks, all of which would help writers build their platforms; get their author
brand out into the world.</div>
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<br />
Just a few months before this challenge, I had started
blogging about a difficult situation in my life, largely because it was helping
me process the unimaginable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's when
I started to think that perhaps, one day, I could write a book about all of it
and somehow make a difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed
farfetched and lofty, but it was a thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br />
I don't even recall how I found Robert's challenge, but as I looked into
it, I learned that an aspiring author is advised to build a platform to help readers
to get to know you and your writing, and that it can help you sell a manuscript
or land an agent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A platform can help
you to become a known entity in the world of writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I read more about the challenge, and I did
hesitate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am really a quiet person by
nature, and I have never believed my writing to be much more than really great
for a high school junior; never expected to have an audience beyond my own
friends and family. </div>
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<br />
*****</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a href="http://wdu.register.fwmedia.com/Course?CourseId=1106-8&utm_source=WDUPromo&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=RBwmblog040213Copywriting" target="_blank"><b>Break Outside Your Comfort Zone: Write Copy!</b></a></div>
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<br />
Learn how to earn an income while writing copy with the 4-week online education course: <a href="http://wdu.register.fwmedia.com/Course?CourseId=1106-8&utm_source=WDUPromo&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=RBwmblog040213Copywriting" target="_blank">Breaking Into Copywriting</a>. In it, writers learn how to produce high quality advertising, create a killer sample ad for your portfolio, find and secure work as a copywriter, and more. <a href="http://wdu.register.fwmedia.com/Course?CourseId=1106-8&utm_source=WDUPromo&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=RBwmblog040213Copywriting" target="_blank">Click to continue</a>.</div>
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<br />
***** </div>
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<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>Jumping Outside the Comfort Zone</b></span><br />
I was driven by my
topic, though, and I took a leap of faith, jumping into it with an open mind,
even though doing so was entirely outside of my comfort zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before
the challenge, only family and friends were aware of and read my blog, and that
felt safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through the platform
challenge, I was taking real-life steps to expose my writing to many more
people, strangers and experienced writers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was on guard, and I was gearing up for constructive criticism in an
area where I didn't have much confidence in the first place.</div>
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<br />
The opposite happened, however, and I gained
amazing things as the challenge progressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was connecting with new people and writing resources, getting positive
feedback about my writing, and building enough confidence to provide feedback
to others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the end of the challenge,
I had grown by leaps and bounds, not only as a writer, but as a person.</div>
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<br />
As the challenge ended, I reflected a lot on the experiences
and lessons of the month previous, and I was able to recognize my biggest
take-away:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Living outside of my comfort
zone, though scary, opens doors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
started living a little more openly, with more confidence, and outside of what felt
safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had no idea how much it would
change my life.</div>
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<br />
<b>Living Outside That Zone</b><br />
This past Christmas, one much better than our last
sorrow-filled Christmas, my daughter bought me tickets to see Daughtry and 3
Doors Down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a huge music fan, and
Daughtry is one of my favorites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I, in
turn, bought us a VIP package to meet the bands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the concert approached, I started paying a
little more attention to Chris Daughtry on Twitter, getting excited for the
show, and I saw that he was just completing a fitness challenge with trainer
Jen Hendershott.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This caught my
interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing I had let go when
tragedy struck my family was my health and fitness.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
The concert came, we met the bands, and I
actually struck up a little conversation with Chris about his challenge; another
bold move on my part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I followed that up
with an e-mail to his trainer, asking about advice for getting back to a
healthier fitness level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to
find a positive outlet to better heal on the inside, while also taking care of my
body in a healthier way. We came up with a great plan, and my new fitness
challenge blog was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a whirlwind,
and I recall thinking "Is this really happening?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I just sign on to be trained by a fitness
champion, and hold myself accountable on a blog?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Yes, that really happened, and then some.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only did I find a positive way to heal
and a friend to guide me through it, but I also signed a publishing contract to
write that memoir, the one I dreamed could maybe make a difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
My dreams have become my reality, and it never would have
happened if I hadn't stepped outside of my comfort zone and followed Robert's
advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will forever be grateful for
this experience and the lifelong affect it has had on my life.</div>
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<br />
***** </div>
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<br />
<b>Kelly Williamson</b> is an Assistant Principal and writer who
lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has written short stories, personal
essays, and is currently working on a memoir that depicts the tragic situation
her family found itself in just over a year ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As she works to move on, Kelly has a strong
will to use her writing as a way to help others in similarly difficult
situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Digging deep to find
strength, she has begun to redirect her focus on the many positive things in
life, including her writing, her loving family, and her desire to live a
healthier, more active lifestyle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> You can connect with Kelly on Facebook, Twitter, and her two blogs: <a href="http://www.kellyannwilliamson.blogspot.com/">www.kellyannwilliamson.blogspot.com</a> and <a href="http://www.journeywithjenh.blogspot.com/">www.journeywithjenh.blogspot.com</a>.</span></div>
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<br />
*****</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Follow me on Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer" target="_blank">robertleebrewer</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
*****</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Also, check out other previous Not Bob posts:</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html">How to Build (or Improve) Your Writer Platform in 30 Days</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-i-give-back-to-writers-life.html">Why I Give Back to Writers</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-importance-of-word-play.html">The Importance of Word Play</a>.</li>
</ul>
Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-67554171265330512152013-04-01T17:30:00.000-04:002013-04-01T17:30:00.620-04:00Like an Online Writing Conference (guest post Linda G. Hatton)<style>
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</style> Before April 2012, I had reached a point in my writing path
when I was considering attending a writing conference. A couple of factors
changed my mind about going through with it. Mainly, my schedule was overloaded
with my kids’ activities and I wanted to be sure my writing skills were
advanced enough before spending the money. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Still, I craved a networking opportunity. I also wanted the
knowledge I would gain from attending a conference: tips on publishing,
platform building, and querying, to name a few.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
*****</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>Attend the best writing conferences!</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best writing conferences on the east and west coast are hosted by Writer's Digest. They include boot camps, breakout panels, and the super popular pitch slam event. <a href="http://www.writersdigestconference.com/" target="_blank">Learn more</a>.</div>
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<br />
***** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>Platform Challenge</b><br />
So when April came around, hoping to gain some of this
education, I decided to participate in Robert Lee Brewer’s <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html" target="_blank">Platform Challenge</a>.
I went places I never imagined, all from the comfort of my
kid-activity-monopolized lifestyle. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
His challenge included such activities as joining a handful
of social networking sites, some of which I had previously avoided: Google+,
Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Participants were also asked to start a blog or
spruce it up if they already had one. Other exercises included creating an
editorial calendar, commenting on other blogs, pitching at least one guest post
blog to another blog owner, and contacting an expert for an interview post.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I was more successful at some of the assignments than
others. For instance, I still haven’t perfected the art of my own editorial
calendar, though I am determined to eventually find a method that works best
for my style of writing (“seat of my pants”).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Since I had already signed up for Facebook, I could breathe
on that day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I fumbled around on Twitter during the challenge and can say
that, one year later, I am actually beginning to enjoy it and I now regularly
participate in Twitter chats.</div>
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<br />
*****</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>Make Money With Twitter</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Learn how Twitter can lead to more than just followers...it can lead to an extra source of income. In the OnDemand webinar, <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/using-twitter-to-boost-your-writing-income-webinar?lid=RBwmblog04" target="_blank">Using Twitter to Boost Your Writing Income</a>, Tim Beyers explains the importance of building community, engaging your audience, building sources of income, and more. <a href="http://www.writersdigestshop.com/using-twitter-to-boost-your-writing-income-webinar?lid=RBwmblog04" target="_blank">Click to continue</a>.</div>
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<br />
***** </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>Take the Challenge</b><br />
If you haven’t yet participated in the challenge, pick a
month to commit to working through the assignments on a daily basis. At the end
of the month, focus on your “weaker” areas or tasks you haven’t completed,
easing your way in if you have to. As an example, it’s easier to pitch a guest
blog post to a friend, but once you’ve accomplished that, move on to pitching
to blog owners you don’t know personally.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
One of the best parts about participating is the group of
supportive and helpful writer friends I have made, most of whom now congregate
as a community under the name Wordsmith Studio. I can’t imagine I would have gained
such a supportive system from networking over just a few days. </div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Overall, participating in Robert’s challenge was
the best thing for me. It not only helped me to build my confidence as a
writer, but also taught me some very handy skills in marketing myself. Most
importantly, it helped me to come out of my shell of shyness, so that when I do
actually make it to a writing conference, I think I will be better prepared to
network in person</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">***** </span><br />
<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://whatnotshop.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Linda G. Hatton</a> spends her days writing—poetry, novels,
screenplays, web codes, or notes to her children. Otherwise she gets a little
cranky. Read more about Linda at her <a href="http://lindaghatton.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">writer website</a>.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Also, check out her online literary publication, <a href="http://mousetalespress.com/" target="_blank">Mouse Tales Press</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">***** </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Follow me on Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer" target="_blank">robertleebrewer</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">*****</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Also, check out previous Not Bob posts:</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/03/3-seo-myths-that-scare-writers-and-how.html" target="_blank">3 SEO Myths That Scare Writers</a>. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/02/best-blogs-for-writers-to-read-in-2013.html" target="_blank">Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2013</a>.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/01/3-ways-to-make-your-own-luck.html" target="_blank">3 Ways to Make Your Own Luck</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span>
Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-72062626295797211322013-03-23T22:50:00.000-04:002013-03-23T22:53:40.316-04:003 SEO Myths That Scare Writers (And How You Can Use Them to Your Advantage)<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This
guest post is by Alexis Grant, an entrepreneurial writer and digital
strategist. To learn more SEO tactics, check out her upcoming free
webinar, </span><a href="http://alexisgrant.com/webinar-seo"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Easy SEO Tips for Bloggers</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Creative writers often avoid search engine optimization, for two reasons:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We’re intimidated by SEO because we don’t really understand it</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We think using SEO in our writing forces us to be Iess creative</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But the truth is, SEO can only </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">help</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
your career as a writer. By adding this tool to your arsenal, you’ll
get more search traffic to your work -- which means more eyes, more
opportunities and even more money. In other words, there are a lot of </span><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2011/06/why-writers-should-care-about-seo.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">reasons why writers should care about SEO</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Here are three myths about SEO that scare writers into not optimizing their work:</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Myth #1: SEO is complicated</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sure, if you wanted to learn </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">every little detail</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
about how SEO works, you’d have a lot to learn. But the truth is,
there’s no need to dig down into the nitty-gritty tactics that will make
your brain explode. Instead, you can benefit in a big way just from
understanding and implementing a few simple strategies.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While
SEO might sound like a daunting acronym, it actually favors the
laymans’ language. Think about which of these terms you’re more likely
to type into Google:</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How to write a press release</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Components of media package for maximum exposure</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You
chose the top one, right? That’s how most other people use search, too.
And the terms those people are typing into Google are the ones you want
to use in your writing.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Writing
in layman’s terms benefits you two-fold, because if you’re writing for
online readers you don’t want your voice to be stiff and formal anyhow.
Writing in a conversational voice </span><a href="http://alexisgrant.com/2013/02/18/when-you-have-to-admit-youve-failed/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">helps readers relate</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> to you and helps Google showcase your work at the same time.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Myth #2: You have to write with SEO in mind</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yack. I can hear you sighing already. Who wants to think about SEO while writing? Doesn’t it ruin the creative process?</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But you actually </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">shouldn’t</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> write with SEO in mind. Music to your ears, right? </span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Instead, write like you always write, and then go back </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">later</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
and look for ways to optimize for search traffic. The easiest way to do
this is by scanning your work to make sure you’ve included smart
keywords in these places: </span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Your headline</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Your first paragraph</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Your subheads (also make sure you </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">have </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">subheads -- not only does Google like them, they also make it easier for readers to quickly scan your work)</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Anchor text for keywords (rather than making </span><a href="http://www.seomoz.org/blog/click-here-seo"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">click here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> your link, </span><a href="http://www.seomoz.org/learn-seo/anchor-text"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">link keywords that relate to the link</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">)</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This
might seem like a lot of effort, but once you get it down, you’ll be
able to look at something you’ve written and spend only a few minutes
optimizing for SEO. For my own work and blogs I edit, I spend the most
time on headlines. Why? Because not only are keywords in your headline
important for SEO, headlines are also your way of enticing people to
click on the post. That phrase is your one chance to reel in each
reader, so it’d better be good.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Myth #3: You have to put a ton of effort into identifying the right keywords</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Who has time for that? What we want to be doing is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">writing, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">right?</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While you can spend a lot of time on keyword research, using tools like </span><a href="http://www.google.com/trends/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Google Trends</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> to help you figure the best keywords for your topic, it’s absolutely not necessary. Instead, take five minutes and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">just use your brain. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(You could also read this post Robert wrote on </span><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2011/07/seo-keywords-for-writers.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">keywords for writers</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.)</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What
would YOU type into Google if you were trying to find the article you
just wrote? How would you describe whatever you’re looking for in
layman’s terms? Who, exactly, is your target audience?</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Try
to look at your post like the reader would. For example, if you’re
writing for writers, make sure the word “writers” is in your headline.
But if you’re writing a post about dogs that you’re hoping pet owners
will read, don’t include “pet owners” in your headline because most
people wouldn’t type that into Google. Instead, include the keyword your
target audience would use to search for that information on Google; in
this case, that’s probably something like “dogs” or “pets.”</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Using
the right keywords in your headline won’t only help you rank high in
Google results, it will also help readers find your post, quickly
understand what it’s about and, most importantly, click on it. </span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes, it will help </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">humans</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> find and click on your work. Because that’s what this is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">really </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">about. Sure, you’re optimizing for Google, but you’re really optimizing for </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">people.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> You’re helping people find you. And the more people who find and read your writing, the better.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This
guest post is by Alexis Grant, an entrepreneurial writer and digital
strategist. To learn more SEO tactics, check out her upcoming free
webinar, </span><a href="http://alexisgrant.com/webinar-seo"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Easy SEO Tips for Bloggers</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-44988076182796230102013-03-08T17:00:00.000-05:002013-03-09T11:07:29.098-05:00Ignoring One's Calling (Part 2)Here's the conclusion of the story started by Amanda M. Socci, the <a href="http://www.creativeideagal.com/" target="_blank">Creative Idea Gal</a>, last week. <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/03/ignoring-ones-calling-part-1.html" target="_blank">Click here to read the earlier post</a>.<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Age 29: Finding
Success with another Career Change</b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8m7UNKHbaAY8GzDur6vIFqEygCy1J2bF_xN6-uYP3_BX34jOZMHYXh9zIgdKxonkShC8521lM1VqUBZ43aodxixKhdbhdnnplkSnqwtb7_IOvtxrb6Ewdmw4IOqrTHITU43pY1kjZ3G1/s1600/A+Socci.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8m7UNKHbaAY8GzDur6vIFqEygCy1J2bF_xN6-uYP3_BX34jOZMHYXh9zIgdKxonkShC8521lM1VqUBZ43aodxixKhdbhdnnplkSnqwtb7_IOvtxrb6Ewdmw4IOqrTHITU43pY1kjZ3G1/s320/A+Socci.JPG" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amanda M. Socci</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I struggled finding a suitable career, until magic happened
in July 2001.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out of the blue, with no
discernible trail, I received a call from a headhunter who had picked out my
resume after seeing the words “law” and “marketing.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To say that I was floored is an
understatement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That afternoon, pretty
much in a drunken haze of disbelief, I went to the interview and got the job.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For 5 ½ years, I worked as a technical writer supporting the
United States Patent and Trademark Office solely based on my credentials as a
law school graduate and for having self-published “Consumers Everywhere.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite not having a stitch of experience in
information technology, I worked hard and earned myself a reputation as a
strong and thorough worker.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Those 5 ½ years were heaven, but they still didn’t fulfill
my soul creatively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I basically ignored
my calling to write, again, by focusing on my new career in information
technology while building upon two original ideas that I came up with: Amanda’s
Ideas, LLC and Amanda’s Charities, LLC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I founded two businesses to sell two distinct services:
creative services including story-writing, sewing quilts, and making diaper
creations, and charity services: to be hired by businesses that wanted me to
execute small-scale charitable programs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After devoting thousands of dollars and tireless energy to
those efforts, can you guess what type of success I enjoyed for being a
business owner with an original concept? You guessed it - - goose egg success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, God already had other plans lined
up for me, so I ended up drowning my business sorrows in my next calling as a
mother, but still not a writer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Age 34: Motherhood and
Leadership Stints</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had my oldest daughter in 2006 and rightfully began focusing
all efforts on her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During this time, I
became domestic, turning moments of free time into cleaning, cooking, and
shopping time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a lark, I found a
perfect telecommuting job doing freelance writing of hotel descriptions, but
that lasted only a short time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was hard finding telecommuting writing jobs, so I gave
up. Once again, I turned to new career choices to prove to myself that I could
easily get a job that paid quick money and didn’t have the uncertainties of
writing. To support this bright theory, I turned to a leadership role in charge
of a group of ladies with a religious organization as well as a sales
representative gig with AVON.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you could peek into my life and see how many hours of
training, learning, and dedicated work I logged into both of these projects,
you would officially dismiss me as stupid, and I would have to agree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so enthusiastic to do everything else
that didn’t involve writing, thinking naively that I could propel my career to
new heights selling $2.99 lipgloss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately,
that treadmill of doom ended abruptly in the summer of 2010, when I learned I
was expecting my second daughter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I experienced the worst <a href="http://www.meenarose.com/2012/07/02/guest-blog-sickness-induces-creativity-by-amanda-socci" target="_blank">morning sickness</a> I could possibly endure. Yet, miraculously, I found a telecommuting job <a href="http://www.thesportsfannetwork.com/articles/4973-bishop-ireton-football-preview" target="_blank">writing high school sports features</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Once</span> again, that stint was short-lived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Right after my second daughter was born in 2011, my oldest was suddenly
getting ready for kindergarten, so all gears shifted towards school preparation
while now trying to balance two squirmy girls.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My daughter’s kindergarten school year began beautifully. I
put my over-achiever hat on while volunteering to be the troop leader for my
daughter’s Girl Scout troop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also
helped my husband chair the chess student group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was very busy, even overwhelmed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>
I was working non-stop and sick all the time from exhaustion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Little did I know my break-neck pace was catching up to me
and preparing me for the big reveal.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Age 40: WTF are you
doing?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I continued working hard as a Girl Scout leader right up until
February 2012. I had already planned so many activities for the girls, but I
was annoyed because the parents were not responding in a way that I wanted them
to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got mad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really mad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The pressure had been building up for a while and I was fed up with
having sacrificed quality time with my family for a bunch of unappreciative
people.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It seemed that God had made these circumstances so
unbearable for me, that I would have no choice but to quit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In February 2012 I abruptly <a href="http://mountvernon.patch.com/blog_posts/a-slice-of-faith-the-girl-scout-experience" target="_blank">quit my leadership role</a><a href="http://mountvernon.patch.com/blog_posts/a-slice-of-faith-the-girl-scout-experience" target="_blank"> with the Girl Scouts</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> The way that things happened was so
violent, that I felt as if a strong arm had grabbed me by the shirt with brute
force and pushed me backwards. I crashed into a brick wall, and like the silly
cartoons we watch with our kids, I saw a little circle of stars and birds
flying around my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What just happened?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That day, God spoke to me, but it wasn’t the gentle calling
I had experienced for most of my life. These were words and actions spoofed by
the dude with the floppy hair in Twisted Sister’s “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9AbeALNVkk" target="_blank">We’re Not Gonna Take It</a>” video, where he scolds the boy and asks “what are you gonna do with your life?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except, it wasn’t the dude, but God himself
telling me in his own way what I should be doing with my life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If that experience didn’t cut through my thick head that I
should stop playing around with fly-by-night career choices and buckle down to
what I was meant to do, then nothing would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From that moment forward, I quit my nonsensical thinking cold turkey and
opened up the curtains to a bright future as a freelance writer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Not Going to Take It</b><br />
I knew immediately what my first project would be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was going to start writing a book on faith
hoping to inspire people with torrid tales of my embarrassing life dramas and
uplifting endings couched in faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
I did, except I started off slowly by <a href="http://greateralexandria.patch.com/blog_posts/a-slice-of-faith" target="_blank">blogging my book on a local news site</a>.<a href="http://bellehaven.patch.com/blog_posts/a-slice-of-faith"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc331595329;"></span></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4693401219959272564" name="_Toc331595329"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also started hanging out on Twitter again, hoping to
connect with writers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, I
found Robert Lee Brewer’s <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-platform-challenge-day-1.html" target="_blank">April Platform challenge for writers</a>.
My personal success within Robert’s challenge went beyond my expectations, as I
never expected I’d make so many new wonderful supportive writer friends.<a href="http://socciwriter.blogspot.com/2012/07/hawaiian-writer-butterfly-wrangler.html"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, I am no longer hearing that familiar calling in my
life because I am living it. Because I have such an open mind about the
possibilities of writing, I have improved my blogging,
furthered my social media goals, made some pretty good connections, and have
achieved the very thing I ran away from so many years ago - - the act of writing consistently.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The biggest lesson I’ve learned through all of this is to pay
closer attention when I get that familiar feeling that I should be doing
something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is not the same to all of
us; he is what we make him out to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
will talk to all of us and drop hints about our calling in ways that are
custom-tailored in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me, that calling happens to be writing. Although I felt
that urge back when I was 10, I voluntarily ignored the urge and chased the
mirage of success through non-writing work that only paid the bills, but left a
void in my satisfaction thermometer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After having sustained head injuries from being body slammed
against the metaphoric brick wall and answering my life’s wake-up call in the
positive, I am living proof that it is never too late to answer God’s calling.</div>
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
If you have something important you'd like to share on the Not Bob blog, please don't hesitate to contact me by e-mail at <a href="mailto:robertleebrewer@gmail.com">robertleebrewer@gmail.com</a> with the subject line: <b>Not Bob Guest Post</b>. Please include an idea or two you have for a guest post, your credentials, and how you think it fits in with this blog. The more specific you can be the better.<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Connect with me on <a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/robertleebrewer">Facebook</a>, and <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/robertleebrewer">LinkedIn</a>. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.<br />
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<br />
<b>Check out these other helpful Not Bob posts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/11/develop-slogan-to-help-your-author.html" target="_blank">Develop a Slogan to Help Your Author Platform</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html" target="_blank">How to Build (or Improve) Your Writer Platform in 30 Days</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/02/best-blogs-for-writers-to-read-in-2013.html" target="_blank">Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2013</a>.</li>
</ul>
*****<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqL1OBgF5S3lofl9-U-8HyfdBNrlPP4mmz2q0TRRK0tBHk1SJzRr34Uxj3E3o2GXyOuZu2YMP6MLUnZgGvu9qTrn0V162HI420GJ07-HkCoT_m22u4Ct588DkazaY9V5TPTp0CgvLT-gYf/s1600/create-your-writer-platform-chuck-sambuchino.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqL1OBgF5S3lofl9-U-8HyfdBNrlPP4mmz2q0TRRK0tBHk1SJzRr34Uxj3E3o2GXyOuZu2YMP6MLUnZgGvu9qTrn0V162HI420GJ07-HkCoT_m22u4Ct588DkazaY9V5TPTp0CgvLT-gYf/s200/create-your-writer-platform-chuck-sambuchino.JPG" width="128" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599635755/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1599635755&linkCode=as2&tag=mynaisnobo-20">Create Your Writer Platform: The Key to Building an Audience, Selling More Books, and Finding Success as an Author</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mynaisnobo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1599635755" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
by Chuck Sambuchino <br />
<br />
If you want a book that covers platform in all its variations, this is the title for you. Chuck Sambuchino is the author of humor titles such as How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack and Red Dog Blue Dog, but he's also behind Guide to Literary Agents and Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript. In other words, he's been there, done that, and lived to tell about it. Chuck covers social media, blogs, newsletters, public speaking, and more. Click the link above to check it out today.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-59124298390422345002013-03-07T18:00:00.000-05:002013-03-07T18:00:05.477-05:00What's Working for Your Platform? (Call for Submissions)Last April, I led a challenge for writers interested in kick-starting their writer platforms. Each day, there was a new task to be done that day. After 30 days, writers had a better handle on their platform-building efforts (or at least that was the plan--and <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-platform-challenge-day-30.html" target="_blank">what I've been told</a>). If you haven't yet, please <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html" target="_blank">start taking the platform challenge</a> today as an independent study.<br />
<br />
If you have taken the challenge (whether in April or later on independently), I'd love to hear from you about what's been working or not working over the past year for you. In April, I plan to share guest posts from Platform Challenge veterans about their specific accomplishments and obstacles.<br />
<br />
<b>The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly</b><br />
I'd love to hear everything. And the posts don't have to specifically call out the challenge. Rather, I (and I have a feeling Not Bob readers) want to know specifically what's working for you, why you think that is, and how others might be able to duplicate it. Or what's not working for you, why you think that is, and then maybe we can get comments from readers.<br />
<br />
My hope is that as a group we'll gain a few things from this exercise:<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Learn something new.</b> We should never quit trying to learn new things, and the best way to accomplish that is by sharing our collective knowledge.</li>
<li><b>Find inspiration.</b> I've found over the years that the best way to spark new ideas is to look outward and then spin what I see around in my head. I'm inspired by the work of others.</li>
<li><b>Build community. </b>Last April, community sprouted in various ways, including the very cool <a href="http://www.wordsmithstudio.org/" target="_blank">Wordsmith Studio</a>. While it's great to continue strengthening that community, I'm sure this project will bring in new faces as well.</li>
<li><b>Increase traffic.</b> Guest posting is a great way to increase traffic and find new readers. This is a great opportunity to attract new readership.</li>
<li><b>Strengthen our platforms.</b> Every small step forward, every post, every new connection, every bridge built--it all helps strengthen our writing careers. Here's a mantra: <i>Don't burn bridges, build them</i>.</li>
</ol>
<b>How to Participate</b><br />
This is the easy part. To participate, please just send me an e-mail at <a href="mailto:robertleebrewer@gmail.com">robertleebrewer@gmail.com</a> with the subject line: <b>Lessons Learned Guest Post</b>. In your message, include the following information:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>One or two ideas for what you might share or cover in your guest post.</b> Don't be afraid to throw out some crazy ideas. Relate it to your personal experience but remember that your experience should help others (that is, not just a self-serving post).</li>
<li><b>Your name, e-mail, URL to website and/or blog.</b> This information often goes missing when I make these requests. Crazy, I know, but true.</li>
<li><b>Brief note about yourself.</b> Don't worry if you have very little experience and don't try to over-inflate. I won't reject guest posts based on this note, but it does help me understand who you are and where you're coming from. Try to keep these notes down to 3 or 4 sentences in one paragraph--after your guest post idea(s).</li>
</ul>
<b>What I Expect</b><br />
I'm not sure how many people will participate, so I'm not sure how the posts will be distributed through the month (and/or if they'll continue into May and beyond). However, I do expect the posts to run around 300-800 words in length with an image or two (even if just a head shot of you).<br />
<br />
Based off how many pitches I receive and when I receive them, we'll figure out deadlines. Some folks will surely be ready to go at the beginning of the month, while others will need more time. I'm flexible, and we'll shoot to have everything spread appropriately throughout the month.<br />
<br />
This is a volunteer effort (on my end and yours), so don't put too much pressure on yourself (or others). The main thing is to be helpful, encouraging, and have fun with the process.<br />
<br />
I hope you'll consider joining the effort!<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Connect with me on <a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/robertleebrewer">Facebook</a>, and <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/robertleebrewer">LinkedIn</a>. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.<br />
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<br />
<b>Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html" target="_blank">How to Build (or Improve) Your Writer Platform in 30 Days</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-brand-yourself-and-take-over.html">How to Brand Yourself (and Take Over the World)</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/newest-way-to-make-money-as-writer-how.html" target="_blank">The Newest Way to Make Money as a Writer: How to Make Digital Products That Sell</a>.</li>
</ul>
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-38596306432672002662013-03-01T17:00:00.000-05:002013-03-01T17:09:59.070-05:00Ignoring One's Calling (Part 1)<i>One of my favorite things for 2012 was the life-changing moments series of guest posts in which readers shared a moment that changed their lives--and how even in the seemingly worst situations they found a lesson that helped them move forward. I'm excited to share an entire series of moments from Amanda M. Socci.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Amanda is a freelance writer and blogger from Alexandria, Virginia, who writes posts on her personal blog (<a href="http://creativeideagal.com/" target="_blank">http://creativeideagal.com</a>), blogs entries on a book on faith which she is blogging on a local news service (<a href="http://mountvernon.patch.com/">http://mountvernon.patch.com</a> - search for "Socci"), and searching for freelance writing assignments. Amanda enjoys taking unusual viewpoints in her nonfiction writing, incorporating meaningful analysis with hints of humor, along with references to pop culture. A diehard researcher and natural observer of life, Amanda writes about diverse topics, hoping to entertain her readers through unique perspectives on life</i>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp26r9XsX3AcgsY7d8SoP1LC2f0Nfb1AUoCSCEFwHhGYZaaGN0b-ltPPDxo0GfOP4I9v33bPaPvnp3bWEzcWNV-oD571SyIQK4PYPRHiKTZzJp1Dan-U2clQeRJ6h97MPDmGeGVDOzhXHl/s1600/A+Socci.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp26r9XsX3AcgsY7d8SoP1LC2f0Nfb1AUoCSCEFwHhGYZaaGN0b-ltPPDxo0GfOP4I9v33bPaPvnp3bWEzcWNV-oD571SyIQK4PYPRHiKTZzJp1Dan-U2clQeRJ6h97MPDmGeGVDOzhXHl/s320/A+Socci.JPG" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amanda M. Socci</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Did you ever experience a time in your life when you felt
that you were meant to be doing something and ended up ignoring that feeling,
only to let that feeling get stronger?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt a
calling to write early on in my life but chose to ignore that calling several
times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each time I felt the calling, the
urge to write got stronger and it became harder to ignore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day, the calling shoved me up against a
brick wall like a violent wake-up call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
finally answered my calling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After 30 years of messing around in dead-end career choices,
I finally got down to business and unflinchingly declared myself a writer at
the ripe age of 40.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What follows is a
chronological sequence of events leading up to the pivotal moment where my life
changed. These are the moments where I ignored the calling in my life, which,
as I have come to realize, is writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is my story. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Age 10: Reading lots
of Books</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My writing career began surreptitiously with a foundation in
reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a babe at 10 years old, I borrowed
lots of books from our library, loving getting lost in the teenybopper romance
stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned about an author who
was published at the age of 13 and became obsessed with being a published
author.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that moment, I put an
unnecessary amount of pressure on myself to be published by the age of 13.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As much as I wanted to write, the pressure of copying
someone else’s success of publishing a perfectly written book by the age of 13
was more than I could handle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too much
planning in the brain led to indecision and no real writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This would be the first time in my life that I ignored my
calling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Age 13: Being
Different is Hard</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was 13, I was your typical 8<sup>th</sup> grader from
New Jersey, sporting big hair and neon clothes, ogling over the hotties in
Duran Duran.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As typical as I appeared to
the outside world, I was not typical on the inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was depressed and had thoughts of suicide
because I was so different than everyone else and not accepted for who I was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I became an ostracized square peg living among attractive
white people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in the 1980s, my
hometown in rural New Jersey was 95% white, with only 5% minority, including
African Americans and us, Latinos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
parents and grandparents were the ones born in Colombia, South America while
two siblings and I were born in the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That didn’t stop the cruel illegal alien and
immigrant jokes from invading our breathing space.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I went to a Catholic school and dutifully learned my Catholic
teachings, <a href="http://mountvernon.patch.com/blog_posts/a-slice-of-faith-religion-vs-faith" target="_blank">practically to a fault</a>.<span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I excelled at school when I failed at
relationships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I buried my nose in the schoolbooks
and in reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out of pain came a love
for fiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My own invented fiction.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Born Amanda M. Castro, I took on a pen name “Chantal Pearcy”
as a derivative of my name in French class “Chantal” and the last name of my
favorite singer “Stephen Pearcy” from the heavy metal rock band, RATT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I took up that pen name, everything was
in my power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was no longer the helpless Amanda who cried because she
was teased, taunted, and humiliated for being a Latina, for having acne, for
liking the color red, or for any other ridiculous reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I became the dark and moody Penny Marshall, adeptly
directing my characters on paper, killing off some characters, resurrecting
others.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also wrote letters to God, asking him why he was being so
unfair to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended up writing a
lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved the satisfying experience
of writing and creating. I relished every second of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Age 15: Things Start
to Turn Around</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By age 15, I was a sophomore in high school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With my life still in turmoil over personal
issues, I dove headfirst into my schoolwork as well as my writing, which gave
me a cool sword of smarts and writing chops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I created a novella which I was very proud of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I submitted a draft to my favorite English
teacher, who promptly dismissed it with a polite “thank you” and a few
grammatical fixes, but without any substantive feedback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My junior year in high school became a turning point in my
writing career, dare I say, prophetic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
read Bram Stoker’s <i>Dracula</i>, which I thought was exceptional, and had a homework
assignment to write an essay describing the symbolism in <i>Dracula</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using my own analysis and creativity, I wrote
some pretty decent descriptions of the characters with an impressive masthead
that resembled what you’d see in a playbill.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After I turned in my assignment, my English teacher demanded
to know how I came up with my description of the main characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I calmly explained that I invented everything
out of my own imagination. Would you believe that I was borderline accused of
plagiarism?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strangely, I didn’t mind the
controversy and silently smirked at myself, happy that my writing could cause
such a ruckus in small-town, New Jersey.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Such a strong reaction to my writing meant I was on to
something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was God calling me to write
for a living?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was only 16 years old
when I felt the calling so vividly. Was writing the thing I was meant to do for
the rest of my life?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My parents had always been supportive of my eccentricities,
but they weren’t too keen on my getting into writing as a profession because,
as my father rationalized, in order to be a writer, I would have to write every
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That wasn’t something I was willing
to commit to because my writing happened only when inspired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I wasn’t inspired, I could not bring
myself to write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s just say that by
convincing myself that I couldn’t write as a result of a perceived lack of
inspiration, I succeeded and was not able to write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since I refused to write every day, my junior year in high
school would be the second time in my life that I ignored my calling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Age 19: Recycling
Moves into my Heart</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1991, I was an impressionable 19 year-old who had been
shielded from many life experiences and was anything but street smart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I headed to the progressive, forward-thinking
college of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where I first fell
in love with the concept of recycling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Before I even knew who Ed Begley, Jr. was, I became him, trying to
convince my professors to recycle, with very little time or interest in writing
professionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I took several writing-centered classes but refused to get
an English minor degree because I couldn’t stomach Shakespeare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I shifted gears altogether and
became fascinated with crime and the psychology behind the crime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took so many classes supporting the science
of crimes, that I changed my major and graduated proudly with a Bachelor of
Science degree in the administration of justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was headed to law school.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How does one go from being depressed, to writing as an
outlet for dealing with emotions, to a sudden interest in crimes en route to
law school?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some innocent comments from my parents made
the difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My parents prodded me
to try my hand at law because they said I was good at starting debates with my
brothers and always looking to get the last word in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Age 23: Law School
Beckons</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In late August 1995, I received rejections from all the law
schools that I applied to. I was stuck and didn’t know what to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After some more prodding from my father and a
10-page persuasive, heart-written, detailed letter made its way to the dean’s
desk, I earned a coveted spot at Howard University School of Law in Washington,
D.C., despite having bombed the LSATs and dropped my grades while in college.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being in law school certainly made me smarter, but it also
kicked me in the butt and made me sweat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I will never forget how the first week of law school had me reading law
cases, like complicated short stories for geniuses, and spending just about eight
hours of intensive studying to understand them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next three years had me writing legal briefs and legal
research papers, which I loved, because I was reintroduced to the mechanics of writing
while at law school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this writing
was different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t just invent
what I wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to support every
one of my statements with thorough legal research of past legal cases (legal
precedent) that tackled the same subject matter of the original question or
problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was excruciatingly complex
and not fun at all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nonetheless, I was thoroughly excited to use my new legal
research and writing skills to produce strong writing once again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this time, my interests were now in
consumer affairs, and I seemed to be enthralled with the bureaucracy of business,
all while proudly writing about it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After graduating from law school, I got married and was very
happy spiritually, but physically, I was burned out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took some time off from the intensity of
law school and turned to couponing before the concept of extreme couponing became
commonplace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was the original extreme couponer, hoarding multiple
coupon inserts, hitting our local supermarkets and getting tons of free
stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A far cry from burning the
midnight oil and straining my eyesight in reading hundreds of legal cases, I
finally felt free again to be myself, but did nothing professionally.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Age 26: Answering the
Call with a Huge Writing Project</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After doing so much couponing, I became inspired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not write about my good deals in a way
that is funny, interesting, and informative?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The inspiration took over me and rained down a million funky thoughts,
eventually turning them into “Consumers Everywhere,” a national publication for
consumers that was quirky, cute, and promoted unusual themes in each issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although no one ever regarded “Consumers Everywhere” as
special, I absolutely loved it because I did it all by myself without any
help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, it marks the first time in
my life that I felt that familiar calling and actually did something about it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite the calling, however, reality set in and in my new
marriage, I knew I had to do my part to help my husband bring home the
bacon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gave up writing and looked for
full-time work, in any field, so long as it paid the bills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Complete strangers admonished me for not
getting into the legal field after having graduated law school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little did they know how many years I would
try to get into the legal field with no success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That made me 0 for 2. No career in law, no
career in writing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>...to be continued</i>.<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
The conclusion of this story will post next Friday.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, feel free to check out some other Life-Changing Moments stories from 2012:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/01/finding-and-longing-for-community-life.html">Finding and Longing for Community</a>, by Jane Friedman.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/01/you-look-like-your-mama-mated-with.html">You Look Like Your Mama Mated With a Rhino</a>, by Nin Andrews.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/02/when-i-learned-to-actively-pursue.html">When I Learned to Actively Pursue Happiness</a>, by Debbie Ohi.</li>
</ul>
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-85270816942197169882013-02-14T01:11:00.000-05:002013-02-14T01:11:49.293-05:00Northern Colorado Writers ConferenceI just received my itinerary from Southwest Airlines--my itinerary to Denver, Colorado (my second trip to Denver in less than 8 months). From Denver, I'll be heading to Fort Collins to speak at the 8th annual <a href="http://northerncoloradowriters.com/" target="_blank">Northern Colorado Writers Conference</a>. I'm super excited...for a few reasons:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW50vypxXFW0HJWW__Bqv0OE4EdizfgHQ0T_vlCk49M0DEnU_UK77sCHUef_qvZYybpIv9BLh7o2-DzYK43eYRzl83t1x8QKBjQ76JAp-g7kJ3o_1awhqT5fQkTO5ROsFqhFIW40Yrdx8a/s1600/andrew_mccarthy_northern_colorado_writers_conference.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW50vypxXFW0HJWW__Bqv0OE4EdizfgHQ0T_vlCk49M0DEnU_UK77sCHUef_qvZYybpIv9BLh7o2-DzYK43eYRzl83t1x8QKBjQ76JAp-g7kJ3o_1awhqT5fQkTO5ROsFqhFIW40Yrdx8a/s320/andrew_mccarthy_northern_colorado_writers_conference.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://andrewmccarthy.com/index.php" target="_blank">Andrew McCarthy</a>, guy I thought was cool<br />(okay, still think he's pretty cool)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ol>
<li><b>Andrew McCarthy is the keynote speaker. </b>Yes, that Andrew McCarthy--the guy from <i>Mannequin, Weekend at Bernies,</i> and <i>Pretty in Pink</i>. Actor, director, and award-winning travel writer. I'm psyched to see one of my childhood idols--yes, I idolized a guy who chased around an inanimate girlfriend and worked for a deceased boss; what can I say? It was the 80s!</li>
<li><b>Fort Collins is an F+W Media hub.</b> Why is that important? Because I've been employed by F+W Media since the days when they were known as F&W Publishing (remember when media companies were called publishing companies?), but I've never been to our Fort Collins hub. Who knows if I'll have time to meet up with any of my F+W homies, but it'll be cool to be near them nonetheless.</li>
<li><b>Colorado rocks!</b> And it's not just because of the Rockies. Okay, mostly it's because of the mountains--the last time I visited Colorado I ventured with Tammy up to Breckenridge, which was great (after I adjusted to the altitude anyway). Despite it's needlessly confusing airport, I had a blast the last time I visited Colorado.</li>
<li><b>Writers conferences are fun.</b> They just are. It's always inspiring to meet other writers and publishing professionals. Ideas always grow in these settings--as do personal connections and future opportunities. That' right, I'm advocating that all writers get out to events to help their careers--in both creative and professional ways.</li>
<li><b>I'm speaking.</b> Okay, I have a love-hate relationship with speaking in front of groups. I love it, but I always expect the audience to pelt me with rotten fruits and veggies (because, you know, they always carry them to live events--just in case). My involvement includes presentations on blogging and finding freelance work. Plus, I get to lead a poetry roundtable with an exclusive group of like 10 or so writers (see if you can get in).</li>
</ol>
The whole event should be busy and a lot of fun. I have a feeling the time will pass faster than I expect, because that's what happens when you're having fun, right?<br />
<br />
Anyway, here's a little more information about the conference that was slipped to me by <a href="http://www.kerrieflanagan.com/" target="_blank">Kerrie Flanagan</a> (my point person for the event):<br />
<br />
The 8th annual Northern Colorado Writers Conference, April 26-27th at the Fort Collins Hilton, is the premiere writer’s conference in region. This year features keynote speaker, actor and director, Andrew McCarthy. From <i>Pretty in Pink</i> to <i>National Geographic Traveler</i>, McCarthy will share how he added award-winning travel writer and author to his list of accomplishments. His recently released memoir, <i>The Longest Way Home</i>, has been well received by critiques.<br />
<br />
Also being featured at the event will be the high school Poetry Out Loud state champion who will recite poetry to the attendees Friday evening. During the course of the event, over 25 sessions will be offered by a carefully selected faculty that includes literary agents, editors, freelance writers, publishers and novelists.<br />
<br />
The conference was started back in 2006 as a way for writers of all levels and genres to get together to learn more about the craft, connect with industry professionals and be in the company of other writers for two days. Eight years later the event is still going strong and draws in people from all over the country.<br />
<br />
For more information about the conference, visit <a href="http://www.northerncoloradowriters.com/">www.NorthernColoradoWriters.com</a>.<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Connect with me on <a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/robertleebrewer">Facebook</a>, and <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/robertleebrewer">LinkedIn</a>. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.<br />
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*****<br />
<br />
<b>Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/02/best-blogs-for-writers-to-read-in-2013.html">Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2013</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/01/you-look-like-your-mama-mated-with.html">You Look Like Your Mama Mated With a Rhino</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/02/finding-courage-to-go-for-it-life.html">Finding the Courage to Go For It</a>.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-31708138895863980992013-02-01T07:00:00.000-05:002013-02-14T00:57:50.606-05:00Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2013Once again, it's that time of year. Every February, I reveal my personal list of the best blogs for writers to read. These are personal faves, so I won't be offended if you know a great blog I didn't list. Please share it in the comments below, and I will review it for next year's list.<br />
<br />
By the way, this year's list offers more than 50 blogs. In 2011, I listed <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2011/02/best-blogs-for-writers-to-follow.html">31 wonderful blogs for writers</a>; in 2012, I listed <a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/02/best-blogs-for-writers-to-read-in-2012.html">39 great blogs for writers</a>; this year, the final count is 55. Who knows what the final number will be next year? As always, I'm human about putting this list together, so don't take a snub as a personal attack.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIIlvbXxasvEyOniz9e9N2l29osCwE3g6MSaoBD2pWPaKfndMo4SCJ2f04h3kNUD01-UaAv9s-OivugLL0w31AVrmusbG-b25n7aYPs6NkMjWdztbYjEdX4c9uad9LcEMq4p4NkmvtLnl/s1600/best_blogs_for_writers_2013_brian_klems_writers_dig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIIlvbXxasvEyOniz9e9N2l29osCwE3g6MSaoBD2pWPaKfndMo4SCJ2f04h3kNUD01-UaAv9s-OivugLL0w31AVrmusbG-b25n7aYPs6NkMjWdztbYjEdX4c9uad9LcEMq4p4NkmvtLnl/s320/best_blogs_for_writers_2013_brian_klems_writers_dig.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian Klems, double blogger at WritersDigest.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<b>Writer's Digest Blogs</b><br />
As a Senior Content Editor for the Writer's Digest Writing Community, I'm rather partial to the blogs on the WritersDigest.com site. My poetry blog (below) has a home there--as does the best blog covering literary agents anywhere.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents">Guide to Literary Agents</a>, by Chuck Sambuchino</li>
<li><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor">The Writer's Dig</a>, by Brian Klems</li>
<li><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules">There Are No Rules</a>, by Editors of Writer's Digest</li>
<li><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/questions-and-quandaries">Questions & Quandaries</a>, by Brian Klems (also)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides">Poetic Asides</a>, by Robert Lee Brewer</li>
</ul>
**********<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://wdu.register.fwmedia.com/Course?CourseId=1087-32&utm_source=WDUPromo&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=RBwmblog020113Bloggingnb" target="_blank">Learn How to Start (or Improve) Your Blog!</a></b><br />
<br />
E-media guru Dan Blank of We Grow Media leads this 4-week <a href="http://wdu.register.fwmedia.com/Course?CourseId=1087-32&utm_source=WDUPromo&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=RBwmblog020113Bloggingnb" target="_blank">Blogging 101</a> course. In addition to covering how to set up a blog, bloggers will learn how to create an editorial calendar to keep content on track, how to interact with readers and build a sense of community, what search engine optimization is and how to use it to your advantage, and more.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://wdu.register.fwmedia.com/Course?CourseId=1087-32&utm_source=WDUPromo&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=RBwmblog020113Bloggingnb" target="_blank">Click to continue</a>.<br />
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<br />
<b>My All-Star Blogs for Writers</b><br />
These are the best of the best as far as I'm concerned by single bloggers (tag-teams have their own list below). Their content is updated frequently, and it's of high value. Everyone, regardless of genre, should be able to learn something on these blogs.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://goinswriter.com/" target="_blank">Jeff Goins blog</a>, by Jeff Goins</li>
<li><a href="http://www.makealivingwriting.com/" target="_blank">Make a Living Writing</a>, by Carol Tice</li>
<li><a href="http://therenegadewriter.com/" target="_blank">The Renegade Writer</a>, by Linda Formichelli</li>
<li><a href="http://christinakatz.com/" target="_blank">The Prosperous Writer</a>, by Christina Katz</li>
<li><a href="http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Janet Reid, Literary Agent</a>, by Janet Reid</li>
<li><a href="http://positivewriter.com/" target="_blank">The Positive Writer</a>, by Bryan Hutchinson</li>
<li><a href="http://janefriedman.com/blog" target="_blank">Jane Friedman: Being Human at Electric Speed</a><a href="http://janefriedman.com/blog" target="_blank"></a>, by Jane Friedman</li>
<li><a href="http://www.rachellegardner.com/" target="_blank">Rachelle Gardner</a>, by Rachelle Gardner</li>
<li><a href="http://terribleminds.com/ramble/blog/" target="_blank">terribleminds</a>, by Chuck Wendig</li>
<li><a href="http://ronsilliman.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Silliman's blog</a>, by Ron Silliman</li>
<li><a href="http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mystery Writing Is Murder</a>, by Elizabeth Spann Craig</li>
<li><a href="http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/" target="_blank">Wordplay</a>, by K.M. Weiland </li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJiWGCdMg8qKYg2rZw8loPMlTMd7q4uO2MIrHAebA3FRPxVuqNFnA7Np8Z7nYAF6UaEC4mDbHf_9uPxH96ClnN-Aqicvldnnps-ZUiz4Q4WLdFq_1tMicaC9Qcb5x5JGvwiiqd-9oLXKxi/s1600/best_blogs_for_writers_2013_robert_lee_brewer_jane_friedman_christina_katz_porter_anderson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJiWGCdMg8qKYg2rZw8loPMlTMd7q4uO2MIrHAebA3FRPxVuqNFnA7Np8Z7nYAF6UaEC4mDbHf_9uPxH96ClnN-Aqicvldnnps-ZUiz4Q4WLdFq_1tMicaC9Qcb5x5JGvwiiqd-9oLXKxi/s320/best_blogs_for_writers_2013_robert_lee_brewer_jane_friedman_christina_katz_porter_anderson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not Bob, Jane Friedman, Porter Anderson, Christina Katz</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<b>Tag-Team Blogs for Writers</b><br />
These blogs could just as well be on the All-Star list, but they're mostly assembled through a group effort. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, some of these are the best at covering their specific areas.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://writerunboxed.com/" target="_blank">WriterUnboxed</a></li>
<li><a href="http://wordservewatercooler.com/" target="_blank">WordServe Water Cooler</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet/" target="_blank">Harriet, the Blog</a></li>
<li><a href="http://copyblogger.com/blog" target="_blank">Copyblogger</a></li>
<li><a href="http://writetodone.com/" target="_blank">Write To Done</a></li>
<li><a href="http://problogger.net/blog" target="_blank">Problogger</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thebestamericanpoetry.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Best American Poetry blog</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/" target="_blank">Freelance Writing Jobs</a></li>
<li><a href="http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kill Zone</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Writers Alley</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thewritepractice.com/" target="_blank">The Write Practice</a></li>
<li><a href="http://romanceuniversity.org/" target="_blank">Romance University</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thepassivevoice.com/" target="_blank">The Passive Voice</a></li>
<li><a href="http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/" target="_blank">Grammar Girl</a></li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8E21VxfXU__6f9Ans1x_2jvxEEvzj4P8HY2mpn1UGPuc0tgENOwTM40Iqnkx5Poc0eRPFwJqq66qAA8_OXJBdkC7sdaNMnzst-AoykBAPmcZTp1oeZIWZNMkVZRa-qiAKMeU-m5f1MxA/s1600/best_blogs_for_writers_2013_sandra_beasley_chicks_dig_poetry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8E21VxfXU__6f9Ans1x_2jvxEEvzj4P8HY2mpn1UGPuc0tgENOwTM40Iqnkx5Poc0eRPFwJqq66qAA8_OXJBdkC7sdaNMnzst-AoykBAPmcZTp1oeZIWZNMkVZRa-qiAKMeU-m5f1MxA/s320/best_blogs_for_writers_2013_sandra_beasley_chicks_dig_poetry.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandra Beasley, who digs poetry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<ul>
</ul>
<b>Blogs That Rock for Writers</b><br />
These blogs are just as cool as the others listed above, but they do it in their own unique ways. In fact, I'd say many of these blogs kind of have their own rocking attitude that the others above don't. If you can check them out regularly, you won't be disappointed.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.sbeasley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Chicks Dig Poetry</a>, by Sandra Beasley</li>
<li><a href="http://blog.nathanbransford.com/" target="_blank">Nathan Bransford, author</a>, by Nathan Bransford</li>
<li><a href="http://accrispin.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Writer Beware blog</a>, by Victoria Strauss</li>
<li><a href="http://evileditor.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Evil Editor</a>, by an evil editor</li>
<li><a href="http://www.redlemonclub.com/" target="_blank">Red Lemon Club</a>, by Alex Mathers</li>
<li><a href="http://collinkelley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Modern Confessional</a>, by Collin Kelley</li>
<li><a href="http://inkygirl.com/" target="_blank">InkyGirl</a>, by Debbie Ridpath Ohi</li>
<li><a href="http://alexisgrant.com/" target="_blank">The Traveling Writer</a>, by Alexis Grant</li>
<li><a href="http://bridgetasher.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Baggott Asher Bode</a>, by Julianna Baggott</li>
<li><a href="http://ofkells.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book of Kells</a>, by Kelli Russell Agodon</li>
<li><a href="http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jody Hedlund</a>, by Jody Hedlund</li>
<li><a href="http://kriswrites.com/" target="_blank">Kris Writes</a>, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch</li>
<li><a href="http://jessiecarty.com/blog/" target="_blank">Jessie Cary blog</a>, by Jessie Carty</li>
<li><a href="http://thecreativepenn.com/blog" target="_blank">The Creative Penn</a>, by Joanna Penn</li>
<li><a href="http://livewritethrive.com/" target="_blank">Live Write Thrive</a>, by C.S. Lakin</li>
<li><a href="http://moodywriting.blogspot.in/" target="_blank">Moody Writing</a>, by mooderino</li>
<li><a href="http://dbqp.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">dbqp: visualizing poetics</a>, by Geof Huth</li>
<li><a href="http://writersinnerjourney.com/" target="_blank">The Writer's Inner Journey</a>, by Meredith Resnick</li>
<li><a href="http://la-screenwriter.com/" target="_blank">LA Screenwriter</a>, by Angela Guess</li>
<li><a href="http://margoroby.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Wordgathering</a>, by Margo Roby</li>
<li><a href="http://deanwesleysmith.com/" target="_blank">Dean Wesley Smith</a>, by Dean Wesley Smith</li>
<li><a href="http://annerallen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Anne R. Allen's blog</a>, by Anne R. Allen</li>
<li><a href="http://blog.janicehardy.com/" target="_blank">The Other Side of the Story</a>, by Janice Hardy</li>
<li><a href="http://writingforward.com/blog" target="_blank">Writing Forward</a>, by Melissa Donovan </li>
</ul>
*****<br />
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Connect with me on <a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/robertleebrewer">Facebook</a>, and <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/robertleebrewer">LinkedIn</a>. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.<br />
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<b>Check out these other Not Bob posts for writers:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/01/25-ways-to-increase-blog-traffic.html">25 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Blog</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/01/3-ways-to-make-your-own-luck.html" target="_blank">3 Ways to Make Your Own Luck</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html" target="_blank">How to Build (or Improve) Your Writer Platform in 30 Days</a>.</li>
</ul>
Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-27685800613262682082013-01-22T09:00:00.000-05:002013-01-22T09:02:40.254-05:00Richard Blanco, James Franco, Inauguration Poems & PoetryYesterday, we experienced another Presidential inauguration and poetry was surprisingly (in often surprising ways) a topic of conversation again, because of two central characters: Richard Blanco and James Franco.<br />
<br />
<h1>
Richard Blanco Inauguration Poem</h1>
<br />
Before getting too carried away in this post, <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/today-richard-blanco-poem-read-barack-obama-inauguration/story?id=18274653" target="_blank">here's a link to Richard Blanco's inauguration poem "One Today"--both text and video of him reading</a>. For an occasional poem written for a Presidential inauguration (with only 2-3 weeks notice), I think it's pretty solid--even beautiful in some spots. The inauguration committee did a good job in selecting Blanco.<br />
<br />
Blanco was mostly praised by my connections on Facebook and Twitter, but Mashable has a sort of sad (and funny at the same time) <a href="http://mashable.com/2013/01/21/inauguration-poem/" target="_blank">piece that shares tweeps who were less than impressed by Blanco's lack of rhymes</a>. And I'll get back to this, but there was another poetry-related inauguration story, and that is the...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6r2hzkNE2bpgJUcznc_44eC-lqJKkULEPZpaZBX8r1LTRfVNzBKxdELcRSoGHTIa5XEATtrvq3xi6Dq37gy5aGaq6lUlS59WShO05NFTTrhp50jXLnyZznEA1RE-8V21ckNOq4qylcMb_/s1600/richard-blanco-james-franco-inauguration-poem-poetry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6r2hzkNE2bpgJUcznc_44eC-lqJKkULEPZpaZBX8r1LTRfVNzBKxdELcRSoGHTIa5XEATtrvq3xi6Dq37gy5aGaq6lUlS59WShO05NFTTrhp50jXLnyZznEA1RE-8V21ckNOq4qylcMb_/s320/richard-blanco-james-franco-inauguration-poem-poetry.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h1>
James Franco Inauguration Poem</h1>
<br />
Before Blanco took center stage, another poet (and I'm seriously not using this term with any sarcasm) was lighting up my social media feeds: James Franco. Apparently, he was commissioned by Yahoo! News to write an inauguration poem (<a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/01/james-franco-inauguration-poem/61215/" target="_blank">view it here</a>). <br />
<br />
It doesn't take an engineer to realize the poem is horrible. There's even a <a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/and-now-a-poem-about-james-francos-poem-about-the,91417/" target="_blank">poem about the Franco poem already</a>. But Franco was already making waves in the poetry community because of a <a href="http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/blogs/183799901.html" target="_blank">book that's coming out from Graywolf Press</a>. <br />
<br />
Poets were already Franco-hating before the ill-fated inauguration poem; now, most are likely beside themselves. For me, I actually feel kind of sorry for Franco, because he has a platform and (I don't know this for certain) maybe a lack of criticism from those closest to him (because he has a platform).<br />
<br />
If the poems in Franco's collection are anything like his inauguration poem, then it's pretty easy to speculate that his book was accepted off the merits of saleability--not artistic merit. And that may be cheating both readers and Franco.<br />
<br />
What makes me feel sorry for Franco is not that he has a giant platform to sell his books, rather it's that he's making all his mistakes in front of that platform--possibly being told that he's writing great stuff. Every poet has written horrible poetry (I have boxes full of it), but most get to hide that stuff away from the world.<br />
<br />
<h1>
Back to Blanco</h1>
<br />
Meanwhile, the whole perception of poetry as something that needs to rhyme that's a-whole-nother problem that's just as hard to solve as how to help Franco develop as a poet. I remember my worldview of poetry exploded when I went to college. I don't know if I thought it all had to rhyme (because we studied Whitman), but I had no idea what poets younger than Robert Frost were doing.<br />
<br />
Plus, as a friend shared on Facebook, most poetry on the high school level is dissected (like a frog or pig in science class), not enjoyed. So it's hard for me to go hating on people who don't understand poetry, but it's also hard to figure out how to improve the perception that a poet must were a beret or snap his/her fingers at the conclusion of each poem. Years ago, I had a cousin ask if I was gay when I shared that I was a poet.<br />
<br />
So what is there to do but to enjoy the Richard Blancos of the world and try to encourage and help the James Francos of the world? Meanwhile, we can try to help our friends and family--children and adults--learn to appreciate what good contemporary poetry is and can be.<br />
<br />
<i>(And yes, I admit it is very hard to not write a limerick or sonnet that rhymes Blanco with Franco. Maybe I'll get to that later today--or you can.)</i><br />
<br />
*****<br />
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Connect with me on <a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/robertleebrewer">Facebook</a>, and <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/robertleebrewer">LinkedIn</a>. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.<br />
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<b>Check out some other recent Not Bob posts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/12/just-for-fun-write-mad-libs-poem.html">Just for Fun! Write a Mad Libs Poem</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/01/3-ways-to-make-your-own-luck.html">3 Ways to Make Your Own Luck</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/01/solving-worlds-problems-by-robert-lee.html">Solving the World's Problems, by Robert Lee Brewer</a>.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-66952868183632564792013-01-18T10:30:00.000-05:002013-01-18T10:30:00.904-05:003 Ways to Make Your Own LuckThe latest issue of <a href="http://www.sproutonlinemagazine.com/" target="_blank"><i>Sprout</i> magazine</a> features an interview with yours truly. If you're not familiar with <i>Sprout</i>, it's an inspired and inspiring online magazine fun by Amanda Fall. Go check it out. Anyway, the first question Amanda asked was tied into how I went from unpaid intern to well-connected editor.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Confession time:</i></b> I believe a lot of my success over the years has come from "lucky breaks." Even my unpaid internship position with the Writer's Digest Writing Community, it was a lucky break. Of course, I'm willing to take credit for hard work and taking advantage of opportunities, but many of my best opportunities found me, not the other way around. How did that happen?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAqlEC-e1jfiv77DdQwFSbrcBcBjbeW45AWvKiJFk60FG0HOei5ROkY6NdZFybEtMFdM1281hHSLR4ktGmO1QrGZuYaouVZSfjNqYYwZuwzNgB0uKfh8CPe_gaaByzL7CKpOb_dM7DBbQ/s1600/make-your-own-luck-robert-lee-brewer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAqlEC-e1jfiv77DdQwFSbrcBcBjbeW45AWvKiJFk60FG0HOei5ROkY6NdZFybEtMFdM1281hHSLR4ktGmO1QrGZuYaouVZSfjNqYYwZuwzNgB0uKfh8CPe_gaaByzL7CKpOb_dM7DBbQ/s320/make-your-own-luck-robert-lee-brewer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serendipity can play into making your own luck.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<h1>
Three Keys to Make Your Own Luck</h1>
<br />
I've given this topic a lot of thought over the years, and then decided to tackle this subject after reading Nick Usborne's posts on <a href="http://www.nickusborne.com/catch-your-first-lucky-break-as-a-freelancer/" target="_blank">catching lucky breaks</a> around the end of 2012. Here are my three keys to how I make my own luck:<br />
<ul>
<li>Experiment</li>
<li>Engage</li>
<li>Share</li>
</ul>
Three simple words that I'll explain more below, but these actions are responsible for all my luck.<br />
<br />
<h1>
Experiment</h1>
<br />
If I wanted to use more than one word, I might also say this key is "taking chances." For instance, I was exclusively an expert on publishing--as the editor of <i>Writer's Market</i>--before I started building a reputation as a poet.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7-ZZ7kQT014duhRJ_XOP3iAi1FEn8UPQytgmjABoPy7fL2Q-TiQw8Pfd9e9RuMPLG7DrrI414fTxybe5Y9bY04_XrjVY2mrToyb9n3C-ffBAY1ya0Uv6Ly4gp_tAHi6IKFzechw2cl9M/s1600/red-clay-writers-conference-robert-lee-brewer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7-ZZ7kQT014duhRJ_XOP3iAi1FEn8UPQytgmjABoPy7fL2Q-TiQw8Pfd9e9RuMPLG7DrrI414fTxybe5Y9bY04_XrjVY2mrToyb9n3C-ffBAY1ya0Uv6Ly4gp_tAHi6IKFzechw2cl9M/s320/red-clay-writers-conference-robert-lee-brewer.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My appearance at the Red Clay Writers Conference...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I still remember the meeting in which <i>Writer's Digest</i> magazine editors were trying to expand their site by offering editorial blogs. While many editors opted out of this "extra responsibility," I immediately saw an opportunity to share my rekindled love of poetry with the WritersDigest.com community. So I pitched Poetic Asides, and here's the funny part...<br />
<br />
...my reputation was so entrenched as a publishing expert for fiction and nonfiction freelancers that I received some push back on the idea. In fact, the poetry blog was only accepted after I recruited then <i>Poet's Market</i> editor Nancy Breen as my co-blogger (quick aside: I was already friends with Nancy and lucky to have her as a resource in the beginning). The rest of my poetry luck is history.<br />
<br />
I went on to be named Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere in 2010--hosting super successful poem-a-day challenges in April and November. I've been hosted as a featured poet at several events around the country, including the Austin International Poetry Festival (AIPF) and Poetry Hickory. My debut full-length collection, <i>Solving the World's Problems</i>, is due out from Press 53 on September 1.<br />
<br />
Of course, there's more to that luck, which I'll get into below, but none of it would've happened if I didn't experiment by pitching and launching the Poetic Asides blog. Before that, I was receiving speaking opportunities as a publishing expert by absolutely zero opportunities in the poetry world.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAYyyW_82A30kgMafWynkoe2ju1LpupmY2V_W3uH48XUjVOZS9hdufXpr3eNV4GlbjQ6uLlgw8ynMuv3eh9U1becf077vzYB2pnJoRsnez3ym5WJae1CsFx_Qfpp5L8M-GM8DFvvhaF6Jp/s1600/blue-ridge-writers-conference-robert-lee-brewer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAYyyW_82A30kgMafWynkoe2ju1LpupmY2V_W3uH48XUjVOZS9hdufXpr3eNV4GlbjQ6uLlgw8ynMuv3eh9U1becf077vzYB2pnJoRsnez3ym5WJae1CsFx_Qfpp5L8M-GM8DFvvhaF6Jp/s320/blue-ridge-writers-conference-robert-lee-brewer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...led to me being invited to the Blue Ridge Writers Conference...</td></tr>
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<br />
<h1>
Engage</h1>
<br />
Speaking of the Poetic Asides blog and the April PAD Challenge, the idea was simple enough: I would offer a prompt each day in April (along with my own attempt at the prompt) and ask others to write a poem too. I hoped to get some participation, but I really didn't know what to expect and even worried that only one or two people might show. But the poems came.<br />
<br />
And came. And came. That <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/personal-updates/april-pad-challenge-day-1-2" target="_blank">first post</a> is still up on the site, and there were nearly 300 comments. But it didn't end there. The response was so overwhelming through the whole month that I started sharing poetry prompts on Wednesdays and created a November poem-a-day challenge dedicated to crafting chapbooks of poems.<br />
<br />
These are experiments that worked out, but I also truly feel they are an example of engagement. For instance, one way I've built traffic on My Name Is Not Bob is through challenges and shining the light on other bloggers and tweeps. I didn't ask for or expect anything in return, I just felt that engaging with others is the right way to do things.<br />
<br />
This engagement has led to "lucky" opportunities, including invitations to read at poetry festivals and events. Those speaking opportunities led to face-to-face engagement opportunities that led to more speaking opportunities. For instance, I would've never been invited to Houston Poetry Fest "Out of Bounds" if I had not met Mary Margaret Carlisle at AIPF. My invitation to speak at the Blue Ridge Writers Conference came from speaking at the Red Clay Writers Conference and it (the BRWC) led to an opportunity to speak at Poetry Hickory.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguoD3m_ZTbv6IzmLRKxaF684cgkSnvYWI65NGmWv1Yx-I15CDNkkESWGZUaWW_rdsfezwp8i7cniPTHz31Sk5ws4fxtEgmnW0nP2d2w8n19fDktif9Rvhyphenhyphen8IMMi9U9V0aZBOO9DciQxEd0/s1600/poetry-hickory-robert-lee-brewer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguoD3m_ZTbv6IzmLRKxaF684cgkSnvYWI65NGmWv1Yx-I15CDNkkESWGZUaWW_rdsfezwp8i7cniPTHz31Sk5ws4fxtEgmnW0nP2d2w8n19fDktif9Rvhyphenhyphen8IMMi9U9V0aZBOO9DciQxEd0/s320/poetry-hickory-robert-lee-brewer.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...which opened up an opportunity to speak at Poetry Hickory.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
I have so many similar examples, both online and in person, of engagement with others leading to lucky breaks and opportunities. These speaking opportunities weren't pursued by me; they were offered, because I was engaging with people--and they saw the opportunity for me to share my passion and experiences with their audience. <br />
<br />
<h1>
Share</h1>
<br />
There are many ways that sharing can lead to "lucky breaks." I mentioned Mary Margaret Carlisle above, and I met her at the Austin International Poetry Festival. She was a fellow featured poet, and we did a book swap--I'd recently self-published a limited edition chapbook of poems that have since sold out.<br />
<br />
Without realizing it, my act of sharing set the wheels in motion for me to be invited as the feature for her Houston Poetry Fest "Out of Bounds" event--an event that raised money for me to come out, stay the night in Webster, sell some more chapbooks, and read my poetry before an engaged audience. I didn't expect anything to happen, but it did. And I've had other examples of this happening--without expectation on my part.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2iZAQJG78rFjop0lsugryHcYrcqbGtULy5J0oWohBUD4gAVljyE5SFY3ukqN8JsKBp2q8JFDSJVvaBMarL_gp8CnyLZIMSgotg5uMSR-nD-8kpDCpWiV8zyAhVyu7jZ6Aox2A9scYUkF/s1600/mary-margaret-carlise-robert-lee-brewer-austin-international-poetry-festival-aipf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2iZAQJG78rFjop0lsugryHcYrcqbGtULy5J0oWohBUD4gAVljyE5SFY3ukqN8JsKBp2q8JFDSJVvaBMarL_gp8CnyLZIMSgotg5uMSR-nD-8kpDCpWiV8zyAhVyu7jZ6Aox2A9scYUkF/s320/mary-margaret-carlise-robert-lee-brewer-austin-international-poetry-festival-aipf.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Mary Margaret Carlisle at Austin International Poetry Festival.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Share your words, your thoughts, your ideas, and good things will happen. Don't spend all your time trying to trick people or get something tangible out of them. Trust that good works lead to good opportunities.<br />
<br />
As one last example, one key reason the April PAD Challenge has been so successful from day one is that I shared my own example poem with the prompt. It's a way of showing that I'm in it with everyone else--writing horrible first drafts that more often than not never amount to anything. Sharing that vulnerable part of my writing process, I think, encourages others to then share--and we all benefit when that happens.<br />
<br />
<i>Have you experienced luck yourself? Or helped create luck for someone? Share your experiences below in the comments. </i><br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Connect with me on <a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/robertleebrewer">Facebook</a>, and <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/robertleebrewer">LinkedIn</a>. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.<br />
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<b>Check out some other recent Not Bob posts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/01/what-are-blurbs-do-i-need-them-for-my.html">What are blurbs? Do I need them for my book?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html" target="_blank">How to Build (or Improve) Your Writer Platform in 30 Days</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/01/solving-worlds-problems-by-robert-lee.html">Solving the World's Problems, by Robert Lee Brewer</a>.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-79473364642806007012013-01-10T23:08:00.000-05:002013-01-10T23:08:08.288-05:00What Are Blurbs? Do I Need Them For My Book?Wow! So now that my debut full-length collection of poetry, <i>Solving the World's Problems</i>, has found a home with Press 53, I imagine more than a few of my Not Bob posts are going to deal with issues related to getting this collection to the printer and beyond. In this specific post, I want to talk about blurbs.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoIsZGE_QYJoIKe_bNwYuCR9rfuHvAxoibjezYO_V3p-k-0nG7YzCuE5KTf3l-RNeUKDy2UODbWOi88hnx0uSApRynGaGyv2_uvX_15XDFuESFCkwIgrMWgMPKF8UdZJs7a8q-bWn6RS_/s1600/robert-lee-brewer-poet-crush-o-the-oprah-magazine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoIsZGE_QYJoIKe_bNwYuCR9rfuHvAxoibjezYO_V3p-k-0nG7YzCuE5KTf3l-RNeUKDy2UODbWOi88hnx0uSApRynGaGyv2_uvX_15XDFuESFCkwIgrMWgMPKF8UdZJs7a8q-bWn6RS_/s320/robert-lee-brewer-poet-crush-o-the-oprah-magazine.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good blurb can entice someone to learn more about a book.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<h1>
What are blurbs?</h1>
<br />
Blurbs are those pesky little quotes on the front and back covers of books. For instance, the <i>2013 Writer's Market</i>, which I edit, has one on the front cover from Sandra Beasley, author of <i>Don't Kill the Birthday Girl</i>, that reads, "To buy Writer's Market is to take charge of your publishing career. To give Writer's Market says 'I believe your voice needs to be heard.'"<br />
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Basically, they're endorsements for a book or author from a trusted source. They are recommendations.<br />
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<h1>
Do I need a blurb for my book?</h1>
<br />
Recently, I engaged in a chat on Facebook about whether blurbs are even worth the time or effort of placing on a book. I mean, do they even affect book sales? Do potential readers even care?<br />
<br />
<b>Here's the thing about blurbs:</b> It's going to be different for each reader. Some people will breeze past the blurbs without any notice; other people read everything on the front cover, back cover, and even introductions and forewords. But...<br />
<br />
<h1>
Book covers definitely sell books.</h1>
<br />
Attractive and professional-looking book covers sell books. Ugly and unprofessional-looking book covers can kill book sales. It's not fair to the manuscripts, but most readers really do judge books by their covers. (Sorry, I couldn't resist, but it's true!)<br />
<br />
Blurbs enhance the professional look of a cover. Including blurbs from trusted sources adds an extra level of validation to a book. It might not seal the deal, but it might entice a potential reader to crack the cover and read the first page or two before deciding whether to buy the book.<br />
<br />
And really, I'm pretty confident that blurbs don't harm book sales--unless it's really bad or inappropriate. However, if that's the case, the book is probably really bad and inappropriate as well, right?<br />
<br />
<h1>
How do I get blurbs for my book?</h1>
<br />
First, you can contact sources directly. In my case, I have a short list of poets who I'm planning to contact to see if they might be interested in viewing my manuscript. My first message will probably go something along the lines of, "Hey, you interested in taking a look at my manuscript and possibly providing a blurb for the cover?" No need to beat around the bush.<br />
<br />
If the poets say, "Sure," I'll send along the manuscript with a deadline for when I need the blurbs back (probably padding the deadline a little--just in case). Hopefully, they'll love what they read and send me a nice sentence or three about my book.<br />
<br />
Another source of blurbs might be from past mentions and accomplishments. In my case, I'm wondering whether to include past mentions--like in the November 2012 issue of <i>O, The Oprah Magazine</i>, Samantha Reynolds wrote, "I have a poet crush on Robert Lee Brewer." Who wouldn't be interested in slapping that right on the front cover of a book? It says everything that a poet wants to hear!<br />
<br />
<i>What are your thoughts on blurbs? Do you think they're important? Do you (or would you) bother with them for your own book?</i><br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Connect with me on <a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/robertleebrewer">Facebook</a>, and <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/robertleebrewer">LinkedIn</a>. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.<br />
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<b>Check out these other Not Bob posts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2013/01/solving-worlds-problems-by-robert-lee.html">Solving the World's Problems, by Robert Lee Brewer</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-build-or-improve-your-writer.html">How to Build (or Improve) Your Writer Platform in 30 Days</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/02/best-blogs-for-writers-to-read-in-2012.html">Best Blogs for Writers to Read in 2012</a>.</li>
</ul>
*****<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599635755/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1599635755&linkCode=as2&tag=mynaisnobo-20">Create Your Writer Platform: The Key to Building an Audience, Selling More Books, and Finding Success as an Author</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mynaisnobo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1599635755" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
by Chuck Sambuchino <br />
<br />
If you want a book that covers platform in all its variations, this is the title for you. Chuck Sambuchino is the author of humor titles such as <i>How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack</i> and <i>Red Dog Blue Dog</i>, but he's also behind <i>Guide to Literary Agents</i> and <i>Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript</i>. In other words, he's been there, done that, and lived to tell about it. Chuck covers social media, blogs, newsletters, public speaking, and more. Click the link above to check it out today.<br />
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-82963027365399990302013-01-07T13:00:00.000-05:002013-01-10T23:04:12.088-05:00Solving the World's Problems, by Robert Lee BrewerLast week, I got some nice news from <a href="http://www.press53.com/" target="_blank">Press 53</a>. They're going to publish my debut full-length collection of poetry tentatively titled <i>Solving the World's Problems</i>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5ITt_LHpALJWlxjOXbJ617MWOrTrlAohNr7TSCZqNeIj7luOgRFKir8Ku74esxoDvm_Z2ziXIz5HXoqkUXnP-g0BgeZ1C6Pi13zAvZ9U6tL3TT9CJDD3jG5FdMXim4dxM056XrdT10yt/s1600/robert-lee-brewer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5ITt_LHpALJWlxjOXbJ617MWOrTrlAohNr7TSCZqNeIj7luOgRFKir8Ku74esxoDvm_Z2ziXIz5HXoqkUXnP-g0BgeZ1C6Pi13zAvZ9U6tL3TT9CJDD3jG5FdMXim4dxM056XrdT10yt/s320/robert-lee-brewer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Lee Brewer, <i>Solving the World's Problems</i>--in a hoodie!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
At the moment, the manuscript consists of 80 poems, though we still have to go through the process of editing--so we'll see what happens. Since I just sent in the signed contract this morning, all "facts" in this post are "tentative" and "subject to change."<br />
<br />
For instance, I have a "tentative" pub date of September 1, which would be perfect if it were to hold.<br />
<br />
This post is basically a "can't keep it to myself" announcement that I hope will help get the word and excitement out to everyone who has been so supportive of me through my poetic journey. I. Am. Excited.<br />
<br />
(Just ask Tammy.)<br />
<br />
Anyway, I'm already buzzing with ideas to help this collection be as successful as it can be, and I'd welcome any help with that. If you know of places that review debut poetry collections, I'd love to know about them. If you know of blogs that interview poets, please share. If you know venues that support readings, let me know. In fact, if you have venues nearby AND a spare couch that you wouldn't mind having a tired poet crash on, I'd love to hear from you too.<br />
<br />
Am poet. Will travel. After pub date.<br />
<br />
I've got a pub date!<br />
<br />
Did I mention I'm excited?!?<br />
<br />
So yeah, carry on. If you can help out, please comment below or send me an e-mail at <a href="mailto:robertleebrewer@gmail.com">robertleebrewer@gmail.com</a>. Or message me on Facebook. Or Twitter. Whatever works best for you.<br />
<br />
Yeaaaaahhhhh!!!! (Sorry had one last bit of excitement there.)<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
Connect with me on <a href="http://twitter.com/robertleebrewer">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/robertleebrewer">Facebook</a>, and <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/robertleebrewer">LinkedIn</a>. Plus, sign up for free e-mail updates from this blog in the top right-hand corner of the page.<br />
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<b>Check out these other inspiring Not Bob posts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-importance-of-word-play.html" target="_blank">The Importance of Word Play</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-i-give-back-to-writers-life.html" target="_blank">Why I Give Back to Writers</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/01/poetic-saturdays-now-this-is-how-we.html" target="_blank">Poetic Saturdays: Now This Is How We Roll</a>.</li>
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*****<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599635755/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1599635755&linkCode=as2&tag=mynaisnobo-20">Create Your Writer Platform: The Key to Building an Audience, Selling More Books, and Finding Success as an Author</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mynaisnobo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1599635755" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
by Chuck Sambuchino <br />
<br />
If you want a book that covers platform in all its variations, this is the title for you. Chuck Sambuchino is the author of humor titles such as <i>How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack</i> and <i>Red Dog Blue Dog</i>, but he's also behind <i>Guide to Literary Agents</i> and <i>Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript</i>. In other words, he's been there, done that, and lived to tell about it. Chuck covers social media, blogs, newsletters, public speaking, and more. Click the link above to check it out today.<br />
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<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4693401219959272564.post-85597350128128845452012-12-13T06:00:00.000-05:002012-12-13T06:00:12.061-05:00Just For Fun: Write a Mad Libs Poem!I'm always writing down bits and pieces of lines--sometimes not even finishing lines. Such was the case yesterday, and I got the crazy idea to throw together quite a few fragments with blanks that I would come back to later (without seeing the fragments). Basically, I was going back to my elementary school Mad Libs days.<br />
<br />
If you want to play, don't scroll to the bottom of the post yet.<br />
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<b>Instead, make a list with the following:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Plural Noun</li>
<li>Singular Noun</li>
<li>Present Tense Verb</li>
<li>Singular Noun</li>
<li>Singular Noun</li>
<li>Present Tense Verb</li>
<li>Present Tense Verb</li>
<li>Plural Noun</li>
<li>Plural Noun</li>
<li>Present Tense Verb</li>
<li>Singular Noun</li>
<li>Complete this statement: "I hope ________________________."</li>
</ul>
That's it.<br />
<br />
Go on, make a list without peeking.<br />
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*****<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0843189517/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0843189517&linkCode=as2&tag=mynaisnobo-20">Girls Just Wanna Have Mad Libs: Ultimate Box Set</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mynaisnobo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0843189517" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<br />
I know, I know. The greatest Mad Libs box set ever! But this is only the tip of the iceberg, because there are Mad Libs books for <i>Star Wars</i>, zombies, Christmas, and more!<br />
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*****<br />
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Here's the template I created yesterday. Insert your words in the order above. Feel free to title your piece whatever you wish and share in the comments below.<br />
<br />
"Poem Title"<br />
<br />
I've saturated the ______________<br />
with tales of my _____________.<br />
There's nothing left for me to ______________.<br />
Every __________, every ____________--<br />
they all ____________ to me!<br />
<br />
______________ their inner ___________, their<br />
naked ____________. When you __________<br />
your ____________, I hope<br />
__________________________________.<br />
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*****<br />
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This is how my poem came out:<br />
<br />
<b>MADMAN</b>, by Robert Lee Brewer<br />
<br />
I've saturated the hooligans<br />
with tales of my television.<br />
There's nothing left for me to swaddle.<br />
Every cape, every pinball machine--<br />
they all flock to me!<br />
<br />
Balance their inner treasures, their<br />
naked spectacles. When you fumigate<br />
your elephant, I hope<br />
the accountants kept excellent records.<br />
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*****<br />
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But wait! Here's how my 9-year-old stepson did:<br />
<br />
<b>Madman Jr.</b>, by Reese Trendle<br />
<br />
I've saturated the zebu<br />
with tales of my kidney.<br />
There's nothing left for me to stab.<br />
Every abolitionist, every light bulb--<br />
they all eat to me!<br />
<br />
Jump their inner rats, their<br />
naked knives. When you hit<br />
your gum, I hope<br />
their heads are falling off.<br />
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*****<br />
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Fun stuff!<br />
<br />
Anyway, it's not bad for the middle of the week. If you get stuck with your own poetry, maybe try cutting out words in an already written piece and inserting new nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.<br />
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If nothing else, it provides a new way to look at the same poem.<br />
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*****<br />
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*****<br />
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<b>Check out these other inspiring Not Bob posts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-importance-of-word-play.html" target="_blank">The Importance of Word Play</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-i-give-back-to-writers-life.html" target="_blank">Why I Give Back to Writers</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.com/2012/01/poetic-saturdays-now-this-is-how-we.html" target="_blank">Poetic Saturdays: Now This Is How We Roll</a>.</li>
</ul>
*****<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599635755/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1599635755&linkCode=as2&tag=mynaisnobo-20">Create Your Writer Platform: The Key to Building an Audience, Selling More Books, and Finding Success as an Author</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=mynaisnobo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1599635755" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
by Chuck Sambuchino <br />
<br />
If you want a book that covers platform in all its variations, this is the title for you. Chuck Sambuchino is the author of humor titles such as <i>How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack</i> and <i>Red Dog Blue Dog</i>, but he's also behind <i>Guide to Literary Agents</i> and <i>Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript</i>. In other words, he's been there, done that, and lived to tell about it. Chuck covers social media, blogs, newsletters, public speaking, and more. Click the link above to check it out today.<br />
<br />Robert Lee Brewerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03733003865003484352noreply@blogger.com11