Ronda J. Del Boccio's Blog: Writing is pure Bliss, page 45
July 13, 2014
Do Real Characters Populate Your Fiction?
Send to KindleI just started reading another book, and at the beginning was this oh-so-familiar disclaimer:
(paraphrased) “All events and characers in this story are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons, places or events living or dead is purely coincidentsl.
Have you ever seen that?
HOGWASH!
I mean, honestly, what author doesn’t use wordsmithery as a means of therapy or personal vendetta?
Truth really IS stranger than fiction!
Some authors read my story “Midnight at the Hallelujah Hotel” and said, “Randy is too over-the-top.” Well…he was based on a truck driver with a mind dirtier than a New York sewer! I can’t help it he was such a mess, now can I?
And, for the record, the guy’s name in real life was DICK. Um…and he was one. Again…can’t help it.
I’d like to suggest a rewrite of that tired refrain. It would go something like this:
“Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, is most definitely a possibility. If you see yourself in any character, there is probably a deep psychological reason why. Perhaps how the character I question works out his or her stuff will provide you with ideas and insights to help you in your own life.”
The writing life is fun!
Has anyone inspired a character in your book or story? Who and why? Please share in the comments, and feel free to pass my graphic around to your author friends.
Follow your BLISS,
Ronda Del Boccio
I’m Ronda Del Boccio, a best selling, award-winning author of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Most of my tales take you on adventures that deepen your understanding of what it means to be alive. I also turn visionaries into best selling books. Curious? Start by getting weekly Author success Tips & Tools.
Connect: My books on Amazon – Facebook – Twitter
PS Are you a current or budding author who could use a little help along your own adventure Get weekly success tips and tools FREE, plus a cool set of tools to keep you going. Join free now!
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:225px;}
/* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */
Reserve your copy NOW!
* indicates required
Email Address *
First Name
I need help with...
Writing a book
Publishing a book
Book Marketing
Making more money as an author
Becoming a Best Selling Author
Email Format
html
text
Send to Kindle
AUTHORS: Are You Using Using Social Media as a Blast and Broadbast Medium?
Send to KindleSO often I see authors do nothing more than barf out links to your books all over the social networks. I'll see the very same "buy my book" links on Facebook, GOogle+, LinkedIn andTwitter.Broadcast advertising is for 1-way streets like TV, radio and periodicals.
Check out this post from +David Amerland . He provides some excellent insights that I believe will help you gain perspective.
#author #socialmediamarketing #socialmedia
Reshared post from +David Amerland
There is nothing wrong with your Television set …
I am too young (still) to have been around in the 60s but the magic of all-night TV back in the days when this was a Friday night treat introduced me to The Outer Limits (http://goo.gl/87x31p) and the iconic intro of a TV set being, somehow, controlled by a remote agency: http://goo.gl/AnJ9np
It boggled the mind, back then, that someone could somehow hijack your TV set like that. It implied invisible command-and-control dynamics and a power that allowed a ‘message’ to be broadcast directly to you without you being able to do anything about it. At the heart of it lay the notion of control (and before we go any further do check out this little pig (I am not kidding) learning to negotiate stairs for the first time: http://goo.gl/KjZTdv.
If you watched the video above you will now be smiling and feel happier and the effect of the sentences preceding it will have largely evaporated, which raises my point for this week’s Sunday Read and it is control. The ability to affect those who come across what we post by the way we present the arguments we make.
In social media we have found a means to assert our own sense of control. Technology is giving us an ever greater sense of control over our lives which is why, in 2011, we asked if YouTube would replace TV (http://goo.gl/FFt7U) only to decide a year later that no, this was not something that would happen (http://goo.gl/mLOnkJ) TV was so centrally embedded in our lives as a means of entertainment, news and information that it was unlikely to be ever dethroned. Yet just a year after that we had evidence it had already happened: http://goo.gl/yQkSy9.
Social media, in its many forms, turns us all into media companies. We each have our own channel, our own audience and our own schedule, even. We even have our own subject matters: ‘tune’ into +Bruce Marko (http://goo.gl/Tf452u) for a revelatory moment into the journey that makes a writer, +Daria Musk (http://goo.gl/VMAFPk) if you want some music, +Rajini Rao (http://goo.gl/FqfA2t) for science +Buddhini Samarasinghe (http://goo.gl/Fqy4gz) for medical research or +Pam Adger (http://goo.gl/eBQsqc) for some of the edgier posts and a sense of more adult content. The fact is that we are each now capable of doing, from our computer screens, what in the past would take a lot of expensive equipment, trained, expensive staff, expensive airwave spectrums and regulatory guidelines.
While the ability to do all this without having a cartload of cash to burn is freedom (of many different shades) it can also be a recipe for disaster. Armed with nothing but our own sense of what is suitable, popular, right or wrong we can very easily become the lightning rods that coalesce defuse prejudices into concentrated bolts of harm. Case in point a post I put up on Friday (http://goo.gl/wuMXkd) that’s drawn over 150 comments as the discussion raged across some of the issues I highlighted. There are many instances of value to take away from it but perhaps one of the most enlightening came, towards the tail end of the discussion, +Vincent Messina popped in, alerted us that he had not read the comments fully and weighed in with his opinion. If that sounds like a recipe for disaster it’s because that is exactly what it usually is. Yet in this case as Vincent tried to get his point across he made an astute connection between this post and the infamous Techcrunch “Google+ is walking Dead” story (http://goo.gl/sjapZD) that led me to write a more detail rebuttal (http://goo.gl/Pq7uWt) [all part of ancient history, now].
Words (as well as ideas) can control us. They impact upon how we feel (remember the cute little pig video?) and can lead to responses that, like rage (http://goo.gl/vGtOZi) are uncontrollable. Worse than that they are undeniably linked to marketing (the focus of +Aaron Wood's initial post) and behavioral finance, both of which examine mob mentality (http://goo.gl/nf1Z7U) one instance of which is amplified by the internet (http://goo.gl/d5CNGS).
Connectivity then (which I frequently cite as a boon) can easily turn into its opposite given just a 5% accumulation of a perceived critical mass (http://goo.gl/NDppr) pointed towards a specific direction. We talk of objectivity here (http://goo.gl/p7VoKj) like social media is a kind of lab experiment. It is, but it’s more like a participant observation-led field study (http://goo.gl/gNrd2p) than a controlled conditions lab test. The distinction is important. The former places a lot of stress on its participants because the parameters are led by the fluidity of people, while the latter creates problems, primarily through its conditions (that need to be tighter and tighter controlled).
Control, as in taking it back is what many may want as +James Dearsley alludes to in his latest share (http://goo.gl/2ilQ6W) where +Mike Elgan discusses the possible impact of too many omissions from search.
Going through the thread (http://goo.gl/wuMXkd) and its comments a few lessons are hard not to pick out. First, this is the digital world. None of us are here by accident. Our conduct and opinions therefore are not accidental either (even when we are responding emotionally). By the same token no conversation is useless or lost (+Aaron Wood's initial thread, case in point) nor is any of us any less important than anyone else. Because what we do here can be a collective activity governed by the social instinct, what stops us from descending into herd behavior is the same connectivity that makes it possible in the first place. This creates a new set responsibilities (our engagements and interactions, our ability to self-organize and find common purpose and alignment of values) at a time when we have barely managed to completely understand and adequately use the old ones.
We think that because we are connected it has to be enough. Because we can use search, everyone can. That because we have all these digital toys that make our world small, transparent and responsive, change is inevitable. But the critical mass we need has not yet been reached. Too many still are outside of this domain and I am not even talking about those trapped by circumstances, mere accidents of birth, in Third World countries.
Our own backyards are an inconsistent landscape as +Ara Wagoner (who works in television) points out in a plea that sounds forlorn (http://goo.gl/xzuqck), desperate in its paradoxical sense of isolation.
There is true transformational value in the personal acknowledgement of the paradigm shift we experience: the fact that by elevating one of us, by asking the difficult questions, by demanding clarity and clarification but resisting the impulse to just lash out simply because we can, by demanding honesty in our connections, we help elevate us all. The gain then is immeasurable. The rewards shared by all.
We cannot be controlled if we are aligned into seeking the best in each of us at all times. It is a small, conceptual shift in attitude that impacts directly upon the way we self-organize and the reasons we do so.
It’s summer. The sun’s hot. The sea is alluring and coffee and donuts, cookies and cake should be at hand on a Sunday. This was a challenging thread to pull together because I found myself discovering new things about me, as I did so. Full credit to +Vincent Messina for that. So, make each interaction count and make it gentle. As my favourite philosophizers usually say: we really all, ought to “Be Excellent to Each Other” http://goo.gl/5CB34u. Have a great Sunday wherever you are.
Send to Kindle
July 10, 2014
Not Happy with Your Results? What Are You Emitting?
Send to KindleNot Happy with Your Results? What Are You Emitting?I love this Abraham inspirational quote about mindset, and I look at it whenever what I experience is not what I wish to see:
“The Universe is not punishing you or blessing you. The Universe is responding to the vibrational attitude that you are emitting.”
- Abraham-Hicks inspirational quotes
It’s so easy to look to the externals of life and not what’s inside.
Here are 3 tips that help ME when I get off-track in my own mindset.
Sometimes, concerns run in the background like white noise, not noticeable but there nonetheless. So here’s what I do when that happens to me.
1. Health Check
Did I nourish myself with a power smoothie? Did I drink water? Did I sleep sufficiently? Often, a few minutes on the rebounder and a glass of water makes all the difference.
2. Face check.
What mood am I spreading around? Petting the cats, going for a short walk, or listening to some “power-up” music helps a lot.
3. Fun Check
Am I bogged down in small stuff? Am I making what I do WORK instead of finding the fun?
These 3 checks help me keep a positive mindset.
A program that helped me a lot, and I’m already very positive person, is the Miracle Mindshift Month. This is a simple daily program that takes only a few minutes to accomplish, yet opens up the world.
I found some old yuck I had no idea was running in the background like a computer virus. Clearing that out has made a huge difference in so many areas of my life.
IF you feel stuck or aren’t getting the results you want with your life your book, your relationships, or whatever, then please do yourself a favor and check out the beautiful stories of transformation and join the community at WriteOnPurpose.com/miracle.
Send to Kindle
July 9, 2014
Book Marketing Help: How Can I Make the Most of A Speaking Engagement?
Send to KindleBook Marketing Help: How Can I Make the Most of A Speaking Engagement?An author friend of mine named Deborah excitedly told me she has been asked to speak to a group of her target audience..
She told me she will be able to sell books, but I asked her an important question that got her thinking, especially because right now she has her consulting business and a book, but nothing between..
There’s more to being a prosperous author than selling more books. Sure, book marketing is important, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Chances are good that you may not have thought of this important source of additional income around your book.
What profitable question did I ask Deborah?
“Are you recording your presentation?”
“WOW, I had not thought of that?” she answered. “How can I do that without blowing a wad of money?
So, to answer both Deborah and you, there are a few ways to record without spending big money.
What are the easiest ways to audio record a live event?
Afforable: Use a pocket audio recorder. Those are easily available from office stores of Amazon. Find one with lots of space so you can record long sessions without running out of room. Make sure you can transfer the audio to your computer.
Free: There are also some phone apps that will record audio for you. You’ll get phone quality, and if the talk is long, it takes a while to download it to a computer, but you can do that for free if that’s your only option.
Once you have that audio, you can make a PRODUCT that you can charge for. They can be on your website or delivered using Google Drive or Dropbox.
OR you can send them up to CreateSpace and have a physical and / or streaming product on the world’s largest and mpost trusted website…at no cost to you. You only pay for any copies you order at a discount to sell yourself.
So go ye forth and prosper!
Want more tips like this?
Claim your special report + mini-course “7 SIMPLE Ways to Make Money from Your Book While You’re Still Writing It.” Whether your book is published or in process, these methods can bring you extra cash. Just pick ONE and run with it!
How Much Can I Expect to Earn from Book Royalties?
Send to KindleHow Much Can I Expect to Earn from Book Royalties?
You’re not going to like the answer.
Very few authors rake in ginormous royalty checks,
so unless you’re Stephen King or J.K. Rowling, don’t expect to make it rich on your book royalties.
My author friend nick recently told me, “I can just about afford lunch from the dollar menu at McDonalds with my royalty check this month.” He was astonished that I had paid a whole major bill with mine.
OK, sure, there are a lot of conversations we could have about book marketing, but that’s like putting a bandit over a broken arm.
The issue is bigger than how well you promote your books…BUT there is a way to be a profitable author without focusing solely on how to sell more books.
What it it?
Plan Beyond the Book
You want to have other irons in the fire besides your book. Whether you’re a fiction writer or a business owner writing a help book, you have tons of knowledge and expertise that others crave.
So put all that knowledge to work for you and cash in on your experience, even if you’re still writing your book and won’t see a royalty check for months.
Claim your free report now!
To help you along the way, download your special report “7 Wahs to Make Money from Your Book…While You’re Still Writing It.”
Awakened Author Hall of Fame: Instant Best Selling Author Tim Bennett
Send to Kindleoh oh OH! I am SOOOO excited!
Tim Bennett achieved #1 bestselling author in Hot New Releases on Amazon in 5 days without a huge campaign!!
[image error]
Source: Uploaded by user via Ronda on Pinterest
That could be YOU!
Register for a free training teaching you the EASY way become a best selling author just like Tim did now.
Follow your bliss!
Ronda Del Boccio, the Story Lady
#1 bestselling author and Celebrity Author Mentor
One last thing…
I’m Ronda Del Boccio, a best selling, award-winning author of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Most of my tales take you on adventures that deepen your understanding of what it means to be alive. I also turn visionaries into best selling books. Curious? Start by getting Awakened Author Tips & Tools.
Connect: My books on Amazon – Facebook – Twitter
PS Are you a current or budding author who could use a little help along your own adventure Get weekly success tips and tools FREE, plus a cool set of tools to keep you going. Join free now!
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:225px;}
/* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */
Reserve your copy NOW!
* indicates required
Email Address *
First Name
I need help with...
Writing a book
Publishing a book
Book Marketing
Making more money as an author
Becoming a Best Selling Author
Email Format
html
text
Send to Kindle
July 6, 2014
Pinterest for Authors: How Can Pinterest Help Authors Sell More Books?
Send to KindlePinterest for Authors: How Can Pinterest Help Authors Sell More Books?A friend of mine who is an author recently said, “I hear I oughta get on Pinterest.”
That sounds like getting on a horse or something. Funny.
The reason to engage in a particular social network is only in small part “being there.”
Yes, it’s good to have a presence in the various networks, because that way if it’s someone’s favorite place to hang, they’ll find you.
But any of the networks is, first and foremost, a social network. You want it as a part of your book marketing plan, but you don’t want to run around puking out your book link all over the place like an overzealous partier after a bender.
This awesome infographic by Louise Myers How-To Graphics. succsinctly helps you navigate Pinterest. I’ll come back with a few quick tips for authors.
That’s a terrific graphic, but there’s a lot to unpack if you’re not deep into all this techie stuff. Here’s the short course.
Join Pinterest.
Create boards (like photo albums) about stuff you like and about your books. Mine include inspirational quotes, space, animals, nature, recipes to make, and of course things relevant to writing, book marketing, and similar topics related to how I help YOU.
Have FUN with it.
Be social.
Like, comment and share other people’s good stuff.
Build relationships with interesting people in your genre or niche.
Those last tips are most important. Be social. play nicely, and build relationships.
You can get tips like this delivered right to your inbox every week at WriteOnPurpose.com/free
I’m Ronda Del Boccio, a best selling, award-winning author of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Most of my tales take you on adventures that deepen your understanding of what it means to be alive. I also turn visionaries into best selling books. Curious? Start by getting Awakened Author Tips & Tools.Connect: My books on Amazon – Facebook – Twitter
PS Are you a current or budding author who could use a little help along your own adventure Get weekly success tips and tools FREE, plus a cool set of tools to keep you going. Join free now!
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:225px;}
/* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */
Reserve your copy NOW!
* indicates required
Email Address *
First Name
I need help with...
Writing a book
Publishing a book
Book Marketing
Making more money as an author
Becoming a Best Selling Author
Email Format
html
text
You’ll get help with Pinterest for Authors and so much more so you can sell more books.
Send to Kindle
July 3, 2014
Sometimes, Love BITES! FREE Kindle Book: Paranormal Fantasy Novella A Tasty Morsel
Send to KindleSometimes, Love BITES, doesn’t it?Maybe it’s his bad boy charm. Maybe it’s his old world manners. Or maybe it’s the fangs. Whatever attracts Ellie to the strange man she finds languishing in that cave, he’s about to turn her world upside down.
A Tasty Morsel takes you into a newly discovered cave with a secret panel.
Scientist Ellie cannot resist the urge to see what’s behind that secret stone door that rolls open at her touch. What she encounters introduces her to a ghoul, a vampire, and a hospital for the unded, among other things.
The novella is a fun frolic, free July 5-6, 2014 and only 99 cents at full price.
Rave Reviews
A GUY actually read and enjoyed it. I know – shocking, right?
Here’s his review from Amazon.
“While romances are not usually my cup of tea, I was intrigued by the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) use of visual metaphors and what Calvin and Hobbs might call the ‘transmogrification’ of sensual input. What you saw was not always what was there.”
Review by Michael Craig
Get your copy of A Tasty Morsel now. I hope you enjoy it!
You don’t need a Kindle to read it. You can use any of the many free Kindle apps for your phone, tablet or computer.
Follow your B.L.I.S.S.,
Ronda Del Boccio
One last thing…
I’m Ronda Del Boccio, a best selling, award-winning author of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Most of my tales take you on adventures that deepen your understanding of what it means to be alive. I also turn visionaries into best selling books. Curious? Start by getting Awakened Author Tips & Tools.
Are you a current or budding author who could use a little help along your own adventure Get weekly success tips and tools FREE, plus a cool set of tools to keep you going. Join free now!
First Name:
Email address:
Connect: My books on Amazon – Facebook – Twitter
Send to Kindle
Writing Skills: How Does Being a Better Writer Starts WIThin?
Send to KindleWhen you’re an author, It’s great to read books about writing, but naturally the best way to improve your skill is by DOING, not reading about it.
Writers write, always.
Maybe you find it hard to feel inspired or get into the mood to write. I wrote a post about this recently.
If this is your issue, you can read the article, “Writing Challenges: How to Get into the Writing Mood.”
That’s just a symptom, though, in my opinion..
I say there’s even a deeper concern than whether or not you’re feeling it. What could that be?
Inner peace.
Do you feel at peace with yourself and others?
Yes. If your head is full of worry or conflict, it can be hard to get in the space to create.
Writing requires focused intent and an uncluttered mind.
Here are 3 tips to help you get there.
How to improve your writing by finding peace.
1. Create an “I’m writing now” ritual.
I”m not trying to be oogey-boogey here. I’m just say8ing make a separation between the rest of life and your writing. It may be whatever works for you, such as:
a prayer,
3 deep breaths,
ringing a little bell,
kissing your fingers…
whatever works.
This will be your signal to shift into creativity mode, and it will help you write.
2. Let thoughts of worry float on by.
The monkey mind will spit up all kinds of unhelpful spew while you’re trying to write. Thoughts of worry, replays of an argument, and other mental flotsam happen.
Just \don’t dig in there and think them. Let them float by like a leaf on a breeze or a wave on the water, or whatever “let it go” imagery works for you.
3. Trust yourself.
Hey, it doesn’t matter whether you write articles, work-for-hire, poetry or fiction. Trust yourself. Trust your amazing brain and your boundless creativity.
Thank your brain for being so cool.
Trust that you have everything you need and more at all times.
Thank your creative source, however you name it, always, always, ALWAYS for being there to support you.
What you focus on expands.
I hope these tips help you. What have you don’t to find inner peace and thus boost your writing? Please share in the comments. I LVOE community wisdom!
Are these tips helpful?
IF so, you can get a tip each week to support you along your author journey. I promise not to be a pest. I cherish you and wish to encourage you.
Sign up for your free weekly tip plus some amazingly helpful templates at WriteOnPurpose.com/free.
Follow your B.L.I.S.S.,
Ronda Del Boccio
One last thing…
I’m Ronda Del Boccio, a best selling, award-winning author of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Most of my tales take you on adventures that deepen your understanding of what it means to be alive. I also turn visionaries into best selling books. Curious? Start by getting Awakened Author Tips & Tools.
Are you a current or budding author who could use a little help along your own adventure Get weekly success tips and tools FREE, plus a cool set of tools to keep you going. Join free now!
First Name:
Email address:
Connect: My books on Amazon – Facebook – Twitter
Send to Kindle
July 2, 2014
Overcoming Writing Challenges: How Do You Get into the Writing Mood?
Send to KindleOne of the issues that often comes up for writers (whether they be fiction authors or experts crafting a book for lead generation) is not feeling “inspired” or being “in the mood” to write.
I’d rather write than do just about anything, as evidenced by the condition of my house. I decided a long time ago that dust bunnies are CUTE and that getting my characters out of my head and into words is MUCH more fun than housework!.
In Search of the Elusive MOOD – DO you …
Have trouble getting into a mood to write?
Get stuck on a word while trying to stay in the flow?
Have trouble knowing your characters?
Find every excuse not to write?
You are not ALONE!
Part of being a writer is that struggle between creativity and practicality.
Here are some tips to help you find and hold the MOOD to write.
1. Don’t wait until you feel inspired.
The problem: Some days you’ll be plum tuckered out. Others, you’ll be distracted.
the cure? Decide on a writing time and stick to it.
2. Writing and editing are 2 wildly different tasks. Keep them separate.
The problem: You’re writing merrily along and suddenly you think, “what’s a better word for that?” Your brain immediately switches from creative mode to critical mode.
The Cure: Writing and editing are like 2 hats. the editing hat is the cap of a schoolmaster, while the writing hat is colorful and unemcombered. Pick a session (or part of 1) in which you will write, and a different time for editing.
3.You won’t always “feel” inspired. Give your creative juices a nudge.
The problem: There’s always something that eels more urgent…or more interesting perhaps. It’s a decision to
The cure: Inspiration can be turned on like a faucet when you know how. Don’t expect to dive into your “real ” writing task. Simply start writing something completely different. Your creative brain will switch on for you after a few minutes.
Start with a news story, favorite song lyric, or tidbit of conversation that caught your fancy, and start writing whatever surfaces.
I’ve written entire stories, and even a novel, on that premise. A foggy day turned into my first novel.
Writing is a discipline, like anything else. Have FUN with it, give it lots of nourishment and love, and you’ll be fine.
Register for your free weekly tip to guide you along your journey.
Follow your BLISS,
Ronda Del Boccio
One last thing…
I’m Ronda Del Boccio, a best selling, award-winning author of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Most of my tales take you on adventures that deepen your understanding of what it means to be alive. I also turn visionaries into best selling books. Curious? Start by getting Awakened Author Tips & Tools.
Connect: My books on Amazon – Facebook – Twitter
Are you a current or budding author who could use a little help along your own adventure Get weekly success tips and tools FREE, plus a cool set of tools to keep you going. Join free now!
First Name:
Email address:
Send to Kindle
Writing is pure Bliss
- Ronda J. Del Boccio's profile
- 64 followers
