Cate Russell-Cole's Blog, page 56

Paying It Forward

Last week I had the honour of receiving a “Beautiful Blogger” award from Romance Author, Nicky Wells. I deeply appreciate comments and positive feedback, so it made my day. As I now hold the baton, it’s my turn to pass the award on. I’ve taken my time to properly consider who has given me the most inspiration over the past few months and to make this a sincere gesture. That is why I have only listed two bloggers. I would prefer them to be in full focus.

Being a chronic pain sufferer (migraine), two people that greatly encourage me, and to whom I would like to pass this award onto are: Julianna Shapiro, Chronically Awesome, from What The Jules; and Shelly Immel from The Big Life Project. These ladies take a lot of time to encourage others who cope with chronic illnesses. They spread awareness, hope and kindness to everyone around them.

About Chronically Awesome: “Being Chronically Awesome is all about doing what you can, with what you have. It’s about having the best attitude you can pull together on a given day. Being Chronically Awesome may mean you have Depression or ADHD, Fibromyalgia, MS or Lupus. It’s about dealing with chronic illness on the terms that suit your life. No one can tell you what works for you. Only you know what is going to make today awesome for you, but only you are going to live with you if you don’t. Make today as chronically awesome as you know how.Whatever you decide, we are here to support you.” You can find Jules on Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus.

About The Big Life Project: “No one can tell you your purpose or how to find joy and meaning in your life. But others can share how they found those answers for themselves, how they make choices and live their lives to the fullest. That’s what I want to learn and focus on every day. That’s why I started The Big Life Project. The Project includes video interviews with people reaching for and leading Big Lives. Also blog posts, techniques, stories, and more to provide inspiration and encouragement, to give everyone an excuse to talk–and to remind us to keep our eyes on the ball. I hope what you find here makes you think, makes you feel, makes you want to share your own stories and comments and suggestions.Grow Your Heart. Live Big. Become part of The Big Life Project today.” Shelly is online on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and at Google Plus.

As part of the award, I believe I am to share seven random things about me.

I have been writing ever since I was a little girl. Before computers, my greatest treasures were my typewriters and they were used often.
I love mavericks! People who aren’t afraid to step outside the box and be themselves appeal to me.
Our cats are bilingual. No seriously, my husband is Canadian and the boys will not respond to calls for “dinner.” They only come running for “supper.”
I have played piano and organ since I was eight and am now learning acoustic guitar… and am very much looking forward to the point where it stops making my ears bleed!
I don’t care how many times I have seen them, I will always re-watch episodes of The Big Bang Theory, anything Terry Pratchett, the Goodies, Gilmore Girls, Star Trek Voyager, Star Trek The Next Generation and Long Way Down/Around.
At the moment I am fascinated by the Ace of Cakes and Choccywoccydoodah shows for their creativity. I have no inclinations towards cooking otherwise. Miniatures such as Legoland, dolls houses and the like have always fascinated me. I think it is the aspect of re-creating something in a new medium that draws me in.
I am a book addict. I have a few hundred listed as read on Goodreads, but I know there are dozens more I won’t remember reading until I have seen the book jacket.



Filed under: Blogging, Personal Post

Writing from Inside Multiple Heads

When you are writing, it can be hard to look beyond your sympathies with your main character. Every book represents the experiences and views of more than one person: and all will think and feel differently. For best effect, the differences in mindset will be profound! This is a skill I was frustrated with in fiction writing. I couldn’t be in two heads at once.

If you find yourself in the same position, you can find helpful inspiration via the friendly folks over at Death Star PR. They are an excellent example of how you can stomp around in the bad guy’s black boots, discovering a world you were morally trained to ignore. When I discovered their blog, I was startled at how effectively they spun the Empire’s side of Star Wars. I was used to looking at things solely from the Rebel Alliance’s point of view. They were the stereotypical good guys. I never thought about any other interpretation to events. I was led by the plot not to. Death Star PR mischievously spin doctors the Star Wars saga from the dark side. Their humour breaks down your resistance and you start to think differently about the storyline. http://deathstarpr.blogspot.com.au/

“Those were the droids you were looking for.” The regrets of a Stormtrooper. Promotion dashed… thanks to Jedi mind “Tricks!”

For example, Han and Leia are the archetypal, requisite love story. Han Solo was a hero to the Rebellion. While admittedly, a little rough, he just had to be Mr Wonderful underneath. To Death Star PR, speaking for her dad, Darth Vader, he quite correctly, was a smuggler, a cheat… and I agree now, he obviously had no sense of romance. Who answers “I love you,” with “I know?” It’s not the line most girls want to hear when these may be your loved one’s last words. From Vader’s point of view, turning him into a carbonite coffee table was “great parenting.” Who better to step in and get Princess Leia away from the bad boyfriend, but dad? Didn’t the plot show that Vader did have a soft side? Even Luke, saved from the Emperor by his father, forgave the misguided, heart-broken Anakin and cremated his long-lost father with dignity. Anakin lost his mother at an early age to his training; then lost her to violence; was publicly denied true love; was constantly criticised by his mentor: not an easy life… no wonder he cracked. With those early insecurities and the burden of his sensitivity to the force alerting him to other’s pain, he reached for power and control to stop all pain. Did I hear you reach for the tissues then? Isn’t he understandable now?

The writer’s mind trick of getting into different character’s heads, comes from their ability to pull themselves into the opposing mindset. You may find it helpful to sketch out a history of the person you wish to tap into. Build their boots, then step into them to imagine what it is like to be in their heart and mind. Look at their upbringing, positive and negative previous experiences and how the current events in their lives have affected them. Consider also, how their skills may drive how they communicate. For example, mathematically or scientifically minded people may be solution orientated, or black and white in how they think. They may not wish to listen to the character’s emotions and tiny details; they may just want to fix the obvious problem. The answer, to them, may be simple. Just do this! That can create tension as the character doesn’t have a shoulder to cry on. Anyone wanting sympathy or affection will be left with those needs unmet.

You can argue anything, from any point of view, if you can look at the scene from a different bias. For an example of rationalisation in action, have a look at the Empire’s explanation on why it’s OK to blow up Alderaan.  “For years, the Rebel Alliance have been waging guerrilla warfare against the Galactic Empire, constantly disrupting our valiant attempts to bring peace, order and security to the galaxy (even if we have to very occasionally use extreme violence, oppression and fear to do it). Although the Rebel insurgents haven’t claimed responsibility for the attack, and indeed have quite vehemently and consistently stated that the Empire is to blame, the reality is that there would be no wars of the star variety or otherwise if the Alliance simply gave up… Said Eeval Tehryryst: “We’re fighting to free the entire galaxy from a ruthlessly oppressive totalitarian dictatorship led by two evil wizards.”

If it sounds a lot like political rhetoric to you, you’re right. Remember, politics isn’t just for government, it begins with everyday individuals trying to gain the better part of any deal in life. We all do it. We all look out for ourselves and aim to avoid pain and suffering. Regardless of who is right or wrong, gaining what we want is fought out on all levels of relationships. Who is right, just depends on who is doing the talking at the time.

If you like Star Wars, here is another take on the Han – Leia relationship. This is a 1950′s set view of their romance. It doesn’t look very healthy from this point of view… They should divorce before they marry!

This article is Copyright Cate Russell-Cole 2012. All rights reserved. It may not be reproduced in any medium, in print or digital format.

Filed under: Fiction and Characterisation, Indie Publishing, Inspiration, Writing Tagged: bias, challenge, characterisation, communication, conflict, Darth Vader, Death Star PR, fiction, Han Solo, inspiration, mind, opinion, opposition, point of view, Princess Leia, problem solving, propaganda, rationalisation, spin doctor, Star Wars, Stormtrooper, writer, writing

Power to the People

Earlier this year I started watching a series on the Biography Channel which was about the Secret Lives of Women. After watching several episodes, an odd thing happened. I began to see power dynamics at work everywhere around me! It was like a was surrounded by people constantly trying to get ahead… and not necessarily in the sweetest ways. Perhaps watching some the the people featured on the show, is what made me aware? I have a formal background in counselling, so when watching these shows, if I am intrigued by someone’s lifestyle or point of view, I do start to analyse what could be happening with them.

In the process, I realised that understanding “unusual” behaviours and how relationships wear thin, or break down is an asset for any writer, of any genre. I started to write blog posts about power at that time. Over the past few months, I have taken them, added new material and I have just had the pleasure of releasing a book on the topic. This is the first book, in what I have titled the “Four Dimensional Characterisation Series.”

My aim for the series is to give writers an insight into simple psychology that can be used to build characters and plot lines. It’s an easy, non technical read! As the back cover states, (well, it it wasn’t an e-book, it would have a back cover), “it will assist you in creating personality traits and behaviour patterns, which make your characters realistic, unique and believable. This book in the series, focusses on conflict in any kind of relationship. How you can create it, build it, then resolve it throughout any plot line, regardless of the characters or genre.”

If you are writing autobiography / memoir it will still help you, as it will make you aware of how conflicts in your life have functioned and why incidents turned out the way they did.

While some of the chapters in this book do come from posts that were on this blog (most are removed, but I have left a few teasers behind), the book does contain previously unpublished material.

New material includes:

Writing with the traits of a warrior: a word of encouragement for writers;
The anatomy of conflict: it’s most important and misunderstood elements;
Using secrecy and trust to dramatically, or slowly kill relationships;
What it takes to rebuild trust after catastrophe; and
At what stage do our allies become foes?

In addition, the book will also revisit:

How to fuel conflicts and misunderstandings;
Character types;
The types of power in any realationship;
Identifying patterns in behaviour and writing them into your work; and
Resolving conflicts without taking shortcuts and sounding fake to readers.

This book is only available from Amazon for a few months, it can also be “borrowed” from their site for a two week period. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00856U6IC It’s priced at $3.99. The ISBN is 978-0-9873175-2-0.

After a time, it will be release on iBooks and Nook as well. I have listed it on Goodreads for anyone who wants to do a review or add it to their reading list. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14289877-creating-and-resolving-conflict-in-fiction-four-dimensional-characteris

Thank you too, to Shelly Immel from the Big Life Project, who kindly passed the URL on through Google Plus yesterday and said:

“I’ve enjoyed Cate Russell-Cole’s posts for writers about character psychology, and here’s more depth pulled together into a book. SWEET! Cate Russell-Cole’s got pyschology chops, which shows in the depth and professional accuracy of the info she presents. And she understands writing, which shows in the useful way she selects and presents psychology to help writers build characters and plot. I can’t wait to read this book! (As soon as I find out how to get it for the Nook…)”

Shelly has amazing posts and a great vision, please visit her at http://thebiglifeproject.com/ and https://plus.google.com/107507408954672789034/about



Filed under: Business News, Creativity, Fiction and Characterisation, Food For Thought, Indie Publishing, Inspiration, Resources, Writing Tagged: Amazon, author, autobiography, challenge, characterisation, conflict, creativity, e-learning, ebook, fear, fiction, goals, inspiration, Kindle, life story, plot, problem solving, psychology, resource, success, thinking, writer, writing

The Impact of Shame on Characters’ Psyche

This is a rewrite of an article I wrote a long time ago about shame. Shame plays a profound role in personality development, self-esteem and adult relationship formation. As a writer, it is one of the strongest motivations that underlies a great deal of character behaviour. I hope this article is helpful to you in putting together the pieces of your character’s psyche.

Failure Is Spelt “M.E.”

“When I feel guilt, I feel that I have made a mistake, and when I feel shame, I feel that I am a mistake.” John Bradshaw

We’ve all done things we regret. However, shame runs much deeper than regular guilt. It becomes a part of our identity and colours our ability to connect with others, achieve or be happy. We beat ourselves up constantly as we didn’t live up to the set expectations. We’re not the person we wanted to be. Instead, we’re a worthless failure, with no hope of change. Shame is associated with feelings of being unloveable, useless, unwanted, ugly, inferior, stupid, dirty or bad. Shame hides the real ‘me’ for fear of rejection and ridicule.

Shame’s foundations are, not surprisingly, laid in childhood, then reinforced as time progresses. As children we can be repeatedly told: “You’re stupid.” “You’re lazy.” “You’ll never amount to anything.” “You’re nothing but trouble.” “I wish you’d never been born. You were an accident” Being caught up in incest, physical abuse or emotional victimisation makes it worse. School can be fertile ground for developing shame: being compared to siblings who did better than you, not being a brilliant scholar, playground bullying, name calling, teasing, rejection by your so-called “friends.” It adds up to make an insecure adult, terrified of failure. This can lead to further victimisation as an adult, whether in the workplace or in relationships. “Shame is above all a relationship wound… our identity is based on our ability to form and maintain relationships.”(Quote source unknown. Site is now offline.)

Photo: Copyright Sam Mugraby Photos8.com

It’s common sense that no one achieves all the goals they set for themselves, neither can we be everything that everyone wants us to be. Those disappointments in life shouldn’t automatically brand anyone as a useless waste. Yet when embedded in shame, at any age, our hearts and minds don’t necessarily see them as anything other than additional failures.

Shame is a difficult mindset to break out of, as it is so deeply ingrained in how we see ourselves. We can try positive self-talk and reprogramming, but if we fail to achieve that goal, it takes us deeper into feeling a failure. People move into cycles of shame where the harder they try, the more they fail: then the deeper the shame becomes. Successes are played down and not celebrated. They are stuck in pessimism and learned helplessness, perhaps becoming perfectionistic or a workaholic to give their existance value. That is a heavy burden to carry: perhaps dooming them to exhaustion, disallusionment and breakdown and… more shame.

Healing can come, but usually it comes in gentle stages over time. It comes through achieving small goals and celebrating success. It is enabled by caring, empathetic friends who genuinely appreciate us. It is about learning that making mistakes is OK and that we need to forgive ourselves.

If trapped in shame, we need to change the way we think about ourselves. Healing is being gently opened up to being loved by others and ourselves, and by allowing ourselves to know we are good at what we do. It’s a life-long developmental process which involves learning to love life and enjoy it without fear. Our self-belief and expectations of ourselves can improve, no matter how damaged we’ve been.

From TED: “Shame is an unspoken epidemic, the secret behind many forms of broken behavior. Brené Brown, whose earlier talk on vulnerability became a viral hit, explores what can happen when people confront their shame head-on. Her own humour, humanity and vulnerability shine through every word.” To really understand shame, you need to watch this clip. It’s life changing.

NOTE: Please realise that this post is a very brief, non clinical introduction to the topic of shame. It is in no way meant to be used as advice or guidance in how to get through any shame you have had or are now experiencing. No liability will be accepted for your use of this material for any purpose, or any of the material on the linked web sites. Please consider what you read carefully, seek professional help and make up your own mind. Thank you.

This post is in the process of being collated into an e-book, “Building Emotionally Realistic Characters” (Book Two of the Four Dimensional Characterisation Series.) It will be available in Kindle, Nook and iBook form before the end of September 2012. For further information, please keep an eye on this blog.

The girl on a bench photo in this post is paid for and licenced to me. It is Copywritten. You may not save it or use it for your own purposes. You can purchase it from iStockphoto.com 

This article is Copyright Cate Russell-Cole 2012. All rights reserved. It may not be reproduced in any medium, in print or digital format. 

Filed under: Fiction and Characterisation, Food For Thought, Indie Publishing, Inspiration, Resources, Writing Tagged: abuse, Brené Brown, bullying, characterisation, childhood, failure, fear, fiction, growth, learning, mind, mistakes, motivation, plot, psychology, self esteem, self worth, shame, stress management, subconscious, success, writer, writing

App Heaven for Writers Part 2: Writer’s Block Smashers!

This is the promised part two, featuring idea generating apps, writer’s block smashers and writing prompts. All these apps are for iPhone, but many can be bought for iPad and Android. As apps are added to the iTunes store all the time, you may like to do a search to see what’s new. Nothing here is over $10AU.

R.I.P. Steve. We will miss you for a very long time.

I have not tried most of these apps, so it’s buyer beware and I am not responsible for the quality of your experience, or any problems you may have with your devices after installation and use; no I am not getting paid to promote any of these and I don’t expect to etc. If the software vendor, Apple or Android are not kind, then I am very sorry, but I am unable to help you and I am not liable. I hate having to say all that!

If you search in the iTunes store, you will also find that you can get “Writing Magazine” and “Writer’s Forum Magazine.” I like Writing Magazine, I save $8.00AU per copy and have the option to only download editions I want. Plus, I love reading in bed on the iPad. (Not to mention the space saving benefits…) These magazines not only keep me in the industry loop, reading other writer’s stories give me inspiration and ideas. Have a look and enjoy!

Part one, featuring organising, tracking, editing, research and writing apps can be found here: http://wp.me/p1H1Zj-sA

Cate

Prompts, Idea Generators and Block Attackers

Writing Prompts By 21×20 Media, Inc.

This app comes from the highly competent people at Writing.com, thus it has four star reviews. I discovered it in researching this post, and I’ll be buying it! It is also available for Android. “Our writing prompt generators use current events, scene elements, words, sketches, colors, genres and writing types, unleashing endless random bits of fantasy to fuel your muse. Plus, we’ve included our database of 600 creative writing prompts so you’ve got them right at your finger tips, online or off!” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/writing-prompts/id417683378?mt=8&ls=1

Character Prompts by 21×20 Media, Inc.

Another writing.com app. “Character Prompts gives you 19 different profile characteristics filled with randomly generated information. We take the process of character development to the next level by adding thousands of character twists and 150 thought provoking questions for your character.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/character-prompts/id493346374?mt=8

WriMuse By Rasmus Rasmussen

“WriMuse generates creative writing prompts at the push of a button. With 4 different modes, it can give you a few keywords to get you started, or a full prompt, a visual prompt and even an essay prompt.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/wrimuse/id416219275?mt=8&ls=1

FantasyMuse

If you are a fantasy writer, Rasmus Rasmussen has though of you too. “FantasyMuse generates content for fantasy writers, gamers and game masters with the tap of a button. Millions of possible …

+ Character outlines, for quick NPCs or side characters.

+ Factions, groups and organizations of good and evil.

+ Quest seeds, to put your heroes to work!” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/fantasymuse/id457403478?mt=8&ls=1

Writer’s Muse By 2009 Positive Alliance, LLC

“Having a bit of trouble coming up with a great idea for your next novel? Stuck on how to get your characters to meet? This handy app will help you pick characters, scenarios, outcomes, any item or detail you need to inspire your writing. Use the predesigned Character, Plot and Resolution details already in place and SPIN! If you have some ideas and need to create your own choices, you can do that! The pickers are designed to edit and personalize for your creative needs.

Still stuck? The Muse has some great tips, cures and strategies to help you get past any block.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/writers-muse/id405049708?mt=8&ls=1

Writer’s Block Buster By Socially Conscious Software LLC

This app has low ratings, but you never know, it may have features that suit you. “Writer’s “Block Buster is everything you need to free yourself from the pains of a bad case of writer’s block. Writer’s Block Buster gives you the ability to search through its large database of questions and explanations for different things that may be causing or lead to a cure to your writer’s block.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/writers-block-buster/id329389227?mt=8&ls=1

StoryForm By Pig-n-Chicken Software

If you can get past the romanticized description, it looks good. “StoryForm is designed to be the ultimate brainstorming app for writers, filmmakers, teachers, and anyone else who can use an endless supply of fresh ideas. StoryForm does the brainstorming for you by thinking up the building blocks of a story, like character personality, profession, and a location. StoryForm will even give you a possible theme and an item that might be important to your story.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/storyform/id394760445?mt=8&ls=1

Just a reminder: I have not tried most of these apps, so it’s buyer beware and I am not responsible for the quality of your experience, or any problems you may have with your devices after installation and use; no I am not getting paid to promote any of these and I don’t expect to etc. If the software vendor, Apple or Android are not kind, then I am very sorry, but I am unable to help you and I am not liable.

Filed under: Blogging, Creativity, Fiction and Characterisation, Indie Publishing, Resources, Write Your Life Story E-Course, Writer's Recovery Community Post, Writing Tagged: Android, Apple, applications, apps, author, editing, fiction, iPad, iPhone, organization, plan, script, software, word count, writer

App Heaven for Writers: iPhone, iPad and Android

All these apps are for iPhone, but many can be bought for iPad and Android. As apps are added to the iTunes store all the time, you may like to do a search to see what’s new. Nothing here is over $10AU.

Click on the image to visit the Android Community Web Site. This is where this little cutie came from.

I have not tried most of these apps, so it’s buyer beware and I am not responsible for the quality of your experience, or any problems you may have with your devices after installation and use; no I am not getting paid to promote any of these and I don’t expect to etc. If the software vendor, Apple or Android are not kind, then I am very sorry, but I am unable to help you and I am not liable. I hate having to say all that! Any apps that looked totally awful haven’t been listed.

P.S. Part two, which will be idea generating apps, writer’s block smashers and writing prompts will be coming out at the end of this week. There are too many apps to list in one post and by no means, have I found them all! Have fun!

Cate

Getting Organised and Equipped to Write

Aspire Goals

“Aspire Goals is more than just a goal setting application. It has been said that the process of achieving your goals is 80% mental and only 20% activity. Yet most of the apps relating to goal setting focus on the 20% and ignore the most important component – the mental side of things. Aspire Goals focuses on the 80%. It looks not only at what your goals are, but also the reasons why you want to achieve them. Then it takes the next step and looks at what can be done mentally to increase your chances of achieving your goals. And one of those things is visualization.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/aspire-goals/id488685303?mt=8&ls=1

The Author Organizer

“Features:

* track details about each book you are writing

* track details about each chapter you are writing

* records all dates on your iPhone calendar

* email notes for each chapter” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/the-author-organizer/id422375467?mt=8&ls=1

If you want an personal or writing organizer, do a search for that word under “lifestyle” or “business.” There are hundreds of time management and sticky notes apps. Some are great, some are basic. Try the free versions, if they have one, to see what suits you best. One app I do like for pulling together odd bits of information, e.g. ideas for stories or blog posts, is Idea Store by Spore Tools Ltd. http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/idea-store/id436275897?mt=8&ls=1

Bento by FileMaker, Inc

This is the database I use on my Mac and my iPad. You can also get an iPhone version. It syncs easily between my Mac and iPad by Wifi. It is so easy to use. You don’t need to understand anything technical about databases to use it. I use it to track my articles and blog entries and where they’ve been used. It also comes with great templates to get your started. http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/bento/id314638461?mt=8

How to Write a Winning Business Plan

Your writing is a business and if you are selling books or articles in any form, you need a business plan. “This guide will help you prepare a realistic plan that will document your vision, goals and strategy. No business should be started or maintained without a plan.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/how-to-write-winning-business/id328153943?mt=8&ls=1

Proofreader by Operandi Limited

“ProofReader is the on-going project to create a visual guide to markup and copy correction marks.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/proofreader/id343815121?mt=8&ls=1

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

This is an essential tool. Available for iPhone, iPad, Android and in free or premium editions, which aren’t expensive. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/merriam-webster-dictionary/id478126577?mt=8

Roget’s II The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by Enfour Inc.

“Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus combines the most useful features of a thesaurus and a dictionary; each entry contains a short definition as well as a comprehensive list of synonyms for the headword. This up-to-date database also features extensive, and useful, cross-references.” http://itunes.apple.com/app/rogets-ii-new-thesaurus/id286861782?mt=8

Word Study & English Grammar By blufish LLC

Word Study & English Grammar includes:

-Importance of the Subject

- Nouns, Adjectives, Articles, Verbs, Pronouns, Adverbs, Prepositions, Conjunctions, Interjections

-The Sentence and The Paragraph

-Common Errors and Rules

-English Grammar

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/word-study-english-grammar/id380240225?mt=8&ls=1

Word Count Log By Tony Jansen

“Word Count Log is a simple productivity tool for writers. It is essentially a logbook for recording the word count on your writing projects.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/word-count-log/id400855560?mt=8&ls=1

NaNo Saga

If you participate in NaNoWriMo (November) “NaNo Saga is the fastest, most convenient way to compare your progress with your buddies’ during NaNoWriMo – the National Novel Writing Month.” This one is free. http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/nano-saga/id399211362?mt=8&ls=1

My Writing By 21×20 Media, Inc.

This app comes from Writing.com. “With some many venues online for writers, it’s hard to keep track of where your works are showcased. Our “My Writing” app solves the problem by giving you a simple place to store the title and URL of your writings, giving you one tap access to each.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/my-writing/id418380810?mt=8&ls=1

Writing Tips By Rich Lowenberg

“Writing Tips is a fantastic resource for both budding and seasoned writers. Written by bestselling author Alice Kuipers, the application provides inspiration, tips, and more than three hundred exercises to suit any available time frame. Regular use of this app will improve the quality and confidence of your writing, and help you have more fun in the process.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/writing-tips/id387625993?mt=8&ls=1

BookMidwife

The number of times I have seen bad formatting or spelling errors in an app description worries me. I know the developers are not necessarily the writers, but don’t they proofread? I haven’t tried this app, I don’t know how good it is. There is a free version so you can see if it suits you. This blurb appears exactly as it is on site. I emailed them about their editing and the owner is contacting the developer to fix the problems! “BookMidwife app is for people who are sure they are ready to start their planning. In an easy and accessible format, authors can capture all the important information about their Plan, Notes and Progress. You will get a list of the KEY THINGS TO CONSIDER in your BOOK PLANNING. You will get help making a PROJECT TIMELINE with all of the KEY MILESTONES so you do everything in the right order and don’t forget anyting important.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/bookmidwife/id474408137?mt=8&ls=1

Word Processors and Book Writing Apps

Image from Scrivener Site

There is a rumour that Scrivener is coming out as an App and will sync with your PC or Mac. Please let that be so. Keep checking! http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php

iAWriter

This is the only iPad/iPhone app that doesn’t leave me screaming with frustration. You can move the cursor within words to make changes as it has more keys than the other keyboards. It is designed to be uncluttered so all you focus on is your writing, then you just email the document through to yourself. Plus on the iPad it’s big and thus, less frustrating. Cheap, simple has excellent ratings. http://www.iawriter.com/

Quickoffice® Pro

If you use Microsoft Word files, this is the app I use. There are probably many others out there. Available for Android, iPad, iPhone & Symbian “Create, Edit, Access & Share Microsoft® Office files with the most connected office suite for on iPhone & iPod Touch. Includes fixes for iOS 5. NEW – PPT® Editor, Huddle & SugarSync access.” http://itunes.apple.com/app/quickoffice-pro/id310723177?mt=8&quantity=1

Pages by Apple

If you are a Mac addict and use Apple’s Pages, this very cheap but adequate version is essential. “Pages is the most beautiful word processor you’ve ever seen on a mobile device. This powerful app has been exclusively designed for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Create, edit, and view documents wherever you are. Pages works with iCloud, so your documents stay up to date on all your iOS devices — automatically” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/pages/id361309726?mt=8&ls=1&v0=www-naus-ipad-appstore-apple-pages

WriteRoom By Hog Bay Software

This is more distraction free software, but doesn’t seem to have the keyboard flexibility of iAWriter. But it does have: “Word Count, Extended Keyboard Row, Search for Files, Custom Line Height, Screen Brightness, TextExpander Support, Automatic & Manual Sync, iTunes Document Sharing, Clean Fullscreen Mode, Print & Email, Startup Passcode, Link Detection, Draggable Scroller, Autocorrect On/Off, Document & Folder Sorting.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/writeroom/id288751446?mt=8&ls=1

I Write A Book By DraganCats

The reason I’ve included this is, I haven’t seen many apps where you can have multiple books being written at once. Many apps are one book only. Other than that, it’s basic and distraction free. http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/i-write-a-book/id391119044?mt=8&ls=1

Manuscript By Black Mana Studios

Being a Scrivener user, I like having index cards where you can store the odd ideas and facts you need to put somewhere easy to get to. This gives you index cards. “Manuscript is a writing application that lets you outline, research, edit and export anywhere between a short story and an entire book – right on your iPhone! Manuscript is not limited to writing stories – you can use it for note-taking, project management, storyboard and much more.

• Create a manuscript from scratch or import from Dropbox.

• Outline your manuscript using multiple levels: Pitch – One sentence tagline.

Synopsis – A more elaborate description of the plot or article, covering major developments. Index cards – Serves as a repository for ideas, character development, reminders and more.

• On top of Pitch and Synopsis, each chapter can be outlined individually. You can create empty chapters, outline them, and then pour content into them in any order you like.

• Use Wikipedia, dictionary and thesaurus from within the app.

• Backup your work-in-progress or export your finished manuscript to Dropbox as an RTF, TXT or HTML file that can be read by both Mac and PC.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/manuscript/id339910826?mt=8&ls=1

My Writing Spot By PT Software Solutions

Another writing app with decent features. “My Writing Spot is also handy for keeping track of To-Do lists and notes. Struck with an idea while you’re away from your computer? Capture it in My Writing Spot! Since you can have as many documents as you’d like, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/my-writing-spot/id332503036?mt=8&ls=1

Writers App By Thomas Sillmann

I like the use of predefined attributes. This could be handy for getting ideas together and getting details straight! Again though, their description editing is poor, but it’s how you use the app that matters. “You’re writing a new novel? You want to capture your ideas and thoughts organized, and from any location at any time? You want a comprehensive sticky note that provides templates by which you can define specific characteristics and attributes of the characters and places? That’s exactly what the Writers App was developed for. It’s no app for writing a novel, but to hold your ideas and thoughts and to structure your story.

The Writers App allows you to:

- Create and organize stories

- Write a synopsis, premise, plot and notes for your story

- Create chapters, characters and places

- Edit the predefined attributes such as age, personality and occupation of the character or appearance and environment of places.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/writers-app/id423122863?mt=8&ls=1

For Scriptwriters, but Useful Across Genres

Writer Aid By Redwind Software

“Writer Aid” is a first of a kind iPhone app developed to aid scriptwriters overcome the difficulties associated with crafting new and original material in an increasingly competitive market. Great descriptions can punch your story, article, or script off the page. This library of characters, Script Tips and Comment section enables writers to make notes, develop characters and co-write on the iPhone, iPad or iPod. The database works by categorizing the information according to gender, age, genre and variety. Alternatively just browse the descriptions that come Recommended from Hollywoods established writers. “Writer Aid” will help you craft new and inventive characters using the past as an index.” http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/writer-aid/id345881105?mt=8&ls=1

ScriptWrite By Filter Apps, LLC

“Write an entire screenplay or a quick scene on the go, all with one easy interface. The ScriptWrite Toolbar gives you everything you need, right where you need it, without cluttering your creative space. It’s perfect for seasoned screenwriters, or those new to the craft!

ScriptWrite Features:

- Universal for both iPhone and iPad (also iPod touch)

- Change the name of and duplicate your scripts

- Write Mode and Read Mode in portrait or landscape

- ScriptWrite Toolbar for easy, simple access to script elements

- Ability to change elements after they have been written

- Scene database that provides ‘go-to’ and ‘rearranging’ of scenes

- Character database that provides auto-fill upon import as well as add/delete character names for each script

- Character name auto-suggest

- Smart auto-advancement from element to element as you write

- Smart scrolling so that large scripts do not hang up the app as you are writing/reading

- Settings page that will auto-fill your Title Page

- Quick Start menu provides icon descriptions

- Links to our video tutorials and homepage

- Import and Export files for Movie Magic Screenwriter 6 (.txt), Final Draft 8 (.fdx), and Celtx (.txt) [Not all features of Movie Magic Screenwriter 6 and Final Draft 8 are supported]

- Import and Export via Email, iTunes and Dropbox

- Export scripts in .pdf format (Includes Title Page)

- Print scripts using AirPrint

- Works with External Keyboard on iPad, including Tab Key support for element advancement.

- Superior Customer Service”

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/scriptwrite/id334928503?mt=8&ls=1

Just a reminder: I have not tried most of these apps, so it’s buyer beware and I am not responsible for the quality of your experience, or any problems you may have with your devices after installation and use; no I am not getting paid to promote any of these and I don’t expect to etc. If the software vendor, Apple or Android are not kind, then I am very sorry, but I am unable to help you and I am not liable.

Filed under: Blogging, Creativity, Fiction and Characterisation, Indie Publishing, Resources, Write Your Life Story E-Course, Writer's Recovery Community Post, Writing Tagged: Android, Apple, applications, apps, author, dictionary, editing, fiction, goals, grammar, iPad, iPhone, Microsoft Word, Nanowrimo, organization, plan, proofreader, Roget, script, software, submissions, thesaurus, tracking, word count, writer

A Tribute to John Cleese, Creative Genius

“If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you more open to my ideas. And if I can persuade you to laugh at the particular point I make, by laughing at it you acknowledge its truth.”

In honour of International Monty Python Status Day, I wanted to re-share this video of John Cleese talking his experience of the creative journey.

A few odd facts about John, which I hope are correct! Source: 

When he first started acting his original goal was to be a classically trained Shakespearean actor.
 Before becoming an actor, Cleese studied to be a lawyer. He went on to play a lawyer in A Fish Called Wanda (1988) and Splitting Heirs (1993).
According to , when Cleese guest-starred on “The Muppet Show” (1976), he enjoyed the show very much and became very close with the writers because he wanted to get involved in the writing. When he did get involved with the writing, he and the other writers came up with a concept where Cleese was being held against his will on the show and would try to get off the show while the Muppets were trying to get him to do his scheduled bits. Of course, in this case, life did not imitate art, as a few years later, Cleese appeared again with the Muppets in the film The Great Muppet Caper (1981).
Just to see if anyone would notice, during the early 1970s Cleese added one obviously fake film per year to his annual filmography listing in Who’s Who. For the record, these fake films were “The Bonar Law Story” (1971), “Abbott & Costello Meet Sir Michael Swann” (1972), “The Young Anthony Barber” (1973) and “Confessions of a Programme Planner” (1974). Although Cleese confessed to the gag in the 1980s, mentions of these bogus films still appear from time to time in scholarly works on Cleese, including the entry in the Encyclopedia of Television, 1st ed. (1996) edited by Horace Newcomb.
Is an Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University.
Who’s Who lists his recreations as “gluttony, sloth.”
Co-owns the Christine Schell Fine Objects antique shop in Montecito, CA.
In 2005, offered a part of his colon, removed due to diverticulitis, for sale on his official website. The proceeds are reportedly to be divided between Cleese himself and his surgeon.
A newly discovered species of lemur, avahi cleesei, was named after him in honor of his love of the endangered primates, which figure prominently in his movie, Fierce Creatures (1997).
The role of Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast (1991) was written with him in mind, and no other actor was considered for the role. But he still turned it down.
Appeared in a series of educational short subjects produced by the British company Video Arts designed to teach management and trainees how to handle stress and unusual situations. Cleese took advantage of his comic talents and portrayed events as absurd situations so that audiences would better remember their training.
Offered to write speeches for Democratic Presidential candidate ‘Barack Obama’. [2008]
My original post showing this video has the second highest visit stats of any post. At least my competition is top brass! There are very few other people I’d want to be outdone by!

Filed under: Creativity, Inspiration, Resources, Writing Tagged: boundaries, brain, creativity, discovery, inspiration, John Cleese, learning, problem solving, resource, thinking

Pixel Warriors: E-Coping Characters in Fiction

Way back before the Internet was born, home computers were comparatively few and we had only the most basic video games. Writers wrote about their characters escaping from emotional turmoil and anxiety in traditional ways. They drank, took prescription drugs, smoked, became workaholics, played adrenalin inducing sports, hid in sexual activities, or became inseparable from the television. More interesting ones, preferably the ‘quiet’ types, may have turned into arsonists or murderers to occasionally cool down the boiling emotional lava, they were hiding under their crusts.

These days, life is different. There is more to fear and stress about, as we’re now constantly in touch with global negativity. Who doesn’t know about the Mayan calendar, the London riots or the financial uncertainty in Europe? Plus there is the financial pressure to buy all this computer gear, so we can enjoy the new level of stress from anywhere, at anytime. But look on the bright side, at least with those devices on our credit card, we have a new way to escape the world they bring in!

Yes, that is a contradiction. Humans excel at them.

At the very core of everyone’s internal lava flow is fear. It doesn’t matter what current situation is obviously stressing our characters, underneath they are scared of an event which is going to hurt. The origin of the word ‘fear,’ can be traced back to the Saxon word ‘var, meaning ‘to ambush.’ Few of us live under the pressures of relationships, our past, money, careers and our culture without feeling ambushed at some stage. We worry about what will happen. You can’t buy your way out of a car crash you can’t foresee. Insurances don’t stop bad things, it just patches them up! You can’t buy a vaccine against cancer, global warming, financial catastrophies or heartbreak. Those events will hurt. What if you can’t recover? What will you lose?

If you are writing about characters who are hiding in escapism, here is a little on how fear works in the human heart and mind. Fear is a sense of powerlessness and hopelessness; an uncertainty or dread of the future. It is fuelled by events in your past, knowing that there may be hard or harder times ahead. How are you going to cope? Where are the solutions? Where do you run and find peace? Worry sets in, so you run away: spend hours on social media, play role-playing games, or blast rag dolls into turbines. You have your fear goggles on, or if you’re really in a state, you may have your beer goggles on as well. Through two thick sets of lenses, you can’t see much of the world and you certainly can’t see things for what they really are!

When people become dominated by negative expectations, their fears produce tunnel vision. They become focussed on a narrow view of disaster, pain and pandemonium. Hope is filtered out. As we suffocate in insecurity, we struggle to find a secure place where we can rest. It’s not just for your main character that goes into hiding either. Now all their loved ones can ignore the angst of family relationships and modern living, by practicing synchronised log-ins into their individual techno-cocoons. Entertainment is the new drug for all ages, that makes it all go away…

Oddly enough, for people who are avoiding fear, we tend to move towards situations a healthy person would run away from in real life. Look at the violence level in many games. Is there a need to hurt something in some manner to release stress, or is there a deeper meaning? Electronic games provide self-esteem boosting, scored rewards for achievement; or you can virtually perform deeds of daring and win! The message that appeals to us is that there is a way to survive and get some kind of victory over anything that can pull us down! There is a tool to utilise for every occasion. It’s right there, you don’t need to stay awake at night worrying that there are no answers. If seriously lost, you can Google the cheat instructions or watch the online demos. What a relief!

Fear has a very important part to play in human survival. It alerts us of danger and gets us out of the way. Unfortunately, the number of things we have to fear have increased past many people’s ability to cope. If someone is weakened by past abuse, sickness, unhealthy relationships or financial pressure; overwhelm evolves into anxiety, depression social avoidance or phobias.

Philosophy and psychology both seem to agree that the answer to fear is looking your problems in the eye, then dealing with them. It does not involve anaesthesia by any means. You may not be able to remove stresses, but you can manage how you deal with them. You can try relaxation techniques, counselling, or taking positive steps to address the issues that you can change. Avoidance and escapism are to be eliminated.

It is up to you what healing or deteriorating direction you’d like to take your character in as a writer. Even if they don’t physically freeze when confronted with a threatening situation, they may emotionally freeze and fail to react or communicate. When stress arises, their internal klaxon goes off automatically and mental evacuation commences. Escape the hazard in any possible way! Remember the fear goggles! It is all distorted. There is no clear vision.

If you’d like practical steps which can be used to calm fear reactions, there are some online which may not be useful in every situation, or perhaps advisable (avoiding the fear stimulus altogether.) However, you can always use those elements as setbacks in your storyline. Try http://www.wikihow.com/Calm-Your-Fear-Reactions and http://kate-le-page.suite101.com/how-to-cope-with-fear–overcome-anxiety-a220526

This article is Copyright Cate Russell-Cole 2012. All rights reserved. It may not be reproduced in any medium, in print or digital format.  All the pictures in this post are linked back to their original source. I do not retain Copyright for them.

This post is in the process of being collated into an e-book, “Building Emotionally Realistic Characters” (Book Two of the Four Dimensional Characterisation Series.) It will be available in Kindle, Nook and iBook form before the end of July 2012. For further information, please keep an eye on this blog.

NOTE: Please realise that this post is a very brief, non clinical introduction to the topic of fear. It is in no way meant to be used as advice or guidance in how to get through any fear or anxiety episodes you have had or are now experiencing. No liability will be accepted for your use of this material for any purpose, or any of the material on the linked web sites. Please consider what you read carefully, seek professional help and make up your own mind. Thank you.

Filed under: Fiction and Characterisation, Indie Publishing, Writing Tagged: alcohol, Android, anxiety, avoidance, characterisation, computer, drugs, electronic games, entertainment, family, fear, fiction, games, goggles, iPad, iPhone, pixel, plot, psychology, Ragdoll Blaster, role playing, stress, tablet, techno-cocoon, touchpad, writer, writing

Um, Yes, I Belong in that Box: Character Types for Writers

As authors, we often write using traditional character archetypes that readers recognise. Archetypes we immediately understand include the hero, villain, mentor, outcast, damsel in distress etc. They have an important role to play in literature, teaching us lessons which can also help us on our own life quests.

Image Source: http://intraspec.ca/temper0.php

When I was in my twenties, a book was very popular in my peer group which categorised people using four personality types. Understanding them could solve all their problems! I am absolutely, solidly against any stereotypical categorisation, human beings are too complex! So I did the research.

I discovered those types were based on the ancient theory of the four humours and outright rejected it. I am not alone: in researching this post, someone was talking about how they bought a book published in 1896, which was based on the four humours in children. The original owner had written inside: “Critique: Psychologists say it’s unscientific – lacks rigor, precision, control of facts. Nevertheless it sure is widespread in use and application, or trials at it! Feb.29.40. R.N.S.”

The four humours are actually based on the balances of four body fluids: blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile. They were seen to affect temperament, making you either sanguine, melancholic, phlegmatic or choleric. Of course, the in-vogue book presented it as a more advanced theory. My friends didn’t know what they were really reading and they weren’t impressed when they heard what the theory was actually based on. Why would they be impressed, even if body fluids weren’t involved in dictating behaviour? Who would want to be labelled as, say, melancholic? Do you want to be classed as “crestfallen, crummy, dejected, desolate, despondent, destroyed, disconsolate, dispirited, down and out?” It’s not likely to do wonders for your self-esteem. Neither was one theory we learnt in psychology, that typed people based on body shape. If you were tall and thin, or small and fat, you had the same traits as all the other people with your body type. Does this make sense?

Image Source: http://tinyurl.com/84jumcb

Then I came face to face with my kryptonite. The one theory that paralysed my ability to criticise type theories. One of my memoir students asked me to sit through an introduction to the enneagram. I was having a hard time with a co-worker and thought well, why not? It’s always good to hear a new theory. I love psychology. I easily located my dominant personality type and it shocked me. I found myself publicly looking into the private parts of how my mind works, that I never wanted revealed to anyone else. It was all there on paper in tale-telling detail and it was scary… particularly for a psychology buff who does not believe in typing. Oddly enough, it didn’t box me in, it gave me strategies for getting free, which is exactly what the enneagram is supposed to do. It is about growth and healing.

If you are feeling brave, there is a free enneagram personality test here for you to take: http://similarminds.com/test.html

I am not asking you to take all this too seriously. I don’t live by it religiously or refer to it often. I occasionally pull out my Enneagram notes when I am stuck on a people problem and it does help, but I would still never rigidly adhere to it. Whether you want to believe in it or not, for writers building characters, the enneagram is a gold mine! It is similar to a road map for human behaviour which shows your basic motivational needs; strengths, weaknesses, temptations and what you can do to balance out your negatives. To increase it’s usefulness, there is information online on how to get on with other types which clash with your own. That can be used to create dynamic plot conflicts.

Source: A Lofty Existence Blog on WordPress: http://tinyurl.com/blmdl2g

Let me give you an example on how this can work. Let me play devil’s advocate and use a creative personality as an example. They are referred to as the Thinker or Observer (the five). They are withdrawn, thought-driven, self-motivated, happy to be alone and have a strong need for independence and privacy. Often they don’t fit in, in social groups. This is a weakness of their personality type. Problems for fives include isolation, pride, power seeking and their intellectual approach can drive people in the other direction, seeking warmer company! Famous fives include William Rhenquist, Stephen Hawking, Francis Crick, Helen Keller, Wittgenstein, and Arthur C. Clarke.

Now, no one has just one type they fit wholly and solely into. We have a little of every type in us, but we have two other less dominant types which are called wings. They balance us out. A five will have the wings of a four: the romantic, withdrawn ideal-seeker who wants authenticity, self expression and who can also be deeply empathetic. Famous 5/4s include Sigmund Freud. Fives also have a six wing, which is the loyalist, an attachment making approval-seeker. Famous 5/6s include Charles Darwin, Frederich Nietzsche, David Lynch, and Isaac Newton. You can see how a five could work themselves into difficult situations as they are a deep thinker, wanting to solve problems; are seeking approval for doing so… but can push people away as they are so independent and socially stilted. The five can become one very frustrated, lonely individual, with answers no one will listen to.

Designed by Rick Hogue: http://www.prosperity.com/enneagram/

This is where the enneagram displays it’s potential power to transform. To move away from being a dominant five who needs to master things, is prone to pride and is scared of helplessness or being seen as incompetent; you follow the triangle in the diagram to see what you do to balance. So from a five, go up the arrow to the eight: the boss. Taking that path, the five has to come out of their mental world to lead and interact with others. One step further, if you were predominantly an eight, the ideal is to go to two, which means instead of being based in power and control, you take a balancing, helping role.

Of course, it is a lot more complex than that. This is a mystically based theory which has been around for centuries. At it’s simplest level it is an excellent idea generator you will find useful and intriguing. Just do the test by yourself. You could be in for confronting revelations you didn’t see coming!

Enneagram Resources:

http://www.9types.com/writeup/enneagr...
http:// www.enneagraminstitute.com/
http:// www.enneagram.com.au/

This article is Copyright Cate Russell-Cole 2012. All rights reserved. It may not be reproduced in any medium, in print or digital format. 

This post is in the process of being collated into an e-book, “Building Emotionally Realistic Characters” (Book Two of the Four Dimensional Characterisation Series.) It will be available in Kindle, Nook and iBook form before the end of July 2012. For further information, please keep an eye on this blog.

Filed under: Creativity, Fiction and Characterisation, Indie Publishing, Inspiration, Resources, Writing Tagged: behaviour, boxes, characterisation, choleric, enneagram, feelings, fiction, four humors, growth, healing, labels, learning, melancholic, mind, motivation, mystical, personality types, phlegmatic, plot, psychology, sanguine, self worth, success, thoughts, writer, writing

Taming the E-Book Beastie!

For many months I have sat in bed with my iPad and read wonderful novels and magazines. I love the fact that I have been saved yet another bookcase to dust (plus we are out of room, we have 9); I love that I can flick through my library without hunting down the location of any given book… plus I like the free sample idea.

So this year, one of my goals has been to place my work into e-book form. Thanks to sound advice from Lisa Cohen (you can be helped in the same manner by visiting her page here: http://www.ljcohen.net/downloads.html), that process is well underway. I am off to the land of Kindle, Nook, iBooks and such. However, as you know, this takes time. So while I am in the process of yet another argument with the ISBN people, battle Lulu’s cover disasters and frown at the terms and conditions on Amazon, here are the first two of my books which are available through Faithwriters.

Now these aren’t Christian books, but Faithwriters will allow me to sell a certain number of books without them taking any fees or charges other than my usual platinum membership. So you can read an excerpt and download the books from there for now. As I expand, I will give you the other details. These books are in a .pdf format (no printing or copying enabled, sorry.) They are readable on any computer or mobile device which takes .pdf. More writing specific books are coming out over the next eight weeks.

So please, check them out, save a writer from starvation and let me know what you think! Reviews are most welcome.

Happy reading and wishing you good back health!

Cheers, Cate

P.S. In the process of sorting out future e-books, a number of older posts on this blog have been considerably shortened and others removed. So if you get a 404 not found error, my apologies. Previously unpublished chapters are being written for the two books in the Four Dimensional Characterisation Series (Building Emotionally Realistic Characters and Creating and Resolving Conflict in Fiction,) plus parts of existing posts will be added. The books will be out in May and July, so please watch the blog for details.

Unleashing Your Creative Spirit

This e-book will help you turn your dreams into reality! It explores the process and practical aspects of creativity; and has been written for artists, writers, musicians, dancers, gardeners, cooks, craft lovers: anyone trying to tap into their creative potential. It looks at the mental processing behind creativity; philosophies that drive how we think about and assess our creative worth; creative character traits; historical role models; an extensive bibliography and web link list plus more. The content is practical, not just analytical. It will give you ideas on how to move forward in your creative life.

Topics covered include:

Capturing the Muse
Quieting the Internal Censor
Building A Creative Space
Working With Failure
Finding Direction
Techniques To Use

The e-book is available for download from here.

The Little Book of Back Care

Back pain affects more Australians than any other complaint, including heart disease and asthma. The rest of the world has similar statistics. It is an epidemic which is largely avoidable, but rarely addressed in public health education even though it should be. It has adversely affected my family and is a topic I am passionate about!

This e-book is a collation of helpful articles which apply to anyone who wants to take care of their back. It was written while I worked at Lift Smart Australia, so all contents have been checked and approved by a qualified Spinal Surgeon. It is in plain language that won’t make you reach for a medical dictionary!

Articles in the book include ones aimed at meeting the needs of people who are ageing, disabled or caring for someone who is ill or has a physical disability. It also covers two of the more common back injuries which can be caused by poor back care through life. All the articles, regardless of their specific aim, are relevant and helpful for every reader, as each has information in them which hasn’t been reproduced in all chapters to avoid repetition.

The book is available for download from here, even though the contents aren’t Christian. I am working on making it available through Kindle, iBooks, Barnes and Noble and other outlets in the next few months.

Filed under: Business News, Indie Publishing Tagged: achieve, ageing, Aging, art, artist, back, back care, Bad Back, Barnes and Noble, bibliography, blogging, brain, Carer, craft, create, creativity, daydream, disabled, Disc, discouragement, discovery, dream, ebook, failure, Faithwriters, filter, Garden, goals, health, Herniate, Herniation, idea, inspiration, inspire, invent, inventors, Kindle, learning, left brain, Leonardo Da Vinci, lift, Lulu, mind, mind mapping, muse, painting, philosophy, photography, prevention, problem solving, psychology, resource, resources, right brain, safe lifting, spine, Spondylosis, study, subconscious, success, thinking, Thomas Edison, Water, Wheelchair, writer, writing