Jody Cantrell Dyer's Blog: What's your story? Maybe I can help you write it., page 7

Writers, focus on your strengths and shortcut your way to success! What can my team create to help you?

 This last month of the school year, my son Scotty is working on a HUGE project. Fifth graders host a wax museum for the entire school to tour. The project comes with a PACKET of instructions and demands research, a five-paragraph essay formatted to meet MLA guidelines with in-text citations, a title page, and a works cited page. He also must write and memorize a one-minute speech. On top of that work, my eleven-year-old must dress as the noteworthy person from head to little toes and, ugh, build a backdrop. Mama is a busy entrepreneur. Daddy now hides in the yard every time he hears the words "wax museum." But Scotty is Bill Nye the Science Guy, or at least he will be on May 12, and he must be READY. He'll coat his hair in silver gray paint and don safety glasses, a blue blazer with a pen-filled pocket protector, and a navy bowtie sporting science-y symbols. He will also display his underutilized chemistry set. As each kindergarten through fourth-grade student approaches, Scotty-Bill will recite his one-minute speech. His backdrop? More on that later.

This means that I, Mama, am on deck to assist in all of this W.O.R.K. Do I sound grouchy? I should, because I am. As a writer and business owner, I have two enemies: interruption and inefficiency. As a writer, I'm sure you can relate. Actually, if you are an adult (many of my clients are young and have yet to enter the working world), you relate. Daily, I am interrupted by a text or email reminder about what, ahem, Scotty should be doing to prepare for the wax museum. Every night, I am at my desk helping him work through the arduous project to-do list.

As students, we must learn all the steps. I get it. I desperately want teachers to drill students on grammar and mechanics, writing methods, essay conventions, and, above all else, HOW TO WRITE OUTLINES. My mother claims she taught me how to write outlines in third grade, and I was on essay Easy Street after that. Thank you, Mama. Children see outlines as drudgery, but they are actually shortcuts. If you'd like a tutorial, book an appointment with me. This word nerd loves to outline with friends.

Also, it's important to focus not on your weaknesses as a human but on your STRENGTHS. Examine your strengths and then put them into action. Hire the weak stuff out (unless you just want to get better at certain skills). For example, I love to teach and am good at it. I am not good at cutting hair, so my sons see a barber. It's really that simple. You are probably already hiring out a lot more tasks than you realize. I buy butter someone else made. I don't milk cows and then sit at a wooden churn all night. Really think about this. Hiring help and using short cuts are A-okay! Sometimes, we just need to take care of business in a hurry. We aren't cheating if we don't DIY everything. In other words, shortcuts and cheat sheets aren't always taboo. Sometimes, they are efficient, and dare I say, common sense. If you don't know who Sweet Williams is, you are missing out. Google her. I love her spirit and immediate recognition of what's important when the clock is ticking—Jesus, not shoes, right Ms. Williams?

Sweet Brown on apartment fire: "Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!" - YouTube

Scotty has written the essay. Next, we will take a shortcut and copy the best sentences from that essay to paste them into new document—his speech. Will he memorize it? "Ain't nobody got time for that." Besides, when children memorize, they rush the speech, and you can't understand what they are saying. My boy will have his speech typed on paper in size 14 font and triple spaced so that he's forced to slow down. This way, the wax museum tourists will actually learn about Bill Nye. Isn't that the point?

Will Scotty dress up? Yes, I scoured the house for attire and props. He'll wear a blue suit that is three inches too short in the arms and legs. I did send Amazon $80 to take care of the rest of the costume business. Will Scotty spend hours designing a backdrop? "Ain't nobody got time for that." That is not his strength (or mine), nor is he interested in cutting cardboard and construction paper. This mama spent $10.99 on a fantastic shortcut that won't interrupt our more important tasks and is quite efficient.

HERE IS MY QUESTION FOR YOU: When you are writing, what frustrates or confuses you? When and where do you need a shortcut, cheat sheet, or efficient solution? You name the problem, and my team will create the tool.

I know I need to use hashtags in social media, but I don't have time to research how to use hash tags. I asked teammate Ginger to help me. She created The Ultimate Hashtag Cheat Sheet. Wow! She also authored most of 365 Ways to Market Your Book for Free. (You'll see it in under different titles online.) I told you about it a couple of weeks ago and priced it at $37 with a 50% discount for April. SCRATCH THAT! After gut-checking my way through the wax museum project, talking with my team, and thinking hard what authors need, I decided to change the price to $9.99 and create MORE tools at the same price. This makes each tool affordable for authors while also compensating my team for their brilliant work:) Authors may use our tools through all phases (writing, editing, publishing, and marketing). Again, what can we create for you?

Here's the current list. I'll update you when each new item is ready for purchase.

The Ultimate Hashtag Cheat Sheet365 Ways to Market Your Book for Free (in Under 10 Minutes a Day)The Ultimate Checklist to Successfully Market Your BookProofread Like a Pro ChecklistThe Complete Book Project Planner for AuthorsCharacter Development Made EasyBrainstorm Your Way to a BookTwo are ready now (you can click the titles below and go right to the tools)!
The Ultimate Hashtag Cheat Sheet 365 Ways to Market Your Book for Free (in Under 10 Minutes a Day)

We also share some freebies from time to time via email. If you want to stay in the Crippled Beagle Publishing loop and download freebies when they are offered, click HERE. You are welcome to share this email with fellow writers.

XOXOXOXO

Jody Dyer

You are no imposter. Use these 10 steps to move past self-doubt. You are a writer, and I'm a dollhouse builder!

 Never in his childhood did I think my Tennessee mountain boy would end up studying communications eight hours north of his mama and ten minutes south of the Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail. He can see Canada from his favorite perch and walleye fishing spot in Port Clinton! What a joy it is to, YES, live through my child. I doubt that Houston, now age 20, can fully appreciate the experience, but I urge him to explore and "take it all in" while he's there. Naturally, when I visit, I daydream about what it would be like for me to live in the Erie Islands. I enjoy studying the culture and history of Sandusky County. The FLAT pastures beg for tornadoes, but the sunsets are outstanding. This southern girl is slow to understand some of the local dialect, and countless references to the Union remind me that I'm a long way from my Georgia roots. I like to casually mention the War of Northern Aggression ... just to see what happens. I get some strange looks, but so far, everyone has been polite. Maybe they just don't understand my thick twang. Ha! One might consider me an imposter. Hang on to that thought.

Norther Ohio is actually a great place to vacation. Ohio's 152-year-old Cedar Point is the second largest amusement park in the country. Put-in-Bay is a ferry ride away and claims to be the "Key West of the North." Admiral Perry's monument dominates the bay, and his famous line, "Don't give up the ship," can be spotted everywhere. Charles Woodson beat out Tennessee's Peyton Manning for the Heisman Trophy back in 1997. Still hurts. Woodson is a beloved Fremont native who serves the community in many philanthropic endeavors. Most importantly, Houston's tiny college sits among infinite cornfields in Fremont, the homeplace of President Rutherford B. Hayes. The Hayes estate is called Spiegel Grove. Spiegel is the German word for mirrors. The home was originally built on The Great Black Swamp. It's giant puddles looked like mirrors as they reflected skyscraping trees. Houston's girlfriend Kinzie took my mother, Scotty (11), Houston, and me to Hayes' home, museum, and library. The home is stunning and FILLED with Hayes family treasures. Hayes started a diary at age twelve. Given what I learned about his family and his personality, I think he knew he would do something BIG. That notion led him to protect and keep documents, gifts, furniture, heirlooms, records, dishes, jewelry, personal items, and so much more. We looked into a mirror that George Washington used when he shaved. One of my favorite museum exhibits was a dollhouse given to the Hayes' only daughter, Fanny.

Have you ever had a hunch that you were destined for something big or meant to do something substantial? Maybe that hunch is telling you to write a book. Don't be distracted by imposter syndrome. Most writers (first timers to veterans) face this negative self-talk now and then. Maya Angelou said, "Each time I write a book, every time I face that yellow pad, the challenge is so great. I have written eleven books, but each time I think, 'Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody and they’re going to find me out.'"

What can you do to quell the self-doubt? Try these steps.

Thank back to one year ago and tell yourself how much you've learned and improved. Read an old essay from school. Amaze yourself at how far you've come!Know that you don't have to be published to be a writer. You have to WRITE to be a writer.Don't self-edit. Keep writing and come back later to edit.Claim your spot in the community. Literally call yourself a writer. Out loud. To other humans.Talk with other writers. They relate.Understand that criticism is inevitable. Accept it, reject it if it's off-base, and always learn from it.Select the "famous" author of your choice. Do you think he was born writing? My bet (I think it's a safe one) is that when the author was born, he couldn't even READ. He definitely couldn't write. See how silly it is to doubt yourself? Just GROW.Think about a time when you struggled hard and then were successful. Pray. Thank God for your gifts, your ability to learn, and the opportunity to write. WRITE.

George C. Brown thought, "I CAN build a dollhouse." Then he did. He gave the dollhouse to the Hayes family, and Fanny (then ten years old) played with it in the White House. This is my favorite room. Hmmm, I may try to build a dollhouse. Why not?

If you want to write and need help getting started or planning your project, let me know.

Visit my calendar HERE to book a free, 30-minute consultation. 

xoxoxo

Jody

How do you stir up a brainstorm?

Hello creative,

I'm off to the mountains for much-needed rest. What usually happens when I "tree bathe" in the Smoky Mountains is both restorative and energizing. I cannot help but daydream as I walk the rocky trails of East Tennessee. When I get back to my cabin, I usually grab a notebook and brainstorm whatever idea came to me in the woods.

How do you BRAINSTORM? This week, a student asked me how to get unstuck during the writing process. The answer is easy. I told her, "Write." I elaborated, "Write ANYTHING that comes to mind."

My University of Tennessee KidsU Creative Writing campers shared how they benefitted from brainstorming.

Makes you think more about the story and create new ideas

Helps you understand what you really want to write

Helps you outline the project

Helps you avoid writing in flowery prose (what Mrs. Dyer calls “glittering generalities”)

I got all my ideas in one place and saw how they all connect and flow

Made me realize the extent of how disturbing my story is

I changed genres from story to play

Found a way to start my story

Figured out ways to reach the climax point of the story

I met characters in new places

Most clients want more guidance that my succinct answer, "Write," so I teach them different ways to brainstorm. Try this exercise.

FIVE SENSES BRAINSTORM

Consider a character/person and scene in your book. What does that character ...

See?

Hear?

Smell?

Taste?

Feel?

Jot down every word or phrase that comes to mind. Don't self-edit. Have fun. I think I'll try the Five Senses method on my walk in the woods today. If I SMELL cucumbers, I'll likely SEE a copperhead, and other hikers will HEAR me holler (mountain word for scream) because I don't want to FEEL any fangs as they TASTE my ankle.

BOO snakes! Yay writing! Happy brainstorming!

xoxoxo

Jody

There's a monster at the end of this email.

When you were little, did you read The Monster at the End of This Book? My mother read it to me many times, and I always felt anxious to get to the end, even though I knew that Grover is a "lovable" monster. There's a monster at the end of this email. Keep reading. Think about the number 10.

Should we set high, seemingly impossible goals? YES! Should we expect to reach them in leaps and bounds or, even better, overnight? NO.

GOOD NEWS: You can be idealistic and realistic at the same time.

You may dream of running 10 miles without stopping. If walking to your mailbox causes you to pant like a farm beagle who just barked a raccoon up a Georgia pine, start training by walking your neighborhood.

You may want to write a book. Maybe you talk to your characters while you fold laundry and add songs to a Spotify playlist, also known as the soundtrack for what will definitely be a movie based on your book. Awesome! You are dreaming CORRECTLY, but at some point, you should write an outline and start, well, typing words.

You want to sell 10,000 copies of your book, but you are intimidated or confused by marketing. NORMAL. Maybe you think you have to invest hours each day successfully grow your readership. Nope. All you really need to do is BEGIN.

NOW, let's shift the mindset and think small (in a good way).

TEN PERCENT will get you to mile 10, your first 10,000 words, and maybe even 10,000 sales. Walking trails, word processors, and books are here to stay. More readers are born every day. Why rush? What do I mean?

Too much dreaming with no actual DOING keeps you stuck. Many times, people fear failure, so they settle in dreamland. They think they have to make enormous changes or quickly complete gargantuan, unfamiliar tasks in order to reach goals. They expect immediate, HUGE success without taking incremental action over T-I-M-E. I get it. I'm a dreamer. Thankfully, my business background keeps me grounded in reality.

With that in mind, CBP marketing genius Ginger and I collaborated to create a monster of a tool to help you take small steps, 10 minutes at a time. And, just like Grover, this monster is LOVABLE.

USE THIS LINK TO ENJOY 50% OFF! https://crippledbeaglepublishing.ck.page/products/365-ideas-to-market-your-book?promo=CBP50

You can purchase and start using this tool (a multi-page .pdf, but if you want the Excel version, email me) TODAY. If your book is not yet published, use what works now and save the other tasks for later. If you are already working through a marketing plan, add this resource to the mix. When you are busy and have only 10 minutes, grab something from the list and make incremental progress.

BECAUSE I APPRECIATE YOU and everyone in the word nerd herd as much as Cookie Monster loves chocolate chip cookies, I created a 50% off coupon code that will work the entire month of April. I created it for you, but I want you to share your code with friends by forwarding this email to other authors. Actually, these tasks can easily be tweaked for anyone trying to promote his or her work, so share with anyone you like:) May 1, the price will return to $37. Again, here's the link: https://crippledbeaglepublishing.ck.page/products/365-ideas-to-market-your-book?promo=CBP50

If you don't want to pay online via this link (it uses Swipe), email me.

NOTE - If you are a student in my online course Market Your Way to Readers and Royalties, I will be sending you "365 Ways to Market Your Book in 10 Minutes" for free:)))

As always, if you think of any other tools my team and I can create for you, or have a problem you want us to solve, email me. We are here for you.

xoxoxo

Jody

 P.P.S. There are a FEW spots left in my course, which starts TUESDAY April 5 in Knoxville. If you know anyone in the area who wants to write a book and needs a teacher, please forward this email so he/she knows about the course. Enrollment is open until April 5. Learn more or register at this link: https://aceweb.professionaled.utk.edu/wconnect/ace/CourseStatus.awp?&course=22SP1231

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"Nature's first green is gold" and HERE. Also, what can my team do to help you?

 Hello creative!

The Lenten roses are blooming, my forsythias are sending sunny spires toward the sky, and I no longer have to warm up the car before taking Scotty to school. Yay spring! While January is a great "new start" each year, don't you get a burst of creative energy around March/April? Have you read the Frost poem "Nature's First Green is Gold?"

"Nature’s First Green is Gold" by Robert Frost

Nature's first green is goldHer hardest hue to hold.Her early leaf's a flower;But only so an hour.Then leaf subsides to leaf.So Eden sank to grief,So dawn goes down to day.Nothing gold can stay.

While some may find the verse a downer, I see it as advice to live in the present and capitalize on ideas, opportunities, and bursts of energy. At Crippled Beagle Publishing, the team and I are l bursting with energy to create new ways to help YOU. We want to know what you need from US. So, take a minute and respond to any of the following, or skip the list and just tell me what's on your mind.

What do you expect from a book writing coach?What questions do you have about editing?What frustrates you about the editing and revising phases of creating a final manuscript?What questions do you have about the publishing process?What frustrates/confuses you about book marketing?What gets in the way of your attempts to market your book?What book marketing problem/need would you like for my team to solve for you?

Thank you in advance for helping us help you and other authors! Speaking of, please help me spread the word about my upcoming, in-person course Write that book! I will teach on four Tuesday nights in April, from 6-7:30 PM, at the not green, not gold, but definitely BIG ORANGE UT Conference Center on Henley Street. ANYONE 18 and older can register (you don't have to be associated with UT). Perfect attendance is not required, and I'll share all resources with all registered students. Parking is free and super close to the building. The course fee is only $99! You can learn more or enroll at this link: https://aceweb.professionaled.utk.edu/wconnect/ace/CourseStatus.awp?&course=22SP1231​

xoxoxo

Jody and team

A FOLDER FULL OF EXAMPLES just for you. Open me:))))

 Hello creative,

When I taught middle and high school, I often assigned complex projects for students to actually create and produce outcomes in tangible form. When teaching Excel spreadsheet tools, I handed out baseball cards and asked students to examine the text, tables, images, and formatting and use online tutorials and my guidance to literally recreate the backs of baseball cards using Excel commands. All they really needed was the VISUAL aid of the actual baseball cards to excel at Excel!

There's an educational term for the "good" finished example, but the word escapes me, so let's just call it that—a good, finished example. In my online course and with my one-on-one clients, I urge authors to create Author Brand Marketing Kits. These are folders of go-to items that help authors promote their work.

You can work with my team to create a similar portfolio of useful items and templates. If you'd like help or would like to take the course module that teaches Author Brand Marketing Kit, let me know, and I'll send you pricing information. You can also save money by creating these items yourself. We use CANVA. I pay for the "Pro Plan" so my team can work together in the same account, but Canva also has a free option.

To help you understand, I have attached a good, finished example—my client Randall Lange's Author Brand Marketing Kit pieces. Below is a screen shot of three postcard options Lauren designed, and the Zip folder contains everything else.

I share client examples for a couple of reasons: First, I help promote their work to my community. Second, I like to share work for/by writers just like you. When you open the Zip folder, note that the branding is consistent across every piece. Also note that Lauren created templates so that Randy's family and my team can repurpose content throughout the year. Christy and Randy will post news, images, ideas, and videos whenever they like, while my team strategically schedules posts to help Randy build a strong fan following over time. Be sure to follow Randy on his brand new social media accounts. Find him as Randy's Josh and Friends on Facebook and Instagram.

Below is the file. Take a look, gather ideas and inspiration, and reach out to me if you need help.

​Example Author Brand Marketing Kit_Author Randall Lange.zip

​HAPPY MARKETING!

Jody
​
P.S. If you'd like to learn more great tips like these, be sure to stay in the Crippled Beagle Publishing loop! Click here to join the list and email my free Annual Book Marketing Planner.

Writer, the real question is, "What kind of hiker are you?"

 

When it comes to a large-scale project (like writing a book), what's your approach?

Mountains are fantastic metaphors, especially for writers. We stand back to see the big picture. We study the arc's catalyst, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. We appreciate sensory details, and know that there are many steps, challenges, switchbacks, and discoveries along the path from idea to published book. You may study other writers' approaches and wonder if their methods are better. Wonderful. Learn from others, but don't beat yourself up. Employ the well-worn methods that always work, but be realistic about what you can do when it comes to developing, writing, editing, publishing, and marketing a book. What kind of writer-hiker are you?

TRAIL?

​​My friend Tammy and I were planning a weekend on Little River in Townsend, Tennessee. We wanted our husbands to join us. I asked how deep the water would be that day, what the forecast was, and who all would be there because my husband Jeff would want to know. She said, "Jeff is like a convertible. All the conditions have to be just right or he's a no go." Jeff is a trail hiker. He goes when the conditions are right: good weather, dry trails, warm temperatures, before lunch, .... Because I'm a mother and entrepreneur, I must be a trail hiker, too. I schedule the hikes when I have a light workload and my mother can watch my little boy Scotty if the trail is too strenuous for him. 

Maybe, as a writer, you are a trail hiker. That is okay! You may have to select and work on one component of your project at a time. Ease into the process and grow as you take on each new challenge.

SECTION? If you have the time, budget, and schedule to take a week to hike a large section of the Appalachian Trail, I am JEALOUS! One of my bucket list goals is to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. The trip from Georgia to Maine can take six or so months. At this time in my life, ​that's logistically and financially impossible. One boy is in college. The other is only eleven years old. What I CAN do is take a week vacation here and there and hike (and camp) large sections of the AT. Maybe you have a seasonal job or lots of vacation time. 

Can you go on a writing retreat a few times a year? During those peaceful breaks, you could conquer large sections of your writing project. I really think that I could write the first draft of an entire book in ten workdays if I could have ten work days with no work, children, family, or friends. Ah, isolation; solitude is one of the most peaceful and restorative benefits of walking in the woods. Here, my buddy Nikki takes a break under Alum Cave Bluff on our way to Mount LeConte.

​​

THROUGH?

Are you a through-hiker when it comes to writing? Can you focus on your book for a good chunk of time every day for several months? Can you take a sabbatical for several weeks? If so, I am mightily jealous! One day, Jody, one day ....

I know several people who have hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Katahdin in Maine. One fell permanently out of the yuppie rat race. One fell and broke her ankle. One fell in love. The concept of taking six months off from civilization is as tempting as it is terrorizing.

But, people do it, and many write about it. I loved the book Hiking Through by "regular guy, not a writer" Paul Stutzman. He lost his wife to cancer. Instead of returning to his normal routine, he sought peace of mind through the enormous goal of hiking the AT's 2,176 miles. I did not like Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods as much. The author loves to hear himself write (and that's coming from ME), and he made fun of my hometown of Gatlinburg, Tennessee (not cool, Bill). If I remember right, he didn't finish the trail either. I can understand. Hiking is hard.

So, hiker-writer, what's your plan? What's your style? My advice is to be realistic, let the journey be as easy (and enjoyable) as possible, and give yourself some grace. You can break up your master plan into tiny steps and achievable goals. Don't overthink the writing process. DO begin. Take the first step and keep taking steps. Leave room to learn along the way. Even those crazy, barefoot trail runners have to ascend mountains one step at a time.

My best friend Jamie has hiked almost every Tennessee trail in the Great Smoky Mountains. She has become a natural at reaching enormous goals one painful or joyful step at a time.

As you struggle and learn and move up that mountain, think about how wonderful you will feel when you return to the trailhead with a story to share with the world. Now, climb! —Jody

P.S. CLICK HERE to download my Step-by-Step Guide from Idea to Published, Profitable Book.
P.P.S. SPREAD THE WORD! 
Calling ALL Aspiring Authors I am proud to announce that I will lead my new course “Write That Book” for the University of Tennessee Center for Professional Education & Lifelong Learning. Anyone 18 or older is welcome! We meet on Tuesday nights in April.No matter your genre, subject, or writing ability, you'll leave with an achievable plan and supportive tools to help you realize your dream of becoming a published author..For more information about the course, please email me at dyer.cbpublishing@gmail.com. If you’re ready to register for the class, click here.

A mother, her son, his teacher, yoga, a phone call, trails, technology, paper, and common sense — I hope this helps you:)

 Hello my fellow creative spirit!

I have a story and a few points that should help you, all of which are inspired by a recent conversation with my little boy Scotty. Scotty (eleven years old) is struggling with a three, yes, three subjects. Note: He gave me permission to tell this story. He loves the limelight. We'd been working for a couple of hours one WEDNESDAY evening. Wait, that's not true. We actually argued for thirty minutes and then worked for ninety.

POINT: You cannot tutor your own child as effectively as a professional can. You cannot edit your own work. Hire a pro.

Anyway, the phone rang. I had to answer it because I'm trying to get an appointment with a child psychologist. Scotty, sadly, is one of the many American children suffering severe anxiety and major academic setbacks as a result of Covid shutdowns and masking. I'm not taking any side except my child's. The psychologist was calling to talk to me. As one might imagine, he is extraordinarily busy right now, so I jumped at the chance to actually speak with him.

POINT: Don't procrastinate. Any progress toward a goal is progress toward the goal! Time-outs don't move the ball down the field.

Every day, according to Scotty's fifth-grade teachers, I am supposed to log into Aspen.com to see his grades and check each subject to see what assignments are late/missing (he tends to "accidentally" leave homework on the bus). Mr. Robert the bus driver must often do homework sweeps under the pleather seats, which is one of the reasons we mothers collect a big cash gift for him each December and May. After I log into Aspen.com, I must go to Canvas.com to search for said assignments. The titles don't always match up, so I have to rely on Scotty's memory to figure out what in Aspen is what in Canvas. Fortunately, we can usually dig through his grimy backpack to find at least one of the assignments. Mama loves PAPER. After I iron those dittos and have him put his name at the tops, we are ready to work. If the assignment is in Canvas.com, we must complete it on Google (slides/docs/sheets) and then go back to Canvas.com to submit it by using a little box to search, you guessed it, Google. We click submit and pray a green checkmark appears. Then we go to the next assignment by clicking dashboard, courses, one of eight courses, modules, unit, assignment. THIS IS WHY I GO TO YOGA. I may not look like a yogi, but I am a dedicated practitioner.

POINT: Make doing business with you as an author EASY for your potential readers. Don't send them on an online scavenger hunt.

Author, be clear and obvious about what you want people to do when they see your social media posts, read your emails, or visit your website. If you want them to join your email list, ask them at least twice in the message. Limit your posts/emails to one subject and always write as though you are speaking to only one reader. Test the links and clearly label them. Examples:

​Stay in the Crippled Beagle Publishing loop by joining my e-newsletter list HERE. (I hyperlinked this sentence to a form that allows folks to EASILY register for my email list.)

​BUY MY BOOKS HERE. (This takes readers straight to my Amazon Author Central Page---which you need.)

If you'd like to [match to the subject of your message], just reply to this email and say [whatever you want readers to say]. (For extra example, if I were writing an email to you about using Amazon Author Central to promote your work, I would end the email with: "If you'd like to know how to set up your Amazon Author Central Page, reply to this email and write, 'Jody, help me set up my author page on Amazon.'"

Back to our story ... I spoke with the psychologist and made a plan to help Scotty. Scotty asked me to let him work on his own, so I went to yoga to "ring out the stress" from a hard day. The next afternoon, Scotty told me that his teacher was mad at him for not finishing enough late work. He told me, "My teacher said that you should focus more on helping me than answering phone calls and going to yoga." Ummmm. First, I got mad at the teacher. Second, I realized that Scotty threw me under the bus. Third, I laughed at the whole situation. The teacher has been extraordinarily patient with Scotty and with ME. She's wonderful, but she's human. She's young, unmarried, and not a mother. My bet is she doesn't understand that children fib when it's convenient to do so. It likely hasn't occurred to her that children go straight home and tell their parents everything, but they also SPIN their stories as they tell them. I value her frustration. Scotty was in survival mode. His quick thinking (blaming me) got him out of trouble. As a mother and former teacher, I know that whatever I say to Scotty about his teachers will be delivered to them, with spin, the next day. I am careful. He admitted to throwing me under the bus and apologized. My guess is that she didn't speak so harshly and he spun her words, too.

My little angel and I worked for an hour on his 5th Grade Reading and Language Arts, Narrative Writing Module, Narrative Writing Task #2 - Changing Point of View, a five-paragraph essay in which he was to select a character from a short story and rewrite the story from that character's point of view. Whew! We plodded through the assignment on a Google Doc. When we tried to submit the essay on Canvas.com, we got this lovely response (NOT the teacher's fault):

POINT: Paper is not evil.

During Covid, if our school system had sent home worksheets and workbooks or even emailed parents assignment instructions and allowed students to use (crazy idea) notebook paper, more students would have completed more work during our six-month spring break from March to August in 2020. More relatives and friends could have helped our children. Paper is a soft, less intimidating, tried and true tool.

Could I host a podcast? Sure! Do I know how? Do I have time to learn the technology? Do I want to spend that kind of money? Nope. Do what works. Don't let the world's obsession with technology guilt you into using a device, platform, or tool that pushes your focus off content and communication. Just write.

Know your talents. Hire help when you need it. Don't procrastinate. Progress is perfection! Make doing business with you EASY. Keep your process simple so you can focus on what matters—your message and your audience.

Remember, I'm a writing, editing, publishing, and marketing coach. At any time, you can set a one-on-one appointment with me. If you need help, just reply to this email and say, "Jody, I'd like to set a coaching appointment with you."

xoxoxoxo

Jody

Scotty loves history and science. In this photo, he pretends he's a student at Little Greenbrier School in the Great Smoky Mountains. Together, we climb trails and secure well-earned trail medallions to his walking stick.
​If you'd like to download my free Step-by-Step Trail Guide from Idea to Published, Profitable Book, CLICK HERE:)

Check yourself before you wreck yourself. You don't have to be a grammar superhero! Use these quick, fun, free ways to fix errors.

 You are not a bad writer if you find mistakes in your edited, proofread, and published book. Think about the last book you read. Did you find mistakes? I just finished a wonderful book that is an INTERNATIONAL best-seller. I found one typo and one subject-verb agreement error. This author has benefited from multiple rounds of editing in multiple countries with multiple publishers. Why are those two mistakes there?

Humans, y'all.

We are flawed people. Computers may cause us to expect perfection, but computers are run by humans. Human error is normal, should be expected, and should be FORGIVEN. We aren't immortal, and we aren't superheroes.

Writers are often taken aback when they spot errors in the first printing of their books. Stop writer-shaming and editor-shaming and start using methods to error-proof your work to the best of your human abilities. While professional editing is the best investment you can make, you can cut the cost and speed up the timeline by using simple proofreading methods to identify and correct errors long before your pages open on an editor's screen.

I work on several book projects each year. In those projects, I budget time and dollars for proofreaders at different stages but always on screen after I line edit and on paper with physical proof copies). I've yet to reach perfection. Authors tend to memorize their own work. Think I'm crazy? Grab your latest project and choose a paragraph. I bet you can recite that paragraph or at least begin it and finish the point aloud without looking at the screen or page.

I also work on many small projects a year (web content, marketing content, freelance articles, curriculum). Those clients may not have the time or budgets for proofreading at multiple points in the project. Sometimes, I have just two or three days to complete a project. Obviously, I want to provide high-quality work, so I use a few funky tricks and techniques to spot and hear errors. Give these a shot and let me know what you think.

Jody's easy, strange, and $$$ FREE proofreading methods:

Have your computer read aloud. LISTEN for repetition, unclear writing, and mistakes.Read your work aloud.Read your work aloud to someone else. Get that ego involved and you'll hear imperfections and opportunities for improvement that you may never see.Print your work on paper and read it aloud.Spell check as a last step. Remember that when you make changes you may also make new mistakes.

There you go! I hope that helps you find, hear, and see mistakes so you can write your way toward perfection. But don't be hard on yourself. You are only human, after all.

xoxoxo

Jody

Nobody likes a quitter, and I love to START projects! How about you?

Have you ever heard of Quitters Day? I learned about this phenomenon last week. Quitters Day this year was January 14, which marked the date when most folks abandoned their New Year's resolutions. This doesn't apply to me because I start my diet EVERY Monday!

Seriously, if you are like most folks (and aren't most folks like most folks?), you have BIG ideas and then get overwhelmed with life. I also learned that when we set a goal, we really have only 10% control over that goal. What jumps at me is how BIG and SMALL, as concepts, play together, or don't. Here's the bottom line: Set a big goal but focus on the tiniest steps. I heard a marketing coach tell a student who suffers with ADHD, "Do the thing that is right in front of you." Amen! As a business owner and mother, I can so easily get overwhelmed with all the BIG and SMALL things that are piling up or facing me in the near future. I don't have ADHD, but I do follow that coach's advice. I do the small pieces of the big projects.

Here's how I get started ... drum roll ... I commit and put the first tiny step on my calendar. That's it! I might lay out, generally, a whole project, but I don't obsess over perfection, I don't hem and haw, and I don't beat myself up when I make a mistake. I reflect, revise, refine, and keep moving. Thankfully, there's plenty of creative license, a.k.a., grace, in our industry. We don't operate on bodies, and we don't handle nuclear weapons. We can always adjust.

What is your big goal for 2022? I hope you haven't given up on it.

What tiny steps are you taking every day that lead you to your end goal?

I challenge you to map out the general steps and schedule each step on your real calendar.

I challenge you to BEGIN or, in some cases, begin again.

If your big goal is to write a book in 2022, consider joining my in-person writing group INKLINGS 865.

I'm forming the group as we speak, and we may begin as early as March. I set the date, but I may extend it to April. The group and I are decided now between one meeting per month or two meetings per month. These are in-person meetings in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you aren't local, you can always schedule private sessions with me on Zoom/phone. Open the attachment below for detailed (but not set in stone) information: Inklings 865 Invitation 2.14.2022.docx​

If your big goal is to START a book in 2022, join my live classroom experience in April and November in Knoxville.

With the University of Tennessee Center for Professional Education and Lifelong Learning, I will host a four-week (4 classes) course called Write that book! Take a look HERE or copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://aceweb.professionaled.utk.edu/wconnect/ace/CourseStatus.awp?&course=22SP1231​

If your big goal is to MARKET your book(s) in 2022, consider joining my online course: Market Your Way to Readers and Royalties.

The first module will be delivered via email on MONDAY, February 22. As long as you register and pay by Monday, you get access and can start any time from Monday forward. The cost is $387, but you can set up four monthly payments of $107. I am keeping this "beta group" of "founding members" really small, but I do have room for up to 4 more people. I'm keeping the group small so I can actually talk to you one-on-one, get valuable feedback, and personally help you through the course. The next time I teach the course, the price will go up and the one-on-one components will be fewer. I expect a big crowd the second time around:) Open the .pdf for detailed information: Market Your Way to Readers and Royalties CB Publishing February 2022.pdf​

Whatever your goal is for 2022, forget about quitting, forget about the enormity of your mission. Simply begin. Schedule those tiny steps, just 10% at a time, so that this time next year you can look back and say, "Wow. I actually stuck to my plan and did 100% of something BIG!" If you are ready to start and want my help, let's go! Email or call me (865-414-4017) with questions. If you'd like an overview of the FOUR phases of the book business (writing, editing, publishing, marketing), CLICK HERE to download my guide.

xoxoxoxo

Jody