David G. Allen's Blog, page 4

How I Took Charge Of My Fear and Won – Even When I Wasn’t ‘Supposed To’

2-bed, 1.5 bath, lovely view if you can do a handstand. By Ayla87 at sxc.hu

Fear can come from out of nowhere.

Last month I got a letter from my landlord – one of these big impersonal companies that has many apartment complexes. For all I know, the person who owns it all might not even be from Texas, or the U.S.

In the letter, it said that I can choose my rent price.

The problem? All their options were at least $50 per month more than what I was currently paying.

Fear struck.

Fear? Why now? I’ve mo...

Interview with Eva Velasquez – Timing and How She Rescues Her Ex

typewriter by baikahl on sxc.hu

In this fiction interview, I interview a young journalist who faced career suicide by helping a complete stranger rescue her ex-boyfriend. Her story is covered in my new book, and the rough draft is already done!

For the interview I did on her ex-boyfriend, check out this interview on the victim mentality.

…

Tell me about what happened, but don’t give too much away…

I’d love to. Not long ago, I finished my work day at the television station, and discovered that Jord...

How An Angry Rant May Help You Find Your Motivation and Your Strength

What kind of messed up world do we live in where it’s become socially unacceptable to get upset?

Emotions are like gas prices, there is a cost of getting gas – and a cost of NOT getting gas.
photo by andlynx on sxc.hu

We’ve been taught that it is a sign of weakness to throw a tantrum and express our frustrations. And there are times and places where that’s true. But have we become so proud of our ability to hold it in that we take it too far?

If young men die and children bleed, does shrugging ou...

How to Select a Target Audience For Your Work Without ‘Limiting Yourself’

On Target by LarryLens at sxc.hu

Let’s talk about TV for a moment.

There are lots of shows out there. Since Netflix, most off-air shows are available at the touch of a button (still waiting on The Waltons, Netflix – get on it!).

Even if you screen out all the stuff that came out yesterday, there’s still so much coming out. You’d never be able to watch everything even if you tried. Even if you pulled it off, you’d go into overload and not have enough energy or time to reflect on what you saw.

Now...

Who Are Your Heroes, Really? A Counter-Intuitive Look at Experts

Pen Mightier than Sword by penywise at sxc.hu

What do we love so much about our favorite nonfiction authors?

If you’re anything like me, you read nonfiction to simplify a complicated part of your life, or enjoy a window into someone else’s experiences.

If a writer can do this really well, they have a wonderful career. Each new book builds upon the audience of happy readers who bought in last time, and the writer becomes more influential.

Yet how far does this escalate? Hero worship can tarnish ou...

The Real Problem Creatives Have AFTER They’ve Tried and Failed

Negative Emotions Can Make You Very Creative, But…

I’m only happen when it rains. – Garbage (the band)

Rain Texture by ShadowRave at sxc.hu

Negative emotions can be a great source of inspiration. The very first written stories in Greek plays were classified as Comedies and Tragedies. A famous example is when a man becomes king only later to realize that he had killed his own father and married his mother in the process (Oedipus Rex).

For all the good news that is in the Bible, there are also quit...

Operant Conditioning, And The Silver Lining in Our Obsession with the Zombie Apocalypse

Black Swans by unknowme at sxc.hu
Zombies (not pictured)

Zombies have become extremely popular in our culture.

They have been a staple of our entertainment for a long time. Today the trend continues with films like World War Z and shows like The Walking Dead.

It looked so fun that even the U.S. Military wanted in.

Critics hammer this trend, perhaps because ‘any publicity is good publicity’, and they want it to continue. Others hate it because it appears to reflect that we as a culture are obsessed...

Interview with Author Jevon Knight – King Larsen, Trinidad, and More

There are a lot of great authors out there with stories to tell, and advice for people who want to write.

For my first in a who-knows-how-many interview series, I’d like to introduce Jevon Knight, an author who first caught my attention on the wordpress community. Jevon is the author ofKing Larsen, a medieval fantasy novel about a king who abandons the throne for a chance to save the one he loves.

Your book is about a king who abandons all for love, yet that decision isn’t all positive. What th...

Anchoring – The Pitfalls and Profits of Describing Your Products by Referencing Others.

metal confusion 1 by shho at sxc.hu
Connecting is easy, but does it cause more problems than it solves?

This is all opinion here, so maybe it will help. If not, tell me I’m wrong…

There is a popular admonition in advertising: If you cannot describe a product without referencing another product, your idea isn’t going to work.

Referencing another product is something I like to call Anchoring.

If what you’re trying to promote isn’t much different from what’s out there, perhaps it’s a product creation...

Why Theme Still Matters, Even In Escapist Entertainment

brocade by michaelaw at sxc.hu

Pictures are for entertainment; messages should be delivered by Western Union – Samuel Goldwyn (of MGM)

If you’re writing a sermon, shame on you if there isn’t some sort of takeaway.

If your ads need to sell product, the theme should communicate that your product solves a deep-rooted need within.

Writing for entertainment is different. Novels, Videogames, and Movies are all escapist mediums. With those, we want to be entertained, to ‘get away’ from our present situa...