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Browse every published article connected to Joyce Shafer, Book Doctor, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
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Browse every published article connected to Joyce Shafer, Book Doctor, or search within this exact expert archive.
Are you traveling through life or are you on a journey? Are you looking forward or at the past? Your answers reveal a lot about the direction you’re going in and what kind of experiences you’ll have.
When you feel you lack direction in life, business, or retirement, it’s frustrating. It doesn’t have to be this way, if you have two things clear in your mind. You feel you lack direction if you don’t have a destination point envisioned in your mind. A destination point, in this context, is a specific desired result—a vision of what that ideal result is. There are several things that hold people back from putting time into their vision for life, business, or retirement:r
Do you have a person in your life now (or did) who frequently tells you what’s flawed about you or broken? Do you believe him or her? What might be going on with them, and you? "Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs." - Pearl Strachan Hurd I want to share a personal story with you in case you’ve ever experienced something similar or are doing so now. For a time, I had a person in my life who I knew from the start was there to allow me to learn something.
This is a question my clients who are new and aspiring writers always ask me. We write for different reasons: Enjoyment, challenge, and to share information or our creative effort. If you’re going to share what you’ve written, you’ll need a means or venue to get published. But you knew that, ...
Patience and tolerance are behaviors and states of mind to practice, right? How well do you do with them? Questions about Patience and Tolerance came to me after I spent extended time with someone who couldn’t seem to talk about anything that wasn’t unpleasant. All of us need a dose of healthy venting at times; but what I mean here is non-stop negative chatter about anything and everything, not conversation about a specific matter that genuinely needs attention or compassion. If such chatter goes on overlong, I get the heebie-jeebies.
For many, mainstream is like a tailored suit; for some, it’s like a straightjacket. Are you swimming in the wrong stream or against the current? Mainstream, in this writing, means demonstrating via your life, work, relationships, etc., an “acceptable” model or role model, as much as possible—a model that is allowed some leeway as long as it’s a composite of descriptions provided by the various prevalent social, religious, and educational systems and models, as well as family and cultural descriptions or models.
If you’ve never worked with an editor and you’re wondering things like what’s involved, how much it will cost, how long it will take, and other such aspects, here are some helpful facts for you to know. The more informed you are, the easier the editing process will be for you. First, it’s important that you understand what an editor can and should do for you and your manuscript, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, which includes memoir.
I’m a solopreneur who enjoys what I do; so I was amazed when I woke one morning not wanting to do any of it! I had to assess what had happened and flip it. It started the prior week, and proved to be a needed reminder of what I’d discovered about to-do vs. inspired-to-do, and temporarily forgot. I had my usual projects and tasks to attend to, as well as new ones. Added to this were conce s about several people I love. It was easy to become involved emotionally (stressed). When stressed, our tendency is to attempt to do everything as though nothing is different.
During a conversation with someone who wishes to move out of a lifetime of negative behaviors and beliefs, I realized as she spoke, that what it takes for her to feel better is for something outside of herself to improve or indicate a circumstance is getting better. Anyone even minimally ...
For some writers, the word “outline” is akin to a four-letter word. It doesn’t have to be that way. Yes, there are successful authors—and I do mean best-selling authors—whose practice is to let their fingers fly and write by the seat of their pants (known as pantsers), but they are few in number.
The title of this article is the reality of writers culled down to five words. You want to see your article available online or in print or hold a copy of your book in your hands. The next desired reality is to see a response to all the energy, time, creativity, and passion you put into what ...
“Bill, you asked me if I was just traveling or if I was on a journey. Aren’t they the same thing?” n “Not at all, A. J. Not at all.” “And the difference would be...” “When people are just travelin, they start out with the notion they’re gonna end up someplace by a certain time. They get ...
Are you a member of the Low Self-Esteem and Self-Worth Club? What you’re about to read may inspire you to cancel your membership.
What do you believe confidence is? Maybe you’re right, and maybe you’ll be surprised.
There are times when we pay attention and are able to see moments string together like a jeweler stringing pearls. Alter even one moment, especially because of an assumption, and the potential outcome shifts. One reason the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, is a popular classic is because of the ...
Lists are handy to help you stay organized. But, what if your list leads you into overwhelm instead of focus, achievement, and fulfillment? One of my newsletter readers emailed that he was not able to focus or move forward on any of his goals, and included a list of almost thirty items he’d written down for himself, and added there was more not included. He felt overwhelmed, and this left him stuck in place. I looked at the list and immediately saw why he felt this way.
“You don’t have to get it right you just have to get it going.” – Mike Litma I’m a huge fan of this quote, and believe new or aspiring (and even experienced) writers can benefit by repeating it as often as needed. Wherever you are on your path as a writer, there’s a temptation to believe you ...
Are you too busy trying not to lose in life and business to learn how to win? Leverage your time and energy the right way to create more of what you want to experience. “From this moment on, I refuse to settle for less than what I want!” Do you relate to this? Do you know what to do to make it ...
Meaningful life lessons are sometimes derived from unusual or unsuspected methods and revealed many years later. Recently, an image from when I was twelve years old came to mind. It was the first year a local elementary school held a weekend carnival. The usual junk food booths were there; but ...
Enthusiasm is one reason why new writers gets anything written at all. Misconception of what else is involved is what usually rattles their enthusiasm. It doesn’t have to be this way, though. One reaso I wrote the e-book, “Write, Get Published, and Promote,”** was because my ...
A funny thing happened on the way to writing an article about Gratitude. I changed my consciousness. For quite a while, I’ve been attaching "I am grateful for"in front of all of my affirmations. I had heard, and accepted, the words of others who spoke about the importance of gratitude. But ...
Do you ever feel inauthentic, like you wear a mask over what you believe you know, or fear, about who you really are? The trinity can help you follow the path to your authentic-self destination. I read Flip the S.W.I.T.C.H. (How to Turn On and Turn Up Your Mindset) by PJ McClure, The Mindset Maven, which he gives away on his website. I don’t want to spoil your experience of reading PJ’s brilliant book by recounting his content, nor is this a review. But, he did get me thinking about what I consider the trinity of self-realization and authenticity: Attitude, Mindset, and Personal Truth.
What might life look like if we held the belief that there are no mistakes? For some, this concept is, well, inconceivable. At first blush, it may even seem as though it excuses every thought, word, and action. Not really. A friend of mine once said, “I’m beginning to believe the only thing to ...
What does prosperity mean to you? How’s that working for you? Wayne Dyer gave us a great quote about how to reframe: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” A statement from “Empower Me 365” is, “True prosperity is having something (anything) to share and ...
Which is more important: the structure of your life or the foundation of who you are? One individual provided an extreme example of why this is important. A friend/coaching client asked me to help him find his footing about a work-related incident. He works in the mental health field where clients receive whatever assistance they need, as well as guidance to live as independently as possible. A co-worker is away for a while, so my friend and members of his team have each taken on several of her clients. One of these additional clients received money to make payments, but lost it.
Writing tense doesn’t refer to how tense a writer may feel when writing, but is instead about the tense the story is written in. There are a few no-no’s about this that writers, especially new writers, should be aware of. It doesn’t occur often, but occasionally a client sends me a manuscript written in a moment-by-moment manner, as the story is supposed to be happening. Example: Mary walks into the room and looks around. She sees the vase has been moved and puts it back into its proper place. Mary then walks to the sofa and adjusts one of the pillows.
An agenda that lists things to get done is terrific; but that's not the kind of agenda this article is about. I recall being angry with someone, so angry in fact, that I harbored that feeling for a long time. My attention to this was triggered when I faced a particular challenge after the ...
Choosing happiness when its not your habit is like the old joke about how you eat an elephant cone bite at a time. A friend shared she finds it challenging to switch from negative, unhappy mode (usual habit) to positive, happy mode (preferred habit) and gets frustrated when she feels anything ...
Here is a partial line from a P.D. James novel: “. . . preserving always the same look of puzzled acceptance of a life which had to be endured rather than possessed.” Do you possess or endure your life (or any part of it) at this moment? Every day, each of us endures something, even if inconveniences of greater or lesser magnitude—considering some endure much more than most of us will ever have to think about or ever want to. If you find you face a challenge or situation you believe you can do nothing about, take possession of it, meaning take possession of how you relate to it.
Setting is where the story and each scene take place, which you know. But do you grasp that setting can set the tone and mood readers experience, and can reveal and or trigger characters’ moods? You want to give enough (not too much) description for each scene to set the appearance, atmosphere, and mood for readers so they are clear enough in their own minds about the general or specific image you intend for them to have. It may help to create a list or essay description for your scenes (like a character sketch) and keep these handy so you stay consistent throughout the scenes and story.
There are two types of change to be aware of—the type you desire and the type you don’t. Do you feel you manage yourself well enough through these? Do You Want Your Life to Be Different? If you desire change in some area of your life, the first thing that must change is whatever in you prevents or delays your desired outcome. Inevitably, your desired outcome is to feel the way you wish to feel about whatever it is that has your attention. What are some ways you prevent or delay desired change?
There are times when what others say or do triggers us and we feel a need to comment or even rant. Can we do this better, from a place of personal power? You bet. Any time we speak about others, no matter what we say, we speak loudest about ourselves. This realization came to me after a ...
It may seem like we’re watching things crumble and tumble around us. What if we, even as and especially as individuals, now stand at the threshold of expanding our personal power and potential, no matter what? What if expanding this inner power is the very thing we should do? Are you ...
You invest in a book or program to improve something about you or your life. Do you take what it offers as far as is appropriate for you or as far as the bookshelf? Does this pattern show up in other areas of your life? We all have things in our lives we move forward on with no problem, others we drag our feet about, and those we hesitate to or never take the first step towards. It’s beneficial not to judge our process, but assess it and our outcomes often; it is imperative we participate in it willingly. I spoke with a man who doesn’t like his job (six-figure income) or his life.
There is a lot to keep in mind when you write a novel, memoir, or other non-fiction book. Enthusiasm is great to have and necessary for getting that first draft and subsequent revisions done. But here are some common issues I frequently see in manuscripts from clients. Are any of them ones you need to watch for? Let’s look at some technical matters.
Scene setting, whether that’s for fiction or non-fiction, which includes memoir, is all-important to give readers a sense of time and place as they read. And, you want to provide setting early in each scene or segment, and as you go.
When negativity knocks at your door, do you recognize it and send it away? Or do you invite it in for dinner, or worse, to stay with you as long as it likes—possibly for your lifetime? First, be clear that being the manager of negativity in your life isn’t about the fact you have negative thoughts or feelings—you will. It isn’t about eliminating negative thoughts and feelings so you never experience them again—that’s not realistic.
No, it isn’t too early to consider this; it is exactly the right time. The very things you do or don’t do about resolutions are what you do right now. And, you can do them differently starting today. First, it’s important to understand why resolutions you make any time fizzle out.
Many individuals don’t go after their dream because they don’t think they can, should, it’s too small, or “don’t know” what it is. Are any of these holding you back? Two inspirational videos were emailed to me: one about a dog named Ricochet and one about Rudy Ruettiger, for whom the popular movie Rudy is about. The links are available on the Resources page of my Website, and that link is in my bio.
We can teach others how to treat us, but others also reflect to us how we treat ourselves (self-value), which is often a more subtle dynamic. Do you see how this creates a loop? Let’s bypass childhood and more extreme scenarios, as both of those are different conversations. Let’s consider you’re an adult living a non-extreme life.
Surely, the mental energy you’re giving current (or old) issues is accomplishing something, right? It depends on if you’re thinking or processing. You, too, may appreciate this exchange betwee Bob Proctor and Leslie Householder when they met, before she wrote her first book that became a best-seller. He told her she was fairly balanced between right and left brain but was more of a creative type. She disagreed and informed him she was a math major, analytical, that she constantly thought about her life and everything (always in thinking mode). She admitted she was a processor.
Did you get the answer to this question immediately? Horace said, “Life is largely a matter of expectations.” Expectations have a lot to do with the one thing you can control. There is one thing in life you have absolute control over: Your attitude. An excellent quote to remember is, “Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional” (Bruce Schneider, Founder/Director of iPEC). A fact of life is that pain visits all of us at one time or another. What we choose to do with it shapes who we are and our life experiences.
All the strategies, systems, programs, books you’ve invested in that haven’t shifted your prosperity or life experience may have missed one key point. You may not realize approval, rather than value-for-value, is your imprinted “currency” exchange. Expectations and limiting beliefs introduced to us in early years become invisible residents in our non-physical “bones.” They also morph—change form and function—as we grow into adults.
There’s a simple way to re-focus your time and energy to get a better start and results in a new year—or any time of year—in any area of your life. Just ask yourself the two questions offered here. Two emails I received reminded me about the principle described below. I’d already had in mind to do a similar process, but felt nudged to really “go there” using this formula. Maybe you’ve heard of the Pareto Principle or the 80/20 Rule. It maintains that around 20 percent of what you do each day creates 80 percent of your desired results . . . including fulfillment.
Have you ever thought about how the way we’re taught to measure worth and self-worth is similar to how we got tests graded in school? There is an interesting parallel. The school grades you received for tests measured, in a limited fashion: how well you took tests (often designed to be tricky), memorized, understood (or liked, from your side of things) what you were tested on, and—though more from your perspective than the system’s—whether or not you believed you’d have a use for the information now or in the future (felt it was applicable to your life experience or goal).
We’re half-way through 2009, and nearly everyone might agree shift has hit the fan. Significant change prompts significant questions.
It’s believed best not to look back to move forward; but if you do this wisely, it can make a difference. Pick an issue . . . any current issue that has your attention by the, umm . . . balance point. Underlying this issue is a belief you have about it, a belief that’s not serving you. Take a ...
It’s been said repeatedly that you’d have most of what you want in life if there wasn’t a belief, or more than one, blocking you. One of the biggest blocks for many is the one that says, “I don’t deserve.” Anyone who’s practiced attracting what they want knows they have to allow it; they have ...
When you read the article title, does it rev you up or make you want to crawl back under the covers? Let’s look at what it means and go from there. The dictionary offers several meanings for the word bold, not all of them nice. One of its definitions is fearless. There’s a difference between ...
Mainstream comments and thoughts make it easy to think of the economy as something separate from individuals and communities, which is not true. Here are a few ideas about this. My opinion is that the reason the economy appears as it does right now is because some forgot something basic: Many ...