I think I’ve always been a writer on some level. From the stories I “wrote” in elementary school to the volumes of poetry in my teenage years to the essays and research papers in university, it seems like I’ve been writing something pretty much my whole life. Except for the years I was married. In those years I didn’t have a voice, and couldn’t have written if my life depended on it but that’s a story for another day. Suffice to say that blogging and info product creation are a natural fit for me because I get to spend my days writing and creating. So when my friend Moira Hutchison asked me to participate in this blog hop about writing, I jumped at the chance.
1) What am I working on/writing?
I’ve always got a ton of projects on the go. Right now it’s like the lull before the storm, because I’m in the planning stages of a whole new direction. In May I had the opportunity to attend the Exposure and Profit event in Toronto, and as a result of what I learned there and this massive energy shift that’s happening right now, I’m growing and going new places with my writing and my creativity in general. July 1st is going to kick off a pretty exciting second half to the year.
One of the things I was challenged to write at the Toronto event is my own story. I’ve told bits and pieces of it here and there over the years, but have never really shared the whole thing. I was lucky enough to get an afternoon of mentoring from Nicole Dean and Alice Seba, and they pointed out that it’s not really fair of me to tell others that they have to share their story if I’m not willing to share mine. So that’s one thing I am working on.
The second thing I’m working on right now is a new graphics site. I blog a lot about social media and content marketing in general, and one of the things I love to do is create graphics, especially social graphics like quotes and tips and infographics. Last night I spent my Friday night installing aMember so that I have a proper shopping cart and affiliate program for that.
The final thing I’ll share with you that I’m going to be doing in July is taking part in the MyNams Insiders List-Building Challenge. It will be 30 days of list-building and creating content, and since my first big success online came through e-mail marketing, I’m really excited to dig in and learn even more.
2) How does my work/writing differ from others of its genre?
My writing differs from other marketing bloggers because it’s mine. We each have our own unique voice that’s going to resonate with some people and not with others, and when you stay true to that, it’s easy to differentiate yourself. I always write with my own voice and put a good part of me into each piece that I write.
My graphics differ from others because of my intuition. I’m a very intuitive person, and I’m not afraid to use that when it comes to making my clients happy. I’ve lost count of the number of times people have said to me things like “I like purple and green. Make me something pretty.” Another favorite is “I’ll know it when I see it.” I take statements like that as a challenge to meet and exceed the client’s expectations and usually I get pretty close on the first try.
3) Why do I write what I do?
I write what I do, which is a little bit of everything, because it’s a part of me and because I really do think we all have a story to share. Each of us has a purpose for being here at this time, and my goal is to help as many people as I can to get their stories heard. I don’t know whose life I am going to have an impact on, who needed to hear whatever it was that I wrote or posted that day, unless they tell me. Some do; more don’t. But I do know that I have an obligation to write what’s in my heart and put it out there in case there is someone who needs to hear it. Whether that’s a social media article on YourMessageAmplified.com or something about how I’m using essential oils on HelenaBowers.com, I pay attention to my intuition and write what my little voice tells me to each day.
4) How does my writing process work?
I don’t really have a writing process. I start every morning with a gratitude journal, 10 – 20 minutes of meditation, and three pages of free writing (aka “Morning Pages”), and that’s about as structured as my day gets. Usually as I’m writing in the morning, something will pop out at me and then that’s the direction I go in for the day. Other times, I will get ideas from blog posts, books I’m reading, or things I see on t.v. and then I’ll sit down and write out my thoughts.
The one thing that never changes for me is that everything starts with a pen and paper. I’ve been writing on a yellow legal pad with a 1.0mm gel pen ever since my son bought me one to finish my M.A. years ago, and if they ever stop making them I will be lost!
When it comes to creating graphics, whether for myself or for clients, there is a more defined process. It still involves a lot of starting and stopping because once I get the original idea I will go off and think about it for awhile. Sometimes I write while I’m thinking, and other times I’ll do more physical things like clean the house or go for a walk. But I won’t actually start creating the piece until I can see it finished in my head.
Meet My Writer Friends
Moira Hutchison
Moira is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Life Coach. Her specialties range from helping people with broad goals such as life planning and personal balance, to specific goals like motivation, overcoming procrastination and self-sabotage.. She has multiple certifications in the fields of energy psychology, hypnotherapy, personal growth, spirituality, and self-empowerment.
Using her own approach – The Get Unstuck Method – she helps people shift from feeling stuck and overwhelmed to being inspired, empowered and actually in control of their lives.
To find out more about the services and approach she offers, please visit her website: www.WellnessWithMoira.com or connect on Facebook
Patti Stafford
Patti is a creative writing prompt and story starter expert who runs YourStoryStarters.com.
She loves to engage fun and creativity in writers by asking questions, giving them directions to consider when working with story prompts or their own creative writing.
Patti writes cozy romantic mysteries and currently lives in Branson, MO with her husband, musician Kevin Stafford and their black cat, Dunkel.
Sue Fleckenstein
Sue has been earning her living by writing online since 2009. You can find her main website at SueFleckenstein.com and her PLR Store, at BuyPLRToday.com. She writes on topics as varied as health, exercise, Internet marketing and
self-publishing for an ever-growing list of happy clients.
Sue is also a book author, with books published both on Kindle and in paperback. You can find them listed in the iBookstore and on Amazon. She loves creating her own products, connecting with her customers and clients and learning new approaches to writing. For more information please visit her pages at: http://suefleckenstein.com, http://buyplrtoday.com and connect on Facebook.
The post Thoughts on Writing and the Process appeared first on Being Helena.
