Lisa Tener

Book Writing Coach

How to Write a Book

Creating Your Feel Good Writing Space: Virtual Book Tour Interview and Video

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Sherry Burton used my Inspiration to Author 8 week program to write her fabulous new book: Feel Good Spaces A Guide To Decorating Your Home For Body, Mind, & Spirit.  When her publicist, Carol Lawrence, asked if I’d host a stop on Sherry’s blog tour, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to introduce my readers to virtual book tours AND interview Sherry for some advice on creating a feel good writing space. From February 1st – February 12th Sherry is visiting 12 blogs on her virtual book tour. You are invited to follow the tour, visit a new blog each day, meet some wonderful new friends and get a sense of how a professional blog tour is done–with different information on every stop. As part of Sherry’s virtual book tour, I am very excited to share with you an interview and a bonus video: For Inspired Authors: Your Feel Good Writing Space both designed to help you on your book writing and publishing journey. feel good spaces bookLisa: First of all, thank you Sherry for inviting me to host you today. Let’s get started. What are the first questions you’d ask before creating a “Feel Good Space” for Writing? Sherry: I’d ask:

  • Where do you feel most comfortable writing? Is it in your home? At the coffee shop? Your office?
  • Is the space selected quiet and peaceful with minimal distractions?
  • Is it a space where you feel transformed, energized and productive?

Then I would want to set up an action plan for setting up your interior environment so that your writing needs and goals are supported and fully realized. This includes having an organized space and a system of writing as outlined in Lisa Tener’s Inspiration to Author in 8 Weeks. Lisa: Wow, thanks for including that! I’m glad it worked for you, Sherry. What are the most important considerations for creating a feel good space for writing? Sherry: Ensure that the space is clutter free. You want to rid all those things that serve no purpose or do not enhance your writing experience. By doing this, you open up the Chi—the invisible life force or good energy that is in and around your writing environment. Too much clutter stops the flow of Chi and can make us feel stuck and stressed and thus uninspired to write effectively. Lisa: Okay, that’s a reminder to clean up my desk–and probably why I’ve been writing in my bedroom instead lately. What else? Sherry: Find out what your personal development colors are and how to integrate them in your feel good writing space. There’s nothing like having the right customized colors in your environment to help you thrive at your highest level. Lisa: How would someone find that out?  Sherry: Through a special birthdate reading using the Chiero Color System I can determine one’s personal development color.  This can be done directly by me by appointment. Lisa: Anything else? Sherry: Personalize your feel good space for writing with art, photographs and objects that are meaningful and inspire creativity. The space should have a function, flow and a feel to it. Lisa: Oh, I agree. I have an inspiring giclee print on my office wall–a woman rowing down a river with an eagle overhead–it frees me up to look at it. Where did you do your writing of Feel Good Spaces and what did you do to help make it a creative space? Sherry: I did my writing primarily in my home office where I could find the most peace and fewer distractions. I personalized my space and kept it clutter free to make it a space that was functional for my writing of Feel Good Spaces. Lisa: What are the biggest mistakes people make in their writing (or creative) spaces? How can they avoid those? Sherry: Your printer, fax machine and copier can create enormous energy that can be draining. We call this EMFs or electromagnetic fields. To minimize this, I suggest that plants be used in your writing space to buffer the effects of EMFs to your body. Keep any distractions at a minimum. That includes outside noise. Make sure your space is located in a part of your home where you will not be distracted by outside influences. Lisa: Great to know. What are some of the best colors for a writing space? Sherry: I would recommend the following colors for a feel good writing space:

  1. Yellow– for personal power, knowledge and mental clarity
  2. Blue– for peace, faith, trust and communication
  3. Indigo– for insight, intuition and higher level thinking
  4. Red– for power, enthusiasm, life force energy, courage and passion

Consider a vase full of flowers in these colors near your writing space or some other accessory or accent with one or more of these colors for your feel good writing space. Lisa: Is there a feel good space you helped someone design specifically for writing or creativity? Sherry: I’ve designed feel good spaces for so many different purposes–particularly for those who need efficient home offices. I have not designed a space specifically for authors. Lisa: Anything you want to share about the office spaces? feel good writing space Sherry:I designed this space with custom woven window shades, a pale yellow wall color and a writing desk that is clutter free with some personal objects including a plant. What worked for this space was that it was adjacent to a roof deck which provided the client an opportunity to use the desk to rest and find inspiration. The simplicity and zen quality of the space kept distractions at a minimum. This next project was a home office space which could also serve as a great reading space. Note the desk is in the Feng Shui command position to the door and the combination of colors gold (yellow) and red is used. Minimum décor with inspiring artwork and a zen quality in the decoration. Lisa: In using my Inspiration to Author to help you get your book written, what other tips do you have for people writing a book? Sherry: I would say that the Inspiration to Author Program helped me really think through the writing of my book in such a way that it presented a clear template for organizing the book, specifically the chapters and how to flow from one subject to the next. When I first started writing the book, I lacked the confidence, expertise and experience. I did not get the guidance I would have liked from other sources. Working through the 8 week program I got the assistance I needed in planning, organizing and strategically completing the book. For those  contemplating writing a book I highly recommend Lisa’s program because it helps you meet your goals and make your book a reality through the support it provides. Lisa: Thanks, Sherry. Okay, let’s share your video: For Inspired Authors: Your Feel Good Writing Space If you’re having trouble viewing this video, watch it on youtube here. Yesterday, the tour was hosted by Tonya Parker. Tonya shared a special recorded interview where Sherry Burton Ways provides helpful hints on how to turn any room into a space to nourish your mind, body and soul, visit her website Mind Body and Spiritworks to hear the replay. Tomorrow find out, How Art Can Contribute To A Feel Good Space with an interview with Sherry, hosted by The Artinista. A special excerpt will give you a glimpse inside Sherry’s new book. Visit Sherry’s website today to sign upto win a prize! * Grand prize: A copy of Feel Good Spaces along with her grand prize of a 30-minute H.O.M.E. Interior Environment Intro Coaching Session via Skype or in person depending on location. * A copy of Feel Good Spaces along with a 20-minute Color Therapy Consultation via Skype. Color Therapy Consults for interior color is one of the first elements you notice when you walk into a room, and color resonates with you when you leave. Color sets a mood: The right color combination can transform a home or office and bring all who reside there new levels of energy. Custom color palettes for interior walls can bring happiness, harmony and well-being. * A copy of Feel Good Spaces: A Guide for Decorating Your Home for the Body, Mind, & Spirit To see the complete virtual book tour line up, follow each host on Twitter and connect with them on Facebook click here!

Tap into Creativity: An Interview with Dylan Klempner

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book writing coach lisa tenerI love my work as a book writing and publishing coach. Inevitably I meet people who are up to such interesting things–so I’m always learning from them. Sometimes, what they have to teach is particularly relevant to someone writing a book, as is the case with Dylan Klempner who is an artist in residence at Shands Hospital’s Arts in Medicine Program and has just launched the program 31 Days to a More Creative You.

Here I interview Dylan more about the benefits of creativity–for anyone and for writers, in particular. Dylan shares his expertise, insights and tips.

Lisa: Let’s start with health, since that’s such a big part of what you do, Dylan. What are some of the health benefits of creativity? 

Dylan: Studies show that being creative helps us relax.  Writing, painting, dancing and singing are excellent stress busters.  But the health benefits of creativity and art making go well beyond dealing with the effects of stress.  I work at a university affiliated hospital where the arts are used as a companion therapy in just about any illness you can think of.
klemper_dylan-17-smallLisa:  What are some specific benefits?

Dylan: The arts reduce pain levels.  Playing and listening to music, for example, is a powerful way to control pain.  Dance is used successfully in our hospital to help Parkinson’s patients maintain mobility.  Writing and painting can help you make meaning out of crisis.  Viewing visual art is also a powerful tool for disease prevention.  It can also soothe and restore us. 
 

Lisa: What are some of your creative practices? 

Dylan: Art is a primary way I connect with other people, so I practice a variety of art forms that help me do that.  I’m mainly a writer, but I also paint, take photographs, and play drums. 

 
Lisa: How have your other creative practices affected or enhanced your writing? 

Dylan: Creativity is a like a muscle that grows with exercise.  I try to follow the invitation I give others, which is to make art for 15 minutes per day.  If you can’t do 15 minutes, do 5.  If you can’t do 5, do 1.  The process of making art every day has had a powerful impact on my ability to bring creativity into other areas of my life–like writing–when I need it most. 
 
Lisa: That’s a wonderful way to put it and I couldn’t agree more about creativity being a muscle. Can you share a creativity enhancing exercise that works especially well for writers? 
 
Dylan:  I always recommend journaling. Maintain a steady flow of words.  Keep your hand moving across the page, your fingers across the keyboard.  I often use journaling to warm-up or cool-down during prolonged writing sessions.
 
Lisa: Can you give us one more creativity tip for writers?
 
Dylan:  When you think you’ve run out of ideas, describe images that relate to the project you’re working on.  This process works whether you’re writing a how-to book, a novel or an office memo.  For a piece of fiction, describe the scene or your character’s physical appearance in great detail.  For nonfiction, recall what’s most important about the message you’re trying to deliver.  You’ll have to edit out what’s not relevant later, of course.  The goal is to become as intimate with your topics as you can.  That’s how you learn how to say what you want to say.

Lisa: Tell us a little about 31 Days to a More Creative You  as well as the free e-31DaysImageFinalcourse you just launched.

Dylan: The e-course is designed to help you access your expressive voice and overcome creative blocks.  In 31 Days to a More Creative You, you receive a month-long program of creativity-building activities. You will paint, write poetry, dance, sing, and more.  I also show you how to enjoy the creative work of others. I help you find new music tailored to your individual tastes and offer tips to make your next visit to an art gallery or museum more enjoyable. The free course is a mini-version of it.

Lisa: I can see how this could help writers just tap into their creativity more and free up their writing. Why did you create the program? Was it personal?

Dylan: Two reasons: First, I wanted to give people simple art making instructions because I know how essential the arts are to our well being.  I also wanted to honor the outstanding teachers I’ve had the privilege to work with over the past several years.  I wanted to “pay forward” their wisdom and advice.  In the process, I’m learning a tremendous amount from my students about art’s capacity to help us heal, cope with difficult circumstances, and express ourselves.  So the project has had this unintended reciprocal effect. 
 

Lisa: What benefits might writers expect to get from your course (both as writers and in general)? 

Dylan: If I’ve learned anything since I began taking myself seriously as a writer about twenty years ago, it’s that there’s more to writing than writing.  What I mean is, you can write all day without saying anything important to you or anyone else.  But that’s unfulfilling.  I’m not talking about inspiration–which I actually think is a by-product of simply showing up again and again to do the work and asking big questions.  Writers need to figure out what they want to say, then find the means to say it. 

Lisa: How do you feel writers can “figure out what they want to say”?

Dylan: We do that by developing skills that nourish our writing lives.  We need to learn to see, to be present and in our bodies, and to use language.  Making art with media besides pen, paper, and word processor, helps us exercise our creative muscles–like cross-training for an athlete.

Lisa: Readers, I encourage you to sign up for Dylan’s FREE e-course–the first three days of  31 Days to a More Creative You.

Dylan Klempner is the author of 31 Days to a More Creative You. He believes that creative play is an essential part of our well-being. His work provides quick, simple, and fun activities that add joy and significance to your days. Dylan’s creativity advice and artist profiles have appeared in publications across the country. He is an artist-in-residence in the Arts In Medicine program at the University of Florida’s Shands Hospital, and co-edits the non-fiction literary e-zine, BraidedBrook.com. Dylan enjoys oil painting, drums, and discovering new art forms as much as he enjoys working with others to maximize their creative potential.

Please share any questions for Dylan or your own insights about creativity as a comment below!

How to Write a First Sentence that Draws Readers In

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life coach bonnie leonard
Life Coach Bonnie Leonard, Creator of The Reinvent Your Life – Write Now journaling program

Here’s a great short book writing tip I had to share.

After a bit of a false start with her first chapter, Bonnie Leonard returned to book writing class the next week having begun again. She shared a brilliant strategy I plan to try myself:  she asked herself how she could start her book–and each chapter–with a line that immediately drew in her readers.

Bonnie’s solution was to write down the first line of 15  books she had around the house and see which ones worked and why.

The result? When she shared her first sentences in class, we all agreed they were winners. Here are a few:

  • travel photos
    David Donohue’s travel photos just lend themselves to Bonnie’s travel stories. More of David’s photos at http://fotosbydavid.com/
    • “I headed for my destination with a quickened pace and single-minded focus…”
  • “After the dinner of a lifetime, I wandered slowly back to my current residence – a family guest house in Bangalore.”
  • “The taxi driver dropped off the two other passengers at Hong Kong’s luxurious hotel, The Peninsula, then turned to ask me for a third time, ‘What address, hotel?'”

I love the last one, as you just know you’re in for an off-the-beaten-track adventure when the taxi driver can’t place the hotel. The whole chapter is filled with humor.

Journal cover
Bonnie’s Course: Reinvent Your Life: Write Now

Try it yourself. Find ten books you enjoyed and books that have done well and write down the very first sentence.

Which ones grab you? See if you can figure out why they do. What did you learn?

What might you do to draw your readers in?

Note: Bonnie Leonard is a certified Life Coach and former Dean of Continuing Education at Wellesley College. You can find out more about Bonnie’s new nine-week journaling program, Reinvent Your Life ~ Write Now, which emerged from her years of experience empowering women to create new lives for themselves.

Please share your first sentences below (or any writing tips as well).

Interview with Juan O’Callahan

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Juan O’Callahan, author of Wellness for Super Seniors

I met Juan O’Callahan this past June at the University of Rhode Island’s Ocean State Summer Writers Conference and provided editing and advice over the next few months. When he self-published his excellent book, Wellness for Super-Seniors: How to Support Your Parents’ Health & Happiness & Help Them Live Longer, Better, I asked if he had advice to share with authors.

Lisa: Can you share with blog readers how you started with the idea for Wellness for Super Seniors?

Juan: I started out producing a manual for the wellness for elderly seniors –people over 75–consisting of exercises and nutrition practices that I had originally developed for myself, and was now teaching to others in my community and to some of my former military peers.  It consists of my special exercises, advice and recipes on sound nutrition, and tips on certain health issues.

Lisa:  What were some of the biggest challenges you faced?

book cover wellness for super seniors
Juan’s market was the adult children of super-seniors even more than the seniors themselves.

Juan: Relatives and friends advised me to make it more personal: “Talk about yourself,” they said;  “Add some stories of your students, case histories, examples.”  I struggled with making the vignettes long-winded and tedious, and not knowing where to insert them, if at all.  I also began to discern that my manual was potentially turning into a book…and if that was the case, I would have to write longer and better introductions to each of the three core tutorial sections.

Lisa: That’s one of the wonderful things about writing, seeing how your ideas grow and develop with you. When you knew this manual was becoming a book, what did you do next?

Juan: I first consulted an online writing coach in California who suggested I had not addressed a specific audience [important for this book]  and I enrolled in a summer writing conference at the University of Rhode Island. That’s where I met you, Lisa and had our one-on-one conference about my intentions. You had suggested that I was addressing several different audiences and that I needed to choose one as a primary audience. So, I settled down to rewrite the entire narrative sections of the book.

Lisa: What did you end up rewriting?

 

Author Juan O'Callahan
Juan O’Callahan practices what he preaches!

Juan: I wrote each section addressing the children and caregivers of the very-elderly since they would be the ones concerned with the conditions of wellness and quality-of-life of their loved ones. Even then I became disheartened because my audience wasn’t specific enough. I sat down for several more months and tried to resolve my dilemma, redrafting the entire text once again.

Lisa: When you were finished, how did you go about getting your book out into the world?

Juan: Fortunately, my two daughters (my prodders and copy editors) were able to select the appropriate printer and formatting process in order to self-publish my book. With your help and detailed editing, I added paragraphs and even some pages pointing out WHY those side stories had been included.   And I also made sure to persuade my audiences that caring for the very old was not necessarily an onerous or unbearable chore, but could be a joy and even surprisingly rewarding to the younger sets.

Lisa: I love that–it’s such an important perspective. Any lessons to share with readers?

Juan: I discovered that what may be of interest to me—the writer–may in fact be be far too long-winded, and perhaps not even that interesting to the reader; I had to learn to trim and delete, and start over again on paragraphs, pages and chapters.

While the whole process—from start to finish—was harder than I had imagined it would be, having finished, the feeling of accomplishment was euphoric and made it all worth the effort.

Lisa: If you could go back and redo the process so it was easier, what would you do?

Juan: In addition to outlining the “story flow” and putting together chapter summaries at the outset, I would get the first chapter down early and reviewed, and made interesting or exciting enough to “grip” the reader. I would consult with, and retain a writing coach at the outset, at the very moment an initial outline and purpose had been set out, even in rough form.  I wasted so much time struggling on my own.  I believe that I could have shortened the entire process by a year.  Your advice and the meticulous corrections and additions you made to my draft manuscript was enormously helpful.

Lisa: It’s great to hear you say that about starting with a coach from the outset. I very much enjoy working with people from the very beginning. I would have also saved a great deal of time if I’d worked with a professional from the outset–my first book took 7 years to go from idea to a book published with a major publisher–I’m sure your first draft was much more professional than mine! That’s why I developed my Bring Your Book to Life Program–so people can get help from the get-go and make sure they’re writing the right book and saving time.

I’ve been reflecting, too, that while many people do get a first draft written in my program in 8-12 weeks, others need a good 5-6 months or so to get a first draft written. With that in mind, knowing that my Bring Your Book to Life 8 week program is coming up in late April, I’m offering a special track for people who want to start their books now and work with me directly to get a head start, so they can have a first draft by mid-June–people who know they are going to need more than 8-12 weeks to write a first draft.

I’m setting up special consultations in the first two weeks of January for those people who want to explore the 6 month program with me. This is a special opportunity that I’m offering to 10 people maximum. So, readers, if you’re interested, e-mail Geri at Geri at LisaTener dot com, to receive an application and set up a time to explore the possibility with me.

Book Confusion: Maybe You’ve Got More Than One Book In You

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bookw riting coach lisa tener
Your Book Writing Coach

This post is inspired by Bring Your Book to Life Program participant Lori Williams who came to me, in her words, “Pregnant with a book.” She felt impassioned to write a memoir, yet when we spoke about her goals and dreams she expressed real pressure from her controlled remote viewing students to write a how-to book–and a personal desire to share the techniques she teaches nationally with a wider audience.

We settled on the how-to book as the first book–it would certainly be easier to get that one complete and into the world and she felt a strong need for it. However, when she sent me her outline, the book seemed a bit schizophrenic. Several chapters of memoir followed by some how-to chapters. I encouraged her to write the how-to book with, perhaps, a strong memoir element.

She wrote me back to say, she had been trying to squeeze it all into one book because the idea of two intimidated her, but she’d finally come to terms with the need to write two good books rather than one forced one.

“After reading your comments on my outline, I do believe I have two books in me. I need to write them both. That way, the memoir is the memoir and the how-to is the how-to. Each one with a specific audience. My students are clamoring for both. They tell me that my stories help them immensely, as I use the stories in class to illustrate various lessons.”

Are you struggling with your book and what to put in? Are you pulled in more than one direction? It may not even be a case of a memoir and a how-to book, but perhaps two different how-to books. Or two memoirs. Or similar books for different audiences.

If you find yourself going in circles and having trouble either 1) finding a consistent voice   2) having a consistent form from chapter to chapter or 3)  writing a memoir on several different themes, consider whether you have more than one book in you.

Another related issue that comes up for emerging authors is starting on one book only to find ideas for another book cropping up. Often, though not always, I find that this can be a bit of self-sabotage–a way to work on several books but not finish any.

Take time to ask yourself which is the book you most want to write and which is the one that needs to come first based on your goals, ease of writing, marketability and any other factors that are important to you. Then, if other ideas come up, make a few short notes and put them in a file for when it’s time to work on the next book.

award winning book
Padma wrote down her inspired ideas,  then shelved them to complete her first book.
award winning book
Padma had the discipline to stick with Climbing the Stairs before focusing on Island’s End.

My friend,  novelist Padma Venkatraman recently shared that a chapter of her multi-award- winning novel Island’s End began with a voice in her head. She took dictation from that voice and then put it away to complete her first novel–another award winner–Climbing the Stairs. When that was complete, she took up Island’s End.  I like her process–take dictation if the inspiration comes, but don’t let it derail you from finishing your first book.

It’s much more satisfying to be a published author than to have many half-finished manuscripts around the house!

What are your biggest book-writing challenges? Any insights to share as well?

She Trusted Her Gut and Got Book Deal With Hay House

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future hay house author elizabeth hamilton guarino
Elizabeth Hamilton Guarino’s Percolate: Let Your Best Self Filter Through will be published by Hay House in August 2013

When radio host  and founder of the Best Ever You Network,  Elizabeth Hamilton Guarino,  asked for help with her book I suggested we do a “meet your muse” visualization to get clarity. I had some ideas about her book, but her muse had other ideas.

She closed her eyes and I led her on an inner journey to her muse, where we asked her muse about the tone, structure and features of her book.

Her muse–who appeared as Nadia Comaneci–was clear–“Do your own thing.Trust yourself. You march to the beat of your own drummer.” Her muse reminded her of her days competing as a gymnast, where she followed her own instincts and created unique routines.

Good thing she listened to her muse. Elizabeth recently signed a book deal with Hay House Publishing for Percolate: Let Your Best Self Filter Through. One thing they especially liked about Percolate was her unique voice–not a typical voice in the self-help arena–but down to earth, simple and not  sugar coated.

While it’s often useful to get expert advice from someone who’s been in an industry for years and understands the markets, there are times when the conventional wisdom is not what you need. How do you know the difference?

Elizabeth Hamilton Guarino got out of her head and into her heart to connect with her muse. As a former gymnast, handstands work for her.

It takes going within. And how do you do that? Here are a few ideas:

– Listen to my “Meet Your Muse” visualization for writers (which you can download free) or schedule a “meet your muse” consultation with me.

– Go for a walk in nature.

– Meditate, do yoga or pray–whatever works for you.

– Ask questions in a journal and write your answers with your non-dominant hand (or just write without thinking, censoring or judging–let ideas flow.

Have you ever gotten advice but known in your gut it was wrong? What did you do? How do you tap into your answers? Are you bucking “conventional wisdom” with your book? How so?

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