Lisa Tener

Book Writing Coach

Writing Classes

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!

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.

Writing Blocks: Do You Ever Get Overwhelmed?

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Book Writing Coach Lisa Tener
Your Book Writing Coach

This theme of overwhelm has come up in multiple book concept consultations in the past week as I’ve met with new participants in my Bring Your Book to Life Program.

As I take them through a visualization I call, “Meet Your Muse,” the messages from their muses have been consistent as well–versions of, “One page at a time.” The muses seem to concur that you don’t need to focus on the big picture the whole time.

Most of these book-writers have begun their outlines–using a process I suggest with color-coded index cards.  Once the outline is done, just pick a section and begin. You don’t have to start with the chapter that “scares you” as one writer put it. Choose a fun chapter, or one you feel excited to write. That’s the beauty of the outline. It provides a structure so you can be more free.

walk in nature as a writing break
Take a walk in nature as a writing break to refresh and clear your mind.

I once had a book writing course participant who took one day off a week and planned to write eight hours that day. She said she couldn’t manage writing any other day. She struggled until she could let go of the pressure of an eight hour writing day. Ideally, start with small blocks of time. Try a half hour. If you find yourself just getting into the rhythm of writing, increase  your writing blocks to an hour or two. After that, you’ll probably need a break. Take a walk outside. Then begin again.

What are your tricks for getting past overwhelm? Share them as a comment below. Or share your writing challenges and I’ll provide what experience and suggestions I can to help you.

7 Reasons To Write Your Book in 2012…and 3 Reasons Not To.

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7 Reasons to write your book in 2012

how to get started to write a bookLooking for some good reasons to finally get that book written? How about:

1. The person who runs up to you after your first post-publication presentation and says, “Your book changed my life.”

2. Impacting thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or millions of people instead of _____________ (fill in your current reach).

3. Those ideal clients or customers your book can reach with a targeted message—and the impact that will have on your business and profitability.

4. Impressing your dates with, “I’m a published author” rather than, “I’ve been thinking of writing a book for the past 20 years.”

5. The free spa vacation you can weave into a book presentation at that Caribbean resort you’ve been dreaming of visiting.

6. Filling your teleseminars, webinars and live events with raving fans.

lisa tener book writing coach jumping
The Surprise Factor: I’m jumping on the very beach in front of where I teach my book writing courses

7. The Surprise Factor—my own book opened up a career I’d never dreamed of—one that is absolutely made for me and brings me joy every day, but it’s something I never imagined until my book propelled me on this new path of becoming a book writing coach and publishing coach. My clients often share similar surprises that happened to them when they became published authors—from the unexpected six figure dream job offer to the six month move to Hawaii—an opportunity that stemmed from the author’s award winning book.

3 Reasons Not to Write Your Book in 2012

1. You don’t have time: Duh. Do you really need to watch that rerun of The Biggest Loser? Okay. I will concede: If you won’t make the time, don’t bother starting. But if you can clear 5-12 hours a week for 8 weeks or more, you can write your book.

David Donahue's Photo
The downcast feeling that you’re not a great writer. [David Donahue’s Photo]
2. You’re not a great writer: That’s what keeps great editors in business. Seriously, most people just don’t know how to write well—learn the secrets of good writing and you can write a compelling book—and, yes, you can hire an editor to make it really shine.

3. You’re not sure where to start. Join me and Linda Joy on March 7, 2012 at 8:30pm Eastern, 5:30 pm Pacific for a free interactive and highly informative teleseminar called Birth Your Book: From Inspiration to Published Author and you will know exactly how to get started on your book—and create a plan to complete it.

Perhaps you have every reason to write your book in 2012 and no sound reason not to. Sign up for our free teleseminar Birth Your Book today or just click the link to find out the juicy questions we plan to answer and secrets we’ll share on this fabulous free call.

book writing course teleseminarWhat’s your biggest reason for writing a book in 2012? Please share it below as a comment.  And if you’re a published author, share your favorite result of your book to date.

Writing Magic: Secrets to Compelling Writing

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writing coach Lisa Tener
Your Writing Coach

Once upon a time, a coach I know referred a client to me and–after reading a chapter–I almost told her I didn’t think I could help him. Lucky for both of us, I withheld judgement and agreed to edit one chapter.

When he sent me his second chapter, it blew me away.  I laughed, I cried and I thanked my lucky stars I hadn’t turned him away.  But what could explain the phenomenal leap in the quality of writing? I could only ask…

“I studied your feedback from chapter one and applied it. When I say I studied it, I mean I really studied it.”

So, what did Adam do exactly to go from something completely unpublishable to a blow-your-editor-away chapter? He put into action several tips, but the two main writing “secrets” he employed are not exactly secrets.

1).  He made the writing come alive by showing, not telling and 2). He replaced most passive verbs with active ones.

writing coach
Active verbs engage readers and enliven your writing.

Let’s talk about the second rule first. Instead of using “is,” “was,” “had,” “has,” etc., see if you can find a way to use a verb that has more energy. Passive verbs put readers to sleep and active verbs engage readers and enliven the writing.

Example:  The chapter was boring. vs. The chapter bored me.

More energy in the second example, right? Easy fix, too.

Now, rule 1, which offers many more applications and subtleties. I’ll just offer a few examples of Show vs. tell.

If the reader has to fill in too many details, you’re telling. If you’re not providing input into one or more of the six (yes, six) senses, you’re telling. If you’re spoon feeding the reader a conclusion (oldest children are often bossy) rather than allowing the reader to draw that conclusion by illustrating with an example (me telling my sister she wasn’t allowed to be Mister Nobody in our pretend family), you’re telling, as well.

Paint a picture with your words.

How do you move from telling to showing? Whether you’re writing a how-to book with anecdotes, a memoir or fiction, you can use this checklist below to get started.

  1. What can I show the reader to create a complete experience?
  2.  How can I employ two or more senses in my description?
  3. What is one unusual detail I remember about this experience, something that is not ordinary or clichéd?
  4. How can I get more specific?
  5. What’s an example from my own work or life, or the lives of my clients/customers/patients/friends/family that illustrates the point I want to make?
  6. How can I help the reader draw the conclusion?
  7. Where can I enhance the experience with dialogue?
Get specific about the details--especially quirky ones

Ready to dive into the details?

  1. If you’re asking yourself, “What can I show the reader to create a complete experience?” your revision might delete the section telling the reader that you had lots of rules for how to pick a new hire, replacing it with sharing your rules and what you looked for. Don’t gloss over the details—give them to us.
  2. If you’re looking to employ your senses, you can ask yourself, “What did I (or the person you’re writing about) see? Hear? Smell? Taste? How might that have felt in my/his/her body? “
  3. How to hit upon an unusual detail? Bring yourself back to picturing the situation (or if you’re writing fiction, put yourself in the scene). Notice everything around you. What sticks out as different? A funny phrase the person says (“I’m tickled.”)? The way the person drapes their scarf? An awkward and unbalanced gait?
  4. Here’s an example of “How Can I Get More Specific?” Adam described his car as a mess—papers and empty beer bottles strewn about the car. First I asked, “Where were these items?” It turned out that the papers were in the front seat and the beer bottles were in the back seat, on the floor and in the trunk. As we got even more specific, we uncovered that the papers were fertility treatment instructions and lace patterns. The beer bottles were Heinekens in the back of the car and Bud Lights in the trunk. At the start of the writing, the car was a clichéd mess. After polishing the paragraph, the reader could picture the author’s hummer in all its disheveled detail. When you do this exercise on your own, give a specific detail and then see how you can get even more specific. Try this until you run out of specificity.
Join me for a writing class this weekend at All That Matters

If you’d like more tools for polishing your writing and making it compelling, join me for Writing Magic Saturday, January 7 at 10:30 am at All That Matters Yoga and Conference Center in Wakefield, RI. We’ll learn the rules and put them into action. When you compare your writing from the beginning of class to the end, you’ll be amazed at the leap in style and impact!

How to Write a Book: Starting Small

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book writing coach lisa tener
Your Book Writing Coach

Some people have the drive to write their first book and dive right in figuring they’ll learn what they need along the way–either with a book writing program, coaching, editing or trial and error. Many other people struggle and wait, unsure whether they should write their book–“Do I have what it takes?” “Is my idea original enough?” “Will anyone ever read it?”

One way to start to answer these questions it to start small. Write about your subject in an article or blog post. Write in small bursts and see how you feel. Are you enjoying the writing? Does it feel like you have more to say? Does it engage your readers?

Once you complete some shorter pieces:

1. You will have a better sense how much time it takes you to write.

2. You may feel much more comfortable about writing a book.

3. You can get feedback from your audience about what interests them, what’s missing, what they want more of, what you may have missed.

4. You may feel more confident about your writing and your material.

5. You can look at a longer term commitment, such as a book.

Ready to take a small step? Join me for one of my monthly writing courses at All That Matters conference center in beautiful Wakefield, RI. If you live far from RI, consider a weekend retreat–you can join the half day class and plan to do some writing, walk the river behind All That Matters, ride the bike path that runs by the conference center and get inspired to write some more!

This Sunday, October 23, join me for Writing for Everyone–a great “toe in the water” for beginners, or for others, an opportunity to do some work on the book you’ve already begun.

In November, get ready for Inspired Blogging on Saturday, Nov. 19. And December, it’s time for Writing for Transformation on Dec. 10.  January 7, we bring you Writing Magic and March 11 Jump Start Your Spiritual How to Book or Memoir. Cost is only $65 per class and if you sign up for 3 classes, you’ll receive a free “Quick Start to Kick Start Your Book“ which sells regularly on my website for $97.

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