This week in issue 30 of The Prosperous Writer, I blogged on the topic of being busy in our writing careers and what that might look and feel like.

What kind of lessons has being busy taught you? I look forward to reading your response to the e-zine prompt in your blog.

This blogging prompt is exclusively for subscribers of The Prosperous Writer blog. But if you want to get in on the next prompt round (I don’t archive issues), please feel free to join us by signing up to receive the e-zine next week.

Then hop in with next weeks’ prompt. You are welcome to join in any time!

If you are posting your blog’s link and it doesn’t show up immediately in the comments, that’s because I have to approve comments with links. I will regularly, don’t worry. I will also “whitelist” regulars and then they won’t have to wait for their comments to be approved.

And then I’ll round the posts up each week and share them in the e-zine.

Look forward to tweeting what what you have to say on Twitter to my almost 8500 followers!

Thanks for subscribing to The Prosperous Writer…

AUGUST

Monday, August 2nd – Sunday, August 8th: I’m accepting applications for The Writer Mama Scholarship for my Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff Class (which begins September 8th, details and register here). I’ll post the application info on Sunday the 1st and announce the recipient on Monday, August 9th.

Monday, August – December 2010: I’m launching my second round of three levels of Dream Teams with former students who want to get more of their writing published. Woo-hoo! Cannot wait! (Learn more here.)

Sunday, August 8th: I’m doing a workshop at the Willamette Writers Conference called “The Prosperous Writer.” I’m also critiquing manuscripts, signing books, participating in the silent auction, and catching up with and meeting former students. Yay!

Monday, August 9th – Sunday, August 15th: I’m accepting applications for a second Writer Mama Scholarship. This time for my Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform class (which begins September 8th, details and register here). I’ll post the application info on Sunday the 8th and announce the recipient on Monday, August 16th.

Monday, August 16th – Sunday, August 22nd: I will be away from my desk. When I come back I will be very tan. (At least as tan as a very pale person can get.)

SEPTEMBER

E-mail classes start on September 8th: I’m going into my fourth year of teaching Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff. I’m also teaching Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform. Both of my classes are newly updated and expanded! Abigail Green will also be teaching her popular class, Personal Essays That Get Published. (All the upcoming class info is here.)

Saturday, September 11th: I’m presenting a lunch workshop for Rose City Romance Writers at PCC Sylvania Campus from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Get Known Before The Book Deal, An Author Platform Checklist. Look forward to meeting everyone! (More info here.)

Sunday, September 19th: We’re launching season four of the Northwest Author Series with Nicole Rubel of Rotten Ralph fame at the Wilsonville Public Library at 3:30 p.m.. Her topic is Find Your Voice: Use It In A Children’s Book. (Details are over at the Northwest Author Series blog.)

Hope to work with you or connect with you through one of these upcoming classes or events!

So often when we talk about writers, we talk about their physical spaces as being crucial to what and how they write. But it seems to me that “place” where writers write is more of an internal construct than an external construct. This idea was validated for me when I read psychologist and creativity coach Eric Maisel’s terrific book, A Writer’s Space, which I reviewed here.

In our space, he says, “Like a surgeon, your goal is to focus. You want to muster your resources and canalize your energy.”

Canalize. Is that the perfect word or what?

He also says, that we are not merely seeking “a quiet room” but also “mental health.” In other words, we are seeking that sane inner space as well as the calm external space before we even start to write. And in my experience these are both prerequisites for successful productivity.

I know that I write better without interruption (although ironically I am being interrupted as I type this sentence by my daughter who wants me to come and see her latest acrobatic trick). This is why I typically get up early to write when the house is as quiet and still as it gets (with the exception of the cats, who are typically pretty active at this time).

I also like to write when the house is empty. When Jason and Samantha are at school, for example. Or in the summer mornings, if they have gone over to the high school so Jason can work at his desk there.

I know that I am a morning person. I know that I do my best and most productive writing in the morning. When all else fails. When I have to write in the afternoon or evening, I try and remove myself to the most quiet spot in the house like the basement or out on the patio under the Redwood tree. Whatever it takes.

A lot of the movies that depict mom writers portray them running away from their life circumstances. This was the case with the film “Motherhood” (2009) with Uma Thurman.

Chaotic as home life can sometimes be when you have a family, I don’t relate to this depiction of the frustrated would-be mom writer fleeing her life because my most productive years as a writer have come since motherhood, not before.

I think the premise that makes writing and life all work together under one roof for us is that everyone in the family has creative work that is important to him or her and it is the job of each person in the family, which operates as a team ideally, to support the goals and dreams of each of the other members of the family.

I suppose this requires a lot of understanding and flexibility on all of our parts, but it has also become so habitual that it feels completely natural at this point.

So if Samantha needs help mastering her bridge back-bend, we support her in that.

If Jason needs help working on his play prep for “Les Mis,” we support him in that.

And if mommy (that’s me) needs time and space to write her book, they support me, too.

There is no room for keeping up with the Jones(es) around here. We could care less what the Jones family is doing. We are not in competition with them. Nor do we wish to be like any other family other than our own.

Though, naturally, we wish them the best of luck with all of their creative projects.

How do you balance writing time and the needs of your family?

Does everyone under your roof get to have and pursue their dreams?

How does this uphold their desire for self-expression?

And is your family happier as a result of family members supporting family members?

I look forward to your insights.

Photo by afterthetone

This is Burton.

He’s a multi-talented reference librarian, new dad, and talented designer.

And this is the great poster he made for the fourth season of the Northwest Author Series.

Thanks, Burton!

(Does he rock or what?)

This week in issue 29 of The Prosperous Writer, I blogged on the topic of being polite in our writing careers and what that might look and feel like.

I realize that folks’ definitions of being polite vary. I would not be surprised if they vary quite a bit. That’s what makes this such an interesting topic to blog about.

This blogging prompt is exclusively for subscribers of The Prosperous Writer blog. But if you want to get in on the next prompt round (I don’t archive issues), please feel free to join us by signing up to receive the e-zine next week.

Then hop in with next weeks’ prompt. You are welcome to join us.

If you are posting your blog’s link and it doesn’t show up immediately in the comments, that’s because I have to approve comments with links.

I will regularly, don’t worry.

Then I’ll round them up each week and post them in the e-zine.

Look forward to sharing what you have to say!

Help me create the most comprehensive list of movies about writers online. Here’s what I have so far…(my husband, Jason, helped me with this list–I only got to about 50 on my own).

A couple of notes about this list: I have not seen all of these films, so sometimes I am relying on research. Let me know if anything on the list does not involve or revolve around a writer.

Many if not most of these films, are not appropriate for children. Just FYI.

I did not include broadcast journalists, just writers: tv writers, screen writers, mystery writers, children’s writers, playwrights, comedy writers, poets, novelists, you name it.

(* indicates writer mama movies, not always flattering portrayals)

1. Motherhood (2009)*
2. Driving in Cars with Boys (2001)*
3. The Prize-winner of Defiance Ohio (2005)*
4. Running with Scissors (2006)*
5. Cheaper By The Dozen (2003)*
6. Something’s Gotta Give (2003)*
7. Capote (2005)
8. Infamous (2006)
9. As Good As It Gets (2003)
10. Freedom Writers (2007)
11. Mrs. Parker & The Vicious Circle (1994)
12. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
13. Adaptation. (2002)
14. Shakespeare In Love (1998)
15. The Hours (2002)
16. Romancing The Stone (1984)
17. Deathtrap (1982)
18. Wonder Boys (2000)
19. Finding Forrester (2000)
20. Finding Neverland (2004)
21. Alex & Emma (2003)
22. Before Sunset (2004)
23. Quills (2000)
24. Almost Famous (2000)
25. The Lost Weekend (1945)
26. Tom & Viv (1994)
27. Isn’t She Great (2000)
28. My Left Foot (1989)
29. The Whole Wide World (1996)
30. Author! Author! (1982)
31. Little Women (1994)
32. Sex & The City (HBO Series 1998-2004 & films 2008 & 2010)
33. Rich & Famous (1981)
34. Old Acquaintance (1943)
35. Some Came Running (1958)
36. American Splendor (2003)
37. Sophie’s Choice (1982)
38. Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
39. Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
40. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)
41. Eat, Pray, Love (2010)
42. All The President’s Men (1976)
43. The Stoning of Soroya M. (2008)
44. The Ghost Writer (2010)
45. Julie & Julia (2009)
46. Misery (1990)
47. The Shining (1980)
48. 500 Days of Summer (2009)
49. Naked Lunch (1991)
50. Sylvia (2003)
51. Total Eclipse (1995)
52. Sleuth (1972)
53. Martian Child (2007)
54. Prick Up Your Ears (1987)
55. Scoop (2006)
56. Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
57. Henry and June (1990)
58. Stand By Me (1986)
59. The World According to Garp (1982)
60. Barton Fink (1991)
61. Cross Creek (1983)
62. Shadowlands (1993)
63. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
64. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
65. It Happened One Night (1934)
66. Stevie (1978)
67. Bright Star (2009)
68. A Mighty Heart (2007)
69. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
70. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
71. Shattered Glass (2003)
72. Marley & Me (2008)
73. Miss Potter (2006)
74. Iris (2001)
75. Out of Africa (1985)
76. Impromptu (1991)
77. Hans Christian Andersen (1952)
78. Wilde (1997)
79. The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999)
80. A Face In The Crowd (1957)
81. The Front (1976)
82. In a Lonely Place (1950)
83. Permanent Midnight (1998)
84. The Muse (1999)
85. The Dying Gaul (2005)
86. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
87. My Favorite Year (1982)
88. The TV Set (2006)
89. Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
90. Sideways (2004)
91. Slipstream (2007)
92. My Brilliant Career (1979)
93. Angel at My Table (1990)
94. The Squid and the Whale (2005)
95. Deconstructing Harry (1997)
96. Il Postino: The Postman (1994)
97. Henry Fool (1997)
98. Barfly (1987)
99. Before Night Falls (2000)
100. Factotum (2005)
101. Mother (1996)
102. Chasing Amy (1997)
103. Funny Farm (1988)
104. Funny People (2009)
105. Becoming Jane (2007)
106. Heartburn (1986)
107. The Accidental Tourist (1988)
108. The Edge of Love (2008)
109. Gentleman Broncos (2009)
110. Swimming Pool (2003)
111. Closetland (1991)
112. Her Alibi (1989)
113. Nora (2000)
114. Topsy Turvey (1999)
115. Jules and Jim (1962)

What’s missing? Anything? Please feel free to chime in!

Oh my goodness, I don’t particularly enjoy listening to or watching myself in interviews or giving presentations.

However, like a good little writer, I listened to this interview and did not die in the process.

Therefore, I am pleased to present this interview with the delightful and creative Doug Zanger.

Please disregard my tendency in the five few minutes to say “Ummm” a lot. That’s just something I do. It will go away after we get going.

Some day, I’m sure my friend Diana Page Jordan is going to teach me how to stop doing it. But until then, “Umm.”

Tune in if you also want to hear:

• How I got my butt kicked academically at Dartmouth
• How I live in a totally magical place (I’m not kidding, I really made it sound this way)
• How some of my biggest role models perform in Las Vegas

This and more…in this 30-minute interview from Exceptional Women Northwest.

Christina Katz Interview with Doug Zanger on Exceptional Women Northwest

Thanks, Doug!

And I’m really looking forward to it.

Here’s the description of the show: Exceptional Women NW is an exploration of achievement, led by women, in Portland, the state of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. We highlight leaders in business & social causes, entrepreneurs, writers, bloggers, artists, designers, free spirits — any woman — anywhere in our area, making a positive impact. These 30-minute conversations celebrate stories of hope, inspiration and success in all walks of life.

This Doug Zanger guy seems pretty interesting. He’s got a lot going on, and on, and on, kind of like some other people around here we know.

I’m thrilled to be in the company of women I already respect like author Jennifer Louden, Amy Wang (my former editor at The Oregonian), and entrepreneur Molly Gordon.

He’s a dad, so there you go, I like him already.

And he produces himself, which is what we all need to be doing, right folks?

I’ll keep you posted on the date and time for the show on the air and link you up to the audio when it’s posted.

I launched Author Mama in beta (trial) version in March and then in alpha (final) version in May. Coming soon, the Kindle version. And then shortly thereafter, I’ll launch the POD version.

In the meantime, I’ve rounded up the initial feedback on Author Mama. Check out what the first round of readers had to say:

This book couldn’t have come at a better time! Christina Katz’s insightful Author Mama joins my copy of Writer Mama as I move from freelancing to nonfiction books. This is a reference I will use over and over; the chapters are well written and in an easy, conversational tone that make this insider’s guide to publishing a gem. ~ Stacey Graham

Christina Katz does it again! Author Mama is a well-balanced tightly written e-book that provides insight, wisdom and advice for writers looking to publish. Christina shares precious nuggets from her personal experiences of how she became a published author and delivers all of it with her signature thoughtfulness and wry humor. This is another “must have” that writers should have on their resource shelves. ~ Judy M. Miller

Author Mama has it all! Christina Katz has done an amazing job putting everything an author mama needs from getting started writing a book all the way through to publication. She has left no topic untouched from celebrating each step completed in the book writing process to the changes taking place in traditional publishing. Especially unique in this e-book are the sections on paying attention to physical and mental health needs during the book-writing process. This is a book you will definitely want to have on your desk for reference as you begin the process of pitching and then writing your first book! ~ Sarah Joyce Bryant

I loved reading Christina’s book, Author Mama! With a red pen in one hand and a highlighter in another, I completely devoured the book within a few days. It was so easy to read, and I’m amazed at how much I learned. And, despite the tough love and honesty that Christina uses to teach us about the book writing process, I am not discouraged one bit. I’m actually more excited about the process than before I read Author Mama. I would recommend this book to anyone considering starting the journey of becoming an author, mama or not. ~ Jen Levin

Just like in Writer Mama and Get Known Before the Book Deal, Christina Katz delivers a practical, easy-to-follow guide based on personal experience. This is a must-have resource for those of us writer mamas with aspirations of someday landing our own book deal. ~ Liz Sheffield

Author Mama is a pragmatic, personable read for new and seasoned author mamas alike, offering conversational and comprehensive information in a supportive but realistic tone. I wish this conversational and comprehensive guide had been around when my first book was published! ~ Jenn Crowell

Christina’s writing style is so engaging it’s as if you were discussing author characteristics with her over a cup of coffee. Her enthusiasm for her craft is obvious in her well-organized content and aspiring author action steps. Thanks, Christina, for providing would-be authors with the knowledge and resources necessary to write that first book. ~ Kim Murray

Author Mama takes fear of the unknown out of the book-publishing equation. Christina Katz gives you the essentials you need to get your book written and published, along with additional resources. I feel confident that I, too, can follow these steps. ~ Kathleen McDade

The words of encouragement and direction Christina Katz offers up in Author Mama will point you in the right direction as you navigate the publishing world. ~ Donna M. McDine

What I love about Christina’s books is she takes overwhelming topics and chops them up into manageable segments. Not only is her knowledge comprehensive, it’s a relief to know she learned so much about writing and publishing as a mom. Author Mama presented some new ideas to me and it reminded me of other concepts I’d forgotten about. ~ Heather Mark

Tight writing in an easy-to-read format and exercises you can start today will have you moving towards a book deal at a realistic pace. ~ Mary Jo Campbell

As an aspiring writer mama, I am relishing the information in Author Mama by Christina Katz. I feel closer to the writing world craving more. I appreciate Katz’s honesty, intelligence, and encouragement she radiates for all writer mamas and soon to be author mamas. ~ Kristen R. Murphy

It takes something special to make me buy an ebook. And I think Christina Katz’ work is that kind of special. [Author Mama] goes through the different stages of getting a book published. She shares from her own authoring experiences plus how the current state of publishing changes the experience for current and future authors. Most chapters come with recommendations or activities for readers to try out. ~ Jaymie Dieterle, Bring on the Books blog

For all those who were so inspired by Writer Mama that they decided to write a book, Author Mama is the essential next step.  ~ Karen Banes

Keep reading about Author Mama here.

Every three months, my blog is badly in need of an update. It’s been six months since the last update and so much has happened that many things that were posted were embarrassingly out of date. I could have let that throw me but I just used it as motivation to really dig in and get everything ship-shape.

Does this happen to you? I imagine it does. Part of the reality of the platforming writer/author is that we are building, building, building our business and networks all the time. So if we don’t stay on top of what we are communicating, it’s going to become stale quickly.

Here’s a list of the kinds of things that I fixed, maybe they will inspire you to check your blog too:

1. Blog title/subtitle: I tweaked these to a variation of what they used to be. I never wanted my blog and my e-zine to have the same name but I let that slide for a while. It feels good to finally have a separate identity for each of them. Basically my blog now says what I do. And my e-zine says who I serve. That works.
2. Consolidate Info: The information about my books was on two separate pages. In retrospect, that made no sense, so I consolidated all the relevant into onto one page.
3. Remove Out-of-date Info: Some of the information on my classes page was no longer relevant since I am not offering those classes at this time. Down the copy came.
4. Clarify Any Fuzzy Ideas: My page headers were too esoteric. Now they pretty much say what they are. I had gone with an idea that seemed clever to me at the time. But in retrospect, the vagueness of the page headers might have been impeding navigation of the site. And that’s always a bad thing. I think they are more clear now.
5. Proof All Copy Carefully: Even though I had partially updated some pages, I spotted several examples of my old e-mail address where my new one should have been and other mentions of timing that needed corrections. Always check your fine print!
6. Change Your Mind: When Author Mama came out in the Alpha edition, I raised the price from $5.99 to $9.99. In retrospect this was a bad idea, even though I suppose it must have made sense to me at the time. So back down to $5.99 it went and that’s where it’s going to stay.
7. Say What You Are Going To Do: Not what you already did. Are your upcoming appearances posted? Or do you still have your past appearances up there? Guess which I had? All better now.
8. Amplify Your Credibility: I had not listed where I’ve spoken or listed my credits. It took a bit of time to gather all this info together. But it should be shared since it’s an important part of my credibility.
9. Don’t Just Do What Google Does: On my Creds page I made an effort to compile the works that Google would not necessarily list for a person searching for me by name or book. I have, in the past, linked to a lot more online sources, but those links go out of date and need such constant updating that I’m going to let Google take care of it.
10. Share What Others Say About You: It’s difficult to remember to request testimonials from folks unless you make it a regular part of what you do. I realized that I had been collecting feedback from students but not audience members or coaching clients. So I’ve started to make this part of my routine.
11. Don’t Forget Your Mission: My Trust page is a way to let folks see what I’m all about. I want them to see both that I have a mission and that I’m a real person. I have a family and pets and a life and other responsibilities I balance with my work. I’m a person, not a brand. I’m a real person who works with real people. I want my blog to express this.
12. Comply As Necessary: I also state in my Trust page that I run a blog as part of my business and list my affiliations to comply with Federal Law.
13. Tweak Your Bio: My bio didn’t change too much except to say that I am working on my third book for Writer’s Digest. I think I must have already updated it several times since the New Year because it was pretty good.
14. Remove the Non-sustainable: I took down what is no longer sustainable for me at this time. Be careful that you don’t over-promise. Better to under-promise and over-deliver. The unsustainable was posted on both my Contact Me page and my Free page. My schedule has changed to include the writing of a 100,000-word book, so what I can freely offer has been tweaked accordingly.
15. Offer Some Things for Free: I noticed that my Free page needed a new post to share. So I decided to include this one. Please feel free to re-post it in your blog.

Sure, there’s always more you can do. I will add a slideshow by the end of the summer. I’m creating podcasts of my books for fall. I’ll have more e-products by then, as well. But for now, all we are talking about is getting everything up to speed. I hope this tour of my blog tidying helps you tidy your blog/site up, too. Give yourself some time and just go for it!

~ Photo by Pewari Naan