Submitted by author and essayist, Samantha Waltz…

My step-granddaughter, ten-year old Astrid, loves to cook and wants to have a bakery when she grows up. She creates and then makes her own recipes, including a lemon cake with peach glaze frosting she made from scratch for her mother’s birthday.

My two granddaughters, eight-year old Anais and six-year old Magnolia, love to be served whatever Astrid has made.

Astrid’s seven-year old brother, Thor, loves to zoom in and out of the kitchen sampling anything Astrid is preparing.

Food is a wonderful bonding agent for these stepsiblings, as it must be for many others living in step. Currently over half the families in America are blended. Here is a smoothie recipe Astrid invented and all the kids ask for. (There must have been gold stars given for making/eating something healthy the day she made it up.) As she’s mixing the ingredients, the other children are apt to throw in something of their own devising.

1/3 cup chocolate protein powder
3/4 cup Greek honey yogurt
5 frozen strawberries
1 frozen banana
1/4 cup frozen blueberries

Enough milk to blend (preferably oatmeal or almond milk)

Put it in the blender (metaphorically and literally) in any order and watch it whir.

Samantha Waltz sold her first story at age eleven to the local newspaper and has been writing ever since. She has over sixty personal essays in anthologies, and earlier books under the name Samellyn Wood. Her anthology Blended: Writers On The Stepfamily Experience was released this year by Seal Press and makes an excellent holiday gift for step-parents and step-grandparents.

I am excited to embrace the return of crummy weather, mud, and sleety rain, how about you?

The reason I am so willing to surrender to the poor weather is because I love to write without pressure to be outside doing something else.

So, even though I am an avid gardener and enjoy working outside in the yard mightily, we put the yard to bed the other day. I immediately felt that whoosh of internal energy that I know is going to help me create more all winter long.

And then it started to storm, of course.

But I was thrilled, as I tossed another log on the wood stove. It’s writing season!

In my opinion, this is the most wonderful time of year for writers because you don’t need to make excuses for wanting to hole up and write. In fact, thousands of NaNoWriMo folks are doing this all month long. And if you are one of them, happy word-counting!

To celebrate the season, I am putting all of my current courses on sale from now until the end of the year. You are welcome to use these coupons yourself and share them with other writers or aspiring writers you know.

Which reminds me, I received a very nice compliment last week from someone who took my short article writing course. He said:

I’m Sorry It’s Over

I have to say this is one of the most comprehensive and best structured courses on article writing I have ever taken and I have been published professionally over 720 times. This is well worth the money….Congratulations!

I felt really gratified to realize that folks outside my circle of influence love and appreciate my hard work. If you appreciate it too, I would love it if you would share the wealth and offer these coupons codes to your friends and family. The holiday season only comes around once a year, and it’s the perfect time for any writer to by himself or herself a present.

Visit The Christina Katz Writing & Publishing School to learn more.

So happy creative writing season. I hope you buy yourself lots of writing presents.

And most of all, I hope you enjoy every second of your writing life.

I will, too. Gooooooo, us!

Photo credit: Via Unsplash by Padurariu Alexandru of worthyofelegance.com

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You know when you have a bunch of leftovers in the fridge, but none of them are really very exciting in and of themselves?

What I do is just cook up a box of pasta and toss some of those leftovers in with some nice, fresh Alfredo Sauce.

If you have ever tried Alfredo Sauce from a jar, then you know that processed Alfredo sauce can be pretty sketchy.

But once you discover how easy and tasty homemade Alfredo Sauce is to make, you will never be tempted to buy store-bought again.

Seriously, you do not have to be Paul Newman to make an amazing sauce. Here’s how easy it is…have some crusty bread on hand and a green salad to go with it, or serve with steamed broccoli or spinach, and you are all set.

And this is a perfect recipe to try during NaNoWriMo season. Super quick and I bet you already have everything on hand.

Quick & Easy Alfredo Sauce

1 Tablespoon of butter
1 1/4 cups of half-and-half
3/4 cup of fresh parmesan cheese (or use the kind in the tube, it works perfectly well)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (fresh ground is always best, if you have it)
1 pound of cooked pasta (fettucine or any kind)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the half-and-half, cheese, salt and pepper. Cook one or two minutes, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat and add cooked pasta, tossing gently to coat.

Makes six one and half cup servings.

~ From Cooking Light, October 2001

 

Author and writing professor Melissa Hart took a poll on her Facebook page for movies with strong girl protagonists. I offered to list them up for her and for all of us. So here’s the list. Please chime in, if you have more ideas or as new films come out and I will add them to the list. Thanks to Melissa for her permission to post and grow the list! (Check out her books here!)

GIRLS

LIVE-ACTION:

The Miracle Worker LINK

Mary Poppins LINK

A Little Princess LINK

The Secret Garden LINK

The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe LINK

Mathilda LINK

Annie (old version) LINK

Annie (new version) LINK

Because Of Winn Dixie LINK

Whale Rider LINK

Where The Lilies Bloom LINK

Anne Of Green Gables LINK

The Wizard Of Oz LINK

Bridge To Terabithia LINK

My Girl LINK

The Princess Diaries LINK

The Princess Bride LINK

The Fox & The Child LINK

Ice Princess LINK

Enchanted LINK

Nim’s Island LINK

Aquamarine LINK

The Parent Trap (new) LINK

The Parent Trap (old) LINK

Maleficent LINK

Hotel For Dogs LINK

Ramona and Beezus LINK

Free Willy LINK

Kit Kitteredge LINK

National Velvet LINK

Little Women LINK

Heidi LINK

Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken LINK

Dear Dumb Diary LINK

The Mighty Macs LINK

The New Adventures Of Pippi Longstocking LINK

Radio Rebel LINK

Akeelah And The Bee LINK

Ballet Shoes LINK

ANIMATED:

Charlotte’s Web LINK

Mulan LINK

Frozen LINK

Brave LINK

Tangled LINK

Kiki’s Delivery Service LINK

Spirited Away LINK

Howl’s Moving Castle LINK

Secret World Of Arriety LINK

The Incredibles LINK

Beauty & The Beast LINK

Little Mermaid LINK

Princess & The Frog LINK

Epic LINK

My Neighbor Totoro LINK

Inside Out LINK

Despicable Me LINK

Despicable Me 2 LINK

Lilo & Stitch LINK

TWEENS

Sound Of Music LINK

Now & Then LINK

Fried Green Tomatoes LINK

Pride & Prejudice (BBC version) LINK

Hairspray, the musical LINK

Miss Congeniality 1 LINK & 2 LINK

Clueless LINK

Legally Blonde 1 LINK & 2 LINK

The Help LINK

Coraline LINK

The Journey Of Natty Gann LINK

A League Of Their Own LINK

TEENS

Mean Girls LINK

Juno LINK

Ten Things I Hate About You LINK

Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants LINK

RELATABLE BOY LEAD OR GIRL COSTAR

Meet The Robinsons LINK

Charlie & The Chocolate Factory LINK

Hugo LINK

Harry Potter (Hermione) LINK

Cars LINK

 

This list will also be updated here.

 

Many writers would like to break into article writing but lack the skills and experience.

So the solution to this challenge is easy: get some skills and then use them to gain experience.

This is a simple, logical method I have been teaching writers for years that actually works.

Here are seven reasons why, this simple approach is the best approach:

1. Writing for regional magazines pays. These are regular checks in your mailbox or PO Box that you can cash, spend or invest in further growing your writing biz.
2. Writing for regional publications is manageable. You can fit this kind of work into a busy schedule and it won’t take up all of your free time.
3. Writing for regional magazines is a great small business to run from home. You’ll get tax write-offs and the other perks that come with running a small business at home.
4. Writing for regional publications teaches you how to serve editorial needs. The longer you write for regional publications, the better you will get at coming up with saleable ideas that serve readers.
5. When you are a parent or a grandparent, regional magazine writing is a natural extension of your life experience. I love being able to glean article ideas from personal experience. And this is an easy way to learn how to write, if you are just getting started.
6. You can create long-term relationships with regional publishers and editors. In a publishing world that is constantly in flux, a lot of writers crave ongoing relationships with professionals in the industry. And you can create these relationships with regional publishers and editors because these businesses are often woman- or family-owned.
7. You can expand your regional magazine writing business, but you don’t have to. If you are looking for a part-time writing business to bring in some extra cash while you are at home, you don’t have to feel pressured to expand beyond writing for regional publications. You can simply focus on being good at what you do without the pressure to always have to climb the achievement ladder. Or you always can grow your writing business further, if you like.

I have been writing for regional magazines for over a decade, and it is one of the most joyful things I do. It’s not a path to getting-rich-quick, but it is a path to earning thousands of dollars for your writing each year.

Writers I have trained over the years typically get published quickly and continue publishing steadily for many years. My students are creatives, who are ready to put their skills to the test through building a professional writing businesses. They have a genuine desire to express themselves, grow lasting skills, and gain professionalism because they know these qualities stand out, buoy up their career over time, and are transferable to anything else they may ever want to do.

I have taught and coached hundreds of writers over the years, and my students get excellent results from my resources and classes. If you are new to writing for publication, or if you have been writing for publication for a while and you’d like to add writing for regional publications into the mix, check out my article-writing courses and resources for professional writers.

The Art Of Short Article Writing

Become An Article Idea Factory

The Art Of Selling Articles Like A Seasoned Pro

I would love to help you go from wanting to write to writing and submitting at least an article a week. Article writing is a blast. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t still be doing it after all of these years. For all of the reasons I’ve listed above and many, many more, I hope you will join me in learning how to flex your article-writing muscles so you can grow your writing business.

This is my best-selling ebook, Write For Regional Publications For Fun & Profit, which has helped hundreds of writers! Based on over a decade and a half of experience, you will learn how to proceed with the utmost professionalism, so you can grow your business steadily and happily over time.

Available In Multiple Formats Including PDF, Click Here For The Full Selection

Want to order signed copies of my first traditionally published book, Writer Mama, How To Raise A Writing Career Alongside Your Kids? Click here to visit the page where you can order copies.

I am a veteran journalist, author and coach with over a decade and a half of experience and a wealth of techniques to share. I am focused on making the world a saner, more expressive place. I help folks become more creative for personal enjoyment, professional development and transformational growth. Whether you are a professional creative or hope to become one some day, I can help you embrace your personal strengths, explore your creative possibilities, and evolve incrementally into your most inspiring self. If you are ready to achieve creative consistency in your life and career, email me about monthly coaching calls. To learn more about increasing your creative confidence, please check out my online school. Stay tuned for ways to save money by becoming a Beta User for my next new course by subscribing to The Prosperous Creative. And don’t forget to get these blog posts delivered to your inbox, so you never miss a post. If you appreciate my work—school, products, blog and social media posts—you are welcome to make a contribution of any size at any time. Thank you for your support!

Awesome lyrics. Amazing voice. This is one way to make the most of your talent.

More, please!

I was reflecting on my journey with making time for myself. “The Art Of Making Time For Yourself” was one of the first published articles I ever wrote.

This article was discovered online four years after I published it and picked up as a story by Good Morning America.

Maybe you’ve heard me tell the story of how I was flown to NYC with my then two-and-a-half year old daughter to be interviewed on GMA by Diane Sawyer.

What an awesome experience that was. Samantha still loves for me to tell her the story of how she cried on the sound stage while they were whisking her off the set and how we met Tony Danza in the elevator afterwards and how he said what a beautiful baby she was.

Today, I received a compliment about my book, Get Known, which lead me to a new-to-me Facebook page that interested me. And on that page, I found this story that Oprah ran in 2001 and then again several years later.

When my best friends from college and I turned 40, I sent everyone a copy of the book A Gift From The Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. This woman’s story of going to live by the sea felt to me like it could have been inspired by this book. If you have not read it yet, I highly recommend that you take a little time for yourself and read it.

But you don’t have to leave your life and abandon your children to make time for yourself. It all starts with the willingness to make more time for yourself. I wrote an ebook on the topic, which is a collection of many of my articles. I have decided to put this ebook on sale in PDF through the end of the month. Right before the holidays is the perfect time to remember how important it is to take time for yourself.

Trust me, as soon as the holidays kick in, you are going to forget, or decide it’s not really that important, or decide that other things are more important than your own needs.

Don’t let it happen. Read this ebook now. It will give you tons of great ideas for creating a little getaway just for you, right in the life you are already living.

Discounted to $4.99 until October 31st at midnight. Normally priced at $7.99. This blog post is the only place where you can claim your discount. PDF is the only format on sale. All other formats are at the regular price.

 

I know a lot of really cool creative people.

And in addition to all the cool stuff that they create on an ongoing basis, I stumble across a ton more amazingly creative stuff in my daily Internet adventures.

Seriously, not a day goes buy where I don’t hear about or spy really cool stuff that makes me want to squeal with delight.

So, once in a while–maybe even once a week during the holidays–I’m just going to mention a few things. Kind of a best of  everything I’ve gleaned lately. If you like me and my cool stuff I think you may also like some of this cool stuff.

And it feels good to give back to other cool creators. And we should all do it when it’s a genuine impulse.

So here we go again!

Creative Unblocking Courses With Eric Maisel on DailyOm.com

Dr. Eric Maisel has created some awesome pay-what-you-can courses over at DailyOm. You get to choose your price from three options. How cool is that?

How to Overcome Depression

http://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/courses/courseoverview.cgi?cid=104&aff=

Overcoming Your Difficult Family

http://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/courses/courseoverview.cgi?cid=646&aff=

Overcoming Creative Anxiety

http://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/courses/courseoverview.cgi?cid=48&aff=

Eric Maisel, PhD, is a psychotherapist, coach, and best-selling author who has worked with thousands of clients individually and in workshops around the world. His more than thirty books include Fearless Creating, Coaching the Artist Within, Sleep Thinking, Toxic Criticism, Creativity for Life, Performance Anxiety, The Van Gogh Blues and his latest, Brainstorm: Harnessing the Power of Productive Obsessions. Dr. Maisel writes a monthly column for Art Calendar Magazine, hosts two shows on the Personal Life Media Network, and has created the first “meaning home study program,” The Meaning Solution. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and travels extensively giving keynotes, lectures and workshops.

Fantastic Artwork By Mae Chevrette

I adore all the artwork by Mae Chevrette and this is just one example of something wicked cool she made.

Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed

From the best-selling author of Wild, a collection of quotes–drawn from the wide range of her writings–that capture her wisdom, courage, and outspoken humor, presented in a gift-sized package that’s as irresistible to give as it is to receive.

Around the world, thousands of people have found inspiration in the words of Cheryl Strayed, who in her three prior books and in her “Dear Sugar” columns has shared the twists and trials of her remarkable life. Her honesty, spirit, and ample supply of tough love have enabled many of us, even in the darkest hours, to somehow put one foot in front of the other–and be brave enough.
This book gathers, each on a single page, more than 100 of Strayed’s indelible quotes and thoughts–“mini instruction manuals for the soul” that urge us toward the incredible capacity for love, compassion, forgiveness, and endurance that is within us all.

I Should Probably Include A Couple Things By Me…

I love this time of year…and here’s the downloadable poster to prove it.

Writing Prompts For Autumn Stories is perfect for this time of year!

My ebook, Write For Regional Parenting Publications For Fun & Profit has been getting some good word of mouth lately, which is always nice! I spent my day writing articles, selling articles, and cashing checks. Writing for RPPs is still one of my favorite things to do.

And Now For Something Free

Here is a great roundup of resources for creating your 2016 Bucket List from Bucket List Expert Lara Krupicka.

Lara Krupicka is an internationally published parenting journalist and speaker who encourages parents to create lives full of family adventures. In her three years as a writing professional she has seen her words reach over a half million readers. A family bucket list advocate, Lara is best known for her Bucket List Life Manifesto and her books Family Bucket Lists and Bucket List Living For Moms.

Seen any cool stuff lately that you think I should know about? Let me know!

Would you like to multiply your writing productivity by ten, while still keeping your focus on the joy of the creative process?

If so, you will love my newly updated monthly coaching video and tools, Become Your Own Writing Coach.

Become Your Own Writing Coach is for writers who want more support in their careers but don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for it.

If you are curious about the process, I will let you test-drive the October video and the October tip sheet until Friday, October 16th at midnight.

You won’t get the goal worksheets because those are reserved for those who subscribe to the program. But you will get a sense of the quality of coaching you’ll receive each month if you do decide to subscribe. And the cost to test-drive October’s materials is only $10.

FAQs Answered

Which types of writers should sign up for this?
Any writers who want to set goals, increase their productivity, and have a more authentic career will benefit from these tools and resources. This goes for nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and screenwriters. You customize your monthly goal worksheet to suit your needs and dreams with the help of my monthly ten-minute pep talk and tips poster.

I’ve never done a subscription with Paypal before. How does it work?
Subscriptions on Paypal are simple and you are always in control. Once you sign up, you will be charged a $10 fee. You will then be charged that same amount, $10, every month on the same date as the date you signed up. So if you sign up on the 18th, you will be charged $10 per month on the 18th of every month. Just as you can sign up at any time, you can cancel at any time. So try the monthly program and see if you like it. And if you don’t like it, simply unsubscribe.

BYOWC is not just good advice for writing; it’s good advice for life.
Even if you are not trying to make huge strides in your writing career right now, you will love the support and encouragement you get from Become Your Own Writing Coach. We are living in a world where there is never enough positive encouragement. But now you can get all the encouragement you need each month and have it on hand to keep you going whenever you need a little boost.

Learn More About Become Your Own Writing Coach & Subscribe