Good news. This is not one of those you-snooze-you-lose situations.

You can still jump into my all-new Accountability Dream Team any time this month, as long as you sign up by the 28th.

Check out this page for all the info and then register so you won’t miss the next recording.

If you are wondering what kind of coaching content you will receive in each recording, let’s put it this way. These tips are pretty much the best of the best of my accountability advice after five and a half years coaching writers in Dream Teams and 14 years of teaching writers in classes.

But what about the June 2015 recording you missed last week? Do you need it?

Yes. You definitely want to hear what I said in the first recording. But more good news — you can still get it.

Just click the button below to order the June 2015 recording and the worksheets and video link will arrive in your inbox immediately.

I have to charge a bit more for folks who did not sign up for the subscription plan, but the cost is still super-cheap for the quality of the advice you will receive. And even if this is the only recording you listen to, you will still get a ton out of it.

The cost for the missed Dream Team recordings is $12.99, while the cost of the monthly subscription is $10.00. My hope is that you will listen to the missed recording and like it so much that you will sign up for the subscription. Then you will have a new recording and a new worksheet arrive in your inbox each month and save $2.99.

So, what are you waiting for? If you have ever wanted one-on-one coaching with me but you did not feel you could afford my hourly rate, this is your chance to get it at a fraction of the price. And you will have the satisfaction of setting your goals each month and learning how to reach them in a calm, cool, and creative manner.

There’s an awful lot of hype out there, folks. In my all new Accountability Dream Teams, you won’t have to deal with any of it.

You take care of setting your goals and doing your work and watch the results add up.

Folks who follow my advice create empowering results because creating empowering results has always been my intention. And now you can become a member of my team of productive writers, who look to themselves to create the results and success they crave most.

Learn More About My Accountability Dream Team

You may also like…

• The Writer’s Workout
• Writer Platform Video Courses
• Creative Rx Video Affirmations

If you like what you’ve read here, be sure to sign up for The Prosperous Writer ezine to claim your free gift and qualify for exclusive discounts on Christina Katz products.

Photo: http://deathtothestockphoto.com

I had a second coaching call with a new client yesterday, and I could not help noticing how much fun we were having. Also the time flew by. We were so immersed in what we were discussing that the call just went by in a big whoosh. Fortunately we were still able to get a lot accomplished.

When a writer has a great idea for a “book” and I can help that writer see all of the possibilities available to them from the get-go, instead of the writer feeling like writing a book is the only option, that’s when the conversation gets lively.

Don’t get me wrong. Books are great. But most writers I work with for the first time are not ready for traditional book deals.

The pool of traditional authors is getting smaller and more exclusive. Last time I heard, this group was doing more work for less money. Last I heard, many were dropping out and turning to self-publishing. Let’s not pretend this isn’t happening.

The compromises authors are being asked to make by publishers are getting larger. And new authors are the most vulnerable to saying yes, rather than losing the opportunity. Experts are not talking about this enough, at least not enough for aspiring authors to know what they are getting themselves into before they start dreaming of that ever-elusive book deal.

Unfortunately the book-deal dream is often in writers’ minds already, and there are plenty of folks who will take advantage of this predilection. It was already hard to become a traditional author ten years ago. Today, your chances have diminished considerably.

Furthermore, I do not feel that traditional book deals are right for every writer. For most writers I work with, self-publishing and branching out into other types of projects offer so many more fun, playful, and expansive opportunities. And when you are having fun, it’s easier to attract and keep readers.

When you combine a playful approach with a genuine desire to serve the world, the writer moves away from I’m-nobody-unless-I-get-a-book-deal into the most empowered position a writer can be in. Saying “I can do it myself,” is a stage that every child goes through over and over on the road to more personal power. And we need to watch out for folks who would want to interfere with a writer’s ability to say, “I can do it myself.”

There are things I can’t do myself, of course. I know this to be true. But each and every day, thanks to technology, there are more and more things I can do. I also know that my potential to do things for myself is growing all the time, if I take advantage of it.

Writers, do you have any idea how much you can do yourself and how much easier it is today to reach a global market than it used to be?

What if doing your work was play?

What if you could be professional and play at the same time?

What if you were not seeking legitimacy from outside yourself?

What if you were ready to say, “I can do it myself”?

Growth can be hard sometimes, but it does not have to be torture all the time. When you love what you are doing, you can enjoy the journey and grow and serve others with professional playfulness.

Professionalism can be play. Maybe it was not very possible before, but it is certainly possible now.

I am rolling out class after class after class this summer, and they all demonstrate how you can bring more play into your professionalism and more professionalism into your play.

Because if you are not having fun growing your writing career, then don’t do it. Two very wise men named Ben and Jerry coined that phrase and they were right.

And if you like what you do, but you are not having fun with it, then change your approach. You are in charge, after all.

Enough suffering, writers. Enough compromises all the time. Take your ideas and make the most of them.

Have fun with them!

Only then will you set yourself and the rest of us free…

If you like what you’ve read here, be sure to sign up for The Prosperous Writer ezine to claim your free gift and qualify for exclusive discounts on Christina Katz products.

Learn more about products related to this post:

• Power Up Your Platform Like A Pro Video Class Discount Coupon
• Writer Platform Success Video Class Discount Coupon
• Creative Rx Video Affirmation Series
• Phone Coaching With Christina Katz
• Permission Granted Ebook

Photo by Jordan McQueen.

June 1st by 9 pm PT is the very last day to sign up for my writing and creativity challenges in their current form.

I have loved creating and offering these challenges. Even though they have each been a lot of work, they were all labors of love.

Thank you to everyone who plans to participate this final round or who has participated in any of the rounds since they started in January 2013.

It’s definitely the end of a fun, educational era. If you think so too, I hope you will sign up for any rounds you have missed or even retake your favorite round again, since this is last call.

If you subscribe to my e-zine then you already know that I am concentrating the lion’s share of my energy into creating video classes going forward.

This does not mean video classes are the only way to work with me. But cutting back on other offerings helps me focus on being as productive as possible. Creating high quality video courses is a ton of work.

After this last round of challenges begin on June 2nd, there will still be several ways to work with me in addition to video courses. Here’s the list:

• You can receive my monthly e-zine, The Prosperous Writer (this is free and you get a free inspirational writing poster for subscribing).
• You can subscribe to my monthly Writing Accountability Dream Team, which arrives in your inbox on the first Tuesday of each month (this only costs $10 a month).
• You can register for one-time or ongoing phone consultations with me (just visit my registration page).

I’ve posted some of the response to my challenges below, and I want to encourage you to take one before they are gone for good.

Learn more by clicking on each badge and sign up by 9 pm PT on Monday, June 1st.

Hope to work with you!

Click on any badge to register:

Receive 21 excellent examples of great writing in your inbox daily for 21 days. Click on the badge to learn more and register:

Anyone who is looking to become a more facile and joyful parenting article writer should take my Article Writing Challenge.

Anyone who is looking to become a more thoughtful and skillful parenting essay writer should take my Essay Writing Challenge.

Anyone who is looking to become a more thoughtful re-writer and polisher of her own words should take my Grammar & Punctuation Challenge.

Anyone who is looking to become more brave about selling work should sign up for my Sell Your Writing Challenge.

The Article Challenge is a great way to help develop daily brainstorming routine. It also helped me to get going with outlining ideas so they can be fleshed out later.  ~ S. Yale

Christina’s Unwrap Your Creative Gifts Challenge jolted me out of the doldrums in terms of my writing and inspired me to start moving in new directions.  ~ E. Giles

Taking this article writing challenge has given me a bank of article outlines to begin the new year and a way to keep on creating more and more when I get to the end of my current list. I highly recommend it for the writer dry of ideas, needing some sort of method to keep her inventory supplied, or just starting out and learning how to create ideas for herself. The best $20 I’ve spent to further my career.  ~ C. Alexander

During 21 Moments I discovered ideas for many intriguing subjects I wanted to write about that had not occurred to me prior.​ An excellent kickstarter to writing for pleasure as well as potential profit.  ~ M. Clair

Once again Christina has aimed her arrow and hit the bull’s-eye with a useful daily challenge. The Grammar & Punctuation challenge helped me efficiently revise current article drafts, keep an eye on tricky punctuation mistakes I shouldn’t be making, and hone my word choice and sentence structure. Writers can expect this challenge to be an effective continuing education tool to help them improve their overall writing.  ~ R. Franz

I like taking online writing classes or workshops, but by far I got the most writing out of 21 Moments. It really clicked with me, that a moment is just a segment of time. Since I don’t have a lot of time due to my day job and other commitments, doing the moments really fit into my schedule.  ~ J. Huspek

The Creativity Challenge is the best challenge yet! Very powerful!  ~ K. Chapple

What I like about the film Pitch Perfect is that it’s about women trying to compete in a man’s world, failing, and then ultimately changing the game inspired by one of their own.

Often we are so busy trying to conform our strategy to what’s worked in the past that we ignore the beckoning finger of the future. At the point where our potential meets the future, that’s where the really juicy growth is, because almost nothing is as compelling to human beings as first, brand new or never-attempted-before.

Here’s what we can all learn about creative empowerment from Pitch Perfect:

1. Don’t imitate. Be different. Be you. One thing Beca has going for her in the film is that she is clear what she is passionate about and she allows herself ample time to play around in that realm. It’s the time that Beca spends doing what she loves that makes her more compelling as a human being and more interesting to others.

2. Become great at what you do and share it appropriately with others. But Beca has a communication problem. She’s still hurting from her parent’s divorce and this makes her defensive and hostile. A lot of writers and authors also have communication problems, ironic as this may seem. We let ourselves play around doing what we love. We even apply ourselves to growth and improvement in our craft, but when it comes to sharing our passion, like Beca, we often falter. We either say too little, say too much, say it at the wrong time, or try to take over without being invited. The solution is to do what you love and share it at the same time. Don’t wait for a big reveal. Use your passion to pull folks in without overwhelming them as you go.

3. Offer your best work until the gatekeepers say yes. Beca is low on the power totem pole. She is a newbie freshman in a world of upperclassman entitlement. The upperclassman are not apt to be interested in what she has to offer. She has to adapt to the constraints of her situation while risking sharing her work, or her gifts will remain unknown. Finally she gets the nerve to share her mixes with Luke, the radio station manager. Low and behold, he likes what she has to offer. Her first leg up is not the big time. It’s just a little opportunity to play music at night over spring break. But it’s a chance for Beca to practice being heard (and do some soul-searching while she’s at it). Practice is good. It gives us a chance to reflect on how we are doing and what we really want.

4. Don’t only be about winning. Be about bringing out the best in others and taking things to a whole new level. The combination of honest self-expression combined with genuine humility is basically irresistible. Beca finds her balance when she apologizes to the Bella’s after sabotaging their set at semi-finals. It’s at this moment that the power dynamic of the group shifts. When Beca embraces her humanity, doors that were formally closed fly open. She can use her gifts to try to lead the Bella’s to victory.

5. Bring your A game and crush it. Whether you are competing directly with others or not, you are always competing with yourself. If you just do the same old set over and over, that’s boring to you and to everyone else. But when the Bellas maximize the strengths of everyone in the group, and then push themselves to reach their full potential, they become unstoppable. This is a great metaphor for the various aspects that exist within a writer. You need to rally your team of strengths and lead them to victory by bringing your A game. Nothing less is going to be compelling enough to crush it. You’ll get along better with others when you can better manage all the various aspects of yourself.

Ultimately Pitch Perfect is a film about teamwork. It’s about how the whole is stronger than the individual. But actually, it’s Beca’s gifts, which go from partly actualized when kept to herself to fully actualized when shared with others, that ultimately leads the Bellas to victory.

I find the message in Pitch Perfect so exemplary for writers and authors. Just remember, success is an inside job, just as it was for Beca.

Why not watch or re-watch Pitch Perfect again before you go see Pitch Perfect 2 and think about how the Beca and the Bella’s example might inspire your writing career.

There are so few movies in mainstream theaters about girl power, I hope everyone reading this will support Pitch Perfect 2 when it comes out this weekend.

I’m not sure what the message will be in the second film. But I hope it’s as inspiring and relevant to these times as the message in the first movie.

We all can stand a little help bringing our best ideas down to earth. This photo, which captures this idea so well, is by Blair Fraser.

I am so excited to see how my new methods of working with writers are working.

These are methods that were once upon a time only a dream in my mind’s eye. They were just a wish I had for a more efficient and effective way of working with students. And now they have started to become a reality and I am thrilled about the results.

For example, when I hear from a person who would like to learn as much as she can from me about writer platform, I can immediately do better than that.

I can refer her to my Writer Platform Success class and not just teach her about platform hypothetically, I can help her assess what her platform has to offer, while teaching her about platform, in general, at the same time. And the cost for all of this is so minimal if she takes advantage of my exclusive discount coupon, that it makes me feel extremely proud that all my patience and hard work are working out so well after so much long and hard work.

Yes! This is awesome. She does not have to read a 200-page book on the topic if she does not wish to. We can just cut straight to the chase by having her take my class, assess her progress thus far, and then if she chooses to have a consult with me, we have concrete details about her platform at the ready to discuss.

Because the difference in working with me, as opposed to working with other instructors and coaches, is that I don’t want you to just sit there and listen. I want you to learn by doing! And I want you to learn by doing your work.

Every single thing I offer is specifically designed to help move writers move smoothly and authentically to the next appropriate professional level. This is so much more effective than spending hours and hours discussing a whole bunch of things she does not need to do right now. She will know within an hour after she completes my class what her strengths are, and I will be able to assess on our first phone call what next steps she might take. If this is not the best time for her to focus on platform, she will know by the time she completes the class. And then we can talk about what would make more sense to focus on.

Do you see how incredibly efficient this is?

I am positively gleeful to see humble indications that my video courses can save writers time, headaches, and money as they make major professional strides. Because this is all I ever wanted to accomplish.

For a demonstration of these principles in action, feel free to take my first video course Writer Platform Success. And afterwards if you feel like you need more support determining your next platform steps, sign up for a phone consult with me. And send me your work from the class before we chat, because it’s going to make all the difference in how much we can get done when time is at a premium.

I’d love to work with you! Take my short class and then let’s chat. You totally deserve as much support as you can get along the writing and platform development journey. It does not have to be every month or even every year. I’m here when you need me.

I will always have a very fond place in my heart for this book, which still receives rave reviews even eight years after publication!

Oh my, I have been creating excellent quality products for mom writers for many moons.

I thought I would round the best of them up here for Mother’s Day because it’s that time of year to say, “I deserve it!”

And you do, moms, you really do. Why not spoil yourself this Mother’s Day and then spoil yourself a little more.

And the best part is, my books and products help you become a more empowered professional, so you can write them off on your taxes if you are already a freelancer.

Now that’s win-win-win. Happy Mother’s Day!

Creativity

NEW! Creative Rx: Empowering Video Affirmation Series [Listen To An Audio Introduction Here]

The Art Of Making Time For Yourself, A Collection Of Advice For Moms [Order Here]

Creative Knowing Work-booklet, 50 Self-reflection Questions For Women [Order Here]

Work hard, mamas, but don’t forget to make some time for yourself!

The Daily Creativity Challenge — Last Chance To Participate Starts June 1st! [Learn More]

Inspirational Posters By Christina & Jason Katz [Check Them Out]

Writing

Brand-new Signed Copy of Writer Mama, How To Make A Writing Career Alongside Your Kids, paperback, shipped via media mail [Order Here]

Write For Regional Parenting Publications For Fun & Profit, digital ebook, select your platform preference or download in PDF [Order Here]

The Habits Of Successful Mom Writers, audio download in MP3 format [Learn More]

Last Round Of Writing Challenges Start June 1st! [Learn More]

NEW! Writing Accountability Dream Team: Monthly Goal Setting & Goal Assessment [Learn More]

Platform

NEW! Power Up Your Platform Like A Pro Video Course [Learn More]

NEW! Writer Platform Success Video Course [Learn More]

Just like Writer Mama, I still receive rave reviews of The Writer’s Workout. You have a copy, right?

NEW! Build A Better Bio Video Course [Learn More]

Unlock Your Writer Platform Profits, audio download in MP3 format [Learn More]

Get Known Before The Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths To Grow Your Author Platform in paperback [Learn More]

Discover Your Platform Potential, A Get Known Before The Book Deal Workbook, PDF ebook [Learn More]

Writing A Book

Permission Granted, 45 Reasons To Micro-publish [Order Here]

The Writer’s Workout, 366 Tips, Tasks & Techniques From Your Writing Career Coach in paperback or ebook [Learn More]

FREE! The Writer’s Workout Motivational Poster [Click Here]

For more Mother’s Day gift ideas for writer mamas, visit my Ultimate Gift List For Writers page.

Enjoy every day, moms. And especially Mother’s Day!

Once upon a time, my Dream Teams were only open to writers who had taken my six-week courses. But now my six-week courses are becoming video classes and ANY WRITER is eligible to take monthly video coaching with my coaching delivered right into your inbox.

I am very pleased to make a big and brief announcement. Going forward, my Dream Teams are open to any writer who wants monthly accountability.

The format has changed dramatically, though. From here on out, my monthly Dream Teams will arrive as video coaching in your inbox on the first Tuesday of each month.

What does this accomplish?

Well, for one thing, now any writer can benefit from being a part of my Dream Teams. Members of my Dream Teams have always been the most motivated writers. And now you can become one of them.

Dream Team members are writers who want to create concrete results, but who also want to do it in a sane, personalized manner that brings them joy and prosperity.

Dream Teams do something incredibly important for every writer who participates. They help you hold up a mirror to your wants and needs and transform them into reachable goals you can steadily achieve.

There is really nothing more satisfying than identifying what you really want in your career and then steadily working towards achieving it.

In the past, my Dream Teams had built-in sets of goals that aligned with the courses I was teaching. My new Dream Teams still help you accomplish concrete goals, but they are your personal goals for your writing career, not my goals for you.

You may not realize how easy it is to set and reach goals when you have a good coach helping you thoughtfully create outcomes you actually want. But I can tell you from fourteen years of experience that all of your goals are a lot more likely to happen and happen consistently if you work with a good coach.

And now you can. Because I’ve opened my Dream Teams up and everyone is welcome to join in the professional fun. I will take and answer your toughest questions in the videos as we go along. And I will consistently address the most common freelance sticking points and the most effective ways to overcome these tendencies.

You can read all the details about how Dream Teams work by visiting the new Dream Team page on my site, which is located under the tab, “Work w/ Me.”

The best part is, you don’t have to commit to the whole year if you don’t want to. You can just try it out because Dream Teams are now by monthly subscription via Paypal at a much lower annual price than before.

I hope the idea of creating a hand-crafted writing career thrills and excites you as much as it thrills and excites me to support you on your journey.

If you would like to participate, please subscribe no later than the 28th of each month (starting this month).

Registering for Dream Teams is easy. You can learn all about it here.

I look forward to making a positive difference in your writing career via my all new Dream Teams!  And I look forward to continuing to coach the most satisfied and successful group of freelancers around.

Why wait to join our ranks? Register today! Being part of my Dream Team is a no-brainer once you are subscribed.

Photo by Yu-chuan Hsu

I have been teaching writers for fourteen years. You hear me say this all the time because it’s true and because, in some ways, I can’t believe it.

I never thought I would do any one thing as consistently or for as long as I have taught. The only thing I have done longer than teaching is writing. But writing does not have to be a professional. It can be a vocation, as well, or it can even be a hobby.

For me, teaching is a profession, and it’s also a calling. To a certain extent, it’s a quirk in my personality that makes me itchy to share what I’ve learned and discovered.

Not everyone has this quirk, I’ve noticed. Some folks are perfectly happy to know things and they don’t necessarily feel a desire to share. Or if they do share, they do so in a casual one-on-one manner or in more of a networking manner rather than a teacher-y manner.

Some of us are just born wired to teach. And you know who we can’t teach without? Students, that’s who.

That’s right. Without students, I’m just a walking, talking tower of blah-blah-blah with nobody to share with.

And that stinks. Trust me. I’ve been there. Everyone thinks you are a know-it-all. (And you probably are, I was.)

But when you are a teacher, you are supposed to know stuff. And you also have to be able to admit when you don’t know.

For me, being a teacher is not hard; it’s natural. It’s normal for me to teach and it’s abnormal for me to keep things to myself.

To my mind, it’s being a student that’s hard. Being willing to learn and to learn consistently, now that’s the bigger job. Especially if you’ve already gone to school and gotten a degree or two.

But I have been extremely fortunate in the student department. I have worked with many thoughtful, intelligent students over the years — some of the best minds in my field. And the more foolish and impatient the business world becomes, the more I appreciate them and their steady approach to professional growth even more.

So I thought I’d turn this Teacher Appreciation Day on its head and take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to all of my students, old and new, near and far, whether we met once briefly or if I have been working with you for the better part of a decade: I appreciate you for your curiosity, character, and willingness to stretch and grow.

Day after day, year after year, project after project, students are in the mental expansion business. And that, my friends, is the best business to be in.

Some people may never get in the learning game. I don’t know what prevents them from wanting to learn exactly, but for those of us who got in and plan to stay in, as teachers and as students, we are the ultimate winners.

And we win every time we grow, which is every day in my job.

So thank you, thank you, thank you to my students over the past fourteen years. You are the best and I hope to continue working with you long into the future with new techniques, traversing new topics, as we continue to brave the evolution of the marketplace and forge our success.

To teachers and to students everywhere, here’s to our shared growth, enjoyment, and prosperity!

These tips are for mom writers, but really they apply to any creative mom, no matter what medium or media she uses to express herself.

1. Recognize that you have a right to spend time doing what you love, and then schedule time every day. If the day is almost over and you didn’t take time yet, make time last thing at night or first thing in the morning.

2. Acknowledge that you are not done learning yet, and sign up to learn something you want to understand better. Make it something juicy to you.

3. Ditch the perfectionism and accept that not only is growth messy, but you probably need to experience some trial and error to find your best methods of making creative strides. Play around until you figure out what works for you.

4. Learn to listen to what others have called “the still, small voice.” If you have not practiced listening to this voice, creativity is not going to flow readily. Then again, practicing creativity is a terrific way to get in touch with what I like to call “the Universal Yes.” What wants to come through you? What’s the right direction? You are the only one who knows.

5. Be the boss of you. Even if you have a boss at your day job, you are the boss of your creative career. You can’t have a creative career until you are willing to become the boss and listen to yourself in the boss role. Organize the various aspects of your personality to report to the big boss (that’s you).

6. Accept that you will hit blocks now and then and have to figure out how to hurdle them or karate chop them. These blocks will seem to come from the outside, but they actually originate with you. I know it does not seem like we would do this to ourselves, but we do. I guess we are just trying to learn how to get out of our own way. When you notice a block, send it running.

7. Get out of the house and away from everything that is already you and explore the world with your intuition as your guide. Some of my most life-changing experiences have come from trying new things, visiting new places, meeting new people, and asking questions never asked before. Don’t be complacent; shake things up.

8. Ask for help. You are going to do the lion’s share of the work, but this does not mean you won’t need help and plenty of it along the way. You don’t have to deserve help; you already deserve it. All you need to do is ask. Ask for help three times daily and watch everything in your life become easier.

9. You are going to need mentors, up close and from a distance. You also need to continually prioritize and re-prioritize what makes your heart sing, so you don’t imitate others. Be you and let your mentors be who they are, too. Give credit for techniques you borrow, ask permission when appropriate, and never take anything that is not being offered.

10. Celebrate all you have attempted and all you have accomplished. What makes you feel tickled pink? Go ahead and feel that way whether others mirror it back to you or not. You can’t float anyone else’s boat until you learn to float your own boat first.

Every day will be Mother’s Day when you are firmly on your path. You will know because the feeling of rightness will be undeniable. Even if you only spend ten minutes a day on your path, that’s better than nothing. If you can spend an hour or two each day doing what you love, your life will change for the better.

I can help you put your attention on your creative goals and grow them until you find satisfaction in the doing and achieving. Check out my latest offerings for mom writers to learn more and Happy Mother’s Day!

Thanks for reading! And thanks for sharing this post with fellow writers! Please subscribe to The Prosperous Writer Blog and sign up for The Prosperous Writer Newsletter for exclusive discounts you won’t find elsewhere. Take advantage of lowest price discounts now in my brand new online writing school.