Blisscraft Life With Christina Katz

I know why.

Or maybe I should say, I could name a whole bunch of reasons why.

But let’s name one for now.

The publishing industry is broken because according to it, you are either an over-night success or you are inconsequential to the industry.

Guess who loses in this equation? Almost every writer you know.

Any sensible creative person, who is used to being methodical and process-oriented, can and should remember that real life success is cyclical, not instantaneous.

Remember that none of this overnight success stuff was your idea. You are a sensible, process-oriented person, and that’s a lot healthier and more sane.

Naturally writers doubt ourselves when everything that we have mastered no longer serves us when it comes to marketing and book promotion. But we can be smarter than this. We can take a longer view and distance ourselves from some of the insanity of industry pressures.

I spoke at length about this topic in my most recent traditionally published book, The Writer’s Workout.

What it says in there is that time is your ally, writers, not your enemy…but only if you are the one in charge of your career.

If you give your power away to others, you will always be subject to the whims and follies of absurd or insane schedules.

Take your power back, writers. Grab a copy of The Writer’s Workout and read it yourself or with your writing group.

Stop participating in something old that does not work for most writers any longer (and indeed, never did, it was actually a mechanism to sort the wheat–bestsellers–from the chafe–everyone else). And start participating in something new that’s also very old.

I will help show you how in my forthcoming e-book that launches in early November.

In the meantime, you will find comfort, inspiration, and renewed self-confidence, I hope, in The Writer’s Workout.

Thanks for reading, getting in touch with me, and letting me know if it helps.

A common question writers often have is: now what?

I think that the answers can certainly vary writer to writer, but I also have some general advice that might be helpful:

Consider the big picture…but not for too long!
I wrote The Writer’s Workout to help writers take a long view of their writing careers. But, of course, I never wanted readers to take a permanent long view. Read this book in sections or a page a day, but don’t neglect to invest daily in the real work of your writing career.

Always Be Beginning — Write Every Day
I created the 21 Moments Writing Challenge to help writers create fresh content every day. But we don’t just want to write for the sake of writing, we want to write better as we go along. This writing challenge is specifically designed to help you accomplish this goal for a very low cost.

Create & Update Your Platform As You Grow
A writers platform is not static. Yours likely grows in fits and starts. It’s often hard to know when and how to update. But I do recommend that active, successful writers update at least once a year. And I designed Platform Bingo to be a fun, helpful job to break the task down and get the job done. If you prefer to use a workbook to tackle platform on your own time, I suggest you try my Discover Your Platform Potential workbook. Or if you just want to read about platform development and jot down notes as you read, try my book, Get Known Before The Book Deal.

Start With Nonfiction & Get Published Faster
I often suggest that writers with something to say begin seeking publication by writing nonfiction. Opportunities for nonfiction work abound with new markets emerging every day. Specifically, I have always worked with mom writers via my book, Writer Mama, my class Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff and my Dream Teams for former students. Moms who want specific suggestions getting started writing nonfiction should check out my latest e-book, Write For Regional Parenting Publications For Fun & Profit.

Apply My Philosophy & Techniques To All Writing
What if you are a poet or a script writer or a fiction writer or a memoirist, and you would still like to work with me? Of course you can via my phone coaching. Phone coaching can happen once in a blue moon, once a month, once a week, or however often you choose. The schedule is always up to the client and I offer a discount for returning students. Need to talk to someone about what makes the most sense for you next? I am just a phone call away.

What Should I Do If I Feel Like I Need A Break?
Sometimes the solution for writers is hard work where there hasn’t been much or enough. Other times, when you have been working long and hard or have been dealt a steady stream of life challenges, the key to increased productivity is to make time for yourself. And I’m sure you are not surprised to hear that I wrote an e-book on this topic, as well. It’s actually a compilation of my articles on the topic and it’s written expressly for moms.

Yes, sometimes writers need a break, especially after monotonous work. But more often we just need to hunker down and focus.

I’ve seen it again and again: the non-productive writer is not blocked, as she may have thought, she is simply not focused and determined enough.

Get focused and determined and the outcome will change accordingly. I’ve seen it happen hundreds of times.

What’s stopping you?

Impatience?

Unrealistic expectations?

Frustration?

Just put all that aside and do a little bit today.

Slow and steady gets every job done.

~ Photo by Andrea_44 on Flckr

Correction: I have a date change for the next round of Platform Bingo. Next rounds for levels one and two begin November 1st, level three starts January 1st.

I was starting Platform Bingo mid-month and 21 Moments at the beginning of the month. But this is changing for good!

Levels one, two, three, and four of the 21 Moments Writing Challenge will start November 1st. LINK

And levels one and two of Platform Bingo will run again starting November 1st alongside the 21 Moments Writing Challenge. LINK

21 Moments runs for 21 days and Platform Bingo runs for 24 days. And from here on out, they will happen at the same time.

Then, on January 1, 2014, a new round of Platform Bingo will begin for a total of three levels.

And a new round of the 21 Moments Writing Challenge will begin for a total of five levels.

That’s eight levels total of writers working on improving their writing and platform development skills starting in 2014! (Go, us!)

All of this hard work is because I am committed to helping as many writers as possible improve their writing skills and launch solid, lasting professional writing platforms that will carry them into the New Year and beyond.

And the best part is, these challenges fit into your already busy life.

So if you are too busy to take a more intensive, six-week class with me, sign up for a writing or platform challenge.

You’ll be so glad you did!

Sign up for an November 1st Round of Platform Bingo today. There are two levels to take thus far.

Or sign up for a November 1st Round of the 21 Moments Writing Challenge. There are four levels now being offered.

Not sure where to start?

Begin with level one and then work your way up the ranks for both challenges.

These are great gift to yourself to improve your writing and platform-building abilities!

Click on the badge below to sign up for the appropriate round.

Platform Bingo

Level One:

Level Two:

The 21 Moments Writing Challenge

Level One

Level Two

Level Three

Level Four

My family sat down with Lara Krupicka’s Family Bucket Lists this summer and made our individual bucket lists. And we had a blast!

In fact, the lists are still hanging on the refrigerator, where I can see what’s on them often. And they always remind me of one important thing…

We are all individuals. We may be members of the same tiny tribe, but we are each unique with distinct hopes and dreams. And this is always a good thing for parents to remember, right?

As the world gets scarier and more unpredictable, it’s easy to revert to safe spaces and homogeneity and cling to what seems most secure.

But I  believe that the world is being shaken up so we can all wake up and realize how much potential we each can bring to the table — today and in the future.

I would like to see a world where there is less clinging to the past and what is known and more daring to express and more moving forward.

I think that the future is going to be much more communally expressive than the world that we parents have inherited. I think the future belongs to strong, grounded, creative types, who are not afraid of sharing what they feel and sense.

I think the leaders of the future will think and behave more genuinely, like children. They will be bold, brave, and undaunted and they will make choices based on what is positive, playful, and constructive instead of imitating the ways some of our leaders make choices today.

I think it’s an important part of my job as a parent to encourage my daughter’s self-expression and keep encouraging it as she grows up, while also continuing to express myself and grow.

All of these are reasons why I believe that Family Bucket Lists by Lara Krupicka is more important than you might assume at a glance.

A lot of folks think that a “bucket list” is a bunch of fun, seasonal things to do, but that’s actually not the true definition of bucket list.

Read on to learn more about what bucket lists actually are and how they can become a powerful bonding tool for your family.

I think creating family bucket list is a profound exercise in exploring who and what we are and in encouraging our kids to do the same. And I think it’s important to bond with kids based on who they say they are and not just who we would like them to be.

Making these lists is one small step towards creating a beautiful future and throwing off the bridles of the past that no longer work for any of us.

I hope you will join me in spreading the word about Lara Krupicka’s new e-book, Family Bucket Lists, and begin your own families bucket list adventure together soon.

I also highly recommend downloading Lara’s free inspirational poster, The Bucket List Life Manifesto here.

What is a family bucket list? Are there a variety of types of family bucket lists?

A family bucket list is an inventory of how a family wants to spend their time together, typically during the childhood years. It’s about where they want to go, traditions they want to observe, events they want to attend and so much more. One family could certainly have multiple bucket lists. I encourage my readers to think through four types of lists while they are brainstorming. But all these could be combined into a family bucket list, too.

Why should families and family members work on bucket lists? What was your goal in writing this e-book?

Family bucket lists offer a playful format for living the childhood years more intentionally. My goal for families was to give them a whimsical way to explore their hopes and longings and not only share these with each other, but enjoy living their lists out together. So many moms tell me how busy and exhausted they are with trying to keep up with daily life. I would never want to add to that busyness. But I had noticed that some of our best times together as a family were when we rallied together to accomplish a goal one (or all) of us had.

How are family bucket lists different than other types of bucket lists?

The traditionally defined bucket list relates to the lifetime goals of an individual – what a person wants to do or see before they die. Family bucket lists are less morbid. They reflect a shorter scope of time and are a collective effort. In other words, what a family puts on their list may intersect with the bucket lists of individuals in the family, but contains goals for what the family will do as a whole before the kids are grown and gone.

I have seen a tendency toward showmanship in some bucket lists, where it appears the whole goal of the list is to impress others. I don’t think this competitive attitude serves families, though. I hope Family Bucket Lists readers will create is a personal list that is meaningful to each individual. Because the more invested we are in our own lists, the more likely we will be to accomplish our goals (and feel fulfilled while achieving them).

How have family bucket lists impacted your family members?

Our whole family has embraced a sense of adventure and a willingness to try new things since we created our lists. This summer we visited Sleeping Bear Dunes (among National Geographic’s 100 Places That Can Change Your Child’s Life), which we wouldn’t have done if we hadn’t compiled a list of places we want to see using our Family Bucket List. While we were there, my husband took the initiative to book us a kayaking trip (something none of us had ever done before). It was a lot of fun and generated much less complaining than our previous attempts at exploring.

Have family bucket lists changed the way you parent?

I’m learning to be more hands-off. My girls’ bucket lists are their own. I’ll facilitate them accomplishing their goals, but I don’t push. My oldest daughter has dreams of being a world-class sprinter and she shows a lot of promise. But she’s also currently dealing with an injury and I have had to hold back from using that goal as an incentive to get her to work harder on recovery. It’s up to her to decide whether it’s worth pushing herself or not.

Families are so busy these days, how much time does it take to work on family bucket lists?

Getting a family bucket list going doesn’t have to take much time at all. In the book I suggest a few ways to work on the list, one of them being to schedule a family fun night where you spend part of the time answering the family bucket list questions. Depending on your crew, you might not get through all the questions in one sitting. And that’s okay. But I think it is important for families to work through all of the questions at some point so they have a variety of goals to anticipate and plan. Just because a family is busy, doesn’t mean the opportunities to talk about shared aspirations aren’t available.

A bucket list is an organic document. It should grow and flex with your family as all the members grow. One bucket list experience may give rise to another. Keep adding to your list!

If I am a parent who has never done bucket lists before, what kind of immediate benefits can I expect my family to experience? And are there any long-term benefits of using family bucket lists?

The list-making process can be a great period of insight and bonding. Taking the time to listen to what your family members say excites them is an investment in your relationship (and their answers may surprise you). When a child expresses a desire to tackle a new venture, you have the opportunity to offer support and encouragement. What we’ve seen in our family is that the support becomes reciprocal. My kids love it when my husband or I get to experience one of our bucket list dreams.

When football season started at the high school (my eldest is a freshman this year), they balked at going to the first football game. I found myself explaining to my girls that The Krupicka family supports our high school by attending sporting events. My husband agreed. We have always used the phrase “the Krupicka family does/doesn’t…” but our family bucket list helps define what else this phrase might include. I realized that attending high school games is something new we needed to add to our family’s bucket list. In the long run, our shared bucket list has helped clarify who we are as a family. It’s much easier to communicate expectations about certain things when you have that document to refer back to.

From family to family there will be a great variety in what each bucket list looks like. You can learn a lot about a family by looking at what they hope to experience and accomplish together.

Thanks to Lara Krupicka for her time and excellent work on Family Bucket Lists!

Your turn: Have you ever created a personal bucket list? Have you tried bucket list making with your kids or family? Tell us about it in the comments!

Are you thinking about doing NaNoWriMo?

Are you warmed up and ready to write?

If not, considering trying the October 1st – 21st round of The 21 Moments Writing Challenge.

It will have you ready and warmed up for NaNoWriMo in just a few days, which is much better than starting cold.

Here’s what recent participants say about it:

Writing about 21 moments was both motivating and enlightening.  I remembered things I haven’t thought about for years and took the opportunity to reflect on them and then to write about them.  I have signed up for the next round. ~ Jo Ann B.

This challenge got me into a groove. I’m writing more and enjoying the writing process better now than I have in a long time. ~ Steffanie L.

Participating in the 21 Moments Challenge is like having your own writing productivity & creativity app. It keeps you in sync with your talent and challenges you to stretch the scope of what and how you write.  ~ Rhonda F.

I took this more seriously the second time around because it was fun. It reminded me of what good literature is and provided a much needed deadline and consistency in writing practice. Thanks Christina!  ~ Leslie B.

This is a safe place to be vulnerable and learn more about yourself and your writing voice twenty-one times. ~ Annette S.

The challenge was fun, while providing some accountability with the daily prompt. There was a great variety of literature and the inspiration of past participants’ moments to inspire new writing. It’s an easy, painless way to establish a daily writing routine. ~ Crystal H.

Ready to get writing?

Register today and take your writing to the next level! The next 21 Moments Writing Challenge begins tomorrow, October 1st!

My whole career is dedicated to this idea: stop talking, start creating.

We are living in chatty times. I could spend all day, no lie, visiting the blogs and websites of people I know and saying, “Oooh-ahhhhh” or “Oh-no!”

I could kill the rest of the week on social media just trying to keep up with these same people.

But I can’t and I don’t, because I have a full day of paying work on my plate every single day of the week, and often more.

The reason I have paying work is because I have been working consistently at my skills and craft for fourteen years.

That’s after 4 years of a BA + 3 years of a MFA + 14 years working as a writer.

Naturally, I earn more now than I did in those first few years of my career. But please remember this was after an initial investment of $75K in my education.

Even so, my career and  earnings did not really start to gain traction until 2004. That’s almost a decade after I completed my MFA coursework.

Today, almost a decade after my career started taking off, I am still not independently wealthy.

But I am the most satisfied writer I know. And I worry about nothing that is happening “out there.”

I say this because we spend way too much time, in my opinion, revering those who promise us quick profits.

Ask any writer you admire how they got where they are today and they will tell you: slowly and steadily.

My most profitable students do the exact same thing. They work for years for their success and once they have it, they own it.

There is always going to be the siren call of the biz, the breakouts, the bestsellers, etc. And that’s all nice, but I’m not sure it’s relevant.

So I want to say to you is this: you can talk or you can create.

Creating often means less talking and more focused work.

Some folks think that focused work always means isolation and closed-mindedness, but it doesn’t. And that’s ridiculous.

It’s the opposite. Your creative projects can be the path to the people you want to meet and the information and inspiration that will delight your whole life.

So, stop talking. Throw yourself into your creative projects.

Because creativity is the door to a better life for anyone who feels called to answer the call.

Shhhh, now. Get back to work.

~ Photo by Erica on Flickr.

Powell Berger!

I look forward to working with you in Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff, which starts in just a few short weeks on Wednesday, October 9th.

Thanks to EVERYONE who applied! Choosing scholarship recipients is  extremely difficult because I always receive many applications from worthy writers.

Trust me, it never gets any easier.

Watch this blog, christinakatz.com and/or subscribe to The Prosperous Writer e-zine for all the details on future offers.

I will be offering one scholarship for each Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff class session next year. That’s five scholarships total.

If you have not checked out my classes, you can learn more on the “Register” page. I am still accepting students for the October 9th Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff class.

But, hurry, because space is limited.

If you are interested but cannot afford the class at this time, keep in mind that Paypal offers interest-free financing for folks who pay in full within six months. That’s a great deal!

If you plan to apply for the scholarship again, I strongly suggest reading and applying the suggestions in my newest e-book, Write For Regional Parenting Publications For Fun & Profit, which is now available in every digital format under the sun. Learn more here.

Congratulations again, Powell. I look forward to working with you.

Next chance to apply is for the January 2014 class. Stay tuned for details!

Are you a mom, and you would love to take the Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff Class that starts Wednesday, October 9th, but you would not otherwise be able to afford it?

Then you qualify for The Writer Mama Scholarship!

The application process for the next available scholarship for Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff Class begins today! I am accepting applications until Sunday, September 22nd at midnight.

One full scholarship is granted each time the class is held, five times per year. Please read this post completely and double-check your application before submitting. The recipient will be announced on Monday, September 23rd in this blog.

Please feel free to spread the word about the scholarship, even if you do not intend to apply. This is a full scholarship. The recipient commits to participating fully in the class and delivering all six assignments on time.

Please do not apply if you cannot make the commitment to participate in the class, which involves reading the weekly workbook, completing your assignments, and learning from your classmates work. (To learn about what you will get out of the class, please read the full class description.)

No additional time or special coaching is offered with the scholarship. It’s up to the scholarship recipient to make the most of the class.

Please note that this is a scholarship, not a giveaway. This scholarship is only for moms and is offered by class instructor, Christina Katz (that’s me).

One scholarship is available per WPSS class. The scholarship is not transferable if you fail to complete the class. The scholarship is also not transferable in the case of illness, family emergencies, a move, etc. If you have already paid for the class, you do not qualify for the scholarship. If you have already taken the class, you also do not qualify.

What is written in your application is private and your personal information will never be shared or sold beyond announcing the name of the recipient. The only way to qualify is to apply each time. No one else will view your application.

The application questions are below. Copy and paste them into a Microsoft Word document (to take the class you must be able to create and read Microsoft Word documents—no exceptions). Attach your application as a Word doc to your e-mail. Please answer each question concisely and completely.

Send your application to: “christina at christinakatz dot com” – this is the only email address for the scholarship. If you do not receive the scholarship, save your application for future scholarships and re-apply. Always add in your most current publication credits, since they are important. Put “WPSS Scholarship Application” in the subject line.

The scholarship recipient will be chosen based on the following criteria: demonstrated effort, need, and enthusiasm. The most important consideration is demonstrated past effort, so please don’t skimp on details of your past writing efforts. Applications accepted from U.S. residents only at this time.

Please Note: The Writer Mama Scholarship is only for moms who legitimately cannot afford class tuition for whatever reason. So if you work at home, earn money, receive money, or your spouse or partner earns enough money for you to afford the class, please expect to regular pay price. My classes are kept affordable, specifically so moms can take them!

To register for the class as a non-scholarship candidate, please visit the registration page. Space in the class is limited.

Here’s the application:

[Copy and paste the following application form into a Word doc, then simply fill it in:]

Name

Address

Email

Phone

Have you read the book, Writer Mama? How about my other books?

How long have you been reading my blog(s)?

What version of Microsoft Word software are you currently using?

Have you applied for The Writer Mama Scholarship before?

Write a short response to each of the following questions:

Please write one short paragraph about why you want to take the class, Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff.

Please list by publication name and date only, any publication credits you’ve accumulated thus far. Briefly list any other experience you think is relevant.

Please briefly state why you are unable to afford the tuition for the class at this time.

[End application.]

Thanks for applying for The Writer Mama Scholarship!

Now available in every digital format under the sun!

I love writing for regional parenting magazines and, just as I describe in my latest e-book, Write For Regional Parenting Publications For Fun & Profit, I do it for both the pleasure and the money.

However, writing for regional parenting magazines is not meant to be a final destination for writers. Indeed, writing for regional parenting publications is a great stepping stone for an unpublished writer, who is looking for those first clips.

Regional parenting publications are great targets for stay-at-home mom writers just getting started or getting back into freelance writing.

But let’s be clear about what RPPs will and won’t do for your career. Writing for regional parenting publications will:

• Give you goals you can set and hit
• Help you find article and essay ideas right in your everyday life
• Give you great practice improving your writing to the point where it becomes publishable (since you won’t get published until it is)
• Boost your confidence by seeing your byline in print and online
• Boost your sense of professionalism as you master what it takes to write articles that regularly get published
• Help you feel like you have gotten off to a solid start as a professional writer
• Help you find niche topics you wish to explore further in the future

Writing for regional parenting publications won’t:

• Transform you from a totally unknown wannabe to a household name (except perhaps in the communities where you are published)
• Earn you an income that would replace a day job (unless you write a very high volume of articles each month)
• Teach you all the professional writing skills there are to learn (like querying and book writing, for example)
• Take you from literary zero to literary hero in any way, shape or form

Considering what writing for regional parenting publications can do for you as a professional stepping stone—I think learning how makes sense for most parenting writers.

Regional parenting publication articles are written one at a time and accumulate over time. Once you have been writing them for a few years, you will likely see an increase in the number of pieces you have published each month.

What I know for sure is this: when you pair writing for RPPs with a reasonable attitude and a willingness to learn and grow in a writing career, you might be amazed how much learning, growing and publishing you can achieve.

Learn more about my new e-book, Write For Regional Parenting Publications For Fun & Profit. Now available in every digital format available!

Work with me directly and improve your chances of success. Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff begins October 9th.

Veterans of this class can join my five-month Dream Teams. Next one starts January 1st.