Blisscraft Life With Christina Katz

I have always had the ability to listen to other people’s ideas and sort the straw from the gold. One of my students recently asked me how I do it.

The whole answer is: I have no idea. I would say it’s probably a knack. I am an idea person and an idea lover, so I likely enjoy the brainstorming process more than most.

But I suppose I should give my experience credit where credit is due. If you write for publication for twelve years, and your publishers include magazines, online publications, book publishers and yourself,  anybody would likely develop a sixth sense for good ideas.

What my students probably need to hear is that the ideas that I get most excited about are their freshest ideas. Aren’t fresh ideas always what everyone gets most excited about?

You have probably heard the expression, you can’t solve the problem at the level of the problem. Well, the same is true of ideas. If an idea is fresh, it rises above common circumstances and offers a whole new view. Typically a fresh take on a topic is what gives the reader an AHA! experience.

So, how do I ferret out my student’s best ideas in my 60 Ways To Flex Your Content class?

I look for the aha. And when I don’t see it, I ask for it. And it’s usually either right there or just below the surface if you dig a little.

If you want to find your Aha! ideas, you have to get your ideas down on paper, first. This is what I ask my students to do in my 60 Ways To Flex Your Content & Prosper In Your Niche class. Before you can develop the habit of recognizing good ideas, you need a practice for getting all of your ideas out and on the page, first. First thing’s first. Without the first practice, the second practice doesn’t happen.

So maybe it feels like I have a crystal ball and I can just see all the good ideas in there and my students can’t see them. But that’s not the case, because those who take 60 Ways uncover their best ideas and then execute them and get them published—and that’s how a new crystal ball is created…in them. Because once you brainstorm and write a few truly fresh ideas, you are able to do it again and again.

I love my 60 Ways class because it’s a ton of fun. And if you have already taken classes with me, you might think so too. Here’s what some recent students had to say about it:

The 60 Ways class gave me a system that I can run an idea through and wring out every possible writing angle from it. Her added feedback helped me see saleable article possibilities in my writing ideas I never considered before.  ~ Kim T.

I’ll be using Christina’s template as a part of my process for generating ideas for years to come – invaluable! I also learned the value of digging deeply into a topic and pushing myself to think creatively about how to communicate areas of interest to me.  ~ Tanya W.

60 Ways is one of the best writing classes I have taken. During the six weeks I brainstormed a ton of sellable ideas and was motivated to submit many of them. ~ Stacey L.

The taskmaster/coach does it again…thanks for providing the structure, expertise, and upbeat attitude that helps me keep moving forward with my writing goals.  ~ Heather V.

This course was a huge confidence booster. The process I learned is one that I will return to again and again. ~ Sue L.

There is a lot of banter online about what a platform is and isn’t these days.

So much of this debate feels like a colossal waste of time to me.

I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I’d rather just do the work, or at least work with folks who want to do the work, rather than merely talk about it.

Why would you spend your time debating what a platform is and isn’t, when you could create one and show us instead?

Much of the debate seems to center around who is going to have ownership of your platform, and I can answer that in four words.

You own your platform.

Your platform is not owned by anyone else. Your platform is the center of your creativity and your prosperity.

Your lack of platform is likely the cause of your lack of prosperity and lack of strong identity in the marketplace.

Happy, productive, profitable creatives have platforms.

Crabby, complaining, blocked creatives don’t.

Bottom line: if you want to create ownership of your writing career it’s going to take some time. You are going to have to work hard, at first, to develop and build your platform. And then you will invest energy regularly to maintain it.

But I can promise you one thing: of all the work you do in your writing career, you will have the most fun working on your platform and growing it into something significant and valuable. Because platform-development is all about self-discovery and personal power, first. Before you connect with others, you need to identity the best of what you have to offer.

Nobody can hand you the empowering feeling of ownership that platform brings. You have to build it. And an increased sense of purpose and self-confidence makes it worth every dollar and every minute you invest.

If you are ready, I hope you will join me for my popular class, Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform starting Wednesday, March 6th.

Here’s what recent students have had to say about it:

Before this course, I was in a quagmire about what to write and where to go with it. Because of this class and Christina’s guidance, I am not only clear about what future novels I wish, but also am learning to expand into non-fiction.  ~ Kim T-B

If you do the work, this is the kind of class that delves deep not only your writing but your soul, so that you emerge with a clear description of who you are and where you’re going. Writers, filmmakers, journalists, entrepreneurs, anyone who’s looking to create a presence in the world – take this class, you won’t regret it!  ~ Dorothy K.

Christina’s feedback pushed me to dig deeply and think creatively about my platform. She helped me to realize that if I’m not focused on serving my clients, I’m not going to feel satisfied about my work or be very successful at it. Her comments helped me feel the freedom to own my gifts and passions while still reaching out to clients.  ~ Marianne P.

Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform has been a breakthrough class. Even though I’ve been coaching for a few years now, I feel so much clearer today about who I am as an author and where I’d like to go than I have before. I highly recommend this class.  ~ Sophie B.

If you are a mom writer and you are looking to get started with your writing career or get back into your writing career or expand your writing career, I would love to work with you in my upcoming Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff class, which starts on Wednesday.

But don’t take my word for it. Here is what recent participants have to say:

I would recommend Christina’s class to anyone– in a heartbeat! If you are looking to expand your audience, get published regionally, or just simply learn to put polish and shine the writing work you are currently working on or have accomplished, take this class! You won’t regret it! ~ Tacy B.

Really great class!  Succinct, and yet, you have to do your part. This is not a read only, then just write whatever you want type of class. I found the instruction and the examples really useful for comparing my own homework. They acted a bit as a guide for me, which I really appreciated. Highly recommend for the money! ~ JuliAnne M.

This Course helped me “get my head in the game” and helped to define and shape what a professional writer vs. hobby writer content looks like for me. Christina’s feedback was timely, constructive and professional. She really invests in our success, thank you! ~ Teia C.

I took this class because I am interested in seeking out freelance writing opportunities but I had no idea where to begin. Before taking this class I did not realize there are so many different types of short pieces to submit, nor did I ever even consider submitting to regional publications. Now I have learned the tools to write quality submissions and cover letters and I know the process for submission. Additionally, the resource and contact list provided are a huge bonus. ~ Alexa B.

Christina Katz offers the perfect blend of no-nonsense constructive criticism and supportive, encouraging feedback for the developing writer. I’m more confident that my articles will be accepted for publication now that I’ve taken this class. ~ Elizabeth B.

Learn more about Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff here.

I have noticed that it’s not the big things but the little things that go a long way in any successful business.

I am sure you have noticed the same.

For example…

1. Care

2. Be gracious

3. Be cheerful

4. Expect the best from others and yourself

5. Be concise

6. And precise

7. Be specific

8. And encouraging

9. Yet realistic

10. Be present

11. Be hands-on

12. Be as responsive as you can

13. Maintain healthy boundaries

14. Ask for feedback and take it seriously

15. Keep track of what’s going well

16. Grow in that direction

17. Address what needs to be taken care of

18. Try not to take things personally

19. And if you do, take a step back and rest

20. Work with enthusiasm but not to exhaustion

21. Cherish what you create

22. Enjoy the people you work with

23. Relish your work

24. Keep growing

Folks taking round three are receive their third set of 21 daily writing prompts.

Here are a few of the many positive words I have received for my 21 Moments Writing Challenge, now entering its third month with three rounds of challenges happening at once!

Today is the last day to sign up for March. More info here.

Participants receive:

• 21 examples of excellent writing curated by Christina Katz and delivered right to your inbox.
• A list of reasons to write, so you can write for the reasons most compelling to you.
• 102 new personal experience prompts each time you take the challenge.
• Simple methods for idea-catching, so you won’t lose a single idea.
• A deadline: your goal is to write 21 250 – 500 word pieces by the end of the month.
• The opportunity to submit one of your moments as an excellent example for future participants.

All for only $21 per round – that’s cheaper than most community education classes–even if you take all three rounds.

And you never have to leave home to participate. Hope you can join us! Here are some of the things that former participants are saying:

The 21 Moments Writing Challenge was the launching point for my daily writing, and as a result I felt more creative and had more ideas to pursue during the rest of the day. ~ Cindy H.

21 Moments taught me that it is quite possible to write every day, regardless of a job, other commitments or distractions. Anything can be turned into a moment to write about. The possibilities are surprising and endless! Thanks, Christina! I am recommending 21 Moments to others! ~ Ruth Ann A.

The challenge was just what I needed to get my writing going again, and to make writing a priority in my life again in a stress-free way. ~ Ellen S.

Folks taking round two are receiving their second set of 21 daily writing prompts.

I’ve been “stalking” Christina (in a non-scary way, of course…) online for years. Watching her classes, watching her celebrate her students and wishing from afar I could participate. When a friend suggested that I really needed to get serious about my writing I decided I’d jump on this challenge as a way to motivate myself and learn a little from Christina. Best decision ever! It was just right for me! And the nudge to write a moment every day has led me to produce some great writing that I would not have otherwise attempted. Thank you! ~ Christy M.

21 Moments was a perfect challenge to boost my writing slump. I felt no pressure to meet deadlines or write to a specific prompt. I loved the flexibility without being monitored. The price is so-o-o reasonable. I plan to increase my personal commitment on Round 2. Let’s get started! ~ Illene S.

I got deep thinking, deep writing, and a sense of accomplishment. The writings I produced were all about me – it felt good to loosen up and just write. ~ Krysty K.

Christina’s’ writing challenge makes limp brain cells come alive to push words across the page. ~ Lila J.

I had ideas for stories I’ve been wanting to write, but I decided to just enjoy the pieces Christina gave us to read each day and see what transpired. Sometimes the pieces gave me moments related to what I wanted to write, sometimes not. What they DID do is give me the motivation to write. Every. Single. Day!  An additional benefit of the challenge, even though we don’t interact with others: I came to feel part of a group. I looked forward to checking my inbox each morning and the commitment I’d made to writing for 21 days. I used to do morning pages, but for me, I didn’t have the discipline to get it done. This works for me! ~ Mandy S.

I love Christina Katz’s versatility as a teacher. She is always looking for new and creative ways to motivate her students to write. She has done it with the 21 Moments Challenge. Short and sweet, easy to keep up with and an excellent value. ~ Kristin W.

Having a whole twenty-one days to write has really lit my fire to keep writing. I give this class a twenty-one writer salute. ~ Annette S.

21 Moments is a great motivator to get started and to keep going. This is a great tool to break out of a writing slump. ~ Leigh B.

These prompts are great!  You have the uncanny knack of selecting poems and stories that are some of my favorites. ~ Shirley J.

Folks taking round one will get their first set of 21 daily writing prompts.

Christina’s 21 Moments Challenge provided the inspiration and know how exhibited in thoughtfully chosen examples to get me writing in ways I didn’t think were possible for me. Each day of the challenge provided an example of how it’s done. It was up to me to accept the challenge and get it done to the best of my ability. ~ Diane T.

Christina has always affirmed her belief in mastering small forms of writing before taking on bigger projects. 21 Moments is a great place to start, given the smaller word-count and the emphasis on writing every day. Not only can you produce your work piece by piece, but the format also helps you stick to a regular rhythm for long-term success. This exercise helped me formulate pieces of a rough draft for a novel that I have been trying to get together for over a year now!  ~ Kristeen M.

Writing one moment each day required focus, the one element I lack most. This course challenged me and the first few writings were rough. When I finally wrote one solid moment with no rambling, I learned how to reign in my wandering mind. I enjoyed opening my email each morning. Now that the challenge is over, my inbox feels empty. However, I’ve gained focus and consistency and am applying it each day. I pull a book off my shelf, read a page and write…one moment. Just one. ~ Diane J.

You are making me want to go back and reread all these classics!  ~ Kandace C.

Christina, I just want to thank you for offering the “moments.” The daily prompts helped me to begin to regain my focus and play with different genres. ~ Judy S.

A daily writing prompt delivered to your in box takes the work out of searching for inspiration, yet provides a gentle push to flex your writing muscles every day. Like the best personal trainer, Christina mixes up the genres for the prompts, so your writing muscles do not plateau. ~ Sue L. (Round One)

I write with pen and paper (first), and that journal I got for Christmas is filling up fast, thanks to the 21 Moments Writing Challenge! ~ Debbie S.

The greatest thing this did for me was get me writing every day; writing every day has always been an area that I struggle with. I told myself that I only had to write for five minutes, but it always ended up being longer.  I used the time to attempt some scenes from a novel I’ve had floating around in my head for a while. The freedom to just focus on a “moment” was refreshing and prevented me from getting bogged down in details of the bigger picture. ~ Yvonne S.

This is the perfect program to jump start any writing project. I finished the 21 days with 25 pages of raw and material, and because the focus was on 21 different important moments, the writing is focused meaty. ~ Lela D.

For the past 12 years, I have been consistently coaching writers in how to take what they have to offer to the next level.

I offer classes for beginners, intermediate, and advanced students. I teach my six-week classes independently, over e-mail five times per year. I offer six classes of increasing levels of difficulty at this time, and I am pleased to report that all six produce excellent short-term and long-term results.

Beginning next week, I will be offering three of these classes. If you want to get started writing for publication, if you want to discover your strengths and concisely communicate your writer platform, or if you want to exponentially grow the number of quality articles you have in process, I’d love to work with you in one of my classes that begin next week. And here they are:

I hear comments like this about my classes often:

Thank you for the amazing experience of this class. It is truly one of the best I have ever taken.

Thanks for the opportunity to explore some of my topics more deeply. Looking forward to getting more articles polished and submitted!

I’m amazed by how the picture of this e-book is growing clearer in my mind. It feels like you’re having us harness as much energy and excitement as we can gather for doing the work ahead. (Micro-publishing starts in May)

If you have your eye on any of my advanced classes like micro-publishing for mom writers, I only work with writers I have worked with before in advanced classes. So if you have worked with me in the past, and you are now ready to take your career to the next level, I hope you will check out my latest offerings because I would love to work with you.

And if you’ve taken a class with me in the past, had some success, but have became waylaid along the way, and now you are ready to dive back in, I’d love to work with you. Whether you work with me consistently over time, sporadically over time, or even just once in a while, my classes can produce excellent results in advancing your professional writing career.

Hope to work with you this spring! Feel free to contact me with any questions at “christina at christina katz dot com.”

Like writing daily writing prompts?

My 21 Moments Monthly Writing Challenge begins again on Friday, March 1st. And this time there will be three rounds happening at once.

You must complete round one to be eligible for round two. And you must complete round two to be eligible for round three. But it’s perfectly fine to take a month or two off in between rounds because the challenge runs nine months a year. So you can jump back in any time.

The challenge will be running all three levels for the next three months, then I’ll take two months off and start back up September – November. Then I’ll take December off. And then we’ll start again in January of 2014.

So, what are you waiting for? Join us. This is a great opportunity for writing buddies or writing groups to do something affordable together that will inspire you to improve the quality of your existing writing, as well as inspiring your to write better today and tomorrow.

Not sure if daily writing prompts can benefit your writing process? Check out 21 reasons to take the challenge here.

Here’s what folks who have taken the challenge have to say about The 21 Moments Monthly Writing Challenge:

Christina has always affirmed her belief in mastering small forms of writing before taking on bigger projects. 21 Moments is a great place to start, given the smaller word-count and the emphasis on writing every day. Not only can you produce your work piece by piece, but the format also helps you stick to a regular rhythm for long-term success. This exercise helped me formulate pieces of a rough draft for a novel that I have been trying to get together for over a year now!  ~ Kristeen M.

Writing one moment each day required focus, the one element I lack most. This course challenged me and the first few writings were rough. When I finally wrote one solid moment with no rambling, I learned how to reign in my wandering mind. I enjoyed opening my email each morning. Now that the challenge is over, my inbox feels empty. However, I’ve gained focus and consistency and am applying it each day. I pull a book off my shelf, read a page and write…one moment. Just one. ~ Diane J.

The greatest thing this did for me was get me writing every day; writing every day has always been an area that I struggle with. I told myself that I only had to write for five minutes, but it always ended up being longer.  I used the time to attempt some scenes from a novel I’ve had floating around in my head for a while. The freedom to just focus on a “moment” was refreshing and prevented me from getting bogged down in details of the bigger picture. ~ Yvonne S.

In Seth Godin’s blog today, he says something brilliant today, as usual.

He says that it’s not about having talent; it’s about having good habits.

As a writing coach for the past twelve years, this is something I’ve been saying for a long time.

Writing success is a process, not a God-given ability. I know plenty of able writers who won’t write anything publishable today or even this year for one reason or another.

Fortunately, I know hundreds (maybe thousands) of hard-working writers today who will write something publishable today, simply because they stick with the work at hand and don’t give up.

The most successful writers I work with have two things in common:

1. They work hard.
2. They don’t need anyone to tell them how talented they are.

In The Writer’s Workout, I said:

I don’t prefer working with “talented” writers because I find they are more focused on getting strokes than motivated to work hard on to the next piece of writing. Show me an industrious writer who knows how to keep moving for- ward and I’ll show you a writer who is going to get published.

I also said:

Once you make writing a habit, craft will come down from her pedestal and join you in the dance.

In Get Known, I said:

If you are attached to the idea of being talented, getting discovered, and having overnight literary success, you are going to be a dead duck in publishing waters, my friend. Agents can smell a dead duck a mile away (the same way they can sniff out a writer on the brink of success), and they just give it a wide berth.

In Writer Mama, I said:

Beginning writers need to remember that it isn’t talent alone that sets you apart from the crowd. Just as important are appropriateness of your ideas, attention to detail, professionalism, and follow-through. Believe me, there are plenty of writers out there who write well. But there is a shortage of writers who take their writing seriously without taking themselves too seriously.

Stephen King said:

If you wrote something for which someone sent you a check, if you cashed the check and it didn’t bounce, and if you then paid the light bill with the money, I consider you talented.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau said:

However great a [person’s] natural talent may be, the art of writing cannot be learned all at once.

Get it?

Talent doesn’t matter.

In fact, it can really mess with your head.

In the long run, the measure of your success is what you do or do not accomplish today.

So get back to work and get something measurable done today. Okay, writers?

Photo by Sylwia Bartyzel via Unsplash.com

I have a few tips for memoir writers that might help avoid the usual I-wrote-this-for-therapy-and-now-I-want-to-sell-it pitfall.

Keep in mind, I have no problem with writing a memoir as a form of therapy. But if you have no previous professional writing experience, little concept of how the publishing business works, and you have read scant well-written memoirs, the chances that you will write a saleable memoir are very slim.

So if you are writing a memoir for therapy, go ahead. But if you are writing a memoir to sell, here are a few tips:

1.Read plenty of memoirs before you start writing yours, but don’t read memoir writing how-to books until the full first draft is done.

2. Write the complete story in short segments. Leave no idea unturned. Get every single emotionally charged moment onto paper.

3. Have a searchable method of compiling what you write. Electronic folders work well and are searchable. Keep your longhand draft if you hand one, but copy portions into Word as you go. Don’t edit them too much.

4. Don’t try to come up with a structure for your memoir until you are through writing what you believe is a full, unstructured draft.

5. When you are through, put the draft away and get some education on the way memoirs are structured or work with a writing coach to help you draw out the themes of your memoir. Most memoirs are not just about one thing, they are about a lot of things. These messages are often revealed naturally in the telling, or simply implied by the story itself.

6. Do some outlining with the reader in mind. What’s the story about from the reader’s point of view. It’s time for you to get out of the way and think about what the reader needs and wants to know. Maybe you don’t need to tell your whole entire life story. There is a very good chance that this won’t make a compelling read, anyway. Maybe focusing on 8 key weeks in your life and using flashbacks and flash-forwards would make more sense. You won’t know if it works until you try it, but when you dive back into your material, have a structural plan.

7. Pull together a full structured rough draft using pieces you already wrote and quickly jotting down transitional information and flashbacks, etc. What do you notice? You notice that the first draft you wrote helped you get some distance from your story but is typically not the actual story the reader wants. The actual story may still need to be written. If so, you will know once you have pulled together a full rough. But you still needed the full rough to help you get past your self-consciousness. So don’t skip it.

8. Smooth out your full rough and get a profession read of it. What you need to know is whether you have a saleable story or a therapeutic story. If you have emotional distance from your story, this will increase the likelihood that you have a saleable story. If you don’t, it’s unlikely that you will be able to take the story to the artistic level required of memoir. Don’t be upset if this is the case. You can always put the draft away and let some time pass. No good ideas ever die, that’s my motto.

9. When it’s time to compose what will become your saleable draft, approach the task like a professional author. Have specific hours when you work. Follow your plan. Listen to what the story is telling you as you go. Take the professional advice you have received into account and get the manuscript to a polished full draft. You may have to write several full drafts to accomplish this. You may need to walk away from the job many times to maintain emotional distance. Don’t complain if no one told you how incredibly hard it is to write a book. This is simply what authors go through every single time they create a worthwhile read.

10. Have other things going on in your life too. Especially other creative projects. Maybe you paint. Maybe you decorate. Maybe you are a social butterfly. Don’t give up the other things you love just because you are working on a memoir. Immerse yourself in your book while you are working on it, but then let normal life flow back in. You’ll get the darn thing done eventually.

11. Once you have a polished draft, it’s time for multiple professional opinions. I would not give the manuscript to your friends and family at this point. If you wrote it for traditional publication, then your friends and family can wait along with everyone else. You have to be able to be detached at this point. You can’t take professional  feedback on your manuscript as a reflection on you. It’s about the writing, not about you. This is about the marketplace, what’s selling, and what readers want according to publishing professionals. You want their opinions. But you have to be open and stay open to hear what you need to hear to get your manuscript up to snuff.

12. Listen to what to the professional feedback about your manuscript. If the consensus is that it has potential, then stay with it, even if it needs more work or a major rewrite. Work with a professional editor if you feel overwhelmed or uninformed about how to take the manuscript to the next level. If the feedback isn’t what you hoped to hear, if the consensus is that you have created something that is not saleable, then take a couple of steps back and regroup. Let some time pass and then decide if you want to self-publish or not. But don’t rush into it in the heat of disappointment. Wait. Go to some self-publishing conferences and decide if this is really something you want to do.

13. Time is your friend, when it comes to memoir writing. If you are going to tackle such an enormous project with little professional experience, then you need to focus on writing for readers. Better yet, write for one reader—a reader like you, who would appreciate your topic and your style and your voice. If you don’t know how to write for readers, if you don’t know how to make the most of your personal experience in words that are so compelling that the reader must turn the page, then it’s unlikely that you will be able to create a saleable memoir.

But you won’t know until you try, will you? So go ahead and try. And best of luck.

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!