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As a writer I have been wanting to write for days. However, it seems to me, I haven’t been writing. So I stopped and thought about why I haven’t been writing.

Then my self doubt comes in and says, “well, even if you did write something, who would want to read it? Probably not very many people, right? So it isn’t important if you don’t write today.”

Then my heart chimes in and says, “but you love to write and you have something you want to say. For instance, this conversation you are having with yourself right now. I bet other writers have this or a similar conversation with themselves. It may help someone else realize they aren’t alone. So I think you should share it with them.

See, you and I aren’t alone and that is why I have chosen to write this post.

I don’t want to have my self doubt stop me from writing. The other things I “fight” with myself on about writing are:

“You don’t have any credentials to be a writer. So what makes you think you would be any good at it.” Then I remember people like Paula Deen (Food Network host) isn’t formally trained and she found her happiness just by doing what she loved to do—cook for her friends and family.

“Why go through all of this and then found out you can’t sell any of the books you want to write.” Then I remember if I am doing what I love, it is better than giving up on it because I may not make tons of money at it. Money has never been a motivator for me anyway.

“If you want to take your book to a traditional publisher, you have to first find an agent. And in order to find an agent, you will need a query letter. You don’t know how to write a query letter. I think it is too much trouble…just don’t try. Then I remember what my daughter told me this morning. She said, “Mom, If there is a road block in your way, find a way to either go over it, around it or crash though it mom”.

So today, I started writing and each day I am going to keep writing whether it be a 250 word post or 250 words toward the book my daughter and I are writing together. Or perhaps it will be at least 1 page for the novel I am writing.

As a writer, what are your road (or writing) block? Please share with me and perhaps we can support each other in our writing goals.

Here are my picks for Fab Five Friday this week:

First, let me start out with a link from a link. Joan Stewart, the Publicity Hound, posted a link to The Daily ‘Dog article about how to submit material to the editors at The Family Circle magazine. Great insight and information. The one I really enjoyed was sticking to one form of communication. For instance, if you choose to email a query, don’t then call the editor asking if they have received your email. If you want to follow up, you follow up by email.

Next, I found a new organization online for writers and editors called the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors. You can join and receive some benefits such as:
You can receive your own NAIWE based website to showcase your work.
Get listed in the “find a writer/find an editor” database.
Receive legal information and responses on a individual basis for industry specific questions.
Discount on technical support services for one of your most valuable assets, your computer.
Opportunity to network with fellow NAIWE members.

And there are more benefits for only $149 per year to join.

Another interesting post came from Twitter from ASBPE (American Socity of Business Publication Editors) where Matt Bolch wrote an article titled, “Levering your Freelance Stuff”. I enjoyed this article because it started off by discussing the importance of establishing relationships between editors and freelancers. He gives some advice on how to get more out of a freelancer (not about money, but more concise work) and how to encourage a freelancer.

Then I would like to introduce you to a fellow twitterer I am now following, @10 Minute Writer (aka Katharine Grubb) who wrote a post called Canoeing Down the Illinois River: A Tribute. Katharine talks about how canoeing allowed her to enjoy a childhood memory and write about it (her passion). This then inspired me to write about how her story reminded me of a childhood memory and thus I wrote about it too.

I would like to end by sharing with you some work from one of my online friends, Sheila Finkelstein. Sheila is a wonderful person who is a gifted writer, photographer and artist.

Thank you for visiting my blog and sharing with me these websites and blogs. I hope you have a great weekend!

This morning, I came across an interesting discussion in one of the forums I am a part of on LinkedIn called Freelance Success. One of the members, George Angus, shared a link to his blog post titled, The reason why freelance writing is in piss-poor shape.

In the post George writes about how he finally “broke down” and decided to sign up for a bidding site to find writing jobs. He quickly was not happy about many of the providers offered writing jobs for such low rates. He would bid on jobs, however, someone else would receive the jobs because they required less payment for the jobs. He expresses his concern for the future of freelance writers if some are willing to get pennies for their writing.

Well, this topic was pretty hot because he already has received over 30 comments on his blog and over 50 on the LinkedIn forum.

Some people chimed in and said they wouldn’t mind working for a little bit of money in order to get their name out there. Others wrote it is distasteful to the writing community to be willing to receive pennies for hard work.

I had written back on both the forum and George’s blog because I can see a bit on both sides. And in the end here are a few things I took away from my participation:

1) Do what is best for you. In the forum one of the members, Allia, shared a video with us. The video makes some great points. If you feel you want to take on a few pro bono clients, then do so. However, don’t allow this to become your measurement for jobs.

2) Don’t allow negative conversations to get to you. Don’t allow yourself to become absorbed in the negativity. Be the positive influence in your conversations.

3) If you don’t value yourself as a writer, how do you expect someone else to value your writing? You love writing and you have the knowledge and passion to write. Not everyone has the desire and skills to write well. Don’t allow others to place a value on your writing for less than you deserve.

So do you value yourself as a writer? I invite you to share your thoughts with me.

With all the noise bombarding you every day about the economy, being upbeat can be tough at times. It is important to surround yourself with positive influences. Rajesh Setty’s book, Upbeat, provides you simple ways to create an right attitude when the noise gets too much.

In his book, Upbeat, Rajesh shares with you how he and his team managed to have a positive attitude during a previous recession. Yes, you know the word. You hear it almost every day at least once on the radio, tv and even on the internet. It is okay to be aware of the world around you however, it doesn’t mean you have to become engrossed in it.

Here are a few things to share from reading Rajesh’s book, Upbeat:

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This book contains many great real time ideas and strategies you can use right now in your business and in life to not allow the rough times around you get you down.

You can follow the rest of the book blog tour for Rajesh’s book, Upbeat here.
You can pick up your own copy of Upbeat by going to Amazon

Writers block—the feared time when you, the writer, can’t seem to move forward with your writing.

What exactly is writer’s block? Well, according to Wikipedia,writer’s block is a condition (yes, one that can make you want to pull your hair out) with writing as a profession when the author is unable to produce more work.

As a writer you feel it is a cruel obstruction just to frustrate you.

However instead of fearing writers block, next time you get writer’s block, look at the time as a blessing.

You may be asking how do I do that when all you want to do is just keep writing.

When you get writer’s blog, it is your mind’s way of telling you the writing has become off track and not inline with the message.

Here are a few ideas when you are stumped with writers block:
~ Take a walk
~ Exercise
~ Make a phone call to a friend or family member
~ Play a game
~ Make a cup of your favorite beverage
~ Create a delicious meal
~Write a letter to a friend

By doing one of these activities, you accomplish two things: you get your mind off the writer’s block and you open your mind to other things around you. The focus gets shifted from what is not working onto something different.

You have heard the quote, out of site, out of mind. Or how about, Absence makes the heart grow fonder. By allowing yourself to shift your mind away from sitting in front of your computer or with pen and paper, you give your brain more space to embrace new ideas.

So don’t dread writer’s block. Use it as a tool to get back on track with your writing.

I had the opportunity to get a hold of Donna Cutting for a few moments in between her packed summer speaking schedule. This interview highlights a few neat things about her, her writing and speaking career, and her experience working with a major publishing house, Wiley & Sons.

Thanks Donna for taking time out of your SO busy schedule to answer these questions.

Please tell us a bit of background about yourself.

Here’s a few fun facts:
• Born and raised in Westport, Massachusetts
• Moved to Tampa Bay, Florida in 1991, met my husband, and never looked back
• My degree is in theater and communications, and I did some stage acting in summer stock, college and community theater.
• I worked in the senior living field for several years, planning creative programs for seniors, and learning and applying the principles of employee engagement.
• I’m married to my best friend, Jim, and we have a Maltese puppy named Snowball.
How did you get started in speaking?

I had been working with my boss in the last position I held on improving employee morale and engagement. We had such great results that I began speaking about our process to groups. Someone asked me how much I charged to speak, and a new career was born! I also began attending my local chapter of the National Speaker Association, which I would recommend to everyone wanting to pursue a career as a professional speaker.

What persuaded you to write your book, The Celebrity Experience?

After a conversation with a friend of mine, I began to question what “red-carpet service” really meant. I spent a couple of years interviewing people in Hollywood whose customers are celebrities to find out what it really took to give that level of service, and realized that there is much we can take from Hollywood and apply to business to treat our every day customers as if they were celebrities.

Were there pleasant surprises in writing the book?

The surprises came in the form of companies who do NOT serve celebrities, and yet are getting incredible bottom line results by delivering extraordinary customer experiences. They are varied in type – there’s a university, a small department in a hotel, an assisted living organization, and even a plumbing company! Learning about their innovations in service was indeed a pleasant surprise!

How long did it take you to write the book?
The research and proposal took me over 2 years to write. Once I obtained a publisher, I had a deadline of 6 months to write the book. Over those six months, I guess it took about 8 full weeks to write the actual book.

Did you use an editor to help with the book?

I hired Denise McCabe of McCabe editing to proofread my book, and then my publisher (Wiley) assigned me an editor who worked with me extensively to ensure we were putting out the best book possible.

What advice would you give someone who wishes to write a book?

Write a book when you are so excited about your topic and idea that you can hardly sleep! As a professional speaker there is always pressure to write a book to grow your business. I waited until I had an idea that was so compelling to me that I couldn’t NOT write the book. That passion came through in my proposal and I was able to secure an agent and a publisher right away.

Also – consider how you are going to market the book. Unless you are a celebrity author, you will be responsible for marketing and promoting your own book. Begin building your database and strategic alliances now.

And you were signed with Wiley & Sons as your publisher—can you share the experience working with a major publisher?

I was fortunate to be offered a contract with Wiley immediately after sending them my proposal. They assigned me a wonderful editor who guided this first time author through the process, and pushed me to write a great book. Major publishers also have the means to distribute books through the stores, and do some marketing for you – handling distribution in both the United States and other countries. It was a great experience working with them and I hope to do it again!

What role did Wiley & Sons take on with the book?

See above.

Do you feel that you perhaps have more leverage with your book because it was published by a major publisher rather than self publishing? Why or Why not?

There are reasons to go with a major publisher and reasons to self publish. Yes, there is a level of credibility that comes with publishing through a house rather than self-publishing. For instance, it’s easier to get your book reviewed, schedule book signings, etc. And, as I said, they have distribution means not easily available to the self published author.

Do you have plans to write another book?

Yes – although not this year. Perhaps next. I’m not quite ready to go public with the concept, but I’ll let you know when I am!

What other things do you have planned for 2009?

We’ve (my team at Donna Cutting Presents, Inc.) have been developing training programs and tools around the concept of The Celebrity Experience and those will be available from our website soon. Also, I’ll be partnering with the Innisbrook Leadership Institute to work with companies and organizations who truly want to commit to red-carpet service culture change. We’ve developed an exciting consulting model and we’ll be rolling it out shortly!

Please share with the readers where they can purchase your book.

Thanks for that opportunity. The best price can be found on Amazon.com, or if you want to purchase many copies, at 800CEORead.com. However, the book is available everywhere books are sold. If it’s sold out at your bookstore, they can easily order you a copy!