Tag: Who Dares Wins Publishing

Thursday Thot: Time for a “Joy-Fix”

Posted on by Joy Held

I was named after my Grandma Joy. When I was a little bit of joy, she told to watch out for days when it would be difficult to live up to our name. In other words, feeling joyful would be challenging sometimes. That’s life. I grew to be a practical person who doesn’t like to waste time or breath. So I tend to work hard before I get to the joyful parts of life. Sometimes the work is so overwhelming that I’m too tired for the joyfulness that should be my reward. Alas, the conundrum Grandma Joy warned me about.

Many people mistake my diligence and persistence for unhappiness. I am happiest when I’m working and productive. Some people don’t believe that work is a joyful occupation. I do. These folks think I need more joy in my life when my whole being is made up of joy. I take joy in my work. I find joy in my purposes as parent and teacher. I know joy with every word I publish. Joy is achieved, at least for me, through my desire to make a difference. I have found my niche, my way to make a positive difference in my life and that of others through teaching and writing. Those are occupations to some but they are joy-filled opportunities for me. I do run into stinkers every now and then. They try to threaten my ability to find joy in my work. I’m only human. So I turn to my journal and hash it out in words and drawings and thank-you notes from people I’ve helped.

 

But everyone needs some helpful reminders now and then on how to find joy in life and therefore that positive attitude that is October’s mission. Here are a couple of tips I’ve found useful.

1.Daily affirmations-these are little snippets of what I call “cheerleader talk” that you write down and keep handy throughout the day. Examples of such positive self-talk are “Today is a good day to notice one good thing about myself and share it with the world.” There is a list of positive affirmations in my book Writer Wellness.

 

2.Daily meditation practice-five minutes of sitting in stillness and listening to your own breath rotate through your body and mind sounds mundane, but the results of such a long term and simple practice are amazing. Don’t discount the simplicity. That’s exactly the point in this crazy, work-till-you-drop world. I should know. That’s why meditation is an important part of my plan for joy. There is a chapter in my book to help you get started with meditation.

So when it’s time for a “joy-fix”, pull out the simple things and watch your negativity gradually fade away until all that’s left is pure joy.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Wednesday Workout: The Little Engine in the Gym

Posted on by Joy Held

Remember the wonderful “Little Engine That Could”? He got to that mountain and huffed and puffed all the way to the top saying, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” Loved that book, and the positive attitude of the Little Engine is perfect for juicing up our workouts in the gym. A positive attitude before, during, and after exercise adds to the genuine results we see long term. The exercise itself is a great way to create feel-good brain chemicals like dopamine and endorphins, and physical activity actually helps create brain-derived neurotrophic factor that contributes to the growth of new brain cells. New cells, new energy, new attitude.  Perfect!

“I’m So Excited” is just the half of it when you prime your workout with positive affirmations. But honestly, going into the gym some days is worse than the thought of having a tooth pulled without a large Novocain cocktail. Ick. So try some of these tips for staying positive about your regular exercise routine.

1.Variety-mix things up every week. Walking, swimming, weight lifting, jogging, yoga, kickboxing, and on and on. There are so many options to choose from when creating an exercise regimen that overload is a potential hazard. Don’t forget to throw in a dvd workout from time to time, and check out some of the online fitness routines that are free. Lots of them are really quite good for the short term. Of course, find a particular workout you enjoy like a weekly yoga class and work everything else around that.

2.Map out your success-put a smiley face on the calendar for everyday you get out and exercise. Just try it one month and watch your challenge grow into a good habit.

3.Tough spots first-get the more difficult parts of a workout over with at the start of the session. Warm-up then attack problem areas like arms and abs first then finish with less strenuous activities. When walking, for instance, do the walk-sprint-walk-sprint session early on then gradually wind down with a slower pace or some stretching.

 How do you keep your little engine roaring in the gym?

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com. 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Friday Feast: World Vegetarian Day Pizza

Posted on by Joy Held

My ‘O’ blood type is noted by Dr. Peter J. D’adamo in his book Eat Right for Your Type as the oldest blood type and the blood of the hunter, the pre-historic meat eater. We have highly acidic stomachs and staunch digestive systems unless we eat too many acidic foods. Then our stomach linings slowly disintegrate and ulcers abound. We need protein and aerobic exercise like running through the forest chasing an elk for today’s menu board. But every once in a while, I prefer vegetables over animal fat. And I love pizza.

The other dietary nemesis for us O-rdinary blood types (we’re the universal donors, but we can only accept ‘O’ blood ourselves,) is wheat. The wheat alternative that helps some of us with our cravings for bread is spelt. Spelt is the ancient ancestor of wheat and is a bit more digestible. Combining the two principles of pizza and spelt, I’ve managed to satisfy my teenage holdovers for pizza with the following recipe. If you don’t have the patience to make your own pizza crust, check out the ready-made product I’ve listed below. And look around. Spelt is popping up everywhere and making alternative baked goods really yummy!

Spelt pizza crust

2 cups white spelt flour

1/2 cup whole spelt flour (I like to sift them together so the crust is smooth but still has some body to it because of the whole flour.)

3/4 cup warm water

1 teaspoon rapid rise yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup of the warm water. Let sit covered in a warm place until the yeast “proofs” or has foamed up some. Using an electric mixer, mix the flours and olive oil together with the water/yeast mixture slowly at first. Add the rest of the warm water and when a moist ball begins to form, add olive oil and increase the mixer speed. The goal is a ball that sticks to the paddle but cleans off the inside of the bowl as it spins. Don’t over mix. That makes a tough crust.

Line a large pizza pan or cookie baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil. Spray your clean hands with cooking oil and remove the dough from the bowl. Work it in your hands and spread it on the pan to the edges. Let rest while you prepare the sauce and toppings.

Pizza sauce

1  15 oz can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Then spread the sauce on the pizza dough.

Toppings

This is where your own tastes come in, but this recipe is in honor of World Vegetarian Day ‘O’ctober 1.

Cheese: 2 cups shredded parmesan, mozzerella, cheddar (If you don’t eat anything that comes from an animal, you probably are well acquainted with rice and almond cheeses. Knock yourself out.)

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/3 cup of banana pepper rings chopped

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning mix

olive oil

Cover the sauce with cheese mixture then remaining herbs and vegetables adding whatever other veggies gets your palate popping. Drizzle olive oil around the edges of the crust.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees. Cool briefly, cut and love every bite.

Source for ready made spelt pizza crust

Berlin Natural Bakery

http://www.berlinnaturalbakery.com/

 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

 

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

 

Thursday Thought: Guest Post CLAUDIA TALLER on “Balance”

Posted on by Joy Held

When I stepped off the bus this morning, it was pouring down rain.  A complete stranger put an umbrella over my head and we chatted easily for the five minutes it took to get to the building.  After I thanked him and went on my way, I thought about the nice surprise of spending time in conversation with a good-looking guy first thing this morning.  It felt like the universe was telling me to live in the moment.

During last evening’s religious study class, we talked about how important it is to have a Sabbath so we can refuel.  I have been struggling with all the social networking I have to do to communicate about my events—it’s keeping me from getting my writing done.  I need balance, not just in my life but also in my writing.

I journaled this morning.  A planned stay at a hermitage at a monastery awaits me in October.  I have allocated some blocks of time for social networking and keep my “real” writing time sacred.  This morning proved I’m open to possibility and synchronicity, which are important for ideas, and zest for life, and trudging forward.  And my walk at lunch time allowed me to let my worries go, a form of meditation.

Interesting how I can hold the tree pose for ten minutes on each leg and feel totally centered and balanced, but once my day gets going I soon feel like I’m going in a million directions.  Julia Cameron had it right in The Artist’s Way when she recommended Morning Pages, Artist’s Dates, and attention to synchronicity.  In her second book, she added walking.  If we add sorting out priorities to her formula, we can achieve balance. 

When life feels out of control, we just need to do tree pose and go for a walk to ruminate on our morning journaling, retreat time, and life’s surprises.  Writing then becomes what we dream it should be—a bit of ourselves flowing through the keyboard and out into the world.  It happens when we’re in balance.

Claudia Taller writes about writing, living well, and striving for excellence for a number of publications. In 2008, she launched Igniting Possibilities (http://www.ignitingpossibilties.blogspot.com/), which seeks to encourage unbounded creativity and personal exploration in others. Her Word Lovers retreats are held twice each year in Lakeside, Ohio, and memoir writing, spiritual quests, and other events are sprinkled throughout the calendar. She published the book Ohio’s Lake Erie Wineries (http://www.ohiolakeeriewineries.blogspot.com/) in June 2011.

 

 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Tuesday Tickle: Two Things Art Journaling Has Taught Me

Posted on by Joy Held

I recently discovered art journaling when I stumbled across a magazine dedicated to the concept. It fascinated me by combining things I’d done separately for years. Art journaling combines writing, scrapbooking, and art into one satisfying activity that has taught me a few things about what it means to be creative.

 

The term “art journal” has more than one definition depending on who’s doing the talking. An artist is never without her sketch pad much like a writer is never without a small notebook for jotting down ideas. The new twist on the phrase is the inclusive nature of the activity. Practically anything goes as long as it can be applied to the page. Art journalers are very resourceful when it comes to getting something to stick to a journal page. Glue, brads, staples, needle and thread, masking tape, and adhesive bandages are just some of what’s possible to use when affixing something to a page.

 

This is an early attempt at art journaling when I was learning to incorporate different textures.

 

 

 

The freedom of art journaling has taught me two valuable lessons that I’ve carried out into the world.

 

1. Although I have great respect for the study of art, you don’t have to have an art degree or be really talented in art to succeed. The goal for me is an artistic interpretation of something written. This has given me confidence and expanded my ideas about what creativity is and made me more accepting of other people’s creative efforts.

2. I’ve learned that it’s not enough to be brave enough to write down difficult things. What counts is being brave enough to really face the difficult things in writing and then the make changes.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

 

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well.

Monday Meditation: Banned Thoughts During Meditation

Posted on by Joy Held

It’s national Banned Books Week. Sigh. A history of yet another way, besides disappearing bricks-and-mortar bookstores, to make a writer’s life more challenging. In spite of the collected freedoms we and others support and sometimes die for, the concept of banned books is ultimately about freedom of speech and censorship. When it comes to meditation and choosing not to follow a path of thoughts but staying present in the moment of the breath, are we actually censoring our mind’s free flow of ideas instead?

 

In the colorful history of banned books, there is the concept of books being ‘challenged’ as well as actually being removed from the availability of certain populations such as children. Just as often however, books are kept away from adults with the right to choose what they read. It is the sense of challenge that permeates meditation practice rather than total separation. As we meditate and thoughts surface in the consciousness, we are given the freedom to choose at the very moment if we want to dwell on the thought or simply not. We have the freedom in our minds to set aside the thought temporarily, and this is in a sense meeting the fundamental challenge of all meditation practices. Do we grasp or do we let go?

 

Famous classics have been and continue to be challenged and/or banned by institutions and groups for various reasons that seem clear to those taking advantage of their right to free speech to question the propriety of a book. I see a contradiction there. If it weren’t for the freedom of speech and ergo freedom to read and write, these particular entities wouldn’t be allowed to oppose these books. In our minds during meditation, we are ultimately free, freer, in fact, than anywhere else or time. Real freedom of choice exists during meditation. We are free to challenge thoughts or free to follow them down the spiraling road of tangents. The spiral is thinking about something, and that’s entirely different from meditation as I see it practiced. Thinking is good. But the freedom not to think while meditating is just as good.

For more information on Banned Books Week 2011 visit the American Library Association website.

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/index.cfm

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

 

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

 

 

 

Be well, write well

Wednesday Workout: Fitness In Six Words

Posted on by Joy Held

 

 

 

Sweat nourishes my brain with rebirth.

Comments limited to six words, please.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Tuesday Tickle: Creativity In Six Words

Posted on by Joy Held

 

 

Art is blind faith in control.

 

Comments limited to six words, please.

 There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

 

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance! 

Be well, write well

Thursday Thought: Eleven Senses, Who Knew? Guest Post Marilyn Kelly

Posted on by Joy Held

Most of us have eleven senses – who knew?

When I began writing fiction, I assembled word lists to correspond to commonly used phrases such as ‘she looked’ and ‘he turned’. Soon I had cut and pasted two pages of stronger verbs from various thesauri on the internet and added words from reference books I own. Eager to find equally strong adverbs and adjectives, I compiled lists for colors and smells. While researching the five senses, I went to Wikipedia, and it was there I first discovered the eleven scientifically recognized senses.

The five commonly known senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste) were defined by Aristotle. The other six seem just as important, especially for a fiction writer. Pain, temperature, time, motion/acceleration, direction, and balance are all essential to fully expressing the human condition. In nearly every scene, authors need to check in with our characters to determine their comfort and actions. If they are teetering on the edge of a cliff, writers need the words to describe their sensations.

There are also internal receptors that regulate breathing, heart rate, vasodilation (flushing and blushing), intestinal distress, and swallowing. While these are also important for accurate character descriptions, they are not usually considered senses. Likewise, sense of ethics, humor, style, etc. should be reflected in your characters’ actions.

The senses are of little impact if we don’t translate them into Emotions (the lifeblood of great fiction) and Body Language (how we communicate emotions and sensory input.) I created lists for those as well. A good writers’ workshop weaves all three sets of lists to help craft compelling scenes. I recently self-published my lists in book form, which is available on Amazon. I have a workshop I put together using the lists and sensory props, which I presented at the RT 2010 convention and the Romance Writers of America national conference. I invite fellow writers to explore these new concepts and see how sensual your writing can become.

I use these lists when I’m searching for a stronger word, a plausible reaction, or a non-stereotypic gesture. I shade each story with different color palettes, highlight certain emotions, and assign characters defining mannerisms. These lists help me stay within bounds so my stories have depth and consistency. In first drafts, they ease my searches. In final edits, they supply the variation on overused terms. I hope they help all writers as much as they do me.

Also, I have put together a ‘Workshop in a Bag- Just add Chocolate’ for writer’s groups to have in case a speaker doesn’t show, or if no speaker is available. Using this, any good public speaker can take the outline, handouts, and props and put on an engaging workshop (just add chocolate.) If you want to know more, or would like to have me conduct an  Eleven Senses – Who Knew? workshop, please contact me at marilyn@marilynkelly.net.

Happy writing,

Marilyn

http://blog.marilynkelly.net/

 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com. 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

 

Check out my new website Joy E. Held http://www.joyeheld.com

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

 

Be well, write well


 

Tuesday Tickle: Losing the Ball

Posted on by Joy Held

I literally had a ball this past weekend at the Skyline Writers Conference  http://skylinewriters.com/  in southwest Cleveland where I gave a presentation (“Your Brain on Yoga: How Exercise and Nutrition Make You A Better Writer”). The thirty participants were attentive, energetic, and focused. They have serious plans to be writers! I applaud them all.

First , let me congratulate the other three presenters at Skyline who gave wonderful, interactive lectures on topics important to writers today.

                Mara Purnhagen http://www.marapurnhagen.com/  offered a well-informed session about young adult fiction. Her books published with Harlequin Teen http://www.eharlequin.com/catalogsearch.html?keyword=mara+purnhagen&tab=items&vcname=Catalog_Search lend power to her premise about the “five page rule for young adult.” If you can’t hook a teen reader by page five, say good-bye to them. This is good to know.

                Kelly Boyer Sagert http://www.kbsagert.com/index.html gave a fabulous presentation on non-fiction writing. Her personal story of “accidently” becoming a boomerang expert is hilarious and informative. She is living the life of a non-fiction writer to the fullest and doing it well. Her words are golden.

                Lisa Roecker http://lisaandlauraroecker.com/index2.php#/home/and her younger sibling, Laura have recently released a young adult title through Source Books http://www.sourcebooks.com/ . Lisa gave a wonderful presentation on the basics of social media for writers. Lisa got the most questions of the day proving that the topic is hot, and her presentation was excellent. Audience participation says it all at these conferences.

                I spoke about the five practices of Writer Wellness and recent developments in the world of brain research and how the new information applies to writers. For an “ice breaker”, I tossed out a beach ball covered in questions I wrote on the ball in permanent marker. I think everyone had fun with this activity and it got them thinking. They had to answer questions like, “Do you track you salt intake on a daily basis?” and “Did you eat any fruit today, if so what?” The most laughs happened when someone threw the ball hard enough to dislodge the lights overhead or when someone totally missed the ball even with both arms stretched overhead. Of course, we did breathing exercises squeezing stress balls, and I guided everyone through the basic alignment principles of Standing Mountain Pose.

                The Skyline Writers Conference  http://skylinewriters.com/ was really well organized, and I’m honored to have been a speaker this year. Look it up. The information and the setting are stellar. 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held http://www.joyeheld.com

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well