Jan Fishler

Author and Happiness Coach

When Life Gets In the Way of Work: Getting Back on the Horse

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When Life Gets In the Way of Work: Getting Back on the Horse

I had a lot of momentum going in the beginning of 2015. I was close to finishing the book I’d been working on for the past two years; I was building my platform as a writer through regular blogs, tweets, and Facebook posts; and I was actually doing a better-than-average job promoting (and selling) Flex Your Writing Muscle. In addition, I was getting a lot of positive feedback from the bi-monthly “Healthy Options” column in our local paper. It seemed like I was on track and on a role professionally, and I was happily settling into the rhythm of success.

On January 31, I had an experience that ultimately led me down an unexpected path—a path that I am still processing. In preparation for a “Healthy Options” article, I interviewed an equine therapist. I wouldn’t describe myself as a horse person, but I did take horseback riding in college and I never turned down an opportunity to ride. I was also looking forward to learning more about this “horse whisperer”—something I wasn’t convinced existed. Sitting bareback on a medicine horse was an intriguing opportunity, but I didn’t have the slightest notion how that day would turn my world upside-down. [Read more…] about When Life Gets In the Way of Work: Getting Back on the Horse

A List of 15 Go-To Books for Writers

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A List of 15 Go-To Books for Writers

Recently, I’ve been recycling a lot of my paperback books at our local community book swap. The first Sunday of each month, between noon and 2:00 PM, people in my community can drop books off the local grange and take books they want to read. No money is exchanged, and there is no limit to the number of books you bring or take. Volunteers sort the incoming books by subject, making it easy to find something you might want to read. To enhance the experience, local musicians often volunteer to play. Not only is the community book swap an excellent way to eliminate clutter, but it’s a great way to meet like-minded folks.

Most of the books I bring are fiction. Many have been sitting on a shelf collecting dust for years. So far, I’ve never missed a book I’ve given away, but it occurred to me that should I have a moment or regret, I can always download the same book onto my Kindle—a device that works for everything except reference books.  This brings me to my go-to list.

There are certain books on my shelf that I will never loan or give away. These are my go-to books. The books I refer to when I’m writing, the books that contain the tools I depend on (proper: on which I depend).

While some writers are blessed with an almost innate ability to retain every rule of grammar and syntax they have ever read, I often need to look things up. Even then, when the content is really important, I run it by an editor. Because I know I’m not alone, I thought I’d share the list of books I will probably keep forever.  Here they are in no particular order:

  1. The Oxford American College Dictionary
  2. Rogets Thesaurus
  3. The Chicago Manual of Style
  4. The Copyeditors Handbook by Amy Einsohn
  5. Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
  6. The Art of Fiction by John Gardner
  7. Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott
  8. Tools of the Writer’s Craft by Sands Hall
  9. The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
  10. Aspects of the Novel by E.M. Forster
  11. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne and King
  12. How Fiction Works by Oakley Hall
  13. The Creative Writer’s Style Guide by Christopher Leland

 

And because every writer needs to understand Social Media….I’m including:

 

  1. 500 Social Media Marketing Tips by Andrew Macarthy
  2. The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Scott

What books are on your go-to list?  They don’t have to be related to writing. The other books I hold on to are those that inspire me or contain words of wisdom.

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Jan Fishler is the producer of the Path to Publication DVD series filmed at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers featuring Amy Tan, Janet Fitch, Mark Childress and other well-known authors, agents, and publishers. She is the author of Searching for Jane, Finding Myself (An Adoption Memoir) and Flex Your Writing Muscle – 365 Days of Writing Prompts. She writes articles for VietNow National Magazine and has a bi-monthly column, “Healthy Options” in The Union newspaper.

Try Writing Prompts — See Where They Take You

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Try Writing Prompts — See Where They Take You

I thought I’d start this month off by following a prompt from my book, Flex Your Writing Muscle—365 Writing Prompts, which is available on Amazon in paperback and in kindle. The prompts for June are based on The Book of Runes by Ralph Blum. My recommendation for all of the prompts is to pick one and write/type as quickly as you can for five minutes. If you find yourself lost in your words, then by all means continue. If not, close the book and move on to something more inspiring.

Don’t be surprised if the prompts jump-start your writing. A prompt could easily become your next blog post or the beginning of a new article or short story.

The prompt for June 1: What do you require for your wellbeing? I will admit, sometimes it’s easier to come up with these prompts than it is to answer them. Here goes…

Like many women,  my wellbeing requirements have changed over the years. What I required as a single person working in San Francisco changed when I became a parent, and continues to change as my adult children become more self-sufficient. As a single woman,  my wellbeing depended a lot on how my friendships were going, and getting through various ups and downs that came with navigating relationships. As a parent, my wellbeing is often tied into the health and happiness of my children. I want them to thrive, and when they hit a rough patch, it can become a difficult time for me too. As my adult children become more independent and self-sufficient, I can turn my attention to other things.

Two things that affect  my wellbeing are my health and my work. Fortunately, my health is better than that of most people my age. I like being strong and fit and spend about six hours a week lifting weights and taking a dance aerobics class at my local gym. Working out helps me focus and decreases stress. It’s something I’ve been doing for decades and I have no intention of ever stopping. Occasionally, I might take a break, but I always come back.

My wellbeing is also tied up in my work—whether I’m writing for myself or for others—and in being of service. Early in my career I vacillated between corporate gigs and the nonprofit sector. I needed money to pay off my student loans, but experienced a great deal of satisfaction in helping others. As a result, I often worked in the nonprofit world—writing grants, serving on a board of directors, and even producing a telethon. Today, I’m still on the board of a non-profit and I also write grants for a local organization. I volunteer because giving makes me feel good and enhances my overall wellbeing.

If I’m completely honest, there are other things that increase my wellbeing…I love a chilled glass of good Chardonnay, a thick juicy burger hot off the grill, hiking just about anywhere—even in the rain, walking with my dog, seeing a good movie in a theater, bag of large buttered popcorn in my lap, having lunch with a good friend, and dancing to a live Zydeco music.

When I look at the wellbeing I have in my life, I feel an enormous amount appreciation and gratitude and see a positive cycle that continues.

What brings you the peace, comfort, security, and happiness you associate with wellbeing? Take five minutes to answer that question and see where it takes you.

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Jan Fishler is the producer of the Path to Publication DVD series filmed at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers featuring Amy Tan, Janet Fitch, Mark Childress and other well-known authors, agents, and publishers. She is the author of Searching for Jane, Finding Myself (An Adoption Memoir) and Flex Your Writing Muscle – 365 Days of Writing Prompts. She writes articles for VietNow National Magazine and has a bi-monthly column, “Healthy Options” in The Union newspaper.

 

 

Getting Words to Flow – 3 Steps for Letting Go of Self-Judgment

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Getting Words to Flow – 3 Steps for Letting Go of Self-Judgment

I’ve made a commitment to blog at least twice a week to provide useful information to help people who write (that’s pretty much everyone who is in business). Getting concepts and ideas out of your head in a way that lets words easily flow on to the page is something we can all benefit from. One of the stumbling blocks for many of us is self-judgment. So often, our critical or negative thoughts about ourselves (and our ability to write) sabotage our efforts before we even begin. As a result, we set ourselves up for failure. We might have an absolutely brilliant idea for an article, blog post, or short story, but a negative thought about our ability prevents us from moving forward.

Many times it’s a voice from the past—a parent who didn’t think you were as creative or smart as your sibling, or a teacher who gave an essay or book report you wrote a low mark. Over time, these comments and criticisms chip away at our self-esteem, and eventually, we replace the word can with can’t. We begin to believe our thoughts and turn them into stories and a self-fulfilling prophecy about our capabilities.

Sometimes, it’s what is not said that harms us. Because actions speak louder than words, maybe nothing was said out loud about your efforts, but when you didn’t get the attention you so rightly deserved, you got the message that what you have to offer isn’t valued. This childhood programming can affect us throughout our lives, and prevent us from doing the work we are here to do.

We are all creative beings, yet many of us let judgment by others stand in our way. Writers see this most often when they are unable to fill a blank page or are thwarted by writer’s block. But it can happen to anyone regardless of their field. Often, self-judgment is what prevents you from making the money you deserve, living the life you desire, or getting the promotion you have wanted. It can be an obstacle from attracting the love you yearn for or living the life you crave.

The question then is what to do about it? The first step is to notice any time the judgment of others creeps into your consciousness. It might appear as a negative belief or an obvious negative thought (I’m not pretty, handsome, smart, or good enough to…) or it could be an irrational justification (Brent has worked here longer and is therefore better suited for the job than I am) even when you know that thought is not true.

The next step is to take a close look at the thought, trace it back to the source, and reconsider the message. Don’t be surprised to discover that you have been a victim of someone else’s projection or their overly critical nature. The intent is not to blame, but to observe the source. If you’re familiar with the work of Byron Katie, this is when you ask yourself, “Is it true?” Most of the time it is not.

Finally, take time to rewrite your history. Sit quietly and picture what should o have been said, or how the situation could have been handled, and replay the ideal scene in your mind until you feel the appreciation and recognition you rightly deserve.

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Jan Fishler is the producer of the Path to Publication DVD series filmed at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers featuring Amy Tan, Janet Fitch, Mark Childress and other well-known authors, agents, and publishers. She is the author of Searching for Jane, Finding Myself (An Adoption Memoir) and Flex Your Writing Muscle – 365 Days of Writing Prompts. She writes articles for VietNow National Magazine and has a bi-monthly column, “Healthy Options” in The Union newspaper.

 

Stay Motivated by Sticking With Your Goals and Focusing Your Attention

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Stay Motivated by Sticking with Your Goals and Focusing Your Attention

There are some mornings when I wake up completely inspired and motivated to write. Maybe I’ve had a dream about something I’ve been mulling around in my head, or I’ve read something that is truly inspirational and it propels me forward, or a writing prompt encourages my efforts. There are other days though, when I’m unclear about my direction, and in spite of having a deadline; I’m at a loss for words. It’s not like I have writers block or am stymied by the dreaded white page—that’s what occurs when you have an idea but just can’t seem to develop the content. What I’m talking about is lack of clarity and purpose, which is what happens when we lose sight of our goals, and consequently forget about the carefully crafted path we’ve developed to achieve them.

Recently, I’ve decided to shift my focus a bit. Instead of continuing to make a book I’ve been collaborating on for almost two years a priority, I’ve turned my attention back to my own work and to that of coaching others who want to write or who need help getting the word out about their services.  I have a novel I’d like to complete, writing workshops I like to teach (and therefore need to promote), and I have a Super Simple Social Media Marketing concept I’m excited to share. There is also the writing I do for clients (articles, blogs, newsletters, even grant writing).  Essentially, my day is filled with writing and promotion—at least it should be.

Because, my nature is taking on too much at once, over the years, I’ve developed a method to help me focus my attention. I’m sharing it here because you might want to come up with something similar. As my grandmother used to say, “Who knows, it might help!” If it does, please let me know.

I begin by making a list of my goals followed by how I’m going to achieve them, and why each is important to me. The how becomes my daily action plan, and the why is what keeps me motivated. It’s a simple list with ongoing activities that primarily revolve around my blog posts. The mere act of making a list like the one below not only sets my intention, but it’s also a tool for focusing my efforts.

  1. Continue building a platform as a writer—blog, post, tweet (This will help find a publisher for Cooking Up a Plan: Turn Your Novel Idea Into a Book)
  2. Promote my writing services—attend writing Meetups, groups and events, write and send marketing emails, write and distribute quarterly MailChimp newsletter (A lot of people are overwhelmed by having to write and I can easily help them)
  3. Promote my books—volunteer to speak about writing, blog, post, tweet (My most recent book, Flex Your Writing Muscle: 365 Writing Prompts is guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing and also help people learn more about themselves)
  4. Promote my Write YOUR Story and Free Yourself to Write workshops—set a date and location, distribute flyers, promote on Facebook and LinkedIn. (We all have important stories to tell and my makes it easy for everyone—even people who don’t usually write)
  5. Promote myself as a writing/marketing/PR coach—attend Meetups, groups and events, write and send marketing emails, write and distribute quarterly MailChimp newsletter. (I always feel better when I’m helping others)

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Jan Fishler is the producer of the Path to Publication DVD series filmed at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers featuring Amy Tan, Janet Fitch, Mark Childress and other well-known authors, agents, and publishers. She is the author of Searching for Jane, Finding Myself (An Adoption Memoir) and Flex Your Writing Muscle – 365 Days of Writing Prompts. She writes articles for VietNow National Magazine and has a bi-monthly column, “Healthy Options” in The Union newspaper.

How to Write Anything Quickly and Painlessly

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How to Write Anything Quickly And Painlessly

Last month I presented a workshop at A Day for Women, an annual event put on by the local chapter of Soroptomist International. The topic of the one-hour presentation was, “How to Write Anything Quickly and Painlessly.” Last Wednesday, I made a similar presentation to Sierra Writers in Nevada City. During the workshop, participants learned tips, strategies, and suggestions to make writing easier and more fun. The information has been well received, so I thought I’d pass it on for those of you who….

…have a big project coming up at work with a looming deadline and you are stuck. Maybe you have a book inside of you, but can’t seem to get started, or you want to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, but are worried that it won’t come out “right.” Whether you write marketing collateral, sales letters, or white papers for business, want to write articles and blog entries faster, or you’re part of the 81% of the population who wants to write a book or eBook, this process will help you stop procrastinating and start writing.

Of course, during the workshop participants were able to practice the various tools and methods to see which worked best for them, but there’s enough here to get you started. In future posts I’ll get into more detail about the 10 Tools. If you give the process a try, don’t be surprised if you start developing content faster than you do now. With summer just around the corner, that means more time to spend at the beach!

How to Write Anything Quickly and Painlessly

  1. Be clear about your objective. Ask yourself the following questions: Who am I writing for? What is the purpose of this article, blog post, letter, report, or book? When do I have to have it done? When do I want to have it done? Where is it going to be distributed? Why is it important? How long do I want to take to complete it?
  1. Overcome resistance – 10 Tools

Believe you can do it: download Eliminate the Judge (you can get this mp3 for FREE at    http://www.janfishler.com),  Laugh and lighten up, Physical exercise, Whole body relaxation (I’m going to have to make a video to demonstrate this one),  Music and ambient sound, Affirmations: I enjoy writing. I write quickly. I am prolific, etc. Visualization & Guided Imagery – Feeling Good About Writing (to be recorded soon) Consciously connected breathing/meditation,  Automatic writing, 5-minute writing blasts.

  1. Get into the writing habit: Buy Flex Your Writing Muscle – 365 Days of Writing Prompts and start your day with a prompt. Write for 5 minutes and see where it takes you.
  1. Conduct research/be an investigative reporter (who, what, when, where, why, how).
  1. Set a timer for 15 minutes, FOCUS, and crank out a first draft.
  1. Ask yourself questions about your draft. Is it okay? Did I leave anything out? Where can I get additional information? Is the information understandable to the target audience? Is it in the right order? Is it readable? Is it interesting? Does it need graphics? How could it be better? Should I get input from others?
  1. Polish Your Draft. Do I have the inner resources and time to make it better? Who can I trust for feedback? Should I hire an editor? Can the information be repurposed?

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Jan Fishler is the producer of the Path to PublicationDVD series filmed at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers featuring Amy Tan, Janet Fitch, Mark Childress and other well-known authors, agents, and publishers. She is the author of Searching for Jane, Finding Myself (An Adoption Memoir) and Flex Your Writing Muscle – 365 Days of Writing Prompts. She writes articles for VietNow National Magazine and has a bi-monthly column, “Healthy Options” in The Union newspaper.

5 Reasons You Need to Blog

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Whether you’re an author or an entrepreneur, blogging needs to be a regular part of your life. Why, you might ask? There are several good reasons:

  1. Blogging, i.e. writing about your business, establishes you as an authority, someone people want to go to and work with. You don’t have to look too deeply into your own life to know this is true. Would you pick a doctor or dentist at random from the Yellow Pages (yes, phone books are still being printed), or from Google, or would you ask around for recommendations from family members or friends? Recently, I read a Yelp review for a hand surgeon I was referred to, but had not yet met. The reviews were so bad that I picked up the phone and cancelled my appointment! Your clients want to have faith in your ability to meet and serve their needs. Your blog can provide the wisdom, knowledge, and insight that makes them feel comfortable.
  1. Your blog is a way to let your clients (customers) and prospects know that you care about them—even if you don’t say it directly. Regularly posting useful and helpful information let’s your client know you are aware of their needs and care enough to share content that will make life easier in some way. Freely sharing your knowledge doesn’t take a lot of time, and it helps build a rapport. Going back to the doctor who received the poor Yelp rankings. One of the biggest complaints was his poor “bedside manner” and brusque attitude. Obviously, his patients didn’t feel that he cared, and as a result, they took the time to let others know about it. Helpful blog posts by this same surgeon might have made a world of difference.
  1. Content you provide via your blog can help you establish and build your mailing list. This is something every business owner needs to do. By asking visitors to subscribe to your blog (newsletter or other information), you now have permission to send them emails. Email marketing is one of the most affordable ways to promote your products and services and announce offers that are of interest to your clients. You can also use the list to send out surveys and questionnaires that will help you get more information about the needs of the people you serve.
  1. Once it’s posted, a blog is something you can share via other social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Regularly sharing content creates a win-win situation. Not only are you broadcasting helpful information, but your blog posts help you attract people who need to know about the products and services you offer.
  1. Depending on how often you blog and the quality of your content, over time, blog posts can be assembled into articles, press releases, monthly newsletters, even eBooks and sent out to your list – you know, the one that keeps gaining subscribers because you’re blogging and sharing important information. I recently did this. In 2014, I knew I was going to be working almost full-time collaborating on a book and wouldn’t have a lot of time to blog. Instead of my usually 500+ word posts, I decided to post a new writing prompt each day. Recently, I took advantage of Create Space and turned those posts into a paperback and a downloadable Kindle book. For those of you who are a fountain of knowledge, your blog posts can be an excellent opportunity to download and storehouse information that can be repurposed at a later time.

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Jan Fishler is the producer of the Path to PublicationDVD series filmed at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers featuring Amy Tan, Janet Fitch, Mark Childress and other well-known authors, agents, and publishers. She is the author of Searching for Jane, Finding Myself (An Adoption Memoir) and Flex Your Writing Muscle – 365 Days of Writing Prompts. She writes articles for VietNow National Magazine and has a bi-monthly column, “Healthy Options” in The Union newspaper.Content goes here

Social Media Begins with a Blog

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Social Media Begins with a Blog

Occasionally,  even someone like me, who loves to write, gets sidetracked by life and stops—writing, blogging, posting. I kept up with my “Healthy Options” column, published the 1st, 3rd, and 5th, Tuesdays of each month in The Union newspaper, but Entrepreneurial Jan took a break. It wasn’t intentional, but apparently, I needed time to think, and as it turns out, time to synthesize, plan, and create.

During this two month hiatus, I realized that I’d lost my focus. Sure, I kept busy–even did a few workshops and worked on some fiction,  but I wasn’t clear about where I was headed. Something was nagging at me.

That’s when all of the social media marking information I’d been devouring for the past few years, gelled. In a moment of divine clarity, I realized that building a writing platform and  a list weren’t as complicated or time consuming as I’d been led to believe. In fact, what made everything seem so difficult was my resistance to “it.” By “it” I mean everything except blogging. After all, blogging is simply writing, but it’s all the other social media stuff that was dragging me down—until in that flash of insight I realized that once it was set up, everything else could be automated and relegated to a less than 10 minutes per post.

That’s when I really love technology!

With the goals of …
1. Establishing myself as an author (Building a Platform)
2. Promoting my writing and coaching services as well as my books
3. Growing a list for my workshops

Here’s my new, improved and completely do-able social media plan:

Blog (300-500 words) at least once a week (hopefully 2-3 times) and then post links to completed posts on Twitter, my Face Book  business pages, and on LinkedIn.

That’s it. Simple and easy.

Of course, coming up with a minimum of 52 – 156 topics a year is the tricky part, but I’ve done a little online sleuthing and discovered an abundance of sites that help people come up with ideas as well as catchy headings. I’ve even come up with a way to coach others, regardless of their area of expertise, through a brainstorming process that quickly generates hundreds of topics. I know it works because I used it myself.

My goal for the rest of the year is providing information that will actually help members of my target audience—writers in general, people who have a story to tell for posterity, individuals who want to plan their novel to make writing easier and more fun as well as writers who want to learn how to jump-start their writing with prompts and other tools I’ll be sharing.

Stay tuned!

Give my ridiculously simple social media marketing plan a try and let me know how it works for you.

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Jan Fishler is the producer of the Path to Publication DVD series filmed at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers featuring Amy Tan, Janet Fitch, and other well-know authors, agents, and publishers. She is the  author of Searching for Jane, Finding Myself (An Adoption Memoir) and Flex Your Writing Muscle – 365 Days of Writing Prompts. She writes articles for VietNow National Magazine and she has a bi-monthly column, “Healthy Options” in  The Union newspaper.