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March, 2007 |
Barbara McNichol EditorialMake sure this ezine reaches your inbox. Please add editor@barbaramcnichol.com to your address book. If you are unable to view this newsletter, you may click here to read it online.In This Issue …
Sizzling Sampler—Born Again Irish for St. Patty's Day Faye Quam Heimerl St. Patrick's Day meant nothing more to me than gaudy shamrocks, leprechauns, and "Kiss Me I'm Irish" buttons. That's before I read Born Again Irish by O'Caruso-a man who began his life as Frederick C. Caruso, a New York Italian. St. Patrick was abducted as a teen and taken to Ireland to be a slave; O'Caruso wasn't much older when, as a paratrooper, he was wrenched from his New York home to serve in Germany. En route, his Flying Tiger aircraft crashed off the coast of Ireland. Both stories began with a tragedy; both ended with rebirth. St. Patrick escaped his captors, traveled, chased snakes out of Ireland (not really), and was named a saint after his death. What of O'Caruso? He poignantly writes about a man's wonderful journey toward who he's intended to be, his readers spellbound at his side. From the beginning-the airplane crash-we know the ending; O'Caruso survives and becomes an Irish citizen. Yet he crafts a gripping story filled with imagery and detail as he describes the "icy fingers" of the ocean, his rescue and recovery, his antics while writing for the Stars and Stripes newspaper, and his pilgrimage to Montana and a green-eyed cowgirl there. As O'Caruso seamlessly relates present-time stories with what happened in the past, he breaks up the pace with humor, drama, and anecdotes. Instead of explaining his emotions, he gets readers to experience them. Two examples: "Horror raced down my spine and grabbed me by the gut." and "My mind was raging black, furious and evil, full of the roar of an uncontrollable, screaming sound, a maniacal, shouting whisper..." The artistry of Born Again Irish changed me as a reader. I now sense the passion expressed in Irish traditions, thanks to O'Caruso. And this year, on St. Patrick's Day, I'll be dancing an Irish jig in his honor. Faye Quam Heimerl, Whistling Swan Writing, is a published poet, writer, and editor, who specializes in content editing, fiction, poetry, and children's literature. She works with new and experienced writers who are passionate about what they have to say and need guidance to put that passion into the written word. Contact Faye through Barbara at Editor@BarbaraMcNichol.com. Creativity Kindler—Invite Your Imagination to Doodle By Shirley Dunn Perry Does your pen ever squiggle or dance during meetings or on phone calls? Perhaps you have a doodle-writing assistant in those spontaneous designs. Why not combine your doodles with words to work for you? It can be delightful. To activate your personal doodle-assistant, write an intention at the top of an unlined sheet of paper. You could be specific (such as Character Development, Strengthen Persona Narrator, Clarify Tone) or general (such as Advice for My Poem). Close your eyes; let your pen or crayon have its say. Consciously avoid making common symbols like hearts, trees, or houses. For more adventure, let each hand have a turn. Or hum a tune to activate another part of your brain. It's impossible to make a mistake, so let your pen flow. Before you open your eyes, invite your internal editor-in-chief to bask in the sun with a cup of tea. Jot down your first impressions alongside the images. Give voice to the doodle by asking it questions. Are there any repeated designs? Does it need more color? Most of all, regard your doodle-assistant as a shy, trustworthy friend who always comes through. And don't be annoyed if you don't immediately solve your writing problem. Put up the doodle image where you work to share its wisdom throughout the week as it communicates through insights, hunches, or sounds. Like gazing at clouds, invite your imagination to doodle. Shirley Dunn Perry is a registered nurse, poet, and author of Ten Five-Minute Miracles: How to Relax. Believing that you can discover and express your true joyous self, she teaches self-discovery workshops and can be reached through Barbara at Editor@BarbaraMcNichol.com. Word Wrangler—Does Your Writing Sing? Take This Simple Test! By Patrice Rhoades-Baum A colleague asked for feedback on an article she wrote for a health organization. It was well written, the headline hummed the main theme, and, like a chorus, her theme resonated throughout. Applause! But a hiccup prevented this article from "singing." In fact, it had caught a "we-zing" cold because it focused on the organization, not the reader. In the first six paragraphs, the words we and ours appeared 18 times, while you and yours appeared only nine times. I encouraged her to switch the focus from we-zing to singing. For example:
Is your writing we-zing? Take this simple test to find out:
When you focus on your audience, your message is warm, inviting, and friendly. Plus, readers see the value without puzzling out "how does this relate to me?" Best of all, your writing sings the value persuasively. Patrice Rhoades-Baum has wrangled with words throughout her 25-year communications career. She enjoys strategizing and copywriting marketing communications projects like websites, articles, and workbooks. Contact her through Barbara McNichol at Editor@BarbaraMcNichol.com. Head Turner—Spring Workshops Worth Your While Get Your Book Published Workshop April 19-21 in Dallas, Texas: In this 3-day intensive, author/trainer/speaker Dianna Booher shows you how to craft a book proposal that will attract publishers and navigate the publishing waters. Dianna offers a generous discount to subscribers of The Door Opener. When you register, refer to Code DO555 or mention you saw it in The Door Opener and receive $100 off your workshop fee. For details, go to GetYourBookPublished2007.com or call Dianna Booher's office at 800-342-6621. Knock-Their-Socks-Off Book Publicity Workshop: Join marketing experts Lynn Wiese Sneyd (literary publicist), Jerry Simmons (former Time-Warner executive), and Marilyn Haight (author) for a 1-day workshop April 21 in Tubac, Arizona. They won't let you get cold feet as you learn to design and launch a strong publicity campaign for your nonfiction or fiction book. Interested in the details? SEND ME an email with "Arizona Workshop" in the subject line or contact Lynn Wiese Sneyd at 520.575.8302 or lwiesesneyd@russellpublic.com. Writers Seminar May 12 in Scottsdale, Arizona: A one-day seminar featuring Experts in Book Publicity, Retail, Editorial & Marketing. Tickets at www.WritersReaders.com; for more information, email Jerry Simmons at Jerry@WritersReaders.com Dream Maker—The Latest on Jessica's Solo Flying Venture Two ventures are underway for Jessica Cox, whom I featured in previous issues of the Door Opener: (1) rescheduling her first solo flight (poor weather grounded her in a February 11 attempt) and (2) getting a contract for her almost-finished autobiography, Flying With My Own Two Feet. A quick recap: Jessica's story highlights her flying solo in an Ercoupe sport plane-the first woman ever to fly with only her feet. Her feat (pun intended) will be filmed and aired on a future Oprah Winfrey show. I'll keep you posted on her progress-through the sky and through the publishing maze. Wish Jessica luck as she flies into the sky with her own two feet. Special for Word Tripper fans: I've updated the PDF for Word Trippers ebook. Now 230+ Word Trippers in one easy-to-reference document. To get the latest and greatest edition, simply email me and put "Word Trippers" in the subject line. Premier, premiere- "Premier" (adjective) means first in status or importance, first to occur or exist. As a noun, it refers to a chief administrative officer, as of a province. "Premiere" (noun) is the first public performance, as of a movie or play. As a verb, it means to present that first public performance. "The premier cast members premiered in a special performance of the striking new play, which was attended by the premier of Ontario." My thanks to George Mason for suggesting this month's Word Tripper. Yes, I'd love to have your suggestions, too. But first do a search to see if they've already been published in the latest PDF edition. To receive it, email me with "Word Trippers" in the subject line and I'll send it right away. New Recommended Resource—How to Write and Deliver a Dynamite Speech What do excellent speakers know that makes them persuasive, memorable, and powerful from the platform? The "best of the best" know how to write and deliver a dynamite speech that leaves a lasting impression. Coming across as honest, real, and genuine, a great speech feels like an intimate conversation. It appears effortless. Yet that effortlessness results, not from luck, but from diligent crafting and practicing. Speaking coach Doug Stevenson (an NSA colleague and my client for the past decade) has developed a 21-Step Dynamite Speech System to help speakers at all levels create their speeches. With it comes a great Bonus package with over $275 of value-added items. Doug has generously added a FREE consultation from me along with my Word Trippers ebook to his list of amazing and valuable bonuses. I highly recommend checking out Doug's systematic approach to learning in this 10-CD set with 80-page workbook. This link will get you all the details! Best Practices Lead to Profits! If you're a beginning speaker, take a look at a fabulous new system I'm proud to promote because it includes
"Beginning a Profitable Speaking Business: 11 Experts Reveal Their Best Practices to Start and Grow a Lucrative Speaking Practice" features 10 of the best teleseminars from SpeakerNet News (www.speakernetnews.com). Taking all this great information from these teleseminars to heart can catapult your career. In addition to 11 CDs and transcripts (with handouts) of each session, it offers three package levels that include 3 to 9 consultations with experts. My bonus 30-minute consultation is part of all three levels-Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Add to this even more rich bonuses-up to 5 eBooks and 15 additional teleseminar tapes. Explore the possibilities by enrolling in a free ecourse today! Put a Designer on Your Desk 24/7
Transform your marketing pieces into a sales force! In addition to this fabulous reference featuring design shortcuts, tips for writing compelling copy (from me), Karen Saunders now offers a Free e-Course. Check out the details today. Karen Saunders is an author, graphic artist, and art director whose eye-catching designs have played in the success of 18 award-winning books. To view Karen's portfolio, go to http://www.macgraphics.net/creative-services.php Website Wisdom By Kendall SummerHawk Click on graphic for full details.
How to Charge What You're Worth By Kendall SummerHawk Click on graphic for full details.
Superb Service—"Try Before You Buy" Editing Action Plan Ask about my Try Before You Buy process for your next book project. At no charge, I will edit a portion of your manuscript and create a written editing action plan. Once you review the before/after text in the sample edit, you'll recognize more than a great match-you'll see that we can form a great team! NEW! Want some guidance to help you determine if you're ready for the editing process? Ask for my FREE Editing Action Plan questionnaire that I call Getting the Results You Want from Your Editor. Send an email with "Getting the Results questionnaire" in subject line and I'll reply with this helpful three-page tool. Ready to add polish and persuasion to your books, proposals, articles, one-sheets, and website copy? Connect with Barbara McNichol Editorial now! My promise to you: I respect your time and your privacy. Your email is strictly for communication from Barbara McNichol Editorial and will not be sold or used for other purposes. Copyright 2007: Barbara McNichol Editorial
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Quotation Corner “Reduce your plan to writing. The moment you complete this, you will have definitely given concrete form to the intangible desire.”
New to My Portfolio You Can't Take It With You So How Will You Leave It Behind? by Steven W. Allen To Sell or Not to Sell . . . Employer Retirement Plans by Tom Foster and Todd D. Thompson, The Hartford's Retirement Plans Group (Kaplan Publishing) WHAT SHOULD I BE WHEN I GROW UP NOW THAT I'M 40-50-60? by Patricia Drain Ending the Tobacco Holocaust: How Big Tobacco Affects Our Health, Pocketbook and Political Freedom, and What We Can Do About It by Michael Rabinoff Buy Even Lower: The Regular People's Guide to Real Estate Riches by Scott Frank and Andy Heller (Kaplan Publishing) Love Your Life and It Will Love You Back: 10 Lessons for Using the Power of Love to Succeed in Life by Sourena Vasseghi The Real Estate Investor's Online Toolbox by Todd Little (Kaplan Publishing) Press Pause . . . Press On: Bringing Balance & Perspective To Work & Life by Patricia Katz
Appreciation
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