Today we welcome guestblogger, Harlow Coban! Harlow is the author of Life in Death, her debut novel which is now available. A fast-paced murder mystery, Life in Death is the first part of the Kari Marchant series. Read on to find out how to effectively turn your real life stories into captivating fiction!

My story isn’t a warm and fuzzy one. 

My father was murdered when I was 12 years of age.

A few years ago, at my uncle’s urging, I looked into what happened to him.  The police had suspects, but no one was ever arrested and the case remains unsolved.

I learned a lot about police procedure when I looked into my father’s murder.  It was then that I decided to write a novel. 

While my murder mystery novella, Life in Death, is not entirely based on what happened to my father, it draws from real life experiences I had with him. 

Writing the novel was a cathartic experience for me.  What I liked most, and found particularly cleansing, about the experience was my power to spin the story as I saw fit. 

We all love, hate, laugh, cry, and everything in between, so we’re never at a loss for stories to tell. 

Here’s how you get started writing a novel based on a true story:

• Determine what kind of story you want to write.  Talk to family and friends.  Look at newspaper articles.  I don’t want to be morose, but look at obituaries, too.  Take notes.  There are stories there. 

• Determine the story’s theme:  Good/evil, love/hate, birth/death, peace/war, etc.  Again, take notes.  This may be where the title of your book comes from or maybe not.  The title of my book came to me in a dream.

• Construct a compelling plot.  I suggest creating a plot outline to start with.  I used the “what if” technique to determine what would happen in my chapters.  Basically, you ask yourself “what if” this or that happened to your character and expand from there.

• Create dynamic scenes.  My advice is something has to happen in “every” chapter or scene. 

• Create multi-dimensional characters.  Many writers, including yours truly, base their characters on real people and then add nuances to create more complexity and depth.   This is one way to go.

• Read, read, read.  The more you read, the better writer you’ll become.   

• Lastly, start writing.  “Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland.     

Truth can be stranger than fiction, but maybe not as entertaining.  The key to writing a novel based on a true story is in how you spin the story to make it enjoyable for readers.

About Harlow Coban:

Author Harlow Coban was born in Kansas City, MO, but grew up in Denver, CO.  She relocated to North Carolina five years ago with her husband, two dogs, and 16-year old twins.

She shares a birthday with the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte.  In keeping with his legacy, she is currently working on taking over the world.  Harlow’s positive attitude and fresh take on life are her tools and conquest is certain.

She spends her free time writing, dancing, traveling and defending mailboxes from her 16-year-old twins’ driving.

Her debut novel, LIFE IN DEATH (to be published in early 2012), is a murder mystery which pulls from real-life situations from her own family history.  She felt compelled to share her story with the world while offering a thrilling, entertaining, and amusing escape for readers.

In keeping with her commitment to improving the lives of children, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of her book will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club in her home state of North Carolina.

She loves to connect with her readers and can be found on Twitter, her Blog or on Facebook.

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All in all, 2011 was fairly decent with a few lows and many more highs. As we say “so long” to 2011 and hello to 2012, I felt the need to be self indulgent and review my year with you!

2011 was the year my book, Unfinished Projects published by Main Street Rag, debuted. I traveled about 5,000 miles this year promoting my book throughout the Carolinas along with visiting New York’s Book Revue Bookstore and the St. Louis poetry scene. I met so many fantastic people on all of my road trips, but my favorite gigs were in Charleston and Waynesville, NC. I don’t think I laughed so hard in Charleston after the Monday Night Poetry and Music show in April—ever. (I think it involved not getting caught on Spruill Ave, Hurricane Katrina and Star Wars tattoos—thank you, Aaron, Kevin and Katrina!) Waynesville (about 20 min west of Asheville) was also a trip and a half. My hosts from the Mountain Writers Club took me and my best buddy/honorary poetry roadie Jane to the Sweet Onion where the conversation was a lively as an electric eel. Stay tuned for more road trips in 2012 when I visit Columbia, SC, Asheville, Charleston and Hickory to promote my new book, After the Steaming Stops, coming out in March or April.

2011 was the year I cut my hair. I was so bored with my long hair and tired of strangers telling me I looked like Kathy Griffin, the comic. So I got my hair cut in mid-May. It was a good cut, but so…different. I couldn’t style my hair like before and my husband kept calling me “Prince Valiant.” Oy. The good news was that folks said I looked younger than my 29 years. I’ve got my hair now to about my shoulders after 7 months and I want to go long again. Another part of the good news is that I found a curling iron that keeps up with my style even in bad humidity and my long hairs don’t clog our sinks anymore.

2011 was the year I became a Reiki Level II practitioner. Reiki has helped calm me down—but only so much since as you all know I’m a very intense person. I’ll be training to be a Reiki Master this spring! I’m using my Reiki to be more aware and intuitive, plus with my hair growing longer, my intuition will only get stronger! (there’s a theory that the longer your hair, the better your psychic abilities)

2011 was the year I called 9-1-1 after my three-year-old daughter Erin severely sliced open the bridge of her nose when she jumped from the bathroom sink onto the edge of a plastic trash can. I guess she was practicing for a role in Spiderman? I remembered my health ed classes and kept steady pressure on her wound. She was cool with everything and found it interesting that her older brother practically fainted when he saw her five stitches. 2011 was also the year my son wandered into the deadly April 16 Raleigh tornadoes—I wrote a poem about it. He ended up safe but you should have been a fly on the wall when my husband, who was at work at the time, asked me where Daniel was and I said, “IDK!” and then he said, “Well, the roof of the Lowe’s in Sanford just blew off!” Daniel followed a neighbor with Chihuahuas back to her townhouse to ride out the storm. Oy vay.

2011 was the year I got Craig-Listed by my boss. I was the editor for a fledgling magazine for three months and the publisher (I use that term loosely) put my position up on Craig’s List with me still in the job! I quit the next business day. I have to say I met SO many awesome people in that position that it was worth the time. But I realized I don’t want to take a “jobby job”—I’m having too much fun as an entrepreneur where I set my own hours and have the opportunity to increase my income. Take this job and shove it!

2011 was the year I sang in public for the first time in 10 years. I got the singing bug back, so watch out! I want to take singing lessons next. 2011 was the year I gave blood again after 10 years. And 2011 was the year I took a humor workshop AND wrote and performed five humor-themed speeches. I used one of those speeches in my emcee duties at the CHERUBS Angels Masquerade Ball for babies born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), but I cheated since I made fun of Charlie Sheen the whole time.

2011 was the year I visited the Ozarks, Fort Smith and St. Louis for the first time with my husband. In St. Louis I saw my first cousin KC after 17 years! That was cool. 2011 was the year I took up running again and published a blog post once a week—do or die!

2011 was the year every single one of my dresses, save one or two, came from the boutique consignment store, Our Friends Closet in North Raleigh off of Durant Road in Falls River Town Center. 2011 was also the year of teaching fantastic writers in my memoir workshops, fiction editing workshops and blogging workshops (both in person and online)—may the knowledge continue in 2012! I taught poetry at the Nazim Hikmet Festival in April, sponsored by the American Turkish Association and the Town of Cary, and will return to teaching at the Festival this year as well. I do it to be invited to the crazy Turkish after-party, but please don’t tell anyone that!

Well, goodbye 2011 and I know 2012 will create a wealth of good memories and fun! In 2012 I’m going to keep posting my blog once a week, memorize a classic poem every month and practice my singing and comedy routine, along with writing some more riveting poetry—so watch out!

Your Turn:

How did you survive 2011? What are your promises to yourself for 2012?

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Are you still double spacing after you end a sentence? Well, stop! All of the style guides The Chicago Manual of Style, the AP Stylebook, and the Modern Language Association (MLA) except for the American Psychological Association want you to space only once after you end a sentence. I know, I know, it may be really hard to break the habit of hitting the space bar twice, but you’re still not listening to your 8-track today, right?

You might be wondering how you didn’t get the spacing memo. Since word processors came into being in the late 70s/80s, spacing only once after a sentence has become the norm. This is because typewriters monospaced all of the characters, so that an “i” took up the same space as an “m.” Computers use proportional spacing so each character is adjusted for the space and double spacing after periods became an extra unnecessary step. In addition, newspapers frowned on having all of that wasted space in columns which could become valuable ad dollars. In my high school typing class in the late 80s, I was taught to double space after periods and colons—it took me awhile to change my old habits, but I have faith you can too!

But Don’t Two Spaces Look Better?

Not really. Two spaces make the document “holey” and disjointed. It DOES NOT make it easier for someone to read your work nor does it help the reader know you ended your sentence. As an editor, my eyes go directly to the double spaces and then I start hyperventilating, wondering how many spaces I’ll need to correct. So yes, this blog post is really a public service announcement for my present and future clients!

What if You Don’t Want to Change Your Double-Spacing Ways? 

My, aren’t we stubborn? Well, you can stick it to the Man by double spacing in your emails, drafts and letters. Just don’t double space when you’re sending off that email to your future agent, editor or publisher.

Bottom line: please save the spaces! It only takes a small change to make a big difference!

Your Turn:

Are you a single spacer or a double spacer?  How do you feel about this convention?

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Goodbye Halloween, hello November’s National Novel Writing Month (called NaNoWriMo for short) where 200,000 writers around the world hash out a 50,000 word novel from Nov 1^st to Nov 30^th. November is also the month of National Blog Posting Month and Write Nonfiction in November. So if you’ve been waiting to write that novel, blog post, memoir and keep coming up with excuses, now’s the time to crank out your pages! I completed two novels during this month and you can too.

Started in San Francisco by Chris Baty in 1999 the first NaNoWriMo event only had 21 participants—wow, has it grown in 12 years. I wrote a 50K novel in 2008 and 2009 just to say I did it to my fiction editing clients and to prove to myself that I could do it with two kids, my other writing/speaking/editing work, the NC Writers’ Conference and Thanksgiving. Here are five tips I’d like to share with you if you’re thinking about embarking on the NaNoWriMo journey or have already completed 5,000 words (Day 1-3).

Plan out your word count and write daily. 50,000 words divided by 30 is 1,666.67 words a day. It really sucks when you skip a few days and suddenly you have to make up 7,500 words—ARGHHH! That’s what happened to me in 2009. I didn’t write the first week of November and was constantly playing catch up till Nov 30^th with writing 5K, 7K and even 10K in one day.

It’s OK to Outline in October. You don’t need to know every subplot or even the main plot before you begin writing Nov 1^st, but it sure helps to have a map so you finish your word count for the day and don’t procrastinate by turning to Wikipedia every five minutes to do “research.” My outline helped me know who my characters were and where the action took place in most scenes.

Keep the Typing Going. It’s tempting to stop when you reach a point in your story that needs more thought. Instead of stopping, highlight the area in yellow and keep going. When you edit your novel in December or January, you’ll know exactly where to fill in the missing details. Complete your word count for the day and when your mind is at rest the answers may come back to you. Go back to your yellow spot and fill it in—yay, more words for the word count.

Don’t Operate In A Bubble. When you register on the NaNoWriMo site you’ll also be connected to your local NaNoWriMo writers for weekly Write-Ins. I could only go to a few of them, but those were the most productive hours of my month. I also read the daily NaNoWriMo tips and words of inspiration from published authors.

Get Yourself on a Schedule. Treat your writing as a job. All professional writers do this—they have set hours for their writing and you need to do the same. You’ll have to give up some things this month like watching Dancing with the Stars or Book Club or reading the paper. But you’ll manifest pages and when you do complete your goal, give yourself a treat like going on Facebook for five minutes or buying the pumpkin spiced latte at Starbucks. Get into the habit with rituals: turn off your phone, play the same music, wear the same fleece jacket, and make tea in your lucky mug.

You may be wondering where my novels went to—they are still hanging out on my flash and back-up drives. The second one has some potential, but needs a LOT of work. At this point in my writing career I’m focusing on my poetry. The novels were great practice in taking risks and gave me a lot of confidence and perspective—necessary for any writer in any genre.

Good luck this month!

Your Turn:

What tips did I leave off the list? Are you new to NaNoWriMo or a veteran? If you’re a veteran, how has NaNoWriMo helped your writing overall?

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Today we welcome back guestblogger, Ashley Acornley, RD, LDN to Write from the Inside Out. Ashley blogs at Fresh From the Farm, which is packed with useful information about finding nutritious and tasty farm fresh foods in your area.  Please check it out! Enjoy as Ashley shares her first food memory.

For those who have read MFK Fisher’s The Gastronomical Me, the author describes her first food memory as eating warm peach pie with thick cream poured on top. Her father served this dessert to her and sister Anne while traveling back home after a trip to Los Angeles. She states that she does not remember what she ate, except for the peach pie at the end of the meal. She describes her food experience by saying, “Perhaps that is because it was the first conscious one, for me at least; but the fact that we remember it with such queer clarity must mean that it had other reasons for being important. I suppose that happens at least once to every human. I hope so.” I can relate to MFK Fisher with my own food memories throughout my life, because most of the time it isn’t the foods that are important to you, it is the people that you shared the foods with and the experience you had at that time.

My earliest food memory dates back to when I was about four years old. My younger brother and I absolutely adored Christmas morning when we were children, and we used to get up really early in the morning and wake our parents out of bed in order to open up our gifts. My parents of course did not want to wake up as early as my brother and I did, so we were told that we could not open any gifts until breakfast was made and coffee was prepared. In the meantime, my brother and I would impatiently sit at the top of the staircase, staring down at the glowing Christmas tree in excitement with all of our mysterious gifts placed underneath the tree.

My mother was always the first one to get out of bed, and while still in her pajama bottoms and white shiny Isotoner slippers, would carefully hurdle over my brother and I at the top of the staircase to start the coffee in the kitchen. At the time I did not drink coffee, but I can distinctly remember the strong, bitter aroma that encompassed the entire house and the sound of the coffee percolating into the pot. Then, my mom would reach into the refrigerator and pull out a cylindrical tube of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. I know this may sound very trivial to others, but baking Pillsbury cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning has turned into a tradition since that year. I can remember the distinct “pop” of the can and the sound of the cardboard and foil unraveling in order to get to the dough. I can smell the vivid and sweet aroma of cinnamon and bread seeping from the oven for the short ten minutes they take to bake. Once the cinnamon rolls were finished baking, that was a sign to my brother and I that it was time to race downstairs and open up our gifts.

I always waited until I finished unwrapping my presents to go into the kitchen and select a cinnamon roll to eat. I enjoyed savoring the smell of the rolls cooling off in the kitchen while opening my presents, and eventually the smell made me so hungry that my stomach would start to growl. I selected the largest cinnamon roll in the batch, and remember taking a blunt butter knife and spreading a heaping portion of gooey white icing on top of the roll, making sure to melt the icing into all of the nooks and crannies of the roll. To be honest, I do not remember exactly what the cinnamon roll tasted like at that time in my life, I just remember all of the events that preceded the consumption of my cinnamon roll on Christmas Day.

From that year forward, the smell of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls baking in the oven and coffee brewing reminds me of Christmas Day.  Not only do I love the taste of cinnamon rolls, but I enjoy reminiscing about what that food represents to me. It brings me back to my childhood and being together with my family. It reminds me of when my parents were still happily married, and the biggest concern my brother and I had were the gifts underneath our Christmas tree. Just like MFK Fisher says, “When I think of that food, it is the people I see.” Although my mom cannot fully replicate the memories behind baking the original Pillsbury cinnamon buns now, she still continues to bake them every Christmas morning with a steaming pot of hot coffee, and I get excited to open my Christmas gifts once again.

Ashley Acornley, RD, LDN

Ashley is originally from Philadelphia, PA and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences with a minor in Kinesiology from Penn State University in August 2008. She completed her Dietetic Internship at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC in May 2010 and is currently working on completing her Master’s Degree in Nutrition. Ashley is also an AFAA certified personal trainer and has been training clients for the past four years. She enjoys staying active by participating in 5Ks, triathlons, and other competitive events. She also practices boxing, yoga, and strength training at her local gym. Besides physical activity, Ashley has found a new interest for cooking, baking, and visiting the local farmer’s markets in Raleigh. Ashley is especially interested in wellness and sports dietetics and enjoys teaching her clients how to stay healthy, motivated, and physically active!

Ashley’s blog, “Fresh From the Farm,” can be found here

Your Turn

What are your favorite food memories and how could you turn them into material for your poetry/fiction/nonfiction/memoir? 

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Today we welcome back guestblogger, Ashley Acornley, RD, LDN to Write from the Inside Out. Ashley blogs at Fresh From the Farm, which is packed with useful information about finding nutritious and tasty farm fresh foods in your area.  Please check it out! Enjoy as Ashley shares how writers can stay healthy while balancing long hours and deadlines.

Are you a successful author or poet who has an upcoming book tour? Do you often need to pull an all-nighter in order to meet your next deadline? Do you find yourself working long hours in order to break through your writer’s block? If these situations sound familiar and are all too common in your career, it is time to break the plateau and incorporate a healthier diet into your life. Believe it or not, optimal nutrition has to the power to increase your energy, immunity, and productivity in the workplace!

A well-balanced, fulfilling diet is crucial for a writer who has a busy, stressful schedule. Similar to college students, writers work long hours, are up late at night, and may find themselves eating under stressful or emotional conditions. It is important to choose healthy foods in order to avoid that late-night sugar crash or bout of hunger that occurs just before your deadline is due. In addition, a diet that consists of high fat and high calorie foods with little nutritional value allows you to gain weight over time, while impairing focus, energy, motivation, sleep, and overall health and wellness. On the other hand, a diet that consists of energy dense, whole foods packed with antioxidants can make a huge difference in a writer’s mood and focus. Therefore, it is important to decrease the overall consumption of sugar laden, fat-filled junk foods, and increase the amount of “superfoods” in your diet, which are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants! Here are some tips to increase your superfood consumption, in order to remain healthy, energized, and creative as a writer!

Opting for whole grains, heart-healthy fats and complex carbohydrates will provide higher energy and a feeling of fullness for a longer period of time. Whole grains also contain fiber, which can aid in digestion and absorption of nutrients. Here are a few examples of some “high energy” superfoods to incorporate into your daily diet:

1. Whole wheat bread, cereal, and pasta

2. Peanut butter (or any other nut butter)

3. Extra virgin olive oil

4. Fruits (especially Vitamin C and Potassium rich foods such as oranges, bananas, kiwi and strawberries)

5. Beans/lentils

6. Low-fat milk

7. Oatmeal/oat bran

8. Vegetable Juice (V8)

9. Water (gotta stay hydrated!)

10. Lean meat (chicken, turkey, fish)

In addition to energy, your body needs some “brain food” to stay focused, awake, alert, and pleasant during those stressful work hours. Foods that benefit the brain contain adequate omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and plenty of antioxidants and phytonutrients. Here are some examples of nutrient-rich superfoods that can combat fatigue, depression, anxiety and memory loss.

1. Blueberries

2. Cranberries

3. Tuna/Salmon

4. Eggs

5. Walnuts/Almonds

6. Tomatoes

7. Avocados

8. Sunflower/sesame seeds

9. Flaxseed

10. Sweet potatoes

Of course, these “superfoods” are not listed in their entirety. There is a multitude of delicious and nutritious whole foods available that contain similar nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Your Turn:

Do you have any specific foods that your rely on under stressful conditions? If so, post them here!

Find Out More About

Ashley Acornley, RD, LDN

Ashley is originally from Philadelphia, PA and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences with a minor in Kinesiology from Penn State University in August 2008. She completed her Dietetic Internship at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC in May 2010 and is currently working on completing her Master’s Degree in Nutrition. Ashley is also an AFAA certified personal trainer and has been training clients for the past four years. She enjoys staying active by participating in 5Ks, triathlons, and other competitive events. She also practices boxing, yoga, and strength training at her local gym. Besides physical activity, Ashley has found a new interest for cooking, baking, and visiting the local farmer’s markets in Raleigh. Ashley is especially interested in wellness and sports dietetics and enjoys teaching her clients how to stay healthy, motivated, and physically active!

Ashley’s blog, “Fresh From the Farm,” can be found here

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If you’re a writer who wants to be noticed, you need a business card that stands out in front of the pack of boring white cards with nothing written on the back. This little card that represents you has to do a lot of heavy lifting so you get the call back that will help you fulfill your writing dreams. Better believe it that business cards are a small investment that can really pay off for you down the road.

Here are 8 tips to make you proud to hand your cards out:

1. Make up a quote for maximum impact on your card. Durham, NC, teaching artist Mimi Herman has “A credit to her species” on her cards—now, that’s a standout statement! What have others said about you? What are you known for? What’s your trademark?

2. Include a friendly photo that’s recent on the front of your cards, especially if you’re a performer—you want your potential customers/clients to see your smiling authenticity! Mimi also has her smiling face on her cards.

3. Hire a graphic designer to design a sharp logo. Besides using the logo on your card you’ll also use your logo on your website, brochures, blog, collateral, mugs, pens, etc. I love VistaPrint as much as the next person, but please customize your card so you don’t have the same flower design as thousands of your best friends.

4. Don’t forget the back of your card! It’s wasted real estate space if you don’t use the back to list out your social media sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter), include your quote (see #1) or book(s) ordering information.

5. Consider the shape of your card as long as it will fit in a standard business card plastic sheet or card case. Cute cards that are the size of a notebook divider tab get easily lost and cards that are odd shapes have to be cut to size or they may be left out altogether from where you usually store your cards. I like seeing cards with rounded edges or ovals—it’s different but will still fit.

6. This is basic, but make sure your card’s print is big enough to read for nearsighted folks and make sure that all of your information is accurate. Never give someone a scratched-over phone number or email address if you’ve moved recently. Please pony up the dough and get new cards with updated info!

7. Don’t skimp on the card stock quality—get the heaviest stock you can afford. Have a glossy finish on the front and matte finish on the back so whoever you’re giving the card to can write on its back without the dreaded pen smudge.

8. This is not a design tip, but be sure you always have enough cards on your person at all times, especially when you go to a networking event. I cringe when someone tells me they don’t have a business card and they’re at a conference—come on! Be the professional you think you are!
   

If you don’t have a perfect business card it’s not the end of the world, but like all in things we can continuously improve. Check out other writers’ cards and cards from other professionals and see how you can improve your own one item from this list at a time.

Your Turn:

What points did I miss on how to kick your business card up a notch? Please share!

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Today I’m introducing guestblogger, Ashley Acornley, RD, LDN who blogs at Fresh From the Farm, which is packed with useful information about finding nutritious and tasty farm fresh foods in your area.  Enjoy as Ashley shares with you some of her first-time blogging experiences:

As part of my graduate practicum project at Meredith College, I decided to venture out of my comfort zone and enter the world of blogging. As any of my friends and family members can tell you, I am not a computer-savvy individual. Although I was raised in the era of computers and smart phones, I would much rather write my work by hand than touch a laptop. Nonetheless, as a large component of my practicum, I decided to create a blog entitled, “Fresh From the Farm.” The purpose of my blog was to expand the knowledge and consumption of local foods in the Triangle region. To my surprise, my new blog has been quite a success since it has been launched in early May 2011. I have found that my weekly recipes, farmer’s market reviews, and nutrition tips have allowed my followers to become more aware of the benefits of consuming local foods. However, my blog has thrown a few challenges my way, and has consumed a large part of my summer. Since many of you visit blogs frequently, or are bloggers yourselves, I thought that it would be helpful to share some of the lessons that I have learned along the way, so that you can pave your way to blogging success!

1. Brainstorm the content of your blog ahead of time

Once you have the title and idea of your blog planned, the next step is to brainstorm a few weeks’ worth of blog topics and content ahead of time. This way, you get a good feel for what your overall theme is going to be. This will also help your readers to determine what to expect from you on a weekly basis. Writing the content of your blog ahead of time is also a real time-saver when you have a busy week and do not have much time to devote to your blog.

2. Spread the word: market and promote your blog

I have learned that the best way to attract new readers to your blog is to constantly promote your blog using blog traffic, social media, and local businesses. At first, I started promoting my blog on my Facebook page, Twitter account, and by commenting on other people’s blogs to increase blog traffic. However, I also started to use the old fashioned approach to advertising, which is sending mass emails to friends, family members, and co-workers- these people will always be your biggest fans! In addition, I contacted several local authors, bloggers, chefs, and business owners who were more than happy to advertise my blog. This was probably the best exposure that my blog received, and I am very grateful for it! Finally, I took matters into my own hands by creating my own business cards, so that everyone I network with has my contact information and my blog site for future reference.

3. Be confident in your work!

Although it is scary to display your personal thoughts and opinions to the public, do not be afraid to display your work to the world! Your best work is when you are just being yourself. Your fans will love your blog posts, no matter how unique they are.

4. If you are stuck, be sure to seek help

This statement can involve moment’s when you are having trouble with writer’s block, designing your blog, determining the direction of your blog, creating catchy blog titles…and the list goes on. It is always best to seek the advice of another individual in order to get yourself out of your “rut,” you may just create an even better idea together! For instance, when I was initially creating my blog, I contacted both my mentor and graduate advisor to help me with my troubleshooting issues on WordPress. Not only was it more time efficient to get quality advice, they also helped me to create some amazing content on my blog!

5. Take plenty of pictures!

People are definitely more attracted to pictures rather than text on a blog. I recommend using a camera or a smart phone to take pictures of your subject matter. Always carry a camera or phone with you for spur-of-the-moment events, because these tend to be the best pictures to display! Also, if you are describing a recipe or a “how-to” tutorial, it is helpful to provide a picture with a caption for every step of the way, so that your readers can follow along.

6. Be creative!

Always use catchy titles or phrases to attract your audience to have them visit your blog on a consistent basis. Try new fonts, colors, captions, and pictures to accentuate your blog!

7. Increase variety throughout your blog

Although your blog pertains to one central subject, try to mix up your content as much as possible. For instance, post interviews, provide monthly guestblogs, review books, explore new recipes, or talk about recent experiences. This will keep your readers intrigued and coming back for more!

8. Always be prepared for the unexpected

A large component of my blog involves cooking and baking different meals using local foods, and to take step-by-step pictures of how to make each recipe. However, in the middle of June, my camera unexpectedly broke, and I was not able to display pictures for about one week until it was fixed.  When in doubt, improvise! In this instance, instead of posting a weekly recipe, I blogged about a local Community Supported Fisheries Project in Raleigh, a topic that I feel my readers would benefit from. Although I missed out on one week’s worth of recipes, I educated my readers on additional local food topics that didn’t involve as many pictures as before.

9. Back up ALL of your documents

Be sure to save all of your documents and pictures along the way, because you never know when your computer in going to suddenly crash, you lose your disk, or your paper copies get accidently thrown away. All three of these instances has happened to me along the way, and it is not fun to start from scratch again. It is best to save your work to a central drive that does not stray too far away from your computer.

10. What do you think???

What have you learned during the creation of your current blog? Did you encounter any struggles or experiences that you wish you knew ahead of time? Please share them with your fellow bloggers here!

Find Out More About

Ashley Acornley, RD, LDN

Ashley is originally from Philadelphia, PA and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences with a minor in Kinesiology from Penn State University in August 2008. She completed her Dietetic Internship at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC in May 2010 and is currently working on completing her Master’s Degree in Nutrition. Ashley is also an AFAA certified personal trainer and has been training clients for the past four years. She enjoys staying active by participating in 5Ks, triathlons, and other competitive events. She also practices boxing, yoga, and strength training at her local gym. Besides physical activity, Ashley has found a new interest for cooking, baking, and visiting the local farmer’s markets in Raleigh. Ashley is especially interested in wellness and sports dietetics and enjoys teaching her clients how to stay healthy, motivated, and physically active!

Ashley’s blog, “Fresh From the Farm,” can be found here

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In this competitive publishing environment, the word platform gets bandied about as something everyone must have, but do you know what it means? I first heard the word platform when I was running for student government in high school: it meant what new proposals would I plan to carry out if/when I was elected. Unfortunately, I never did win student office, but that’s another story. A platform for an author is only slightly different: what expertise do you bring that will make you read (or elected) in the marketplace. What do you bring to the table that differentiates you from another romance or mystery author? What makes you stand out from all of the other freelance writers? It is your business/entrepreneurial background in potato farming, is it your expertise with beach front properties or poodles or is it your ability to balance writing with raising four children? A platform is what makes you notable and quotable, and it is different from having a specialty.

A few years ago I wrote articles for IncTechnology.com and I started specializing in cloud computing, computer security and compliance as it pertains to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. I have hardly used any of the methods I wrote about, but I knew about them well thanks to my reliable sources I peppered with too many questions. Computer security was my specialty, but not my platform.

I would describe my platform as a writer/editor who works with other writers who want to be published. My clients are serious about getting their work out and marketed well. I walk the talk since I have been published and have effectively marketed my work. I stand out from other writers because I have a solid marketing and retail background and took a somewhat untraditional path to writing. I am also a teacher and as an editor can help them achieve their best work. As a poet I have another platform: I come from a dysfunctional family and use this pain in my poems. No one else has your platform, but it’s up to you to find out what it is and use it to gain attention and recognition.

One way to discover, feed and nourish your platform is to establish a blog and post frequently on related topics. Every now and then you may go off topic, but try to stick to your platform and your value-proposition statement, which is another way to say—what do you do that makes people want to hire or publish you.

Now it’s your turn: what makes you valuable to your clients? What sets you apart from your competition? How do others now what you do? Are you stating your platform on your website, in person and on your social media sites? Make your platform statement only a few sentences long and make it succinct. Realize that not everyone is your customer and that it’s OK to have a narrow focus. In fact, the more narrow your focus, the more business you’ll gain. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but it’s true. Finally, know what you can always change up your platform. I wouldn’t recommend changing it every month, but maybe twice or once a year it could use a tweak.

I want you to reach abundance by building a platform that reflects what you do!

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Today we welcome a guestpost from Cary, NC author and comedian, Cris Cohen! Cris is going to talk to us today about his favorite place to write–almost anywhere!

When people find out that I am a writer, the first question they usually ask is, “How long have you had a drinking problem?” After a few awkward moments of conversation (“Lots of people have Merlot at breakfast”), they will move on to questions like, “Where do you write?”

There is a temptation to tell them that I have a wood-paneled office in my house that has walls lined with first editions of Dickens, Hemingway, and “Bomb Defusing For Dummies.” You want to make it sound like a mystical experience involving the full moon and maybe some sort of animal sacrifice, even if you are just referring to barbecue. “Are you sure the ancient Druids used a smoker.” I also consider feeding into the myth by saying I write with a quill, one of those huge ones that you see in movies, the kind that look like they were pulled from a bird the size of a Winnebago.

The truth is not quite so majestic, though. I write pretty much anywhere, except, say, while driving. “Honey, I want to jot something down. Take the wheel and let me know when to brake.” Although our house has an office that I use, it’s not like what I described above. Instead, the walls are painted and are lined with paperbacks, signed album covers, and roughly six hundred power cords.

I write in the office some of the time, but I can’t spend all day in there. Not that I would mind that. Sometimes my dream vacation involves being put under house arrest. “I carved a slot at the bottom of the door that you can push my meals through.” However, I have to leave the office and even the house for errands, appointments, and to reacquaint myself with things like, well, the sun.

Be it out of the office or out of the house entirely, I usually have a notebook with me. Sometimes it is a composition notebook, the type that they give school kids that has a kind of black and white Rorschach design on the cover. “We use these to test if any of the children have been experimenting with hallucinogens.” Otherwise I have a small notebook with me, something that can fit in a jacket pocket.

I will then write whenever and wherever I have more than five minutes to kill. This can be:

In a doctor’s waiting room, where the only other option is to read one of those celebrity magazines. “How this famous actress courageously got back into shape, relying only on her determination, personal trainer, nutritionist, chef, masseuse, psychologist…”

 At a store when my wife goes to the dressing rooms to try on a couple of items. It is either that or walk around the women’s department like a man who is fighting the urge to be a transvestite.

While at the mechanic during my car’s oil change. “And that thermos in the lounge contains either coffee or something from Penzoil. I can’t remember.”

When my son wants me to stay in the room while he watches a DVD. After all, I am quite happy to sit on the couch with him. But after the fiftieth viewing of a video, I am no longer in suspense about what Elmo is going to do next.

So when people ask me where I write, I usually answer “Almost anywhere”. I then give a more thorough explanation about why I don’t have a drinking problem.

About Cris:

Cris Cohen, the author of the “Nothing In Particular” blog, was born in Buffalo, NY, and grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles, eventually graduating from the University of Southern California. After a stint in rock radio in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, Cris started writing his humor column for a collection of California newspapers. He eventually gravitated toward the tech world and Silicon Valley, working for companies such as Netscape and Cisco Systems. Cris, his wife Michele, and their young son Max moved to Cary, North Carolina, in 2008. Cris’ blog is available at http://criscohen.typepad.com. Read about how Cris and his creative website to land a job here, from Raleigh’s News and Observer. His first book, Staying Crazy To Keep From Going Insane, is due out in the fall of 2011. For more information visit www.stayingcrazy.com. 

Your Turn:

Where do you write best? Do you keep to a certain schedule and if you do, are mornings or evenings or somewhere in between the best time to write?

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