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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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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Chances are if you’re a writer you’ve been to an open mic. What was it about that open mic last night that made you want or not want to come back? Was it the people, the venue, the performances or all three? After over two years of running my own open mic series and attending scores of open mics I’ve come up with my own list of what makes for a great series. This post is both for regular open mic attendees and folks who are interested in stepping into an open mic hosting role. 

• Have the open mic in a fun location with good, easy parking and soft chairs. What defines fun? A coffeeshop, coffee/bar, or winebar make for excellent venues. The place should have its own vibe and energy so that the open mic itself isn’t always bringing it in. Having a place where patrons can get their own food and drink is key–it gets old having to “import” wine/beer, cheese, and chairs to an open mic event on a regular basis.

• Speaking of regular, successful open mics are ones that occur the same time every month, without fail. Consistency is key. Monday Night Poetry and Music in Charleston, SC takes it a step further by having the series EVERY Monday at 7:30pm almost every Monday of the year. Folks who attend this open mic series are extremely devoted to their Monday night ritual and this makes for a series with a long and healthy future.

• Participants know what to expect such as showing up on time to sign up and knowing without argument that they have only 5 minutes to speak/present. It’s also a great idea for the host to use a triangle or a chime when the time has ended (I used a timer–not the most calming sound in the world, but it got the job done). It’s not a pretty site when the host has to wrestle the mic out of their sweaty hands when their time is up. Also, the participants show up prepared with their work and are good audience members who support their fellow writers with thoughtful encouragment, buy the featured readers’ books occasionally and thank their host on Facebook.

• Support from the venue owner in terms of Facebook/Twitter posts, website updates, flyers and more! This is win-win for everyone because open mics are announced all over the web and the venue owner is able to benefit from the Google love. It’s also a bonus when the venue can supply a mic stand, music stand and speakers.

• Community. The best open mics I’ve ever attended are the ones where the regulars and newbies all gather afterwards for dinner, drinks and conversation.

• Someone taking photos and posting them soon after the event on Facebook and then tagging the regulars. It’s a lot of work, but so worth it to build excitement and community.

• Having a friendly open mic host who makes everyone feel welcome and worthy and who also isn’t afraid of protecting everyone’s time (yes, I’m talking to you who hasn’t practiced before open mic night and you keep begging for another 5 minutes).
  
• Having a featured reader/musician who has some bank in terms of talent and publications. Usually featured readers open the evening and the open mic follows. Featured readers who have a great time tell their friends and more good talent shows up.
  

Your Turn:

Open mic veterans, newbies and intermediates! What else can you add to this list? I appreciate your comments and your time!

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Today we welcome back guestblogger, Coach Olga Monroe of Raleigh, NC as she shares valuable tips on taming stress!

You can’t manage your expectations and goals if you don’t know what it is that you want.  What are your goals?  Is it to be regularly connected to people?  To do an excellent job?  To call your own shots?  To have more time with your family?  To cultivate a personal relationship?  To maintain an active social life?  To maintain a health regime or exercise program?

If you have two conflicting goals, such as being very active in your social life and also wanting to have a successful career, explore how to meet both goals in a way that works for you.  In this situation, perhaps you can parlay your social drive into professional networking activities after work so that you can kick back after you have left your office, while still actively improving your career.

Manage Your Time

When it comes to developing skills in time management, you’ll be most effective when maintaining awareness of your main goals. After you identify what you want—make a list or verbalize the goals you need to accomplish—start evaluating how to achieve them efficiently.

Unplanned time gets wasted—your personal life spills into the work day, disorganization slows you down, and low energy can demotivate you.  What gets in your way?  What are your procrastination signs?  Do you tend to surf the Internet, walk around the office, take personal calls, or daydream when you begin to slip into procrastination mode?

What daily routines can you establish to manage your time?  Set daily goals and priorities for each day so that you can plan out your schedule.  Find out which system works better for you—is it better for you to schedule your day the night before so that you will have it on your desk ready the next morning, or is it better to make it fresh each day when you arrive? 

During the work day, we can become distracted by various external factors: ringing phones, incoming e-mails, co-workers coming in and out of our office, etc.  These distractions can wear our energy down unless we manage them.  How much time do you want to allocate each day to checking your e-mail and returning calls?  When are you free to talk with others?  What can be your standard phrase to let people know when you are available to get back to them if you are busy?  You may want to consider setting up an automated e-mail reply, or having a support staff screen your incoming e-mails and forward only the ones that require your attention at a specified time (for example, designate 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. each day for e-mails/calls), if your job is very interactive and fast-paced.

Manage Your Stress Levels

What do you need to do to keep your stress levels down while still working efficiently?  Do you need daily exercise, 8 hours of sleep, frequent stretch breaks, regular meals, or nutritious food?  No matter how carefully you plan your Outlook calendar or to-do list, you won’t achieve success if your agenda is not realistic or your stress levels are unhealthy.

If you struggle to manage your stress levels, consider the following options to help reduce anxiety: What is your best time of day?  What tasks are best planned for those hours?  What is your slow time?  What tasks are best planned for that time?

You may find that while your schedule is busy, it is not wisely planned, and this is burning you out every day.  If you are not a morning person, schedule important meetings for the afternoon.  If you notice you lack energy around mid-afternoon, avoid starting new projects at that time, or, consider having a healthy snack or taking a break to get some fresh air.  If none of these options are possible, how can you be creative?

BEWARE of Multi-Tasking! 

Recent findings reveal that we don’t actually “multi-task”, but rather, we switch attention from one task to the other.  It is estimated that we lose up to 40% (if not more) of our productivity by attempting to do more than one task at the same time.  This includes texting or checking Facebook pages while answering phones!

Learn How and When to Say NO

We live in a society that seemingly makes us feel guilty for saying NO.  But we need to remind ourselves that saying NO when something is draining our time and/or energy, is saying YES to our goals and to what we really want.

Not every request or demand for your time needs be honored by you.  Learn to determine what fits with your goals and what doesn’t.  Learn to deliver a powerful, situation specific NO that you believe in and are comfortable with.  What makes a NO believable to you?  Is it a decisive tone, direct eye contact, a solid posture, a curt response with minimal (if any) added details?

What skills do you need to improve on to make it easier for you to say NO?

Remember: You Are NOT Alone

We can often feel overwhelmed by our workloads and busy schedules, but what this Workshop reinforced, to me, is that we all experience the same struggles.  While our hectic lives may not be unique, we can create our own original plans in order to succeed with our goals.

About Coach Olga

Olga is a Certified Professional Co-Active Life Coach & Mentor who passionately inspires and motivates clients desiring to realize and achieve their life purpose to their fullest potential through a system of perspectives.  She encourages her clients to see the world and its many opportunities in a new way by learning to step fearlessly into their roles as leaders at work, in their family, and within the community. Contact her here or call her at 919-604-0104. Also visit her at ChicksWhoKnow.

Download Olga’s free Guided Meditation of Your Future Self now at http://www.yourrichesilluminated.com

YOUR TURN:

How do you handle stressful situations? What tips can you offer?

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A month ago on January 28^th I celebrated my book launch for Unfinished Projects, my book of poems from Main Street Rag Publishing Company. I celebrated with 45+ people, many of whom weren’t poets, but came out at the end of a long work week in the dead of winter to hear me read my poems and sit next to others who enjoy the written word. I also sold books to over half of the crowd. So how did I do it? Many of you also are launching your books and I want to give you a few tips on how to do it right.

Here are Five Ways to Host a Kick-Ass Book Launch!

Plan the Program
Way ahead of time! And it goes without saying that you need to have your books already shipped to you from your publisher before you have a book launch! I wanted to include my poet and writer friends, so I held a featured reading night and open mic night on top of my book launch to draw even more interest in the program and it worked! They brought their friends and also helped me publicize the event. I also set the date and booked my venue (Storytellers Bookstore in Wake Forest) for my launch back in early September.  What can you do differently from any other book launch?

Send Out Soft and Hard Invites
I sent out invites using VistaPrint postcards. I also sent invitations to all of my social media networks including LinkedIn, Facebook and Goodreads.com. I posted the event on my Meetup groups: Wonderland Book Club and ReadWritePublish and I also publicized the launch starting in October using my e-newsletter from Constant Contact. Send out invitations in all of the markets you live in on a daily basis.

Offer Giveaways
At the event I gave away mugs with my book cover on them, filled with my giveaways (a blue letter opener and pen) plus bookmarks and Godiva chocolate. I also gave away spiral notebooks with my cover on them (using a full page white Avery label and my color printer) and my first book, Right Lane Ends. I announced the giveaways in all of my publicity, too. Be creative with your giveaways!

Write Press Releases
I wrote a press release about my book launch and sent it out about three weeks before the event. The North Raleigh News wanted to interview me (here’s the article) because my launch was newsworthy: my launch was on the same day as the 25^th anniversary of the Challenger accident and my book leads off with my poem, “Challenger 7” about the astronauts. Print, radio and TV media want a newsworthy angle—what can you give them that would make their readers care?

Food and Beverage
I stated in my invites that we’d have wine and chocolate and boy, did we! Make sure you have enough beverage and food for everyone and make sure you plan for everything to be set up before the first guests arrive. Also plan for enough chairs—no one really wants to sit on the floor at a book launch. Plan to buy enough food and make sure the portions are bite-sized and non-messy—no BBQ wings!

Sure, I was tired when it was all over, but wow, was it fun and I think folks are still talking about it! I delegated the video and photo-taking, so I could talk to and thank as many people as possible.

Your Turn
If you’ve had a book launch, what would you do or not do over again? What is one piece of advice you’d give a brand-new author hosting his/her very first book launch?

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Is your novel suffering from bloat? Have your words lost their bouncy and lean touch? Tired of the lumpiness in your paragraphs? Fear not, reading poetry can improve your writing and get you back on the smooth writing track.

We tell each other poetry to make sense of our world and to communicate feelings when mere words are inadequate. Poetry can open us up to possibilities of sound, rhythm, and image. Through poetry, we can connect emotionally to current and historical events, as well as the small moments in all of our lives.

In addition to inspiring us and creating the right mood, poetry can help us find the perfect word and image, while giving us similes and metaphors to successfully communicate connections and patterns. Poetry can also help us avoid cliché, and it forces us to be as detailed as possible. Details help us avoid redundancies by condensing our prose so our readers get our message faster.

Here is an example of a metaphor and simile:

The words are purposes.
The words are maps.
—“Diving Into the Wreck” Adrienne Rich  

The baled wheat scattered
everywhere like missing coffins.
— “For the Stranger” Carolyn Forché 

Poets know that every emotion and feeling has been expressed before and their job is to make common emotions feel uncommon and fresh. Using the right simile and metaphor is key to make this a reality. As the poet strives to create original combinations, she makes sure to avoid cliché at all costs. A cliché is a trite commonplace expression that conveys a popular or common thought or idea.

Here are several examples of clichés:

avoid like the plague
old as dirt
raining cats and dogs
talk is cheap
where’s there’s smoke there’s fire
think outside the box 

As you read your classic or contemporary poetry, circle the strongest images in the poem. Did they come alive through the senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste or sound?) or colors? Poets know a central image is vital for capturing a reader’s imagination

Here is an example of an image:

Nature’s first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so for an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down today.
Nothing gold can stay.
— “Nothing Gold Can Stay” Robert Frost 

One of my earliest poems using image and color, “Ghostcards,” was about the dual hanging deaths of two 14-year-old African American boys in Shubuta, Mississippi in 1942. Langston Hughes had portrayed the boys’ fate in “Bitter River” and I wanted to present my own version using the color gray throughout the poem.

The name “Ghostcards” came to me in a dream and wouldn’t let me go until I had written the poem.  A lot of my poems emerge similarly, while others come from the newspaper, random encounters, personal experiences or strange family behaviors.

Speaking of behaviors, getting the right feeling in a poem is all about finding the right word to match the right detail.

Consider William Carlos Williams’s poem “Graph” for word choice—why do you think he chose “belly” instead of another word?

There was another, too
a half-breed Cherokee
tried to thumb a ride
out of Tulsa, standing there
with a bunch of wildflowers
in her left hand
pressed close
just below the belly 

He did this because the woman in the poem is pregnant and belly is the best word to communicate her condition, rather than stomach, abdomen, middle or tummy. Also check to see where you can add concrete details. Adding details gives the reader the sense of being there with you, which makes your story come alive. If you talk about a tree, give the reader the name of the tree, along with giving naming flowers, cities, stores, clothing, food, drinks, etc.

Even you have no intention of ever writing poetry I encourage you to read a few masters to discover a fresh insight into an old idea or to see how the poet performs acrobatics with his words. Sometimes falling asleep with a good book of poetry can open you up to images and details you never before considered. Be sure to write them all down when you wake up! You may have just figured out how to end your novel.

Now it’s Your Turn!
Let me know right here in the comments that you read this post. What did you think? How have you used poetry to help your writing? How was this post useful to you?

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Poetry is an important part of who I am and how I see the world. Poetry opens me up to possibilities of sound and rhythm, plus it helps me say what is so hard to put into words. I also love how poetry demands that I see the space we live in as more than black and white. Through poetry, I can bear witness to current and historical events and tell a story about them. These and so many other reasons are why I write poetry and why I continue to struggle to find the right words to express an image, a feeling or the hardened ground after last week’s sleet storm in Raleigh.

As an eight-year-old, I loved hearing the pounding hoof beats in Robert Louis Stevenson’s poems, followed by his easy end rhymes. I also couldn’t get enough of Walt Whitman’s extended metaphor about Lincoln’s assassination in “O, Captain! My Captain!”  I, too, wanted to express something grand and meaningful. I first got my chance my sophomore year of high school when I won second place in the annual poetry contest. I wrote a three page poem about the epic fight between King Arthur and Sir Mordred. After trying the next year and not making the award cut, I stopped writing poetry until my mid-twenties when a friend invited me to an open mic. I felt that what I wrote could have been better, but I didn’t know what I needed to do get better.

Now fast forward to five years ago when I first started sending my short stories and essays out to various publication markets. I didn’t get any takers for these pieces and I was getting tired of all of the rejections. Then one of my writing teachers suggested reading and writing poetry to become a stronger fiction or memoir writer. I could do this! After all, I had written poetry before. The third poem I wrote after my nineteen year hiatus won honorable mention in NC State’s annual poetry contest. Wow! Maybe I needed to keep doing this poetry thing. It was called “Ghostcards” and it was about the dual hanging deaths of two 14-year-old African American boys in Shubuta, Mississippi in 1942. Langston Hughes had portrayed the boys’ fate in “Bitter River” and I wanted to present my own version using the color gray throughout the poem.

The title of my poem “Ghostcards” came to me in a dream and wouldn’t let me go until I had finished writing the poem.  A lot of my poems emerge similarly, while others come from the newspaper, random encounters, personal experiences or strange family behaviors. For instance, I’m working on a poem about when I was a kid my family went to McDonald’s for dinner every two weeks and my dad always ordered the wrong hamburger for my mom. She complained, but he kept doing it for the next five years. Now, that’s a poem!

Even if you’re not a writer, I encourage you to read poetry to discover a fresh insight into an old idea or see how a poet performs acrobatics with his words. You just might learn something cool about yourself or the fellow drinking black coffee two tables over at the Panera.

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I teach memoir because I want to help others remember the past.  I want others to preserve their memories so no one’s left wondering what happened? Writing down the past provides a link, like a rope between the past and the future. Some people want to capture their stories to give something real and tangible to their grandchildren; others want to feel that their life meant and means something.
Writing your memoirs can also teach you to stop cycles of abuse and give logic to highly charged emotions. Writing down your memoirs may not eliminate family secrets but it can create reckoning and growth. Memoir writing helps you control something in the present you weren’t able to control in the past and that is so powerful.

I think it’s a shame that we cannot be witness to so many of our grandparents’ lives because they didn’t leave a record for their descendants. For instance, I hardly know anything about my French grandmother, born in 1895, died in 1995. My namesake. I know she could sew and cook and lost three brothers (or was it an uncle in WWI in Northern France?) but I don’t even know what she looked like before the age of 50. She didn’t like to have her pictures taken and my mother told me she burned all of her photos because she didn’t want anyone making fun of the clothes she wore back in the day. At least I had a chance to know her, while my younger brother probably only remembers a very old woman yelling at him in French. They didn’t have much of a relationship as he was 10 the last time he saw her, while I was 14. If she had written a letter to both of us or exclusively to my brother (who was named after her husband, my grandfather), my brother would have felt much more connected to his grandmother and she to him.

On the other hand, my father’s father kept meticulous records and I have many of his framed postcards and ship paintings hanging in our house. He was a retired naval captain who served in Bremerhaven after WWII and commanded a ship in the Pacific during WWII. On the backs of the postcards and photos he lists where/when and who. He was a nonfiction writer who wrote for Naval Proceedings and in later years for the Op-Ed section of his local paper in Annapolis, Maryland. Because of Grandpa Osborn I have my childhood photos of me at age 3 and 5 from his mantle. My parents and I are estranged from each other and I don’t have any photos of myself that I didn’t take. So my grandfather’s photos of me are the only ones I have which I acquired after he died in 1998.

When you write down your memories you’re also preserving them and you help connect others to your life. If you are interested in learning more about writing your memoirs and are ready to jump in, sign up for my “Sharing Your Story: A Beginning Memoir Experience” at A Place for Women to Gather in North Raleigh starting Tues. January 11th to Tues. February 15th (six weeks) from 11:30-1:30pm. No previous experience is required and all writers at all levels are welcome to join us. And don’t let the name fool you—gentlemen: we welcome you, too! Cost is $60, which is extremely reasonable—only $10 a 90 min class. You can register online HERE

Looking forward to having you share your story with us!

Sharing your Story: A New Beginning Memoir Experience
Location: A Place for Women to Gather, 8380 Six Forks Rd, Suite 201, Raleigh, NC 27615
Starting Tues Jan 11th through Tues Feb 15th  Duration: 6 weeks
Suggested Donation: $60
Time: 11:30-1:30, participants bring their own lunch. Drinks and dessert provided.
To Register, click HERE or email Alice or call Alice at 919-971-9414

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Second Blooming for Women: Growing A Life That Matters After Fifty by Kathleen Vestal Logan and E.L. (Betsy) Smith, Ph.D.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many women fear turning fifty in our society. After all, beauty fades, health deteriorates and friends start dying. Why would anyone look forward to turning fifty with all of these losses? According to Kathleen Logan and Dr. Betsy Smith who wrote the comprehensive, Second Blooming for Women: Growing a Life that Matters after Fifty, there’s a lot of gains to look forward to in life’s second act. In this book the authors use the extended metaphor of flowers, soil and root systems to illustrate the blossoming of the mature years; this is a period of time for women to take charge of their lives and take advantage of the possibilities. What are these possibilities? They can include starting a new career, developing a talent that has lain dormant for years, or making a concerted effort to forgive and let go old habits that hold you back from your potential.

Both of the authors are lifecoaches with every chapter packed with inspiring advice you’ll want to keep it handy when you need a pick-me-up when life throws you a challenge. Logan and Smith invited a diverse cadre of women to share their perspectives throughout the chapters, which insures that this book never feels too academic. Besides the personal stories from the round table of women, the authors themselves also share their lives and experiences with the reader. Logan and Smith alternate chapters, having selected their chapters based on their individual expertise. Logan’s chapters focus more on the why you should bloom (“Are You Root Bound? Embrace Change”) while Smith’s chapters give you the how (“Annuals: Inventory Your Skills”). At the beginning of each chapter is original floral artwork from Lyda Toy, captioned with a definition of that flower, which sets the tone for the text that follows. For instance, there’s kudzu at the front of Logan’s chapter of “Weeds: Pull Them to Improve Your Garden’s Yield,” which is one of most powerful sections in the book. In “Weeds,” the reader learns how to strive for excellence instead of perfection while working to clear debt, addictions, abuse, and blame from her life. At the end of each chapter, exercises and resources follow, so the reader always feels supported and the learning can continue beyond the initial reading.

Beginning with a history of the American woman’s struggle for equality, Logan ends this chapter by stating, “As a group, those of us over fifty will live longer than previous generations, are healthier, have more money, are better educated, can access a virtual world with computers, have built a wide variety of skills, and are accustomed to planning our own lives. But there are few models or guidelines for us, so we’ll have to create them as we go.” Women over fifty have seen so many changes that they may need a road map to figure out what to do next and Second Blooming is that map.

Smith addresses values and vision statements and defines the difference between a skill and a talent. She says, “Unlike talents and strengths, which are more biologically based, skills can be taught, learned, and often transferred from one situation to another.” Talent is what you’re born with and skill is what you develop as you live your life. The reader is encouraged to take several skill-identifying tests including the Clifton StrenthFinder inventory, which is available for purchase. After identifying her strengths and talents, the reader is then asked to express her life purpose. All of these concrete activities are designed to help women over fifty feel empowered and able to steer the next segment of their lives with passion and determination.

This book encourages women, not just those fifty and up, to take pride in their individual gifts and to move beyond thinking of themselves as just a pretty face, gorgeous legs or long blonde hair. Reaching fifty is not a death sentence; it is a milestone that must be honored and cherished because the next chapter is going to prove amazing. It does take courage to turn fifty and to be bold with your life, but what are you going to lose? Your life matters. Logan says, “Like bulbs your dreams are awaiting their season to burst forth in colorful abundance. It’s time to let those bulbs poke through, time for you to bloom. Dreams don’t have expiration dates.”

Read more about the authors, Kathleen Vestal Logan and E.L. (Betsy) Smith, Ph.D. at their site, http://secondbloomingforwomen.com

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I look forward to seeing you in many of my 2010 workshops this year! I’ve tried to have offerings for everyone, whether you’re a  memoirist, budding creative writer, entreprenur who’s ready to blog or a seasoned poet. I’m offering workshops in the daytime, on weekday evenings and on a few Saturdays. And for the first time, I’m offering a poetry correspondence course. So, peruse these offerings and tell your friends. 2010 is your year to make your writing a priority!

Blogging for Business with Alice Osborn and Eileen Batson
Location: Calm and Sense in Glenwood Village Center
2603 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608
Date: Wed. January 13th
Time: 7-9:30pm
Cost: $30, call: 919.787.1799 to register. Major credit cards accepted.

In this course, students will learn about what a blog is, how to write one and how it can be used for a small business and tips and tricks for getting your blog read and remembered. Small business experts, writers and marketers, Eileen Batson and Alice Osborn will help you construct your blog, give you pointers on making it shine and will help bring visitors to your blog, which will help you grow your business.

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NEW Correspondence Course for Poets!  

Look for more details coming out on this exciting opportunity to have Alice mentor your poems and get YOU published in 2010.
$295 for 12 months of hand-written poetry critique (1 poem per month). Add $95 to $295 for 3 personalized phone coaching sessions
Register today: Course starts Feb. 15. Class limted to 6 poets.

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Sharing Your Story, a Memoir Experience with Alice Osborn
Location: A Place for Women to Gather
8380 Six Forks Rd, Suite 201, Raleigh, NC 27615
Dates: Mondays from Mon. Feb 1st – Mon. March 8th
Duration: 6 weeks
Suggested Donation: $60
Time: 11:30-1:30, participants bring their own lunch. Drinks and dessert provided
Register by calling 919-846-3601 or register online here.

We all have a life story inside of us, but we may feel that what we’ve experienced is not relevant or important. In this workshop taught by experienced workshop leader and teacher, Alice Osborn, you’ll learn how you can harness the power of your stories for future generations and that what you’ve learned over a lifetime is a treasure that must be shared. In-class writing exercises that invoke food memories and the six senses will play a strong role in this lunchtime workshop series. Feedback from Alice Osborn will help you generate memorable prose and you’ll also learn techniques to keep up your writing practice after the class concludes. We welcome all levels and all experiences.

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Business Writing Classes at Team Nimbus, 3801 Computer Dr., Suite 101 Raleigh, NC
Dates: 4 Classes on Various Fridays: 2/19, 3/12, 4/9 and 4/23
Time: 9:30am-11:30am
Cost: $49 per class (Team Nimbus members, $37) or buy the package at $147.

Sharing Your Life Story, a Memoir Class with Alice Osborn
Seniors Only, 55+
Location: Apex Community Center
53 Hunter St. Apex, NC 27502
Dates: Wednesdays from Wed. Feb 17th – Wed. March 24th
Duration: 6 weeks
Cost: $13 (Apex Resident), $18 (Apex Non-resident)
Time: 2-4pm
To Register, call 249-3402. Checks made payable to “Town of Apex”
Click here to download the Spring 2010 Apex Program Guide and Registration Forms

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Presenting Your Words Without Fear with Alice Osborn
Location: Meredith College, Raleigh, NC
Dates: Wed. April 14, Wed. April 21, Wed. April 28
Time: 7-9pm
Cost: $60, Register here or  call 919-760-8450

Public speaking can build your self-esteem, open new professional doors, and it can help you conquer many of your fears and anxieties. Experienced speaker and presenter, Alice Osborn,will help you prepare to speak in public so that you can become the go-to expert in your field and chart your own speaking endeavors. You will also learn how to fit your talk to your audience and how to develop short and longer talks. This class is ideal for those who want to conduct more public speaking for groups or for their work. Participants will learn how to organize a talk as well as their introduction and will have their presentation videotaped and critiqued.

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Marketing and Publicity for Writers, with Alice Osborn Class ID# 12894
Location: Duke Evening and Weekend Courses: The Bishop’s House, Room 107
Date: Sat. May 15th
Time: 9:30am-12:30pm
Cost: $85 Regular, $75 if enroll by 5/1 and $68 for Duke Employees
Materials Fee: $3
Register here.

This workshop is for both published and yet-to-be published writers who need help crafting a marketing strategy for getting the word out about their books via social media networking, websites, blogs, and other tools. If no one knows who you are, how will they buy your book? She will give tips and tricks from her own experience as a successful published writer/editor and will provide generous take-home resources.

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Intermediate Creative Writing: Focus on the Memoir
Location: Sertoma Arts Center, Millbrook Rd, Raleigh, NC
Dates: Wednesdays from July 14- Aug. 4
Time: 7-9pm
Cost: $56
Online Registration here or call to register at (919) 420-2329

We all have a life story inside of us, but we may feel that what we’ve experienced is not relevant or important. In this workshop, you’ll learn how you can harness the power of your stories for future generations and that what you’ve learned over a lifetime is a treasure that must be shared. In-class writing exercises and feedback from the instructor will help you generate memorable prose and you’ll also learn techniques to keep up your writing practice after the class concludes. This is class is designed for students who have previous writing experience or who have been working on their memoirs. Computer access is recommended.

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