Change The World With Words

This year I’m partnering with a couple of cool organisations to bring you some useful resources for writers and authors. Some of them are free, some of them aren’t. If you’re at a stage in your writing career where you want to start investing in yourself, you can choose to buy through me and support this site at the same time (see what that means here).

If you’re not, that’s fine too. All articles here at Change The World With Words are free and always will be. (I also get a real kick out of sharing other free resources I find, and I seem to find a lot – maybe it’s Karma sending me free writing goodies because I always pay them forwards. Feel free to subscribe if you want to know about new free writing resources as I find them.)

If you’re a writer looking for affiliate programs to join in order to offer your readers valuable resources and create an extra income stream for yourself, I recommend these programs.

In 2012 I’ll also be working with an organisation called My Help Hub.

Why?

They have really high quality products for writers, mainly ebooks and online courses, that cover different types of writing and other skills related to writing and getting your work published.

Their paid products are reasonably priced, often come with bonuses and offer a money-back guarantee.

They have a good mix of products that will appeal to different readers (we’re an eclectic mix here at CTWWW), from The Wealthy Writer online course to their Writer’s Block CD to the Novel in a Month course. Perhaps my favourite E-product purchased last year was their excellent How To Write A Children’s Book.

Like me, they like to be generous. They offer a huge selection of free resources for writers through Writers Giveaway, that you can start downloading right now if you want (click here).

If you’re a writer with your own blog or site and you’d like to partner with My Help Hub to offer some of their products to your readers and followers, check out their affiliate program here.

I’ll also be working with the lovely Shelley Hitz from Self-Publishing-Coach.com.

Why?

Shelley also offers great products, albeit in a narrower range. Most of her products are aimed at helping writers develop specific skills in the area of self-publishing and book marketing, though her book marketing and promotion resources are also excellent for traditionally published authors looking to build their brand and sell more books.

These products are very affordable. Shelley is known for over-delivering and offering far more (including bonuses) than you would expect for the price she charges.

The range of products covers almost everything new and aspiring authors need to know (and lots of things more experienced authors should know but don’t). Products include Ebook Publishing Success, Get Your Kindle Ebook Done, and Twitter 101 For Authors.

Shelley also loves a freebie. You can pick up over 200 free tools for authors over at her site Self-Publishing-Coach.com or download a couple of her free reports, Book Marketing on a Shoestring Budget: YouTube Strategies for Authors and Book Marketing on a Shoestring Budget: Guest Blogging for Success right here at CTWWW.
 

If you’re looking to invest in yourself in 2012, please consider some of the products mentioned above or listed on the resources page (or check out the reading list and online book store for good-value books about writing and publishing). And if not, go ahead and download the freebies mentioned above.

If you haven’t already seen our Win an iPad2 or Kindle Fire contest, you might want to check it out. You’ll need something to read your new Ebooks and online course materials on:)

Today I’m changing the world (just a little bit) by sharing this Rafflecopter giveaway. Rafflecopter is a tool that enables us bloggers to give stuff away to you, our loyal readers.

Rafflecopter is celebrating the New Year and it’s brand new FREE version with a launch party, and for good measure they’re giving away an 16GB Apple iPad2 and several Kindle Fires. (If you’re a regular here you’ll know I love my Kindle, and am constantly blogging about all the free ebooks you can download to read on yours.)

Use the entry form below, and don’t forget to tell them that KAREN BANES sent you.
If you enter through me, and win, then I win too! Yes it really is a win, win situation

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January is a time when many writers re-assess their writing careers and their goals for the future. For me, that includes making plans for continuing education, in one form or another.  I’m pretty cheap, so I’m constantly looking for free, nearly free or good value learning experiences that will take my writing to the next level.

This week I’m excited about a free online flash class I’ll be attending with Christina Katz, author of some of my favorite practical writing books, such as Writer Mama and Get Known Before The Book Deal.  Christina’s new book is The Writer’s Workout, and everyone who purchases a copy by January 9th can get in on a free flash class with Christina.

Christina will be coaching writers in every genre on the following three topics:

• How to Assess The Power of Your Writing Portfolio  
• How to Build Your Best Bio for 2012
• How to Discover Your Unique Platform Dynamic

The book itself is great value (the paperback is currently selling for less than $13 on Amazon) but this free coaching session adds a shot of extra value, making it a worthwhile investment that will help writers at all levels get 2012 off to a great start.

Still undecided? Don’t know if Christina’s brand of writing wisdom is for you? Here are a few of my favorite tips from The Writer’s Workout.

• “Consider each year a new learning cycle and get used to putting your skills through new paces if you want them to grow.”

Couldn’t agree more. Continuing education, lifelong learning, constant skill-building – if you’re not fired up about these things then becoming a successful freelance writer is going to be much more of a challenge than it needs to be.

• “Will my work make good things happen? Is a good touchstone question for writers. If whatever you are devoted to will make good things happen, go forward and prosper with it as best you can.”

Statements like this assure me that I’m reading the work of a writer who is in tune with me, my values and the over-riding message I try to spread through Change The World With Words and my other writing projects.

• “We’re much more interested in the observations that come to bear from a well-lived life than we are of the preoccupations of a one-note mind.”

I love this quote. The thing that fuels a writing career more than anything else is life experience. While books, courses, retreats and critiques can help, the single most important ingredient of good writing may be “a well lived life”.

Still interested? You can order the book here, get the details on the coaching session here, and find out what Christina’s previous students and clients think about her here. Hope to see you there on the 10th, getting your 2012 learning cycle off to a productive start.

Even though I’m not a big believer in the tradition of making New Year resolutions, I’m loving this tip to clarify your New Year dreams, from Rochelle Melander, author of  a favorite writing book of mine, Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days, (And Live To Tell About It). Thanks Rochelle.

New Year Dreams

By Rochelle Melander

Not easy to find the balance,  for if one does not have wild dreams of achievement, there is no spur even to get the dishes washed. One must think like a hero to behave like a merely decent human being.

—May Sarton, Journal of a Solitude

People who record their dreams and goals are better able to achieve them. They are also happier and healthier. Record your visions, dreams, and goals for the New Year. Sometimes the best way to do this is to complete a sentence repeatedly until you run out of ideas. It may take five minutes (or more) to discover what you really want.

Try completing these sentences:

• In the New Year, I want to give up . . .
• In the New Year, I want to take on . . .
• In the New Year, I will rock my life by . . .
• In the New Year, I will strengthen my body and spirit by . . .
• In the New Year, I will work to change my world by . . .

A word of warning — this kind of dreaming can change your life!

Try it and see what happens.

Write Now! Coach Rochelle Melander teaches professionals how to write faster, get published, establish credibility, and navigate the new world of social media. Get your free subscription to her Write Now! Tips Ezine at http://www.writenowcoach.com and sign up to be a member of her Write Now! Mastermind class for professionals at http://www.writenowmastermind.com

Happy New Year, fellow bloggers, writers and authors.  Please take a free gift to help you organize (and meet) your blogging  and writing goals for 2012.

If, like me, one of your goals for 2012 is to improve your blog and get your blogging and writing career better organized, you’ll want to download this free planner and calendar from BlogEnergizer.com. It’s aimed at bloggers but can be adapted to plan all your writing projects, as well as keeping your regular blog posts and other blogging tasks on track.

The calendar has sections for listing your planned posts, guest posts, emails to send out and your daily promotional activities.

 It also highlights important dates from World Aids Day to National Mentoring Month, giving you instant ‘hooks’ or ideas to structure your blog posts and articles around.

Best of all it’s free, and available for instant download. No sign-up required.

Get the free download here:

http://blogenergizer.com/download-blogging-calendar/

For more free writing and blogging resources, check out the freebie page, or subscribe for future offers. 2012 will be full of them

We love freebies here at Change The World With Words, and the traditional gift giving season is upon us, so help yourself to the free gifts below.

Writer’s Digest is giving away six free ebooks for writers. Subscribers to our newsletter already know about these.  (Subscribers often get in on the offers early, and some of them are exclusive to the newsletter. Sign up over on the right if you want first shot at the freebies and lots of other discounts and offers.)

This free package includes all the following:

Write That Book Already

Getting The Words Right

Hooked

How to Be A Writer

Story Structure Architect

The Complete Guide to Self Publishing

All books are available in different formats including Kindle, Nook and iTunes.

Here’s the link:

WritersDigest.com

Update: So sorry – these books are no longer available for free download. My bad, and thanks to @writerregion for pointing it out. Huge apologies and to make up for the out of date information, here are a few more Kindle Ebooks that are free on Amazon right now:

Write Good or Die

Telling Details

The Technique of Fiction Writing

Firepole Marketing has a great freebie out: Engagement From Scratch. A good product for all you shy writers who don’t like marketing yourselves but still want to find an audience for your work.

Shelley Hitz over at SelfPublishingCoach.com has over 200 free tools for authors and self publishers. Poke around her site (and sign up for her newsletter). You’re sure to find something that will be of use to you.

Before you leave, check out the freebie page, or sign up over on the right for our free report 52 Tips For Freelance Writers.

Happy Holidays to all our readers and do stick with us for tips on a prosperous, productive 2012!

I’ve recently been streamlining my subscriptions and bookmarks and it’s forced me into an interesting exercise. I had to ask myself which sites have been genuinely useful to me this year, and which I can afford to abandon. There are also a few that I will just drop by occasionally (they’re in a separate favourites folder – I’m quite proud of how organized I’ve been over this).

The following have all stayed in my bookmarks folder, on my RSS reader or on my email subscription list. Of course, different blogs and sites are useful to different people, and some you grow out of (or in to) at different times. A lot depends on the type of writing you do and the stage you’re at in your career. If you have found a writing blog or site that’s been truly useful to you in 2011, please do the blogger or site owner a favour and mention it in the comments section.

Make a Living Writing

Almost every post on this blog either teaches me something useful or reminds me of something I already know, but often am not doing. It’s strong on marketing for example, which isn’t my favorite task, even though (or perhaps because) I have a degree in public relations and have previously held jobs where I spent all day every day marketing.

Write To Done 

I’ve been following this blog for a while and really like how varied it is, covering fiction and non- fiction writing, blogging and related topics like productivity and motivation. There’s plenty of useful stuff in the archives here. Poke around and see what you can find.

Self Publishing Coach

I have yet to take the plunge into self-publishing (Or have I? Is this blog a form of self-publishing? Is the free report I produced for my subscribers self-publishing? It’s a question for another post, but perhaps we’re all self-publishers now). I’ve done a lot of research into the industry this year, and this site has been my best resource.

Writing Happiness 

Just found this one recently and am really enjoying checking out the archives. I like Marya’s perspective on writing related issues and stumbling blocks, and her positive attitude. I also love “Marya’s Truths” (posted in the sidebar). A bold move, and very personal – it made me relate to her from the first moment I found the blog. I knew straight away I was in the company of someone who thinks like me.

The Creative Penn

Also a new one for me this year, with lots of useful content and a range of topics – there are sections on writing, publishing and marketing. I recommend signing up for the newsletter and getting hold of your free copy of the Author 2.0 Blueprint. There are also lots of free podcasts to download if you like to listen to them while you’re on the go (a habit I intend to develop in 2012).

Jeff Goins, Writer 

There is a lot of high quality content on this blog and it’s updated frequently. I only became a regular reader of this one very recently, but I’ve found enough good stuff in the archives to feel confident recommending it.

Jane Friedman’s Blog 

Far removed from your typical how-to-write site, but probably the most useful blog I’ve come across focussing on publishing, promotion, platform building and social media for writers and authors.

Write and Publish Fiction

I got back into writing fiction this year, after a long stretch of non-fiction and commercial writing. This site has been a great resource. It has something for everyone, from complete newbies to the more experienced. It’s definitely helped me get back into the swing of fiction writing.

How To Write A Book Now

Now I’m back into fiction writing my next big writing goal is to complete the young adult novel I’ve been working on. This site has some good articles on the specifics of novel writing, such as creating plot outlines and story goals, and writing a good synopsis.

Productive Writers 

Like most writers I have days when I’m uber productive and days when I just can’t get my butt into gear. For the latter, there’s always this site. Productivity and time management for writers, with a dose of humor, from the highly productive John Soares.

I’m hoping you’ll find something useful through the above links. Let me know if you do. If you still have holiday shopping to do, please check out the book store. And don’t forget to stop by Change The World With Words next Friday (23rd December). There will be free gifts for all to celebrate the holidays

Usually this is a blog about writing and publishing, but it’s also about changing the world with your writing. I reserve the right to go off topic (occasionally) in order to practice what I preach and use my writing to help bring about some much needed change.

Today is It’s Time To Talk Day - a day devoted to raising awareness about domestic violence and relationship abuse – and bloggers who care are making a commitment to write about domestic violence, even if it’s not the type of topic their blog usually covers. If you’d like to help raise awareness join the conversation.

Three Stupid Things People Say About Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is easily misunderstood. I could list a hundred things that people say about it that just don’t make sense, but I’ve narrowed it down to just three. Don’t feel bad if you’ve said them yourself. I know I have – which is why I now feel the need to highlight just how stupid they are.

#1 Why Doesn’t She Just Leave?

Here’s why this is such a stupid question.

-         It won’t stop the violence.

 In fact there’s substantial evidence that domestic violence tends to escalate when a woman leaves the relationship. The majority of women admitted to hospital with injuries as a result of domestic violence report that they’re no longer living with their abuser. Domestic violence is about control. When a woman leaves, a man feels control slipping away. The result is often increased violence to try and re-assert that control.

-         It could get her killed.

Sadly, in the most extreme cases, domestic violence can lead to homicide, and it’s surprisingly common for this to happen when a woman leaves or threatens to leave. It all comes down to the same issue. When a desperate man feels his control weakening he is sometimes, tragically, driven to desperate measures. The Domestic Violence Death Review Committee has identified “actual or pending separation” as a significant risk factor in domestic violence related deaths.

-         She shouldn’t have to.

Even in our victim blaming society, it’s hard to imagine another crime where the victim is expected to take quite so much responsibility for a crime committed against her. Imagine reading in your local newspaper:

“Mrs X was violently attacked in her own home on Saturday night. As a result of this attack she has been ordered to leave her home, neighbourhood, and community, taking her two children with her, which will result in considerable disruption, expense and trauma to her and her children. In a bizarre twist, Mrs X’s attacker has been awarded sole occupancy of her home for as long as he’s willing and able to pay the rent.”

This is what actually happens in some domestic violence cases.

#2  Maybe she provoked him.

Maybe she did. Maybe she annoyed him, ‘got in his face’, or demanded something he wasn’t prepared to give. Maybe she was verbally abusive to him. Maybe she slept with his best friend. But, in the USA, and all other civilized countries, the accepted punishment for these things is NOT a violent physical beating. Even many (though not all) of the countries that the US considers ‘barbaric’ no longer condone physical violence as a routine punishment for women who disobey their husbands or commit adultery. Anyone living in a country that considers itself to have a system built on human rights and egalitarian values should be ashamed that the thought even crossed their mind.

 #3  I guess he just lost control.

Let’s get this straight. As mentioned above, domestic violence is about exerting control, not losing it. Men who beat women do so in order to hurt and scare them so they’ll do what they want them to. Abusive men rarely have ‘control’ problems in any other context. A man who ‘loses control’ with his wife or girlfriend will often show remarkable control when provoked by another man looking for a fight, especially if that man is bigger and stronger than he is.  Unsurprisingly, most men who beat women are not known for their courage.

If you’re affected by domestic violence, or know someone who is, the first step towards help, support, recovery and healing might be found at the following resources (and every journey starts with the first step):

Violence Unsilenced

Love Is Not Abuse

Domestic Violence Hotline

Futures Without Violence

If you’re a survivor of domestic violence, there are many local advocacy groups and non-profits offering programs aimed at helping you recover and thrive. Consider contacting your local child and family services agency (anonymously, if you want to) to find out more about them.

Thanks to the wonderful team at Blogher.com who are encouraging bloggers everywhere to use their blogs for good today and get people talking about domestic violence. Find out more here.

And just to bring us back to the subject of writing…

For an example of an amazing project that combines writing and creativity with helping survivors of domestic violence move forward and thrive, see the work of The Purple Song Project.

An article in yesterday’s USA Today asked writers to remember a favourite book they received as a holiday gift. Suzanne Collins (author of The Hunger Games) remembers receiving The Dictionary of Classical Mythology by J E Zimmerman when she was “9 years old and obsessed with Greek Mythology”. Patricia Cornwell picked How The Grinch Stole Christmas, a holiday gift when she was “maybe 7’, and Janet Evanovich chose The Black Stallion by Walter Farley, which she received when she was 9 years old.

If you’re looking for a book to inspire a child, consider some of these books. If you’re looking for books for writing friends, the following are some of my personal favorites. Click on the links to see more information, read reviews and buy. All links go directly to Amazon. If you buy through one of these links you are helping support Change the World with Words (see how here). Thank you.

Ten Great Books For Writers

Writers Market 2012. You can never go wrong with buying a writer the very latest version of this book. It’s thoroughly updated every year so a new one is always valuable.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott. An old classic and I love it. Read a full review here.

Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg. Another classic. Can’t beat the classics.

This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosely. Just came across this in 2011 and it has really helped me with my novel in progress.

On Writing, by Stephen King. King’s fans will love this. His detractors will often be genuinely surprised by it. Read more here.

Writer Mama by Christina Katz. I love all Christina’s books. She actually has a new one out soon, The Writers Workout. It’s not ‘officially’ part of the list as the print version isn’t out until January (find out more here) but you can pre-order it now, and the Kindle version is already available.

Write-a-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (and live to tell about it) by Rochelle Melander. For all NaNoWriMo writers who may have failed or gone insane trying, this book will help you do better next time.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. This isn’t a book about writing, but it is one of the books that has had the most impact on my writing career recently. Now I’m familiar with Gladwell’s 10,000 hour theory I’ve finally realised than none of my writing is wasted, even if it doesn’t find a publisher.

The Greatness Guide, by Robin Sharma. As above. Not a book about writing but a great book for writers who want to be great at what they do. 101 short (mostly just 2 pages) chapters with titles ranging from The Steve Jobs Question, to Life Lessons from SpongeBob Squarepants (this guy has a wide range of heroes). 

Write Good or Die, the best value book I’ve read all year. OK, you can’t really get away with giving this as a gift – It’s free! (You all know how much I love a freebie, don’t you?) But you can certainly reward yourself with it when all your holiday shopping is done

Please consider doing your holiday shopping at our online book store, powered by Amazon. It has sections on writing, publishing, world changing, fiction and non-fiction. Browsers are welcome, and encouraged.

Check back frequently this holiday season (or subscribe). There will be free gifts for everyone.