Category: Royalene Speaks

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 9/19/14

INSPIRED…BY WOUNDED WARRIORS

This phrase has become synonymous with our military personnel who have returned from “wars or rumors of wars” since 9/11. Many have suffered extreme physical injuries; others carry invisible scars of nightmare events that no one should have to experience.  And yet, when they come home again they inspire us!  They’d deny that, of course, but it’s true.  It’s the average, ordinary, writer who hears their story and begins tapping the keyboard, stringing words together and getting it published that shows them the truth of it.

Just this afternoon, my husband handed me an article he’d torn out of a newspaper insert. There is a small photo in the second column of a soldier holding a gray tabby cat—the feline who was “rescued” by the young soldier in the midst of an active battle zone—the stray cat whose insistent attention rescued the soldier from suicidal depression and gave him the courage to come home and help others.  Both soldier and cat are in the U.S. now.

You see, it’s all about connection.  The soldier’s faith and loyalty connection to the military mission and the positive things being accomplished—the good they were doing.  The internal, inspirational connection he saw in that one kitten expressed through the soldier as “the representations of the innocence” in that country.  Then there was the connection with other soldiers and organizations that brought both soldier and cat home because “it was the right thing to do.”  AND…the “cat experience connection” that was part of the readiness preparation for the soldier to accept a service dog, continuing the process of healing.  So many people heard this story—identified with it—connected to the hope.  And then came the writer who has used his skills and sent this story into millions of homes, creating more connections.

ARE YOU the next writer to hear an inspiring “wounded warrior” true-story and WRITE IT?  There are as many inspiring tales to tell as there are “sands on the ocean floor.”  The soldiers of today and yesterday and centuries past certainly have our respect and motivate us.  However, there are other wounded warriors in our sphere of acquaintances who also have inspiring stories to tell: the small business owner who “goes above and beyond” supporting his employees; the mothers and fathers who (in spite of extreme physical and economic challenges) dedicate their lives to lovingly raise their children with integrity, honesty and faith; the first responders in emergencies who place themselves in harm’s way to save lives; and you, the bloggers, tweeters and journalists who are willing to dig until you find the truth—and write it—even at great risk to your career and/or reputation.

This September season of 9/11 memories has (as you can see) inspired me. I’ve read newspaper commentaries and online quotes from shoppers and cab drivers, waiters and maintenance workers who stepped into the New York streets that day “to help.”  And yet, for me, it is the books by authors such as Susan Van Volkenburgh that continue to inspire me the most.  Her September 11th journey is told in Silent Resolve and the God Who Let Me Down: (A 9/11 Story).  It relates the events of Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon, taking the life of her father and 183 others.  It also expresses her “odyssey” through grief and loss.

There is something about holding and reading a book that makes the contents very personal and intimate. IF you have an “overcoming” story to tell, please write it! We all need the reminder—like that cat nudging the soldier—that tragedies are not only survivable but can inspire us and others.

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 9/12/14

INSPIRED…BY NEIGHBORS

It doesn’t seem possible that it’s been two years since my friend Avanti and I embarked on the adventure of telling the story of his wife—Selma’s—immigration to the United States of America.  If Selma’s father had not sought safety in the U.S. from the tyranny of Mussolini, his wife and children would not have followed him and Selma, and Avanti would have never met—and fallen in love—or been “in position” to bless the lives of so many others.  Oh, there are thousands of stories out there like that, you say?  I beg to differ.  Truly, there are NO two stories alike—no two people whose lives touch ours the same.  The facts, fears and fantasies that drive each person to reach the multiple shores of their life-adventures are unique and made up of valuable lessons—for us all.

Marketing specialists have latched on to this truth and are using it in more media genres than ever before.  Have you heard the voice of famous comedian Robin Williams (recently lost to us) reading a poetry segment from the movie Dead Poet’s Society?  The quote is from a Walt Whitman poem:

“O me, O life of the questions of these recurring.

Of the endless trains of the faithless.

Of cities filled with the foolish.

What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer: that you are here.

That life exists and identity.

That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”

Then Robin repeats the last line followed by a provocative question meant to nudge the listener toward the unspoken question.

‘That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.’

What will your verse be?”

And the unspoken question:  What will your legacy be?

Robin Williams has certainly left an amazing legacy behind.  He has touched the lives of millions of people around the world who remember him as “magical,” his performances “unlike anything seen before as if they came from some spiritual and otherworldly place.”

My thought for you today is: …and so it is with each individual person on this planet.  My memoir writing friend Avanti may not have personally touched the lives of millions.  However, his life-legacy and the legacy of his wife Selma are sown into us—all of us—just the same.  I am blessed to have helped him produce that memoir and self-publish it, as with every page I learned something of value for my own life.

Whether you are currently thinking of writing a memoir or are in the midst of writing a great adventure novel, the life-lessons learned from our inspiring neighbors will help you develop your own life-dreams—and build super-hero-characters to enrich the world of books-in-print.  STEP UP, my friends!  Get the writing done!  And publish!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 9/05/14

INSPIRED…BY ORDINARY PEOPLE

We can’t run away from it!  We’re all PEOPLE lumped into that collective definition of “persons in general…human beings as distinguished from animals or other beings.”  However, from my writer’s perspective, it is our job to narrow that classification to one specific main character and tell their story—whether it is in the form of essay, poetry, mystery, historical fiction or any other genre.  Writers are the telescope through which the world can see “people” as individuals.

Not long ago, I worked with a writer who needed to tell the story of her son.  She knew that giving his life-story to the reading world would save lives—even though her son had made the decision to end his life before discovering the potentials within all his tomorrows.  As you can imagine, this author’s personal pain kept her from progressing past the outline stages,  and so it was that we met—long distance—writer and ghostwriter working in tandem to tell this young man’s story.

With over 500 pages of material—letters, medical reports, court documents, etc.—my initial challenge was to find the person on those pages.  The world-view of “people” may be what is seen in data files or paper reports.  But the real person is much, much more than that.  If (or when) you write a story about a person who is alive today, has recently passed, or is a part of history, here are several ways to discover who they are…

DO YOUR RESEARCH:  Yes, “the facts” are important and must be known whether you use them all—or not.  Date of birth (and death); place of birth and all the places they lived; family members and associates; education; memberships in organizations; work history; etc.

DEVELOP A LIFE-LINE and/or timeline of the person’s life.  This will begin to give you a picture of that individual’s life experiences. His/her encounters with this world offer many useful insights as well as physical sets upon their stage.

  1. Talk with as many family members, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, spiritual mentors, etc., as possible. Their view of the person you’re writing about will have similarities, of course, but it is the differences that you’ll want to specifically record and highlight.

Did you know that in the neuroscience fields of study there are now more than 640 concepts (words) describing our psychological personalities?  From the earliest days of human history—Plato and Aristotle—people have been speculating on the workings of the mind and how environments (other people, places and things) effect the way we live.  As a writer and developer of “characters” (both real and fictional) I suggest that you collect several pieces of cutting edge information on the brain and how it functions such as books by Dr. Caroline Leaf (Switch on Your Brain) and theories on psychological types such as The Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory.  Once an author knows the basics—differences between the analytical, strategic thinker and the charismatic, inspirational leader, etc.—multiple layers of personality nuisances can be added to your character(s) to bring living breathing individuals to the pages of your books.

Bottom line…whether you’re collaborating with a friend who needs help with their story or you’re writing the new Best-of-the-Best novel yourself, don’t ever stop writing.  GET IT WRITTEN and GET IT PUBLISHED!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 8/29/14

INSPIRED…

One of my favorite genres to work with (as editor or consultant or ghostwriter) is Religion/Faith.  The authors inspire me, personally, every time I help them prepare their manuscripts for publication.  Reading this genre is also high on my list—whether fiction or non-fiction.  So it is that, when reading one of my favorite faith magazines, I came across one sentence (yes, one sentence) that so inspired me I cannot stop thinking about it:  “Faith turns the tables on logic while turning life’s waves into a foundation.”

The author of that one-liner is Marcus Yoars, editor of Charisma magazine—oops, former editor.  (He has stepped away from this position to pursue a missions calling.) As only the third editor of Charisma in its 40 years, this young man has proved himself to be quite a leader in the writing field.  Comments from his last heartfelt editorial can—from my always-needing-inspiration perspective—give every writer helpful hints to follow.  Although his emphasis is spirit-faith-focused, his points (as I read between the lines) came to me like this:

  1. Writing always involves risk. Authors often speak of that feeling of leaping-off-a-cliff when releasing their work to be published. This is a time when our faith in what we’ve written (and what we hope readers will discover in those pages) comes into play. We don’t have to write in the Religion genre to understand this—to carry the same all-or-nothing element within us that allows us to produce and send our projects into the world.
  2. Faith in what we’ve written often defies logic. Many of the authors I’ve worked with open our introductory discussion saying, “Nobody else will probably be interested in this book, but I just had to write it.” For me, that is the best sign that whatever their book is about, it must get published. Ever hear the cliché statement: If I don’t do it, who will? First and foremost, authors must believe in their project—write it—produce it—then wait for everybody else to catch up.
  3. Doubt destroys. However, faith in what you’re writing will pull you out of the darkest blank-page-hole and allow you to emerge with fresh insights and more clarity about your subject matter. Battles with doubt must be fought and overcome. Faith brings strength.
  4. The choice is ours. All writers must face the cycle of faith vs doubt each time they begin a new piece writing. However, if we keep pumping our faith-muscles, that cycle will become easier and easier to complete—with satisfaction.

For the faith, spirit-led writers, there is one more element that strengthens their writing abilities—their obedience to use the God-given writing gifts they’ve been given.  This includes being obedient to write that which they are “assigned” to write, whether it is that letter to a grandparent or the completion of that textbook for chemical engineering…and everything in between.

There it is, my friend.  Whatever writing storm you face…let faith show you the way to success!

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 8/22/14

WRITING WITH FRAGRANCE…

Last week I used an analogy of a writer compared to a rose, both enjoying thousands upon thousands of unique species and hybrids.  I’m smiling—remembering a particular writing conference workshop titled: What Species of Writer Are You?  Wish I still had the notes from that discussion, but I can still give you the basic points scented with my perspective, of course.

#1…Just as every flower, leaf, branch and tree is uniquely different, so are you; as an intelligent being, as a person and as a writer.  It is extremely important to accept just how unique we are and that what we are inspired to write about is enormously valuable.

#2…Because we are intelligent beings, we can get lost in the adventure of learning.  Yes, we must develop the skills and abilities associated with our gift of writing; however, if we allow ourselves to get lost in the research, the story (article, poem, etc.) may never be finished and published.

#3…We are blessed with five (some folks say six) marvelous senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell (and insight).  All of these natural abilities must come into play when we’re writing.

#4…A writer’s species becomes identified in the genre of writing they are drawn to, starting with what genre they read the most.  This also includes what genre of film one appreciates and/or enjoys the most.

#5…Marriages occur between species creating—exceptional—hybrids.  When a writer develops personal relationships (with family, friends, marriage partners, co-workers), other genre fragrances come into the mix.  The history professor (of a writer) questions an established “fact” of history and multiple “what-if” scenarios blossom.

#7…Or…the beautifully landscaped botanic gardens are destroyed by flood; Nature’s fury uproots everything and the gardener (writer) must begin again!  Not to worry.  The re-write will be better than the first.

#8…The hardy species survive and grow stronger.  Thus it must be with writers—developing the “thick skin” necessary to ward off barbs while still being able to accept/absorb the constructive nutrients from useful critique.

When that workshop speaker laid out gardening tools all around the podium, I almost got up and left,  but I’m glad I didn’t.  She visually portrayed the elements needed to keep writers “growing.”  She confirmed that a stagnant writer—who cannot “think outside the box”—is dying and if they’re not careful, they’ll be uprooted. She also confirmed the value of “planting” our work—publishing it—the minute we know that it is ready for release.

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.