Brummet's Conscious Blog

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-- World of Writing --  Our guest today is: Donna Baier Stein - the author of Sympathetic People ( Iowa Fiction Award finalist and 2015 IndieBook Awards finalist) and Sometimes You Sense the Difference . An earlier version of The Silver Baron’s Wife won the PEN/New England Discovery Award . Her work has appeared in Virginia Quarterly Review, Prairie Schooner, Confrontation , and many other journals and has earned three Pushcart nominations. She also received a Bread Loaf Scholarship, Johns Hopkins University MFA Fellowship . Find out more about this accomplished writer at: www.donnabaierstein.com Q: Tell us about the workshops or events you offer. A: I teach writing workshops in person in Summit, New Jersey, and Bernardsville, New Jersey… and online through the literary magazine I publish, Tiferet Journal . The courses I offer are Short Story Writing, Where Do I Begin?, Poetry Writing, and Spiritual Writing . I love teaching writers at all sta...

-- World of Writing --  Stephanie Barko, a literary publicist, has a wide array of clients ranging from  traditional publishers and their authors, small presses, and independently published nonfiction authors to historical novelists.  Stephanie’s PR agency was recently voted Best Resource in the 2015 Small Business Book Awards . Since its inception in 2005, Stephanie has moderated a nonfiction book group that was featured on BookBrowse and has hosted nationally bestselling authors.This fall she is launching an app called DIY Book Platform that guides authors to create their very own unique book platform. In 2014, Stephanie was profiled by both Environmental Defense Fund and National Audubon Society for her commitment to the earth. Today she joins us from her office in Austin, Texas (US) to some thoughts on marketing. Be sure to check out the links in this interview below:   Q: Did you take any writing classes?  A: B...

Writers Influencing Positive Change As writers we have the perfect craft for creating positive change and I’d like to share a few of these options here today. As writers we can help others heal and express their emotions through our own poetry or song lyrics, we can express love and passion, share memories and educate others. By writing about causes and providing readers the tools to enact upon them, we enable our readers to also be a catalyst for positive change. We can help someone else share their stories, their experiences or family history. But there are other ways we can make a difference too. Before querying a publisher or publication: -        Investigate their in-house green and socially responsible activities to see if their actions align with yours. (recycling efforts, carbon offset programs, alternative energy use, charitable donations, tree planting efforts etc.) -        S...

-- Quote of the Day --    “…No one can tell your story but you; not brothers, mothers, sisters – it is your story from your unique point of view. So I encourage everyone writer or not, to write often… keep a journal… read as much as you can.” ~ Lynn Goodwin Today’s quote originates from the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio episode:    http://tobtr.com/s/4660317 -- World of Writing, Interview --  Yes, it is time for another installment of our World of Writing interview series... Today we are featuring:  Sandy Bothmer who became interested in writing when her children were young. She tried her hand at picture book writing attending conferences, writers’ groups, and sending out manuscripts but only received the “better rejection letters” saying her story didn’t fit the publisher’s needs but asking her to submit another piece. A move across country and the heavy load of t...

-- Quote of the Day -- “… The business of books is really taking what you’ve written and making it serious. At the end of the day it is still a business, and it has to have a return on investment. …Make sure that you are marketing to the right people who need your product and services and that your expertise is at the forefront, direct your book into the right hands and to attract a defined target market. Build an enterprise around that book, like any other product; books are a business they are not just these great things that sit on a shelf. The publishing company depends on you to get out there and pound the pavement, because all that brings publicity back to the organization and it also has to materialize back in your pocket. …Time is one resource that you don’t get back; so using your time well is a must. I have an alarm on the computer that goes off every hour so that I know when that alarm goes off it is time to go on to the next project .” ~ Car...

-- Conscious Discussions Radio -- Today's topic was focusing on how literature plays a vital role in living consciously. I shared numerous fun and interesting quotes about the craft of writing and the power of the written word by famous individuals from around the globe. I also shared information on how to deal with unfinished projects, skill development, research, pressures and stresses, and writer's block. Writing, whether it is available for the public to purchase or not, is a way of leaving a legacy behind. Writing is a way of communicating with ourselves, our society and future generations; it is a way of connecting with the past and analyzing the future. For the reader, we benefit from stretching our minds, increasing knowledge and tools to live consciously. Where would we be without the understanding and empathy we learned to have for so many individuals, cultures, or historical times? Drop by and listen to the half hour Writing with Conscious Thought episode of Conscio...