The Write Focus

5:30 / Summer Writing Challenge / 8th Check-in / A Miscellany of Jobs

Hi, all! It’s our 8^th check-in for the Summer Writing Challenge. A little over a week to go to the end of July BUT not the end of the Summer Writing Challenge.

I’ve struggled and I’ve soared in this past week. It’s all a matter of juggling the bad with the good to keep a mental balance and motivation.

Last Wednesday, first day of our work week, is a perfect example of this juggling act.

We cover a lot this week, including characters who are ciphers and easy-out solutions to plots; objective distance; copyright, ideas, and the Fair Use doctrine; crafting newsletters and book descriptions, fiction and nonfiction; and our tally of Success vs. Failure.

We’ve a lot to discuss. Let’s do it.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome
• 00:40 Check-in 8
• 2:00 Ciphers / Objective Distance
• 7:00 Copyright, Ideas, and Fair Use
• 10:26 Newsletters
• 15:00 Book Descriptions, NonFiction and Fiction
• 17:33 Success & Failure
• 18:22 Last Words / Closing

Total Run Time = 20:18

 

All Original Content / No AI Used

 

Link to Website https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/07/summer-writing-challenge-check-in-8.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge at this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXi3M_aM-d7LEoaG-XelXEjBW_Xukjy3I

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters
• Available Now: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand.

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

 

5:29 / Summer Writing Challenge / 7th check In / What's Up, Doc?

Hi, all. Time for Check-In #7 of our Summer Writing Challenge with the theme of “What’s Up, Doc?”

The challenge this week was to steady up and recover from last week’s losses. Luckily, most of my weekly activities are on hiatus in July although my personal commitment remain strong.

A Special BONUS this episode: 9 minutes from Dashiel Hammett on Accurate Details

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome
• 00:40 Check-in 7
• 02:01 Kanban Flow
• 05:55 Sputter to Flow
• 08:50 Research for Reality
• 11:15 Failure vs. Success
• 13:45 Dashiel Hammett on Accurate Details
• 22:33 Last Words / Closing

Total Run Time = 24:30

 

LINKS

KanbanFlow project board https://kanbanflow.com/

Audacity Recording Software https://www.audacityteam.org/

Bach Toccata and Fugue snippet, licensed from AudioJungle, by creator sviridpavlov https://audiojungle.net/

 

All Original Content / No AI Used

 

Link to Website https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/06/summer-writing-challenge-check-in-7.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge at this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXi3M_aM-d7LEoaG-XelXEjBW_Xukjy3I

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters
• Available Now: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand.

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

5:28 / Summer Writing Challenge / 6th Check-In / Land of the Lost

Hi, All! Welcome from the Land of the Lost ~ Lost Days, Lost Time, Lost Plans, Lost Chances.

That’s me this past week, and I’m still dealing with the aftermath. I’m also scouting the area to find out who infected me.

Yes, in a week when I knew I would lose three days before it started—the holiday, you know—I lost three more days because I came down with a horrid respiratory sickness, with coughing and crusty eyes as the bane of my existence. This episode is only coming to you with the assistance of powerful drugs that are slowly pulling me back from the brink. The doctor refused to give an infection window—but I have recon going to find the culprit.

To start the week with high hopes and to end with hopes in fragments on the ground … cue violins. Let’s talk about what did happen to the good and the little highlights that keep us going.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome
• 00:40 Check-in #6
• 03:20 Task Lists / Incentives
• 05:23 Rotating Promos
• 08:35 Cover Design
• 13:40 Writing Hell
• 17:35 Writer’s 3-Part Mantra
• 19:20 Last Words / Closing

Total Run Time = 21:17

 

All Original Content / No AI Used

Link to the Blog Site: https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/06/summer-writing-challenge-6th-check-in.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge at this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXi3M_aM-d7LEoaG-XelXEjBW_Xukjy3I

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters
• Available Now: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand.

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

5:27 / Summer Writing Challenge / 5th Check-In

Hi, all! Herewith is our 5^th check-in for the Summer Writing Challenge. We’ve started a new month; we still have the same goals.

Of everything that I expected to happen in June, that did happen, disruptions and distractions but also a slow-moving progress toward the goals. Of everything that I wanted to accomplish, not there yet.

Am I upset and frustrated by the disruptions? No.

Did I have some time-wasters? Yes. Do I want to kick myself for those. Yes and No.

Am I irretrievably behind? Well—One thing that I learned while in the business world and also in this writing realm is that nothing goes as smoothly as we plan.. Nothing actually functions like a regular work week. No matter where we are, disruptions occur.

We can have a Do or Die attitude about our writing … but I want to enjoy it.

I cannot enjoy it when I feel chained to the work, to constant on-demand performance.

And creativity suffers.

 

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome
• 00:40 The Do or Die Attitude
• 06:15 Check-In #5
• 12:25 Be a Writer, All 13 Steps Listed
• 13:27 Track Reality to Overcome Blinkered Thinking
• 15:25 Last Words / Closing

Total Run Time = 17:21

 

All Original Content / No AI Used

 

Link to Website https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/07/summer-writing-challenge-5th-check-in.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge at this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXi3M_aM-d7LEoaG-XelXEjBW_Xukjy3I

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters
• Available Now: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand.

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

5:26 / Summer Writing Challenge / 4th Check In

Hi, y’all! It’s been a hectic week of the expected and unexpected again, with so many things swirling about that it’s best to call this Challenge episode “Spinning Wheels” or “Tornadoes”.

“Spinning Wheels” seems more appropriate because I did gain headway in all three project areas. It’s a tornado, though, because—well, I’ll explain as I detail this week.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome
• 00:40 Check-in #4
• 03:35 Major Goal Achieved!
• 05:10 Three-Step Proofing
• 07:11 Walk Away from a Problem
• 11:03 Step 11 (continuing Be a Writer)
• 13:22 Step 12
• 15:50 Step 13
• 17:30 Last Words / Closing

Total Run Time = 19:25

 

All Original Content / No AI Used

Link to Website https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/06/summer-writing-challenge-4th-check-in.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge.

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters
• Available Now: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand.

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

5:25 / Summer Writing Challenge / 3rd Check In

Hi all! We’re onto our third check-in for the Summer Writing Challenge.

As usual, I’ve overloaded myself in contemplating everything that I want to accomplish for June and July. To complete everything may take me into August.

And I’ve already encountered one problem that may require me to extend the Challenge into August.

This means that I’ve bitten off much more than I should have with my three projects and the additional admission that I may switch a project mid-stream … if Project 2 continues giving trouble.

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the past week, before we discuss the problem and then head off into some musings from “Be a Writer”.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome
• 00:40 3^rd Check-In
• 05:45 Problem!
• 07:11 Be a Writer Step 7
• 08:30 Step 8
• 09:22 Step 9
• 10:50 Step 10
• 12:05 Last Words / Closing

Total Run Time = 14:00

 

All Original Content / No AI Used

 

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge.

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters
• Available Now: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand.

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

 

Link to the Blog Site https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/06/summer-writing-challenge-3rd-check-in.html

5:24 / Summer Writing Challenge / 2nd Check-In

Hi! It’s the 2^nd Check-in for the Summer Writing Challenge, all through June and July, tracking not only words but also those other tasks that a write needs to do to pursue success.

For the first days of June, four days, Saturday to Tuesday, we had achievements on two of our projects in the Master Plan. Project 1 had 15,617 new words on the manuscript of Defeat Writers Block. Project 3, we had the 1^st check-in Podcast, prep, draft, and everything involved in producing a podcast episode.

These past seven days, Wednesday to Tuesday, didn’t achieve as much.

Join us to hear what happened.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome
• 00:40 Second Check-in
• 04:49 Three Creative Stages for Writing
• 07:35 Lessons from the Week
• 08:40 Be a Writer Step 4
• 10:40 Step 5
• 12:25 Step 6
• 15:40 Last Words / Closing

Total Run Time = 17:35

 

Link to Blogsite https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/06/summer-writing-challenge-2nd-check-in.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge.

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters
• Available Now: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand.

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

5:23 / Summer Writing Challenge / 1st Check-in

Welcome to our 1^st Check-in for this Summer Writing Challenge, tracking not only words but also other tasks that a writer needs to pursue success. We began tracking on June 1, and we’ll continue to July 31.

As part of my Master Plan, I have three projects.

• Turning the Defeat Writer’s Block series into audiobook, ebook, and paperback.
• A massive project writing five short story, creating audiofiles for 15 stories, and publishing the 5-story collection and the 15-stoory bundle in ebook, paperback, and audiobook.
• All the miscellaneous tasks that writers do, including this podcast

The check-ins will list what occurred with the projects as well as classifying them as successes or failures.

We’ll conclude with five minutes or so of inspirational musings on writing.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome
• 00:40 1^st Check-in
• 06:50 Be a Writer
• 07:35 Step 1
• 08:14 Step 2
• 09:28 Step 3
• 11:55 Last Words / Closing

Total Run Time = 13:51

 

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge.

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters
• Available Now: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand.

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

5:22 / Summer Writing Challenge / Introduction

All through June and July, The Write Focus turns its lens to the Summer Writing Challenge, 61 days of writing as well as presenting all the other tasks that writers should be doing in their writing business.

In addition to tracking our progress on writing projects, we’ll cover market copy, cover designers, promotional posts, and newsletters as well as audio projects. These are just a sample of the myriad additional tasks performed by every writer, indie or traditionally published.

Podcast posts covering the previous week’s work will be recorded on Tuesday evenings for publishing on Wednesday mornings.

Join us as we detail the accomplishments and failures for every writer’s Summer Challenge.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome
• 00:40 Opening
• 01:35 Raison d’Etre / Introduction
• 04:15 Project 1
• 04:55 Project 2
• 07:05 Project 3
• 07:55 Prep Work
• 11:26 Last Words / Closing

Total Run Time :: 12:26

 

Blog Site Link https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/05/summer-writing-challenge-introduction.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is the Summer Writing Challenge.

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters
• Available Now: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand.

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)

5:21 / Wish I'd Known / Writing Retrospective

This year and the next are celebratory years for me. I began publishing in 2015 and podcasting in 2020 (yes, that coronacoaster year). It’s time for a retrospective, totting up the gains, cringing at the worst failures (some of which will never see the light of day), and dwelling on the chief lessons. You know, what I do wish that I’d known before launching into the ocean realm of writing.

The ocean of writing is a great metaphor. Writing has depths that no one will ever reach. Each writer is a tiny ship surging through the billowing waves. We dwell on the surface with only forays into the upper levels.

Where does this Writing Retrospective begin? Before publication, where all writing begins. We’ll also look at where my arrogant brain tried to take me in 2021, and finally a mistake that I keep making and having to re-learn. Geez, I know I’m slow, but still.

So, herewith, a Retrospective of Writing Regrets.

TIMINGS

• 00:00 Welcome
• 00:40 Introduction
• 02:02 Regret 1
• 06:11 Regret 2
• 10:17 Regret 3
• 13:05 Final Words
• 14:11 Closing

Total Run Time :: 15:12

 

All Original Content / No AI Used

 

Link to Blog https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2024/05/wish-id-known-writing-retrospective.html

Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.

Our current focus is Defeat Writer’s Block, from host M.A. Lee’s guidebook Think like a Pro: a New Advent for Writers.

Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr

• You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters
• Available Now: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand.

For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com  .

Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.

If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)