Allen and Linda Anderson -- Writing on the Run

WRITE DOWN THOUGHTS AND PROBLEMS

Allen and Linda Anderson — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:38:21 GMT

WRITE DOWN THOUGHTS AND PROBLEMS
By Andrew Andabwa

No matter how busy my day is, I normally have some time dedicated to thinking my thoughts. I think about
problems and challenges in detail with a kind of zoom-in, zoom-out effect. I found that it's possible to use this time creatively and effectively in writing.

Just write down all the thoughts and problems you have at the time that you are confronting them or thinking about them.

In the future these snippets you wrote could be the basis of a great short story, novel, or even poem. Since the
problems are real, the writing that you will wrap around them will be equally real or grounded in reality. And it will make for an interesting read.

Great writing is writing that just flows on its own. What better way is there than combining your writing, problems, and thoughts -- all of which you have a passion for. The resultant writing could be great writing.

BIO:
Andrew Andabwa is a freelance writer who calls himself "The Total Writer" since he write in all genres --
poetry, short story, novels, essays, and anecdotes. He lives in Kenya in East Africa. He is looking for writing
assignments from everyone and can be contacted via e-mail <drendabwa @ yahoo.com>. (Spaces inserted before
and after @.)

An Animal Rights Book Without An Overdose of Guilt

Allen and Linda Anderson — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:54:36 GMT

Sometimes a book comes along that we feel we must bring to your attention. Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals by Karen Dawn (Harper, April 29, 2008) is one of those books. It is a successful attempt at bringing information about the animal rights movement into the mainstream world.

The book is colorful, illustrated with cartoons and photos, easy to read, and insightful. If you have ever wondered what exactly are the animal rights issues that get people so emotionally involved, this book gives an overview and lets you decide for yourself what to think and believe.

Dawn writes in the book that her intention is "not to fight with my readers and win the battle for animals rights, and not to force my values on others. The idea, rather, is to tell you everything you wanted to know about animal rights but were afraid to get into a fight about, and to let you weigh that information against your own values. You can decide what practices you find acceptable or not, and how you might avoid supporting what you cannot condone."

Publisher's Weekly gave Dawn's book a starred review and called it a "cogent and thoroughly researched overview of all the major issues in animal rights, past and present." Library Journal called it, "sensitive and informative" and a "highly recommended riveting text." Gloria Steinam writes, "With wisdom and insight. . . [a] bridge between worlds for both the committed and the curious." Actor David Duchovny says, "Give this book to somebody you know who doesn't know." Matthew Scully, author of Dominion, says, "This book is a fast read that can change your life forever."

The author, Karen Dawn, writes the daily e-newsletter DawnWatch that alerts 20,000 readers to coverage of animal issues with information on how to praise or pan the media for its accuracy and attention. She writes opinion pieces for the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post, has hosted her own radio series about animals on Pacifica stations in Houston and Los Angeles, and been a guest on MTV.

What we especially like about this book is that with Karen Dawn's positive track record with the media, she actually has a chance of getting these important messages out into the public. The more we all support her, the larger audiences she can reach. She chose to write in an authentic style and user-friendly presentation that is not preachy or holier-than-thou.

Karen and her publisher are to be commended for presenting hard-to-take information about animal cruelty in medical and cosmetic testing, the abuse of animals for entertainment, and the practical reasons for vegetarian and vegan food choices in ways that will be easier for most people to consider without becoming defensive.

If you have read Karen's book or after you do so, please comment on it, or make comments about today's Story of the Week or the "Something to Think About" section at blog.angelanimals.net (Angel Animals Network Blog), community.beliefnet.com (Angel Pets Fan Club), or seattlepi.com (Reader Blog: Angel Animals). See the
Announcement below for URLs to click and comment on discussion topics and stories. That way, everyone can gain from your insights.

For more information about Karen Dawn's new book and one of the greatest promotional videos you'll ever see, go to www.ThankingtheMonkey.com.

I'M IN DEVELOPMENT

Allen and Linda Anderson — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:43:14 GMT

Today's Tip of the Week comes from Rebecca Dienger who is a busy mom and a freelance writer -- a perfect mix
for writing on the run

We hope these tips bring you closer to achieving your writing goals and inspire you to share your own great ideas
for how to enjoy writing, even when life gets busy.

I'M IN DEVELOPMENT
by Rebecca Dienger

Thinking small makes me feel like I have more time.

I don't look for wide open spaces anymore, because it's a process. I take detailed notes on ideas for later development.

I free-write in short sessions but never leave a thought unfinished. I revise while the kids are occupied. (Days
may pass between versions, making it easier to edit.)

I target several markets so I can quickly resubmit a piece if it's rejected. I'm aiming high, low, and everywhere in
between to find my niche, believing these habits will take me much further and faster when my kids are older.

BIO:
Rebecca Dienger is a freelance writer and busy mom, working on her first non-fiction book in the nooks and
crannies of home life.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:
How could you follow Rebecca's example of aiming high, low, and everywhere in between for the audience who will appreciate your writing?

How nice would it be to remember that you and your writing are special, and your readers will be appreciative?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:00:37 GMT

HONORING YOU AND YOUR WRITING
By J. Blair Taylor

Take a few minutes every month to write an appreciation letter to yourself from a reader.

Dear ________, (insert your name here)

Your writing helped open my heart and understand ________ (fill in blank).

Or whatever else you would like to accomplish as a writer.

It is amazing how focused and excited about writing this technique helps you to become. It gives the pat on the back for work you have finished. And it keeps you open to the gifts you have to offer in the future as a writer.

BIO:
J. Blair Taylor is a freelance writer, photographer, mother, wife, wildlife rehabilitator, friend, and daughter, not always listed in order of importance. And it is all good. Among her other published works, J. Blair's story "The Journey of Joy" was featured in GOD'S MESSENGERS: What Animals Teach Us about the Divine.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:

How nice would it be to remember that you and your writing are special, and your readers will be appreciative?

Could you try Richard's three methods for making time to write in your busy life?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 07:44:37 GMT

PRIORITY WRITING
By Richard R. Blake

For some time, I have wanted to provide autobiographical background for my family. I recently learned of a class on "Autobiographical Writing."

I joined the class, which meets weekly. The class affords me the benefit of a writing critique group. We are expected to submit written work each week. Individual readings are limited to approximately five minutes. I established a goal of writing two or three pages per week.

Unexpected staff shortages on my job created additional time demands. I found that if I wanted to pursue my writing, I would have to develop some other disciplines to make the time to write.

I decided to make the class a priority. I set a writing goal in line with the class requirements. I began to say no to distractions and other time drains to free up time for writing.

Establishing the priority to take the class, developing time management disciplines, and setting a weekly writing goal to meet the class requirements provided the impetus I needed to begin writing regularly.

At Christmas last year, I presented my family with the fruit of my labor -- the first installment of "My Story."

BIO: Richard R. Blake is a regular contributor to The Restorative Justice News, Huntsville, Texas, and The Recycler, published by Follow Up Ministries, Inc., Castro Valley, CA.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Could you try Richard's three methods for making time to write in your busy life?

What are your favorite writing attitude helpers?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:10:12 GMT

WRITING ON THE RUN -- AT ANY AGE
By Tim Bellows

I find that the more I age, the more insight I have into how life works - and how poetry works (that being my
big-time avocation). So don't we owe it to others coming along the path of life to sprinkle some wisdom around?
Whatever we may have to share?

And really, it's great fun. We're in charge on the page, and getting the knack of catching ideas as they zing into
us is so freeing. It lifts the whole day, opening us to more creative possibilities and a certain agility of thought in all
departments of life.

Well . . . by our attitudes we create our world. So what's your attitude toward advancing your writing as the years
tick by?

As an attitude helper, may I be so bold as to suggest listening to Mozart's piano concertos as you write? Alfred Brendel and Ivan Moravec are two of the great masters of piano -- and Mozart pieces. Gorgeous, heart-deep, divine music! It can only help lift your life.

Finally, the music we expose ourselves to -- at 6 or 60 -- makes the cathedral where we live:

"Thus, by little and little, his spirit expanded in harmony with the cathedral; there he lived, there he slept; scarcely
ever leaving it, and, being perpetually subject to its mysterious influence, he came at last to resemble it. . . ." (From The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo, Chapter III.)

Let me close with this quote. I relate it to aging, realizing more about love, and the joy of writing:

"Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius."
--W. A. Mozart.

BIO:
Tim Bellows is a poet, writer, and teacher -- devoted to wildland and inner travels. Tim has taught college writing
for over fourteen years. He graduated from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and has seen publication of poems in a variety of journals - and in A Racing Up the Sky (Eclectic Press), Wild Stars (Starry Puddle Press), and Desert Wood
(University of Nevada Press).

*** Contact Tim at tpb45@sbcglobal.net (or through timbellows.com where his book and selected poems are available).

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:

What are your favorite writing attitude helpers?

What is Priority Writing?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 21:33:01 GMT

PRIORITY WRITING
By Richard R. Blake

For sometime, I have wanted to provide some autobiographical background for my family. I recently learned of a class on "Autobiographical Writing."

I joined the class, which meets weekly. The class affords me the benefit of a writing critique group. We are expected to submit written work each week. Individual readings are limited to approximately five minutes. I established a goal of writing two or three pages per week.

Unexpected staff shortages on my job created additional time demands. I found that if I wanted to pursue my writing, I would have to develop some other disciplines to make the time to write.

I decided to make the class a priority. I set a writing goal in line with the class requirements. I began to say no to distractions and other time drains to free up time for writing. Establishing the priority to take the class, developing time management disciplines, and setting a weekly writing goal to meet the class requirements provided the impetus I needed to begin writing regularly.

At Christmas last year, I presented my family with the fruit of my labor -- the first installment of "My Story."

BIO:
Richard R. Blake is a regular contributor to The Restorative Justice News , Huntsville, Texas, and The Recycler, published by Follow Up Ministries, Inc., Castro Valley, CA.

What are your favorite gifts for writers?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 18:51:38 GMT

What are your favorite gifts for writers? As a writer, what is the best gift you have received to support your dreams?

How do writers build that all-important platform everyone says is so important to a book proposal?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:01:38 GMT

How do writers build that all-important platform everyone says is so important to a book proposal? One of the best ways is to do something that is the opposite of writing - - public speaking.

If you have a topic that fuels your passion enough to devote an entire book to it, you probably have the research and dedication to speak about it. Are there groups or continuing education classes where you could be a guest speaker on your subject?

Speak to local groups about your book topic and maximize the opportunity to support your writing. First, ask the person in charge to write a recommendation for you, as a speaker on this subject, on the organization's or company's letterhead. Second, collect names and email addresses of people who attend your talk and want to continue the discussion on that subject. You can use these names to start a newsletter (like this one) and to find people to interview.

If you are like most writers who are more comfortable writing than speaking, try joining a local Toastmasters group to increase your skills. Remember, if your book is published, at some point, you will have to get out there in public and talk about it. Why not start now and build your readership at the same time?

Are there opportunities you might be missing because you are waiting for bigger ones to come along?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:58:18 GMT

It's always interesting to watch writers pass up opportunities that would give them a boost into being published. Every once in awhile someone will decline our offer to develop their story with us for an upcoming book. Typically the reason they give for not wanting their story to be published is that they intend to write their own memoir and include the story.

Often we will have contact with the person after our book has been published and is on bookshelves. We ask, "Did you write your memoir?" Can you guess the answer?

Invariably the person hasn't gotten around to doing all the work it will take to write an entire book. As far as finding a publisher for a memoir, well, we won't even go there.

Of course, everyone has the right to have his or her story published in an anthology or not. But had these writers seized the opportunity to work with us, the book's editors, proofreaders, and marketing department, they would have had a publication. This could lead to finding a publisher for a longer work. They gave up the probable for the possible.

Are there opportunities you might be missing because you are waiting for bigger ones to come along?

Go to our blog this week and please share your thoughts and experiences with passing up opportunities to further your writing goals. We'd all love to hear from you. Also at the blog, make any coments you have about the Tip of the Week. That way, everyone, including the authors, can read them.

Thanks to this newsletter's readers who came last week, in the snow, to our bookstore events for ANGEL ANIMALS: Divine Messengers of Miracles. It was great meeting and reconnecting with you.

See the announcement below for the new class and workshop we'll be teaching at The Loft Literary Center in January, February, and March 2008. (Could it really be 2008 already?)

Remember, life is your page.

NEW WRITING CLASSES WITH ALLEN AND LINDA ANDERSON

INSPIRATIONAL WRITING AND PUBLISHING TODAY
A18-1 with Linda Anderson

In this spiritually hungry world, people long to be comforted and inspired. Self-help, New Thought, religious books, daily meditations, memoirs, and personal story anthologies top the bestseller lists. In this class you'll learn the forms, elements, and markets for inspirational writing and read samples from masterful writers. You'll get tips for moving from self-expression to service by writing about your life's experiences in ways that help others. We'll also talk about a system for framing chapters in your book-length work, or for organizing an article. This class offers nurturing feedback and suggestions for rewriting, polishing, and getting published. It includes individual review of your assignments or book in progress.
--Meets at Hopkins Center for the Arts, Wednesdays, January 30th
to March 5th (6 weeks), 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Call 612-379-8999 to
register or at www.loft.org.

WRITING FICTIONAL CHARACTERS ON THE RUN
A111 with Allen & Linda Anderson

Do you carry bits of dialogue and half-formed characters in your head -- but don't have the time to get them onto the page? Whether you are working on a short story or a novel, a play or screenplay, this workshop will help you use everyday encounters to enrich character development. The presenters will share tips for organizing and structuring the writing process at home, at work, or even in your car. This exercise-rich workshop will help you learn how to negotiate with friends, family, and yourself for precious writing time and space. You'll also learn ways to keep your creativity flowing and your characters 'growing.' All this is entirely possible without leading a stressful or unbalanced life, and can result in some of your most successful writing experiences.
--The Loft Literary Center at Open Book, Saturday, March 8th, 9:00
a.m. to noon. Call 612-379-8999 to register or at www.loft.org.

How could you make progress by giving the gift of your writing to others?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 13:16:42 GMT

This week, we were interviewed on a local television show, "Showcase Minnesota," on an NBC affiliate, KARE-11. We are finally starting to get the rhythm of being on television. One thing we did this time was to bring extra books to the station.

As we waited in the green room for our interview, we were able to sign books for other guests. Before we left the studio, we gave one to the receptionist. What a great way to spread some joy and plant seeds for others to tell their friends about the book!

How could you make progress by giving the gift of your writing to others?

We recently gave the Writing on the Run website a facelift with additions, including a new blog. We look forward to your visits and comments about writing on the blog.

Today's Tip of the Week offers a writing solution to those nighttime worries that tend to keep you awake when you'd love to be sleeping. We're also celebrating the release of our new book, Angel Animals: Divine Messengers of Miracles at two book presentations and signings in the Twin Cities.

We invite you to Magers & Quinn in Minneapolis on December 3rd starting at 7:30 pm and at Borders Booksellers in Minnetonka on December 6th at 7:00 pm. There are details below in the Announcement segment of the newsletter. And you can always e-mail us at writingontherun@aol.com for more information.

As we have done in previous years, we will sign bookplates for you to insert in our books so you can give them, autographed, as gifts. See in "Announcements" for how to submit your request.

Remember, life is your page.

Have you found a balance between your heart projects and writing for the paying markets?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:56:29 GMT

We recently attended a writer's meeting that had a panel of authors who spoke about their work. It was interesting to hear what they had to say about the difficulties of navigating between what you want to write and what editors want to buy.

This is always the dilemma for writers. Your heart, your passion compels you to explore what interests you. Writing what you know becomes the mantra. Yet when you try to sell your work, the market demands dictate whether anyone will invest in publishing it. One more manuscript hits the self-publishing button. One more article goes to an Internet blog or website.

The truth of the matter is -- and any author who is honest will tell you this -- you have to find a balance. You write for paying markets what they will buy. These support you and your heart projects that may or may not ever sell but bring you immense satisfaction or relief.

Our heart project is Angel Animals and it is slowly finding an audience. See the updated video below about the project.

Remember, life is your page.

What do you think about blogs?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 19:17:27 GMT

We attended a conference this weekend where one of the big subjects was blogs. They are the rage, as you probably know.

In a debate one side said blogs are necessary for in-depth insight into issues. Newspapers and other traditional media have a 24-hour news cycle. The rule is -- if it didn't happen yesterday and it did happen today to someone prominent or interesting, it's news. No wonder news stories are typically superficial. Give us the headlines, ma'm, only the soundbites.

The other side of the debate was that blogs are composed of likeminded people preaching to the choir. They don't even pretend to be fair and unbiased. It's not in their nature to present balanced coverage of more than one side of the issue. If you only read blogs, you'll only get one sort of opinion and not be well informed.

So naturally, we've decided to start a blog that accompanies our other website, angelanimals.net. If you're interested in making comments, go to it and let us know what you think about some of the entries we have posted there initially.

What do you think about blogs? Would they help your Writing on the Run? Some people have collected their blog material into e-books, articles, and even used them to get contracts for published books.

Remember, life is your page.

Notebooks and Pens Everywhere

Allen and Linda Anderson — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 19:15:35 GMT

We live with notebooks and attached pens everywhere. There are notebooks and pens in the car, in the bedroom, in the living room, in the kitchen, by each telephone, in our offices, in our purse and briefcase, in our pockets.

Maybe we're getting older and can't trust ourselves to remember brilliant ideas. But it's nice not to have to think about whether or not the best ideas have slipped away.

Remember, life is your page.

How do you make interviews provide what you need?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 19:13:22 GMT

Doing interviews is essential for fiction and nonfiction writers. Asking people who have lived your characters' occupations or experiences or who provide valuable research material deepens any project. You gather not only the content but also the style of speaking and colloquialisms or jargon.

How do you make interviews provide what you need?

One of the key ingredients is to have a good idea of what you want to know. Ask questions that will fill in the blanks of your knowledge. Then open the discussion to that all-important interview question: What haven't I asked that you think I should know before writing about this subject?

Remember, life is your page.

Signing books is fun!

Allen and Linda Anderson — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:56:50 GMT

Occasionally people ask us if we ever get tired signing books. Our resounding answer is, "Never!"

Yesterday we were reminded of the elation authors feel when a long line of bookstore owners and buyers lined up to get their signed copy of our new book at the Midwest Booksellers Association convention.

We spread out photos of our little "angel animals" on the table. This encouraged people in line to start talking about their own angels and to show their pictures. It created an instant community.

If you haven't had the fun of autographing a book yet, imagine yourself with people waiting for your signature. What will you say to them? How will you chitchat? What color pen will you use? (We use green ink.) All these thoughts will motivate you to keep on writing even when it would be easier to just plop in front of the television and go mindless.

Remember, life is your page.

Are there people (and animals) who are supporting your writing dreams but maybe you haven't noticed?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:53:55 GMT

This week, we filmed our cat Cuddles and dog Leaf. At the time we didn't realize that this would be a dramatic story with high stakes. Allen found some great music to serve as a soundtrack for it. We posted this 2-minute video on YouTube.com and other places. Don't deprive yourself of the good laughs this one provides.

View "That Dog Can't Find Me Here!" at www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsM-6TU6si8

Next, we had to celebrate the fact that Leaf graduated from doggy school this week. Drum roll, please. So we let him show off for the camera. Again, after we looked at the video, we realized that like any good movie, the tension had built to a climax. The cute factor had gone through the roof.

Get another good laugh by viewing the 1-minute clip "Will Do Anything for Treats!" at www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK5c5kAAV0U.

What we are appreciating most of all is how the animals in our family have become actors in starring roles. They seem to understand that we need their help in delivering the messages of Angel Animals Network. They pose and cavort and like to contribute. It's so much fun!

Are there people (and animals) who are supporting your writing dreams but maybe you haven't noticed?

Remember, life is your page.

What is your relationship with writers' groups?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 19:06:47 GMT

We are members of a writer's group that is struggling to stay alive. It is a formal, nonprofit organization that has to abide by bylaws, federal, and state regulations. Run by volunteers, all of this responsibility is challenging.

At a meeting over the weekend, it was wonderful to see many writers step up to the plate and offer to revive and revitalize this group. The current leaders were burned out and found little time for their own writing.

What is your relationship with writers' groups? How much time do you want to devote to groups that serve writers? When do writers cross the line and jeopardize their personal writing goals while they try to help others reach theirs?

Remember, life is your page.

Does writing offer you a view of the world that you can't see any other way?

Allen and Linda Anderson — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 19:04:49 GMT

Does writing offer you a view of the world that you can't see any other way?

Writing as a form of perception is one of its key benefits, regardless of whether or not your words are ever published. Perhaps it is because when you write, you go to a place that is beyond the mind. Is this the soul? The source of inspiration that is not fettered by fears and everyday concerns?

What you bring back from this place that is within seems to bypass the mental censor for just that moment when pen forms words on paper. Later, the mind catches it in a net of judgment and rationality. But oh, the pure bliss, of those times when a thought escapes mental prisons and breaks free.

Could you do Writing on the Run for the bliss and joy of it?

Remember, life is your page.

Ma and Pa Write an Amazing Book about Dogs

Allen and Linda Anderson — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:57:03 GMT

It is quite the learning curve to tackle Internet marketing. But we are enjoying the process of bringing our work to a much wider audience. In a Writer's Digest article this month, it said that 1 billion people and 70 percent of adult Americans are on the Internet. These are unprecedented times for writers.

What Internet strategies are you using to bring readers to your Writing on the Run?

We invite you to read the announcement below and visit us in our living room by going to the YouTube link for our new videos. This week, we added "Ma and Pa Write an Amazing Book about Dogs."

Visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEo6CS_UZEU to view it.

Remember, life is your page.