Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Writers: 101 Motivational Stories for Writers - Budding or Bestselling - from Books to Blogs

by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Amy Newmark

Overview

From budding bloggers to bestselling novelists, your fellow writers share their best advice, writing tips, time management strategies, and personal ups and downs in the business of writing. These stories will motivate you, entertain you, and keep those words flowing!

Bestselling novelist J.A. Jance explains how her next book rights a wrong done to a friend killed in Vietnam. Award-winning Young Adult novelist Sarah Darer Littman talks about her “second book blues.” Read how bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan was mentored in the writing world by someone she had first mentored in the TV world, and how Jenna Glatzer overcame her agoraphobia to ghostwrite Celine Dion’s biography. Marc Tyler Nobleman explains how he unmasked the true creator of the Batman series.

With chapters on overcoming your fears, beating writer’s block, accepting rejection, and making time to write, you’ll feel like you’re at a first-class writers’ conference. Additional chapters cover how to use writers’ groups and mentors effectively, tried and true methods to find new inspiration, and how writing can change your
own life and others.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611599091
Publisher:	Chicken Soup for the Soul
Publication date:	05/21/2013
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	5.74(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Jack Canfield is co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, which includes forty New York Times bestsellers, and coauthor of The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. He is a leader in the field of personal transformation and peak performance and is currently CEO of the Canfield Training Group and Founder and Chairman of the Board of The Foundation for Self-Esteem. An internationally renowned corporate trainer and keynote speaker, he lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Mark Victor Hansen is a co-founder of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Amy Newmark is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Hometown:

Santa Barbara, California

Date of Birth:

August 19, 1944

Place of Birth:

Fort Worth, Texas

Education:

B.A. in History, Harvard University, 1966; M.A.T. Program, University of Chicago, 1968; M.Ed., U. of Massachusetts, 1973

Website:

http://www.jackcanfield.com

Table of Contents

Introduction Brad Meltzer 1

1 Facing My Fears

1 Celine and Me Jenna Glatzer 7

2 Queries, Agents, and Insomnia Beth Cato 11

3 Poopy Pants and Butterflies Susan M. Heim 15

4 The Day I Turned Scarlett Kathleen Gerard 18

5 The Hard Truth Catherine Madera 23

6 Write from the Start Jim Alexander 27

7 A Change of Direction Sophfronia Scott 30

8 The Secret Life of a Teenage Author Amy Zhang 34

9 Seeing My Way to Success Janet Perez Eckles 38

10 Princess of Procrastination Sioux Roslawski 42

2 A Little Help from My Friends

11 Coffee and Confidence Deborah Shouse 49

12 Will Write for Crab Cakes Roz Warren Janet Golden 51

13 The Restless Writers Beckie Jas 54

14 Fishing Buddies Valerie J. Frost 57

15 Complementary Attraction Cathi LaMarche 60

16 Stretching Forward Reaching Back Shawnelle Eliasen 64

17 Secrets… to Success Emily Parke Chase 67

18 The Surprise Party Amelia Rhodes 71

19 Why I Love My Writers' Group Mimi Greenwood Knight 75

3 Making Time to Write

20 The Man in the Green Pickup Anna S. Redsand 81

21 It Worked for Me Arlene Rains Graber 83

22 A Few Short Minutes Diane Stark 87

23 Putting Together the Pieces Brenda Kezar 91

24 The Magic Wand Harriet Cooper 94

25 Home on the Range Linda S. Clare 98

26 So, What Do You Do? Mimi Greenwood Knight 101

27 Twins Sarah Hamaker 104

28 Good Pasta Mary C. M. Phillips 107

4 Take My Advice

29 Just Tell Them What Happened Michael Damiano 113

30 Its a Product, Prudy Prudy Taylor-Board 116

31 Fire and Spirit Victoria Fedden 118

32 Treat the Rectangle Carefully Suzan Moyer 121

33 The Work Must Speak for Itself L.S. Johnson 125

34 Stickler for Details Melissa Face 128

35 Going Where You Look Lorri Carpenter 131

36 And I Get Paid for This Tammy Roark-Proctor 135

5 Wrestling with Writer's Block

37 Turning Blocks into Stepping Stones Tsgoyna Tanzman 141

38 Variation on a Theme Wendy Hobday Haugh 145

39 When Words Really Mailer Kelly James-Enger 146

40 A Time (Not) to Write Christopher Allen 149

41 Fires in the Night Doyle Allen Shockley 153

42 Hope Comes in the Mail Perry P. Perkins 156

43 Lend Me Your Ears Mary Z. Whitney 158

44 How I Got My Creativity Back Dallas Woodburn 160

6 The Healing Power of Words

45 Telling Stories That Matter Sally Friedman 167

46 The Small Miracle Carisa J. Burrows 170

47 Healing Myself by Helping Others Jessica M. Ball 173

48 My Muse Josie Willis 177

49 Stories Along the Way T.J. Banks 181

50 Word by Word Diane Majeske 184

51 The End Was Only the Beginning Robin A Burrows 188

52 I'm in My Element Michael T. Smith 191

53 Why I Write Pamela Louise Walker 195

7 Mentors Who Mattered

54 The Rewards of Paying It Forward Hank Phillippi Ryan 201

55 A Scholar and a Gentleman Gail MacMillan 205

56 What He Taught Me Dawn M. Lilly 209

57 This Writer's Soul Miriam Hill 213

58 A New Direction Barbara Ann Burris 216

59 Learning the Hard Way Linda C. Defew 220

60 Making the Story My Own Diane Hurles 224

61 Perseverance David Martin 227

62 Getting Started Wendy Greenley 230

8 Reflections on Rejection

63 Knowing When to Turn Off the Noise Sarah Darer Littman 237

64 Fun with Rejection Letters Amy Green 240

65 Making a Killing Felice Prager 244

66 Who's Arthur? Jennifer Reed 248

67 Mommy Tamara Wilhite 252

68 Dear John John P. Buentello 253

69 What Happened When I Did the Right Thing Dodie Milardo 256

70 The Challenge Rory C. Keel 258

71 A Writers Vow James C. Magruder 260

9 Finding Inspiration

72 The Story Behind "Second Watch" J.A. Jance 267

73 Something in Common Barbara S. Canale 272

74 Its a Poem Raymond P. Weaver 276

75 Ask, Listen, Write Jodi Iachini Severson 280

76 Accountability Partner Samantha Ducloux Waltz 284

77 Some People Do This for a Living Vickey Kall 288

78 I Knew I Could Do It Joyce Styron Madsen 291

79 A Word Can Paint 1,000 Pictures Gail Wilkinson 294

80 A Lifetime of Inspiration Timothy Martin 296

81 Confessions of a Columnist Salty Friedman 300

82 My Ideal Reader Mimi Greenwood Knight 304

10 Try, Try Again

83 Write What You Don't Know Marc Tyler Nobleman 311

84 You Gotta Be in It to Win It Sharon Kurtzman 316

85 A to Z, Terri Elders 319

86 A Real Writer at Heart Valerie Whisenand 323

87 A Pat on the Back Shawn Marie Mann 326

88 From Dream to Reality Phyllis Cochran 330

89 Nothing Ventured; Nothing Gained Gayle Allen Cox 333

90 From Rejected to Bestseller Randi Kreger 336

91 Paying the Price to Be Published Robert B. Robeson 339

92 African Adventures Ashley Thaba 343

11 Writing Changes Lives

93 Writing My Way to Love Elizabeth S. Kline 351

94 My Daughter Helped Me Become a Writer Leticia Velasquez 355

95 From My Heart to the World Diane Nichols 359

96 Finding Aricia Fleurimond Rachel Wallace-Oberle 363

97 Lessons Learned in Writing My First Novel Sebastian Cole 367

98 Anastasia the Adventurer Peggy Frezon 371

99 Changing My Fate Alyssa Ast 374

100 Blow Them Off Their Feet Nicole Scobie 377

101 Bonus Points Steve Schultz 381

Meet Our Contributors 384

Meet Our Authors 401

Thank You 404

Share with Us 405