Telling The Truth

For today’s inspiration: Don’t be afraid to fall and don’t be afraid to get back up and smile.

Today’s Piece: “Letting Go”

Today, I’m sharing my piece called, “Letting Go.” This piece is just a reminder to let go of your past and move into your future.

Recap: On last week’s episode, we talked about Characters Of Your Story. We shared about this topic because sometimes we as humans seem to have the hardest time either allowing people to exit from their lives or being able to remove people from their life stories.

Telling YOUR truth or living in your truth... As writers, I feel a lot of us struggle with not only living in our truth, but writing IN your truth.

As writers, we have a story to tell, but why do you think it’s so hard to write about our experiences? Here’s the truth, for most writers, it’s super easy to just write our stories. The difficulty comes when it’s time to publish our truth.

Can I share the number one question I get the most in the self-publishing community right now? One statement I hear the most is, “I have a story to tell, but how to do I share other parties in my story?”

What I realize about many writers and authors, they are super comfortable writing, but their struggle comes in when they explore telling all of their truth.

As you think about your story, I want you to ask yourself two questions:

What is your story, and what is your truth? The sooner you’re able to answer those questions about you and your story, the sooner you’re able to write without restrictions.

Story time: I get clients who sometimes want to argue me down when they ask me about putting a person’s name in their stories and I ask them, If this person abuse you or it was a bad relationship, why are you giving them a platform. When you write a book, it’s all about YOUR Truth and your story. As we speaking of truth’s make sure you check out Tia L. Wood’ book, My Story My Truth: No Secrets & At Peace. I love this book! It just so happens that the owner of our sponsor wrote the book. Its The Room!

Weekly Tips For Writers and Self-Published Authors

Don’t be ashamed of what you wrote. I see this a lot in the writing and self-published industry and we have to stop being writers in the closet. Come out of the closet, honey. Don’t be on the fence about your writing anymore. Don’t wait for permission anymore for your write just continue to share your truth. This is what I feel my self-published authors forget to do. 

Characters of Your Story

First of all, thank you all for listening to this episode.

Today I’m sharing my writing called, “Coffee, Tea or Me”

Here’s a quick recap of my last show: Where Will Your Writing Take You?

In our last episode, I shared about where your writing can take you and I personally feel that a lot of writing and authors haven’t really tapped into their writing possibilities. Be sure to go back and listen if you haven’t already.

Now, can we talk about the characters of your story?

Well, let me ask you this: have you ever watched a movie where someone in the movie either gets killed in the first 10 minutes of the movie or your favorite character dies in the movie? Have you ever wondered why we are so attached to random characters in movies or books? Believe it or not, we are so attached to the “CHARACTERS” in those stories because those same characters sometimes remind us of the characters in our stories or should I say, in our lives. Shocking, I know, but it’s true.

Truth is, there are some people in your life, which for this episode I will call characters are long overdue for an exit of your life story. Now ask yourself, why do I hold on to this character for so long? Some of you will need to ask yourself why do you hold on to these characters for so long. Here’s what forget about this thing called LIFE. Some characters we continue to hold on to are dragging our stories down.

Storytelling:

It’s so funny, when I watched television before COVID with my husband, people would die or get killed from a story and I would always cry because I was so attached to that character. Now as I watch television and someone gets killed or dies in the story, I say something like oh the producers can’t pay them anymore or wow, they just fired him off the show life that.

Do you remember how people died on television in the past? For those of you who watched All of My Children, do you remember how Adam Chandler went missing and then suddenly Stuart Chandler came on the scene? They don’t create television shows like that anymore. In the past, actors would only die in the show if they died in real life.

What’s my point?

So my point of sharing this topic with you is for you not to drag the story of your life down just because you believe that a character you’re attempting to hold on to is the main attraction to your LIFE.... I know we tend to forget this but, YOU are the heartbeat of your story. YOU are the main character. In most cases, we don’t even pay attention to the ones that are really the main characters in our lives.

This episode goes out to Barbie Hall, who is the author of “Bless This Mess, Ruth” and also a Character Coach down in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.

And also to Nicole here in Colorado, who drove an hour and a half to support my journey of sharing my story of “Little Girl In The Red Dress” that’s on YouTube.

Tip of the day:

I need you all to show up!

Yes, I said it, honey. You all need to show up. Many of you, as writers, are waiting to create a book for your writing to become popular. Your writing is popular right now. Your writing is only as popular as you make it. Show up for you, show up for your writing. Check your city and your state. What’s going on there where you can showcase your writing? Create a community now BEFORE your book is developed. This will help your books to sell easily when it’s published.

Now, for those of you who have a published book, promote your story, not your book. You will sell more books when you sell your story instead of your book.

Thank you to our sponsor of Ink Dries Podcast, Its The Room.

Did you know your writing is GOLD?

Inspirational Story:

[Writing Piece Shared] “A Little Girl In the Red Dress”

Excerpt of “A Little Girl In the Red Dress”: My hair was pressed long and straight. My momma spent hours pressing my hair over a hot stove with a pressing comb because she wanted to make sure I was presentable going into church/God’s house.

[Here’s The Backstory]

Before I read this piece, I just wanted to give a backstory to those of you who haven’t read my book, “Letters To Mom” and you don’t what’s going on. So the little girl in the red dress came to me in a dream. About a month after my mom passed away, I had two dreams about my mother and this little girl is what charged me to start writing Letters To Mom. This piece comes from the “Writing Prompt” that I was given to me by Memoirs, a platform I had the honor of being a part of recently.

 “Little Girl In The Read Dress”

[Today’s Episode]

Did you know that your writing is gold?

Truth is a lot of us don’t know the value of our writing. Even if you write just ONE page which is what we aim for with one episode then your writing/ that one page is golden. Did you know right now before you finish your full manuscript or before you even decide what to do with your writing,  your writing is valuable?

One thing I want your to remember as you write your pages with us is that your writing is SOLVING  problem. The coolest thing about being a writer is you call the shots. You decide who you’re solving a problem for and HOW you want to solve a problem for. To be honest many self-published authors struggle with selling book because that’s their focus, they only focus on selling book. Instead the focus should be selling the mission or selling the story that’s behind the book.

Here’s the take away:

Don’t shortchange your writing.

The pieces of your story you feel people don’t want to hear or they will feel it’s boring, that’s the piece that will be missing from your story. Remember that your story is all about emotion so don’t take out what’s needed to make us cry and/or laugh we need that...

Now Authors, I know some of your are wondering why I’m waiting to the end to break you off with my tips for you all but I’m saving the best for last best friends duh.. LOL no but seriously, as I share about GOLD in this episode, I want you to know the value of your writing. I want you to know the value of your book. Before we did into how much your book is worth, I want you to dive into the thought of how much are you worth. If I attempted to put a price tag on any of you, you would say that you’re a price that we couldn’t pay or even priceless right? RIGHT. So why do we not have that same tenacity when it comes to PRICING our books correctly. Books shouldn’t be $0.99 unless it’s being sold at the local Dollar Tree in mass quantities and research BEFORE you give books away to people that offer false promises. Remember this anything that cost you your pride honey that cost too much!

This episode of “When The Ink Dries Podcast” was brought to you by It’s The Room.

Passing The Pen w/ Nicolette Hemingway

Today I'm passing my pen to Nicolette Hemingway

Nicholette Y. Hemingway is a native of Myrtle Beach, SC where she currently resides. She is the Owner and Operator of Nike H Speaks LLC which provides Career Counseling Services to those that want to take their interviewing skills to the next level. Nicholette received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology and her Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of South Carolina. She has been an Adjunct Biology Instructor at Florence-Darlington Technical College’s Mullins Campus and at Horry-Georgetown Technical College’s Conway Campus. Prior to teaching, Nicholette is a retired Commander (O-5) of the U.S Public Health Service, serving as a Senior Health Services Officer stationed at the Food and Drug Administration in Rockville, MD. Nicholette has served on interview panels for over 20 years, and has used her experiences to be a Keynote Speaker to conduct interview skills workshops, résumé writing tips workshops, and life skills workshops to adults, college students, and high school students, along with editing, reviewing, and writing résumés. Nicholette enjoys sharing her knowledge with others so that they can be prepared for the workplace as well as prepared to succeed in high school and college.  

Nicholette is also a published author of the following books:

5 Secrets to Nail that Job!

Lil' Black Girl from the Beach: A Wake-Up Call from God

Love Letters from Jesus: A 30-Day Journal of Love

Author Page

Thank you so much Nicolette for being a part of our show today! 

Here's Today's Takeaway:

Don't forget to use your writing to build community. Your writing is not just for you. Tell your story! 

This episode of “When The Ink Dries Podcast” was brought to you by It’s The Room.

Where Will Your Writing Take You?

When you think of your writing, do you ever think of where your writing can actually take you?

Honestly, this is why I love writing, and we love our writing community. If you really think about it, none of us really think about writing as a profession. Yes, our goal may be to publish a few books here and there, but we really never consider how writing can take us to another dimension of our careers. WHY? Because none of us really takes our writing that seriously. That’s a good topic for another day.

Storytime:

SO recently, I shared my story here in Colorado on a platform called “Memoirs.” Memoirs is a monthly event here in Colorado that happens on the last Monday of the month that allows three storytellers to share a life-changing story. They shaped the stories from a writing prompt given by the host-Memoirs. This month’s prompt was “What’s your reason?” Memoirs tagline is “Real People. True Stories. Unscripted.. Uncensored.”

If you’re you’re wondering….. Was I looking for this opportunity?? Probably not!!! Although, I’ve always wanted to speak on someone’s stage, I’ve always allowed my fear to keep me from my dream. There! I said it! Honestly, since COVID; I allowed myself to get super comfortable sharing my writings on social media. Although this blessing was right under my nose, I wasn’t looking for it per say. This is is another thing that I love about writers and creatives, we always seem to create outlets and platforms for other writers and creatives.

This is ONE thing I’ve checked off my bucket list!

Today’s Episode: Where Your Writing Can Take You..

Today’s episode is not only to encourage you to write and keep writing, but it’s also to encourage you to explore the opportunities of where your writing can take you. Take your writing outside of the box. In most cases, your writing is in a box because of you and the people around you. Your comfort zone is also their comfort zone! Remember that.

Make sure you tune in to next week's guest Nicolette Hemingway.

This episode of “When The Ink Dries Podcast” is brought to you by our sponsor, It’s The Room!

If you need help or direction with your writing or your next book, set up a FREE 15-minute consultation at www.writingcoachlk.com

ALSO, register now for our 2-DAY WRITING CONFERENCE in Denver, Colorado at iwriteconference.com

Happy Birthday Momma! ~Rest In Peace~

Are You Mad Yet? [Writing Through Pain]

Honestly, writing has always been an outlet for me. I always tell this story, but my mom really was the reason that I write to this day. Every time we went to church, my mom would give me a pen and a paper. Believe it or not, a mother can tell her children’s strengths and weaknesses. As a kid, my mother gave me something she didn’t give the other kids... SHE GAVE ME A PEN! A lot of you haven’t realized this yet, but your pen is your weapon. A weapon against all pain, suffering or anything else that you’ve endured over the years.

Most people, when they create products and services, they normally create them with themselves in mind. However, I created this podcast with you in mind. I created this podcast with your writing in mind.

One reason I launched this podcast is because I realized that there are so many people out there that are just like me. Either afraid to write, afraid to show their writing or afraid to publish. This podcast was created to EMPOWER you!

I know many of you won’t admit to allowing fear to outweigh your pen, but this is the reason I feel there are more books walking around in the minds of brilliant people instead of being on the shelves of bookstores.

Today’s Topic: Are You Mad Yet? [Writing Through Pain]

As you write today, I want you to allow everything that comes to mind to spark your writing. So if there’s something deep inside of you that allows you to get upset, use those emotions you feel to write. Allow today’s writing to be raw and uncut.

Today’s episode is brought to you by our Sponsor It’s The Room.

If you need help with writing a book or selling your book visit www.writingcoachlk.com 

Are you ready to meet other writers and authors just like you? Be sure to join us at our 2-Day Writing Conference March 3 & 4 in Denver, Colorado. Visit www.iwriteconference.com for more details. 

Where’s your writing confidence?

As I pose the question of where’s your writing confidence, I’m sure you’re wondering what is confidence? Writing confidence is simply confidence in writing form. Having confidence while writing is very important because most writers look for confidence from others. It’s almost as if we are looking for validation of what we write from others.

On today’s episode, we’re talking about writing confidence or having confidence while writing because, as a writer, you only need your pen and paper to validate you as a writer. The more you continue to write, the more you will attract your writing family. You will need your writing family when you decide to self-publish your work. As you continue to write, you will also build your writing muscle. Don’t give up on you and don’t give up on your writing. Remember, when you’re not sharing or writing your story, you’re not connecting with your audience.

Be sure to write with us during every episode of "When The Ink Dries," every Thursday at 10am MST| 12pm EST

If you’re ready to write or self-publish your story, visit our website at www.writingcoachlk.com for more details on how to get started.

Are you ready to travel?

Join us in Denver, Colorado for our 2-DAY Writing Conference at www.iwriteconference.com

Telling Your Story! 

If you're having trouble with writing, self-publishing or selling your story, feel free to set up a FREE 15-minute writing consultation at www.writingcoachlk.com. Also, don't forget to join us at our 2-DAY Writing Conference in COLORADO at www.iwriteconference.com

This episode and future episodes of “When The Ink Dries Podcast” is   dedicated to my mother Evelyn, who passed away on June 2, 2021. She was the first person to trust me with a pen and paper. I will never forget, as a kid, her moments of giving me a pen and a piece of paper to write as we sat in church.

Thank you for listening to “When The Ink Dries Podcast.” I’m grateful that you’re here with me. This podcast helps you write ONE page of your book every episode. So don’t give up-OKAY? It’s almost like holding you accountable for your writing process virtually.

In this episode, I shared about the THREE sides to telling your story. It’s your story, the story that you write and the story that you self-publish. If there’s any of you having a minor dilemma of finding your purpose or your passion, in most cases, your purpose is telling your story via writing. Someone needs your story. Believe it or not, someone needs your story for one reason or another. We have a hard time believing that our stories matter because our stories are about us and our experiences and, to be honest, most of us suppress our experiences.

I also talked about connecting with your inner child... WHY? Because the child inside of you is bold, relentless, and transparent when it comes to storytelling. It’s the adult side of us that keeps us from telling our true story. WHY? Because as adult we care what people think whereas most children don’t care. As adults, we allow everything outside of us to create our stories instead of just remembering the passion behind our stories. The passion behind why we started writing in the first place is super relevant.

Don’t stop writing and don’t stop believing in your writing! 

Title: Why They Don’t Want You To Write Your Book

If you ever need direction with writing or selling your book, please visit our website. www.writingcoachlk.com

Also, visit www.iwriteconference.com to save your seat our upcoming TWO-DAY Writing Conference in Denver, Colorado

This episode reminds you not to focus on “they.” For every major obstacle you attempt to cross in your life, you will always encounter the “they” who won’t feel you’re good enough to do want you’re attempting to do. The main point of this episode is to remind you not to allow the thoughts of others to plant a seed inside your mind. The pages to your book is waiting! Keep writing. Every episode is another page in our book! 

We're excited about our new podcast!

Ink Dries Podcast is finally here.

Why The Podcast:

We created When The Ink Dries Podcast for creatives, writers and authors who write but don’t really feel their writing is good enough. This podcast is also for writers who don’t really know what to do with their writing. THIS PODCAST WAS CREATED FOR US! We hope that you’re able to listen to our podcast as you’re on your way to work or already working to the beat.

When The Ink Dries PODCAST was created by LaNette, who is an author and writing coach. LaNette has a passion for writing and also for teaching others how to use writing as an outlet of expression. Writing is an art that should not be forgotten. It’s a hidden treasure that people are always looking for. This podcast encourages you to write one word, one sentence, one paragraph or even a page as you listen to each episode. We want our podcast to inspire you to continue on your journey of writing and also build significant communities as you share your writing with others.

What to expect from our podcast:

As you listen to our podcast, you will get inspiration, tips about writing and self-publishing and laughs! We want you to laugh at least one during every episode. We built this writing community for each of you. We are always looking for amazing guest and podcast sponsors to join our show.