Motivated To Succeed!

 

We all have to look for motivation to keep going, to define that BIG DREAM, We then strive to keep the motivation going strong so that we can achieve that dream. What I have found personally is that I feel most comfortable with multiple streams of income. One of those streams will always be my writing ... whatever form it takes. Another stream very recently opened up for me ... one that I never thought would work for me. 

I have tried network marketing once or twice ... I lost money ... never got close to understanding the process. In large part, this was because I could never get behind the alleged "product". I have to believe in something if I am going to be encouraging other people to invest. Then a product that I can believe in crossed my path.

That product is a unique mobile applicati. on called the Inspired Living Application. On a weekly basis short (6-9 minute) motivational videos are brought to your mobile device. (Note: There is also a web application for those that do not have mobile devices.) These are high quality videos presented by leaders in their respective fields of personal motivation, business development, time management, goal setting and more. Interested? You can find out more here - Inspired Living Application. 

If what you see on these pages interests you, iLA has a webinar that acts as a short overview of what iLA has to offer. Please take a few minutes to view it here. 

What I have found is that my writing skills came in handy is developing documents to send to those that sign up under me to help them get this program going. For the first five days of enrollment I send out a document each day with pertinent information. I am also available to answer any questions that potential associates might have about the program. I can be contacted at bonniecehovet@gmail.com. 

The corporate office is available to answer questions at any time, and there are two Facebook groups that have been developed to support those working in this program. For those that are interested, watch the videos, watch the informational overview, and feel free to ask me any questions that you might have.

How big is your dream? Make it come true! 

Inspired Living Application  

(c) February 2013 Bonnie Cehovet

Conferences - Yes Or No?

I love conferences! I really do! I like the travel involved, I like meeting new people, and I like learning new information. I have been reading recently about what effect the Internet might have on conferences. At first I was irritated at this thought, and didn’t see why one would not want to attend a conference, and meet people face to face that they have known on the Internet. Then I read more, and thought more.

The pro’s as I see it are:

• You get to meet people in person that you only know online. • You sometimes get the chance to pitch your work to an agent. • You get a more personal feel for the writing industry through conversations with other writers, editors, and publishers. • A short time away from the people and issues in my life.

The con’s as I see it are:

• The cost – of travel, lodging, food, and the conference itself. • Time away from family, and perhaps from a 9-5. • The pitch sessions to an agent can be an added fee.

Each writer as an individual has to determine for themselves whether a brick and mortar conference is for them. Some things to consider are:

• The cost – can you afford it. • What do you hope to gain from the conference? • Is the conference relevant to the work you are doing? • Is the agent pitch session worth it? • Is going to a conference in any way going to help you get published? • If you are going Indie (self-publishing your own work, or going with a small press), how relevant are conferences? • How do you learn best? Can you learn from a book, a video, or a webinar? What is the best use of your time and money?

Where do you find conferences? Through national writing organizations (usually by genre), through strategic locations in big cities, regional conferences, and specialty marketing conferences.

I plan to do a combination of the above – attend webinars, local conferences, as well as big city and national conferences – if they are relevant to the work that I am doing. I will plan where I want to go at the beginning of each year (actually, I will probably do t his the year before, as soon as the information about a conference is out to the public)., and make sure that it fits into my budget. I will have to prioritize the conferences, but that is what life is all about!

Continuing education … meet and greet … networking … however you look at it, while we write in solitude, we do need to get out there and mix to hone our craft!

© September 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

Creative Writing

I was blessed this weekend in that I was part of a rocking Creative Writing webinar! I was presenting the webinar, but, as most presenters will attest to, we soak up as much wisdom as we bring to the table! I want to thank Mary Nale for hosting these webinars - for providing the space and the technical expertise to make this all happen.

I am not the only person presenting with Mary - check out her blog site, and see what she is offering! (Attune Magazine). I do have two upcoming classes in February - "How To Get Your Book Published" on February 11th,and "Writing Reviews" on February 25th. Mary is open to hosting many different topics - contact her to discuss what you would like to present, and she will make it happen for you!

During my Creative Writing webinar I talked about what creative writing was, where to find creative writing prompts, how to get started writing, where to get story ideas, and a bit about how to use the Tarot with writing. We did a couple of writing exercises that truly blew my socks off! These ladies could write!

One thing I did find out in researching my presentation was something that I had never really thought about - that creative writing can be applied to both fiction and non-fiction, and that it can be applied to all genres - blogs, stories, articles, poetry, auto-biographies, biographies, literature ... you name it, you can write it creatively! I am not talking about making things up, I am talking about presenting a subject in a fresh manner. That is what creativity is all about.

There is a wonderful side effect to writing creatively - it frees your mind, and it frees your soul! It allows your ideas to flow, and when your ideas flow consistently, wonderful opportunities begin to come your way, like magic!

Happy writing!

(c) January 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

Multiple Use Of Material

I got an interesting e-mail today from a friend. She was talking about a three-part class that she was going to offer as a series of webinars,with the handout in workbook format. She was going to encourage her students to place the handouts in a three-ring binder, to keep the work for future reference. She went on to chat about taking the webinars and turning them into CD's for sale. I was impressed - she already has three products here from one source - the webinar itself, the workbook that her students will complete during the webinar, and the CD that can be purchased. This is certainly best use of time, energy and resources!

I have always read that story ideas should be treated the same way - that they should be able to be used at least three different ways to be truly useful. The material could go into a short story, a full length book, or even an article or two. If we get all that we can from our material, from our research, then we are making best use of our primary resources - our time, and our ability to write.

I am looking forward within the new year taking the material from my book "Tarot, Birth Cards, and You" and presenting it in different formats, so that readers will be able to use it in a manner that is comfortable for them. I may have the Fool chatting with each of the Birth Card pairs, I may have the Birth Card pairs themselves ruminating on the theme of their lifetime, I may even have a panel discussion with each of the Birth Card pairs contributing. What would you like to know about your Birth Cards?

(c) November 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Fading Into Autumn

I am so glad that the cooler weather is here - not that we had a hot summer, but because I like the cooler weather, and I love autumn! I am in the final rounds of cutting back in the yard for this year, which is also a good thing. I do NOT like yard work. I put one of my table top fans back in storage, but kept the other one out, along with the floor fan in the living room. Probably another two weeks, and I can put the other fans into storage too.

I was pleased to receive my latest order from Schiffer Publications - of course, the books are already accounted for! One to a gentleman that I did a radio interview with, one to a friend of my sister's and mine that I admire greatly, the other two will go out in contests.

I still have to make a list of local bookstores, and send my laminated book covers, along with a cover letter, to their buyers.

I have two webinars this week, and I hope that man of you will join me at one or the other - or both! My webinar with Linda Marson on September 21st is a general over-view of my book, "Tarot, Birth Cards, and You". My webinar with Mary Nale on September 24th will be covering Birth Cards and Affirmations.

October looks to be a pivotal month for me. May the Gods and Goddeses be in a very good mood, and my path be well lit and well traveled!

(c) September 2011 Bonnie Cehovet

Google Plus, Google Plus One, Webinars & More

Most people that I know are putting out work in more than one venue. They need to maintain a network of contacts in more than one world, as well as promote their work in the best manner possible. The new Google Plus app appears to be a very good way to go. People are taking to it very well ... it is easy to sign up for, and there is the availability of creating "circles" ... i.e. putting people with the same interests in the same circle. You are notified when someone puts you in a circle - but not which circle you are being placed in. IMHO, this is a benefit - no one feels left out, and the information t hat you want to get out goes out to the people that it is meant to get out to. The issue that is coming up is that people are signed up for it, but not yet conversing much. My thought on this is that we want to view it in the same manner that we view Twitter - there needs to be a sense of sharing, so that a connection is made with other people within our circles. In that way, when we send out promotional posts, they are part of the overall picture, and not just promotion. If that were the case - why bother with Google Plus?

Google Plus One is a big part of the promotional picture, in that when people click on your Plus One icon you move yourself into a better place in the Google ranking. IOW, you have a better chance of being seen.

Google is doing something that I am not sure about - not sure what it is connected to. The Google Plus One icon is appearing on the right hand side of the pages that comes up when you run a Google search. Now there is also an icon that brings up (in most cases) a view of the page that is being linked to. It seems good, but it also seems a bit "Big Brother" to me.

With all of this running in the background, I am about to start setting up Internet time to promote my upcoming book, "Tarot, Birth Cards, and You: Keys To Empowerment". There will be a webinar this coming October with Linda Marson (http://www.tarotjourney.com.au/), where I introduce the concept of using the Birth Card pairs as a counseling and meditation tool.

Another avenue of promotion will be Internet seminars with Mary Nale (http://naleandcompany.blogspot.com/). The focus here will be how to place the Tarot Birth Cards in day to day life - whether you are reading for yourself, or reading for someone else.

My site page is quasi "set up" ( http://www.bonniecehovet.com/?page_id=125), and I have a preliminary Animoto video out on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kk_CsBezoA). I am doing a short write up of one Birth Card pair each month on my Tarot blog, and plan to do a short Animoto video for each of the Birth Card Pairs. I will also be setting up a Face Book page - once I get those logistics figured out! Oh ... I have a contest to figure out for my Tarot book. Talking archetypes? Sherlock Holmes take on the archetypes?

Other directions for me? My mystery novel in process, and my work on a friends music site. There will be some interesting promotions coming up there, you can be assured!

(c) July 2011 Bonnie Cehovet