tips Archives - K.V. Fischer

WHAT ABOUT THAT NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION?

What about that New Year’s resolution? Did you make yours? If you did, how long is your list? My New Year’s resolutions started in middle school and continued for more years than I’d like to count. They included what most people placed on their list, although they varied based on the time of my life:

avoiding sweets,
exercising,
losing weight (especially after having babies),
meeting new people (I was very shy — notice the past tense), and
providing additional community service hours…. .

Although my resolutions were made with good intentions and were always meritorious, there was an undeniable common thread — I inevitably broke them. The question was how long did I maintain before I failed?

new year’s resolutions: overcoming failure

With failure came disappointment, frustration, and a sense of loss. My motivation went out the window, after all, I already failed. I stopped making New Year’s resolutions a number of years ago, however, I never threw the baby out with the bath water. My thinking, focus, and approach changed.

new year’s goals

I no longer make New Year’s resolutions, I make New Year’s goals. According to the dictionary, a goal is “the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.” I create goals and strive to achieve them.

It’s okay to get off track, I can always get myself back on without a sense of failure. It’s a healthier, positive outlook that keeps me on track.

suspense thriller, romantic suspense, Colorado, Rocky Mountains, action

My article, On the Road to Healthy Living: Foolproof Your Plan! provides the road map to successfully meet your New Year’s goals. Encouraged by the success of Search Beyond Lies, the first book in the Search & Recovery International (SRI) series, my professional goals for 2023 include:

releasing the audio version of Search Beyond Lies;
continuing to grow my law practice;

continuing the Fact or Fiction Series for Search Beyond Lies as well as other Fact or Fiction articles for guest authors;
releasing the second in the SRI series, After the Verdict;
working toward getting the third in the SRI series, Pattern of Deception, ready for my editors; and
doing the research for the 4th in the SRI series which takes place in Hawaii.

My other goals include remaining physically fit, increasing my physical performance, staying within the low range of my ideal body weight in anticipation of the planning and celebration that goes into the next goal — my son’s wedding!

There is no doubt that 2023 will be a big year! Accordingly, I plan to post at least twice monthly, more with guest authors.

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy, and productive 2023! God bless!

Any tips? Please share.

Publish Don’t Perish – Another Great Resource

In Tip #13 of my Publish Don’t Perish Series, I shared resources writers might find valuable. This article provides another great resource I wish to add to that Publish Don’t Perish resource list. One of my favorite authors, L.A. Sartor, started a YouTube channel for writers. Trust me, she is a wealth of information.

The Channel

Her channel is devoted to all things writers need to create better work (techniques). It also encompasses marketing their work, including mailing lists and how to make them work for the author; the ability to learn tips and tricks from other authors; and how to publish independently. She wants to challenge the viewer, praise them, and offer solutions.

L.A. Sartor as a Teacher

L.A. Sartor, Christmas, Best-Selling Author, job, goal, burnout, Prince of Granola, The Chunky Method Handbook, Thyme for Writers — L.A. Sartor

I personally know how L.A. works and how she teaches. She works patiently, with enough detail in each lesson to make it palatable and heart felt. No harsh rules, just suggestions. Her preference is for people to try and see if they make a difference. L.A. thinks they will, which is why she is so excited about moving this channel forward.

Check It Out

If you are a writer, and are interested in a valuable resource, please subscribe to L.A. Sartor’s YouTube Channel. Since it is a new channel, she needs 100 subscribers to obtain her personal link. Until then, you can check out her subscription link at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeYEx2Ad2qSluFFbSgzuerw . Clearly, a personalized link would be easiest.

Search beyond lies update

A photo of Mount Meeker & Longs Peak by Jim Franckum

As for the promised update on my novel, Search Beyond Lies (inspired by Brian Perri and his friends who searched for him without giving up), I am just about ready to send it to my professional content editor, Candee Fick. Although my previous two books were traditionally published, my goal is to be in a position to donate a percentage of the profits of this book to the Humane Society and/or search and rescue training for dogs. The traditional route does not give me this option.

I will keep you posted!

Publish Don’t Perish Tip #10: TAKE A BREAK

Tip #10 in the Publish Don’t Perish Series is — TAKE A BREAK, when you need one. Sometimes the process of making lemonade from life’s lemons requires a break for whatever reason. When it comes to the life of an author, sometimes a break will do wonders for writer’s block. However, sometimes different aspects of our lives must take a priority, whether it’s children, your spouse/significant other, day job, a family member who needs assistance, or …

The last post

The last post I published was the last Thursday in April, thanks to Candee Fick. The last post I wrote, was two weeks prior. Friends, I took a break from writing. Not all writing, I am an attorney with the law firm of Karen VDH Fischer LLC and I write legal documents all day, whether for businesses, estate planning, probate, Employee Handbooks, or … . I took a break from writing my articles and working on my book, Search Beyond Lies. That break is over, and I am charging forward.

Search beyond lies

My latest novel (a work in progress) is titled, Search Beyond Lies. It’s very important to me, as it was inspired by my son’s close friend and mentor, Brian Perri, who lost his life on Mount Meeker on June 30, 2018 and those who would not give up on his search — my son, J.C. and Brian’s close friend from his army days, Kimo, who is now a part of our family. Although inspired by these incredible people, the book is a work of fiction and will have a happy ending.

An inspiring rare friendship

After the 3-week search for Brian, I wrote an article titled, An Inspiring Rare Friendship. Although I posted this article on my website, it was subsequently lost when my website “crashed” and a number of published articles could not be recovered. Next week, I will republish this article, as it will be instrumental for the next tip.

Take a break

Take a break if you need it, and please don’t feel bad about taking it. Do something fun if you can or a task you enjoy, perhaps painting, gardening or culinary works of art, whatever your pleasure (mine is culinary since I have no talent with a paint brush or with the garden — although I enjoy others’ creations). These are unprecedented times and it’s important to take care of yourself.

Publish Don’t Perish: Tip # 7 — Don’t Forget the Chocolate

Since February is the month for love and heart health, this is the perfect time to share Tip#7 — Don’t Forget the Chocolate! Although any kind of chocolate can show love, only the right type of chocolate is healthy for our hearts and mind.

What’s the Right Type of Chocolate

Theobroma cacao is the botanical name for chocolate and it means “food of the gods.” As with most food items in today’s society, chocolate is processed every which way. Processed chocolate is high in sugar and fat with very little nutritional value. The right type of chocolate is dark chocolate with a high concentration of cacao (at least 70%).

Chocolate: Are You a Cacao or Cocoa Writer by Kathryn Ross

Kathryn Ross wrote a wonderful article, Chocolate: Are You a Cacao or Cocoa Writer? This article delves deeper into the differences between chocolate and cacao, and in her creative and talented manner, Kathryn applies it to your writing.

Potential Health Benefit

If you combine the right kind of chocolate with a healthy lifestyle, research shows that potential health benefits include:

improved blood pressure;
enhanced heart health;
decreased LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol); and
increased blood flow to your brain.

Valentine's Day, American Heart Month, Heart Health,Dark Chocolate, healthy lifestyle, February, love, candy, flowers, cards — Dark Chocolate – Good for Your Heart and Mind

Studies also show that dark chocolate may reduce the risk of diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels. Diabetes is a growing problem and a known risk factor for heart disease, with an even higher risk for women. Keep in mind, a healthy lifestyle is critical. For more information, check out my article, Dark Chocolate & Love’s Heart Healthy Month.

Your writing and life can benefit from the “food of the gods” so long as you combine it with a healthy lifestyle. Tip #3 — TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF will provide you with guidelines to make that a reality. Remember, your best writing, your best work, your best time happens when you’re at your best self.

How are you taking care of yourself?

Publish Don’t Perish: Tip #6 – Writing is Work

Writing is work. As writers, we understand what that means, however, our friends and family may not. This is especially true when you work at your craft from your home.

A number of writer friends have often shared their frustration with the constant interruptions they encounter from people they know. I confess to experiencing the same frustration as a writer. However, unlike the writers I know, I found myself in the perfect position for an experiment. With a Master of Science degree, I am quite familiar with experiments.

I joined a law firm as one of their attorneys in the areas of estate planning, business, and real estate more than a year ago. I confess to enjoying the practice of law more than I ever have in my entire career (I won’t reveal how many years that is, but suffice it to say it’s more than 20). I work with an incredible, brilliant group of attorneys and support staff. Another plus, is that although our main office is fully staffed (with 3 satellite offices), unless I am meeting with a client, I work from my home office — where the experiment begins.

I don’t write full time, but, I never did. I have practiced law since I graduated law school, however, when I moved to Colorado, I practiced more part time until I started with this firm. With the exception of my clients, my family and friends saw me as a writer, and interruptions were a constant problem. Once I joined this firm, while I worked out of the same home office, the interruptions ceased.

writing, publishing, legal iissues, — Writers Beware of the Legal Pitfalls

What does that tell us? That others considered my work as a full time attorney as a “real job” while my work as a writer was not. To say that is frustrating is an understatement, however, there are things we can do.

Treat writing as a “real job.”
Go to your workplace, whether it is a separate room in your home, an area of your home, the library, a picnic table in a specific park, or Starbucks.
Let your family and friends know your work schedule.
During your writing (work) hours, shut off your phone, do not answer your door, and do not check your email.

Once they realize you are not available during work hours, they will understand that you are working. Fortunately, I am an early bird and my writing time takes place before most people rise. My “workday” for writing begins around 4:30 a.m. with my workday as a lawyer around 8. For me, a perfect solution.

What is your perfect solution?

Publish Don’t Perish – 65 Tips

Today is the start of a new series, Publish Don’t Perish — 65 Tips, in honor of my parents’ 65th wedding anniversary. Sixty-five years ago today, my parents were married. But wait, isn’t today Halloween? Well, yes, but 65 years ago Halloween was not celebrated on Sundays, the day my parents said, “I do.”

Happy 65th Wedding Anniversary — Love you!

Sixty-five years…WOW! With almost 50% of marriages ending in divorce or separation, there is much to learn from this incredible couple after 65 years of marriage. Fortunately, I am blessed in more ways than I can count because they are my parents. For purposes of this series, we’ll focus on what they provided me and continue to provide me in Tip #1: Support.

Types of Support

There are many types of support, including financial, emotional, and personal assistance to name a few. Our family has been blessed by my parents who have supported each and every one of their children and grandchildren throughout all of their lives in more ways than I can count.

I have a passion for writing, and a writer’s life can be a lonely life. It’s critical to surround yourself with those who will come along side and support you in your endeavors with encouragement, laughter, shared tears, a break… . We all need cheerleaders in the ups and downs along the journey to publication — success doesn’t come over night in the life of a writer, and life itself is usually not a bed of roses.

My parents supported me throughout each stage of my life with every type of support and encouraged me to keep writing. Thank you, Mom and Dad! You continue to be my biggest fans!

Support throughout each stage of my life. Thank you Mom and Dad!

Other Writers

What better group to obtain support than other writers who understand and have experienced similar ups and downs. It’s one of the reasons I started Thyme for Writers in 2017. Over these past couple of years, I’ve had the opportunity to share the experiences and helpful hints provided by this remarkable group. After all, it’s not healthy to write in a vacuum.

Many of the tips gleaned in this series, will come from what I have learned from my incredible parents and other writers. In the meantime, rally your support team — family, friends and fellow writers who keep us pumped up and moving on.

What type of support have you found most helpful?

SEO: Increase Your Hits

The last article in the SEO Series focused on the importance of making your content stand out to increase your hits. The more hits your site gets where the visitor stays a while, the higher your ranking. This article takes a look at more ways to increase your hits.

Health, exercise, stress, wedding, wedding planner, workout, weights, warmups, warm-ups, stretches, burpy, advanced, newbie, rules of the workout, fitness, getting fit, curls, weights, sit-ups, crunches, stress reliever — Stay A While

Article Length:

Blog length articles should be between 300 and 500 words. There’s a reason for that. You don’t want to overwhelm a reader, but by the same token, statistics show that readers typically only read half of an article. That means, for a 300 word blog, they’ll read 150 words. I was asked to write an informational article with a minimum of 1000 words for The Attorney General of another state (not Colorado) by the SEO firm hired by the Attorney General. They wanted to increase awareness of a new bill and the implications both for and against, and make sure they stayed on the site without bouncing off. The keywords and length were critical to increasing their SEO presence – this was the way the Attorney General was monitoring the effectiveness of the SEO firm he hired. He wanted confirmation that his constituency was informed and had the facts they needed to make an informed decision.

The problem with short blogs is that even if their target audience read the entire blog, they would not be on it long enough to register as “liking it.” Scary.

Update frequently:

At least one time each month, update your content, even if it’s only a paragraph. Google and the other search engines love updated content.

Search terms in additional places:

If you include search terms in places other than your title and page description metatag, you’ll optimize your site even more. But don’t force them if you can’t naturally make it work.

Copyright Basics, Bloggers — Search Terms In Additional Places

Links: The words from your search terms should be used as text links or anchor text (these are words forming a link to an external site or another internal page). Keep in mind that linking to words like “click here” or “learn more” won’t increase your ranking. Also, make sure that external links open in a new window while internal opens in the same window. With an external link in a new window, if they check it out, Google reads them as still on your site as well — they like it.

Headings: Not only do headings and subheadings assist in the organization of your text, but they help readers find what they’re looking for. If you include search terms in the headers, it’ll help your ranking. Search engines can’t read words within a picture, so make sure it appears in regular text.

Text within body: Use the search terms wisely. Don’t overload a page just to try to increase your ranking, not only will it bother your readers, but Google won’t like it.

Images & tags: Images can help with your search engine results. They not only appear in search results, but they can increase your ranking when search terms appear in the filename, caption, title, nearby text, and tag (when you over over an image on a pc, this is the text that appears.)

Next month we’ll look at the importance of mechanics, what search engines “hate” and a great free tool.

Writers Beware of the Legal Pitfalls

Unfortunately we live in a very litigious society, which is why it’s important to be made aware of the legal pitfalls. This series will give you a heads up on what to watch for and can also provide an understanding as to why publishers may have certain provisions in their contracts or take a stance with respect to some aspects of the work, for example, whether an author wants to use real places and historical figures.

writing, perseverance, journey, publishing, author, mistakes, writers conferences, fiction, nonfiction, craft of writing, traditional publisher, indy publishing — The Contract

General Resource

Please note, Writers Beware of the Legal Pitfalls is a series that is intended to be used as a general resource only and is NOT legal advice. You CANNOT rely on it as a substitute for legal counsel from your attorney.

Who Can File A Lawsuit?

writing, publishing, books, business, time management, writing tips, tips, legal issues, GDPR, trademark, copyright, business law, inspiration, encouragement, writing resource, litigation, litigious society, frivolous lawsuits — Litigious Society

First of all, anyone can file a lawsuit about anything. Once filed, the defendant has to defend him or herself which can get quite expensive. Although frivolous lawsuits are supposed to be dismissed, that is not necessarily the case.

I’d like to open with a few examples of lawsuits that thankfully were dismissed just to give you some perspective.

Off the Wall

A convicted serial killer sued an author for $60 million. Even though the felon was found guilty and waited on death row, he claimed innocence in the 16 murders. His claim was based on the writer’s characterization of him as a serial killer, which he believed was misleading, false, and “defamed his good name.” He also claimed that he would be “shunned by society and unable to find decent employment” once he was able to return to life outside jail. Needless to say, the judge threw out the case in just 46 seconds, but it still cost the writer’s publisher $30,000 in legal fees.

Silence

Can you be sued for silence? Mike Batt, a musician, was sued for plagiarism after including on his album a silent song. Yes, silence. There were no vocals or music. The late John Cage’s publishers sued this musician for silence claiming it “ripped off Cage’s” album which contained no vocals or music. We don’t know what the outcome is of copyrighting silence because Batt agreed to a six-figure out of court settlement.

The Sleeping Student

When a teacher slammed her palm on the desk of a sleeping student in an effort to wake him up, she was hit with a law suit. Yes, he claimed she damaged his hearing. Really??

Batman

I am not sure how many of you are Batman fans, but did you know there is a city in Turkey with the name Batman? The mayor sued Warner Brothers as well as Christopher Nolan, the Dark Knight director, for using the name Batman without their permission. Did they just realize the existence of this superhero after 70 years or did they want to take advantage of the movie’s billion-dollar income? It’s up to you.

Suing Yourself?

Nothing ceases to amaze me. An inmate sued himself in Chesapeake, VA. He was arrested for breaking & entering as well as grand larceny. He was upset with himself so he decided to sue himself for $5 million dollars for a civil rights offense — his own religious beliefs were violated by himself. Because he didn’t have the $5 million to pay himself, he requested that the state pay. Needless to say, his suit fortunately was thrown out.

There are many more off the wall lawsuits, but the fact is, they are a reality we need to be made aware of. Next month we’ll take a look at copyright basics.

What off the wall lawsuits have you heard of?

Writing – A Multifaceted Business

If writing that book and getting it published were only that easy … . If it was just a matter of putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) …, but it’s not. In today’s fast-paced technological society, writing is a multifaceted business.

Thyme for Writers

Since writing is a long, difficult, and solitary road for the most part,

Thyme for Writers is meant to lighten your load for each facet of writing. It’s purpose is to be:

a source of inspiration to writers and readers alike with words of encouragement and uplifting stories that bring a smile to your face; and
a go-to resource with helpful hints, tools, and knowledge.

Technology

To help you through the technology behind it all, Candee Fick shared her Author Toolbox. A tool everyone should have on their “shelf.” If you haven’t checked it out yet, it may be “thyme.”

Kathryn Ross, cinnamon, writers, spice, fall recipes, editors, healing, manuscript, When Cinnamon Bark, clove, peppermint, Christmas, Thanksgiving, spice, words, peppermint oil, The Gatekeeper's Key, lemon oil — The Write Spice: Writing Tips for Flavorful Words
by Kathryn Ross

Writing Tips

Kathryn Ross is back with her monthly, The Write Spice – Writing Tips for Flavorful Words. If you haven’t seen her posts yet, wait no further. Each article is just a click away:

When Cinnamon Bark Editors Bite

The Clove Principle: Puncture Your Writing with Warmth

Peppermint Bits — Words Spun, Broken and Sweet

Lemon Oil – Clearing Out for a Clean Start

Chocolate: Are You A Cacao or Cocoa Writer?

Preparing Your Writer’s Garden to Grow: 6 Steps to a Fruitful Manuscript

Balancing Written Words to Taste for Flavorful Influence

Sage Advice When There’s No Thyme to Write

Time Management

Amanda Cabot, time, writing, books, publishing — Time Management

One of the largest stumbling blocks for most people, especially writers, is time management. I am excited to have Amanda Cabot as a monthly guest, the fourth Thursday of each month for her series on time management. She not only teaches workshops on this subject, but her life is a reflection of how well it works as a multi-published author who juggled a sixty-hour a week job with nonnegotiable deadlines while building a house long-distance at the same time that she wrote two books a year.

Legal Pitfalls

As a writer, reader, or someone who may have your own website, you are probably following some of the legal issues that hit the news lately — GDPR compliance and trademark issues to name just a couple. To provide some insight on what may be lurking, I will start a monthly series the third Thursday of the month as an educational resource — Writers Beware of the Legal Pitfalls. As with the workshops and university Business Law courses I teach, this series is meant for educational purposes as a general resource ONLY and NOT to provide legal advice. For any legal issues you may have, you will need to speak to your attorney.

I’ll continue to feature other guests on Thyme for Writers… . I hope you enjoy what’s to come!

Is there a particular topic you’d find helpful?

Single Mom Survival with Linda R. McCutcheon

I would like to welcome Linda R. McCutcheon as my guest today on Thyme for Writers. Her path to writing came about as she faced a new challenge in life — that of of single mother. Here is her story… .

SINGLE MOM SURVIVAL

by Linda R. McCutcheon

Suddenly, I became a single mom with two young children. I was faced with going back into the workforce, healing my broken heart, and learning who ‘Linda’ really was. Many times, I was working two jobs, taking night school courses, and keeping the home together. Exhausted? You bet! Overwhelmed? You bet! Empowered? Absolutely. I didn’t think I would be single for twelve years and I had many discussions with God about that, but He knew best. Who would have thought I could take the battery out of the lawnmower, use a saw, or balance my little paycheck? I learned much from taking night school courses, but the most I learned was from the School of Hard Knocks knowing I could trust God to protect my little family. Keeping endless schedules, working full-time, and spending weekends alone were challenging. God kept saying ‘just hold on’. Because of that, the girls and I became a team. We still smile and talk about our family traditions. God did bring a wonderful man into my life because I trusted in Him to ‘hold on’. It was so surreal when my daughter and I were dating at the same time. Many days weren’t easy but hard work paid off.

Writer, Pen, Paper, journey, writer's journey, tips, write, author — Writer’s Tools

As a single mom, I began to put my thoughts on paper and little-by-little doors opened for me to publish articles for on-line magazines. I always have a piece of paper and pen handy because you never know when an inspiring thought might come! There was nothing more satisfying then to know I was encouraging and helping others as I told my story. I certainly didn’t know I had a gift for writing or how much I loved to express my heart through the written word. It was an amazing time for me to continue to heal and understand this new Linda. Because of my life experience, I help mentor women on-line, have a blog for single moms, and published a book to inspire those who are on the same journey. My greatest joy is knowing that God is using me to reach others all over the world reassuring single parents that YOU CAN DO THIS! and claim Isaiah 43:18-19.

Single parent, survival, writing, tools, tips, journey — SINGLE MOM SURVIVAL SUCCESS: Tools and Tips For The Journey

I have walked in the shoes of single parents whose path is tough, challenging, and many times downright frightening. These pages are written to encourage single moms (and dad’s) in their journey. For me it was the most challenging but most blessed as I choose not to be defeated. I share issues such as loneliness, grieving, contentment, making memories with the kids, forgiveness, and re-entering the dating scene. There are questions my daughters asked which will hopefully help in discussions with your children. You will find questionnaires to inspire and help as you move one step in front of the other. Hopefully this backpack of helpful tips can help you believe that YOU CAN DO THIS; not only survive but succeed!

Buy Links (e-book will be out in October)

1.Essence Publishing
http://essencebookstore.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=0&keyword=single+mom
2. Amazon.com/ca
https://www.amazon.com/Single-Mom-Survival-Success-Journey/dp/1460007956/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504818239&sr=1-1&keywords=Single+Mom+Survival+Success

Social Media Links

Bi-monthly Blog: www.singlemomsurvivalsuccess.com
Facebook: Linda R McCutcheon https://www.facebook.com/lindar.mccutcheon.1

new year’s resolutions: overcoming failure

new year’s goals

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The Channel

L.A. Sartor as a Teacher

Check It Out

Search beyond lies update

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The last post

Search beyond lies

An inspiring rare friendship

Take a break

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What’s the Right Type of Chocolate

Potential Health Benefit

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Types of Support

Other Writers

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Article Length:

Update frequently:

Search terms in additional places:

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General Resource

Who Can File A Lawsuit?

Off the Wall

Silence

The Sleeping Student

Batman

Suing Yourself?

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Thyme for Writers

Technology

Writing Tips

Time Management

Legal Pitfalls

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Buy Links (e-book will be out in October)

Social Media Links

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