Being Stuck - Good? Bad? Indifferent?

 

 

This river sure is beautiful this time of year. As many of you know, I live in Wisconsin very near the Manitowoc River. This is what the river looks like when I'm freezing and have the car set to high -  you will find me admiring her beauty. What I am NOT doing this time of year is kayaking. However, as I gaze at snow covered trees and slow moving waters, I remember a trip last May in my kayak through this very bend. I'd like to take you with me on that particular journey so we can discuss what it means to be stuck and analyze how we feel about it and how we, as writers, can use being stuck to our advantage.

I'm usually more of a casual kayaker; enjoying quiet inland lakes, bright sunshine, some fishing with my boys, and yes - even lunch and a beverage if the day allows. However, I am also up for adventure. When I was invited to go on a river excursion with a large group of people I eagerly jumped at the opportunity to learn something new. I packed up my kayak, a few adult beverages, some granola bars, sunscreen, bug spray, a first aid kit, water shoes, and a towel. I was a bit nervous knowing the miles we were covering would take over 6 hours and we would be finishing our trek very close to sundown. I think it's the mom in me that feels safer during daylight, or maybe it was the distance or time on the water that had me on edge.

This was my first river experience and I took on water and nearly tipped over while my vehicle was still in sight. I had hit a rock straight on and managed to get stuck. I'd be a liar if I told you I didn't even consider going back to the car and going home. With the tips and laughter of others in the group, I was able to get back on track. We all agreed a half hour in that I had a real knack for finding all the rocks and low spots and I was advised to get out and empty the water out of my kayak. I was riding very low in the water and I was cold. If you're wondering - I stayed cold and wet for the remainder of the 6 hour trip. I learned how to empty my kayak and had to do so several more times before we reached our destination.

Here's how the entire trip went (in my head):

"Oh dear - brace yourself Crystal - it looks like a..."

"seriously? again..."

"whew, I'm finally free of that one, I can relax a..."

"you've got to be kidding?"

"how much longer do we have to do this?"

"a little to the left and you won't..."

"for the love of all..."

This went on and on and on. When I would get to smooth waters I would try to relax, but no sooner had I taken a breath and I was navigating to avoid something or crashing into something or a combination of both. When we got to the end of the trip, there was a steep hill we had to push our kayaks up and then climb. I considered tossing my limp cold body back into my kayak and floating to wherever the river wanted to take me. It sounded easier than pushing the kayak up the hill. Obviously that would have been a poor choice, but by this time I thought the entire adventure may have been a poor choice. However, I'm in for next year (as foolish as that sounds) and I'm looking forward to it!

Now - how do we use this story when we talk about our writing? I'm sure you can see it - there are times we are excitedly holding our breath, times we feel stuck, like our book baby itself is trying to kill us, like we are taking on water, and like we may be inches from death (and I didn't even get into the bugs, sunburn, and peeing behind the trees). But... what would happen if we gave up? Well, if I hadn't emptied the water out of my kayak I would have drowned - and if you give up on your writing, your book baby won't make it either.

So... no matter how you're feeling, I'm here to tell you there are warmer days, smoother waters, and more laughter ahead. Just keep paddling, even if your arms are tired and even if your strength is fleeting. Just keep paddling.

Hugs,

~Crystal

 

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2 comments crystal casavant, crystal otto, keep paddling, writer advice, writing and kayaking

Interview with Ashley Memory, 1st Place Winner in Summer 2018 Flash Fiction Contest

Ashley Memory finds inspiration in the ancient Uwharrie mountains surrounding her home in rural Randolph, County, N.C. She enjoys preserving what she grows in the garden she tends with her husband Johnpaul. She’s learned the hard way about wearing gloves when making jalapeno pickles!

Ashley’s poetry and prose have recently appeared in The Birds We Piled Loosely, Gyroscope Review, The Ginger Collect’s 2018 Halloween Mini-Magazine and numerous other literary journals and anthologies. New work is forthcoming in Okay Donkey and Coffin Bell. She is a Pushcart Prize nominee and a two-time recipient of the Doris Betts Fiction Prize sponsored by the N.C. Writers’ Network. A previous story, “Eula Dare Hampton Agrees to Edit the Quaker Ladies’ Cookbook,” earned honorable mention in the WOW! Winter 2018 Flash Fiction Contest.

Ashley loves sharing what she’s learned as a part-time instructor for Central Carolina Community College’s Creative Writing Program in Pittsboro, N.C. Follow Ashley on Twitter @memoryashley or visit her fruit-inspired blog at ashley-memory.com.

interview by Marcia Peterson

WOW: Congratulations on your first place win in our Summer 2018 Flash Fiction competition! What inspired you to enter the contest?

Ashley: I love entering writing contests! A deadline is an excellent incentive for finishing a story, and a little healthy competition is good for every writer. I’m also a big fan of the WOW contests and their community in particular, which I first learned about from a writing friend many years ago. The WOW prizes and support of their writers is outstanding, and unique of its kind. The entry fee is very reasonable and the judging is blind, two factors which equalize the playing field for everyone. This means that even someone like me (from the little town of Asheboro, N.C.) can earn a place along with the best writers across the world. Oh, and it’s also judged by a literary agent. How cool is that?

WOW:  Love your enthusiasm for our contests! Can you tell us what encouraged the idea behind your story, "Dear Derinda?"

Ashley: Years ago I heard about such a situation—a cell company offering big bucks to a rural community to install a tower and how it fractured the neighborhood. But I just tucked it away in my head as an anecdote because for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how to turn it into a story. And then in May of this last year, I participated in Julie Duffy’s Story A Day project and one of her prompts was to write a story in the form of a letter. The two elements just clicked – one friend mad at another and so she writes a letter – and the story finally came to life. The “turn” in the story, how one friend forgave another, was a bit of a personal journey. Having to work that out, as I’m not sure how I would have personally handled that dilemma, meant I had to imagine that I could forgive such a betrayal, which turned out to be an exercise in humility and grace. Does writing make you a better person? In my case, I think it does. At least I hope so.

WOW:  What key elements do you think make a great piece of flash fiction?

Ashley: A flash fiction should have all the elements of a traditional story – a strong character or two, sense of place, imagery, conflict and some kind of resolution – but within an extremely tight space. Beyond this, the writer Vanessa Gebbie says it best. “What a good flash ought to do,” she says, is to “catch you as you turn away, hold you, and when you’re finished reading, it should echo and resonate.”

All of these things make flash fiction one of the more challenging pieces to write, but it’s a wonderful exercise for writers of any level, from professional to beginning because it hones your skills so sharply. It’s also just plain fun! I am fortunate enough to lead a couple of workshops a year on flash for Central Carolina Community College’s Creative Writing Program, and we have a blast. There are so many possible formats for flash, from emails to text messages to even overheard conversations. The sky is truly the limit!

WOW:  Are you working on any writing projects currently? What can we plan on seeing from you in the future?

Ashley: For the past year, I’ve focused on improving my writing, through close study of the masters and a disciplined writing of the short story in particular. Eventually, once a theme emerges, I may produce a collection of stories. I’m also exploring creative nonfiction, particularly the essay. I’m taking my second Chelsey Clammer workshop – one on humor and loving it.

Interestingly, I recently revised a flash story that placed in a WOW contest last year and gave it a holiday twist. “Holiday Party Etiquette for Insects Recently Transformed into People,” will be published by one of my favorite literary magazines, Okay Donkey, in December. I also have a long form narrative poem, “Orchard #9,” about a haunted cherry orchard that will be published by the evocative and eerie Coffin Bell in January.

WOW:  Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Ashley. Before you go, do you have any tips for our readers who may be thinking about entering writing contests?

Ashley: First, enter! Second, you, yes you, I’m talking to you! What are you waiting for?!! Seriously, I encourage all my writer friends to enter contests, especially ones like WOW offers because of the blind judging and great prizes. Look at it like this. The judge may very well be looking for a story just like yours, and it’s your responsibility to share it with her! :) But the best part of entering a competition is the opportunity to join a terrific community of fellow women writers and continue to grow, rewards that endure well beyond the contest itself.

****

For more information about our quarterly Flash Fiction and Creative Nonfiction Essay contests, visit our contest page here.

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3 comments ashley memory, flash fiction winner, Marcia Peterson, Summer 2018 Flash Fiction Contest, WOW Classes, writer advice, writer inspiration, writing ideas, writing tips

Interview with Linn Wilder, Runner Up in Q3 2018 Creative Nonfiction Contest

Lin Wilder has been writing since high school, but only recently began sharing her writing with others. She won 3rd place in the Fall 2014 WOW Flash Fiction Contest, her first placement in a writing contest, and is thrilled to once again be in the top 10 of a WOW contest! While her career in public health, her family (one husband, three teenagers, too many pets) and her love of outdoor adventure often preclude time for writing, the written word keeps demanding to be part of her life. She sometimes writes things in her head while commuting to work on her bike because it’s the only time she can find.

Lin is also a certified Spellbinder oral storyteller and often tells children stories from her life. She has published several adventure travel essays, and is working on writing a collection of stories about growing up poor in rural Maine with a remarkable mother whose mental illness was both a daunting force and an inspiration. Lin lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Visit her webpage and links to other published writing at http://wilderwomn.wixsite.com/wilderweb. Lin’s photography pages can be found at http://wilderwomn.wixsite.com/photography or look for @wilderwomn on Instagram.

interview by Marcia Peterson

WOW: Congratulations on your top ten win in our Q3 Creative Nonfiction essay competition! What prompted you to enter the contest?

Lin: I had entered and won 3rd place in a WOW contest before (Flash Fiction) but was excited to see that you have an essay contest open because I write more essays than fiction. I love reading WOW entries so it was another opportunity to be part of that.

WOW:  Your entry, “Nostalgia” is something many will relate to. What inspired you to write this essay?

Lin: I was in Maine for my older sister’s memorial and the whole trip was, understandably, full of emotion. It was like every emotional nerve ending in my body and soul was vibrating at a very high level – I was so very present in the moment and just feeling everything at an exaggerated level – grief, nostalgia, joy…everything. I had to do something with that energy and those emotions. Writing, for me, is often the best therapy. So I sat down at the kitchen table of my friend’s house while she went to work and it just all poured out of me. All of that emotion went onto the page, and I was left so full of peace and gratitude and connectedness when I was done – truly therapeutic. It was only afterwards when I re-read the essay that I realized that my relationship with Maine and my relationship with my sister had many parallels over the years – both were complicated and both found me being more closed off for a long time because of fear and hurt. So this coming to a place of joy and gratitude and acceptance was something very new and this essay was what cemented that into something palpable and real.

WOW:  You’ve also placed in one of our flash fiction contests, so you’ve done well with both fiction and nonfiction. Do you find one type of writing more challenging than the other? Are you drawn to one form more than the others?

Lin: I tend to find fiction more challenging to write. Real life is so fascinating and so full that I want to bring that alive for others. I love the ability that essays have to elucidate real life and connect with others on universal themes like love, loss, and overcoming challenges to name a few.

WOW:  Your bio indicates that you are a certified Spellbinder oral storyteller. Can you tell us about that?

Lin: Yes, I am trained as an oral storyteller, which is a wonderful complement to writing stories. I think that one of the things that make us human is our propensity to tell stories, and to love to hear or read or watch stories.

When you tell a story rather than read it aloud, you must really focus on making it come alive for the audience. You have to paint the picture and invite them to walk into it. We do this in writing too, with descriptive words about the setting and characters but you do it differently in oral storytelling. You are more of an actor, and you use your facial expressions and your body to tell much of the story. And you must use your interaction with your audience to reel people in.

The thing I love the most about telling stories to children is that they all want to tell their stories too. So I tell them, “Every single person in this room is a storyteller.” They look at me quizzically, and I tell them that everyone has a story to tell, and they should tell those stories to each other. They might not be earth shattering, or intense (they don’t have to be like what you see on TV). But they can share a moment of sadness, or a moment of glee with another person. It could be the funny story about what your cat did this morning, or the story about how you thought a rope was a snake and screamed so loud you woke the neighbor.

Along the lines of whether I prefer writing fiction or non-fiction essays, one thing I have noticed is that audiences almost always react more intensely to the real-life personal stories I tell than to the myths and legends and tall tales. They love them both, but it’s the personal stories that stick with them and that they are most likely to remember when they see me in the grocery store and recognize me as the storyteller.

WOW:  Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Lin! Before you go, do you have any tips for our readers who may be thinking about entering writing contests?

Lin: My advice to people about entering writing contests is “do it!” Its wonderful to get feedback on your writing even if you don’t place or win. It motivates you to work on your writing to polish it or to respond to a prompt that you might not have written about before. And while winning or placing is very exciting, the anticipation of the wait to learn how you did is a lot of fun in and of itself!

****

For more information about our quarterly Flash Fiction and Creative Nonfiction Essay contests, visit our contest page here.

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4 comments Contestant interview, essay writing, Lin Wilder, Marcia Peterson, Q3 2018 Creative Nonfiction Contest, writer advice, writer inspiration

Friday Speak Out!: Sacred Material

by Laura Yeager

We all have material that we are holding on to. It’s sacred material.

When I was 19, I lost my virginity to a neighbor boy. I want to write about this, but, at 55, I’m still not ready. I hold on to the material, processing it, needing it.

I am also keeping private the story of my father’s suicide.

Just think of all the material you’re retaining. Just when is something ready to be written about?

Most of the time, we write about dicey material when we’re good and ready to write about it. This means that we’ve let the significant amount of time pass so that we “heal” about certain material. But sometimes, events prompt us to compose, perhaps, sooner.

We might write about something when we feel we can’t keep it secret another minute longer.

Perhaps, we meet someone who needs one of our stories we have to tell. We may write a story for him or her, sharing that material that is so dear to us for the good of a friend.

Perhaps, in the spirit of the times, people have started to write about, let’s say, sexual harassment. And let’s say you have a sexual harassment story. You may feel that it’s finally time to write this down.

Maybe, we feel we’re finally ready to tackle something. Maybe now that I have a son, I’ll better understand my father and his story.

Been to therapy? Perhaps, you’ve talked a story out with a psychologist or counselor and feel that you better understand the material. What better time to write about it?

Maybe you’re living in a painful present. Maybe going back into the past is easier.

Perhaps, a key reason we process dear material is because we finally have the time to sit down and think about it.

Whatever the reason that leads us to write about those delicate, fragile stories that we hold dearest to our hearts, it’s good when we finally write about them. This material is, again, sacred. It might produce some of our best work.

When You Shouldn’t Let the Material Go

When you don’t fully understand the scenario.

When you’re fearful about revealing what you’re about to reveal.

When you can’t be honest about what happened.

When, in the final analysis, maximum self-exposure will kill you.

What happens when we’re not ready to use the material, and we use it anyway

Vagueness. We may hint at what happened, but not really fully disclose the incident to the reader. This makes for weak, uninteresting, colorless writing.

Euphemisms. We may sugar coat the experience, wording it in false language.

Noticeable gaps in the manuscript. The manuscript might lose a “wholeness” it could possess.

Lies. We may lie about the truth.

Sacred material. We all have it. It’s the stuff that makes us who we are--the events that define us.

There is a right time and a wrong time to write about this material. It takes judgment and intuition to know when you are ready.

How to make yourself ready to confront dicey material in your past

Meditate on the events.

Talk about them.

Read books and watch movies that relate to the sacred material to see how others have handled the issues.

Try writing about the material and see what happens.

By giving our stories away, we claim them as ours.

I wish you luck in having the will to confront the sacred issues of your life.

You’ll be better for it.

* * *

Currently, Laura Yeager is writing regularly for curetoday.com, a leading cancer website, and psychcentral.com. Laura teaches writing at Gotham Writers’ Workshop and at Kent State University. She is looking for an agent for her book The Prodigal Daughter, a collection of short fiction and nonfiction about bipolar illness.
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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6 comments Friday Speak Out, Laura Yeager, personal experience, sacred material, writer advice, writer inspiration

Friday Speak Out!: When Others Have More Faith in Your Writing Than You Do

by Sheila Good

Recently, my husband asked how my novel was progressing. I tried to brush off his questions, and then he said something that left me speechless. “You’re a good writer Sheila, but I have more faith in you than you do in yourself. Sit down and write your book.”

I was stunned. His words stung with the ring of truth. Don’t get me wrong; he’d compliment my stories, but I’d never heard him so animated in my abilities as a writer. He genuinely had faith in me, and what’s more, his belief outweighed my own.

How Did This Happen?

Doubt is an ugly thing. It can suck the energy and creativity out of your soul like a vampire draining blood.

Life has thrown me a few curves and for a time writing went to the back burner. The time away from the keyboard brought the respite my body needed, but with it came waves of uncertainty and doubt.

Doubt I was good enough? Would I ever publish my novel? I’d submitted a total of two stories this year, and both declined; my insecurities grew. Was it the story, my style? Did I make stupid mistakes? Doubt grew stronger each day I spent away from my desk, and the stories in my head grew weaker until the words were but a jumbled whisper. Then my husband looked me straight in the eye and told me I was a good writer. He believed in me, and something stirred.

What Now? It was time for a little soul searching.

1. I took an inventory of the things happening in my life.
2. What prompted this overwhelming doubt? Rejections? Was it frustration with a storyline?
3. Was I using my time wisely or escaping into the time warp of the Internet, social media.
4. Had I let my mentors drift into the past?
5. Had I stopped learning? Lost interest?
6. Afraid to write the story in my heart?
7. Was I hung up on perfection? Or tired? Did I want to move on to something else?

It’s easy to become overwhelmed, indecisive, and paralyzed. All writers at one time or another have doubted their abilities. The blank page of writer’s block happens to everyone. Writers have plastered their walls with rejection letters. I wasn’t alone, and perfection was a myth. So, I came up with a game plan.

5 Suggestions for Overcoming Doubt and Return to Writing

1. For five minutes every day set a timer and write freestyle. No editing; just write.
2. Reconnect with mentors. Feedback, even when it’s a bit bitter tasting, inspires.
3. Limit exposure to social media.
4. Stop obsessing over the perfect first chapter or opening line. Write the story. Revisions can wait.
5. Write what’s in your heart, not the story others want you to write.

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” ― Ernest Hemingway - Click to Tweet

Time to do a little bit of bleeding.

* * *

Sheila Good, a nurse turned writer, is the author of the short story collection, Maybe Next Time, Stories of Murder, Justice, and Revenge. Her work has been published in Blasting News, Angie’s Diary, Every Writer’s Resource, Every Day Fiction, WOW – The Muffin, featured on No Extra Words Podcast, Dream, Write, Thrive, and Centum Press 100 Voices Anthology, VOL. III. She resides with her husband in South Carolina where she is working on her first novel. To find out more, visit her website, Cow Pasture Chronicles.
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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4 comments Friday Speak Out, self-doubt, Sheila Good, writer advice, writer tips

Friday Speak Out!: Two Kinds of Advice

by Jill McCroskey Coupe

Most writers seeking feedback on their work learn to pay attention to advice that seems useful and ignore the rest. We’re individuals, after all. Each approaches writing in her own unique way.

And we know good advice when we hear it. Years ago, one of my fellow MFA students was addressing another student in our workshop. “It’s all there,” she said. “Just keep digging.”

By “it,” I’ve come to realize, she meant the solution to a problem. How the story will end, for example. Why and how a character decides to act (or is afraid to). Whether or not a new scene is needed, or a new character. How to tie everything together.

As for advice of the unhelpful sort, I have been told, on multiple occasions, to slow down. But you have no idea how slowly I write now, I always felt like saying. There are writers who can complete the first draft of a novel in a month; I am not one of them.

Was I perhaps being too defensive? Should I have at least asked these folks what they meant?

Maybe it’s better to have figured it out (I think) on my own. Slow down, they were telling me. Keep digging. Dig deeper.

I’ve learned that when I’m unsure of what to write next, it often helps to go for a walk. Lie down on my back in a dark room. Swim laps.

What’s happening here? Am I tapping into my subconscious?

Last fall I attended a one-hour Master Class taught by Jennifer Egan at Goucher College, not far from where I live in Baltimore. She spoke, eloquently, about how she worked on bringing structure to A Visit from the Goon Squad.

I was eager to attend because I’m working on a series of linked stories, with Egan’s book and Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge as my models.

In her class, Jennifer Egan stressed the importance of waiting “instinctively” for a solution. She suggested that we try to free up our instincts, warning that not all instincts are the right ones. She advised letting the material stumble forward and find its own form. She compared a writer’s ideas to islands protruding from a submerged land mass. From this hidden expanse (the subconscious?), the author must extract form and order.

Her excellent advice concerning structure is also in the notes I took that afternoon. But what had me smiling on my drive home was my new mantra.

It’s all there. Slow down. Wait instinctively.

* * *

A former librarian at Johns Hopkins University, Jill McCroskey Coupe has an MFA in Fiction from Warren Wilson College. She grew up in Knoxville and now lives in Baltimore. Visit her online at https://jillmcoupe.wordpress.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/jillmccroskeycoupe.
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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3 comments Friday Speak Out, instincts, Jill McCroskey Coupe, slow down, writer advice

When You Don't Want To Write

I laughed the other day, explaining to a friend why I was late for a meeting I attend almost every week. “Well, I don’t like coming. I have to talk myself into it every week!”

Until that moment, I hadn’t considered the why behind my lateness. But the truth is, I’m rarely late for what I enjoy, the things I love to do. And for the last couple of months, writing has fallen prey to the “talking myself into it” principle.

Now, I’m not talking about writer’s block. I’m sorry to say I don’t believe in that condition, at least for me. I have files full of ideas, drawers stuffed with scraps of writing topics. I have plenty I could write about.

And it’s not that I’m any busier than I’ve been before, that I just don’t have the time for writing. In fact, I probably have more time now than I’ve ever had.

No, it’s not the old standbys.

It took me a couple of months to figure it out because honestly, I didn’t realize how much Mister Man had to do with my writing. I mean, I was the one pulling out my hair, facing constant ups and downs, revising ad nauseam while all he had to do was listen to my occasional—okay, weekly—rants.

But unconditional support is funny that way. You don’t miss it until you don’t have it anymore. (And I’m so sorry if this is the first you’re hearing about Mister Man’s untimely demise! There’s just no easy way, even in this age of instant information, to let everyone know that the Beneficent Mr. Hall up and died on me last summer. I thought about inserting the Monty Python skit about the dead parrot to add a little levity; it was a favorite of ours even if it is a wee bit on the dark humor side. You know what? I’m linking to it anyway. Go have a laugh.)

The point is, there are times when you don’t want to write. There are days, months, maybe years when your heart’s just not in it, when you can’t whip up even an ounce of joy at the thought of writing. It doesn’t have to be at the loss of a loved one. Sadly, it can be any old crisis that might come along.

So I asked Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of the New York Times best-selling novel, Deep End of the Ocean. She was a presenter at that conference I told you about and she gave a talk on writing through hard times. Afterwards, I asked her how she managed to write again, after her husband died and left her with three small children.

“Just write,” she said. “Write ten pages every day. It doesn’t have to be good; you just have to keep going. Writing will sustain you.”

So I write. I talk myself into it, though maybe not a whole ten pages worth, and maybe I don’t manage it every day. But I keep going, perhaps because there is something in the writing that does sustain me in ways I don’t understand yet.

And I think the Beneficent Mr. Hall would want me to keep at it. But mostly, I write because I believe. One of these days, I’ll wake to find joy in my writing again. And if you’ve had writing times like this, my friends, you are not alone.

Just write.

Cathy C. Hall is a kidlit author and humor writer. Her latest release is a leveled reader, Who'll be President?, from Darakwon Publishing in Korea.

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9 comments Cathy C. Hall, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Monty Python, writer advice

Barbara Barth Launches her tour for A Dog Dreams of Paris: From Rescue Dog to Diva

& giveaway contest!


Like all people who share their lives with dogs, sometimes I wonder what they’re thinking about. Author Barbara Barth who shares her life with many dogs must have wondered also. And what she came up with turned into a simply charming book – A Dog Dreams of Paris: From Rescue Dog to Diva.

It all began when Barbara adopted April, a rescue dog who had a little trouble settling into a household that included five other dogs. She had trouble finding her place in the pack and preferred to sit quietly watching the other dogs and thinking about…what? April’s personality finally began to peek through during an Easter photo shoot for Barbara’s blog. She wore a vintage pink hat, complete with a large silk rose and was transformed from shy April to Miss April in Paris, a stylish canine. For a few months Miss April had her own blog, where she dreamed of visiting the City of Lights. That blog was the seed that blossomed into A Dog Dreams of Paris, a travel diary told from Miss April’s point of view during an imaginary trip to Paris. If, like Miss April, you dream of Paris don’t miss this unusual view.



Paperback: 52 pages
Publisher: Gilbert Street Press (May 5, 2015)
ISBN-10: 0983171556
ISBN-13: 978-0983171553

This book is available as a print book at Amazon as well as at your local independent bookstore.

Book Giveaway Contest:

To win a copy of A Dog Dreams of Paris: From Rescue Dog to Diva, please enter using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway contest closes this Friday, July 3 at 12:00 AM EST. We will announce the winner the same day in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!

About the Author:

Barbara Barth likes a lot of things: turquoise jewelry, surfing the 'net, and margaritas, to name a few. Then there are the dogs. As many as her house can hold! After her husband died she recorded the year that followed in a series of essays that became her memoir The Unfaithful Widow. She has also written a romance-suspense Danger in Her Words and edited the anthology A Cup of Christmas. When she isn't writing you can find her at the local thrift shops or pounding another nail into the wall to hang the paintings she can't resist. She published a romance novel Danger in her Words before one of her dogs, Miss April in Paris, insisted it was HER turn to write a memoir. Miss April in Paris now refers to Barbara as "my secretary."

Find out more about the author by visiting her online:
http://www.barbarabarthwriter.com
http://barbarabarthbookblog.blogspot.com/
http://theunfaithfulwidow.blogspot.com
http://barbarabarthsparkle.blogspot.com
Twitter: @writerwithdogs

----- Interview by Jodi Webb

WOW: Barbara, you're a favorite here at WOW. You've visited us with four different books--all in different genres--so it was no surprise to us that an author as prolific as you would take the step many writers are taking by starting your own publishing company. And we want to know all about it! First things first, what made you decide to start your own company?

Barbara: Sometimes you learn by trial and error. In 2010, when I completed my memoir, The Unfaithful Widow, I used a vanity publisher. I had no idea what that term meant back then. I paid the company to design my book and they did a fine job of it. I thought that was self-publishing. I was thrilled to see my story in print. They followed my instructions for the interior of the book and designed the PDF exactly as I instructed. I paid the company extra for the privilege of using my own cover and had a friend design the cover PDF and submitted it to them. I used their ISBN.

As I learned more about publishing books, I wanted my memoir to be under my own ISBN and that is when my learning curve started. In order to do so with this company, I had to repurchase the program (expensive) and pay to have the changes made to use my own ISBN and then buy the PDF from them. I owned my story. They designed the book’s interior and they owned the PDF. It was a locked file that I could do nothing with. I did own my book cover PDF since they did not do that design work. The royalties from print on demand book sales were less than a dollar a book, and I got paid months after any sales. Plus, my wholesale price to buy books was expensive. They also designed the Kindle version, which I later realized had formatting errors. Luckily once they uploaded to Kindle, they were out of the loop with my e-book.

Needless to say, I discovered the error of my ways. I did not want to go this route again. I took a class, actually had the interior of my widow memoir reformatted, and was planning on closing out my account with the original publisher. Then The Unfaithful Widow placed as a finalist in the 2011 USA Best Book Awards and I decided to leave well enough alone. I would do something different with my next book. And Gilbert Street Press came out of that experience. My company is named after the street where I bought my first house. The logo is a tree with two dogs underneath it. Appropriate for me, with my crazy six-pack of dogs at home.

WOW: There are writers and there are business people. But as the owner of a publishing company you have to be both. Do you have business experience? How did you learn about the business details of publishing?

Barbara: I am still learning, although now I think I have a handle on things. CreateSpace with Amazon has made self-publishing so easy. While they offer free ISBN’s, if you use theirs, the book product description on Amazon will show CreateSpace as the publisher. I buy my own ISBN’s and bar codes from Bowker which makes Gilbert Street Press the publisher of record. I am more a creative person than a business person, but I love working with marketing. And I have the best book designer in the universe who takes my ideas and makes them a reality. My time is spent doing what I know and love – writing and marketing.

WOW: Are you a one woman shop or do you have employees? Do you hire out some portions to freelancers such as book cover design, etc.?

Barbara: My book designer is my sister. She is a one woman show with her company PD King Design. As a photographer her work has appeared on magazine covers and while living in the US Virgin Islands, she designed brochures for many businesses. Now in Florida, designing books and book covers seemed a natural turn of events. She is my go-to person with my books, but she also works with other authors. Pam has the experience and skills to create books and eBooks that reflect the author’s vision. A Dog Dreams of Paris is visually stunning because of her talent and patience. I thought white background and she saw Technicolor. We brainstormed the book over the phone and she met my unreasonable deadline. We had six weeks to pull it all together. I wanted April’s story on Amazon before I went in for hip replacement surgery.

WOW: What was the biggest surprise (good or bad) when you started Gilbert Street Press?

Barbara: It has all been good. I am fortunate to have my sister who does the technical side of designing and uploading the files to CreateSpace. I love that I am the publisher of record. I like the control of knowing my vision has been met with all aspects of my book. Right now I am just publishing my own work, which is uncomplicated. If I decide to open Gilbert Street Press to other authors, that will be a slightly different story.

WOW: What do you feel are the advantages of having your own publishing company? Any tips for writers thinking of starting their own publishing company?

Barbara: I am a very hands on person. My books are a total art project for me. And right or wrong, I am head strong and have a vision that I don’t want changed. Self-publishing gives me the control I like. It’s fun, it’s work, but in the end I have a product I am thrilled with. And if I am lucky, others will enjoy what I’ve produced. The best advice I could give anyone who wants to start their own publishing company is to do it with your heart and soul. Be sure your work is clean, edited, and can hold its own professionally with other self-publishers, for yourself, and more so if you take on a client.

WOW: Have you run into any bias against A Dog Dreams of Paris because you own the company that published it?

Barbara: Ahhh, that brings on the debate about self-publishing. The publishing industry is changing and self-publishing is a respected way to go now. Much different than when I wrote my memoir. I think the beauty of A Dog Dreams of Paris will be what stands out when you look at my book and I have my sister’s incredible work to thank for that.

WOW: Will Gilbert Street Press be strictly for your work or do you anticipate publishing other writer's work at some point?

Barbara: That is up for debate. I still have quite a few of my own ideas to produce!

WOW: What's next for you and Gilbert Street Press?

Barbara: My dog memoir. It is the book I’ve had on the back burner for several years. I’ve been writing snippets of it and posting on various blogs. I want to pull in all my essays and turn them into a fun book on living with six dogs. Whimsical, with photographs and my own illustrations. I hope to complete it this year.

WOW: What a coincidence, I'm reading another books about pets that will be touring with WOW in July: David Berner's There's a Hamster in the Dashboard. I can't wait to read yours! But I'm especially looking forward to the photos of your pack.

Barbara's pack! Bertha Barth, Miss April in Paris, Bray-boy, Annabelle, Rascal, and Chloe in her pink sweater.

----------Blog Tour Dates

Monday, June 29(today!) @ The Muffin
Stop by for an interview with Barbara Barth and a chance to win A Dog Dreams of Paris: From Rescue Dog to Diva!
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

Tuesday, June 30 @ Bring on Lemons
Wondering what young readers have to say about A Dog Dreams of Paris? Stop by Bring on Lemons today to find out from our 8 year old reviewer!
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, July 1 @ Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews
Learn more about author Barbara Barth and her latest book, the tale of a trip to Paris told through an unusual viewpoint.
http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/

Friday, July 3 @ Deal Sharing Aunt
Check out a review of Barbara Barth's quirky book for dog/Paris/travel lovers: A Dog Dreams of Paris.
http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/

Monday, July 6 @ Frog on a Blog
Want to support your favorite charity? Why not write a book! Author Barbara Barth explains how writing and charity can go hand in hand.
http://frogonablog.net/

Wednesday, July 8 @ Building Bookshelves
Where do dogs dream of going on vacation? Apparently, Paris! Don't miss a review of A Dog Dreams of Paris.
http://blogs.republicanherald.com/bookshelves

Thursday, July 9 @ Words by Webb
Who is your favorite canine literary character? Barbara Barth answers this and other quirky questions in a 5W interview.
http://jodiwebb.com

Friday, July 10 @ Oh My Dog!
Don't miss your chance to win A Dog Dreams of Paris and learn more about author Barbara Barth in today's interview.
http://ohmydogblog.com/

Tuesday, July 14 @ Writer with Dogs
Celebrate Bastille Day with Miss April of A Dog Dreams of Paris. Miss April will be giving us the lowdown on how Parisian dogs celebrate Bastille Day.
http://writerwithdogs.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, July 15 @ Hott Books
Are your kids looking for a fun read? Check out a review of A Dog Dreams of Paris and add it to the summer reading list.
http://www.hottbooks.com/

Thursday, July 16 @ Margo Dill
Barbara Barth, the author of A Dog Dreams of Paris, writes about...guess what...dogs!
http://www.margodill.com/

Friday, July 17 @ Renee's Pages
Stop by and find out what Renee has to say about Barbara Barth's A Dog Dreams of Paris.
http://reneespages.blogspot.com/

Friday, July 24 @ MC Simon Writes
Stop by to find out what MC Simon writes about A Dog Dreams of Paris by Barbara Barth.
http://www.mcsimonwrites.com

To view all our touring authors, check out our Events Calendar. Keep up with blog stops and giveaways in real time by following us on Twitter @WOWBlogTour.

Get Involved!
If you have a website or blog and would like to host one of our touring authors or schedule a tour of your own, please email us at blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com.

*****Book Giveaway Contest*****

Enter to win a copy of A Dog Dreams of Paris: From Rescue Dog to Diva! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. We will announce the winner in the Rafflecopter widget this Friday, July 3.

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11 comments A Dog Dreams of Paris, Barbara Barth, blog tour, giveaway, interview, publishing company, writer advice

B. Lynn Goodwin, author of Journaling for Caregivers, Launches her Blog Tour!

& Book Giveaway Comments Contest!

During the six years she spent caring for her mother, B. Lynn Goodwin found comfort in the journaling she did. She eventually began teaching journaling workshops and writing a book to guide other caregivers through journaling.

Lynn is also a teacher, editor, and writer. Her work has been published in Hip Mama; the Oakland Tribune; the Contra Costa Times; the Danville Weekly; Staying Sane When You're Dieting; Small Press Review; Dramatics Magazine; Career, Caregiving, and Self-Care NCDA Monograph; 24/7--a caregiving anthology; We Care; Families of Loved Ones Magazine (forthcoming); Kaleidoscope (forthcoming), and numerous e-zines and blogs.

Find out more about B. Lynn Goodwin by visiting her websites:
Book Website: http://www.writeradvice.com/ywmtdw.html
Writer Advice: http://www.writeradvice.com/

You Want Me To Do What? Journaling for Care Givers

By B. Lynn Goodwin

You Want Me To Do What? Journaling for Caregivers offers encouragement, instructions, and over 200 sentence prompts to help anyone start putting their thoughts on paper.

It is for current, former, and long distance caregivers. These are the people who take care of spouses, parents, children, special needs children, and themselves. It is also for professional caregivers including nurses, social workers, teachers, and anyone in the helping professions.

Published by Tate Publishing
Paperback: 160 pages
ISBN: 1606962973

Book Giveaway Comments Contest!

If you received our Events Newsletter, remember, we are holding a contest to win a copy of Lynn's book, You Want Me To Do What? Journaling for Caregivers, to those that comment. So, grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and enjoy the chat, and share your thoughts, and comments, at the end. We will randomly choose a winner from those who comment. Enjoy!

Interview by Jodi Webb

WOW: Your book, You Want Me To Do What? Journaling for Caregivers, is a book encouraging caregivers (everyone really) to journal. Can you tell us when you first started journaling?

Lynn: I have been a sporadic journaler since I got my first five-year diary when I was in third grade. I have a journal from college, but stopped journaling once I began teaching English and directing high school and college theatre. Now, of course, I wish I had recorded what we did and how I felt about it. I slid back into journaling in 1997. I was turning Haven's List into a newsletter that would become Writer Advice, tutoring, teaching A is for Acting, and had begun caregiving. I'm glad I have my journals from that time.

WOW: How did you discover that journaling was helping you when you were caring for your mother? Did it make you a better caregiver?

Lynn: I loved my mother but sometimes her needs seemed unreasonable. Sometimes I resented her refusal to accept outside help. I had a love/hate relationship with her line, "My Person will take care of that." I was Person and she was Missus. These private nicknames helped us remember that we loved each other, even though we sometimes grated on each other's nerves.

Sometimes it angered me that she preferred Lean Cuisine to my cooking, that she wouldn't let me put away the groceries without wiping off every single package, that she made me sit in her house and watch her struggle because she said, "I have to do some things for myself." Journaling helped me get past my anger and fear that drove it. It helped me analyze, process, explore, evaluate, and strategize. It allowed me to take my stress out on my journal instead of my mother, so absolutely it made me a better caregiver.

WOW: Not all of us are caring for an elderly parent. Can your book help those readers who aren't caregivers? Or are we all caregivers?

Lynn: Let me answer the last question first. All human beings are caregivers for someone. You might care for a spouse, parent, child, special needs child, or yourself--especially in the current economic climate. If you are a nurse, teacher, social worker, EMT, physical therapist, psychologist, or Hospice Volunteer, you are a professional caregiver.

Have you ever blown off steam at someone who did not deserve it? Have you ever wished someone would listen to you without interrupting? Have you ever needed a non-judgmental sympathetic ear? Who hasn't?

I can't promise that you'll never get angry or irrational if you journal. I can promise that you'll have a safe place to look beyond your immediate reactions. Journals are a place to record your history. Whether you make lists, write letters, write poems, blurt, or tell your story in traditional prose, your journal is the perfect vessel to receive your story.

WOW: Journaling (or lack of) is my guilty secret. As a writer, everyone tells me I should have a journal. I've started and abandoned more journals than I can count. So, tell me your secrets. How do you find the time to journal?

Lynn: Julia Cameron (www.theartistsway.com) says that you should start your day with Morning Pages. I say it's always morning somewhere. Write whenever you want. I have been known to journal in my car, in front of the TV, and in the bathroom. I also journal in coffee shops, shopping malls, and occasionally at my father's old desk.

Do it anywhere, anytime. Try to write for 10 minutes if you are starting out. If your journaling runs on endlessly, try setting a timer.

There are no rules unless you make some up. Start over any time, day or night. Your stories are eager to come out, and as you release them you will find a wave of material rushing in to fill the space. Who but you can tell your story?

WOW: Are lives are so full of...well, everything and anything. Why do you make journaling a priority?

Lynn: I always feel better after I journal. I feel cleansed. I feel my creative channels opening up. I usually stop spinning my wheels and start moving forward. Since 1997, I have journaled pretty steadily. It keeps me sane. It opens ideas. Since I know it works and I get immediate satisfaction from doing it, why wouldn't I make it a priority?

WOW: You make a great case for journaling. I may have to pull out one of those half-filled journals of mine! But before I do, what about blogs? Are they this generation's journals?

Lynn: Many blogs are the equivalent of interactive journals. Instead of having my own blog, I've spent the last year responding to other people's blogs. That way, I'm putting my voice out to a wider audience and still identifying myself with my signature line.

When I reread old journals, I get to see how I've grown and how my concerns have changed. I get to see what issues I have let go of and what subjects continue to be obsessions. I wouldn't have that with a blog. I wouldn't have a record. If my journals survive me, if they wind up in a Thrift Station or garage sale or in a great niece's backpack, they could ultimately become one woman's view of life in the decades before and after the turn of the millennium. That's less likely to happen with a blog.

WOW: Tell us about your other writing experiences.

Lynn: I've been the owner of Writer Advice, and its predecessor, Haven's List, since 1997. I've had lots of experience with author interviews, book and website reviews, and other non-fiction found on the site. I've developed Writer Advice's Annual Flash Prose Contest. I've written numerous articles, stories, and personal essays and have been published in magazines, newspapers, e-zines, and blogs. I've also put in some time creating a young adult novel, which is on the back burner at the moment.

WOW: Did journaling help your other writing?

Lynn: Absolutely. My writing has gotten more specific and more sophisticated over the years. As I retell stories or reply facts, I hone in on what I really want to say. Journaling has also helped me clarify what I do and don't want to write about and provided the raw writing out of which many published pieces have grown.

WOW: You Want Me To Do What? Journaling for Caregivers isn't a traditional book in many senses. First, it isn't a "read these words" book, it's more of a workbook with writing prompts and advice. When did you decide to write this book?

Lynn: About 36 hours after a friend told me she was going to write a book of prompts for writers, I heard a voice, right outside my head, that said, "Journaling for Caregivers." Those three words articulated a cloudy idea that had been swimming in my head for some time. I realized that everybody could benefit from journaling, but most caregivers didn't know they could write. They didn't realize that everyone who writes is a writer. I made it my mission to introduce caregivers to the idea. I knew how to encourage writers and I had been writing sentence starts for my free writing group in Berkeley and before that for my high school students. Once I got this idea, the book started falling into place. Once I began marketing it, I realized that everyone is a caregiver for someone.

WOW: What portion of the book is taken up with writing prompts?

Lynn: Four of the nine chapters are filled with sentence starts. There are over 50 in each chapter. People should have choices. What appeals on one day might not on another. What speaks to one caregiver, parent, teacher, nurse, or professional might not to another. In my workshops I sometimes ask people to pick a sentence start that we all could write from. Giving them that choice empowers them.

WOW: Tell us about your road to publication.

Lynn: I found two agents who were very interested. One had moved from her New York agency to be closer to her ailing mother and was telecommuting. The other had a sister who was caring for aging parents in Florida. They knew what caregivers went through. They recognized this as a niche book that met a need, just as Sharon Bray, the author of When Words Heal: Writing Your Way Through Cancer did when she said, "As someone steeped in the therapeutic value of writing during pain and loss, I think B. Lynn Goodwin's book meets a need that has yet to be addressed."

Both of the agents' bosses said, "We have no way to market to caregivers." The agents validated that I had a book that would meet a need. They also made me realize that I would have to find a less traditional method to get it on the market. I began looking for smaller publishers and found one that believed the book was marketable. The concept came to me in 2006 and the book was published by the end of 2008.

WOW: As we can see from the reactions of those first two publishers, your book is not the traditional type someone walks into a bookstore and picks up on a whim--it's written for a very specific audience with a very specific need. Have you done many traditional bookstore signings and appearances or have you been thinking outside the box?

Lynn: It's safe to say that I think out of the box. Sometimes I'm so far outside the box that I am not sure whether to cal this a book or a service project. It depends, perhaps, on who I am sharing it with. I'm impressed by how much more outreach I have been able to do than I ever imagined. Nurses come up to me at bookstore signings. Even if they don't buy a book, they take a card for the office.

I've shared the book with all kinds of caregivers, volunteers, and organizations. I offer e-mail workshops called Journaling: Gateway to Self Discovery that give people a chance to try the process without leaving home. Day by day, I continue to reach out as many places as I can.

WOW: How about interviews, etc.--any outside the norm of book pages in newspapers, book review sites?

Lynn: I've done lots of interviews for blogs and special interest groups I've found through LinkedIn. One day I found a bill in my mailbox for the head of a Hospice support organization in Southern California. I have an article that will be coming out in their next newsletter. It will go all over the state. I took an ad in a publication that was given out at the AARP Convention in Las Vegas this October.

I've done radio interviews for all kinds of shows. I've made presentations in libraries. I've teamed up with someone helping teens and people marketing to seniors and I've developed an extra niche that I love, working with writers who want to find a way through writer's block and into the uniqueness of their own voice. I am putting together a continuing education class for nurses that will be done through e-mail, and that may lead to CEU classes for social workers and teachers. My existing e-mail workshops make it possible for anyone with a computer to try journaling without ever leaving the house.

WOW: For a book that publishers worried wouldn't be marketable you've found plenty of marketing options! And now the question everyone's dying to know the answer to--what does the "B" stand for?

Lynn: Ahhh--B stands for my first name, which is also my mother's first name. My mother didn't need a caregiver. She was fine to live alone as long as I was there every day to take out her garbage, get her mail, bring her her groceries, transport her... She was protecting her independence, and I wanted to help her do it. You Want Me To Do What? Journaling for Caregivers is dedicated to my mother, but I do not mention her name. I do that to honor her because she was a private person. Writing as B. Lynn Goodwin is one way I can include her in this project while keeping her identity anonymous.

WOW: She sounds like a very determined woman. Hearing about her reminds me of my grandmother. For many years, she had the same type of independent living arrangement with the help of my mother and aunts. So, in between interviews and workshops for Journaling for Caregivers what are you up to with your writing?

Lynn: I continue to interview authors, write reviews, facilitate the Writer Advice Flash Prose Contest, and run the e-zine, which you can read right now at www.writeradvice.com. In fact, I'm putting out a call for submissions of 50-500 words on the subject of dreams. I'll pick the best pieces and run them in the winter issue. E-mail me at Lgood67334[at]comcast[dot]net if you would like details.

I am also at work on a couple of other projects that are still in the formative stages. I enjoy carving my own path in the writing world.

----

Want to join Lynn on her blog tour? Check out these dates and mark your calendar! You can also snag a copy of WOW's Events Calendar HERE.

Blog Tour Dates: Come and join the fun!

November 16, 2009 Monday
Lynn will be chatting with WOW! Women On Writing at The Muffin. Stop by and share your comments! One lucky commenter will win copy of Lynn's book!
http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/blog.html

November 18, 2009 Wednesday
Lynn Goodwin, author of You Want Me To Do What? Journaling for Caregivers, stops by Spirituality and Self Help to share how journaling can save your sanity and save your life! Not to miss.
http://www.superenlightme.com/

November 19, 2009 Thursday
Don't miss B. Lynn Goodwin's post about how journaling can help you become a better mom and a better you! Don't forget to enter to win her book, You Want Me To Do What? Journaling for Caregivers.
http://www.momecentric.com/

November 20, 2009 Friday
B. Lynn Goodwin stops by The Mental Fitness Center to share how journaling helped her as she cared for a family member with Alzheimer's.
http://www.thementalfitnesscenter.com/blog/

November 23, 2009 Monday
Today B. Lynn Goodwin stops by Midlife With a Vengeance to tell us that balancing acts aren't just for the circus! Chime in and tell us how you manage to balance your needs with those of the person you're caring for. You also have a chance to win her book, You Want Me To Do What? Journaling for Caregivers.
http://midlifewithavengeance.com/

December 2, 2009 Wednesday
B. Lynn Goodwin stops by Jan Lundy's blog, Awakened Living, to share how she manages to take care of herself while caring for others, and why we all need to take time out for ourselves. Don't forget to enter to win her book, You Want Me To Do What? Journaling for Caregivers.
http://www.awakened-living.blogspot.com/

December 7, 2009 Monday
Today, author and journal keeper B. Lynn Goodwin stops by Whole Latte Life to tell us how journaling can help you explore your life's passion--no matter what it may be.
http://joannedemaio.blogspot.com/

December 11, 2009 Friday
B. Lynn Goodwin stops by The Feisty Side of Fifty to write about being a caregiver for that person we so often overlook--ourselves.
http://feistysideoffifty.com/

December 15, 2009 Tuesday
Today, Nessa and Lynn chat about why journaling can be so helpful for caregivers at Ramblings of a Texas Housewife.
http://www.texashousewife.com/

We have more dates to come, so be sure to check out our Events Calendar HERE.

Get involved!

We hope you are as excited about the tour as we are! Mark your calendar, save these dates, and join us for this truly unique and fascinating author blog tour.

If you have a blog or website and would like to host one of our touring authors, or schedule a tour of your own, please email Angela and Jodi at: blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com

** Please feel free to copy any portion of this post.

Be sure to comment on this post to enter in a drawing for a copy of Lynn's book You Want Me To Do What? Journaling for Caregivers. And check back in a couple of days in the comments section to see if you won!

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26 comments author interview, B. Lynn Goodwin, blog tour, book giveway, caregiving, journal prompts, Journaling for Caregivers, writer advice