July 29, 2010

BOOK WORKSHOP CALGARY

The BOOK Workshop will be held in Calgary on August 21 and again on September 21 at different locations. If you have been thinking about the benefits of being an author but are not sure where or how to start, then this is the ideal half day workshop to get you moving toward your dream.

Both events can be found on EventBrite and here are the links to the August workshop and the September workshop. If you are going to be in Calgary on either of these dates and are interested in a Book Workshop designed to get you focused, motivated, inspired and organized, then we hope to see you there.

July 26, 2010

July 22, 2010

MRI

I have been on the list for a bit to get an MRI on my shoulders due to a nagging vacation injury caused by luggage that was too heavy - and you know who is to blame for that!!!
Anyway, I was booked for December but also on the cancellation list and they called this morning with the option of going in immediately - which I did.

 This is more about the power of visualization than anything else. They strapped me down, put headphones over my ears and slid me down the tunnel. Please God, give me a coffin with some room to move when the day comes, but I decided to ignore the confined space, close my eyes and imagine a morning that I spent in Hawaii a few years ago. My wife stayed in bed and I went down to the lobby and bought a coffee and headed through the open doors to Waikiki beach. Beside the pool was an open air bar and no one but staff in the vicinity so I saddled up to a bar stool, opened my book (Hawaii by Michener, interestingly enough) and proceeded to enjoy the warm ocean breeze, the smell of beach sand and an hour of quiet relaxation, Bob-style.

I used that memory this morning to ward off the inclination towards claustrophobia and it worked like a charm. Now, all I need to do is stretch the time from the 40 minutes in the MRI machine to 40 years of real life. 

July 19, 2010

DOING OR THINKING

We live in a culture that assigns a very large premium to DOING and a very small premium to THINKING

July 14, 2010

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT, ALFIE?

It is quite amazing how many people want to write a book. One of the first things I ask them is, "What's your book about?" That's when the talk starts, even from the people who are already well into the process of writing. I usually get some sort of long winded explanation of the problems, solutions, opinions and personal philosophy of the would-be writer.

The reason I ask this question first is because if you cannot answer it before my eyes glaze over from boredom, then you are not writing anything that someone will read. A brilliant business coach that I know says that explanations kill deals. It is certainly true in the book writing business. The answer needs to be one sentence long and leave space for the listener to be curious enough to ask another question, instead of remarking about the weather or your long lost second cousin - anything to get you off whatever the subject of your book is.

Many first-time writers write the book first and then try to find an answer - it is backwards. Answer the question "What's your book about first?" with a one sentence answer and the whole writing process goes forward much easier and you won't bore your party guests to tears. Interestingly enough (true confession time) I did not know that when I wrote The West Coast Trail: one step at a time or I would have made it much stronger in the adventure department and left the preparation and trail guide stuff behind. Of course, the fun thing for me now is that I get to speak about the adventure to various groups and the trail information is a bonus instead of the focus.

July 13, 2010

WRITING FROM HELL

Writers are a strange lot. They are motivated by things that the average person probably does not know exists like offbeat noises or swirls of color, or all sorts of strange things that go bump in the night.

Someone I know has had a very tough life to date, which includes alcohol and drugs and lots of court dates and jail time. Through it all, those who know and love him, have always felt a spark that glowed, however dimly at times, but glowed nonetheless. I just had a call from his mother informing me that he has just completed his first semester of college and that one of his teachers has recommended that he follow a path towards creative writing.

If he decides to pursue this route, then he can finally find a purpose for those years in the wilderness as he draws upon the experience to fuel his creative juices. He won't be the first writer that had to escape hell first, before finding the passion of their life.

In this case, I really hope that he finds peace and success - good luck.

July 12, 2010

WRITE YOUR BOOK IN 48 DAYS


take your book from dream to reality

The B. O. O. K. Workshop
write yours in 48 days

Do you have a story to tell about a life-changing event?
Do you have a mission to create change in the world?
Do you want to leave a written legacy?
Are you looking for more recognition in your profession?
Would a book bring you or your business more credibility?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, then this half-day workshop, presented by author Bob Bannon, will have you organized, focused, excited and inspired to fulfill your dream of writing a book. You will leave with the tools, know-how and roadmap to successfully start and complete your writing project. The entire program has been designed to move your non fiction book from thought to reality with ease and joy, knowing that you are realizing a life-long goal.

Course content includes:
  • the dynamic 48-day B.O.O.K. system program
  • creating an effective roadmap so that you know what to do every day
  • the secrets to a successful process that you can use again and again
  • creating a support system that will make writing easy and fun
  • how to laser target your book's message and audience
  • using the 7 characteristics of a best-selling title to create yours
  • learn how to create your book to maximize ancillary earnings
  • tips, pointers and insider info to help you launch your success
Workshop being presented in Calgary on Saturday, August 21, 2010

cost: 299.00     register here now    space is limited