Brochures for my Toscana Americana Workshop – Have the Time of Your Life, Write the Book of Your Dreams – scheduled for September 2008 in Cortona, Italy arrived today in the mail.

This workshop is going to be so much fun!

And to think that I get to do the things I love - write, teach, and travel - and get PAID to do them all.

Life can’t get much better than that!

I hope you’ll join me in Cortona for the time of YOUR life, too!

In my article, you’ll learn the difference between a writing teacher and a writing coach, get tips to help you choose the coach that is right for you, and find out what the coaching process is like.

Send an email to: suzannelieurance@hotmail.com and I’ll send you the link to the recording of this special teleclass.

Once you listen to this call, be sure to create your writing goals for 2008, based on what you learned from the call.

You’ll find out why many people fail to reach their goals and what you generally need to do in order to have a much better chance of attaining your goals.

When I hear this, I realize it’s just another excuse for NOT writing.

It lets the person who is afraid of writing something that won’t be well received or won’t be the BEST piece of work EVER, stay within the comfort zone that can only exist for us when we don’t write anything.

It’s just another excuse created to avoid fear and uncertainty.

But here’s the deal.

People who succeed as writers learn to leave their comfort zone and walk that tightrope between soaring to success and falling to absolute failure.

It’s just part of the writer’s life.

And in order to eventually write something “that matters” - something “of importance” - you usually have to write a LOT of not-so-important stuff BEFORE you develop the skills, the insights, and the knowledge needed to write something of any real consequence.

So, if you want to write, just write. Who cares if it’s silly stuff? Who cares if it will never sell? Who cares if it is the worst writing EVER written?

Everyone would be a writer if it were EASY to write something of importance.

Have the courage to write anything. Then continue to write and write and write.

I usually tell these people that story ideas are all around us - at all times. We just have to become aware of them.

Here’s a blog that will help you with story ideas, inspiration, and creative writing tips. It’s called The Story Ideas Virtuoso published by freelance writer Deb Gallardo.

Deb Gallardo is a published author for children and adults, an educator, and an accomplished performer in concert and on stage. She specializes in helping fiction writers find story ideas for their creative writing endeavors. Currently, Deb is busy hauling two novels out of mothballs: a Baby Boomer class reunion mystery for adults and a middle grade fantasy - and is feverishly working to make them publishable.

This summer she rewrote Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for high school students, simplifying dialogue while still maintaining the flavor of Shakespeare. She also composed, arranged, orchestrated and recorded the soundtrack of two songs for Queen Titania and her fairies, as well as incidental music for King Oberon and Puck.

Deb’s latest musical theatre project is preparing for the role of Mother Superior in a mid-January semi-professional production of “Nunsense II - The Second Coming.” All five actors playing nuns have music degrees! Her most recent credits include Sister Sophia in “The Sound of Music” in 2006, and Mrs. Potts in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” for two theatre companies in two cities in 2005 and 2007.

Nikki tells how she got started as a blogger/writer for Honey magazine, the launch of Fashion Frenzy, and how she’s able to juggle all of her editorial and writing projects.

There are all sorts of advantages to hosting your own show like this. Probably the biggest advantage is that you get to meet so many interesting people. Since I’m a writer myself, I LOVE talking to other writers every weekday afternoon. And I learn something new about writing and publishing from every single guest I interview.

You might consider starting your own internet radio show. If you do, here are a few things I’ve learned so far that might help you get started:

1.) Do your research before the show. Find out as much as you can about the guest you have scheduled. If the guest is an author, read his/her most recent book (if possible). Ask for review copies from authors who want to be guests on your show. Also, find out if the author has a website. If he/she does, then plan to visit the site before the show so you’ll be more familiar with the author and his/her work.

2.) Send the author or other person you will interview on your show a list of the interview questions a day or so prior to the show. That will give the interviewee time to look over the questions and develop answers to them. Some hosts let the guest submit the questions he/she would like to be asked during the interview. But I find that many times the person I am planning to interview has never been interviewed before and doesn’t really understand what types of questions listeners would like answered. Also, you don’t want to have “dead” air time during your show, so you want to be sure you and your guest will have plenty to talk about.

3.) Be sure to send a reminder email to your guest the day of the show. Also, be sure the guest is clear about the time your show starts. You’d be surprised at how often guests get mixed up about the time of the show when the show starts at central time yet they live in the pacific time zone or eastern time zone. Help the guest figure out what time he/she should call in to the show according to where he/she lives to make sure you don’t start a show without the guest (I’ve had that happen and it isn’t much fun).

Starting and hosting your own Internet radio show can be fun and beneficially to you, your guests, and listeners in many ways. Later, I’ll give some tips for creating your own show.

Have a super weekend!

If so, plan to join me next Thursday night, December 20th, at 7:00 central time for a free teleseminar called Set Your Sights on Success in 2008!

During this free 55 minute teleseminar, you’ll learn how to set your writing and career goals for 2008. You’ll also learn the steps you must take in order to reach those goals.

To receive an email invitation to this free event, send an email to me at suzanne@workingwriterscoach.com with the words “free goal setting teleseminar” in the subject line.