Challenging Cliches

One of the favorite coaching cliches is asking – what would you do if you could not fail?  Over the summer I decided to test the cliche.  I finished my book, True Blue Lies and in honor of Burning Man, sent it to a publisher the last week in August figuring that sending it to a publisher was the moral equivalent of creating a small bonfire in Black Rock.  I also took a class in poetry and submitted my work to 16 publications (current acceptance rate – 0). I then created an on-line class based on my live journaling class— Change Your Story.  I signed up with Teachable, paid the monthly fees and created a whole (I thought pretty aggressive) campaign to promote it.  

What’s in the poetry?  A lot.

What’s in the book?  True Blue Lies is about a fifty-something heroine, Victoria Gardner who, for years served as her family’s on-call caregiver. When Vic’s colorful, and some would say, regrettable past, catches up with her with the murder of her best friend and former lover – she must fly to Venice where she is immediately entangled in far more than any family member thought she could ever cope with. 

At her advanced age is it still possible to experience love?  Can she throw herself into a new adventure without throwing out her back? 

cubist Old Fashion Typewriter

What’s in the new Teachable Class?

  An introductory video, Video lectures with slides, and complimentary text copy that is not just a transcript of the video because that wouldn’t be as interesting!

The course includes classes like: 

Transformative Typing – what is better if you want to quickly change your story and your life?

How to start – I realized that in all the descriptions and big ideas that I needed to include a simple guide to actually starting a journal!

Life Map – tired of writing?  Map out where you’ve been, and where you want to go next.

Talk to the Dead – really, another enormously popular section of the class – journaling can help you resolve issues with friends and relatives who have already left you. 

Passion Projects –  What do you love to do?  If you don’t have an answer, this lecture and assignments will help you unearth your passion.  Why? Because when you are deep into a project you love, your life will inestimably improve.

What would you do if you could not fail?  I think the only way to find out, is to make the leap.  But before you do, write out all the possibilities in your journal, make the leap on paper.

Take the class and learn how!

Enrollment is open during September only.  Sign up today while you’re still thinking about it!

CatharineBramkamp

Catharine Bramkamp is a successful writing coach and author. She has published over 300 newspaper and magazine articles in publications like Modern Maturity (AARP), SF Chronicle and Santa Rosa Magazine. She was a contributor to two Chicken Soup Books and has published anthologies of her work, non-fiction works and novels. Her work has also appeared in a number of poetry and fiction anthologies. She has experimented with the self-publishing world since 2001. She has published and self-published seven books through companies like Author House, author assist companies like 3L Publishing and through traditional publishers like Write Life. Her poetry collection, Ammonia Sunrise, will be released in August 2011 by Finishing Line Press and her mystery novel, In Good Faith will be released by Write Life in 2011. Catharine holds a BA in English from UCSB and a MA in English from Sonoma State University. She is a 25 year member of California Writer’s Club. She is an adjunct professor for the University of Phoenix. She works with authors of both fiction and non-fiction to make their dream of producing a book come true. For more information on that, visit her at www.YourBookStartsHere.com Catharine has lived in Sonoma County for 25 years and considers wine a food group. She is married to an adorable and very patient man who complains he’s never featured in any of her books. Her grown children who are featured in a few of her books have fled the county.

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