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Dialogue with my muse |
| I have been carrying on a dialogue for almost a year. During this time we have discussed the progress of my writing, editing, and publishing efforts. Join in to listen to our conversation about my daily writing life and add your comments if you think of anything Calliope and I miss. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I wasn't sure I would hear from you today. JOE: It turns out I was busy for a while. CALLIOPE: So early? What were you up to? JOE: I was engaged in a Podcast about my writing. CALLIOPE: With whom? JOE: John Murray for his now podcast series Rambling Verser, associated with Story Institute. CALLIOPE: I see. How did it go? JOE: Quite well. He sent me a series of questions he wished to explore and I was ready when he called. CALLIOPE: Do you like having the questions ahead of time? JOE: It made the interview much easier. I could concentrate on expressing myself rather than being nervous about what to say or what was coming next. CALLIOPE: Did you get to say what you wanted to? JOE: I did. I have had a little experience with podcasts in the past as well as a recorder interview about my writing. I think I am becoming much more comfortable with the process. CALLIOPE: What did you learn from the experience today? JOE: One of his questions was what made my readers unique? I hadn't thought much about this until he posed the question. I realized that my readers were thoughtful about their own lives and concerned about their effect on others. They also approach life from a spiritual perspective, which I define as "awakening to the goodness and joy for which you were created." Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are things in the frozen north? JOE: I'm making the best of it. I went cross country skiing yesterday. Fortunately, my brain isn't frozen. CALLIOPE: Glad to hear it. What's rattling around there? JOE: I keep thinking about what Seth Godin had to say about liars as marketing. CALLIOPE: What are your current thoughts? JOE: I think they are evolving. As I understood what him, he describes consumers as lying to themselves. Marketers do well when they resonate with consumers' lies. CALLIOPE: How does that sit with you? JOE: The word "lies" got my attention. But he also talks about being authentic in marketing. I am a little stuck with what looks to me like an oxymoron, authentic lying. CALLIOPE: I see what you mean. Where are you going with it? JOE: Toward the end of his book he admits he didn't quite mean lying. As I see it, people do have world views which they don't always put into words. I believe that people's world views are quite instrumental in shaping their response to marketing efforts and anything else which comes their way. CALLIOPE: So where does that leave you? JOE: I have come to realize that in order to be an effective in marketing my writing I need to understand the world views of my readers and how they relate to my writing. CALLIOPE: Any specific thoughts on how to do this? JOE: I'm still working on it. I'll tell you more tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today? JOE: Still thinking about how people's world views shape their perception of reality. CALLIOPE: Sounds involved. JOE: Not really. For example, focusing on nature's wonders can affect how you deal with the world. CALLIOPE: Show me how. JOE: Okay, I'll share with you a review I did recently. Here goes: Alpine Americas: An Odyssey Along the Crest of Two Continents by Don Mellor and Olaf Soot, Horizon Editions, 2008. Recently I had the opportunity to review Alpine Americas. I have always been more fascinated by the sea than by mountains, that is until this book arrived. I was immediately drawn to the grandeur, hidden recesses and inhabitants of the mountains which the authors took years to document in photos and words, based on their exploration on foot and by air. I was glad to see the wonders of the Denali Range which I hope to visit some day. I was surprised to find glorious photos of hidden mountain recesses from Alaska to Tierra Del Fuego. I had not imagined such wonders existed. Exotic photos of these mountains matched my favorite sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. Tearing myself away from the photos long enough to read the text proved a challenge. When I finally succeeded, I was rewarded by glimpses of the peoples inhabiting the various ranges and their ways of life. I enjoyed meeting the explorers who discovered, mapped and photographed these environs which remain mysterious to most of us. I also relished up-close meetings with the wildlife and domestic animals in these high places. High mountain ranges always seemed to me lonely, desolate places. The text makes clear that most of them are not easy to access. Once you do, either in person or through this wondrous volume, the trip is well worthwhile. I closed the last page captivated and humbled by nature's vast spectacle. While many of us are prone in our day to day life to lose sight of all but our personal microcosm, Alpine Americas helps us maintain a healthy respect for the glory of our hemisphere and a spiritual context in which to view our own small lives. I would highly recommend this book to anyone needing a reminder of the breathtaking environment we take for granted. CALLIOPE: Wow! JOE: Reading Alpine Americas brought me out of my preoccupation with the writing grind and gave me a larger perspective on life. CALLIOPE: Thanks for sharing your review. JOE: You're welcome. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Did you finish Seth Godin's book, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">All Marketers Are Liars</span>? JOE: I finished it this morning. CALLIOPE: So what did you think? JOE: It was a wake up call and challenged what I thought I knew about marketing. CALLIOPE: How so? JOE: I want to convey to my readers encouragement to live authentic lives by using their talents for good purposes. CALLIOPE: So what's the problem? JOE: I have been concerned that there are many people who don't care about living their lives this way but just want to grab what they can. CALLIOPE: And? JOE: Godin encourages marketers and by extension writers to address people with a worldview consistent with their message rather than trying to change people with entrenched worldviews not open to their message. CALLIOPE: How does this change your approach? JOE: My goal will now be to speak effectively to those who are willing to listen rather than beating my head against a wall trying to interest those who think I'm crazy. CALLIOPE: Sounds good to me. JOE: Me too. I will get working on it today. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Ready for another week? JOE: Yes. I'm ready to go. CALLIOPE: Did you finish Seth Godin's book, All Marketers are Liars yet? JOE: Not yet. I'm about half way through it. CALLIOPE: What do you think so far? JOE: The title intrigued me. So did the picture on the front cover of Seth with a Pinocchio nose attached. CALLIOPE: Is that what got you to buy the book? JOE: Mostly. I looked inside and thought the approach looked interesting. CALLIOPE: How so? JOE: I have been trying to approach marketing my books in a scientific way as if there were a logical way to go about it. CALLIOPE: We muses don't get too involved in marketing. So it's not a scientific endeavor? JOE: It doesn't seem to be. Seth's writing indicates that it is more an appeal to the emotions. CALLIOPE: In what way? JOE: When people consider buying something, they concern themselves more with whether having it reinforces their world view (lies they tell themselves) and confirms what they already think rather than due to benefits, features or anything else logical. CALLIOPE: I never looked at it that way before. JOE: Neither did I. But the more I read the more sense it makes. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Up a little late this morning, aren't we? JOE: At least I'm here. CALLIOPE: What's going on in your head these days? JOE: I've been thinking about the field of marketing, talking with people about it and reading. CALLIOPE: What have you been reading? JOE: Interesting you should ask. I was wandering around Borders with my brother a couple days ago and ran across Seth Godin's book, All Marketers Are Liars. CALLIOPE: Sounds interesting. JOE: It is. He poo-poos the idea that people respond to marketing efforts on the basis of features, benefits, or anything else tangible. CALLIOPE: Then what does attract potential customers? JOE: He believes that people respond to whatever matches the fantasies they already have. CALLIOPE: Interesting idea. JOE: Yes it is. I haven't finished the book yet but find the idea fascinating. I plan to read more of it this weekend. CALLIOPE: Then what. JOE: If it continues to make sense, I will rethink my fantasies about marketing and see what I might need to change. Talk with you on Monday. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Tell me about yesterday. JOE: As I expected, I had little time to work on anything. I had to shovel my way out to go visit my brother in Rochester who is here on his visit from Hawaii. CALLIOPE: What did he make of the snow? JOE: It's the first he's seen in two years. He seems fascinated. CALLIOPE: What else did you do? JOE: We spent most of the day visiting at my mother's house and my aunt's and ended up in a bookstore at night. CALLIOPE: Did you bring up your book in conversation? JOE: It came up a couple times and I shared my experiences and the book itself with a few people. CALLIOPE: How did you feel about doing it? JOE: A little strange. I waited for quite a while for it to come up in conversation which it finally did. CALLIOPE: What's your discomfort about? JOE: I feel like I am in a sales rather than social conversation. It feels a little awkward. Still I hate to miss an opportunity to tell people about my writing since it is the main focus of my life right now. CALLIOPE: Anything you can do about it? JOE: I don't think so. I wear several hats as most people do. I guess it's just part of life. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today? JOE: Feeling good. I had a pleasant surprise yesterday. I received some scratch off lottery tickets for my birthday. One of them left me a hundred dollars richer. CALLIOPE: What do you plan to do with the money? JOE: I am inviting Carol and her brother and sister in law who gave me the tickets out to dinner. CALLIOPE: Don 't you have something more practical you can do with the money such as invest it in your publishing efforts? JOE: That would be a possibility. However I believe in sharing good fortune. I am trying to think of others besides myself. CALLIOPE: Noble of you. Are you always that way? JOE: This is a philosophy I try to share in all my writing. I don't think my words are worth much if I don't walk the walk as well. CALLIOPE: I can't argue with you there. What's going on in your publishing world? JOE: I'm working on contacts. I set up two lunch appointments for next week. CALLIOPE: With whom? JOE: One is with a local author. I would like to share ideas with him regarding local marketing which I have neglected so far. The other is with a former psychotherapist who now writes among other things. He contacted me and we seem to be kindred spirits. CALLIOPE: Sounds like good progress. JOE: I think so. I will be spending today with my brother who is visiting from Honolulu so I'm not sure how much work I'll get done today. Talk with you tomorrow. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I hope you enjoyed your birthday. JOE: I did. Many well-wishers sent their regards. Carol and I got out on our cross country skis and her niece Erin came for dinner last night. All in all a delightful day. CALLIOPE: Any more thoughts on the teen book? JOE: I was mulling over a title earlier this morning. I would like to include the ideas of idealism and anxieties, both of which seem prominent in teen thinking. CALLIOPE: Did you come up with a title? JOE: Not yet. The idea is still percolating. CALLIOPE: What did you learn from your visit with Erin? JOE: She is a senior in college and about ready to face the real world. It reminded me of being her age and having the same mixture of idealism and fear I just mentioned. CALLIOPE: Sound's like you're on the right track. JOE: I think so. I plan to do some more exploration of the topic of writing for teens. CALLIOPE: Any specifics? JOE: I am perusing some teen sites and will also look at some books popular with teen to explore themes of interest to them. CALLIOPE: Sounds like a good approach. JOE: I'm glad you agree. On to the day's work. |
| JOE: Good morning Calliope. CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Happy Birthday. JOE: Thank you for remembering. CALLIOPE: What's it like to be a year older? JOE: I'm happy to still be alive. As time goes by I appreciate each new year much more than I did when I was very young. Once I lived as if I would be here forever. Now I am realizing that I won't be. CALLIOPE: Does that frighten you? JOE: I am starting to come to terms with it. I enjoy life and will miss it I think. CALLIOPE: What plans do you have for the immediate future? JOE: Working on my teen book. CALLIOPE: Did you make any progress yesterday? JOE: I found some good materials on writing for teens and some thoughts on how to approach such a project. CALLIOPE: Anything else you need? JOE: I am still looking for more teen input. It occurred to me this morning that I have many writing and business contacts online. I could contact them to see if they have teens who might be interested in contributing to my project. CALLIOPE: What's the next step? JOE: Being clear about which I should be the one to write it, what I would like to say, how teens can contribute and why they should. That will keep me busy for a while. Talk with you tomorrow. |
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Hope they like snow! 
I just tell them to go get a life...
It's a sunshiny 24 here at the moment; 19 in Buffalo.