Spark Campfire | Can we write a book and be less in front of a screen?
- Do you know what the hardest part of writing a book is?
- SPARK | “How can I make more time in the day to write with my son?”
- Don’t have much conversation with your kids? Here you go.
- That partner of yours. Yeah, the kid. We still have roles to play. They’re important.
- Spark | Time Capsule: this is one of those moments I want to remember.
- Spark Campfire | Step out of your comfort zone to uncover your true message
- Everyone is born a genius
- Here’s what I’m giving my nieces for Christmas
- Embers
- Sparklers
- The 1/4″ drill bit, Bali, cocktails on the beach, love, pride, and Spark
- Is your goal to have fun or win an award?
- I recorded an 11-second video 4 years ago that’s the foundation of my next book.
- Don’t wait 12 years. Please.
- Fire
- It’s not only for you and your kids but your grandkids … and beyond.
- Is there anything possibly worse than not starting the project?
- Oops. That’s what I forgot: a story.
- The One Recipe Cookbook (and how to finish a project together with your kids)
- Best books for doing activities with your kids, creating family memories, and building relationships between parents and children
- Spark: It’s about creating something from nothing. Let’s create a subtitle, shall we?
- People like us do things like this
- Why Spark? Why me? Why you? Why now?
- What if I’d like to be one of the people like you who do things like that?
- Permission to … change my book title?
- Write a book with your kids? 43 elements for success. 42 are optional.
- It seems like backwards math, but by creating, we are actually “getting” more than we are “giving.”
- The Widow and the Orphan
- Spark Love: About that 1 mandatory element of the 43…
- Recipe for Love
- Kids need to crash their bikes to learn how to ride.
- Spark at “#1 New Release in Parent Participation in Education”
- Spark has hit #1 in Parenting in Free Books
- Spark Campfire
- When you document it, it becomes more real
- It takes as long as the time allotted
- I don’t want to navigate negativity.
- What’s the one little spark going to be that sets off the creativity in you (or your child)?
- Spark Campfire February 2019
- Find someone who believes he is alone and convince him that he is not.
- Well, wait a minute. That wasn’t so hard.
- Someone out there could use the help from the you of today
- I just got off the phone with my niece (and why that’s important).
- How to structure your non-fiction
- Spark Campfire | I wish I knew my nephew
- Spark Campfire | Why are you the person to write this book?
- Spark Campfire | Can we write a book and be less in front of a screen?
- Spark Campfire | How we define success
- Spark Campfire | So, you say you don’t have a book idea?
- Spark Campfire | Think about your audiobook before you thought you needed to
- Spark Campfire | Time Capsule
- Spark Campfire | Sweat Hut
- Spark | How do you answer the question, “What are you working on?”
- Spark: Ch. 3: Message in a Bottle
- The risk of remaining tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom
- Spark Campfire | Who can say what you want to say better than you can?
- Imagine yourself as a published author.
- Writing & Publishing: Why do we go to the gym? Wait, I don’t go to the gym. Exactly.
- Write Your Worst Book Ever
- This is what co-creating a book looks like
- Don’t do what you want to do but they want to do
- “Drama” audiobook is DONE!
- SPARK |Tell me your fears
- 7 Questions for Spark
- Spark Campfire | Did I mention we’re going to get it done?
- Spark | Thanks for your gift of sharing yourself through this book.
- “I get to be the fun mom.”
- “Our story has to be told.”
- SPARK authors Meg and Matthew Leal are #1 on Amazon!
- “Oh, next year will be better.”
I have 4 boys in front of me with screens glued to their eyeballs.
Sure, we’re not in the middle of Spark Campfire, but still…how can we get them off the screens even a little bit?
I’m fully aware that we’re writing books which, unless you’re going with pen and paper, means sitting in front of a computer.
There are other ways to gather content, get it down “on paper,” and make this all happen.
Step Away from the Screen
Yep, I’m a fan of technology, but only when it serves a purpose. Still, let’s see how we can combine a little old school, some, gasp, human interaction, and still get that book done.
- Dictation: your phone probably has Siri or Google Assistant or Cortana. They usually do an excellent job
at getting your voice transformed into words. Give it a go. - Discussion: head off on a walk, talk, even in the car, just talk about the topic, the book, the audience. In other words, stuff you might do with a computer don’t do with the computer. Talk about it, like with words and with other people. It works. I swear.
- Pen and paper: if they’re in school, they probably use this more than we do anyway. Turn off all screens. Get a pad of paper. Get a pen. See what happens.
- Memory: this is a challenging one, but no pen, no paper, no phone. Discuss, think, work through your ideas in your mind and take no written notes. See what you can remember. Later, write it down.
- Sticky notes: related to pen and paper, but more in blocks and spurts and little tidbits. Get a pad of sticky notes and put a thought or a topic or a word on a sticky note. Organize them, shuffle them, see how they help you.
- Record video: I’ve been having a blast with this lately. Hit record on your phone and start talking. Just pretend you’re having a conversation with your biggest reader fan. You’ll get used to it, but you have to give it a shot.
If you are as addicted to your screen (or your kid’s) as much as most of us are, some of these tasks might seem intimidating–and they are.
Good, we need a little shakeup.
Do you know what happens when you no longer rely on a screen? At least this is what some studies say: you get smarter. You use your brain instead of relying on some automated assistant to help you.
See you inside of the Campfire.
