Got an idea? New book, THE IDEA WORKBOOK, offers tips on what to do with it

“I have lots of ideas, but I don’t know what to do with them.”

 

“I get so many ideas and I don’t know how to choose just one to work on.”

 

“I get ideas for things that people tell me are impossible or not realistic, but I want to find out if that’s true.”

 

In my 40+ years on this planet, I have heard some version of the above statement many times from many different people. Ideas are great, sure, and most of us who get ideas would love to know what to do with our ideas, how to record them, and if they’re really something that could be a “thing.” Most of the time, some people get ideas but just don’t do anything with them at all.

 

Don’t let this be you!

 

My latest Kindle Unlimited ebook, THE IDEA WORKBOOK: How to Choose and Use Your Ideas, gives you the 411 on just what to do with all those ideas floating around in your head.

 

The first thing you should do with your ideas is get them out of your head and onto paper! Part One of this book explains why. Having trouble figuring out which idea to take on first? Check out the chapters in Part Two. If you’re wondering how to make your idea more accessible, head over to Part Three to find out. Do you think your idea can really be turned into an actual product? Part Four gives you some tips. Part Five gives you pointers on what to do when the Great Unveiling happens, and Part Six shares tips on what you can do with all those ideas you previously thought were no good.

 

When I first started writing this book, I did so with the intention of wanting to help people with the common problems associated with getting ideas: How to select an idea out of the many, why it’s important to record our ideas, and what exactly we can do with our ideas. When I put together the outline for this book, it had just 20 chapters. The final draft has 30 chapters. I learned a lot in my research, and I felt that it was important to cover certain business and legal aspects associated with wanting to do something with an idea. I also realized that, as someone with a disability who has come across MANY inventions that are pretty much useless to someone who is deaf, it would be a good idea to write about how to make an idea into a product that is more accessible to everyone.

 

The more research I did for this book, the bigger the topic I realized I had on my hands. I went into the writing of this book as a writer who has lots of ideas for things and I came out of the writing of this book as a more informed idea person who is more aware that making an idea into reality is not just about slapping a bunch of materials together and hawking it on the streets. There’s a lot involved as far as research, patents and production is concerned. I say in the Introduction of this book that it’s a basic introduction on that subject. I have included some excellent books and websites that go more in-depth on that subject in the Resources at the end of this book. For anyone seriously considering going into the invention business or thinking about licensing their ideas, I strongly encourage them to check out those books and websites.

 

But what I want this book to ultimately do for readers is let them know that their ideas – every single one of them – are valid. They are worth thinking about and recording. They are worth pursuing. A lot of people in the past were told that their ideas for things such as airplanes, telephones, space shuttles, and computers were either useless, impossible or that no one would use them. But today we have airplanes, telephones, space shuttles and computers! People USE them! And our lives, as well as our knowledge about the world, are the better for them.

 

Ideas have the power to change the world. All it takes is one idea to bring something amazing and helpful into this world.

 

I remember the day I first learned about texting. I watched a commercial where two people were struggling to communicate while attending a loud party. One person solved that problem by using text. I remember when I first saw that, I practically jumped out of my chair with joy. For years, I have struggled to communicate with people. Not everyone I meet knows how to fingerspell (sign the alphabet in ASL). And most hearing people who attempted to communicate with me in the past usually turned away and walked off when I told them I am deaf. (I can’t hear but I can speak.) But texting? As a means of communication which even people who are deaf can use?? YES!!!! There was finally technology that was opening doors for the Deaf/HOH to be able to COMMUNICATE with others! And hearing people I have crossed paths with ever since have indeed used texting to communicate with me when I have trouble reading their lips. (I especially have a hard time reading the lips of someone with a mustache and beard. I tried bluffing my way through a conversation with such a person once, and it did not go well. I think this person thought I was just being rude.)

 

Texting SOLVED the communication problem that I, a deaf person, had with hearing people who did not know how to sign.

 

And it all happened thanks to one person coming up with the idea for texting on smartphones.

 

No matter how silly, bizarre, “impossible” or technical an idea may be, it’s worth holding onto and doing something about it. I have ideas for tech gadgets, clothing and entertainment products that up until the writing of this book, I thought could never be. Writing this book showed me that ANY idea can be possible. ANYTHING we come up with can be turned into a real thing. Now I know what to do with my ideas!

 

I already know what to do with ideas for things to write. Now, because I wrote this book, I know what to do with my ideas for OTHER things. Things I used to think would just collect dust in my desk drawer.

 

I have been told in the past that some of my ideas were “impossible” or “we don’t have the technology for that.” I no longer believe this to be true, because what I learned from researching and writing this book has shown that any idea can be made into a reality – IF it hasn’t been already. One piece of advice this book constantly gives is to do research, and I can’t say enough how important researching an idea is. Yes, research your idea, and even if you discover someone else already created it, research it some more. This book provides tips on how you can still make your idea an improved version that is your very own.

 

Writing this book has definitely given me faith in my ideas again. I now feel that I can actually DO SOMETHING with my ideas. I hope that anyone who reads this book will feel the same way too.

 

Hold onto your ideas. See where they lead you. Believe in them, have faith in them, and never give up on making your idea into something more than just a thought bubble over your head. Take that idea and turn it into something real! Something big! And something that just might make the world a better place for it.

 

Special thanks to Julie Fletcher for editing this book. Thanks also to Jenn Greenleaf, Juliann W., Centauri Wilson, Jax W. and Madeline T.

 

Blurb for THE IDEA WORKBOOK:

 

The world as we know it would not exist without ideas. Ideas are the building blocks of the future. From the moment someone is inspired to create something that would benefit humankind to the moment their idea is turned into reality, the steps we take on whether or not to grab hold of that idea all depend on you. It is up to you to pay attention to your ideas, grab hold of them, and do everything you can to make your idea come true. Believe in your ideas and what they can do. Your next big idea can be your next step toward building a better world.

 

Available for free through Kindle Unlimited.

The KU Book That Consumed Me

“This book consumes me.” These are the words I wrote in my journal one night, when I spent most of my day writing in the March KU book. (Note: KU means Kindle Unlimited. I started out writing this book strictly with the intention of it being an ebook available as a free download on Kindle Unlimited, but now I am thinking of making it a print as well, because two people I know who want to read it prefer print books.)

 

I had hoped to get this book written in one week, but at 30 chapters and nearly 150 pages, it took me two. It didn’t help that, during the first week, I was also working on a writing assignment. For that week, I spent half my day working on my assignment, and the other half working on my book. Trying to stay focused on two different writing projects got to be pretty challenging. I was able to turn in my assignment on time, but that experience was exhausting.

 

Which is why I prefer to focus only on the book when I am writing it. For the second week, that’s what I did – perhaps a little too much. There were times I was absentminded about other things (I left my keys in the lock on the front door!), I was late to pick my kids up from either school or work, and I often lost track of the time at night while I was busy writing or doing research, which meant late dinners.

 

I’d get up in the morning and start writing it.

 

I’d stay up late at night writing it.

 

I’d battle headaches and sleepiness while I was working on it and getting those chapters written.

 

I actually ended up moving a chapter to another location, as well as changing titles of chapters I had originally put into my outline when I was preparing to work on this book last month. I also got an idea for another chapter that I hadn’t even thought about before!

 

And, unfortunately, I neglected certain duties – housework, walking the dog and my usual reading routine – while I was writing this book.

 

I kept tabs on how many words I wrote each day. At one point, I started keeping tabs on how many chapters I wrote each day. My followers on Twitter and my Facebook pages were often apprised of my progress. But after a while, I stopped sharing word counts, because it felt like bragging. But when a fellow writer told me that all of this writing-related stuff I was sharing inspired her to get writing again, I realized that perhaps sharing this stuff is not so terrible after all. I was excited that my efforts to write this book was inspiring another writer to get writing again! Yay!

 

That is one of the reasons why I share my efforts with writing: I do want to inspire others to write, too. Or, get back to writing. I want to be an example to others. I want to inspire others. It doesn’t bother me at all when people copy things I do; if their copying is something that is GOOD for them and something that can bring joy, accomplishments and inspiration into their lives, then copy away! I told the universe one day “Use me” because I want to inspire others, motivate others and bring positive changes into the lives of other people.

 

That motivating factor recently played a role for me – when I was actually writing this book.

 

I am subscribed to a monthly newsletter sent out by a fellow writer. In one issue of the newsletter, she talked about writers who were able to write 10,000 words in one day. I was stunned. How was that possible?? The most I’d written was a little over 2,000 words. (That’s not counting the words of the 7 chapters I wrote in 1 day on Christmas Eve! All that writing was done in a notebook and I didn’t count the words.) Even so, I wanted to see if I, too, could manage to write 10,000 words in one day.

 

Well, I sure got close!

 

It was on Day 13 that I wrote over 5,000 words. Oh, boy! What a day that was! I woke up ready and eager to write in the book, so that’s what I did. I sat down at the computer, opened the file, and started typing. After I wrote three chapters, though, I crashed. Not from headaches, this time, but from another deterrent I have been dealing with lately: Sleepiness. I’d get VERY sleepy sometimes and conk out for 2 or 3 hours. (My doctor is currently running tests to find out why this is happening.) So, after I woke up, ate something, and was feeling strong enough to write again, I got back to work.

 

Then the power went out! ARGH!!

 

Thankfully, my youngest got the power back on and, thankfully again, I remembered what I had written that was not saved before we lost power. I am grateful the power stayed on during that time I spent writing!

 

On that day, I wrote 4 chapters, the afterword, and the Introduction for the book. It was all totaled to over 5,000 words. I got halfway to my goal of 10K! Yay!

 

Here is the total word counts for when I was writing this book:

 

Introduction: 530 words

Day 1: 3876 words

Day 2: 2124 words

Day 3: 2601 words (2 chapters)

Day 4: 1186 for 1 chapter (had bad headaches today and couldn't write the second chapter that I wanted to write today)

Day 5: 4910 words for 3 chapters

Day 6: 3240 words for 3 chapters

Day 7: 3217 words for 2 chapters

Day 8: 1342 words JUST ONE CHAPTER TODAY BECAUSE OF HEADACHES!

Day 9: 2791 words for two chapters

Day 10: 2205 (two chapters)

Day 11: 3675 (two chapters)

Day 12: 4,635 (4 chapters)

Day 13: 5,732 words for 4 chapters, afterword and introduction

Afterword: 380 words

 

TOTAL: 41,647 words in the first draft

Second draft (after some edits and revisions): 42,023 words

 

That is not so bad. I noticed I am a little short of 50K words here, which is what I aim for since I want to write a NaNoWriMo novel in November. This is why I am keeping track of word counts. I want to be able to write that novel with 50K words!

 

Hopefully, I will be able to find a routine to make that work. When I am working on the books, I don’t keep track of how many words I write. I keep track of what I get DONE for the day. I go into the day with a goal to get certain things done for each book: A chapter written, a section of the book edited, a part of the book revised or a poem written for a new collection. These are what I aim for, not the number of words written. But because I want to do NaNoWriMo this year and write 50K words, I need to pay attention to my daily word counts. (I DID write a novel for NaNoWriMo one year, but it came in under 40K words. Drat!)

 

I will keep trying to get to my 10K words in a day goal.

 

Right now, however, I am going back to work on the group of books I have been working on before I started working on this book: The next GHOST Group book, edits on the haunted houses book, writing End Game and also writing my next poetry book. I am also working on my next writing assignment, which is due at the end of the month.

 

For now, that’s a wrap. I’m done. The March KU book is out for edits and I have completed putting everything else together for it (both front matter and back matter). I am DONE doing research on this book; now to do research on the next book!

 

And, thankfully, the next book will be an easy one for me. It’s just a book of quotes on a theme. It won’t need too much work on my part, and zero work from the editor. I think we both could use the break!

 

Things That Go Bump in the Night: True Ghost Stories is a collection of real haunts and scary ghostly tales

 

A long time ago, I got it into my head that since I have experienced so many ghost sightings and paranormal events, I should put all of my stories into a book! However, the writer in me knew that, as far as SOME of the ghost sightings were concerned, there wasn’t much to tell. I have only SEEN ghosts but there was no real “story” there. For example, I once saw the ghost of a young man walking behind an elderly woman in a church. And…that was it. Nothing else happened. I also saw the ghost of a young female with a bloody line across her neck angrily stomping through the living room of one house that I lived in. I also once saw the ghost of what appeared to be a friar walking through my bedroom and right through my wall.

 

These were all ghost sightings, but they weren’t STORIES. A story has a beginning, middle and end. It has things HAPPENING. It has a conclusion. Just seeing a ghost and not much else doesn’t make it a story; it makes it a sighting.

 

But I did have some stories to share. I decided to put these stories into an ebook.

 

However, I didn’t stop there! I thought, why not go a step further? Why not include stories from other people, too?

 

As a paranormal writer, I have connected with other people who have also seen ghosts and have had paranormal experiences. Pamela K. Kinney is one such person. I found out about Pamela and her group when I was doing research for my book, A Ghost on Every Corner (which Pamela is in). I asked her if she wanted to share anything for the book and she agreed. Her story and photos are in the book. I was also familiar with Dave Juliano, from when I was writing articles for The Shadowlands site. I asked Dave if he had any stories to share for the book and he directed me to one he already had online. His story is in this book, as well (with his permission).

 

Since practically everyone in my family can see ghosts (we ALL have stories to tell about that!), of course I reached out to one of my sisters. I was aware of one paranormal experience she had aboard the Queen Mary years ago, and she also had another story to share, too. Millie’s stories (along with photos) are included in this book.

 

So, I was able to get more stories for this ebook. Yay!

 

The BIG challenge, though, came when it was time for the manuscript to be edited. Unfortunately, my editor lost her laptop and did not have access to her computer, so edits were delayed. THEN when she found the laptop, she edited the wrong file and sent it back to me. Whoops! I contacted her immediately (fortunately, I have been glued to my phone for most of the later part of that day) and we messaged back and forth about the mix-up. She did find the file and, bless her, she got to work immediately and went over it for editing. Even better: she got it done quick and sent it back to me in record time.

 

Have I mentioned lately how cool she is??

 

I admired her for not giving up on me and on this book. I was really appreciative towards her and extremely grateful that she hung in there despite these setbacks and worked tirelessly to get the edits done in record time even AFTER editing the wrong file! (Thanks, Julie! You’re awesome!)

 

So, of course, after that ordeal and we STILL managed to get the ebook out in time, I dedicated the book to her. She earned it!

 

That said, the ebook is NOW available as a free download on Kindle Unlimited. YAY!! Here is the blurb:

 

A demonic ghost terrifying a young boy in his own home. The ghost of a former resident in a 24-hour residential care facility still roaming his old home, seemingly attached to his possessions still kept there. Ghosts at an historical site engaging in conversation with a paranormal investigator and the ghost of a former steward still haunting a floor of the Queen Mary. These are just some of the very true yet spine-tingling stories you will get to read in True Ghost Stories, a collection of true spooky tales. Reading these stories may make you think twice the next time you dismiss something you see out of the corner of your eye. These stories are proof that even though they may no longer be of this world, certain spirits still cling to their old stomping grounds!

 

True Ghost Stories is available as a free download on Kindle Unlimited.