Julia McCitchen: The Writer's Journey from inspiration to publication - The writer's Journey, From inspiration to publication

Hi Aspiring & Published Authors!

May is one of my favourite months of the year. The brown winter landscape gradually transforms into a rich tapestry of multiple shades of green, as if the natural world is being painted with the colour of new life as it emerges from sleeping buds.

Encouraged by this natural surge of creative energy, this week I’m raising the bar to the next level with the book I am writing.

Having danced with a few creative daemons and demons in the last couple of weeks, I’m now heading more deeply into the conscious uncertainty that is the hallmark of this stage of the Conscious Writing process.

Staying balanced between focus and flow, showing up regularly, and remaining open to all possibilities, I’ll be interested to see where this journey into the Mystery eventually leads!

Inspiring Interviews
Alongside all of this, one of the aspects of my work that I love is speaking with the genuinely inspiring authors and international experts who contribute their time freely for our monthly Events.

Each year we create a compilation of the six best interviews of the year in an audio CD set which forms part of the Welcome Pack that FULL Members receive. Now it is time to make the Best of 2012 Interviews available for everyone to benefit from.

We are delighted to offer an introductory price until Friday 31 May so if you’d like to know The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success, The Power of Storytelling to Find Your Voice, the Four Noble Truths for Writers, how you can Create Time to Write, and Develop a Book Marketing Plan, read more here.

Date for Your Diary
Looking ahead, if you missed the Live in London Conscious Writing workshop last month and would like to experience this deep approach to writing in the company of other Conscious Writers, you have another opportunity on Saturday 15 June at the Isbourne Holistic Centre in Cheltenham. For more details and to book your place, click here

Finally, we have a fabulous guest article from one of our IACCW Experts Eric Maisel this month on Confident Creating. Enjoy reading it here and taking action on Eric’s suggestions. I’ll look forward to catching up with you again next month.

To you conscious & creative success!

PS This “Welcome” note is reproduced from the latest issue of the monthly IACCW Journal. If you’re not receiving our newsletter regularly, register with your name and email address in the Start Here box at the top of this page.

Hi Aspiring & Published Authors!

The prolonged cold weather may have delayed the start of spring but the seeds for our creative work can be planted and nurtured by the warmth of our inspiration at any moment we choose.

The seeds for my new book have already germinated, and I am very much looking forward to sharing the principles and guiding participants through the process of Conscious Writing at the one day workshop on Sunday 21 April. Read more here.

A couple of weeks ago I spent an enjoyable half day in a recording studio and created a Conscious Writing audio program which was a new experience for me. Adding some original music to the spoken word content was great fun, and we’ll be making this audio available on 21 April ahead of its general release when the book is finally published.

Conscious Writing Scholarship

In the meantime, I am delighted to announce the results of the Conscious Writing Scholarship, and many congratulations go to Shelley Hawkins (1st place), Priya Mahtani (2nd place) and Jeanine Hanneman (3rd place).

We had a large number of applications and the quality of submissions was very high so thank you to everyone who took part. It has been such a positive experience that we plan to offer the Scholarship again next year so you might like to make a note in your diary to have your submission ready!

Two New Full Member Benefits

Supporting Conscious Writers is an important part of our work here at the IACCW and this month we have added two new Full Member Benefits for extra support:

(i) Guest Articles – Full Members now have the opportunity to have a guest article published in the IACCW Journal and posted to the IACCW blog. Our first Full Member to take advantage of this new Benefit is Lynda Monk and you can read her article here.

(ii) Published Works - we are also in the process of creating a new page for the IACCW website on which we will feature published works from Full Members and coaching clients.

These can be books, e-books, audio CDs or any other work that has been self or traditionally published as long as it is for sale on Amazon. If you would like to submit your published work, email us on info@iaccw.com and we’ll send you more information.

Finally, I discovered when I was writing this month’s article on silence that Wednesday 24 April is International Noise Awareness Day.

I am delighted to discover that the benefits of silence are becoming so widely documented that they have led to days like this for promoting awareness. Enjoy reading the article and benefitting from incorporating more silence into your conscious & creative living.

Have a wonderfully conscious & creative month!

This “Welcome” note is reproduced from the latest issue of the monthly IACCW Journal. If you’re not receiving our newsletter regularly, register with your name and email address in the Start Here box at the top of this page.

Hi Aspiring & Published Authors!

The arrival of March always feels full of potential as the promise of spring inspires us to plant new seeds and nurture the creative projects we are drawn to make a commitment to.

This year, I am following a strong inner impulse to write my next book, and one week after sharing the news with my social media friends, I am happy to say that it’s off to a good start!

It feels like eons ago that I wrote the last one so I am approaching this book with a beginner’s mind and setting a clear intention to honour the writing time I schedule in my diary as sacred. The book is called Conscious Writing and I am very much looking forward to sharing it with you later this year.

In the meantime, Conscious Writing lies at the core of all that we teach and guide writers to experience here at the IACCW as it is a sacred and powerful approach to creative writing.

Our belief in the transformative impact of conscious writing is such that we have created a Scholarship which is an extension of the Conscious Writing Mentor Program as a new level of contribution to aspiring and established writers.

As a courtesy reminder, the deadline for submitting an application for the Conscious Writing Scholarship is this Friday 15 March. Read more here.

We also have a Conscious Writing Live in London one day workshop coming up on Sunday 21 April when you will have the chance to work with me and your fellow conscious writers in person to experience the process and results for yourself. Read more and book your place here.

Finally, today is Nyepi, the Balinese New Year, and I love the fact that this day is celebrated by observing a day of silent reflection by the 4.5 million people who live on the island. It is a beautiful tradition and I would love to encourage you to enjoy the restorative power of silence by taking at least 15 minutes today for your own silent reflection.

Have a wonderfully conscious & creative month!

PS A new photo for a new era!

PPS This “Welcome” note is reproduced from the latest issue of the monthly IACCW Journal. If you’re not receiving our newsletter regularly, register with your name and email address in the Start Here box at the top of this page.

Hi Aspiring & Published Authors!

February was my least favourite month for a long time. The cold British weather and grey skies compounded anniversaries of loss and left me feeling less than my usual sparkling self!

Yet increasingly over the last few years, as the inner alchemy I have been working consciously with has transformed my awareness, I find myself in complete acceptance of everything just as it is.

From this liberated perspective, the heaviness has dissolved and the clarity of my true perception has been enhanced leaving me far more aware of the snowdrops than the snow (although the snow is lovely too!)

As writers we need to sharpen the clarity of our perception in order to see beyond the mundane and into the magic that lies beyond the veil of everyday conditioning, habits and concerns. From here we share the living reality with our readers through the carefully crafted words we write.

This process isn’t always easy and takes commitment. One contributing factor that makes a huge difference is having a high level of guidance so in our moments of confusion we can be reassured that we are on track.

Highlights this month

The role of mentor or guide is one that has always felt natural to me. Over the years I have honed my skills and combined my expertise from publishing and authorship to support countless writers to begin, develop and deepen into their process of writing.

So I am delighted to announce that the new Conscious Writing Mentor Program starting in April is coming soon. And this year, we are offering a Scholarship which means a whole six months of coaching, consultancy and mentoring completely FREE!

All the details will be announced next week, and in the meantime, you can reflect on whether you are ready to make a real commitment to your writing and authorship this year.

A Date for Your Diary

Looking ahead, if you would like to spend a whole day exploring our empowering and holistic approach to writing, we have a Conscious Writing one day workshop taking place in London on Sunday 21 April. Read more and book your place here.

Finally, I am very much looking forward to this month’s event for IACCW FREE & FULL Members with Stephen Harrod Buhner. He is the author of one of my favourite books on writing called Ensouling Language so I recommend you mark your calendar to attend the live interview or to download the audio recording of what I’m confident will be a deeply inspiring conversation.

Enjoy all that we are offering to support your success as an aspiring & published author!

PS This “Welcome” note is reproduced from the latest issue of the monthly IACCW Journal. If you’re not receiving our newsletter regularly, register with your name and email address in the Start Here box at the top of this page.

Hi Aspiring & Published Authors!

The current phase of change is gathering momentum as we head towards two of the most significant dates in recent history.

Tomorrow the date will be 12/12/12, and next week, we reach 21/12/12, or if you are in the US, 12/21/12!

A great deal has been said about this point in time. And even if we disregard the over-excitement of some of the more “extreme” interpretations, we would be burying our heads in the sand if we didn’t notice the change that is already underway in the world.

For many of us who are choosing to live consciously and creatively, there is a sense of genuine possibility that this turning point in time could indeed be the threshold of a wider awakening. And the more we can all contribute to that process, the better!

Over at the IACCW, our latest contribution is in the form of a new level of
FREE IACCW Membership which includes access to our monthly interviews and training calls to inspire and inform you to take consistent action as a writer. Read more here.

We are delighted to be sharing important insights on a conscious & creative approach to all aspects of creativity, writing, marketing and publishing with a wider audience than ever before.

So do make the most of this new opportunity. Join the IACCW for FREE today; and please be so kind as to help us spread the word far and wide about this valuable new resource for, aspiring and published, conscious & creative writers. Thank you.

Today’s article is intended to support you to “Ride the Current Wave of Change” – enjoy reading it, and have a wonderfully conscious & creative festive month!

PS This “Welcome” note is reproduced from the latest issue of the monthly IACCW Journal. If you’re not receiving our newsletter regularly, register with your name and email address in the Start Here box at the top of this page.

Hi Aspiring & Published Authors!

As we head towards the turn of the season with the autumn equinox on the horizon, it is time to begin harvesting the fruits of the seeds we have sown.

Wherever you are on the creative writing curve, this is a good moment to be conscious of all that you already have at your disposal to begin, develop or complete your current project(s).

It is also an excellent time to benefit from the fruits of the creative seeds that other people have sown to support you to reap the rewards of fully fledged conscious and creative authorship!

This month, the “fruits” we are offering here at the IACCW take the form of one FREE teleseminar and two 1 day workshops.

Join us for the first session of a two-part teleseminar on Ebook Publishing Success which is FREE for everyone to enjoy. It is taking place this Thursday 6 September. Read more and register your place here.

The first of the one day workshops is Conscious Writing on Sunday 23 September when you will learn the principles and practice of this powerful, deep writing technique. Read more and register your place here.

Creating in the Moment is a brand new one day experience on Saturday 6 October and will open the way for you to engage consciously with the mystery of the creative process to apply to your writing and to all areas of your life. Read more and register your place here.

Enjoy feasting on these creative fruits and have a wonderfully conscious & creative month!

PS This “Welcome” note is reproduced from the latest issue of our fortnightly IACCW Journal. If you’re not receiving our newsletter regularly, register with your name and email address here.

Hi Aspiring & Published Authors!

Happy Monday to you, and I hope that you’ve had a wonderful weekend! As we begin another week, we’ve been reflecting on the fact that Mondays are usually busy and intense days for most of us as we review priorities and gear up for the week ahead.

So we’ve decided to shift the publication date of the IACCW Journal to Tuesdays from May onwards. This is to create a greater opportunity for you to benefit from the news and information we’re sharing with you every fortnight.

We’d love to know if this works better for you. In fact, we’d love to know more about your reaction to the IACCW Journal generally, so we have a question for you:

What would you like to see more of in the IACCW Journal?

The IACCW Journal is written and published to serve you as an author, to inspire you to new possibilities and to inform you of new ways of approaching your authorship. Please tell us what you want included and what topics you’d most like to see covered in our articles.

To thank you for your time and energy, all responses will be entered in our IACCW Journal Subscribers Only Prize Draw. The winner will receive up to £50 worth of FREE digital download Products of your choice!

All you need to do is email a brief summary of your thoughts to info@iaccw.com and we’ll include you in the prize draw. You have until MONDAY 30 APRIL to send your ideas in to us. We’ll notify the winner by email on Tuesday 8 May, and with your permission, announce it in the next issue of the IACCW Journal on the first of our Tuesday publication dates, 15 May.

We recently ran a similar Prize Draw for IACCW Members. Thank you again to everyone who submitted their fabulous feedback and ideas which were all greatly appreciated. The winner was IACCW Member Shelley Hawkins and you can read more about Shelley and her work here www.theselfconnection.com.

We are so looking forward to hearing from you.

As ever, to your conscious & creative success!

PS This “Welcome” note is reproduced from the latest issue of our fortnightly IACCW Journal. If you’re not receiving our newsletter regularly, register with your name and email address here.

Hi Aspiring & Published Authors!

On this glorious spring day, I am delighted to share that registration for the IACCW 2012 Symposium which is taking place on Wednesday 2^nd and Thursday 3^rd May is now open – and you’re invited!

Our theme for this year’s virtual event with bestselling authors and international experts is 2012 – Understanding Our Role as Conscious & Creative Writers in a Changing World.

We have an awesome line-up of speakers who will share their wisdom and expertise, and all live interviews are FREE for everyone to enjoy. Audio recordings are reserved for IACCW Members. Read more and register your place by clicking here.

On that subject, if you already are an IACCW Member, please remember that today is the last day to submit your response to our recent Q4U communication in order to be included in our prize draw. The winner will be announced in the follow-up to our Member Event on Thursday.

In the meantime, today’s article was inspired by a recent coaching session with a Mentor Program writer. These real life situations are ones that we can all benefit from, either as timely reminders or as new learning to support us to do our creative work in the most rewarding and successful way possible.

Through this article, I invite you to explore The Alpha and Omega of Creative Expression, and experience the rich rewards of the intangible mystery of conscious creativity for yourself. We’ll look forward to hearing your reaction so do share your comments at the end of the article.

Have a wonderfully conscious & creative week!

PS This “Welcome” note is reproduced from the latest issue of the fortnightly IACCW Journal. If you’re not receiving this newsletter regularly, register with your name and email address here.

Hi Aspiring & Published Authors!

The 20th March marks the Spring Equinox here in the northern hemisphere. This is an excellent time for conscious writers to celebrate the renewal of life on earth and to begin new creative projects or initiate a new phase of existing ones.

New phases seem to be a constant theme in my life and in the lives of the majority of people I know and work with! In fact, on-going transformation is a sign of the times as individually and collectively we release the old and open to new ways of being in the world as conscious co-creators.

This leads me in to an exciting announcement for today which is that the details of the International Association of Conscious & Creative Writers (IACCW) annual Symposium are almost ready to share with you!

The theme for this year’s virtual event with bestselling authors and international experts is 2012: Understanding Our Role as Conscious & Creative Writers in a Changing World.

We have an inspiring line-up of speakers who will share their wisdom and expertise with you, and more information will follow next week. In the meantime, please put the dates in your diary right now: Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd May.

All live interviews are free for everyone to enjoy. Audio recordings are reserved for IACCW Members.

Speaking of Members, the deadline for the IACCW March Membership Offer is just 2 days away on Wednesday 21 March. For free access to all of the Symposium interviews (this year AND last year) PLUS our Free Bonus Gift for March and all of the other Benefits of Membership, read more and join by clicking here.

One other deadline to draw your attention to this week relates to the 2012 Training, Coaching & Mentoring Programs. If you’re interested in working with me individually this year, you’ll need to apply by Tuesday 27 March. Read all about the three-tier structure of programs for this year plus how to register by clicking here.

Enjoy the journey!

PS This “Welcome” note is reproduced from the latest issue of the fortnightly IACCW Journal. If you’re not receiving this newsletter regularly, register with your name and email address here.