Living Write - by Kelly L. Stone - A cool book review

I met Kelly L. Stone at a writer's conference a few years ago, and my first impression was that she was a totally put-together, collected lady. Then I learned she was a professional counselor, which made me nervous for a few moments while I wondered if she read my body language or dissected my sentences. But the wall came down, and we chatted. She was coming out with her first book, Time to Write.

Today, however, I'm touting her third book on writing, Living Write, published by Adams Media. If you want a book that talks to you, about you, about being a writer, this is it. Kelly speaks directly to you about the feelings that jumble up inside as you're trying to admit you're a writer, envision success, and establish a habit to where you "write with your eyes closed."


She tells you how to act like you would like to be - steady, polished, creative, confident, prepared. The more you act like you'd like to be, the sooner you become. I do that when I am speaking, which isn't a natural experience for me. Before I step up on a stage, I picture myself as this innovative, bubbly person who's interesting to hear. Even as I'm speaking, if I see people nodding off, I raise it up a notch, pretending to be better. Funny thing is...it's really not pretending. It's you, allowing yourself to project and become the quality product you've always wanted to be. Fake being someone long enough, and you turn into him.

But back to Kelly's book, Living Write. Here you learn about how to identify and create a self-image that propels your writing career. I loved it. And guess what? It comes with a CD developed by L. Michael Stone, also a counselor, on how to use your subconscious for self-improvement.

This book is a solid investment in yourself as a writer. For a change, here is a book that helps you feel better and improve your image, inside and out, as a professional, without telling you how to market, write better or pitch. This is purely about how you feel about what you love to do.

NOTE:
Cathy C. Hall won the drawing for the 2012 Guide to Literary Agents. Go Cathy!