This is my second guest of the year.
I’ve been blessed to meet some wonderful writers and bloggers during the second part of last year, and I’ve invited some over to my blog.
Today I ‘m very pleased to introduce you to a talented writer with a wonderful personality. let me tell you that I try to connect with a LOT of bloggers, writers and other entrepreneurs, but few have responded as well as Jaime Buckley!
Jaime is an author. His expertise is Fantasy children’s books. And he’s also a game creator. And YES, he can write!
Here is my quote for my guest today…
Take a talented writer, a fun and warm personality, as well as a huge sense of humor, and you get Jaime Buckley!
You have an idea.
It’s a brilliant idea.
No really, it’s brilliant—forget what other people say.
Trust yourself.
All great stories have a beginning somewhere.
That idea may be a person, it may be a place.
Perhaps it’s an event or something valuable, sought after or obtained.
When we create, shift and shape words to make a story/article/report… it can be likened to a long hall with many doors.
You don’t always have to worry about what door to open first—just choose one and walk through.
Any door.
The reason why is once you open that first door, you’ll soon discover another hall.
It too has many doors.
That’s the way it is with so many of us writers.
We have an idea and go with it—but it’s linked to another idea…and another. Each a distinct door, leading you to another aspect of your story.
As you open these doors, you will, over time, find yourself back in a room where the adjoining door is already open.
You’ve been there before.
Everything connects sooner or later—if you let it.
Sound familiar? The process??
It’s the workings of a creative mind.
What To Do When Our Creative Mind Doesn’t Show Up For Work
The creative mind is both amazing…and a pain in the backside.
As a writer, regardless of your particular field, you rely upon it—to both produce ideas and feed them.
But what happens if your creativity decides to take the day off?
Ever worse, goes on vacation and doesn’t tell you?!
I know this feeling all too well as a fiction writer, game maker and popular parenting blogger. My living is made by the use of my mind and how creative I can be…not in spurts, but consistently.
Thing is, I also know what it’s like to be under pressure in the professional world of freelance writing.
It’s brutal.
Anyone who makes a living as a freelance writer should wear a t-shirt that says, “I Never Get Credit For The Amazing Things I Do.”
Isn’t it true? You do the work, but someone else takes the credit, leaving you with little to nothing in your portfolio to show for it.
What’s worse is if your creativity poops out on you, it’s over.
So what do you do to ensure your creative side keeps humming along so you can accomplish the tasks at hand?
You say the magic word.
…and I don’t mean “please.”
Do YOU know the Magic Word?
What if I could show you how to avoid this dilemma altogether?
Avoid the stress, the strain, the worry that you’ll fail in your creative tasks to come up with the information you need or worse…the wrong information.
What if you could write with confidence and security, knowing that you change all the rules by using a single word?
Funny thing is, every two year old kid seems to figure this out before we do.
When you want them to do something…9 out of 10 children will look up at you and simply ask:
“Why?”
Sound simple?
That’s because it is.
It is also why the very power and efficiency of the word is misunderstood and underused.
WHY is the process of opening up opportunities to shine a light on your work.
WHY helps you discover the connections between the characters of your stories or the facts of your research.
WHY is the vehicle that uncovers everything under the sun in the world you just created…or the fictional lie you just manufactured.
What’s amazing about the word WHY, is you don’t have to feel overwhelmed, because you are always in charge of this part of the process.
I Only Had to Ask WHY To Soar To The Top
For two years I worked for a marketing company out of Salt Lake City.
No experience, no references except for the single recommendation by a friend who knew someone on the inside. He pointed to my reputation online and my fantasy books to get me a shot at proving my worth.
It was a freelance writing position, producing articles for national contracts and promoting Fortune 500 Brands online. My words would eventually have popular (and sometimes famous) names attached to them…they just weren’t mine.
Let’s just say that when I started my trial run, I was nervous.
…like sweating buckets, nervous.
It was the first time I’d dealt with actual deadlines (other than the ones I impose upon myself as an Indie Author) and an editor was assigned to me. She was a professional woman who immediately mapped out the company’s ultra strict writing format, submission rules and regulations.
These folks paid top dollar in the industry for each word you submitted, but in return you had to be an Olympic writer. Your ideas had to be fresh, new and near epic on a regular basis. What was worse, should you break any of the rules OR fail to meet company expectations—you’d be thrown to the curb.
*insert gulp here*
Luckily I’d discovered a ‘magical word’ that helped me in crafting my fantasy novels…and it turned out to work just as well with non-fiction projects.
What this story doesn’t describe is the stress level and fear that overshadowed me every day until I started asking WHY.
I struggled (often) to come up with the right ideas, the right pitch, the right research. My work days averaged 12-16 hours of writing, which also included headaches, vomiting, anxiety attacks and landing myself in bed for days at a time.
Heck, if I could have figured out how to plug an I.V. of coffee into my arm to keep going, I probably would have tried it.
All the while my fear of not getting it ‘just right’ ate at me, along with the reality of losing my job if my creativity failed me.
I’m happy to say, however, that within the first six months of asking WHY, my reputation grew and I snagged the company’s number one freelance writer spot, specializing in parenting and youth articles.
One of the natural talents that come with being a father of 12, BTW.
At the end of the first year I was allowed to not only select my own jobs (because of my creativity and consistency), but exceeded the two article per week cap.
In fact, the company let me write as much as I wanted.
During that two year period, I wrote nearly 1000 articles as a freelancer, averaging 700-1200 words on each assignment…roughly 900,000 words during that career. That didn’t include the extra 300,000 words in novels I cranked out during the same time period.
When the company changed their policies and lowered their standards (and pay) to the industry norm, I left.
The WHAT and HOW of WHY
So how does this work?
Are you confused as how this single word applies in your own projects?
REMAIN CALM!
(breathe in…breathe out…)
My dear friend Sylviane is a clever woman. She knew full well that I wouldn’t end this article without making sure you understood the applications of WHY.
If your WHY doesn’t exist then the stories you’re trying to craft won’t stand on their own feet.
How many times, when trying to craft a fictional work, have you said “because I said so”?
Why did so-and-so say this? Because I said so.
Why did so-and-so DO that? Because I said so.
The folly is, such laziness won’t wash with readers.
They’re too smart.
…and I learned it doesn’t work with kids, either.
Writers who are forced to crank out volumes of material oftentimes look for shortcuts when no one’s looking, but readers are smarter than you think.
A lot smarter.
I don’t know if you’re a novel writer, a blogger, freelancer or ghost writer, so I’m going to focus on what I know and you apply it to your trade, alright?
(Besides, according to the 2012 Freelance Industry Report, nearly half of all freelancers say writing is their primary skill.)
As a writer, you want fans.
Be it the reader of your novel or the reader of your blog, you want them impressed with what you craft. So here’s how to use the word WHY to your immediate benefit:
SET UP: Grab a sheet of paper or find a whiteboard to write on. Try to conserve space, as you’ll be using as much space as possible as you go. Make sure you can go through this process without stopping or being interrupted if possible.
Start with the EVENT: Virtually every story has some form of an EVENT. It’s the center of a story or article…used as the catalyst to create lesser events. The springboard for your world, so to speak. If you’re writing non-fiction, such as a review for a product, the experience of using that product could be labeled the EVENT. For this example, however, we’ll use a fictional setting.
Gather the variables of your story and list them. The EVENT, people, places, facts, whatever the attention of the reader will be focused on.
Now ask yourself WHY?: The object here is to drill yourself as if doing an investigative interview. You want to know the hidden details, so you start to experience growing pains. If you ask WHY about some aspect of your writing and it hits a nerve to where you flinch and respond, “What difference does THAT make?” …then you’ve just discovered a hole.
WHY did the EVENT happen?
WHY were your characters involved in that EVENT?
WHY do people shun magic?
WHY are all the leaders women and not men?
WHY did the two nations decide to go to war one with another?
WHY would a person use this particular product or service and not the closest competitor?
You’ll soon start asking who, where, how and when as you go along, but we group them all under the heading of WHY. This is because they are simple, one word questions that peel back the layers of your writing and force us to consider more information.
That small, seemingly insignificant word that causes your brain to solve a problem you’ve just created for it.
Isn’t that what our creative minds do?
Problem solving.
That’s the power of WHY.
Play with this process and you’ll create twists and turns, lists and refinements all on your own. Just know that many writers will walk away from this just because it sounds too simple.
Choice is yours, but I’ll tell you this:
You’ll never get the reputation, recognition or financial gain as a writer unless you develop the skill of filling the gaps.
WHY?
Exactly.
I hope you enjoy this guest post. Please, leave you inputs and thoughts below!
Thank you to my good Friend Adrienne Smith for making up for 3 week’s worth of post on a single Sunday afternoon! You’re priceless my friend!
Thank you to Neamat Tawadrous for saying this about me : “Sylviane you always touch buttons within me that gets me thinking. I have to say I love your writing style although educating but captivating at the same time.” Thank you so much for such encouraging words, Neamat.
Thank you to Carol Amato for having introduced me to my guest today. Without you, Carol, that wonderful guest post by Jaime, would not have been.
What a refreshing and fun article to start the week – and enjoy with my Monday morning coffee!
Nice to meet you Jaime and thank you Sylviane for introducing him to us.
The WHY writing process intrigues me. With my background in education, psychology and coaching , I’m always digging deeply and subconsciously asking that question. I never thought to apply it in this way to writing yet as I was reading this, I realized that I do it naturally, though not consistently. I’m excited to follow this process and take it further.
The highlight for me though was Jamie’s tag line – “Every parent should be a hero to their child.” That certainly sums up what’s most important in my life too!
Thank you Jaime and Sylviane!
Have a wonderful week.
~Deborah
Deborah Tutnauer invites you to read..Lead With Your Authentic Heart and Good Business Will Follow
Hi Deborah,
Nice to see you here bright and early, and I’m so glad you enjoyed this great post today, written by some who knows a few things about writing.
I think that asking the key question WHY is so simple and yet such a great tool when we write. Like you I feel that I’m asking that question when I write too. So it’s nice to know we’re on the right track, right?
I’m so glad you read this post, and I’m sure Jaime will coming here soon 🙂 I know he’s a couple hours behind me, so I have the upper hand for now!
Have a great day!
Hello Deborah, and good morning!
Hmmm…education AND psychology?
(shhh, Chuck, just…stay back there—she hasn’t seen you yet. Out of sight, out of mind—just shut the door and keep your head down….)
Interesting! Bet you meet many curious personalities, eh?
**pushes the door shut behind him with his heel**
The whole process of WHY is more powerful than I believe most writers realize. It forces our minds to be creative. I’m not surprised you do it naturally, Deborah—but YES, if you focus on it, I’d wager you’ll find all sorts of applications.
The awesome thing about this process, was being able to form a popular advanced worldbuilding system around it. The book was written for teens originally, but it’s being scooped up by all writing levels. Another way to work with kids—which I looooove doing.
*smirk*
I’m delighted that my tag line agrees with you. It’s something I believe in to the core of my being. Easy to understand, being a father of 12 myself.
Thank you for the feedback, Deborah. Wonderful to meet you and hope to connect again in the future =)
Have an awesome week!
(Yes Chuck,…you can come out now…)
Sylviane,
Just wanted to say thank you for this opportunity to write for your community. Always wonderful to make new friends and I love sharing what small nuggets of knowledge I have gained over time, with others.
Looking forward to interacting with and answering the questions of your readers!
Hi Jaime,
Well, you beat me to it. I was just about going to write my own comment about your post here.
First off, I’m very happy for having you here today, and I think that lots of people need to ask themselves that question as they write their article, blog post or book…
Like you and Deborah, I am asking that question of WHY when I write. I am always making sure that what I’m writing will be of some kind of help to the reader.
One thing that I want to add is that by getting to know great writers like you, and other very good writers/bloggers I’ve met not too long ago, I feel that my writing style has improved.
Iron is sharpen by iron as they say!
When your writing style is inspiring, that’s a darn good sign that you’re doing right 🙂
So, thank so much for all this, and have a super wonderfully productive day!
That’s a great perspective: learning from one another.
I wonder if society trains us to be more skeptical and wary of others in the same industry and less open. That’s been my experience, anyway.
It’s a shame, because we all bring unique views and knowledge to the table–even if we lack actual time in our professions. So you keep shining as a fantastic example, Sylviane, and I’ll keep pointing at you and saying, “Do what she does…”
*wink*
Hey Sylviane and Jaime,
Wow, father of 12… I can’t even imagine myself! But I can definitely see how you came up with the concept of why and how it benefited you on your freelance gig!
I actually use this concept with pretty much everything I do. From blogging to piano playing I use this word ‘Why’ and once I figure it out, then i got into what, how, when, and to what extent! I tell you that it helps a lot!
But what really did it for me was after reading Noah St. John’s book “The Secret Code of Success” where he came up with the concept of Afformations instead of doing affirmations. Affirmations really didn’t work for me because i didn’t believe the statements i was saying to myself. So I started using afformatins where I form a positive questions about myself, hence why I started asking myself ‘Why’, like Why will I be a great blogger?
You are definitely right on how powerful this simple word can be. This has helped me find a lot of the solutions to the problems i came across or the frustrations that i conjure up!
This was definitely a great topic Jaime and thank you Sylviane for having him as a guest!
Hello Sherman!
Yup, father of 12…but it’s not a big deal—they’re SUCH great kids, I like to tell folks they’re on auto-pilot (grin).
I love hearing that so many are using WHY in their lives, and not just for writing! Awesome. Music too? Wow.
I’ve never read Noah St. John’s book, but the whole concept of afformations instead of affirmations sounds intriguing! ‘Cause then you can ANSWER those questions, huh!?
It’s hard to make affirmations work—at least in my own mind, for the very reason you stated. The whole purpose of doing affirmations is to create more of a positive energy in use and motivation—but what happens when we’re coming from a down or negative place? Like you said, it’s difficult to believe in one’s self and that phrase, “Fake it until you make it” doesn’t work for folks like me.
Thank you for sharing that perspective Sherman, and especially for the book info =).
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..Are You Condemning Your Kids to Poverty, Pregnancy & Prison? Read This.
Well, Jaime, nature has it that it always will be less of a big deal to have 12 kids for you than it is or was for your wife 🙂 But yet, again that’s why God made women so much much resistant than you guys 🙂 Now, joke aside, great kids help for sure.
Ah, those good old affirmations that don’t work. You’re right they don’t, because as long as we’re not there emotionally no affirmation will work. We need to put the emotion in there, and that’s the tough part. But with good practice and a hang of it, it does work. At least that’s my experience, and what I teach.
OUCH! Lol. Point taken…
(…and you ladies have MY vote….!!!)
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..My Minds Eye #4: THE BET
Hi Sherman,
I remember you’ve you have blogged about those important questions such why, what, whom and when, so I’m sure this post talked to you. Those are questions we need to ask in life (and in writing) so we can make more sense of things better and get in the right direction in life and in writing.
Like you, the first thing that stuck with me when I met Jaime was the 12 kids. I guess it’s hard to imagine, for many of us, especially those of us who managed never not to have a single one 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed Jaime’s post and thank you for coming.
Funny…the 12 kids stick with me too.
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..Parenting: You Can Do This One More Day
Aahahah, they sure do. Don’t know why this comment when into spam. Sorry, restored!
Hi Sylviane and Jaime,
Why?
That’s a powerful, powerful question that unlocks the door to many blogging secrets and struggles.
I think for many bloggers and especially business bloggers they ask “why” of the wrong person.
What I mean is that they tend to ask why of themselves. That’s good to a point, but I think when it comes to marketing and blogging the real “why” is the why of the reader, prospect and customer.
The more we make it about their “why” the more they have a reason to make it about our “why”.
Really great article here and loved the conversation and thought around this much needed conversation!!!
~ Don Purdum
Don Purdum invites you to read..Successful Blogging Tips for Service Based Businesses
Hi Don,
You’re so right, WHY should be about the reader, the prospect, not so much “the seller”. Such as in why would their want to read this? Why would they want to buy my service or product once they read this article?
To take Jaime’s example here, he blogs a lot about parenting but he’s got a HUGE why! He know about raising kids, for sure. The stronger your why the better. In writing, in business, in life…
Thanks for your input, Don.
Oooooooo, you unlocked a HUGE point, Don.
I agree that you have to ask this of the right person—WHICH DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU’RE DOING. Of course, my example given was for writing content in and of itself—my own example being a book. This crosses over to blogging…but if I’m understanding your point, Don, you’re talking about “intent” here & not just “content”.
WHY is an onion.
We can focus on the WHY of the story, the WHY of an article, WHY you use a certain plugin or funnel, WHY people would read your article/blog. All these can overlap, but they also have their own unique places where the WHY being used is contained.
Example: I ask myself what I want my readers to feel before I ever write a book. I look at the impact I want to have and WHY that is? WHY would they feel this way and WHY would they share the book/information with someone else? From there I will form my outline around that series of desires/outcome of thought…but then my world/story have isolated WHY’s to bring characters and emotions to life.
In short, I personally use WHY—the readers WHY (through conversations & fan email)—as the start, to create a target/destination. Then I use the question to form the path and adventure to get them to that target/destination.
When you’re talking about marketing and blogging, IMO, the challenge is gathering your information correctly. Unless you’re doing surveys or asking clients/readers the actual questions to discover the WHY’s, aren’t you still asking ‘yourself’ WHY (in their name) and making assumptions?
Great thoughts, Don!
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..Why EVERY Mommy Blogger (and mommy) Should Connect With This Blog
Why is an important question in life in general, one that many people avoid asking altogether.
At the moment I am asking it of myself, in order to write a synopsis for a short story I am having submitted in an anthology. For some reason, I am having a hard time answering it.
I answer it all the time with my blog, but fiction is something else entirely.
Interesting post here. Congratulations to the both of you.
Have a great week.
Hello Kerry =)
Fiction is my specialty….so let me quote my book, “Advanced WORLDBUILDING” where I address the use of WHY:
Testing your ability to Question
Now I want you to choose one thing you’ve created and recorded in this or any other world journal you have. It can be a person, place, plant, animal, thing or event—it doesn’t really matter. But once you have the thing—I want you to look at it from the eyes of a reader, not a writer or creator.
• What do you see?
• Is the idea complete?
• Does the information you have available satisfy your personal curiosity as a reader?
• What might be asked about this information which could box you in or create a problem in your world?
• Does other information connect to this particular snippet in a smooth way—or does it feel choppy and require more explanations?
Example: Wendell is on an alien planet for the duration of his lifetime. Sucks, but that’s the breaks. Why is he there? How did he get there? Who was it involved in this galactic cruelty? What is going to happen to Wendell now? Was this by accident or was it all on purpose?
These are questions I know my readers will ask—if not during this first book, later in the series. I have to know myself, what happens, so I can address the questions as they arise—or prevent them from being asked in the first place.
So the WHY of this system is about going over your information and checking the content for flaws, leaks or inconsistencies. As you do this, you’ll create more questions and your world will take on more color, more depth and, not surprisingly, more wonder and brilliance!
It takes some time, so don’t get discouraged.
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..Are You Condemning Your Kids to Poverty, Pregnancy & Prison? Read This.
Hi Kerry,
I’m so glad you came to read this post, because Jaime gave you such a beautiful reply here. Nothing to add, only to say thank you so much for coming, and I really appreciate you 🙂
Have a wonderful day!
Hi Jamie, and thank you Sylviane for having this wonderful guest on this post!
I’m not a writer, but a writer of blogs and copy writing when I write a sales page. The Why is important to me because when I write something, I have to find out why people need this article, this product/service.
There lies the tweaking I have to do over and over again until I get it right.
People ask: “know your why” in business, and I do have that down….I do know my why, but when writing to others I have to figure out what is their why. Especially copy writing and that is the most difficult part I do struggle with.
Thanks for the clarity here in this article,
-Donna
donna merrill invites you to read..Email Marketing Is Not Dead, Bloggers
Hello Donna,
I find it interesting that people who write—especially for a living—don’t consider themselves “writers”…
I’ve read your comments on many blogs Donna and you, my friend, are most certainly a writer by ANY definition of the word.
I think you’re bringing up Don’s point here, about when and to whom you’re asking the WHY…
As I mentioned, it’s my belief that unless you’re actually drawing on collected information on your readers, you’re still asking a version of WHY of yourself and assuming…which (again, IMO) is the reason you’re most likely struggling.
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..Are You Condemning Your Kids to Poverty, Pregnancy & Prison? Read This.
Hi Donna,
It’s so funny how two of my favorite people who write ALL the time, now let’s see who am I thinking of here? Oh, yeah, you and Adrienne 🙂 always say that “you re not a writer”, but (and I’m so glad that Jaime seems to agree with me on this) if you write pretty much every day for a living in one way or another, you are writers.
Isn’t it funny that you’re saying your not a writer, when you dear hubby, David, is, but who ends up writing that post every week?
So, at the end of the day, you are a writer, my dear, and as I told you recently, I think you’re writing better and better too. I should know since I real all your blog posts, and believe me if I tell you that I can recognize someone who can write and someone who can’t.
Thank you so much for coming Donna, even though I know you have other things on your mind. And you know I’m praying for you and your family 🙂
I KNOW!! Oh my goodness Adrienne can WRITE! …and she says she can’t?? WhatEVER!! Pshhhh. Silliest thing I’ve ever heard. Woman is brilliant.
…someone should send her a plate of cookies and a love note saying we adore her AND her writing! So personal =)
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..5 Compelling Reasons Why You Were Born
I know, she’s crazy LOL!
She just wrote a guest post for me, that I haven’t had to the to read entirely yet, but so what what I’m skimmed through sounds great so far 🙂
Adrienne and Donna are just funny that way 🙂
I’m SO flattered Jamie since that’s coming from you and you are a fabulous writer. Sylviane is as well, don’t mean to make light of it but seriously. I do not view myself as a writer. But I’ll take those cookies anyway! 😉
Adrienne invites you to read..Why No One Wants Your Free Report
Ah Adrienne,
I knew you were going to say that again 🙂
That’s how it usually is, people who actually do things say they don’t and those who don’t say that they do.
Do you know how many people here in the US told my mom, Oh, I speak French! Then she was so disappointed when she’d found out that what they called “speaking French” was about 2 sentences. But they had the NERVES to tell to the face of a French woman that they spoke French!
And she was like, what’s wrong with those people, that’s what they call speaking French? Better shut up!
In your case, it’s the opposite. You do write, don’t you? I mean how many book volume worth you have on your blog? Yes, that’s right!
So, I get it though when you’re saying that you’re not a writer, but at the same time you are 😉
That’s right Sylviane and you and I have had this discussion too. I STILL don’t consider myself to be a writer although I blog and write all the time.
I don’t make a living from what I write, I make a living from the connections I make with people whether that’s because of my content or just the relationship I’ve built with them. That’s where we see things differently. If someone is paying me to write for them then I would think of this differently but that’s not the case at all.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! 😉
~Adrienne
Adrienne invites you to read..Why No One Wants Your Free Report
Hey Jaime, pleased to meet you, Hi Sylviane 🙂
Wonderful post, well written and a pleasure to read. And the last part really made me reflect on why I’m doing what I’m doing as a blogger. As a blogger I can certainly fully appreciate the why from the very start. Why am I doing this for starters? Why am I writing this post about traffic generation, why should readers trust what I have to say? Why am I connecting with this person and that person. Why should I signup to yet another online service 🙂 Yeah I’m really digging the message this post is throwing out, comes at a good time as I’m trying my best to prioritise the why’s in my business and life 🙂
Thanks again! – Fabrizio
Fabrizio Van Marciano invites you to read..Bloggers: Stop Taking On More Than You Can Chew, Really Stop It!
Heya Fabrizio,
…funny how this simple little word gets into all the nooks and crannies of our lives, doesn’t it?
Helps us to define and prioritize what we do and who we are…
If we are willing to spend a little time thinking about this question, I would even go so far as to say we’d over perform and over deliver our intent and content in blog posts and our services. Now if you think about that, doesn’t it mean that we would more than likely increase our income, our freedom, reputation and influence as well?
Not too shabby when it’s just a single word that 2-3 year olds cripple their parents with, eh? LOL
Thanks for stopping by Fabrizio =)
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..5 Compelling Reasons Why You Were Born
Hi Fabrizio,
Somehow your comment always ends up in the spam folder, but that’s why I always check in there. Sorry about that. Just one of those weird things of technology. I started to ending up in Adrienne’s spam folder since I redesigned my blog 🙂
It looks like you’ve got that question down pretty well.
I’ve always been someone who asked why very early on in life, and bugged my mother with my whys a lot 🙂 But we can only be thankful to have been born at a time where asking why was even allowed. I’m saying this, because my mother used to tell me that asking “why” wasn’t very welcome when she was a kid.
WHY is powerful indeed. That’s the only way to get answers, either from others or from ourselves.
I’m glad you enjoyed Jaime’s post, and thank you for coming.
Thanks for sharing your article about how to skyrocket your creativity by using a single word. I really enjoyed your article. I learned and many great ideas here. I will definitely share this to my friends.
Dylann Andre invites you to read..5 Retail Marketing Ideas
Thanks for checking it out, Dylann.
Glad you enjoyed it, Dylann =)
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..5 Compelling Reasons Why You Were Born
Hi Jaime and Sylviane
Jaime first of all a very warm welcome to you here in the club of guest bloggers club as I have the honor to be the first one in it.
You took up a very interesting topic and as you know we already have met at Kevin’s blog and also I got your a few mentions at G+. So great to get you here this time.
We often hear this advice that never stop kids to ask a question and fully try to give them the best possible answer of their every question. This is advised just to help growing the creative urge of the kids as they most of the time asks inquisitive questions beginning with WHY.
Once a kid asked me that if nature created everything for a reasons so why did it created hair on our head. I didn’t have its simple answer at that time to fully satisfy his curiosity.
I fully agree with all your points as I believe creative people always ask why and doer type of robotic people always ask how. 🙂 It’s just my opinion you can disagree with it.
Thanks a lot Sylviane for featuing this gem of the person as guest author at your wonderful blog.
Have a wonderful rest of the week.
Mi Muba invites you to read..How to promote your blog by not blindly following 80:20 rule?
Hi Mi,
Yes, you were the first of the bunch Mi. I’m so lucky to have great bloggers and writers over at my blog this year. I’m booked until May for now, but I know I’ll have no problem booking the second part of the year :), just didn’t want to book too far down, as so many things could happen between now and that far away.
I like that kid question. Well, I guess he didn’t see any logical reasons why we have hair on our head. How funny!
Thank you for coming by, and have a wonderful rest of the day! I leave the more deep reply to Jaime.
MI, how ARE you!
…been a while since we’ve talked. Good to see you, my friend =). Appreciate that warm welcome. Funny how you can be a follower and commenter on a great blog like this—but it changes once you do a guest post!
I’m not surprised you were the first—you have a very wide range of knowledge.
Hehe…interesting topics are my specialty. Frankly, I’m thinking it’s a mental instability of some sort. Genetic perhaps? Not sure…but if you recall, the first time we met, it was over the title, “Making Your Split Personality Work For You (aka Me, Myself and Them)”
…if that’s not a sign of mental instability, well…then we’re int he same boat! LOL.
You make a good point—which I believe is why I do so well in this area…in talking with kids all the time. While you brilliant folks are all doing business with grownups, my peers are 12-18 years of age and searching for magic, dragons and a part-time job. It’s VERY important to encourage children to ask questions…the harder, the better.
Truthfully, it keeps people like us on our toes and “keeps the knives sharp,” as my dad used to say.
I’m curious what answer you gave that child! I would have smirked and said, “Because nature loves us and knows how painful sun burns are!”
Ahhh, the robotic doers. That’s a whole conversation in and of itself, so I’m going to smile at you and nod (grin). I have a foot in both those worlds, so I appreciate the view!
Thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed and financially prosperous week, my friend =)
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..5 Compelling Reasons Why You Were Born
Hi Jamie and Sylviane,
It’s a pleasure to meet you here in Sylviane’s place with such a wonderful guest post and thanks Sylviane for introducing Jamie to all of us.
Before I read a guest post I usually scroll down to read the bio box of the guest and then I saw “Father of 12”, I passed it thinking that the “1” is a typo beside the “2” until I read the post and it was correct. Let me tell you Jamie, you are indeed a hero. I am a mother of 3 and struggling to keep up. Kids are a blessing and they are my biggest WHY. And I loved the sentence in your bio and the header of your blog “Every parent should be a hero to their child.” It just touched me deep, what a responsibility!!!.
I really got a lot from this post. I am not a freelance writer but I am a blogger and you are absolutely right about sometimes our creative minds just take a break when it comes to writing. I have used the magic word “WHY” in so many things but I never thought of using it to wake up my creative mind when it is asleep. lol.
Thanks Jamie for a wonderful share and thanks Sylviane for the mention in your “Star of the week” round. I am honored and humbled and I mean every word I wrote my friend.
Wish you both a wonderful week ahead.
Be Blessed,
Neamat
Neamat Tawadrous invites you to read..Why We Should Stop Comparing Ourselves To Others!!!
Hello Neamat.
Hope this doesn’t sound odd, but can I say you have one of the coolest names I’ve ever heard?
…I mean read…well, you know what I mean.
Had to say it. Awesome—and this comes from a fantasy writer who creates and studies names on a regular basis. =)
Nope, not a typo. I’d love to have 100 kids, but Kathi said, “I’ve done MY part.” LOL. It’s one of the reasons I love teaching and writing for youth so much.
HAH! Your biggest WHY!? I think of my children as my biggest, “OH YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT—THOSE ARE MY KIDS, RIGHT THERE!!”
See, with an attitude like that, well…I already like you, Neamat (name’s making me giggle it’s so cool).
WHY is the most powerful question, in my opinion, in writing. It fills in the gaps and if you just relax and let it, it’ll help you form your best research as well.
With new friends, how can it NOT be a wonderful week? (wink)
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..5 Compelling Reasons Why You Were Born
Hey Jaime,
I’m glad you already like Neamat. She the sweetest person and I hope you guys get to know each other more.
Hi Neamat,
Don’t worry, the first time I met Jaime it was on another wonderful friend blog, Carol Amato, and when I read 12 kids, I also thoughts it was a typo, then I thought it was a joke, until I realized it was true. LOL!
Now I admire, Jaime’s wife as I don’t think that my body could have ever been able to go through that. No way!
I’m glad you enjoyed this post and I hope you’ll get to know Jaime more. He already likes your name and I’m sure you guys can learn from each other. PERFECT!
Thanks so much for coming by.
~Sylviane
Hey Jaime,
So good to see you here at Sylviane’s blog and what an awesome post. I love that, the why is so important and boy am I ever going to remember this lesson.
I saw the conversation you guys were having here where I got mentioned but I’ll get to that in a minute. I do relate to what Donna said though. I do not consider myself to be a writer and I don’t know how you guys do it either. Fictional stories, I only wish I was that creative. Sylviane writing for whatever subject they ask of her! My brain doesn’t function that way for some reason although I sure wish it did.
My next couple of posts are already mapped out but you have really given me something to think about with this one. All I can say is bravo Jamie, brilliant post and extremely helpful to people like me. I’m definitely bookmarking this one and reverting back to it because I KNOW I’ll run into problems down the road.
Thank you for this and I’m so glad that you’re Sylviane’s guest today and I’m really sorry I haven’t been by your blog lately. Lots of offline things taking place and as Sylviane thanked me in her spotlight area, which wasn’t necessary at all, I’ve had a LOT of catching up to do. LOL!!!
Hope you both are doing well and have a fabulous week.
~Adrienne
Adrienne invites you to read..Why No One Wants Your Free Report
Well hello Adrienne,
Good to see you as well. I guess we should all sit down here and define what a writer actually is.
…wait a sec, BRB.
HOLD PLEASE!
(rummages through his books…)
*ahem*
writer |ˈrītər|
noun
a person who has written a particular text: the writer of the letter.
• a person who writes books, stories, or articles as a job or regular occupation: the distinguished travel writer Freya Stark.
• [ with adj. ] a person who writes in a specified way: Dickens was a prolific writer.
SEEEEEEE! You ARE a writer, Adrienne—and so is Donna.
(nEEner)
Let me let you in on a little secret. Writing fiction can be learned. It’s not as if we stood in some talent line and took out a personal loan here—it’s systems, just like blogging, just like commenting!
There are, if you ever have an interest, books that show the methods of thinking and with a little practice, you CAN do this (if you want to).
Gosh, I keep trying to encourage Mandie Sanders—whose writing I admire right up there with Kevin Duncan when it comes to voice and pull—but she, like many people I know, has some reservations about herself. But may I say that there are times when you might want to leave the definitions up to other people.
If we say you’re good…and we’re following you, it really could be a HINT. Doncha think?
So glad you liked the article, Adrienne. Means a lot to me.
Don’t worry about being to my blog. That’s a funny thing—most of my online friends are all in different industries. I’m a parenting blogger and youth fantasy author/game maker. We connect when we connect, that’s how I see it. (grin)
Good to see you =)
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..5 Compelling Reasons Why You Were Born
Hey Jaime,
I knew that with both you and Sylviane that you guys would go after me – again… LOL!!!
Everyone writes letters at some point and time in their life but that doesn’t make them a writer. I don’t care how the term is defined. You have to admit that in the world of books, media and blogging when someone claims to be a writer we all immediately think that they are being paid professionally for doing that. Just like a freelance writer is hired to write for others.
I don’t get paid to write my blog posts, I only use my content as a marketing tool and yes, that can lead to why they chose to work with me but it’s not the source of my income.
So I’m sure you can understand why a lot of us view ourselves in this way. I’m always so flattered when someone compliments me in this way though but then again we usually never view ourselves the way others view us. This is another reason I don’t do a lot of guest posts.
I think that’s interesting though Jamie that you can learn how to write, I never really even looked into that because I didn’t know you could. Duh! Boy have I learned some things through your post so thank you for that. And by the way, Mandie does rock with her writing so I agree with you.
Thanks my friend.
~Adrienne
Adrienne invites you to read..Why No One Wants Your Free Report
Point taken Adrienne,
But you don’t have to be paid to be called someone, or we shouldn’t. But I get it, because I would never say that I’m a painter, yet I do paint, but never thought of myself as a painter.
Now another funny thing is that not all writers “write well” may I say. There are some writers’ styles that are very hard to understand, and I don’t like their writing 🙂
I love Mandie’s style too. She hasn’t blogged in a while though. I hope she get back to it soon 🙂
By the way, I’ve been on blog reading frenzy this past couple of weeks, and I’got to have beat you this time! LOL!
Hi again Adrienne,
Well, I knew that you’ve been more than busy with your house and all, so that’s understandable that you haven’t been much on blogs.
NO, I think saying thank you while we can is always a good thing, so I said it 🙂
Now you’ve got the perfect answer from Jaime about what a writer is, and I’ve had my say above in a previous reply, so I don’t think there’s not much to add here 🙂 But those comments were sure lots of fun so far.
Thanks for coming, Adrienne.
Hey Sylviane,
I have been my dear and I do see the end in sight. Not quite yet but it’s near. LOL!!!
Well, I guess we all just continue to see ourselves differently as well as understand some things differently. I always like to use the example of the bible. I interpret it to mean one thing while someone else might interpret it to mean something entirely different. I guess that’s how we view ourselves when it comes to writing. Either way I’m always flattered when someone of both your calibers compliment me in that way. Can you say yay!!!
Thanks Sylviane and you have a wonderful day and weekend.
~Adrienne
Adrienne invites you to read..Why No One Wants Your Free Report
Hi Adrienne,
That’s right, it a great compliment, right?
You too have a great weekend!
Ciao, Sylviane and Jaime!
What a wonderful guest article you’ve shared, Jaime – such an excellent topic, and I’m so pleased to have been able to introduce you two on my blog when Jaime was a featured writer in my guest writing series. 🙂
Ah….Consistency <— that word caught my eye. Being creative on a consistent basis. That’s the goal, and have systems in place to produce the atmosphere and framework to make it very likely to happen….but it doesn’t always.
I couldn’t agree more with your magic word. That’s the basis of everything I do – the first ‘why’ is behind why I’m working in the first place, the second ‘why’ is behind every marketing message.
When I come up with a headline or free opt in gift…I ask myself: “So what?” “Why?” to make sure I get to the rudimentary level of providing the most relevant beneficial message I can to the person reading it.
It amazes me how some bloggers put “Sign up for free updates.” to get an opt in. Why? Why should I sign up for free updates? What’s in it for me? Why would I benefit from doing so? Why would it be worth my time?
Not surprised one bit that you were the #1 freelancer for that company! 🙂
Yup – laziness doesn’t wash with readers – it’s doesn’t with me either, that’s for sure. I like your suggestions for the process – and will definitely experiment changing mine up. Thank you!
Talk soon,
˜Carol
Carol Amato invites you to read..Is PLR Trash or Treasure?
Hi Carol,
Yes, I am very thankful for you series on your blog. So far they were only two people I didn’t know, yet, and one of the two was Jaime.
While I’m pretty good at connecting with people, (because even thought I don’t see myself that way I was told that I’m a people person :)) I can only connect with them as much as they respond to my trying. You can’t catch a ball back if it doesn’t bounce back, right?
That’s why I connected with you and Jaime, because it really seems that both of you had actually some blood running through you veins, which believe it or not, it’s not so obvious with everyone I meet 🙂
It was my pleasure to have such a wonderful writer at my blog this week and I’m glad you caught up with the post, Carol.
Yes, consistency is so important. I’m a very good blog follower, but when there is no consistency I get lost until I forget about the blog. So, you can only imagine how many people those bloggers who are not consistent are loosing every day. I promise you that if they lose me, they’re losing tons LOL!
I’m glad you’ve got your whys down and are asking why all the time in your marketing. It’s so, so important.
Thank you so much for coming Carol, and have a good day ahead!
Hello Carol!
Good morning =)
I’m glad you caught the Consistency. It’s not easy, is it? Had to learn that when I was homeless and was expected to write my first book with a very sad family about me.
I spent nearly a year, sitting in a cold corner, staring at brick and ear plugs in my ears in the 3 room location we were at. To keep myself sane, especially during the winter months, I found some discarded bank calendars and ripped out the pictures…to pretend that they were windows.
….never could figure out how I could have a tropical island AND the Rocky Mountains in the same view—but it worked.
I learned, Carol, that consistency had more to do with a drive and focus than surroundings. How BADLY do you want it? That’s what I asked myself.
All I had to do was see my cold, hungry family, trapped in a place where I hated, and my own hatred for myself…for allowing myself to fail my family…it drove me and unlocked that explosion of WHY.
….that’s how this all came about for me.
I think your use of WHY is perfect.
You have an awesome day, Carol. I love it when you visit wherever I am, so thanks for that =).
Hi Jaime and Sylviane,
Jaime – what a fantastic, insightful post!
I’m big on people understanding and connecting with their “why” when it comes to the deep-seated reason for what it is they’re doing. But asking “why?” when it comes to what we’re putting in front of other people is very powerful.
I think this is something that can applied to so many areas. For example, when creating a product and putting out to the market – why did you create the product? Why is it for your market? Why should they buy yours instead of someone else’s? Even if questions like that aren’t actually asked and addressed as direct as that in the sales copy, if we approach things with those questions in mind ourselves then we’ll be better equipped to know how best to present our product, I think.
I suppose this is something I’ve always been kind of conscious of but I’ve never actually identified it in this way. I’ll be sure to incorporate this into what I do from now on, for sure!
Thank you both for sharing this excellent post with us. 🙂
»Glenn«
Glenn Shepherd invites you to read..Two Big Reasons You May Be Failing In Your Online Business
Hi Glenn,
Since it’s the weekend and Jaime is probably taking a break from my blog 🙂 I’ll reply first here.
Asking why is so important, that it’s basically all I’m working on right, as I am tying to define who EXACTLY is my potential client. It’s only by asking why that you can actual define your business avatar and then find out where such ideal client hangs out.
For example the culture on Linkedin is very different than the culture on Twitter or facebook, that’s why it’s very important to know what type of client we’re after and where they hang out. By asking WHY we are better able to know that. and that’s only one example why we should ask why. There are many others.
Thanks for coming by Glenn and see you around.
Hey Glenn =)
Thanks for stopping by and more importantly, for the excellent feedback!
Could not agree with you more–especially in product creation. Funny how a simple little word can be used in so many ways. I’m actually shocked and delighted to see SO many people conscious of the use and application of the word WHY.
It’s fantastic. I mainly use it in writing…but it turns out I’m learning more from each of you with each comment submitted.
Thank you, Glenn, for your perspective. Brilliant!
Have an awesome week.
-Jaime
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..My Mind’s Eye #5: The Dancer
Hi Jaime,
Welcome to Sylviane’s blog. 12 kids! I think I’d shoot myself. That goes to show that you have to have imagination, insight, an open mind and a great imagination, particulary if you have 2 children!
Love your style. Kept me interested and engaged throughout your post. A great read and fun. Written with humour and definitely an attention getter.
You’re right, ‘why’ is such a powerful word that can lead you to answers which can lead you to good topics and writing. Great post. Thanks for being a guest of Sylviane’s and enlightening us. Very powerful.
Barbara
Barbara Charles invites you to read..The Three Laws Of Blogging
Hi Barbara,
You’re so funny, but I’m with you though 🙂 12 kids is actually a whole soccer game team + the goal. Amazing!
I’m glad you enjoyed Jaime’s style, I knew that the readers of this blog would for sure. While he’s taking a break this weekend, I’m sure he’ll be back to reply to the later comments tomorrow.
Thank you for coming, Barbara and have a great Sunday!
Hello Barbara,
Now that’s a bit silly, really. You would shoot yourself? Naw. The fact is, just by that comment, you’d never GET to 12, so the point really is a non one, doncha think?
Having an imagination, patience and not only an open mind–but an open heart (because you tend to screw up …a lot) are critical. Luckily…I have at least 2 of those.
Thank you. I’m glad you like my style, Barbara =)
Fun is the way I enjoy engaging–so again, YAY!
As long as you are entertained and feel as if you gained something useful, well…I’m happy and consider this adventure a total success.
Have a great week, Barbara.
-Jaime
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..My Mind’s Eye #5: The Dancer
Hey Jaime & Sylviane!
Jaime, what an incredibly creative process you have shared here. Thanks!
and you’re so right about it’s power to peel back the layers of creative possibilities!
As I was reading your post and examples, my mind started to really open up
and I could see “how” you were able to write so many posts during your tenure at that agency.
Plus, you seem like an incredibly creative individual to begin with! After all, you’ve got 12
kids, and that’s got to be challenging enough!
Sylviane thanks so much for featuring him! And thank you Jaime for sharing such a powerfully evergreen writing technique!
Mark invites you to read..Why No Matter What The Local Or National Economy Is Doing Real Entrepreneurs Will Always Thrive! Part Two
Hi Mark,
Long time no see, but I’m sure glad you were able to come and read Jaime’s fantastic post that certainly would make you think and improve your writing process.
He’s the perfect person to write about creative writing for sure, and his writing is very inspiring too, even if the topic might not directly apply to you.
Personally, I’m an avid reader and I don’t always read about what is applicable to me directly (a mistake that lot of bloggers make). Reading is reading and you can always learn from that as a writer, for sure.
Thanks for coming by, Mark.
Hello Mark =)
I’m delighted you enjoyed the process. It’s a fun one to be sure!
I’d like to encourage people to play with this in their own ways and in their own work. Some mentioned using it in writing, some in marketing…I wonder how many ways the word “WHY’ can actually be used to benefit us?
As for me, I use it in teaching my children, teaching classes and writing, but I’ve learned even more from all of you here, which excites me all over again!
You know, Mark, now that I look back at that freelance writing time, there’s a deep appreciation for the experiences. Didn’t feel that way at the time, but the rigor and rules I was placed under helped me to explode into a greater writer with more discipline and tenacity. It gave me more confidence and in the end, helped me prove to the one person who needed to know I was not only capable of writing books, but destined to do it…
Me.
Hehehe, yes, having 12 children CAN be challenging, but we wish we had even more. The delights, amazing experiences and joy are more than I can express.
Seeing how my children are affecting the world around us. My oldest son, how he has a direct impact on our local community–especially now that he’s married–it shows me, yet again, how important being a parent is. We help to shape the future of the world.
How is that not the coolest job? …and I don’t have to be a Time Lord or own a TARDIS!
(though I’d really LIKE one…if you know of anyone selling a used one…give me a call….)
Thanks for stopping by, Mark. Have a wonderful week!!
– Jaime Buckley
Your New Favorite Author
Jaime Buckley invites you to read..5 Compelling Reasons Why You Were Born