Kerri Richardson

How would you like to captivate, inspire, and motivate audiences? Sounds pretty cool, eh?

Many writers speak, and many speakers write. Speaking is a powerful way to not only inspire the masses, but also to build a platform and a following. In honor of that, this month’s writer’s teleclass topic is Creating Powerful Presentations and Building a Speaking Career!

We’ll be covering lots of areas, including:

• How to find speaking opportunities
• How to package your information
• How to best connect with your audience
• How to leave them feeling satisfied, yet still hungry for more
• How to keep them engaged and present
• And more!

As always, there will be time for questions and the opportunity for some on-the-spot coaching.

I hope you’ll join us, from the comfort of your own home and telephone, on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 from 8-9 PM EST.

To register:

Image by p_a_h

Last week, I taught a writer’s workshop at a local bookstore. A great group of folks came together to learn, share, and challenge themselves.  The part of the evening I enjoyed the most was when participants spoke up in support of each other.

I loved the united feel in the room, and I knew, with each supportive word they offered each other, that vulnerable part of themselves was hearing it, too. It’s so great when we can learn from each other, especially when we don’t realize it’s happening.

As a result of that experience, I’ve decided to offer a virtual, monthly writer’s support group. The telegathering will be limited to 25 people, and each month will have a topic to which a portion of the call will be devoted. The rest of our hour together will be spent on questions and answers.

We all share many of the negative voices that come up when we try to move forward with our writing. Who am I to deliver this message? Why does anyone care what I have to say? There’s already so much out there on the topic I want to write. There’s no room for me. And so on, and so on. Those voices are just one example of the ways we block our progress, and the most important thing to remember is that trying to push through the resistance will get you nowhere.

So, let’s unite in support of our creativity! In that vein, our first month’s topic will be “What’s Stopping You?”, and will be held on Wednesday, March 24 from 9 PM-10 PM EST. I hope you’ll consider joining me and sharing the invitation with the writers in your life.

For more information and to register, click here.

When I was a child, my 8th grade English teacher — lovingly named Mr. Devine — had a wonderful and magical way of teaching his students about the power of words. He was the type of teacher you’d see in the movies — he made up songs to help us remember the parts of speech and what their jobs were, and he made us eager to be involved and present for the lessons. During quizzes and tests, we’d all be tapping our pencils, singing his songs to ourselves, to answer the posed questions. When he asked for volunteers to come up to the board to diagram a sentence, arms would be flapping in the air, each of us trying to raise ours higher than our neighbor’s in hope of being selected. I looked forward to his class every day. He was engaging, energetic, eager, and excited. Whoa, he’d be proud of my alliteration right there.

He made me hungry, at that young age, for more knowledge about the power of the written message, the order of words, and the pictures that could be painted with adjectives. Thanks to Mr. Devine, I went on to college to study Journalism and Writing. While working as the Managing Editor of a magazine for just under 10 years, I so enjoyed working with novice and experienced writers alike to help them overcome fears, blocks, and time constraints so they could move toward their goals of making writing more a part of their world.

Today, as a life coach and writing coach, I’m thrilled to be able to continue to do so. And now, it’s your turn!

Have you always dreamed of writing a book? Are you interested in blogging in an effort to share your message? Do you get stuck because you feel like you have nothing to say?

Can anyone really be a writer? The answer is YES! Whether you’re looking to do a blog, write articles for various magazines and other publications, or write a book and have it published, a big part of the process is knowing where and how to start.

I’d love for you to join me for a two-hour, interactive, discussion on Putting Yourself Out There — in Writing, being held on Thursday, March 4, 2010 from 7 PM-9PM ET, at Circles of Wisdom in Andover, MA. During this interactive workshop, we’ll be talking about common writing blocks, identifying underlying beliefs that are stopping you in your tracks, as well as the practical how-to knowledge of getting started, pitching your idea, and pursuing publication.

For only $35 per person, participants will leave with new-found confidence in their ability to share their writing, knowledge on how to do just that, an action plan to get, or keep, things rolling, as well as great resources related to publishing. Oh, and you’ll get a copy of the Parts of Speech jingle, too!

Class size is limited to 40 people, so be sure to register as soon as possible. To do so, visit Circles of Wisdom or call the store at (978) 474-8010. I look forward to seeing you there!