Devorah answered four interview questions and challenged me to answer them next, so here goes:
What am I working on?
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| TEDxCorpus Christi, Nov. 8, 2013 |
My current project is Strength Revisited: a TEDxCorpusChristi Talk About Redefining Strength in Manhood. This short eBook is based on my TEDx Corpus Christi Talk from November 2013. It will be a freebie giveaway from my blog, and should be ready by the end of July 2014.
Strength Revisited explores the social expectations for men to be "strong men", and offers up possibilities to create “completely strong men” in the contexts of family relationships, business interactions, and reducing violence in the United States.
How does my work differ from others in my genre?
Little is done, it seems, to reach out to encourage men to build lives of significance. Too much is focused on outward displays of power, fortune building, and sexual conquests. This is how masculinity has been defined for them through media and other men, and I have met many of these men later in their lives who are broken and filled with regret.
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| Click here to actually listen to Ep. 19 of Family Time Q&A. |
My intention is to communicate in a way that is real to men bridging the gap between those who are stuck in "The Matrix" of hypermasculinity and those who have found happiness and wisdom in the areas of faith, family, fitness, finances, and furthering their personal and professional growth. My writing, and my podcast Family Time Q&A, are both meant to show my vulnerable side so we remember that we are not alone in our struggles.
Why do I write what I do?
I ultimately write for myself and my family. In case I were to pass away today, I wish for there to be a record of my thoughts and insights that can be read, enjoyed, applied, and shared by my children and Olivia long after I am gone. If along the way I can help other men and their families, that is icing on the cake.
How does my writing process work?
I use Evernote to capture ideas, resources (with Webclipper), outlines, and Morning Pages. I also keep a list of topics on a Note within Evernote that serves as writing prompts just in case I don’t have anything to blog about for the week.
My actual blogging and writing happens on Friday through Sunday when I am off work from my full-time job. I go through my notes from the previous week, and refer to my checklist of possible topics and titles that I also keep in Evernote. I choose a topic or two that I am passionate about at that time, then spend the day writing about them. The final blog posts are scheduled throughout the following week.
Much of what went into Use Your Smartphone to Lose Weight came directly from my blog posts in 2013 that were related to my weight loss and life planning habits and accomplishments. The same will be true for Strength Revisited. I guess you could apply this to fiction writing by serializing your next novel then compiling and dressing up all those posts into a final novel.
I have found success in my writing when I direct my writing towards a specific person. For example, one of my more popular blog posts about Memorial Day was written as if I were writing it for a good friend of mine named Ryan Mains. I did not open it up with "Dear Ryan", but it was written as if he would be the only person reading it. I think that helps me make my writing much more personal and real. It sounds a lot less pretentious and more like I am having a conversation with a friend, like Devorah Fox. ;)
Do you have a blog, book, podcast, vlog, or speaking series? Tell me more about it below. Why do you do what you do?
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So, these are my answers. Now it’s time to tag the other authors who will continue this blog hop on their blogs. Here they are.
AUTHOR 1 (Your name and face here.)
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(Bio)
(Links, blog or Book for sale)
AUTHOR 2 (Your name and face here.)
(Pic)
(Bio)
(Links, blog or Book for sale)
AUTHOR 3 (Your name and face here.)
(Pic)
(Bio)
(Links, blog or Book for sale)
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