50 Pages A Day For A Year

It was certainly worth a shot right?

2010-01-29T06:02:00.003-05:00

It pains me to write this - but I cannot find the time to get this started again. Luckily the family is healthy and work is going great (and taking more time) so I have to focus on the main two things in my life for the time being: Family and Work.

Considering that I am not a "reader" I am still proud of reading 50 days a day for nearly a month. It was great working my way through books in just a few days - it was very easy to get the message.

Thanks for anyone that did pay attention to this - have a great 2010!

Thanksgiving - And Life

2009-11-25T14:11:00.001-05:00

My daughter has been in the hospital - mortgage licensing classes have taken top priority and I would prefer to stay married through the holidays. Oh, and we are leaving the day after thanksgiving for a one week vacation.

50pagesaday.com is on hold for now - I'll have to resume once a few of these obligations are taken care of.

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood (#5)

2009-11-23T10:44:00.008-05:00

After several years of working endless hours, John Wood has decided to take a full week off. No phone, no international travel, no long nights - just time to relax with friends. His plan was working just fine until the Tsunami hit Asia. "The vacation was over." (Page 220)

John find himself on CNN and then a few days later - after an overwhelmingly positive response - on CNN Headline News. John is wondering how he qualifies as an "expert" in this arena and Michelle, his newly hired PR person puts it like this:

"You covered the Asia region for Microsoft for five years, and you've run an Asia-focused charity for five years that has built more libraries than any charity on the continent. Like it or not, you're now an Asia expert, and this is a really good opportunity for you to tell millions of people about the great work your team is doing." (Page 222)

Six and a half years after his first book delivery, John is flying to meet with Dinesh - and this on the news that his organization has delivered one million books.

WOW.

If that were not enough, that day in Nepal, thirty new libraries opened.

What an amazing journey John Wood has taken over his few short years at Room to Read. I am excited to read that last installment of this book.

Week 4

2009-11-23T00:33:00.002-05:00

This was a hard week...and I was going to make it: until I spiked a 102+ fever on Friday night and slept my way through the weekend. Everyone once and a while I get reminded that despite how excited I am to take on each exciting day of life, 5 hours of sleep just doesn't cut it on a regular basis.

So, I didn't make the 50 page requirement on Saturday OR Sunday. I am writing this at 12:35am on Monday morning (actually Sunday night). Off to read a few pages about John Wood's quest to educate the world, and then back on track tomorrow for a post.

Perhaps I'll take the weekends off going forward...that might be nice...we'll see.

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood (#4)

2009-11-20T09:25:00.003-05:00

John realizes that is just not possible to wear all the hats and obtain the necessary funding that Room to Read requires. Rather than looking for a few extremely wealthy donors - thus having "all the eggs in one basket" - John sets up networks in each of the major wealthy cities around the world to obtain funds from several people.

"Not everyone in the world wants to 'pull a John Wood' and quit their job to go save the world. But there are thousands, maybe millions, of people who are making good money and want something more from life than a cereer success. They're the people Thoman Friedman refers to as super-empowered individuals." (Page 155)

"...everyone on the globe where the are people with money, Room to Read would be pitching them to help fund our goal of universal education." (Page 156)

John Wood shares some of the stories of success and failure as he learns that there truly needs to be a "fire in the belly" of those he entrusts to run the various city networking groups. He also is being faced with the realization that he is working 80 hours a week and not leaving time for anyhing else - including himself or to care about anything other than his passion: Room to Read. He wonders if Bill Gates, who often appears "a mess" may be similar - so passionate about his cause that nothing else matters. This is certainly a full circle from John's experience with Bill Gates China visit in the first part of the book.

In the third section of this book we learn that $250 can purchase a year long scholarship for a girl in an underdeveloped country. While it is certainly important to educate all young children John Wood shares some statistics and other study facts that help us, the general population, understand that it is vital to get young girls/women to become literate. They are, after all, the backbone of many families and if the mother is educated - she can be a better provider and read to her children and be sure they are educated.

Note: I will be out of town on Saturday and Sunday but will read the remaining pages of this book to satisfy the requirement and post on Sunday evening.

Have a good weekened!

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood (#3)

2009-11-19T22:18:00.004-05:00

John Wood's transition is complete and he has seen early success in obtaining funding. He plans to expand - Vietnam is next.

He recalls that during his Microsoft days he met a young boy named Vu in Vietnam. Vu was driven - committed to learning Microsoft Office (literally reading excel manuals and MS Access Manuals at a very young age). Vu worked nights in a local hotel to practice his English and so he would have time to read when the residents were sleeping. He slept for 4 to 5 hours during the day, and spent the remaining time in a computer lab learning Excel.

John struggles with a way to help this child who seems to be motivated to the extreme - and he finds it!

"It was in my power to create this opportunity.....I ripped a page out of the journal and grabbed a pen.

"Dear Nguyen Thai Vue:
As an employee of Microsoft, I have been financially empowered by Bill Gates to provide scholarship money for promising young students in Vietnam to learn computer science....

Best of luck to you. Please study hard, and please write to me with reports of your progress." (Page 104 - 105)

John included a $20 bill. To Vu this was life changing. He continued to stay in touch with John and "in the fall of 2005, Vu wrote me [John] to tell me that he had decided to pursue a graduate degree is software engineering at the Aptech school in Hue. The cost would run $650 per year. Could I help?

My author's advance against royalties for this book was immediately tapped into.... If you bought this book, you are now one of Vu's benefactors." (Page 108)

WOW - that was powerful when I was reading it. Through the account of meeting Vu, John can share with us his determination. It is amazing how some people are driven - unconditionally. I feel proud to "know" Vu through this book. He is inspiring.

John heads to Nepal and upon approaching a school he had helped build through is organization he recalls the following: "Each of these kids, and there not appeared to be several hundred of them crowding around us, would have the benefit of a better education. I have truly found my nirvana." (Page 111)

"By the fall of 2001, I was convinced that we were on the right growth trajectory. We opened our 100th library" (Page 128)

We all remember 9/11/2001 - and to John, who was in Europe at the time, nothing was more important than getting back into the US to be with his fellow Americans. An event planned months before 9/11 was scheduled on September 23rd, 2001. John was unsure of himself and did think about the event - and most importantly how people would respond in being asked to donate to educate and provide books to people outside the US.

John and many others at the event on the 23rd were not happy about President Bush's comments that in order to help the US economy, citizens should go shopping. John recalls a conversation he had on Sept 23rd, 2001:

After the Soviets had given up on expanding into Afghanistan, "the governments of Iran and Saudi Arabia sponsored the opening of over ten thousand madrassas (schools) in Afghanistan. And you know the rest of the story, because we've been living it for the last two weeks..." (Page 131).

If you do not know about this fact - essentially, the schools that were created "trained" the young population to dislike the US. The fact is that the US military had assisted Afghanistan in holding off the Soviets - and when the Soviets retreated, the US picked up and left. This left a country in ruins looking for a "hero". The "hero" came in the way of "western hating" sects and groups. (Please note that I am summarizing the book here - this, although similar to my view, does not represent MY view on this situation).

John finds the principals he learned at Microsoft are valuable - especially those from his Mentor and Miscrosoft's #2 in charge, Steve Ballmer. It was essential to both Steve and the success of MS that they (1) know their numbers and (2) show loyalty, not only to the company but also to those around you.

Okay, on to the next 50!~

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood (#2)

2009-11-18T16:04:00.009-05:00

Bill Gates arrival needed to be planned to the minute (including 2 to 3 minute bathroom breaks). The Chinese government had arranged for a motorcade to expedite his travels and this was a very important trip for Microsoft - as the United States.

While John had spend days and days planning for the event, his hopes for an extremely successful interview between Bill Gates and the top news reporter in China were crushed. Bill Gates' responses were not those that John had spent time crafting to stress the importance of Microsoft helping and understanding the Chinese population. Rather, they were general and unimpressive.

"I had put long hours into this interview, and that time could not be gained back. But I knew it was important not to focus on Bill's performance. There was no way I could ever run a company this large, so I was in no position to be judgemental. What seemed more important was the signal this sent to me. if I could not make a big difference at Microsoft, then perhaps this cage me even more of a green light to bail out." (Page 58-59)

I would like to point out that John, following the above quote from his book also states "Despite the demotivation inherent in Bill's China visit, I can't help but respect him. Not only did he start a great company at a young age, but the work he and Melinda are doing through the Gates Foundation will positively influence the lives of millions." (Page 59)

John's excitement for leaving Microsoft is increasing and an upcoming PR planning event sealed the deal for him.

"A strong signal that I needed to make a break came a week later during a meeting in Hong Kong of Microsoft's top PR people in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. One of the subjects on the agenda was a region wide charity initiative that we'd kick off later in the year." (Page 62)

John finds out that they (MS) are interested in pursuing an event which takes middle class students and places them in high end private schools. Here is an exchange between one of John's teammates during that meeting.

"The plan you are proposing simply allows those students to go to an even better private school. Isn't there a way we can help those who are really poor?"

"Helping the poor does not really help us," Alice shot back. (Page 63)

John describes the move to exit Microsoft, his life with his girlfriend and his life in Asia. He is tormented by living a life he doesn't want to for six agonizing weeks until he toasts his departure to San Francisco on an 11am flight while drinking a glass of champagne.

John takes us through the early days of fundraising and although it was a new experience he found ways to maintain more yeses than nos. The bottom line is that he is passionate and wanted his idea to work.

"If someone was putting money down because they thought I'd spend it wisely, then my personal and professional honor were at stake. A positive reputation is a hard thing to gain, and an easy thing to lose." (Page 95)

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood

2009-11-17T12:21:00.013-05:00

My brother, an attorney in Washington D.C., recommended this book to me over a year ago. The recommendation came with the book - and it has remained on my shelf at home until today.

John Wood recalls his first trip to Nepal - a three week vacation which was planned after seven years of high level executive work at Microsoft in the 1990's. He recalls meeting Pasupathi, the District resource person for Lamjung Province. Pasupathi "was responsible for finding resources for the 17 schools in this rural province." (Page 4)

"Some days I am very sad for my country. I want the children to get a good education, but I am failing them," Pasupathi says. (Page 5)

This conversation took place the first evening John arrived in Nepal and since Pasupathi was going to hike up to a local school the next morning, he invites John to tag along. John willingly accepts - as he was going to spend three weeks hiking anyway.

At 7:00AM the next morning John and Pasupathi head off. Upon meeting the headmaster they head on a "tour." "There were 70 [students] in a room that looked as though its capacity was half that. The floor was packed earth, and the sheet-metal roof intensified the late-morning springtime sun, baking the room. The children sat on rows of long benches, crammed close together. ...they balanced notebooks on bony, little knees." (Page 8-9)

"The headmaster next took us to the school's library. A sign outside the door proudly announced SCHOOL LIBRARY, but inside, the room was empty and the only thing covering the walls was one old, dog eared world map. The books were noticeable only in their absence." (Page 9)

After the visit at the school, the headmaster said the words that would launch John into a Entreprenueurial Odyssey.

"Perhaps sir, you will someday come back with books."

John is touched by this and he scripts an email to family and friends to get started in his quest for sending books to this particular school in Nepal. The email is included in the book. Through the email we learn that the "collection" center is his father's home in Colorado (John currently lives in Sydney, Australia). He suggests people send books for school age children to his father's home and include funds for shipping if they can manage.

Meanwhile, back in the real world (as is the one that was paying his bills that day), John has been asked to be second in command to lead the expansion of Microsoft into China. He and his girlfriend Sophie, who is a successful quad-lingual marketing professional, move to China. The polluted air and lack of open space make John miss Sydney and the US where he grew up. The pollution and lack of open space are in stark contrast to Nepal. He can't get Nepal off of his mind.

John gets word from his father in Colorado that over 3000 books have arrived - and more importantly that his original email has been forwarded over and over - and that friends of friends are contributing books and the costs for shipping. John and his father plan trip to deliver the books to several schools in Nepal a few months later (books travel UPS, they travel business class). The books are well received and the feeling is something which not only resonates with John but also begs repeating.

John feels this - he is instantly passionate about it. He brings this up to his girlfriend, Sophie, and the conversation does not go well. She is a luxury-vacation-type, not a hiking-backwoods-type. We'll have to wait and see what happens here...

John is in the midst of coordinating Bill Gates' arrival to China when we leave him at page 50. All hands are on deck for the man whose wealth is equal to annual earnings of 83 million Chinese citizens.

Three Feet from Gold by Lechter & Reid (#5)

2009-11-16T11:23:00.003-05:00

The last 11 pages of this book link many of the stories together.

Greg and his Sharon Lechter, the individual who Greg teamed up with to help him write his book, have set several appointments and have received 4 offers to have their book published. Greg looks back at his experience and realizes that "Just as the junkman had sought expert counsel that brought him millions, the new author was following the same path by the new association with Sharon." (Page 203)

Greg has accomplished his goal over the course of a year and ended his journey as a changed man.

During a conversation, Sharon provides, what I think, is a great summary of the book.

"All these experts had tremendous faith in common. They had faith that if they found their passion, applied their talent, and took action with the right association, eventually good things would come to pass - just like you, Greg." (Page 205)

Some other good quotes from the final pages:

"Fear is often the biggest obstacle to success." (Page 210)

"Without action, ideas are not worth a cent." (Page 210)

Week 3

2009-11-16T10:23:00.003-05:00

I am finding that I am reading each day and then posting same day. This past weekend's weather was great - so time outside with the family was top priority. I wonder if there will be days where I am going to miss the full 50 pages?

I do have a vacation coming up - no internet access there. I will have to read 350 pages over the 7 days and then do a full report once I return. So I guess I just answered my own question.

The more I see how this is applying pressure on other aspects of my life - the more I question my own motivation for taking this on. I am focused on the goal of over 18,000 pages in a year - I am just past 750 pages for now...

Well, I am done procrastinating - as "procrastination is the opposite of production" (Thank you Tony Jeary for that little nugget)

I hope you have a great day - and I hope you do something nice for someone who isn't expecting it.

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE :)

Three Feet from Gold by Lechter & Reid (#4)

2009-11-15T17:08:00.004-05:00

I am looking forward to a much needed family day today, so I am going to keep today's post short and sweet. I have three quotes to share:

"What's the worst that can happen?

Can I handle that?

If the answer is yes,

then do it!" (Page 170)

"Sometimes the worst situations turn out to be

the best opportunities." (Page 191)

"A true leader will take others where they

would not have gone by themselves." (Page 192)

I hope you had a great week. I am going to post my weekly summary tomorrow morning...off to hang with the family now.

Three Feet from Gold by Lechter & Reid (#3)

2009-11-14T10:46:00.013-05:00

Greg was given tickets to Fiji after his most recent conversations with Buckland's mastermind group. He is excited about the opportunity and finds himself engaged in a conversation on the beaches of Fiji while he is waiting for his dinner reservation time.

He is speaking with John Hope Bryant who runs a nonprofit called Operation Hope which "helps people across the globe create better lives for themselves." (Page 102)

Greg writes down the following message from Bryant:

Success simply comes from going from failure

to failure without loss of enthusiasm.

As an individual, you must maintain a positive attitude as "Ten percent of your attitude is determined by what life hands you and ninety percent by how you choose to respond." (Page 104).

The message of Operation Home is that "There is a difference between being broke and being poor. Being broke is a temporary economic condition, but being poor is a disabling frame of mind and a depressed condition of your spirit, and you must vow to never, ever, ever be poor again." (Page 104)

Greg finds the hour prior to his dinner reservation passing quickly and heads to the restaurant to await his mystery guest. Buckland typically leaves the individuals name out of the conversation when he is sending Greg to meet "someone").

"A familiar voice greeted him. "Hello, Greg."

He hesitated before looking up, trying hard to find his voice. He couldn't believe she would travel all this way to be with him. With tremendous emotion he said, "Hi, Mia. It's great to see you." (Page 105)

Mia and Greg had split up a few weeks prior and Buckland put her back in touch with Greg to witness the "changed man". Prior to meeting Buckland, Greg was self-centered and a "busy body" running around but getting nothing done.

Greg has determined over the course of his recent travels that he is going to write a book. He sees the world as a place in need of the stories he has heard and the messages he has received. He is still struggling though...and finds that he is missing the Association of the Success Equation. Buckland connets him up with a writer and together they start interacting with his first draft.

Here is the advice Greg receives about his first draft:

"You need some help with the writing. You are a nice young man and everything, but even Ken and I get outside help when doing this. Point is, this project has become bigger than just you, and more importantly, you owe it to the people you have interviewed to get some assistance in sharing their stories in the best light possible." (Page 139)

This book seems to jump from situation to situation in short chapters which is makes a summarization challenging. The Go-Giver was significantly "smoother" from a story perspective and took place over only 5 days, whereas this book condenses a year into 220+ pages. I think there are good lessons it this, but I am getting the sense that the authors attempted to wrap a story around the lessons rather than integrate the lessons into the story.

But what do I know...

This was a close one...20 minutes until midnight at time of posting...

Three Feet from Gold by Lechter & Reid (#2)

2009-11-13T16:51:00.008-05:00

Greg has continued on his journey thanks to Buckland and while sitting in first class (for the first time) he meets Richard Cohn, author of The Secret.

"...there were many challenges, mostly financial. For the first twenty-two years, it was truly difficult. We published books we believed in, yet they never found mainstream appeal."

Greg heard that and asked "What kept you going during the tough times?"

"The knowing," he responded. (Page 61)

I believe this is a true statement as long as it is based in reality. For example, I "know" I will win the lottery tomorrow....okay, well maybe not, but this illustrates my point as least. It is certainly more powerful and positive to think in the sense of "the know" though.

"...what would be more powerful, believing you may find true love one day? Or knowing that someone is waiting for you and all you need to do is move toward that person until you meet?" (Page 61)

Greg meets Truett Cathy, founded of Chick-fil-A and asks, "What's the secret to your success?"

"Stop planning so much," was his answer.

"Whatever you do, you have to have a goal, a destination, in mind. But once you set your sights on where you are going, just move toward that direction, have faith that you will get there, and the 'how' will work itself out." (Page 67)

Cathy goes on to give the story of two people who may exit their home and have a goal to get to the end of the street. One can plan out each step and when they get out of the door, they march right along and accomplish exactly what they thought. The other person, may exit his home and see opportunity in the form of a bike or skateboard, and get to his destination more quickly.

This ties into Tony Jeary's idea of clarity (in Strategic Acceleration). Jeary suggests that once you have clarity - that is you know what you want and WHY you really want it - opportunities will appear (the bike or skateboard in the above example). Additionally, Jeary pushes production before perfection (PBP) and by over planning, you are missing opportunities by not allowing yourself to see what is out there.

When Greg returns home he decides that he needs to make moves in his own life and start improving himself. He turns control of his marketing company over to his employees. His goal is to help them achieve their goals, and besides, Buckland made Greg promise that he would pass on his knowledge to other people in order to receive the free education he was getting.

Through a meeting with the Executive Director of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, Greg receives a reference letter. This is given to him by Don M Green and while he is at it, Don extends an invite for Greg to attend an upcoming event on behalf of The Napoleon Hill Foundation. Greg is very happy - he feels accomplished at this moment and is excited for the event.

Evander Holyfield is sitting next to Greg at the event (several weeks have passed since the meeting the Don M Green) and Greg blurts out his usual question "What makes you successful". Holyfield's answer details the fact that he has been able to focus on the punches he was throwing rather than those he was taking. If he were to only focus on the punches he was receiving, he would have ended up on his back.

Additionally, Holyfield talks about the defeated boxer "feeling" the punches after the match much more than the winning boxer.

"Stay on your toes, focus on the task at hand"

Towards the end of this 50 pages, Buckland takes Greg with him to introduce him to his mastermind group. While there are 4 other success people there, one comment in particular was useful to me as my career has typically been in sales.

"'No' is the second best answer you can get; at least it lets you know where you stand. It's those pesky 'maybe's' that really get in the way." (Page 96)

Three Feet from Gold by Lechter & Reid

2009-11-12T12:44:00.009-05:00

This book reads similar to The Go-Giver by Burg & Mann in that it is a parable. The main character is Greg. He is self employed, running around like a madman (similar to many self-employed people I know) , and has essentially lost control of his ability to focus and make progress. "Greg was full of expectations but had nothing to show for them" (Page 3)

As luck would have it, Greg is given the wrong jacket after a lunch meeting in the city. This event will change his life (or so it seems based on the first 50 pages) as Greg finds the card of Jonathan Buckland, "who just happened to be the most well-known and politically well-connected business tycoon in thecity." (Page6) Seeing this as an opportunity to meet Buckland, Greg heads to Buckland's office in the city to return the jacket.

On his way out of the elevator, Greg pushes aside an older gentleman "Watch out there Pops." He approaches the receptionist who helps Greg understand that "Pops" is the Mr. Jonathan Buckland. This is perhaps one of the final "episodes" of Greg's self centered activities (or so I am predicting at this point).

Within the first 50 pages Greg has met a few people, mostly as a result of introductions from Buckley. Through these conversations which are actually "lessons" Greg starts to write down notes. I am a bit short on time today, so I will share some of these below include a quick story and then see ya at the next post.

"Never complain about your problems, because ninety-five percent of the people don't care, and the other five percent are glad they happened to you." (Page 11) I am a fan of this one in particular.

"You're the same today as you will be in five years except for two things. The people you meet and the books you read." (Page 12) Hmmm....I am glad I started www.50pagesaday.com then....

"The most common cause of failure is quitting." (Page 21)

The title of the book Three Feet from Gold came from a story about a man name Darby. Darby headed out to Colorado in search of Gold and after an initial lucky find, comes up empty and ultimately abandons his pursuit. Frustrated and discouraged he heads home - but not before selling his machinery and other supplies to a local junkman.

The junkman, unlike Darby, had been studying mining for over ten years and was waiting for the right opportunity to get started. He also understood the importance of timing and having experts available. Since the junkman saved a great deal of money on the purchase of the lightly used equipment, he was able to hire an engineer who informed him how to properly identify the way in which the gold would have been formed. Due to this, he finds the massive gold deposit within three feet from where Darby had given up.

"If Greg was going to succeed, he had to start allowing others to help him." (Page 28)

"Work your strengths, hire your weaknesses." (Page 29)

"Never make a major decision in a valley" (Page 33). This quote is referring to making major decisions when you are feeling "down" and not on top of your game. By waiting to make decisions when you are "at the top" you will be focused on progress.

"We are always flowing either toward or away from any goal we give ourselves. Every day, the direction we choose is up to us." (Page 36)

I will share one "equation" which is in the book (Page 49):

(P +T) x A x A = Success

P = Passion ("Combine your passion, what you would do if you could do it for free")
T = Talent ("What you are really good at")
A = Association ("Find the right association")
A = Action ("Working with the right people or organizations, and then taking action")

Take a blank sheet of paper, write down your 10 passions on one side and your 10 Talents on the other. Review it with people you trust until you have 2 left. Now figure out your A & A and you have....yes, SUCCESS!

On Writing by Stephen King (#6)

2009-11-11T12:25:00.005-05:00

"When I proposed the idea of a book on writing to my publisher at Scribner, I felt that I knew a great deal about the subject; my head all but burst with the different things I wanted to say. And perhaps I do know a lot, but some of it turned out to be dull and most of the rest, I've discovered, has more to do with the instinct than with anything resembling "higher thought." Also, something happened halfway through the writing of On Writing-a life-changer, as they say." (Page 253)

Writing is not life, but I think that sometimes it can be a way back to life. That was something I found out in the summer of 1999, when a man driving a blue van almost killed me." (Page 254)

During the third week of June in 1999, Stephen King was hit by a blue van. His leg was broken in nine places, four of his ribs were broken, and his hip was broken & dislocated. Additionally, his bloodied glasses ended up in the front seat of the van which hit him.

After flying over fourteen feet in the air and landing on the gravel shoulder of the road he recalls:

"There is dust around the van's taillights. The license plate and the back windows are dirty. I register these things with no thought that I have been in an accident, or of anything else. It's a snapshot, that's all. I'm not thinking;my head has been swooped clean....I am carefully wiping palmfuls of blood out of my eyes with my left hand." (Page 259)

Stephen King did get back to writing - as a matter of fact he was in the process of writing On Writing when this accident happened.

Several weeks later, after physical therapy and additional operations, he returned home. Hit time to write again had come. He describes the experience of his first day back to writing after the accident:

"There was no miraculous breakthrough that afternoon....There was no sense of exhilaration, no buzz - not that day - but there was a sense of accomplishment that was almost as good. I'd gotten going, there was that much. The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better." (Page 274)

....what a good book this was.

On Writing by Stephen King (#5)

2009-11-10T22:47:00.005-05:00

I have selected several quotes from this section of 50 pages (200 - 250) to illustrate the points Stephen King makes as he walks you through some guidelines for reviewing 2nd drafts. I feel confident that if you have read the previous blog posts on this book, you will be able to connect the dots. If not, take the time to read the book. You will not be disappointed.

"Your job during or just after the first draft is to decide what something or somethings yours is about. Your job in the second draft-one of them, anyway-is to make that something even more clear." (Page 201)

"I think certain things hold true for most writers, and those are the ones I want to talk about now. .... If you're a beginner, though, let me urge that you take your story through at least two drafts; the one you do with the study door closed and the one you do with it open." (Page 210)

"There may come a point when you want to show what you're doing to a close friend.....My best advice is to resist this impulse. Keep the pressure on; don't lower it by exposing what you're written to the doubt, the praise, or even the well-meaning questions of someone from the Outside World." (Page 210)

When referring to the time between first and second drafts: "How long you let your book rest - sort of like break dough between readings - is entirely up to you, but I think it should be a minimum of six weeks." (Page 212)

"When you come to the correct evening....take your manuscript out of the drawer. If it looks like an alien relic bought at a junk-shop or yard sale where you can hardly remember stopping, you're ready." (Page 213)

"During that reading, the top part of my mind is concentrating on story and toolbox concerns: knocking out pronouns with unclear antecedents....adding clarifying phrases where they seem necessary, and of course, deleting all the adverbs I can bear to part with (never all of them;never enough).

Most of all, I'm looking for what I meant, because in the second draft I'll want to add scenes and incidents that reinforce that meaning." (Page 215)

"In the spring of my senior year at Lisbon High - 1966, this would've been - I got a scribbled comment that changed the way I rewrote my fiction once and forever. Jotted below the machine-generated signature of the editor was this mot: 'Not bad, but PUFFY. You need to revise for length. Formula: 2nd Draft - 1st Draft-10%. Good luck' .

What the Formula taught me is that every story and novel is collapsible to some degree." (Page 224 - 225)

"The most important things to remember about back story are that (a) everyone has a history and (b) most of it isn't very interesting. Stick to the parts that are, and don't get carried away with the rest." (Page 229)

In response to "How do you get an agent?" "The underlying assumption is that publishing is just one big, happy, incestuously closed family. It's not true." (Page 241)

On Writing by Stephen King (#4)

2009-11-09T15:24:00.005-05:00

"This isn't the Ouija board of the spirit-world we're talking about here, but just another job like laying pipe or driving long-haul trucks." (Page 153) Stephen King refers to the job of writing as something which is still work. Finding a proper location (King's first "office" was the laundry room in his trailer home), focusing and holding yourself accountable for production, and not getting too caught up in any one aspect of what you are doing.

"When I'm asked why I decided to write the sort of thing I do write, I always think the question is more revealing than any answer I could possibly give. Wrapped within it, like the chewy stuff in the center of a Tootsie Pop, is the assumption that the writer controls the material instead of the other way around." (Page 155) For King, he typically will start with characters in a particular circumstance and then build the story/characters/situation from there.

"I want you to understand that my basic belief about the making of stories is that they pretty much make themselves." (Page 159)

When talking about descriptions and suggesting never to overuse descriptions "In many cases when a reader puts a story aside because it 'got boring,' the boredom arose because the writer grew enchanted with his powers of description and lost sight of his property, which is to keep the ball rolling." (Page 175)

"Practice is invaluable (and should feel good, really not like practice at all) and that honesty is indispensable." (Page 195)

This section of the book was certainly useful - and I feel like I have the "insider secrets" to writing after reading this. What I found very interesting is that Stephen King mentions that he wants me (the reader) to write a four page story and send it to him through his website. That is VERY COOL - I wonder if he will actually read some of it. There is only one way to find out right?

Week 2

2009-11-09T10:30:00.005-05:00

The past week started out great. I was ahead of schedule for most the of the week - and really enjoying the books I was reading. I am still enjoying the books, but am also finding myself pressed for time on a daily basis.

I have noticed that my verbal and written communication skills have improved since devoting my time to reading 50 pages a day. I am better able to express myself and I have not found myself "fishing" for words as I look to explain an event or a memory. This is a pleasant side-effect for sure.

The day light savings time change helped me initially as I was able to wake up at the same "time" as the previous day and have an extra hour to get my reading done...but I have adjusted to the time and am not racing against the clock on a daily basis.

I am hoping to get back on track this week...

Time to pick up Writing On and get started with page 151...

On Writing by Stepehn King (#3)

2009-11-08T20:58:00.008-05:00

Pages 100 through 150 of On Writing include the start of the "instruction" section of the book.

Stephen King uses a description of a large tool box which he recalls from his childhood. In a specific memory involving replacement of a screen door, King remembers asking "if you only needed a screwdriver, why did you bring your whole toolbox?" The answer is that just in case you need to use the other tools they are there with you.

The same thing is true in writing according to Mr. King. The top (of three) section of your tool box is vocabulary. Not the overdone "fancy" vocabulary which makes you sound like you memorized too many words in college, but the type of vocabulary which first comes to mind and most accurately describes what it is you are looking to convey.

"I am approaching the heart of this book with two theses, both simple. The first is that good writing consists of mastering the fundamentals (vocabulary, grammar, the elements of style) and then filling the third level of your toolbox with the right instruments. The second is that while it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer our of a good one, it is possible with lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help, to make a good writer out of a merely competent one." (Page 136)

On Writing by Stephen King (#2)

2009-11-07T13:14:00.006-05:00

Stephen King finishes his "life story to date" in pages 31 - 90 or so and then gets into the art of writing. This was a very cool read today.

He met his wife in college. She appears in many stories as supportive (not outwardly though) and capable of providing valuable perspective. In one case, the first 3 pages of Carrie were pulled from the trash (and the cigarette ashes were brushed off of them) by Stephen King's wife. "You've got something here" she says. Several years later Stephen King makes $200,000 on the book (he received 50% of the $400,000).

Not bad for a 1st shot Mr. King.

"I learned from Carrie White" (this was the main character in Carrie.) "The most important is that the writer's original perception of a character or characters may be as erroneous as the reader's. Running a close second was the realization that spotting a piece of work just because it's hard, either emotionally or imaginatively, is a bad idea. Sometimes you have to go on when you don't feel like it, and sometimes you're doing good work when it feels like all you're managing is to shovel $h!t from a sitting position." (Page 69)

King also describes his launch into alcoholism. If you have ever thought that nothing good comes from recycling, perhaps others have a different view based on their own experience. For example:

"Then, in the early eighties, Maine's legislature enacted a returnable-bottle and -can law. Instead of going into the trash, my sixteen-ounce cans of Miller Lite started going into a plastic container in the garage. One Thursday night I went out there to toss in a few dead soldiers and say that this container, which had been empty on Monday night, was not almost full. And since I was the only one in the house who drank Miller Lite -

Holy $h!t, I'm an alcoholic" (Page 88).

King did struggle with alcohol and drugs later but reports in his book that it was sober for more than 12 years (as of the late 1990s when the book was started)

King describes in a short section of the book (which is a bridge into the "craft" from the "story of his life" part of the book) a table with a red table cloth, small cage, white rabbit with a pink nose and pink around his eyes, and the number "8" on his back.

"That is what we're looking at, and we all see it. I didn't tell you. You didn't ask me. I never opened my mouth and you never opened yours. We're not even in the same year together, let along the same room...except we are together. We're close.

We're having a meeting of the minds." (Page 98)

Did you wake up today and think you would have a meeting of the minds with Stephen King. Yeah, me too...

On Writing by Stephen King

2009-11-06T06:46:00.012-05:00

Having read the first fifty pages of On Writing I have come to the realization that I made an error in my first thirty-one years of life. More specifically, I have not read a Stephen King book.

On Writing is not a fictional story, rather, a vivid recollection of childhood memories which will, according to the book description, turn into some type of guide on writing. I am sure that anyone reading these blogs will be thankful that I am taking on some "lessons" on writing....

Stephen King shares stories which shaped his style and lessons he learned through the description of specific childhood events. One chapter discusses hitchhiking more than 10 miles on a weekly basis to catch the newest sci-fi/horror thriller at a theatre across town. He also describes how he would later break most copyright laws by translating these films to print and selling it at school for $0.25 a copy. (He did get in trouble for this by a teacher at school and was required to refund the money to the other children.)

King shares an early lesson on writing though an experience he had as a sophomore in high school. In response to the boredom of being the editor for The Drum, the high school newspaper, King creates his own satirical paper called The Village Vomit.

"The boxed motto in the upper lefthand corner was not "All the News That's Fit to Print" but "All the $h!t That Will Stick." That piece of dimwit humor got me into the only real trouble of my high school career. It also lead me to the most useful writing lesson I ever got." (Page 40)

The "useful lesson" came a few weeks later after a guidance counselor recommended that King apply for a job as the sports reporter for the Lisbon weekly paper. Had it not been for The Village Vomit, it could be fair to say that the recommendation would not have happened - as his talent and "restless pen" could all have been lost. Thank goodness for Vomit and the immature satirical mind of a 15 yr. old Stephen King.

At 1/2 penny per word, this was the first job in which Stephen King was paid to write regularly - and he did get the job - reluctantly. The lesson came from Mr. Gould after marking up the first report about a high school basketball player breaking the school record.

"I only took out the bad parts, you know," Gould said. "Most of it's pretty good."
"I know," I said, meaning both things: yes, most of it was good-okay anyway, serviceable-and yes, he had only taken out the bad parts. "I won't do it again."

He laughed. "If that's true, you'll never have to work for a living. You can do this instead. Do I have to explain any of these marks?"

"No," I said.

"When you write a story, you're telling yourself the story," he said. "When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story." (Page 47)

The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann (#3)

2009-11-05T10:56:00.001-05:00

Joe arrives at Pindar's home for the fifth and final day of his week long experience. With a very exciting week almost behind him, he wonders who today's guest will be. Pindar informs him that Joe is the guest today.

Pindar challenges Joe to exhale for a count of 30 seconds. After Joe gasps for air at 11 seconds....

"Couldn't get to thirty?"
Joe shook his head.
"What would you think if I told you it has been medically proven that it's healthier for you to exhale than to inhale? Would that make a difference?"
Puzzled, Joe shook his head again.
"No, of course not. You can't just go on exhaling forever, no matter what argument anyone gives you." (Page 106).

"It's not better to give than to receive. It's insane to try to give and not receive." "In fact, every giving can happen only because it is also receiving." (Page 107)

The Fifth Law: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

Joe arrived back at his office on Friday afternoon. He had not landed the BK account and "Joe sat at his desk gazing thoughtfully at his empty coffee cup while his coworkers began pulling on their coats and snapping their briefcases shut."

As he washed the coffee mug and prepared to close the office, the phone rang. It was 6:15pm on a Friday. Turns out that the competitor who Joe referred business to earlier that week had returned the favor - BIG TIME. This client was HUGE and they were consolidating three international hotel chains and launching a cruise line and needed.....premium coffee.

Rachael's Famous Coffee was an overnight success and with Joe, Joe's wife and Rachael all doing better than they ever imagined, Joe thanked his lucky stars that he changed from a go-getter to a go-giver.

The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann (#2)

2009-11-04T06:13:00.000-05:00

I had to finish the book today because I couldn't wait to see what happens. I truly enjoyed this book, it is a great story. I'll report on pages 50-100 in this post and then wrap it up tomorrow.

I have not mentioned Rachael before, but she is Pindar's assistant and is particularly skilled at making her own famous coffee. At numerous occasions throughout the book, she is mentioned and you learn that in the time she has worked for Pindar, she has established relationships in almost three dozen coffee producing countries to buy direct and skip the middleman to make her delicous famous coffee. These relationships were set up by personal connections she established through teachers and other contacts.

Our main man Joe has been on his quest for two days and for the remaining three days of the week he will continue to meet with Pindar for lunch at various locations. On Wednesday, Pindar and Joe head to the Liberty Life regional headquarters and sit down with the man responsible for over three quarters of the production of the office. The office is the top producing office in the country.

After they meet, Joe mentions to Pindar that Rachael and this top sales individual are both "magnetic" people and very likeable. To help Joe understand how a person can receive by giving, Pindar states "Have you ever wondered what makes people....Magnetic?" He then answers his own question with "They love to give. That's why they're attractive. Givers attract." (Page 70)

The Third Law of Stratospheric Success is "Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first". (page 67)

Joe learned that day that "Fifty/fifty's a losing proposition....I scratch your back, so now you owe me...that's not being a friend, that's being a creditor." (Page 67)

When he returned home, he entered the regular evening routine. Eating dinner, cleaning dishes and taking turns with his wife, Susan, griping about the day at work. While Susan was complaining about work Joe encouraged her to keep talking rather than take his turn. The following morning, Joe woke up to a note on the pillow which stated "thank you...I can't remember ever feeling so listened to. So heard. I love you." Joe had unknowingly accomplished his third day lesson - putting another person's interest first.

On Thursday, Pindar takes Joe to a speaking event where they listen to a woman speak about how she discovered to "sell". After being left to care for her three children and failing miserably at selling real estate, she was just about to give up - until she decided to not "sell" and just be herself. He discovered that "The most valuable gift you have to give is yourself" and this is the Fourth Law. (Page 95)

"Reaching any goal you set takes ten percent specific knowledge or technical skills - ten percent, max. The other ninety-plus percent is people skills." (Page 92)

Alright, I'll wrap this book up tomorrow - now - I challenge you to take on one of these Laws today - and do it for the right reasons.

The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann

2009-11-03T09:24:00.000-05:00

I was turned on to this book after reading Endless Referrals by Bob Burg. The book is short (129 pages) and you can get a good idea of the way it reads on the Go Giver website.

The main character is Joe. "He worked hard, worked fast, and was headed for the top." "If there was anyone that was a go-getter....it was Joe" (Page 1)

Joe is looking to land the Big Kahuna account, "BK", and he is doing everything he knows to be aggressive and focused to land this account. Feeling the pressure of two recent missed quotas Joe searches the office for help. One of his most successful coworkers, Gus, provides a number to an individual that will change the way in which Joe approaches his business.

Through a series of conversations with this new contact, named Pindar, Joe receives advice about how to work with people in a meaningful way - a new way. The one condition that Pindar places on Joe is that he must put the practices to work as quickly as possible. Joe agrees as he needs help and is eager to follow the advice of Pindar. Pindar introduces his Five Laws which are his Trade Secrets.

"Most people just laugh when they hear the secret to success is giving. Then again, most people are nowhere near as successful as they wish they were." (Page 14)

"In life, you often don't get what you want" but "You get what you expect."

In their first of several daily lunch time trips, Pindar introduces Joe to a successful restaurant owner. Through this experience and the story of the once hot dog cart owner turned successful commercial property and restaurant owner, Joe learn the first Law:

"YOUR TRUE WORTH IS DETERMINED BY HOW MUCH MORE YOU GIVE IN VALUE THAN YOU TAKE IN PAYMENT." (Page 29)

That afternoon Joe finds himself in the office faced with a client who apologetically states that they cannot use Joe's services. In accordance with the condition of his mentor, he provides his client with a firm which may be better able to help them. Joe cannot believe that he just threw business to a competitor however, he did provide more value than he took in payment so he is on track.

On the next lunch trip, Joe meets an extremely successful CEO of a children's marketing firm. He learns the second law which states: "Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them" (Page 45). You see, the CEO's prior job was that of a teacher and while she added great value to her 20 or 25 students, she realized that she could add the same value to millions. Her value proposition stayed the same, and she just expanded her reach.

"If you want success, find a way to serve more people." (Page 46)

Alright, that wraps up the first 50 of The Go-Giver, see you next post!

Strategic Acceleration by Tony Jeary (#4)

2009-11-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

The first leg of the execution tripod is persuasion (from the last blog post). Persuasion is a necessary part of execution because a successful individual must motivate/inspire those around them to achieve excellent results.

The second leg is production and Tony Jeary discusses the importance of PBP (Production Before Perfection). This concept makes a great deal of sense and I firmly believe in this concept - although I never had a name for it. I think most would agree that "You don't have to have all the facts and details about something before you can start working on it!" (Page 152). Tony Jeary makes a note that he doesn't say it has to be finished before you have all the facts, just that it can be started.

He spends a great deal of time writing about procrastination and that "No human characteristic restricts results and effectiveness more than procrastination" (Page 153) "Most procrastinators don't believe they are procrastinating; they think they are being prudent and cautious, which helps them do a better job when they finally get around to doing it." (Page 154) I certainly have been in this situation before and heard many people - especially when it comes to returning calls - say "I'm going to wait until I have more info".

The point he makes with PBP is that you can always do something before you have the full info. You can start the outline, you can place a courtesy call if you don't have the info to report on the phone, you can start the press release and fill in the details later. This is truly applicable to just about any situation.

"A good procrastinator who is skilled in research can present the illusion of productivity without actually being productive." (Page 159) These are the people who are always "busy busy" but don't seem to ever get the results which line up with the business.

If you just realized that you are a procrastinator you can solve the problem by focusing on those high leverage activities which will push you toward your future vision. This is more effective than focusing only on how you can stop procrastinating because focusing on the future will stop the procrastination and will also move you closer to your vision.

Strategic Presence is the third leg of the execution tripod and, as best as I can summarize, this is the lasting impression which you give those around you. The more authentic and honest your actions, the better your strategic presence will be. A child who stands up for the kid in school who is getting picked on has been inspired by her parents' authentic strategic presence.

"The most important fact about strategic presence is that it produces two possible reactions in others. It either produces a voluntary cooperation or it produces various forms of resistance." (Page 178) I can translate this to say that if you are helping people out, it better be for the right reasons - because if your intentions are not sincere, you will be "found out" and then all is surely lost. This is also a clear message in Bob Burg's book, Endless Referrals.

It is important to note that "Strategic presence dwells in the land of perception, and it is hard to manage and control perception." (Page 195) This is important to note because no matter how sincere you are (or aren't) there will always be individuals, who due to their belief window, will react opposite to what you think they should.

I will use one of the final paragraphs of this book to summarize my main take away. "All you need to do is take an honest look at where you are right now, compared to where you really want to be. Between the two points lie the high-leverage activities on which you need to focus to shift your location and close the gap. You'll know exactly what you need to do and how you need to spend your time to realize your vision, which, of course, will set you up for consistent execution." (page 201)

Note: There are several appendices which contain exercises to walk readers through the thought-changing process "you must embrace to succeed at the speed of life". (Page 203). I am looking forward to working on them shortly now that this information is fresh in my mind.