Friday, March 9, 2012

Writing AND Speaking

Thanks, Hoosier Inkers, for your recent blogs! They've been great! I didn't leave any comments for several weeks, but I did send good vibes your way/s. . . hope you sensed them!

Recently, I've been focusing on my speaking for this year. I rarely seek speaking engagements, but fortunately, they find me. As much as I enjoy writing, I enjoy even more sharing with an interested audience the topics God has led me to in my writing. And a plus for me (and I pray for my readers, too), after I speak is when I sell lots of books.

At the beginning of each new year, I pray about my speaking focus for the year. Of course, it's natural for me to speak about the topics of my novels, especially the overseas settings: China or Taiwan or Sweden or the Holy Land. But I don't want my sharing just to inform and entertain. I also want to inspire, especially spiritually. So that's the focus I pray about.

This year my focus is STORY. But not just my story! Using a few examples from my books, this year I'm challenging my audiences to record and share often with their family and others at least ONE important story (memoir) from their own lives. At two speaking events this past week, I was surprised that only two individuals had already done so. On the other hand, everyone liked the idea of doing ONE story. That's so manageable!

I'm not positive, but I think I sold more books than usual this week. Maybe because I involved my audiences to a higher degree? (Or maybe because both audiences were repeats and eager for my Hungry River sequel, Dragon Wall?)

I would appreciate hearing about your speaking focuses, especially those you feel are God-inspired. And I'm sure the readers of this blog would, too. So how about taking a moment to "speak" to us via a comment?

Writing AND speaking blessings,
Millie Samuelson
Yesterday's Stories for Today's Inspiration

8 comments:

  1. I would love to hear you speak sometime! I, too, love to speak but don't get to very often. I do have a speaking engagement this Tuesday so this was a timely post for me. I'd like to know more about how you got started and where you get your engagements?

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  2. Karla, I'd love to chat with you about this. BUT I'm getting ready to leave for Italy tomorrow. SOOO how about emailing me in about 10 days and asking me again? millie@milliesbooks.org

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  3. Well, thanks to you and others from "The Chinese Connection" I'm nearly finished with an important story to share with my family. Millie, I've never heard you speak, but based on our email "conversations" you are incredibly inspirational and motivating! I can see why audiences would be excited about writing at least one story and wanting to read your own story in HR and DW. Have fun in Italy!

    Paul

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    1. Thanks, Paul, for being so encouraging -- I SURE appreciate it! And hey, I'm eager to see YOUR important story in print! :-)

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  4. Millie,

    Thanks for the great article.

    One thing I'll mention to help with speaking is Toastmasters. If one has the time to invest and can afford joining a group that's about the same cost as the ACFW plus the state chapter, I'd recommend it. Besides dealing with skills in prepared speeches and the impromptu speaking segment (plus everybody taking parts in the evaluations), they have some advanced manuals that would work well with writers -- Storytelling and Interpretive Reading.

    Okay, enough of my advertising! And like Karla, I'd love to hear you speak.

    Jeff

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  5. Thanks, Jeff! That's great info and so relevant these days for writers when we have to do most of our own "promoting," or "sharing" as I often call it. We're like Apostle Paul -- we write AND speak about God's message. . . :-)

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  6. One thing I'll add that's nice about Toastmasters. If you're going to be speaking before a group, need practice, and desire feedback, you can give your speech to the Toastmasters club where they can help you have insights on how to make your presentation better. I've even done that with sermons (abbreviated forms).

    Jeff

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  7. Have a safe trip Millie. Hope it creates many more inspiring stories to tell. Two of my stories will be published later this year in Kernels of Hope from Majesty. The one was how God provided a stove when we needed it and the other how he used prayer to intervene the day my husband was hit by a train.

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