Author Maureen Castellon

Memoir vs Autobiography

A memoir is a specific journey that you have taken in this lifetime whereas an autobiography is more of a collection of anecdotes. Before you begin writing, decide what your focus will be. Let’s begin by actually defining a journey. Well, a journey has a starting point and an ending point. It is a trip back to your past and present. Now, you may be intimidated by the idea of an ending point for your journey and that will be covered later on. Just sit down and think about what your journey, for this memoir, will be.

 
Were you a Stones groupie? A lawyer on the biggest case of your career? A survivor of an internal or external war? The greatest thing about memoirs is that any journey can be interesting with solid writing. Consider a journey you make every day. I take my dog around the neighbor for twenty minutes a day.
The leash is taken off the hook and Gladys’s eyes go wide with anticipation as I clip it on to her collar. As expected , my dog twirls around like a drunken ballerina. This forty-five pound creature  yanks me forward as we cross the street. Gladys throws herself on the ground and luxuriates in the sand.
Your turn! Write a paragraph on a daily errand you do. Add as much detail as possible.glad

Twitter Simplified

 

Twitter can be intimidating. Its mascot, the silly blue bird, reminded me of a china doll in a horror movie. I didn’t know what it was going to do to me or my business, but I knew I had to keep my eye on it. My anxiety centered on my cluelessness on what to say and have it read as witty.
After reading a few books and articles, I began to understand Twitter in a new way. It is a microblogging site and as an experienced blogger, this seemed doable. I usually post to my personal blog  about once a week and to be noticed on Twitter you need at least three tweets a day. Even to an experienced writer this is intimidating.

When I wrote my first business book I surrounded myself with Forbes magazine and all things commerce. I researched for days, so, for Twitter, I did the same. Feeds were analyzed and read for clarity. Some were funny and others were lame. The ones I liked best were marketing themselves in a subtle way. In contrast, the ones that announced themselves like used carsalesmen turned me off.

Twitter feeds reminded me of the Emily Dickinson poem I read in high school.

“I’m Nobody! Who are you?”
Emily Dickinson, 1830 – 1886

I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there’s a pair of us!
Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!

How dreary – to be – Somebody!
How public – like a Frog –
To tell one’s name – the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!

 
I decided right away to make my feed as useful as possible. Out of my four tweets a day, one would be a pitch while the others had to be useful, even in the most mundane way. Simple things like the difference between You and Your. It may help someone or at least not sound like random croaking to the admiring bog.

My hard sells would be simple and to the point. I wanted to advertise my wares, but also be aware that I had to do this with dignity. One line of pitch should be enough once a day. If it still seems intimidating, just remember these three points:

Advice for Twitter Newcomers

1. Divide your expertise into seven topics.
I do schools, editing and several others.

2. Pick times to consistently tweet.
I dedicate my ten o’clock  tweet to #newteachers for my guide on the first year of teaching.

3. Get familiar with Hootesuite.
This is a lifesaver and it is free!

Feel free to follow me @sirenpub where I dole out more advice three times a day. Good luck!

liz-lemon-emily-dickinson

How to Be a Ghostwriter Part 1

My name is Maureen Castellon. I have been a writer for over ten years, a writing instructor for over fourteen years and a professional ghostwriter for three. My first taste of ghostwriting was when I worked for History Miami  writing the curriculum for them as the Curriculum Support Specialist. The museum received credit and my name would not appear. Hours of research, writing and editing, yet no credit. The museum had a built in audience and my words would  reach more people than if I had tried to publish it myself. From that point onwards, I knew ghostwriting would be my career.

Ghostwriting is a wonderful avenue to have your words help others make their creative visions a reality. Before you make the leap, there are a few things to mull over.

The first thing to consider is if you can handle not receiving credit. This may sound like a silly question, but when you are in the middle of drafting a novel for someone else and you love your writing so much you want to keep it, this question will not be so easy to answer.

The second issue to reflect upon is exactly how much you love to write. An odd blog post or journaling is a great start to being a writer, but can you do it on a daily basis on topics you are not personally drawn to a possibility? The mystique of being a writer is all well and good, but it is work. Yes, I can go to the beach on a Monday afternoon. However, I most likely have spent the day before writing since dawn and need to give my hands a rest.

As yourself not whether your writing is any good, but if others will want to put their name on it as if it were done by their own hand. This question is hard to answer. Your family and friends may have complimented your writing before. You may have even been the best writer in school. Nevertheless, your writing may not be commercial enough to sell. At the end of the day, you are producing deliverables for clients and it has to be high quality.

Take heart if your writing is not fully developed. I did not have the time or money to go back to school for a writing program, so I found a writing coach. She offered valuable advice and helped me become a solid writer. Now that I am an established writer, I am offering my services as a writing coach. Through one on one coaching sessions, we can find your writing voice and develop your writing skills. Please email me at maureen@sirenpublications.com if you would like to nurture your writing.

Finally, the thing to contemplate is how well you can take criticism. If a client hates a piece you sent over and you love it, would you argue? If the answer is yes, you must reevaluate immediately. Criticism is hard to take on any level; however, as a writer, you must separate workable criticism from personal criticism. Some clients love if I share a personal story in their blog content and others loathe it. Writing preferences are never personal. You must have thick skin and learn the art of accepting rejection.

Still want to ghost?

E-dapt

E-dapt is a business eBook on SEO and Internet Marketing

E-dapt

The Industrial Revolution and the Digital Revolution share the same catalyst that changed the world forever: the engine. The 1876 World’s Fair did not herald the Industrial Revolution; it was the fruition of it.  When the ten million people who had visited the exposition when travel was extremely difficult left the grounds, their lives were completely changed. Technology was no longer a flight of fancy; it was a life improving reality. The engine brought about the age of steam technology, telegraphs, railroads and mass production. Society changed both culturally and economically from that point onwards. Businesses had to adapt. Those that fought the rise of the machines eventually had to surrender to the tide of technology or be footnotes in history. Business owners it is time to harness the power of the search engine or lose money!

    The sheer physicality of the Industrial Revolution was daunting to some, but they had to get with the times. Today, we are in the midst of an ongoing Digital Revolution. What started off as a cell phone the size of bricks is now a palm size Smart phone connecting us to the world. All of us know at least two people who do not even get out of bed before they check their phone.  The thought of losing our mobiles bring about an acute sense of panic because our lives would not function as easily without them. Devices may change, but their intent never does. Machinery from 1876 to now should make our lives easier and connected to each other. Businesses can flourish or die on the vine with this rapidly evolving technology.  Marketing has never been more convenient or easier for those willing to adapt to the power of the search engine. 

Luddites, Past and Present

Luddites-those that oppose the advancement of technology

Not everyone was happy about the Industrial Revolution. A group of middle class, self-employed textile artisans christened Luddites  threatened by what they did not know and lacking a long-term vision, destroyed the new machines in secret. They grew afraid the Industrial Revolution would exterminate their way of life and force them into destitution. In many regards, they were correct. With these new machines, their skills became obsolete. Revolutions, in order to be true change, must destroy the old way of life and instill a new order that is distinctly different for better or worse.

    Engine based machines eliminated the need for skilled loom workers and the like. The distrust of machines was widespread and affected all commerce industries. There were agricultural Luddites as well who destroyed threshing machines. People were afraid of this change and rather than embrace it, fought it every step of the way much to their detriment. One option would have been to adapt and become machine operators. Revolutions inherently threaten people. The less informed a person is, the more likely they will react in an emotional way. It is crucial to be informed rather than emotional when dealing with business matters and the internet.

    Technology will almost always replace jobs that no longer serve the needs of the world. There is no going around that. A decade ago, people could not fathom the job of a social media specialist. It would have been laughed off unnecessary and people would resume what was standard for them, namely low tech and low yield.  Now it is a qualification for some jobs. Everyone likes what is safe for him or her. However, safe does not translate into adaptation. Technology was then and continues to be an untamable force. We will always be in the dark about the future, which is why there is comfort is keeping things as is. Hindsight is 20/20 whereas foresight can easily be wrong or misinterpreted. Although technology is a force, history is as well and regardless of personal reservations, we must always move forward.

    Luddites are not outdated, however. Present day Luddites are much sneakier. They are the naysayers of modern technology. These people said social media was a fad as is always said with new technology. Many continue to say these Ludacris things even as you read these words. Internet marketing is deemed not as effective as print or radio despite the numbers to say otherwise. How they disparage social media/internet marketing is almost verbatim what was said when television was introduced to the world. The same naysayers declared that radio was too ingrained into family life for anything else to take over. Once they grew comfortable with radio and movies that brought once a week glamour to suburban life, they shunned the introduction of the television set calling it a talking pine box that no one would stare at for longer than an hour.  Television trumped both movies and radio, but neither medium has disappeared. In fact, in conjunction, they can all help businesses. No technology even goes to waste. Radio and television are still forces today. Technology heralds change and lives do change. The last two hundred years have changed more than any other period thanks to technology.

    Perhaps the best way to think of the history of technology is through a three screen revolution: the television screen, computer screen, and smartphone screen. 

    Television did not gain traction until the 1950s. Radio was the only medium capable of mass communication in the early part of last century. Families sat down in the living room listening to programs letting their imaginations take the helm. Life was more community based with people getting their kicks from community gossip and a regular dose of glamour every Saturday with movie matinees.  Advertisers marketed over this medium without major success because it was the best option available at the time. Potential clients could not see the product and were harder to convince of its value.

    Television raced on to the scene with much resistance. Radio pioneers and personalities believed television was a fad. People felt safe with the radio and preferred it. As the medium grew from a few stations to the fastest growing new invention at that time, it became a force to be reckoning with for marketers. Sellers had to scramble to appeal to the visual medium. In fact, in the early days of black and white television actors had to wear green facial makeup and black lipstick to  appear normal on screen. There were a few kinks despite it surpassing radio almost immediately. Then came national events, which could be televised for the first time. When people felt they were right there with the action, television trumped radio forever. Television opened the world up for small communities by showing a larger life outside their sheltered homes. Life changed, especially with the youth. Kids raced home to watch programs and Saturday morning cartoons became an epic part of childhood. When grandparents tried to entice their grandkids into listening to the radio, they were met with protests of “that’s boring”.

    Much like television, the young before the rest of the world caught up easily adapted the internet. The internet started as military backed research project despite Al Gore claiming he invented the internet. It took a while to reach civilians. Once it did in the 1990s, it exploded. People were able to connect and the world became a smaller place with web surfers who were also curious. Information was everywhere. Television had allowed everyone to have a unified visual, but the internet in many ways celebrated the individual. Interests and hobbies suddenly found millions with the same likes. Global niches began forming. Advertisers had a new medium, but were clumsy in their approach to it. Some ads popped up every few seconds and tried too hard to be like television commercials. Just as it was when transitioning from radio to television, the gaffes proved powerful learning lessons and the ads toned down while improving in quality. The focus now is on content rather than flash.

    Simultaneously improving in quality were cellphones. No longer huge bricks from the 80s second wave cellphones had the added capacity to text, but little more. By 2006 new devices such as Blackberries enabled one to talk, text, and check their email all on a singular device. This was revolutionary at the time. Soon the device was ubiquitous as having a phone was no longer a status symbol, it was a modern necessity. Our lives went from wanting a cellphone and dial up to needing it for almost everything.  Internet and cellphones evolved simultaneously until the two eventually blended into the smartphone of 2007. The same teenagers that flocked to the internet embraced the new systems of communications as adults. It was a near seamless transition for those already familiar with technology, but majorities of marketers hesitated and still do to invest.

    History repeats itself for those who are not willing to evolve. The early adapters of new mediums reap the rewards and push humankind forward. All technology is a new way to communicate. Anything new meets with resistance throughout the ages, but the early adapters always flourish. Now you can join in as well with a bit more knowledge. Those that feel they cannot join in are wrong. Anyone can join at any time and still reap the benefits.  For example, modern humans spend more time engrossed in their mobile devices than reading print, but print publications still get 25 times more marketing money than mobile. At this point in the evolution of technology and communication, this is simply asinine. There is no good argument for not investing in the internet and the old stance of “this is just how it always has been done” no longer rings true. The cost of doing business should not make you the dunce or the Miss Havisham of radio. The argument can be made that if it such a force, then why doesn’t everything related to social media and the internet take off. The answer is simple: not everything works and not everyone has talent. My Space has had different incarnations and some could say it didn’t pan out. Still, it can be seen as a predecessor to Facebook, which is used in every country on an hourly basis. Without Facebook, how could we stalk exes or let everyone know what we are eating three times a day? Different programs may not work out, but the force of change is still in motion. The revolution will not only be televised, but viewers have the capacity to make comments about it and have others respond. The market is there, all you have to do is take a calculated risk to make it work for you. I promise your competitors are already doing so.

Champagne

I recently gave my best friend a Champagne lesson on a road trip to Orlando. She had no idea about true Champagne. Well, for starters, I explained sparkling wines have extra carbon dioxide, which makes them fizzier. These bubbles are the very reason we bring it out to mark special occasions; it is simply more fun to drink. There is just something decadent about the bubbles. Champagne’s arrival is credited to a French monk who promptly declared he was drinking the stars. That monk was Dom Perignon, a holy man who made strides in white wines when France was still predominantly a red wine producer. A monk? Yes, back then the monks could make wines and drink all day.

Champagne identifies as true Champagne when produced in its namesake region in France. Otherwise, it is considered low quality. The cheap bottles in the drugstore cannot be considered anything other than blasphemy to oenophiles. Secondly, since it is a wine it comes from grapes. These grapes must be from the Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, or Chardonnay grapes, which are native.  The name Champagne carries a lot of weight because it is high quality, almost like carrying a Hermes Birkin bag.

The last element to true Champagne production is it has to have gotten the famous bubbles by enduring the fermentation process twice: once in barrels and again in bottles. Other sparkling wines can call themselves Champagne as long as they credit the process. The most visible types of Champagne are Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rosé.

Blanc de Blanc can also be called  white Champagne. By law, white Champagne has to be made with Chardonnay grapes and is a single grape production. Mostly this type of Champagne pairs with light fare such as seafood. It also makes an excellent aperitif.

Blanc de noirs are white Champagnes made only from the black grape varieties of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. These sparkling wines are known to be full-bodied and deeper yellow-gold in color. Ideally, they should be paired with full-flavored foods, including meats and cheeses.

Rosé Champagnes are produced by one of two methods. The classic method centers on the addition of a measured amount of Pinot Noir still wine to the base wine just before the second fermentation. The skin contact method involves the pressing of skins soaking with the juice of the grapes prior to fermentation. Rose, or pink Champagne, has moments of high and waning popularity. The color hue lends itself to romance, but can be overused by desperate men. It is paired well with someone by whom you want to be romanced.

If you think there are too many strict rules with Champagne, here is another one: as each year lapses into another one, producers of Champagne must hold on to least twenty percent of their wine for use in future non-Vintage Champagne. Vintage Champagne has a prestige that a bottle of Andre cannot touch.

There is quite a bit that goes into a bottle of Champagne. Inside the dark glass lurks three times the air pressure of a car tire. If anyone has been accidently hit with a Champagne cork like I have (long story), you know that the uncorking is a reason to cover your face. The longest recorded flight of a Champagne cork is over 177 feet. There are contests to see who can get the cork farthest. Once you go through the opening whether it be dramatic by letting the cork fly or more European where it is simply a polite pop, Champagne is tricky to drink. It is a sipping wine as the alcohol content is so high, drinking it too quickly can cause a headache. This is ironic given Marilyn Monroe only drank Champagne to avoid hangover headaches.

Ever notice how Champagne bottles seems denser than other wine bottles? Well, this sparkling wine is more sensitive to temperature and light. Too much light and temperature fluctuation can affect the taste. Chilling Champagne consistently between 40 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal.

The movies might have gotten something right about Champagne. The traditional way to chill a bottle of Champagne is to place it in an ice bucket, half filled with ice, half with water, for 20 minutes. We ended the road trip with a celebratory glass of Champagne and made sure to savor every delicious bubble.

The Memoir of a Reluctant Teacher

Excerpt from I DON’T LIKE APPLES ANYMORE

I started teaching in 2001. This year was marked by two tragedies: 9/11 and my mother’s death from cancer. They say the worst time to begin a teaching career is when something else is going on in your personal life. Well, that is all well and good when you live in a bubble. Real life comes at you quick and hard. There is no timeout. I started teaching because I felt I had no other options. My wealthy father had died in a bull mating accident on his farm, so my mother paid for the final two years of my college and for living in my sorority house. By the way, being Greek is beyond lame. It is like that club in high school that takes itself way too seriously for what amounts to a group of girls trying to instill a sense of order in their first stab at adulthood. Read More

Sample from Golf Memoir

They say golf is a game for old men. I say it is a lifelong obsession. Your body may slow down, but your mind still focuses on winning. It is not an accident professional athletes from other sports play golf. Other games can be physical; golf is mental.

Blue monsters are not the boogie men who hid under your bed as a child. A golf course can inspire the same fear if you have allowed negativity to interfere with your confidence. This game, these two to four hours of your life, demonstrates what type of man you are. The fewer shots you take, the better. Competitors size you up for weaknesses, or handicaps within the first round. Professional golfers do not have handicaps; amateurs have them. A scratch golfer means you have no handicap. You could say I was a scratch golfer given I was professional for eight years and had numerous sponsors, including Foot Joy. Read More

Sample from Lawyer Memoir

My father was an elongated man from Austria, who had dedicated his youth to earning a medal and competed in the 1968 Mexico City Games. He travelled the longest journey of his life to achieve glory. He experienced sweating even when he was not exercising and tried a few times to speak Spanish. Luckily, for him and the team, a translator-my mother- was on hand to help. She had the dark hair and warm eyes stereotypical of Latin women. He towered over her; she purposely made him bend down to hear her voice. Read More

Stop What You Are Doing and Write Your Memoir

Humans write to communicate and connect. The memoir is the perfect way to do both. Most assume that if they are not a celebrity or they have not survived a national tragedy, then their words will not be valued. Siren Publications is here to tell you that is incorrect. We lead lives of loves, disappointments and triumphs in which others may relate. The stories we tell ourselves every day internally help shape the world and ourselves.

Memoirs are the best form of therapy and the best part is that it is free! Writing down your life story makes it possible to see where the ego gets in the way of progress. We replay moments in our head and more importantly apply them to other events, singular and ongoing. If we give one thought, memory or assumption such a power subconsciously, then we must take back that energy back. There is a notion that the authority in telling our story is in the actual act of writing. After all, the power in our lives comes from living. However, the power in our lives does not come from living it, but in the reflection of it all. The power in writing comes from revision and the power of living fuels reflection.

What if everyone in the world had finally felt understood? The secretary trudging home from the office with a dark past may not feel so victimized or the accountant, who was beaten as a child, directs pity towards for his aggressors rather than full-blown anger at everyone else. We tend to think of the universe and humanity in the broadest terms. Think globally and act locally. Even standing in line at CVS offers the chance to improve the world’s state. A smile can give hope to someone desperate enough to consider not living. With our own victimizations/untold secrets put on the page, we accept others and therefore ourselves. When we mire in feeling misunderstood, we interpret people, place and things as either positive or negative. The truth is most of the time they are neither. We would not only increase self-awareness, but also see the world as it is without making it fit our storylines.

Consider the wisdom within you. The seemingly endless obstacles, the challenges that brought you nuggets of wisdom were all lessons you needed to learn so one day you could pass them on or live a better life for yourself. In addition, your closest family members may not even know your perspective on the same events they have lived through as well. Writing down your journey could save someone else, either family or stranger, from making the same mistakes or providing a clearer path for future generations. Think of the curiosity you feel towards your ancestors, now imagine how future generations could have wished they had intimately known you.

We only attain happiness or clarity after releasing all attachments. There are certain topics that have such a stigma that we as a collective are fearful to address them. No one wants to discuss the topic of miscarriage, depression and other health matters. As a result, there is not as much information out there as there should be. Once we sit down and make the decision to share, others will come forth. The isolation of keeping things in creates a natural state of distrust, but think if someone leaned over to you right now and said I understand your secret because it happened to me as well. You would feel a certain sense of comfort that only empathy can provide.

Memories are fluid. The actual practice of writing your stories helps you to become a more effective communicator. A story is comprised of finely tuned details and a clear ending. We have all sat in parties or even in the park and experienced someone rambling on. If they had taken the time to write what they wanted to convey down on a sheet of paper, their words would have more impact. Everyone loves a good storyteller and that person can be you if practiced enough.

Will you come off as a self-absorbed navel gazer? Of course not! Think about it in this manner, you brush your teeth every morning. The bristles clean your mouth of the unnecessaries of life and reveal the pristine state underneath. As an added benefit, others enjoy speaking with you more with a cleaner mouth. Telling your story is the same. You feel better about yourself and remove anything standing in the way of being the most pleasant person to speak with at any time. Writing your memoir is primarily for yourself, but it can benefit others as well.

Will your family hate you as a result? There is no real answer for this. Yes, they may not appreciate the public airing out of dirty laundry. Faulkner reiterated that the only person a writer was beholden to was himself or herself. To make matters easier, blend people together into a composite; no one is directly mentioned. Think long and hard about how much you are willing to expose your family. The key aspect in answering this question is whether you will be writing to hurt or heal. The journey is about you, so consider how much you want to feature other people.

Siren Publications believes in the power of memoir writing. Workshops are held upon request or you can make an appointment any time for a private consultation. Your story deserves to be told. Begin your legacy today.

A Manicure is a Must

A manicure is a mini indulgence to let the world know you care about appearance and yourself. Our nails can get chipped cleaning, typing and through just plain living. Through hand gestures and shaking hands, we express ourselves with our ten digits. There is no better way to give the best impression than with a pop of color and well-groomed nails.

Nail color is the easiest way to develop a signature look. Ever since a so purple it is black polish came out four years ago, my nails have not known another color. I love how dark the color is and how white it makes my skin look. If it chips, it is not as noticeable as with a lighter color. When I try out a new color, it inevitably does not look like me. I find this color makes me feel great about myself and sends the message that my glamour is on the darker side, but still just as valid. Read More