A Writer’s Lament  When I was in high school, my friends marveled at not only how well I could write but that I spent time writing at all. The act of writing was anathema to them. They never said it out loud, but I saw it in their eyes, sometimes. “Why how/do you do this? It’s so hard!” I was often tasked with helping them write their papers for this or that class. Unfortunately, I often wrote a good bit of the content myself, and said, "Now you rewrite it as if you were saying it." Yes, at one time, a student handed in the paper I had composed, complete with my handwriting, and we bot ..read more

by Yvonne DiVita, Book Coach and Author  Advice on how not to write a book, or anything else, is fairly easy to compile. First, don't sit at your computer daily. Do it once in a while. Consistency is key. So once a month is enough. You should be done by the time you're 90. If you make it to 90. Second, read other people's work and copy them. Because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery or something like that. You'd love to have people take your work and copy it. Right? Third, be confident in the knowledge that you already know how to write, so writing a book, or a blog post, or a ..read more

by Yvonne DiVita, Book Whisperer at Master Book Builders There came a day when I wasn't there. I wasn't here. I wasn't anywhere. I dreamt of a girl in a ballgown. Bright and sparkly like Cinderella. With beautiful slippers of silver and gold.  I dreamt of a sky the color of larkspur, stretched across the heavens like a gossamer scarf made of satin. All shiny and new with glimpses of far-off worlds seen through pure white threads around the edges. And a sun that burst forth in blazing glory, lighting the day with its warmth. I dreamt of mountains, enormous and strange. They stretched to t ..read more

by Yvonne DiVita, book coach and author advisor at Nurturing Big Ideas I remember in the early days of business blogging, back in 2005-2009, being interviewed repeatedly about my marketing to women online focus and how blogging was working to help my business. Blogging was the cornerstone of my work, at that time. It brought me more attention and eyeballs than I had ever dreamed could happen, and I quickly saw the value it could have for my clients. I remember being asked on many of those interviews what I saw for the future. What future did blogging have? everyone always wanted to know. It ..read more

by Yvonne DiVita, from Nurturing Big Ideas - ready to write your book this year? Just reviewed and updated an old blog post. It was a meme from 2008, so a long, long time ago. This blog goes back so far, to the beginning of blogging, if you want the truth, I couldn't possibly update all of the posts that have broken links, etc. But, occasionally, someone sends me a note about a broken link and I get a chance to go in and not only fix the link, but update the post.  The post in discussion is 7 Things I Would Never Tell My Mother. I was tagged by Toby Bloomberg who was Diva Marketing, and ..read more

by guest author, Lily Crager The corporate ladder The corporate ladder is a commonly known analogy in the American workplace. It’s representative of honest and hard work to secure a prosperous life and achieve upward mobility. In short, it’s the American Dream. The analogy makes sense, too. There is a pecking order at corporations and the climb to be at the top of that pecking order is a rigorous and vertical trek. However, for women, the corporate ladder is full of trap doors and faulty steps. Namely, the very first step is known as the “broken rung”. According to a report by McKinsey, wome ..read more

by Yvonne DiVita That would be me. The incredible shrinking woman. I fear going to the doctor. No doubt I'll be weighed and measured, like a side of beef or something. They'll smile and say, "Come with me," and lead me down a long, shadowy hall, to a little corner area where the keep the 'equipment'. You know what I mean. The scale and measuring thingy. I don't like the scale much at all. It's never correct. I weigh myself at home, at least weekly. And I weigh a full ten pounds less at home. Well, maybe five. Maybe three. Whatever it is, it's less than their scale. They should get their scal ..read more

a blog post by Yvonne DiVita Best Friends As a child I spent hours with my nose buried in a book. Books were the best friends I had, and I treasured each one as if it were made of diamonds and pearls. What did I know of gold? I only knew diamonds and pearls were precious stones, and my books were more precious to me than any diamond or pearl. As an adult, an adult of adult children, so, a very accomplished adult, I treasure books even more. To me, books are magical (after all, they come from trees - click this link for more on the magic of trees). Magical things that share amazing, fantas ..read more

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (a sponsored post for a great company - you know I don't write about brands I don't love) I don't often give advice on how to make your holiday more exciting. But this year, I have some advice I couldn't wait to share. Let's just put this out there - this particular season, here in the U.S., can be stressful. Especially for the ladies. In most households, certainly the ones I know, the women do most of the prep - shopping, decorating, baking, inviting, and sending out those holiday cards for just a 'happy day' or for a party you might be having.  I will ..read more

by Yvonne DiVita, your BIG IDEA facilitator from Nurturing Big Ideas This last weekend, well, Thurs through Saturday, I attended a delightful workshop which promised to help me increase clients at my new coaching business. I don't often use the word 'coach' because I prefer mentorship or nurturing, but in the end, that's primarily what it is, a coaching business.  We Learn Through Guidance For those who aren't aware, I work with women who are starting new businesses - or need to jumpstart their existing business, and I coach women who are ready and willing to write a book. The book part ..read more