Interview with writer Alexandra Franzen

Today’s special guest is Alexandra Franzen and we’re chatting about her new book, The Checklist Book: Set Realistic Goals, Celebrate Tiny Wins, Reduce Stress and Overwhelm, and Feel Calmer Every Day.         

Bio:

Alexandra Franzen is a writer, consultant, and entrepreneur based in Hawaii.

She writes about a wide range of topics: life, love, death, grief, unplugging from technology, creativity, focus, productivity, simplicity, time–and how we spend it.

Her sixth book is The Checklist Book: Set Realistic Goals, Celebrate Tiny Wins, Reduce Stress and Overwhelm, and Feel Calmer Every Day. She has written articles for Time, Forbes, Newsweek, The Huffington Post, and Lifehacker. Her work has been mentioned in The New York Times Small Business Blog, The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Times, and Inc.

Alexandra’s newsletter has been called one of the “14 newsletters you need in your inbox” by Brit+Co. Join 13,000 readers and sign up for inspiring stories, checklists, music playlists, and exciting surprises.

Welcome, Alexandra. Please tell us about your current release.

Thanks for having me here today!

My new book is called The Checklist Book: Set Realistic Goals, Celebrate Tiny Wins, Reduce Stress and Overwhelm, and Feel Calmer Every Day.

It’s a book about the power of making a list.

But really, it’s a book about how to clarify what really matters to you—and then simplify your life and design your day accordingly.

If you had 24 hours to live, how would you spend your time? Whatever matters most strongly to your heart, that’s what belongs on your daily checklist.

What inspired you to write this book?

I have a lifelong obsession with checklists. I use checklists for all kinds of things—checklists to plan my day, checklists to prepare for big transitions (like moving into a new house), and I’ve even made checklists for navigating painful situations, like coping with grief, or going through a break-up.

Checklists are powerful. They help us feel a little calmer, more capable, and confident in the face of life’s challenges.

When you make a list, generally, you feel less overwhelmed and more focused. Instead of spinning with overwhelm, you can exhale and go, “Okay, maybe I don’t have all the answers, but at least I know my next 5 steps. I can get things moving in the right direction.” It’s very empowering to make a list, check things off, and celebrate each tiny victory.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m working on a top secret project right now—which hasn’t official been unveiled yet. It’s a new company that’s all about detoxing from technology.

I hope to inspire people to spend way less time sitting in front of a screen (computer, phone, tablet, TV) and way more time out in the non-digital world.

I’ve noticed in my own personal life that too much tech-time makes me feel drained, sluggish, and anxious. I would love to help society create more balance—using tech when it’s needed, but not excessively. Because we’ll all feel healthier and happier if we put turn off our phones once in a while!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Probably around age eight. That’s when I wrote my first “book”—which was basically a few pages stapled together! It was a story about flying unicorns which I wrote by hand and illustrated myself! Haha.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I do! I’ve been a full time, self-employed writer for the last 10 years.

A typical workday for me including working with clients—companies hire me to write materials for them, like website language, newsletters, podcast and video scripts, educational materials, speeches, all kinds of things. I have “writing deadlines” pretty much every single day of the week—it definitely keeps me on my toes!

And, a typical week for me also includes teaching (I teach classes on writing, creativity, goal setting, checklists, and more) as well as my own personal writing—writing essays, stories, books, and my own weekly e-newsletter.

I’ve been able to build a solid list of clients, and consistent income, as a writer. For that, I feel very blessed and grateful.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

One strange thing about me is that…I never learned how to type “correctly”! I use about 4 out of 10 fingers when I type. But I type extremely fast. I have a bizarre approach but hey, it works for me!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A shark scientist! I was obsessed with Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, and I’ve always had a deep fascination with the ocean.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Our planet is going through an especially challenging time right now. Many of our usual routines have been disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

So, now is the time to double-down on your self-care, and do things that clear your mind and lift your spirits.

Making a daily checklist can really help. I recommend keeping your checklist to one page, max, and focusing on very tiny action steps. Keep it simple. Don’t overload yourself.

What are some “tiny wins” that you could realistically accomplish today? Celebrate each victory, no matter how big or small. If you remembered to take a shower, check in with your mom, hug your child, and eat a vegetable today, that’s beautiful and worth celebrating. Keep setting tiny goals and checking them off your list. Take good care of yourself. xo.

Links:

Website | Amazon

To learn more about Alexandra, visit her other tour stops!

-- Blog Tour Dates

May 11th @ The Muffin

What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Make sure you visit the WOW blog today and read an interview with author Alexandra Franzen and enter to win a copy of the book The Checklist Book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

May 12th @ Karen Brown Tyson

Stop by Karen's blog today and read Alexandra Franzen's inspiring guest post entitled, "You Are Going to Survive."

https://karenbrowntyson.com/blog/

May 13th @ World of My Imagination

Join Nicole as she reviews Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com

May 15th @ The Burgeoning Bookshelf 

Visit Veronica's blog today and you can read her review of Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/

May 16th @ Lapidus International

Stop by the words for wellness organization today and read Alexandra Franzen's guest post about the importance of nature time.

https://lapidus.org.uk/news

May 18th @ One Sister's Journey: Keeping It Real

Visit Lisa's blog today and read her review of Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://www.lisambuske.com/

May 19th @ Chanel Bevis' Blog

Stop by Chanel's blog today and read her review of Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://chanelbevis1.wordpress.com/blog/

May 20th @ And So She Thinks

Visit Francesca's blog today and you can read Alexandra Franzen's guest post about what a checklist can do you for you.

https://andsoshethinks.co.uk/blog/

May 21st @ Reviews and Interviews

Stop by Lisa's blog where she interviews the author Alexandra Franzen.

http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/

May 23rd @ Boots, Shoes, and Fashion

Visit Linda's blog and you can read her interview with Alexandra Franzen. Don't miss it!

http://bootsshoesandfashion.com/

May 25th @ The Frugalista Mom

Stop by Rozelyn's blog today and you can read her post about Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://thefrugalistamom.com/

May 27th @ Dog-Eared Days of Summer

Visit Courtney's blog today and you can read her review of Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://dog-eareddaysofsummer.com/

May 28th @ Strength 4 Spouses

Visit Wendi's blog today and read Alexandra Franzen's guest post unplugging more.

https://strength4spouses.blog/

May 29th @ Books Beans & Botany

Visit Ashley's blog today where she shares her review of Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://booksbeansandbotany.com/

May 30th @ Memoir Revolution

Memoir and self-help expert, Jerry Waxler pens an article about the value of a checklist habit for memoir writers, inspired by his reading of The Checklist Book.

https://memorywritersnetwork.com/blog/

May 31st @ Michelle Cornish' Blog

Stop by Michelle's blog today and you can read a guest post by Alexandra Franzen about shifting away from perfection. A post we all need to read today!

https://www.michellecornish.com/blog/

June 1st @ Strength 4 Spouses

Visit Wendi's blog today to read her review of Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://strength4spouses.blog

June 2nd @ Beverley A. Baird's Blog

Visit Bev's blog today and you can read her review of Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

June 3rd @ Rachael's Thoughts

Visit Rachael's blog today and you can read her review of Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://rachaelstray.com/

June 4th @ Michelle Cornish' Blog

Visit Michelle's blog today and read her review of Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://www.michellecornish.com/

June 5th @ Editor 911

Stop by Margo's blog today and you can read her review of Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://editor-911.com/blog

June 6th @ Megan Writes Everything

Visit Megan's blog today and she reviews Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://meganwriteseverything.com/

June 7th @ The New England Book Critic

Visit Victoria's blog today and read her review of Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://thenewenglandbookcritic.com/

June 8th @ Dog-Eared Days of Summer

Visit Courtney's blog again and read Alexandra Franzen's guest post about focusing on tiny wins.

https://dog-eareddaysofsummer.com/

June 9th @ Alternative Grace

Stop by Amber's blog today and read her review of Alexandra Franzen's book The Checklist Book.

https://alternativegrace.com/

June 10th @ Beverley A. Baird's Blog

Stop by Bev's blog again and you can read Alexandra Franzen's guest post about putting self-care into your daily checklist. An absolute must-read!

https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

June 11th @ Jill Sheet's Blog

Visit Jill's blog today and you can read Alexandra Franzen's guest post about getting the phone out of your room.

http://jillsheets.blogspot.com/

Interview with writer Will Craig

Writer Will Craig joins me today to chat about his self-help personal growth book, Living the Hero's Journey: Exploring Your Role in the Action-Adventure of a Lifetime.

Bio:

Will Craig is a writer-photographer traveling the world on the journey of a lifetime. He is the founder and former dean of Coach Training Alliance, an international coaching and mentoring company based in Boulder, CO. 

He holds a master’s degree in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Will Craig’s purpose and passion is helping people discover their life’s path by charting new adventures in personal growth and lifelong learning.

Welcome, Will. Please tell us about your current release.

Living the Hero’s Journey guides the reader on an epic quest of self-discovery. Explore the legends behind today’s action-adventure films and yesterday’s mythic tales. Experience personal growth and development through the lens of movies and mythology. In an age where people look outward for direction and upward for inspiration, Living the Hero’s Journey provides a time-honored template for looking inward and going deep for the answers we seek.

What inspired you to write this book?

I was inspired to write this book because I needed to take the journey myself and thought it might be nice company to have the reader join me. I wanted to understand what is happening in my life. I wanted to acknowledge and appreciate the ongoing tests and trials I face instead of resenting them for being disruptive and inconvenient.

Excerpt from Living the Hero’s Journey:

The Studio of the Universe is making a motion picture about your life, and guess who’s playing the lead role? You!

You are the hero of your life. Who else could be? Sure, there are those leading men and women in films, books, and television whom you might like to emulate. But in the movie that is your life, you’re it. You are responsible for what happens—and what doesn’t. You decide who gets cast in which roles and even the lines you speak. Ultimately, you determine how well you do at the box office of life.

It may seem odd that we need to explore our role in our own life, but there is more here than meets the eye. How many times have you been someone for someone else and knew you were not being the real you? How many times have you done something for someone else that you knew wasn’t congruent behavior for you? Maybe you are in that position right now.

You get to write your own script while immersing yourself in this book. Truth be told, you’ve been writing it all along. You get to be the you who is inside kicking and screaming to get out. The you who has always been there without a voice and finally gets to step up to the call. The you seeking your date with destiny. Life will never be fulfilling until this happens. Somehow, this doesn’t come as a shocking news bulletin to you. You’ve known this subconsciously for some time now. Today you begin a new journey—a Hero’s Journey.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m currently studying and researching individuals who have made the leap from success to significance.

Success is a measure of control one has over the outside world that then quantifies a person’s inner value. The flow of energy and value comes from outside the individual and is internalized.

Significance flows from the inside out. Significance is what we give back, pay forward, and bestow upon others. It is the gift of experience and wisdom that radiates out from people who know what to do with their achievement.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I started writing this book almost a decade ago. At a certain point, I abandoned it only to come back years later to finish what I had started. I first considered myself a writer when I reread what I had written and thought, “Did I write this? Are we sure?” I rarely get full of myself but I must admit I immersed myself in the moment. Maybe I could be an author after all.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I am a writer and photographer. I split my time between these two creative passions. I think the diversity keeps my brain malleable and open to seeing familiar views with new eyes.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I don’t have all the answers, and Living the Hero’s Journey is not a “how to” book. In other words, you’re not going to receive a to-do list on how to live your life. There are no “shoulds” and “musts” here. I only hope to transform some knowledge and information into experience—an experience that enables you to bypass many of the obstacles while developing and honing your own guidance system.

I encourage you to combine the passages that resonate with you and what you already know to be true in your heart. Build your knowledge base, as I’m attempting to do, and gain experience that will garner you wisdom. We’re in this together. I am your adventure guide and loyal ally for the entire quest.

Thanks for being here today, Will.

Interview with Diane Keyes about her memoir To Wendy's with Love

Writer Diane Keyes wraps up this week with me. We’re chatting about her memoir, To Wendy’s With Love: The 22-Year Lunch.

Welcome, Diane. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’ve owned a staging business for more than twenty-five years—since before the name staging. I also have an eclectic background working as a book reviewer, editor, retreat director, grief group facilitator, and commercial floral designer, and I often speak at real estate functions and make appearances on local TV and radio programs.

As a child, I always told people that I wanted to be a race car driver and a writer. I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 30 years old and I didn’t start writing till I was in my 40’s so I guess I’m a late bloomer. And even then I began writing only because every word of my first book, Spirit of the Snowpeople, came to me at a stop light between the red and the green. I couldn’t have even thought every idea in the book, much less composed it, in that short space of time. I believed then, and still do, that it was sent to me and I had an obligation to get it to print. It took twelve years before it was published but it was published exactly as it was given to me. It sold out its first printing three weeks after publication and I’m thrilled to say the book had the largest presale in the 60-plus-year history of DownEast Books. My second book, This Sold House, received two Best Book Awards, in the business and how-to categories, from the Midwest Independent Publishers’ Association (a twelve state region) and is endorsed by Joan Steffens, host of HGTV’s, Decorating Cents. It will be going into its 3^rd edition later this year.

Please tell us about your current release.

To Wendy’s With Love: The 22-Year Lunch is the story of my weekly lunches with my mother, which I started in an attempt to heal my relationship with her. I needed a low energy way to spend time with Mom. I was carrying around a lot of baggage I’d had since childhood after a brain hemorrhage left me with painful memories, unanswered questions, and crippling depression. I found my healing in an unlikely place—Wendy’s fast food restaurant. Once we met in “the neutral zone,” she wasn’t doing the Mom thing and I wasn’t doing the kid thing and we were able to see each other outside of our accustomed roles. Along the way I discovered the power of gratitude, relationships, and family meals. The lessons I learned have changed my life as well as those of the family and friends who have joined mom and me each week around the Wendy’s table. Still going strong after 22 years, it now includes four generations of our family and some weeks we have as many as 15-20 people show up for lunch.

To Wendy’s With Love is just that—a love letter to Wendy’s for creating a congenial space in which to heal, along with good food and warm and welcoming staff who have become like family to us.

What inspired you to write this book?

Over the years, I’d occasionally think “I should write a book about our Wendy’s experience.” But I never felt compelled until one day when the local Wendy’s PR person came to take photos of our family. They’d finally noticed we’d been there every week for more than 15 years. (If you go to our Wendy’s in Roseville, Minnesota, you’ll find photos of us all over the walls). Anyway, my mom was bragging about me and telling the photographer that I was a writer. He asked me if I’d considered writing a book about Wendy’s and I said I had. He told me, “I think it would be a very good idea.” I started the book that week.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m working on a juvenile fiction novel tentatively called The Legend of Bella Vie, about the woman behind Santa Claus. Unfortunately I’ve been stuck for a while, so if anyone has any ideas, let me know. I also have the first draft done of Sound Bytes of Relationship Advice. I’ve been married to the same wonderful guy for decades and I’ve learned some things it would be helpful to know right out of the gate.

I’m also toying with the idea of writing the back story of getting To Wendy’s With Love published—because a lot of interesting things happened in the 7 years between writing the bones of the book and getting it in print.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I think that I probably didn’t really consider myself a writer until I wrote the Wendy’s manuscript. The children’s book was sent to me—I’m very proud that I stayed with Spirit of the Snowpeople until it was published 12 years later, but I did not write it. And the staging book, This Sold House, had more to do with my business than with my writing so I don’t really count that book either. But in the last 7-8 years, I’ve been doing a lot of editing and I’ve been told I’m a good writer; the trouble is I want to be someone grand and lyrical, not just good. Oh well, I do what I can with what I’ve got.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I do not write full time. I belong to a writers’ group for women; we started with 10 people and now have 300 members, and they often speak about their writing practices. I can’t relate to any of them. If I’m not in the middle of a book, I don’t write. When I do have something to write, I start and don’t stop, working 14-16 hours a day until I’m finished, I guess I’m a feast or famine writer. I love my writing process. It’s the same if I’m editing.

The rest of the time I’m a stager, which I also love. I love helping people get as much money for their homes as they can. It’s amazing what a little purging, painting and cleaning can do for the bottom line.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I think my interesting writing quirk is that I LOVE writing but I am not obsessed by it. From my experience, many, if not most, writers hate writing but feel compelled to do it. If I have something to write, I’m on it but the rest of the time I’m busy with other things.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

My grandpa told me I could either be a teacher, a nurse or a secretary, and I knew I was not cut out for any of those things, which is probably where I came up with the idea of being race car driver or a writer. If I was going to go off the grid, I guess I wanted to go WAY OFF.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Don’t EVER let fear stop you. Everything good that comes your way begins with saying “Yes.” Don’t let other people’s notion of what is impossible keep you from reaching for your dreams. Nike’s right when they say “just do it.” There is not a single desire in your heart that wasn’t put there by the Universe/God/Spirit. If you have the desire you also have the means, but you first must believe it.

Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon

Thanks for being here today, Diane.