Ask the Author: Lonnie Pacelli
Answered Questions (7)
Lonnie Pacelli
Tough one. I'd have to say Pam & Jim from The Office. They were real, neither of them was portrayed as the smart aleck or the idiot, and love prevailed despite adversity. After being married 29 years, I admire it when couples are portrayed as real and loving through all the bumps and bruises of marriage.
Lonnie Pacelli
I need to feel the passion about my topic to get me inspired. When I wrote Six-Word Lessons for Dads with Autistic Kids, I was (and still am) very passionate about the topic since I have a son with autism. Write about your passion and you'll be inspired naturally.
Lonnie Pacelli
I get to help people that I wouldn't get to help otherwise. Being able to influence people around the block or around the world from me is very gratifying. I am humbled that I can be in a position to help others to help themselves.
Lonnie Pacelli
Good question. I don't force it. if I'm not feeling it I don't do it. I am typically a very streaky writer; I may go for periods where I don't write anything then all of a sudden I get a bug and start writing. I know myself enough that when I do get the bug to write I don't stop writing because I my not start it up again. Your best work comes when you're in the mood to write, not when you're being forced to do it.
Lonnie Pacelli
Right now my focus is on better marketing my books. I very much want to increase my reader base, engage with my readers, and learn how I can be more effective at helping my readers.
Lonnie Pacelli
There are four things I would tell an aspiring writer:
1 - Get a good editor who will correct grammar without destroying your writing voice
2 - Outline what you want to say then continue to break down your outline into smaller ideas
3 - Don't over think things while you're writing. Get your thoughts down as quickly as you can type in language that sounds like you. No one likes a sterile read; they want to see your personality come out in your writing.
4 - Learn about smashwords, Createspace, and KDP.amazon.com. These are great platforms for self-publishing and are VERY cost-effective.
1 - Get a good editor who will correct grammar without destroying your writing voice
2 - Outline what you want to say then continue to break down your outline into smaller ideas
3 - Don't over think things while you're writing. Get your thoughts down as quickly as you can type in language that sounds like you. No one likes a sterile read; they want to see your personality come out in your writing.
4 - Learn about smashwords, Createspace, and KDP.amazon.com. These are great platforms for self-publishing and are VERY cost-effective.
Lonnie Pacelli
In my latest release Why Don't They Follow Me?, I got the idea from a leadership class that I would teach when I was a Director at Microsoft. In one of the case studies, attendees needed to work in teams of 4-5 to diagnose a problem then present their findings to a group of executives. In one presentation, one of the attendees clearly tried to endear himself to me by using humor at the beginning of his presentation, before he ever established any credibility with me. The end result was that he came off like a doofus. In the post-mortem, I told the class, "Humor - Credibility = Doofus" and that you shouldn't attempt humor until you have given the recipient a reason to listen to you. From thereafter I would use math statements to underscore leadership principles as they really resonated with the attendees. Why Don't They Follow Me? includes 12 math statements which underscore different aspects of leadership.
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