{"id":1420,"date":"2015-07-18T23:29:42","date_gmt":"2015-07-18T23:29:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/colleenmstory.com\/?page_id=1420"},"modified":"2026-01-09T20:11:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T20:11:05","slug":"speaking","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/colleenmstory.com\/story\/speaking\/","title":{"rendered":"Speaking"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/h3>\n

Prior appearances:<\/h3>\n

UVU Book Academy (Utah Valley University)<\/p>\n

Idaho Writer’s & Editor’s Association<\/p>\n

Eastern Idaho Writer’s League<\/p>\n

Western Colorado Writer’s Forum<\/p>\n

The Dallas-Fort Worth Writers’ Conference<\/p>\n

Boise Nonfiction Authors Association<\/p>\n

West Texas A&M University Writers’ Academy<\/p>\n

Storymakers Conference<\/p>\n

Idaho Writers’ Conference<\/p>\n

Northern Colorado Writers<\/p>\n

\n

Are you a member of a group of creative individuals who could use a little inspiring?<\/p>\n

Would you like to be more productive, tap into your own creative powers, or find new ways to enrich your life through writing?<\/p>\n

Colleen M. Story, founder of Writing and Wellness, speaks to groups on these subjects and more. She promises a high-energy presentation full of valuable information tailored to your particular audience.<\/p>\n

Take a look at a few samples of the classes she teaches below. <\/strong>CLICK HERE<\/span><\/a><\/span> to read testimonials gathered from Colleen’s previous workshops and speaking engagements.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Noticed\"Writer Get Noticed!
\nStanding Out in a Noisy Publishing World<\/h2>\n

Do you feel invisible?<\/em><\/h4>\n

If you’re putting your work out there but nobody\u2019s noticing, it could be that you\u2019re lacking that \u201cniche\u201d that today\u2019s writer needs to stand out from the crowd.<\/p>\n

In this class, discover how you can use your own unique strengths to develop a marketing niche that\u2019s totally yours. Determine the theme that unites all of your work, and discover how to use that theme across all your marketing efforts to draw more readers your way.<\/p>\n

Walk away with a new understanding of your strengths, a unique tagline that applies to you and your work, and the beginnings of an author platform that may bring you opportunities you never would have imagined before.<\/p>\n

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\"Finish\"Finish the Projects You Start! The Unexpected Key to Creative Business Success<\/h2>\n

An unfinished project means nothing.<\/em><\/h4>\n

When you\u2019re a writer, you\u2019ve always got new projects in progress. But often these projects spend too long in the \u201cunfinished\u201d file for a myriad of reasons\u2014you get busy, stuck, unmotivated, or simply worn out. Then your business stagnates and you feel like you\u2019ll never get where you want to be.<\/p>\n

This course reveals the secret reasons why finishing is so challenging, and shows you how to get around your busy schedule, manage your personal demons, tap into your unique motivation style, and keep going forward no matter what<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Walk away armed with the tools you need to go from start to finish on every project, not matter how challenging.<\/p>\n

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\"\"The Secrets of Optimal Productivity:<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>What You Really Need to Get More Done in Less Time
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Hint: It’s not about new apps or improved multi-tasking.
\n<\/em><\/h4>\n

Writers are required to do more than ever before. Not only must we produce our work, but we\u2019re also feeling the pressure to blog, be active on social media, and market, which includes a number of other tasks such as guest blogging, running giveaways, conducting book signings, and more.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile we’re constantly bombarded by an unprecedented amount of information and temptations to distraction. How is a writer to manage it all?<\/p>\n

Learn what\u2019s holding you back from accomplishing what you need to accomplish, and how to turn it all around. Discover the very real dangers of distraction and decision fatigue, how modern-day \u201cbusyness\u201d kills creativity, and why you feel like you\u2019re constantly behind.<\/p>\n

Discover your unique time personality and how to use it to boost productivity, then use the five solutions to get more done, find more time to write, and enjoy a break now and then, too.<\/p>\n

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\"Monster-Crop\"The Monster in Every Writer’s Closet:
\nFree Your Writing Process from Self-Doubt Sabotage<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If there\u2019s one thing all writers share, it\u2019s self-doubt.<\/em><\/h4>\n

Even the most successful writers and bestselling novelists struggle with it. Most try to ignore it, but self-doubt is devious, destructive, and extremely detrimental to your writing dreams.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s why writers procrastinate, stay stuck in \u201csmall thinking,\u201d and progress more slowly than they should. It\u2019s also why they struggle to find time to write and battle with writer\u2019s block.<\/p>\n

Learn the seven ways self-doubt sabotages your writing goals and dreams, and discover whether it may be working its sinister spell on you right now. Find out how to pinpoint the symptoms of self-doubt malaise, and how to prevent it from destroying the one thing you can\u2019t afford to lose: your creative instincts.<\/p>\n

Finally, discover how you can actually turn self-doubt from an enemy to an ally. Walk away armed with the tools you need to decrease its power over you and more confidently follow your intuition toward future writing success.<\/p>\n

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\"Leap\"Taking the Leap: When to Risk a Bold Move for Writing Success
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Is it time to take a risk for your writing?
\n<\/em><\/h4>\n

As a writer and authorpreneur, there are times when you need to take risks if you\u2019re going to move your writing career forward. But risks, by their very nature, can be frightening. Fears trap you inside a cage of indecision, where you may whittle away your talents for years without breaking out.<\/p>\n

In this class, find out what may be holding you back, discover your decision-making personality, and gain new tools for determining the best time to take that leap of faith. Walk away with a better understanding of yourself as a creator and business owner, armed with a new approach to risk-management destined to make your creative career easier to manage.<\/p>\n

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\"Avoid<\/h2>\n

7 Mistakes to Avoid on Your Way to a Publishing Contract<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Are you making these mistakes right now?
\n<\/em><\/h4>\n

When going for that first publishing contract, there are things most writers do that slow them down, stall their progress, and make it more difficult for them to reach their goals.<\/p>\n

You don’t have to be one of them.<\/p>\n

In this workshop, you’ll learn the 7 mistakes many writers make when trying to get that first book published, and why they’re so detrimental to your progress. Then you’ll find out not only how to avoid them, but how to do the opposite\u2014so you are more likely to get that contract you want.<\/p>\n

Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to avoid these common writing traps, and reach your goal of publication!<\/p>\n

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\"\"Your Writing Matters: How to Banish Self Doubt, Trust Yourself, and Go the Distance<\/h2>\n

It’s a tough world out there for writers.<\/em><\/h4>\n

Even if you work hard, write every day, submit your stories, and build a platform, that doesn\u2019t mean you will succeed. You may feel discouraged and wonder: Does my writing even matter?<\/p>\n

In this writing workshop, Colleen examines:<\/p>\n