Creator Spotlight with Writer Michael A. Brown Sr., Ph.D.
This week we would like to introduce you to writer Michael A. Brown Sr., Ph.D. He’s the author of 3D COACHING: Suggestions for a New Approach.
What was the inspiration behind becoming a creator? What do you enjoy most about the creative process?
I always had a talent for writing, but when I became a journalist my writing just continued to improve. When I had jobs where I worked on deadline, I had to be creative in a pressure cooker and it helped me stretch my brain for different ways to say the same thing. The thing I enjoy most is taking a random thought and turning it into something meaningful or insightful. And I like to see my name when it is published in any forum.
Can you take us through your creative process? How long does it take? Does everything you produce make money?
My creative process is on all the time. If I think of something, I just capture it in my files and worry about where it belongs or what it will turn into later. The key is to get it down on paper, in the computer, on a scrap of paper, in my handheld recorder, etc. When I must write on deadline, such as when I wrote more than 40,000 words for a book in 10 days, I just write and get it all down, then I go back and edit and format. No, not everything I produce makes money. I want to make money but getting my work in print is more important, so I do not lose my thoughts.
What do you think is the biggest misconception about your line of work?
Some people think that if someone is critical of your writing you are not a good writer. Not true. Anyone who can put their thoughts together and deliver them in a package can learn to write well. How good you are is up to your audience, yes, but it is also up to you. Always, always ask yourself if the product is good and be honest with yourself. If YOU cannot say it is good, rewrite it. Then, your challenge is getting your writing into the hands and minds of the audience that can appreciate the work.
When did you first become aware of copyright, and why?
Since I have been a journalist and an author virtually all my life, I would say it was when I was a teenager.
What is the best piece of advice that you would give other creators in your field about copyright and how to protect themselves?
Copyright your work through the U.S. Copyright Office. Pay the fees to protect yourself because what you write may be the most valuable thing you have.
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