Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller
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“Change is the end result of all true learning.” -Leo Buscaglia
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” -Henry Ford
Some thoughts from Curt on “Change as a Lifestyle.”
If you’re not changing, you’re dying.
If you’re not moving forward, you’re going down and going backwards.
There is no such thing as “plateauing.” You’re either getting better or not.
It’s important that we maintain a “learner’s lean.” It’s an attitude of learning and personal growth.
Personal Curiosity is some important in lifetime growth. One day I’m going to write a book on this called “Living in the Key of Gee.” (I’m from a family of musicians. I can still hear my grandfather’s words, “Let’s do the next one in the key of G.”)
My “Key of Gee” is a natural curiosity that wants to know people, travel, explore, grow, read, laugh, learn, and truly live!
Living,
Curt Iles
Readers: Help me proof this handout. Also, try your hand at filling in the blanks.
Making the Most of Opportunity—Building a Speaking Platform
1. An expert is anyone who is ______ miles from _________ carrying a ______________.
i.e. We’re fellow l________/fellow s__________.
2. Regardless of our genre or background, we are all s____________.
3. How/When/Where we tell our stories is our p___________.
4. Your b___________ is who you are on your platform and in your writing.
It may include _________ ______________ ______________
What are the brands of writers you love?________ ________ _
5. The “3 I” words: As I______________ writers, we’re concerned with I__________ and
I _____________.
6. Our platform is simply how far and deep our r_________ e_______goes.
7. Brainstorming about building your speaking platform.
a.Why speak?
b. “Help! I’m s________.” T_____ about what you L_______.
c. Whom can I speak to?
Schools
Home schoolers
Libraries
Church groups
Civic Clubs
Banquets
Genre friendly groups
Book Clubs
Festivals/Fairs
Signings
“Out of the Box” Outreach
Curt Iles’ promise to the DFW Ready Writers:
1. Finish within the one-hour time limit.
2. Not bore you.
3. Share practical tips.
4. Teach from a “fellow learner” attitude.
5. Have fun and share stories from the craft of platform building.
Curt Iles http://www.creekbank.net
Creekbank Stories LLC
PO Box 332 Dry Creek, LA 70637 Toll-free 1.866.520.1947
curtiles@aol.com Visit us at Facebook and Twitter
The following article is excerpted from the Dallas/Ft. Worth Ready Writers blog at http://dfwreadywriters.blogspot.com/
To walk closely with Jesus, be a man God can use, and be respected by my wife and family.On Saturday, May 8, 2010, DFW Ready Writers is happy to present speaker and author Curt Iles. He will speak on “Making Opportunities Happen: Developing Your Speaker’s Platform”.
Curt Iles is self-published. Yet being self-published hasn’t stopped him from making over 20,000 sales with his fiction books.
How does he do it? Curt will explain how he developed his speaker’s platform and at the same time created opportunities to sell his novels.
In these economical times, writers are discovering it harder and harder to find publishers that will accept and publish their books. And some of the first questions asked by publishers are, “What do you bring to the table? Do you have a platform?”
Do you even know what a platform is? Do you have one? A publisher may be interested in your book for publication, but they will want to know—What do you have to bring to the table? Can you show them numbers? Strong numbers? Would you like to know how to make your platform even stronger with more opportunities to present your work?
Yearly, Curt speaks at over 100 events. This has allowed him to make many new friends, spread the word about his books, and the result? Over 20,000 books sold by word of mouth. On May 8th, Curt will show you how to spread your writing influence by speaking opportunities. He’ll explain how to go about booking engagements to various groups.
Whether you are a multi-published, conventional author, a self-pubbed author, or even an unpubbed author, every writer needs to know how to build the best platform possible. Curt is the man with the experience and know-how and the numbers to back his claim. So plan on attending and learn how you too can build your platform and get your numbers up so the publishers will take notice.
Curt Iles is a full time author/speaker writing from his hometown of Dry Creek, Louisiana. As a popular speaker, Curt enjoys traveling, telling stories, and making new friends. He and his wife DeDe travel extensively on mission trips to Africa, Asia, and Central America.
He recently released his seventh independent book, A Good Place. His previous six books have sold a cumulative 20,000 copies.
Curt is a graduate of Louisiana College (B.S. 1979) as well as McNeese State University (M. Ed. 1985 and 1987). After fulfilling careers as a teacher/coach, principal, and camp administrator, Curt began writing full time in 2006.
Contact
Curt Iles
Creekbank Stories
PO Box 332 Dry Creek, LA 70637
curtiles@aol.com http://www.creekbank.net/
Toll free 1-866-520-1947
Publishing History:
A Good Place (2009)
The Wayfaring Stranger (2007)
The Mockingbird’s Song (2007)
Hearts across the Water (2005)
Wind in the Pines (2004)
The Old House (2002)
Stories from the Creekbank (2000)
Works in Progress:
A Spent Bullet (Historical Fiction)
Deep Roots (Non-fiction devotional)
Curt Iles’ promise to the DFW Ready Writers:
1. Finish within the one-hour time limit.
2. Not bore you.
3. Share practical tips.
4. Teach from a “fellow learner” attitude.
5. Have fun and share stories from the craft of platform building.
