Let’s get this straight, right off the bat: I am not trying to steal Demian Farnworth’s idea. I am merely beginning the same sort of journey, referring to the same general set of maps, and working with the very same medium. That is not stealing. It is, more accurately, “Telling the story because it needs to be told.”

Okay. I stole the idea from Demian. Is that better?

In the beginning

President Johnson in Inez, KY

Demian’s story, “The Education of a Writer,” begins with The Year of Falling Apart. He takes us to a specific time when the pain was great enough to force change. Demian pans the camera, opening the door and baring his soul, as he moves on to jump back in time, then ahead, traveling on towards the writer he is now. I’m captivated by Demian’s story, and I wrote about it earlier, even bringing a little of my walk-and-talk with Gurney Norman, another writer well worth his salt, into the mix.

But this isn’t Demian’s story, or Gurney’s story … it’s mine. And it’s a story worth telling, if even to myself and for my own purging. Writers are like that, you know. They don’t let the cat out of the bag in order to sell it to the highest bidder. They let the poor critter out because it needs to be out. It needs to reclaim its right to freedom.

MY STORY BEGINS in a place America has all but forgotten — deep in Appalachia. When Lyndon Johnson announced his War on Poverty from the front porch of a miner’s shack, on April 14, 1964, he was standing maybe 60 miles from my birthplace. And, had Johnson pushed on further down south, deeper into Appalachia, he would have found the poverty even more crushing and the riff between rich and poor even deeper than his photo-op in Inez offered.

“Woody” Sturgill — My Dad

I was born in a company town — a place where the bosses ruled and the workers were controlled like pawns in some giant game, a place where ruthlessness reigned supreme. My father was the first one in his family to leave the homeplace — where beans, potatoes, onions, and corn came from the garden, not from a supermarket, and a moonshine whiskey still brought in sufficient cash to trade for clothing and hardware.

My dad, Woodrow Sturgill, ended up suffering a broken back when a slab of slate rock fell from the roof of a “doghole” mine, crushing him like some subterranean bug. There was no worker’s compensation or food stamps in those days. We survived the year of his recovery only by the goodhearted charity of relatives and neighbors. And when he recovered, Dad loaded us up in an Oldsmobile and drove west until he was stopped by the Pacific Ocean.

My father eventually met a premature death, directly related to occupational hazards. But he was a proud man, and a born worker. For him, giving your all to the company was a badge of honor. Real men work, and they work hard. And they don’t complain when they drop …

The rich man

My story might begin with the landgrabbers who infiltrated Appalachia and with the rich men who disbursed them throughout the coal-rich region to buy up mineral rights from the hillbillies for little more than nothing. The lackies promised the gullible, carefree people the land would not be harmed and nothing would probably ever come of the agreement anyway — since the railroad would never make it that deeply into the mountains. They signed their rights away, and their children’s rights away, for a pittance.

Take a look at Appalachia today. She is torn like a virgin gored by wild hogs.

My story will talk about the rich men and their heritage. And my story will talk about the poor folks and theirs. And my story will wonder, wonder, wonder why in the world we cower down to the rich man and send our sons and daughters off to do his bidding. Probably nothing on earth amazes me more than that.

This strip mine used to be a forest

My story will want to be mentioned in Letcher County’s Mountain Eagle, the paper that has seen and covered it all, ever since 1907, when  Nehemiah Webb, founded that proud paper. The Mountain Eagle has taken a stand against the environmental catastrophe known as “strip mining,” it has stood up for the plight of miners, and it’s called out corrupt public officials — all the time catching backlash from many of  the very people it serves. It ain’t called the Eagle for nothing. It screams.

My story will move out West to reflect on the amazing similarity between the rich men who “made the earth bald before her time,” and those who turned the splendor of Appalachian into the ugliness of bare rock mountains and the stench of polluted streams. Lest I go too far, let me interject that both Appalachia and the western forests are stronger and bigger than the rich men. They’ve been dealt hard blows, but they will recover. The rich man won’t last forever. And the people won’t be beholden to him forever. In the end, real justice — not the rich man’s paid-for and bought-off justice — will be served. The Creator of all will see to that.

And my story will necessarily move to Navajo land, in southern Utah, where I helped promote an SBA business incubator, began learning about Mormon culture (and worked with some of the finest people I’ve ever met), chanced to write a bit of poetry for Jim Stiles’ Canyon County Zephyr (like the Mountain Eagle, another voice to be reckoned with) and first heard about something becoming more and more ominous: fracking.

It was at the Monticello Airport that I met one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the nation today: Frank VanderSloot.  At the time, he was making frequent visits to San Juan County, and I was serving as the airport groundsman and a VISTA Volunteer to the area. Having developed a time and life management program, The Roadmap to Freedom, to help folks move from the Dream stage of an idea to the Action stage, I was teaching the Dream Into It Program (DIIP) to prisoners at the county jail every Friday night. Frank invited me to come to work for him. And, thinking he wanted to take the DIIP to an international corporate level, I accepted a Learjet ride to Idaho Falls and signed on … but almost three years later it didn’t seem the DIIP was on Frank’s mind at all.

I quit.

Frank said, “Have a great life.”

That experience gave me a close-up look at power. Times have change — whereas the coal magnates of my father’s day used thugs and bullets to enforce their desires, today’s rich man is more likely to use the courts and lawsuits. Any way you cut it, though, the stress of maintaining control over sprawling enterprises takes its toll on the rich man too. I’ve seen Frank burdened down with the weight of pressure from journalists and political enemies, and I’ve seen him stand up for hours to shake hands with mourner’s at his son’s funeral. He’s some kind of guy, Frank VanderSloot. He has his faults, sure he does. That isn’t surprising; he is made of flesh and blood. No, the really surprising thing I saw in Frank is that he’s human. He has a heart, and he cares about people — yet he is in the top 100 of those who own the most land in America. To have that much wealth is, to me, almost inconceivable.

And me

When I think about it, I’m really not all that big a part of my story. I’m a nobody. A little guy from Appalachia. Someone who has been to the bottom of the bottle and back. Someone who has failed time and time and time again in relationships, in career choices, and in life. Guys like me are a dime a dozen.

But my experiences … now those are precious. I was born in 1953, and I’ve spoken with people who were born in the late 1800′s. I lived in a hand-built log cabin, with no electricity or running water, when I was a boy. I didn’t see a color television until I was maybe nine years old. It was amazing. The generations spanned by my father and me weave the thread that has brought us all to right where we are today.

I’ve had plenty of joy in my life, and I’ve had plenty of sorrow — much brought on by myself. I’ve traveled from coast to coast, and I’ve worked blue collar and white collar jobs. My perspective is important — not because it is mine, but because it is that of an observer with first-hand knowledge of where we’ve been, where we are, and where we appear to be headed.

I look forward to trading ideas with you, as we journey along and reflect on lessons learned in the saga of  The Rich Man and Me.

Clearcut logging near Siletz River, Oregon

In 2002, O’Reilly, in a remarkably succinct treatise on file sharing said, “Obscurity is a far greater threat to authors and creative artists than piracy.”

Demian said, “The toughest job a writer has to face is not how to get money, but how to overcome obscurity. You must get noticed, if you want to get paid.”

And that’s my first point about Demian. He’s a stand-up guy. He’s not trying to sneak affiliate links past you, or work constantly at pitching his newest book. He’s just Demian. And he’s a darned good guy. End of story.

Beginning of the story

The D-man

I first met the D-man (he said I could call him that, so don’t wince) several years back. I came across a blog post authored by him, left a comment, and was surprised to get a quick and personal answer to my question.

That’s another thing about Demian. He’s available. He doesn’t hide behind a wall of virtual assistants. You ask the D-man something, and he’ll respond … personally.

I was thrilled to see him hire on at Copyblogger. It’s like when two good friends get together and hit it off. You knew they were meant for one another. Demian Farnworth and Copyblogger are a really good fit.

And Demian has found a way to beat that enemy of every writer: Obscurity.

Guest Blogging works

“Guest blogging is like baseball,” he says. “The guys playing in the minor leagues are working their butts off, but they’re getting exposure and they are developing their muscles.”

Of course, he’s right.

I like to take my boy out to watch the Idaho Falls Chukars (a Kansas City Royals affiliate) play ball. Jose Canseco got his start here. So did Billy Martin.

The Big League clubs watch the minors. That’s where they find much of their talent. They let a prospective player get toned up and battle ready. Then, when the timing is right and a position opens up in the Bigs, the call goes out.

And one more baseball player realizes his dream.

Yep, the toughest job is not figuring out how to make money, not for a professional writer or other creative. The toughest job is figuring out how to get noticed. And writing guest posts — giving your best content to others — is the way many good writers pay their dues.

I’ve been helping Ann Smarty with the work at My Blog Guest, and I’m telling you, friends … there’s plenty of opportunity there that many folks just don’t grasp.

Oh well. If you want some tips, shoot me a line.

The Education of a Writer

Gurney Norman

On his own blog, CopyBot, the D-man has begun an ambitious project. It’s an electronic version of something my buddy, Gurney Norman, successfully pulled off in 1971 for the Last Whole Earth Catalog.

It’s a trip.

Working under the relentless hounding of eco-entrepreneur and general roustabout, Stewart Brand, Gurney pumped out his first book, Divine Rights Trip, and Stewart scattered sections of it all through the catalog. (Gurney, correct me if I’m wrong. It’s been a few years since we took a walk-and-talk alongside Troublesome Creek and you told me the story.)

Anyway … Demian is churning out the makings of his first book as posts on CopyBot. And, if there’s any non-believers in the crowd, check it out: here’s the starting point.

Here we go again

Which reminds me of another story. I was waiting in line at McKay’s grocery store in Myrtle Point, Oregon, trying to pay for my goods and go fishing. Instead, I was stuck there,  listening to the lady in front of me rattle on with her buddy (who happened to be working as cashier).

The lady says, “Oh did I tell you, I’m writing a book now.”

Her friend (aka Cashier) says, “Ohhhh … you have to bring me a copy.”

“Well,” beams the woman, “it’s all in my head right now, but I’ll let you know when it’s published!”

Unbelievable, yes. But true.

But that ain’t Demian Farnworth’s style. Demian doesn’t talk about writing. He writes. And he writes good.

But …

Heading over the falls in a badly bruised barrel

Lest I forget this post is supposed to be the honest-to-God recital of a recent interview with Demian (although, the wily D-Man caught on to my sneaky tactics), I’m going to deliver the requisite beans before closing.

Here goes. Demian Farnworth’s absolute best advice for writers.

If you want to end up rich, famous, and maybe even totally cool too … here is how:

Don’t stop …

“The one who stays in the game,” says Demian, “is the one who wins the game.”

So … all you minor-leaguers out there … sweating and pitching and catching and running bases like you’re chasing something yet unseen, but absolutely necessary.

Keep going. Don’t let up. Don’t listen when they tell you to get a haircut and go to work for the cigar-chewing fat man with the red face and too-short tie.

Do what Gurney and Demian and all real writers do.

WRITE, you fool, WRITE!

and don’t stop trying.

After all, internet search engines (aka “Google”) are simply elaborate question-answering machines. And that is how he found me. He was searching for freelance writers who write articles for content marketing, and he came across Roadturn Writing (which, in itself, is an amazing thing–since I invest most of my time helping others with their websites). It’s a case of “The plumber’s pipes need fixing.”

So, where do you find articles for your website for free?

Do you think I ran the poor bloke off, maybe told him to stuff “free” up his pipe and smoke it? I did not. There are times when I feel like saying that, though. But not this time. He seemed genuinely in need of help. More conversation revealed he’s lost his job and is trying to figure out how to bring in enough money to feed himself and his aging mother. You have to respect that.

If you are seeking content for inbound marketing, but don’t want to employ a writer to get it, I’ve some really, really good news: My Blog Guest (MBG).

First, I’ll tell you about the services provided on MBG, then I’ll talk a bit about why any writer worth his or her salt would give their work away in the first place.

My Blog Guest is the brainchild of SEO superstar, Ann Smarty. The site is focused on bringing together those who write articles and those who need articles. There are pro options available for those who want more bang, but anyone can go there and find unique, previously unpublished content–free of charge.

Maybe you are a Blogger (publisher) who wants to run a series on Search Engine Optimization, but you need an article on how authors can implement rel=author markup (let’s say). You simply go to My Blog Guest, search the Articles Gallery for the topic you need, then indicate to the writer of the article that you are willing to publish it on your website.

The next step is up to the author. You may get permission (in which case My Blog Guest will provide a download link) quickly, or you may need to wait until the author has gathered several offers and decides which publisher will get the article–remember, we are talking about unique, unpublished content … not free-for-all work like you find in articles directories. (And if you don’t know why anyone cares whether the content they publish is also published elsewhere, write me … we’ll talk.)

What a concept: Free articles for website Publishers and Bloggers

So why would a Writer do the hard work of researching and writing and article, then give it away? That is the million-dollar question. Here’s why:

Writers are idiots.

End of story.

Okay, sorry about that … takes one to know one.

There are several reasons why otherwise perfectly (well, okay, “passably”) sane individuals write for free. Here are a few:

1. Vanity: First on the list, because it’s true. Folks love to see their name in print. It’s like shooting a hole-in-one.
2. Getting started: Writers need to develop a resume’ online. Writing for free can get a career started.
3. Link building: One of the quickest, most powerful ways to get your site ranking in the search engines is to have others linking to you. When it’s your article, you get to choose the links.
4. Brand building: Brands–whether giant corporations, local businesses, or individuals–have a constant need for keeping themselves in public view. Articles can do that wonderfully and favorably. Has anyone interviewed you lately? Contact me for information on how it can happen.
5. Promotions: Are you launching a new service? Just published the next Amazon bestseller? Has your company found a cure for boredom? Articles help you get the word out … and when other folks in the webosphere pick up on it and share your article,  you can really get the word out. By the way, this post is meant to help evangelize My Blog Guest. Go figure.

But that’s not all.

How do you find great articles to publish, without having to dig through the slush pile?

While every article must meet certain standards in order to be listed as available on My Blog Guest, not every Publisher has the same need. Some are hungry for material and will take just about anything with a title, intro, and ending. Others are exacting, and will not consider an article they consider less than high quality.

Higher pagerank Bloggers and Publishers can be quite discriminating. For that reason Ann Smarty and her team have taken things a step further. My Blog Guest now offers an Elite Articles Gallery. Articles placed there undergo even more rigorous inspection before they may be posted.

The My Blog Guest Elite Gallery helps those who are looking for high quality free articles by providing a one-stop view of current articles available, and it helps authors by giving those who care about the craft a high-visibility place to display them.

Ann says its “win-win,” and I definitely agree.

That is why I agreed to help Ann and her team with moderation and evangelization. Every website needs content. The watchwords are More and Better. To get those articles, posts, and reviews you have options:

1. Write it yourself
2. Pay a staff writer (Provide desk, steady salary, insurance, sick leave, and maternity pay)
3. Hire a freelance article writer (like me) who is only on the payroll when you need help
4. Get it from My Blog Guest (especially the Elite Articles Gallery) or a similar service (boo)
5. Steal it or copy it from someone else (not the recommended method)
6. Keep searching phrases like “where can I get articles for my website?” (hope you have plenty of time)
7. Go to the ocean and look for bottles with articles inside (see #5 and #6)

Okay, I’m opinionated. I think custom articles by me (Don Sturgill, aka Roadturn Writing) are your best bet for premium content targeting specific customers, and I think My Blog Guest is (by far) the best site for finding guest posts and free articles on the internet. And there’s good reason for that … I work for myself and I pitch in to help My Blog Guest out wherever I can.

But I do it because I believe in both.

For questions, help, or general information about Roadturn, My Blog Guest, or life in general … use the Contact form or leave a comment below.

If you are new to the Guest Blogging concept, here’s an excellent video by My Blog Guest.

The truth is … way too often … I don’t even take time from work to be present with my family. That is changing though. More and more, clearer and clearer, my own Dream is becoming a reality. It is close now. It is very close.

Here’s the next couple of steps:

1. The name of the program is changing–well, it’s reversing, actually. From now on, I’m going to do my best to refer to the most powerful time and life management system on the planet as …. The Roadmap to Freedom: Dream Into It.

2. I am asking readers and believers to join me in updating the Roadmap to Freedom. Here’s what I want you to do: Enter your name and email address in the signup form below. I will then email you a link to access the complete Roadmap to Freedom Field Manual . It will come absolutely FREE of charge or obligation … however there are two things I hope you will do: work through the steps of the program and send feedback on how you think it could be made better.

I know many of you will hesitate here. It looks like I’m trying to get you on my mailing list.

I do want to know who downloads the book, and I do want to stay in touch … so, if that’s a mailing list, okay … I’m busted. For now, though, I just haven’t figured out a better way to get the book to you. I’m working on a direct download link. If you know how I can pull that off, please let me know.

The Roadmap to Freedom is a powerful, powerful, powerful system. If you use it, your life will change. No bull. True story.

Sign in here and I will send you the manuscript. No shipping or handling. No clever ploys.

I’VE A FEELING this is going to be the most powerful play ever.

Okay, my daughter is among the cast … but, seriously, there is something big going down in Idaho Falls leading up to Resurrection Day. Showtimes are Wednesday thru Saturday nights at 7 pm and Sunday at 0930 and noon. Those who can, come on by to watch and pray.

Wishing you all–wherever you are–the best Passover ever!