Flight to Success: What's Your Own Inciting Incident?

Friends, today Karlene Petitt is here to share with us about her own personal journey to become a pilot and author. Her book Flight to Success: Be the Captain of Your Own Life is available now. Enjoy the inspiration!

Flight To Success is a journey we all experience. My journey began when I was nine-years-old and a friend said, “You can’t be a pilot. Girls can’t do that.” I stood with hands on hips and said, “Yes I can!” We argued. Game over, and I kicked my friends out of the house. But the challenge was on. I did not understand until years later, but that moment was my inciting incident. I faced the choice to take that challenge, or not. Fear, logistics, and many additional reasons as to why becoming a pilot was impossible sprouted their ugly heads.

Just like the protagonists in our stories we are all faced with those moments of decision—our call to adventure. These choices may present themselves in a challenge, health issues, a moment of inspiration, or perhaps dissatisfaction with the way life is and we want more. Something will happen in your life and you will be faced with the decision to accept the calling, or not.   

Then obstacles and challenges arrive—the time when the hero of any story must confirm their commitment. When the protagonists’ journey becomes difficult, do they quit or dig deep and press on? We all know that the greatest struggles, answered with dedication and perseverance, followed by success make the best stories. Isn’t life the same? 

You are writing your story—it’s called life and you are the hero. There will be challenges along the way—will you quit? You might get on the wrong plane—will you enjoy the journey and reschedule another destination at a later date, or complain? You might face a thunderstorm that will delay your trip—will you wait it out or give up? And when you achieve success and write that first book, will you quit or write another? 

Julie was gracious enough to enable me to share my most recent work with you—Flight To Success, Be the Captain of Your Life. What is this book about? It’s about taking control of your life and mastering steps to reach success. One reader said…

“This is not book about flying; it is a story about life, and living life, and making the right (and difficult) choices. Flight to Success is entertaining, engaging, thought provoking, and not an easy book to put down. The highest compliment I can make is that I will buy another copy to give to my wife, mostly because I don’t want to share my only copy.” Jeffrey L. Roehr 

That little girl became an airline pilot. I’m also a mother, grandmother, wife, have earned two masters degrees, published two novels, and currently pursuing a PhD. Have there been struggles along the way? Of course—experience teenage daughters and you can check off the challenge box. I have also started over eight times; seven of my previous airlines are now out of business. The most recent challenge was bringing my passion to market while attending a doctorate program, and working. This book was essential. 

Flight To Success, Be the Captain of Your Life came about because I wanted something age appropriate for those students I speak to about fulfilling their dreams. (My aviation thrillers are of adult content.) I want to help and support our future generations to get on the right flight path for their lives. Thus, stories of my life and others’ lives found their way into the pages with real, inspiring, and motivational lessons. Included are secrets to success such as flight planning your life, listening and learning, and how to deal with fear, plus so much more. There are lessons that can help anyone from young to old achieve their dreams. 

Success is about how we live today, not what we did yesterday. It’s about living in the moment with purpose, integrity, and commitment. It’s about the journey, and extending a helping hand to lift another up; sharing lessons to help them reach their dreams. Success is about the Flight:

Fulfillment * Love * Integrity * Gratitude * Happiness * Truth. 

Dream. Believe. Achieve. 

Anything is possible. 

Enjoy the Journey! 

XO Karlene 

Karlene Petitt is currently an A330 international airline pilot living in Seattle. She is type-rated on the B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, B727 and A330 aircraft. She holds MBA and MHS degrees, and is currently working on her PhD at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Aviation, with a focus on safety. She has flown for Coastal Airways, Evergreen, Braniff, Guyana and Tower Air. She has instructed at America West Airlines, Premair, Guyana, and has also flown and instructed for a northwest airline on the 747-400 and 747-200. She has spent 21 years training pilots, and has been instrumental in training program development at multiple airlines. She is a mother of three grown daughters and grandmother of seven. 

Aviation thrillers: Flight For Control and Flight For Safety. 

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Thanks so much, Karlene! You're truly an inspiration.

Friends, do you remember your own inciting incident? Were there obstacles on your personal journey? How did you handle them? Please share!

Audiobooks: How To? Interview With A Narrator

Guys, I'm soooo excited to announce that my YA novel, The Boy Who Loved Fire, is now available in audiobook!

Audiobooks are a fun way to reach readers. If you're interested in creating your own audiobook, or if your publisher is looking for a how-to, check out this great tutorial by Elizabeth Craig.

The narrator of The Boy Who Loved Fire, Neal West (who did an amazing job, by the way), has kindly answered a few questions about how to begin the process and what to look for in a narrator.

Neal, thanks so much for stopping by my blog. What made you decide to narrate audiobooks?

I guess the truth is it was a pretty natural progression. I had done a lot of acting when I was in high school, and I followed that into radio. I began to cut commercials and I did a lot of volunteer work. I was also a big listener of audiobooks, my favorite being Stephen King at the time. I got to a point in my professional broadcast career where I was left a bit unchallenged, so I took on working with audiobooks as a way to expand my skill set, and to make a little side money.

Why should authors work with professional narrators instead of creating their own audio?

The main difference between a professional narrator and an author who would record their own book is that I have spent 16 years developing this talent. To assume what I do when I sit in front of a microphone is the same as what someone who has never done this before will do in front of a microphone is just simply not true. As the saying goes, those who are the best at it make it look the easiest.

And you have to define the word professional. For instance the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers makes a heck of a lot more money than a guy who warms the bench for the Bears, although both players are still considered professional. And the same can be true with professional narrators. Some of them work on much bigger projects and demand a lot more money, and others will work with smaller authors on independent projects.

And there are a variety of reasons for that as well. With me, for instance, it's a side job. For others they're just starting out. Generally speaking I think it's better to leave it to the professionals when you want to job done right, and that's why I stopped working on my own cars years ago! A mechanic I am not.

When authors listen to audio auditions, what should they be on the lookout for?

The first has to be technical quality. That's your number one goal, to find a narrator with a professional audio setup that can create sweet audio. You have to remember when you're dealing with an audiobook it's as if I am speaking to you, right in your ear...just you...and me (the narrator)...it's a very intimate experience!

The next step should be finding a voice that fits the kind of book that you've written. There are a variety of standards for that...it's pretty much based on what you think is best. When the book is read in your head...who does it? How does it sound? Male? Or female? Young? Old? Accent? Are there characters in your book? How should they be done? 

I would also say that before an author starts the process of hiring the narrator, they should have spent at least some time listening to several different audiobooks. My best advice is get a feel for what you think your book should sound like and then find the narrator who can achieve that.

When authors listen to the final audio, what should they be on the lookout for?

My advice during the quality control process is first make sure that the audio is up to your standards. There should be a very consistent feel to the tone and pace of the read. It should be the same at the beginning as it is at the end.

It's helpful to listen to the book with a notepad and a copy of the manuscript. Make notes as you go along. Pronunciation of names and places, or just screwed up words, rooms noises or noises in the recording should all be noted. 

Generally if you've done a good job of selecting a professional narrator, most of this should not be an issue. But there are almost always some changes to be made. Remember, once it's done, it's done.

If someone is interested in narrating audiobooks, what do they need? Where do they begin?

Well, first they're going to need to invest some money in gear. There are some really good entry-level broadcast microphones that would do well in an audio narration environment. You also need to invest a little bit in some sort of room treatment... believe me if you've ever heard a tape recorded in a room with bare walls, you'll hear the voice and then on a delay of several milliseconds, hear the voice reverberating from the wall back into the microphone on a delay...it's very distracting.

A good audio interface and then some recording software should be your next buy. And then practice practice practice. Just find some books and tear into to them. And make sure to listen to yourself.
There are quite a few independent voiceover exchanges on the Internet. ACX.com is an example of one. Voice 123 or voices.com are other examples. Get yourself an account set up at some of these sites (depending on the kind of work you want to do), then audition audition audition! You won't get the job you haven't auditioned for.

Remember, above all it's a craft. Practice, network, grow. And never get to big to listen to advice... You will never hear yourself the way someone else can, so it's always good to incorporate some level of feedback into the process.

Neal, you're a superstar! Thanks so much for giving us the lowdown on narrating audiobooks.

Friends, do you listen to audiobooks? If you're published, is there an audiobook available for your book? Feel free to share your link in the comments!

Over-hype & Disappointments

I'm an infomercial junkie. Do you ever wonder who buys that stuff they're hawking in the middle of the night, or early Saturday mornings? You're looking at her :/

I've bought the Magic Bullet, Shark Steamer, an Ab Roller, and three different exercise DVD regimens. Except for the exercise routines, I've been disappointed with each of these purchases. Why did I buy them the first place? I believed the hype.

When it comes to books, sometimes they're hyped so much that I worry I'll be disappointed. This can work against the author. When I expect a blow-your-socks-off story, and instead I read a really good story, it's oddly disappointing.

For me, it's all about managing expectations. I won't mention the books that disappointment me, but I will list those that met or exceeded my expectations:

The Help

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Hunger Games

Shine

19 Minutes

The Other Boleyn Girl

Hate List

The Notebook

As for my Magic Bullet and Shark Steamer, they're collecting dust in my home :/


Have you ever been sucked into buying over-hyped infomercial goodies? When it comes to hyped books, do you have trouble managing expectations? Are you ever disappointed? And what books have met or exceeded your expectations?


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Books--Bridging the Generation Gap

Whenever I visit my local library, I always stop in and check out the used section. It's fun to pick up something new, or even an old favorite, for $1. We live in a small town, and there's an "honor" box secured to the wall, where we put our money. But on lucky days, there's an elderly woman who sits in there, knitting, and welcomes people like me who come to peruse the selection.

Speaking with her always brightens my day. We chat about our favorite authors, and our favorite books. Just a couple of days ago we discussed the upcoming Nicholas Sparks movie, The Lucky One. She's reading the book right now, trying to finish it before the movie comes out. I've read it before, and want to re-read it before I see the film. We're generations apart, and yet we share wonderful conversations about stories.

My son is a freshman in high school, and we carpool with a beautiful girl his age. She's a fellow bookworm, and I enjoy talking with her. We compare stories we've read, and how we feel about movie adaptations. We talk about books that made us laugh, made us cry, and made us think.

The woman at the library, the teen girl, and myself--each of us from different generations--have all read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Besides reading a beloved book, I can't think of something else where we'd all three experience similar emotions. Maybe music. Maybe art. But to me, books are unique in this way. There's a certain thrill that comes from talking about our favorites with fellow book lovers, despite a generation gap.

I suppose I have no real point except to say that I love chatting about books with all of you. It brings joy to my life, and I'm grateful.

So thanks for stopping by, and thanks for chatting about books.

Have you ever discussed books with someone from a different generation? Did you share similar opinions or emotions about a classic? Were you wildly off track? I'd love to hear your stories.

And to all you brave A-Zers, good luck to you during April. I look forward to reading your posts!

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