Linda McHenry

Category: Tips & Advice

  • Are You a Pantser, a Plotter, or BOTH?

    Are You a Pantser, a Plotter, or BOTH?

    What do I mean when I ask:

    Are you a pantser, a plotter, or both? When you write, do you fly by the seat of your pants, outline all the plot details before hand, or use a combination of both techniques?

    I’ve always been a plotter, which was extremely helpful when I wrote my nonfiction book. Also, it helped immeasurably when I developed and wrote hundreds of insurance continuing texts and courses (online, classroom, and webinar). As a novelist, being a plotter has also been helpful. Now, however, I’m writing my first novel on a pure pantsing basis.

    Of course, that statement is made tongue-in-cheek because, let’s face it, while the fuel of my fabrications is imagination, if I come up with a great idea for a future line of dialogue or scene I’m definitely writing it down. In a literal sense, even the most devout of pantsers has to engage in SOME plotting!

    So, here’s what I’m doing now…

    At this moment, I’m thinking it’s absolutely essential for me to know how my book is going to end. Specifically, whether my lead character achieves her goal and how she’s grown and/or become a better person. So, I guess that’s plotting. I also think that if flashes of insight strike me as I’m writing (and they’re doing so), I’ll plan for them by sketching them into a loose outline. That’s also plotting.

    But as far as everything else goes, I’m winging it! Definitely pantsing.

    I attended a terrific plotting workshop presented by Gayle Lynds at a writer’s conference a couple of years ago and my big takeaway was that plot derives from character. So far, my pantsing/winging is going well.

    Yes, I know all the advantages of plotting—I’ve experienced them firsthand. On the other hand, I agree with many others that plotting too much, or too tightly, can sensor creativity and disallow deviations from the path already outlined.

    So, are you a pantser, a plotter, or both?

    What are your personal experiences? Do you have any tips? Successes? Less than desirable consequences we should know about? Let us know!

    As always, here are some resources:

    Well-Storied: https://www.well-storied.com/blog/a-pantsers-guide-to-story-structure

    Jane Friedman (one of the few people I love without having known/met her): https://janefriedman.com/panster-or-plotter/

    Writer’s Digest: https://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/jan-29

  • 3 Updated Resources for Insurance Professionals

    As anyone who attends my insurance CE webinars knows, I love to share new and updated resources on a variety of insurance topics. Many are subjects of the classes I develop, write, and teach. Others simply catch my interest.

    Here are URLs to 3 different resources I stumbled across recently and thought you might find interesting.

    2023 Guide to Cannabis Markets

    The Insurance Journal magazine provides a wealth of information not only in its magazine but also on its website and via free newsletters. In its 2023 guide, you’ll find carriers that offer insurance programs for clients in the cannabis industry, information about proper dosing for edibles, and other tidbits. You can also subscribe to free newsletters that focus on topics that include Insuring Cyber, Health & Benefits, Agencies for Sale, Research & Trends, Property.Casualty Products and Services, and more.

    InsurTech Center

    Insurance Technology is transforming our industry. Don’t fall behind when it comes to understanding and implementing tools that will help you grow professionally. PropertyCasualty360 is a great print magazine and online resource that addresses a tremendous number of subjects. Its InsurTech Center has separate areas on its website devoted to, among others, Artificial Intelligence, Analytics & Data, Information Security. You can register for newsletters here.

    Insurance Fraud

    Although I shouldn’t be, I’m constantly amazed by the creativity employed by fraudsters. The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud has a great website that includes scam alerts, excellent detail about how insurance fraud works, free webinars, and podcasts.

    Did you know that scammers posing as life insurance agents are scouring obituaries and then approaching grieving individuals after their spouses have died? Here’s the deal: The fraudster claims the deceased spouse purchased a huge life insurance policy ($1 million or more) and wanted to keep the policy secret. However … the most recent premium needs to be paid before the grace period expires if the deceased spouse/beneficiary wants to submit a death claim. Obviously, there is no policy. Click here for scam alerts and other highly beneficial information.

  • 4 Medicare Tips: What to Know Before Enrolling

    4 Medicare Tips: What to Know Before Enrolling

    The longer I work in the insurance industry (and the older I get), the more I receive requests for Medicare tips. I’ve written dozens of courses on the topic and regularly teach insurance courses on the subject. Therefore, I’m happy to offer my list of SOME of the must-know information you should have before enrolling in Medicare.

    Tip #1: You’re Not Automatically Eligible or Enrolled

    A person must earn a minimum amount of wages to be eligible for Medicare (and all Social Security Benefits). In addition, the wages earned have been paid in a job/occupation for which payroll taxes were paid under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). The time period for full Social Security benefit eligibility is 10 years of full-time employment. This is also referred to as 40 credits by the Social Security Administration. (Click here to learn more about earning SS credits.)

    The only people who are automatically enrolled in Medicare–meaning they don’t need to sign themselves up personally–are individuals who have already applied for Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits because they:

    • Have been receiving retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board for at least 4 months before they turn age 65
    • Are not yet age 65 and have been receiving Social Security Disability Insurance benefits for 24 months
    • Are not yet age 65 and have been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease)
    • Have been diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)–regardless of age–and all the following conditions apply:
      • The person’s kidneys no longer work
      • The person needs regular dialysis or have had a kidney transplant
      • Eligibility for Social Security has been established by one of the following:
        • The required credits have been earned under Social Security, the Railroad Retirement Board, or as a government employee
        • The individual is already receiving, or is eligible for, Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits
        • The individual is a dependent child or spouse of a person who meets one of the previous requirements

    If you don’t meet the criteria above, you need to enroll yourself. You can do that online at SSA.gov, in person at a Social Security office, or by telephone. The quickest way to enroll is online–after creating that online account with Social Security.

    Tip #2: You Can Only Enroll at Certain Times of the Year

    This is probably one of the most important Medicare tips you’ll receive: The best time to enroll in Medicare is during Initial Enrollment Period, which revolves around each person’s 65th birthday. It begins 3 months before the birthday month and ends three months after it. For instance, if your birth is August 4, your initial enrollment period begins on May 1 and ends on November 30.

    If you enroll during your initial enrollment period, you will NOT pay a late enrollment penalty. However, if you do NOT enroll during your initial enrollment period, you MAY pay a late enrollment penalty when you do enroll.

    The annual Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15 to December 7 each year. Anyone can enroll in Medicare during this time. In addition, those already enrolled in Medicare can change plans during this time. New coverage, as well as any changes, become effective on January 1.

    The annual General Enrollment Period runs from January 1 to March 31 each year. Anyone can enroll in Medicare during this period. However, coverage begins on July 1 and enrollment may be subject to a late enrollment penalty.

    Click here for more information about initial, open, and general enrollment periods. Several Special Enrollment Periods are available for people who lose existing insurance coverage (such as employer- or group-sponsored health insurance) or who move.

    Tip #3: Coverage Isn’t Free

    Many people mistakenly believe that because they contributed to the Medicare program through their payroll taxes (FICA), they won’t have to pay a premium for their coverage. Here’s the financial part of my Medicare tips: the scoop about the premiums charged for the various coverage parts:

    Medicare Part A/Hospital Insurance: Those who are fully eligible for Social Security benefits (i.e., they have 40 credits) do NOT pay a premium for Part A. Those who are only partially eligible or not eligible at all, may enroll in Medicare and pay a premium. Here’s the monthly premium breakdown:

    • 40 credits = $0
    • 30 to 39 credits = $278
    • 0 to 29 credits = $$506

    Medicare Part B/Medical Insurance: Unless they are eligible for Extra Help or also have Medicaid and are eligible for a premium assistance plan, everyone pays a premium for Part B. This applies even if they are also enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C). In 2022, the monthly premium is $170.10. In 2023, the monthly premium will be $164.90.

    Medicare Part D/Prescription Drug Coverage: Everyone pays a premium for Part D–unless they are eligible for Extra Help or also have Medicaid and are eligible for a premium assistance plan. The cost for each plan varies, because each plan is sold by a private insurer. Each plan and its premiums are subject to CMS/Medicare rules and state insurance regulations.

    Medicare Part C/Medicare Advantage Plans: Like Part D plans, Part C plans are issued by private insurance companies and each plan’s premiums are different. They are also subject to CMS/Medicare rules and state insurance regulations.

    Tip #4: Make Sure You Talk to a Trusted Agent

    Medicare’s website, medicare.gov, contains the majority of information anyone needs to learn about Medicare eligibility, enrollment, coverages, and how everyone works. Admittedly, not everyone is a computer whiz or equipped with the patience to read through Medicare’s website. That’s why talking to a trusted, professional agent is essential.

    Federal law has established guidelines for the sales and marketing of all Medicare plans, and for how people can engage in sales and marketing activities. Click here to review Medicare’s marketing rules and the rules that apply for meeting with an agent.

    If any agent, or anyone claiming to be an agent, fails to comply with these rules, find yourself a new agent. And report the person taking advantage of you!

    Feel free to ask any questions you might have. I’ll be happy to provide you with more Medicare tips, answer questions, and/or provide you with additional resources. You can reach out to me here.

  • Creating Conflict and Strong Characters

    Creating Conflict and Strong Characters

    Every writer struggles with creating conflict and strong characters–stories and protagonists our readers can identify with and root for. In fiction, perfection is boring and Trouble is king.

    What Conflict and Strong Characters are All About

    Newbie writers are always told to ensure their stories contain conflict. But what is conflict and how does one create it?

    According to the dictionary, conflict is incompatibility. It’s disagreement or disharmony. The best explanation I’ve heard about how to write conflict is contained in Lawrence Block’s Telling Lies for Fun and Profit.

    … you have to be your lead character’s best friend and worst enemy all at the same time. You need to send your hero on a walk through the woods. Then you have a bear chase him. You let him climb a tree. You chop the tree down. The bear chases him into the river. He grabs onto a log. It turns out to be an alligator. He grabs a floating stick and uses it to jam the beast’s jaws open. You give the bear a canoe and teach it how to paddle–

    Block also says, “Fiction is just one damned thing after another” and, boy, does he have that right.

    Who wants to read about a perfect character living a perfect life without the imperfection of interference? Not me. First of all, it’s not realistic. Second of all, although it’s what we say we want, I suspect living a perfect life is one of those things my mother was referring to when she said Be careful what you ask for.

    What makes a book or story interesting is how characters navigate trouble, solve their problems, cope in the midst of chaos, stay cool under pressure, and smile with gritted teeth through the biggest failures of their lives. The aftermath of the trouble, problems, chaos, stress, and challenges is what really matters: how they changed and shaped the character.

    What Conflict and Strong Characters Looks Like

    Conflict wears many faces: Danger. Disturbance. Grief. Misfortune. Suffering. Heartache. Torment. Battles. Contests. Clashes.

    Transport a city girl wearing a silk suit and four-inch heels to a dirt road in a rural setting. Immediate conflict. Then let the thunder and lightning begin…

    Make the heroine an insurance adjuster and the hero the head of a stolen car ring. Instant conflict. Especially when the hero’s occupation is revealed right after they first make love.

    Let’s say your main character just made partner at his architectural firm and beat out his competition because he’s a family man. Three weeks later his wife files for divorce and leaves town with their children. Talk about conflict.

    Not only do the preceding examples contain conflict, they raise questions. Lots of questions. Unanswered questions create tension and suspense–which compounds the conflict.

    To escalate matters, you can toss in a ticking time bomb–that deadline each protagonist faces before the excrement hits the fan. You can reveal that secret, the one that represents the protagonist’s biggest fear, the one the character must face before the ticking time bomb explodes. My personal favorite involves dialogue: the words that can’t be unsaid or the unsaid words that should have been spoken.

    Character flaws are also a good tool to use. Doesn’t matter if characters are unaware of their flaws or if they know full well what flaws they have and simply can’t help themselves from messing up. Over and over again. The reader wonders: Will the character ever figure things out? If so, how? When?

    Unanswered questions equal tension and suspense. Postpone giving answers. Or only provide partial answers. Or ask more questions before answering previous questions. Layer the tension and suspense with conflict, and you’re on the right track.

    What Enhances Conflict and Strong Characters

    Perspective

    People come in all shapes and sizes, and with an endless variety of opinions. What good, from the perspective of conflict, is a character who keeps her opinions to herself? You guessed it: none.

    But toss in a character with strong opinions, one who doesn’t hesitate to share them. Often. And loudly. No matter where she is.

    Instant conflict.

    This character doesn’t have to be the protagonist. In fact, this character has the potential to cause endless trouble and chaos if she isn’t the protagonist.

    The Underdog

    A power imbalance creates instant conflict. There’s little in life that’s more satisfying than the longshot beating the favorite in a competition. Davey and Goliath. Jack and the Beanstalk. Underdog and Simon Bar Sinister.

    The Deep, Dark Secret

    We all have secrets, past actions or words we fear will reflect poorly on us when the old spotlight shines down. Infidelity, embezzlement, and assault can have serious repercussions if they’re uncovered. But then again, so can undisclosed pregnancies, thoughtless comments, and poor decision-making.

    What makes secrets such a great element of a good story is that we can use them in a variety of ways. Readers can know a secret the protagonist doesn’t know. Protagonists can know secrets that, if revealed, will result in death–either physically or emotionally. Multiple characters can share a secret, one that simply can’t be exposed without dire consequences.

    The most important thing about using secrets is to reveal them at the worst possible time.

    Choices

    One final tool that helps create conflict and strong characters is giving the protagonist two options–one just as bad as the other. What a terrific way to force the protagonist to grow and develop. Option A is lousy. Option B downright sucks. Which forces the protagonist to dream up Option C.

    For example, the protagonist receives a call from his brother, who just crashed his car into a tree. The protagonist arrives at the scene and realizes his brother is intoxicated. If the brother is arrested for another DUI, he’ll go to jail, so he begs the protagonist to tell the police he was driving. Clearly, neither option is ideal. Which option will the protagonist choose? Or will you, the director of the scene, be clever enough to come up with another option … one that startles your readers after drawing the tension out unbearably?

    Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas about creating conflict and strong characters.

  • 4 Tips for Marketing Yourself … Successfully

    4 Tips for Marketing Yourself … Successfully

    Everyone wants to be successful–that’s why marketing yourself is so important. We also want to make money, be recognized and liked, and sell a lot of whatever it is we’re selling–even if it’s just our good reputation.

    Unfortunately, some of us jump right into marketing without doing our homework. That can lead us to achieve results that are 180 degrees from where we want them to be. Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years as an insurance agent, public speaker, and professional writer.

    Tip #1: Know and Understand What Marketing Yourself Is … and Is Not

    Marketing is selling and promoting products and services in a market. It’s a process that includes a number of different functions, including but not limited to conducting research, networking, and advertising.

    Social media has made the advertising piece of the puzzle [seemingly] easy. We post on our Facebook timelines, Twitter feeds, and Instagram stories frequently because doing so is easy and fast. Some people, though, overdo it.

    I know that. And so do you.

    Remember, social media is only a very small piece of the marketing pie. If you turn people off with the first bite, they’re not coming back for seconds.

    Example: I’ll bet you’ve hidden people for 30 days from your own Facebook timeline or unfollowed people because they’re constantly bombarding you with their messages. Messages that don’t change–unless you’re counting the modifications to the color scheme or swapping of images in the Canva design. Ever wonder how many people have hidden YOU from their timelines for 30 days?

    Tip #2: It’s all about Your Audience

    Take it from me, people don’t want to be sold. They want to buy. They don’t want to be told what’s good, they want to figure it out for themselves. They especially want to matter to the person who attempts to persuade them what’s good and why they should buy it.

    When you’re marketing yourself, your mission isn’t selling. Your mission is appealing to your audience. It’s matchmaking. Specifically, matching your product or service to an audience member who needs or wants what you’re offering.

    Don’t advertise how great your insurance product is or what a satisfying read your book is. Why? Because that’s what everyone else is doing. Everyone else is talking and people are sick of hearing blah, blah, blah.

    Conduct your research, figure out who wants what you’re selling, and then show those people they matter to you, you care about them, and whatever it is you do will benefit them. Behave in a way that SHOWS them you care. Words are cheap. Actions speak louder. (Pardon the cliches, but they’re true!)

    Sales and marketing is NOT about you. Sales and marketing is about them. And until you put your audience first, you’re going to lose more of those potential clients/customers than you’ll gain.

    Tip #3: Read Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”

    I read this book at least once a year.

    Why? you might be wondering. That book was written in the 1930s and is outdated, you might be thinking.

    Wrong!

    People are the same now as they were then. They might dress differently and have more electronic devices now, but inside they have the same needs and yearnings. Carnegie says there are six ways we can make people like us instantly–and he explains what they are in his book.

    One of those ways is to Always make the other person feel important.

    Why do you think that is? Because feeling important to other people is believed to be the most primal urge in human nature.

    People won’t like you, trust you, buy from you, or pay any attention to you if they aren’t convinced you think they’re important. And don’t kid yourself, people’s instincts are often spot on when it comes to recognizing authenticity, or its lack.

    Tip #4: Be Generous

    Generosity is giving, and giving in a large way. It’s giving with kindness, for the pure joy of making the gift and not expecting or asking for anything in return. Generosity is unselfish and seeks to provide a benefit for someone else and not oneself.

    If, in your marketing, you focus on how you can benefit personally from speaking publicly, or sitting on a panel, or volunteering your time–you’re not really being generous. The focus on you offsets the generosity.

    Instead, if you realize that by being generous and freely offering your time, expertise, or advice without asking for a direct, one-on-one return, that generosity will communicate its true authenticity. Generosity also focuses on the other person.

    I’m not saying to give away the store for free. But I am suggesting you give away pieces of it, judiciously, knowing that by doing so you will (in the long run) benefit tremendously from that generosity. This is the best way to accomplish your goals.

    Conclusion about Marketing Yourself

    Do your research. Understand your audience. And provide what your audience wants–not what you decide your audience needs.

    For more information about marketing yourself and other similar subjects, check out How to Win Friends and Influence People, or any of the many books written by Jeffrey Gitomer, or my book, Taking the Mystery out of Business. You can also watch a recording of my live web class, Marketing Tips for Beginners, on my YouTube channel.