Member Spotlight: Leora Halpern Lanz

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? I happen to teach a “writing HUB” course at Boston University, and my purpose in this role is to guide and inspire college seniors to improve their business writing. Why is it important to me? Writing enables us to share poetry, creativity, business plans, love letters. Writing stretches our imaginations, focuses our direction and keeps us informed and continuously learning. And why is writing important for the world? Composing treaties and partnerships enables peace between countries; the best literature and storytelling of the world bring smiles to our faces, and gift us with the most beautiful literature, poetry, non-fiction, and more to surround us by creativity and joy. Our world thrives on the creativity of storytelling – fiction or non-fiction.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Travel, even in the form of day trips; speaking with friends and hearing their stories; and treating oneself for a moment or day of self-care – can boost the imagination and spark ideas. I’m a very structured and somewhat organized person. My two books are non-fiction and I was very intentional with the chapters. When ideas came to me, I did my best to note them on the appropriate pages of the book. I also time block; I scheduled two hours each day to write. For the 2 1/2 years it took to compose the one manuscript (which ultimately became two books), I’d visit my pages and flesh out my notes to boost the writing effort.

What is your favorite time to write? Because of my academic schedule, summers were very productive. During the school year, weekends were my time to “keep crankin’ away” at it.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? A friend encouraged me to time block two hours a day and write. I did do that, and of course, it wasn’t easy to always have something to input onto the pages. But that was a good piece of advice for me. I would say to others: practice self-care during your writing journey. Feeling good allows us to be productive and proactive, and constructive.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? I have been blessed to enjoy feedback coming to me through social media, from people I do not know. When my words of inspiration for businesses resonate with others, it’s just wonderful. I received a DM from as far away as New Zealand affirming how my book resonated with them. Additionally, my books have led to speaking engagements and workshops. And I look forward to so much more.

Leora Halpern Lanz’s Marketing Mindset in Motion: Inspired by Hospitality is out now with Hospitality Strategies Press.