Geoff Hoff

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About Geoff Hoff
Geoff Hoff has been a creative writer, an actor, an acting teacher, a standup comic and a popular blogger. He studies and writes about the process of creativity and the process of marketing and teaches creative writing and marketing courses on the Internet.
His first published book, Weeping Willow: Welcome to River Bend, written with Steve Mancini, started out as an online satirical serial that garnered fans world-wide. He and Steve have been called "gently subversive" by a fan, a description they both find apt.
Geoff grew up in a town in Northern New Jersey that no longer exists, graduated from a college in Spokane, Washington that no longer exists and has learned to distrust permanence.
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Blog postToday’s podcast deals with controversy. Or, rather, contrived controversy. Or, rather, using contrived controversy to become know by the general populace. At least the general populace on the Internet. Listen as Geoff masterfully goes through the complex process of creating … Continue reading →7 years ago Read more
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Blog postThis week, a week before we celebrate Thanksgiving in these United States of America, Geoff ponders the meaning of life, the meaning of his life and the meaning of meaning. Contemplating his deep philosophical ponderings might keep you awake at … Continue reading →7 years ago Read more
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Blog postToday, Geoff looks back on the time in his life when he pursued acting as a career and vocation: His years doing what he had learned must be done. We focus on three auditions during this time, one quite early, one kind of in the middle of it all, and one just past his decision to quit acting, and with them, comes to a realization about life.
7 years ago Read more -
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Blog postToday, Geoff explores the world of the Internet with an eye toward truth, which is sometimes difficult or impossible to find, and confirms our God given, inalienable right to remain ill-informed.
7 years ago Read more -
Blog postIn this episode, Geoff recalls a time when he loved flying and compares it with a time he decidedly didn’t enjoy it. After this encounter with a rather unreasonable member of Transportation Security Administration and a tube of toothpaste, everything … Continue reading →7 years ago Read more
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Blog postIn this week’s podcast, Geoff recalls a day at the gym several years ago when he attended regularly, that he experienced some unpleasantness while trying to enjoy his after-workout moment in the steam room. It seems some people make odd … Continue reading →7 years ago Read more
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Blog postToday, Geoff recalls two of his mother’s favorite treets: Lox (yum) and halva (not so yum) and relates a story for each detailing how someone experienced it for the first time.
7 years ago Read more -
Blog postThis week, Geoff recalls his extended and winding path to coming out of the closet as a gay man. It took many steps and stages, several years, one boyfriend and two moves across country.
7 years ago Read more -
Blog postToday, Geoff relates the story of the time he reconnected with his father while in his forties, and the linguistic hurdles and humiliations he experienced on that fateful trip.
7 years ago Read more -
Blog postThis week, Geoff looks at the modern bugaboo, the supposed right to privacy we all expect in this wildly interconnected world, with an added examination of outrage. Ohhhh, scary.
7 years ago Read more -
Blog postA slight change of pace as Geoff determines just how being unreasonable can be not only a good thing, but the only thing.
7 years ago Read more -
Blog postToday, Geoff explains how an older, overweight, out of shape man can still be a stud. Especially when bicycles are involved. The story takes us from a dirt road in very rural Northern New Jersey all the way past the … Continue reading →7 years ago Read more
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Blog postWhen I was in college, most of my fellow students had fairly raw vocabularies. My roommate Jay was particularly varied in his creative use of the expletive. I didn’t object to it, but rarely participated. There were two notable exceptions.
During my sophomore year, we were putting on a production of the play Dylan, about the poet Dylan Thomas’ travels in America. It was a complex play with tons of characters and myriad sets. Everyone in the drama department spent some time doing all t7 years ago Read more -
Blog postToday, Geoff explores his penchant for finding pleasure in the distress of others, or, to the more pretentious among us, his own private schadenfreude, exhibited while observing a cat. Yes, it’s a cute cat story, served with a side of … Continue reading →7 years ago Read more
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Blog postThis week, Geoff explains why he chooses not to believe what you just posted on social media and gives concrete examples of what he would believe. And he talks about penguins. A lot. More, in fact, than would be seemly.
7 years ago Read more -
Blog postFrozen Peas. Image by Jina Lee via commons.wikimedia.org
Today, in a story of transformation and the budding awareness of impressionable youth, we explore Geoff’s changing attitude toward that odd manifestation of God’s quirkiness, the pea. In the process, we also critically compare the relative virtues of canned vs frozen vegetables.
7 years ago Read more -
Blog postIn this episode, Geoff explores the divine attributes of that most wonderful and mysterious substance known as cheese, and ponders it’s meaning in his life. … Continue reading →7 years ago Read more
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Blog postI am not a gamer, I am not a coder, I am not a scientist and I am certainly not a woman, so I come at this completely from the outside, with the ignorance of an outrider, but I am amazed and appalled at the rampant chauvinism and outright hatred of women in those fields. Barely a day goes by that I don’t see some evidence of some (often reportedly quite talented) woman in one of them that has been driven out by harassment, bullying, threats of rape and murder, often driven even to suicide.7 years ago Read more
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Blog postI have been silent, mostly shut down for the last few months. I thought I was depressed and was trying to figure out why. I realize, though, it is because I am angry. I am angry almost to the point of immobility, angry about so many things.
I’m angry that women are brought up to believe that they are second class citizens, that they are taught to think they can’t be leaders, and, when they try (and, God forbid, succeed) they are called bitches. I’m angry that we all think men get bett7 years ago Read more -
Blog postI wrote this many years ago for my friends Marilyn Langbehn and Scarlett Hepworth. They had a hand- written version on their fridge until the sun faded it so much it was blank. I was recently reminded of it, so … Continue reading →7 years ago Read more
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Blog postI have one of those minds that can become fascinated by anything, which can be a problem when technology like Google is available. When I was writing with Steve Mancini, we would often embark on one bit of research for our current story, only to end up, several hours later, on some site explaining why penguins are colored and shaped like that. (Camouflage from above and below, and streamlining in water, in case you wondered.)
Usually, what odd paths we took and the much odder informat7 years ago Read more -
Blog postIn this week’s episode, Geoff explores his time at college, a small, private, liberal arts Catholic Girls school, in Spokane Washington, where everyone (except Geoff) smoked and everyone (except Geoff) drank and he fell in love and learned more than he could have expected or imagined about acting, theatre, life and the real world. He went in, was swallowed up for four years and was spit out a different human being.
7 years ago Read more -
Blog postWe live in a very busy world and, for many of us, we have so overextended ourselves that we sometimes forget some of the basics of life. How true is this for you?
For the last several days, I have been working in the day, then visiting a friend in the hospital in the evening. When I get home, I’m exhausted, but usually still have more work to do.
And today, I noticed that my brain was kind of turning off a little. But I know better. One of the easiest ways to keep yourself vit8 years ago Read more -
Blog postToday, Geoff explores his history with and his desire for coffee. It was a long road from surreptitious spoonfuls of Grandpa’s special coffee ice cream to the current cup each morning, but along the way, we discover exactly why he … Continue reading →8 years ago Read more
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Blog postIn this week’s podcast, Geoff remembers the surreal and absurd time he went north to take care of his mother for the last five years of her life. It involved a log cabin, old friends, the triumph of meatballs, blended … Continue reading →8 years ago Read more
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Blog postThis weekend, writer/actor/comic Taylor Negron passed away. I’m not quite sure why it affected me so deeply. I had never met him in person, although we did have many friends in common. I’d exchanged a few comments with him on Facebook, which is, I suppose, the modern incarnation of a deep friendship.
Taylor died of cancer. I hadn’t even known he was sick, although I’m sure many did. He was younger than me by a few years, and in part, that alone made me stop and think. I’ve had a coupl8 years ago Read more -
Blog postIn this week’s podcast, Geoff examines the source of the name of the podcast by taking us on a journey all the way from a sublime British verse play from the 50s set sometime during what seems to be the Elizabethan era through a profane Hollywood cabaret show from the 90s set sometime in what seems to be Las Vegas in the 50s. Hopefully, it will all make sense once you listen.
8 years ago Read more -
Blog postHappy New Year! This week, Geoff recalls the wild parties his grandparents gave every New Years Eve when he was a kid. There was drinking, hors d’oeuvres, party hats and noise makers, balloons and lots of smoking. He helped set … Continue reading →8 years ago Read more
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Blog postToday, Geoff tells us of his first Christmas in Los Angeles, one fraught with strange and surreal details. It involved his first “apartment” (a small room), his neighbor, a street hustler, and a spontaneous trip to Disneyland in the rain. … Continue reading →8 years ago Read more
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Blog postIn this episode, Geoff confesses to his unnatural addiction to the nectar of the culinary gods, Mayonnaise.
8 years ago Read more -
Blog postAfter a successful blog posting challenge last month, I’ve decided to challenge myself once again and invite any who whish to join me. This one is much more toward online tech and online business than it is toward creativity and … {...Continue Reading}
The post This Month’s Challenge – List Building appeared first on Geoff Hoff Online.
8 years ago Read more -
Blog postThirty days ago, I challenged myself to write thirty blog posts in thirty days. This is the thirtieth post.
Am I proud of myself? Yes, actually. But I also learned a lot with this challenge. Sometimes, you say you’re going to do something and it just sort of fades from your mind. But sometimes, you make a commitment that goes somehow deeper and you feel a little unnerved if you’re not on track.
I did skip some days for various reasons. But that nagging feeling would be there a8 years ago Read more -
Blog postI’m a fairly upbeat person, I tend to approach life from a very light viewpoint. So it is sometimes a shock when I write a short story and discover it is very dark. I used to think something was very wrong with me, but I realized that all of us have both light and dark aspects of ourselves. They both must be expressed somehow, so what better way than with a lovely piece of somber, or even foreboding fiction. Certainly better than being an unrepentant downer who sucks the air out of every room8 years ago Read more
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Blog postI’m taking a medication that forces me to monitor my eating and drinking habits fairly stringently. One of the things I must watch is how much vitamin K I consume. Vitamin K is found in most green, leafy vegetable and things like broccoli. If I eat too much, it makes my test numbers plunge. Too little and they get dangerously high.
There are also things, like ginger and cranberries, that have the opposite result.
It can be mind boggling.
I’ve never had a very consisten8 years ago Read more -
Blog postWhen people ask us writers what we do, the response is usually, “I’m a writer.” We never say, “I write.” The distinction is important. The simple definition of a writer is, “one who writes”, so if you write blog posts or articles or stories or sales copy, that is more than enough to call yourself a writer. But I think for some of us, it is more than that.
When you say, “I’m a writer”, you are joining a group of people who tend to be obsessive about writing. People who thrive on writin8 years ago Read more -
Blog postI have been getting a bit behind in my 30 day challenge, so this evening, I decided to catch up a bit. This is the fourth post I’ve written in the last hour. I’ve been posting them as “scheduled” so they don’t all show up at the same moment, they’ll be out throughout the day. It’s been a fun exercise, challenging myself to come up with the ideas and then actually writing the posts.
It goes to show you that, when you set your mind to something, you can do it. I still have some catching8 years ago Read more -
Blog postWhen you come out of a health issue, often times your body spends a long time adjusting to the new circumstances, which can interrupt your sleeping patterns. After several days of this (or several weeks) you may notice you’ve begun to be sleep deprived.
I’ve had some odd and interesting experiences with sleep deprivation. While in the hospital with pneumonia a few months ago, my breathing was so disrupted that I hadn’t slept the night through in over a month. I actually started halluc8 years ago Read more -
Blog postWhen I was younger (in my twenties younger, not in my youth), I used to love reading fairy tales and folk tales. One that stuck in my mind was a tidbit called “Seven with One Blow”. It was about a tailor who was working when a ton of flies started bothering him. He killed seven of them with one swat. He was so proud of himself that he embroidered a belt with the phrase “Seven with One Blow” and began wearing that everywhere.
Well, people had their own interpretation of what, exactly,8 years ago Read more -
Blog postYou are a writer. You sit down at your computer and stare at the blinking curser. You type a word or two, maybe even a sentence or two, then, after an hour or so, simply give up and go water the petunias. (Or crack open a bottle of Scotch.)
We’ve all seen this in movies, on TV, read about it in books. Writers get “the writer’s block” and simply cannot produce. It is a romantic notion and, since we’ve seen it dramatized so often, we all think it’s true. We think it’s true and necessary8 years ago Read more -
Blog postWhen I was a kid, probably around 8 or so, the phone rang at my Grandma and Grandpa’s place and I picked it up and said, “Hello.”
The woman on the other end berated me for what felt like an hour (but was probably not more then five or ten minutes) about letting people know who I was when I picked up the phone. I was so stunned by the tongue lashing I simply didn’t respond at all.
Ever since then, I’ve answered the phone, “This is Geoff.” Over the years, the phrase has taken on8 years ago Read more -
Blog postFirst of all, a quick report on yesterday’s post. I spent the day yesterday working on the book, so I am actually on track! Now for today’s news:
I am on Facebook, so I read alarming posts almost daily about the latest outrage, the latest disaster, the latest way the world is stacked against us. I have friends who gleefully repost anything that has to do with chemtrails or GMOs or government coverups about medical trials or the latest outbreak of the latest disease that is going to ki8 years ago Read more -
Blog postI have been putting together a book for some time. Actually, most (if not all) of the information and most (if not all) of the actual writing is done. It has been done for some time. The only things that need to be done with it are putting the chapters in a coherent order and designing the cover.
And I already know what the cover is going to look like.
I have been resisting getting this project done for quite some time. Which is ironic, since the theme of the book is debunking8 years ago Read more -
Blog postI love silly humor. I love a lot of different kind of humor, but silly has a large place in my heart. If the silliness has an element of intelligence, I’m even happier. I’ve always been a fan of Monty Python and Douglas Adams, early Mel Brooks, Billy Connolly, the old sitcom called Working, etc., etc. You probably get the idea.
In the past, there have been times when I’ve gotten on something of a silly roll. I love the surprised smiles (and barking laughs when it hits home particularl8 years ago Read more -
Blog postI love oranges. Lately, I’ve been getting navel oranges at my local supermarket and they’ve been consistently juicy and tangy-sweet, with a great flavor. Until today. When I peeled the orange, it was hard and comparably dry. It didn’t taste bad, but it wasn’t the juicy perfection I’ve been used to the past several days.
Why can’t they be consistent, I thought loudly as I grumpily ate my fruit.
Then I remembered the stories I’ve heard about how they make things like orange juic8 years ago Read more
Titles By Geoff Hoff
In Practical Business Wisdom and Magic, Pat O'Bryan shares not only his experience as a reformed broke blues guitar player who found unexpected success, but the combined wisdom and magic of world-renowned business and thought leaders.
Practical Business Wisdom and Magic will take you by the hand and show you how you can perfect your inner and outer games—how you can combine Wisdom and Magic—to create the life of freedom and prosperity you’ve been looking for.
Connie Ragen Green and Geoff Hoff, successful entrepreneurs and authors, teach the step by step process they have shared with others to make time management the key to productivity and overall business success. As they like to say, "if you don't know where you're going, it is difficult to get there."
"We artists are an interesting bunch. We think of ourselves as delicate, fragile,
and, somehow, special. We are also, often, plagued by the notion that we aren't
really up to snuff, which often conflicts with our over-inflated sense of talent
and worth in a boisterous conflagration of feelings that will stop us short
every time the notion that we might want to create something rears its little
head."
Writers (and other artists) love to procrastinate. We spend almost as much
time, energy, effort and creativity finding ways not to get started as we do
in exercising our art. In Poppycock! Geoff Hoff examines and gleefully debunks
the myths we have created and use to not get anything done.
Some of the myths Geoff will destroy for you?
The myth of talent The myth of "write what you know"
The myth of writer's block
The myth of rules
The myth of inspiration
And more.
But he doesn't stop there. He also gives you advice on how to get started despite those myths, and gives practical techniques and exercises to help you open your creativity in powerful ways so you know what to do once you have started.
GEOFF HOFF is a best-selling author of fiction, business and how-to books. He has worn many costumes throughout his life. He was once "the good guy". He spent some time experimenting with "make everyone feel comfortable". Lately, he has discovered his inner curmudgeon and rather likes the outfit. The logical next garb to don is "old foggy" and he looks forward to that with great anticipation.
People who have used Geoff's techniques have finally written their first story, and even sold their first short story! The straight-forward ideas about writing and creativity in general contained in this book will not only help you write that short story you've been wanting to write, but will help you write any work of fiction.
This no-nonsense, practical approach to writing thwarts every day obstacles like writers "block" and plain old laziness.
The six light-hearted but practical lessons include The Idea, The Beginning, Middle and End, The Setting, Character, Your First Draft and Conclusions and responses, which takes you from the first draft out to the rest of your life as a writer.
Be the writer you know you can be. Read this book and write that story.