Playing Pretend

Earlier today, I wrote an article on teaching children to write short stories and posted it on Helium, and as I was writing it, it occurred to me that some of the methods I described to teach children to write stories can be used to help pull ourselves out of writing blocks or into a more interesting story.

Developing our abilities to tell or write good stories is all about imagination. Children are encouraged to fuel their imagination, but sometimes that encouragement can fade when we become adults. We are expected to be serious grownups, and we lose a lot of that spontaneity we had as kids. Where children once had to completely visualize stories out of books, this is now often done for them in movies, TV, and video games.

Nearly every parent of young children has bought their child a "cool" toy, only to find that the child has more fun with the box than the toy itself. Instinctively, we want to imagine. We want to create. We want to play pretend.

Somehow, we let the world put the idea into our heads that this is childish. But we must not confuse childishness with childlike. Childish is throwing a tantrum in the grocery store because you can't have the cookies. It is being egocentric, selfish.

Being childlike is a trait we should never lose, and one we as writers should revisit frequently. It's the ability to look at things at new ways, to ask questions even when we think we know the answers, and to never accept anything as impossible.

Perception and Presentation - by A.F. Stewart

In order to try and stay more consistent with the Write of the Day Blog, I'm hosting occasional guest blogs by other writers. Todays blog is by Canadian Author, A.F. Stewart. Please check out the links to her regular blogs at the bottom of this post. Thanks!


These two concepts of perception and presentation sometimes get overlooked by new writers, but in today’s online world they are more important than ever.  I see many hopeful, newbie writers posting sloppily written stories to online sites and it makes me cringe.

Now when I say “sloppily written”, I don’t mean a few typos or sentences that could use a bit of editing or a clichéd bit of prose.  That comes with the writer territory, especially when you are starting out.  No, I’m talking about frequent, dreadful grammar mistakes, noticeable spelling errors, run-on sentences and just plain careless editing; things easily fixable by running a story through your computer’s spell-check.  These writers don’t seem to realize that this screams “amateur” and “bad writer” and it turns many readers away.  Plus online, you never know who might stop by to read what you post; you may be damaging your reputation in ways you are not aware.

Also, you need to watch how you present yourself when you comment on other posts or email fellow writers.  Not capitalizing the “I” pronoun, rambling sentences, terrible grammar and numerous typos do not inspire confidence in your abilities as a writer.

Another common perception and presentation mistake, at least in my opinion, happens in marketing.  Many writers are anxious to sell or just inexperienced in marketing and they use spam techniques to promote their books, bombarding every site with blatant ad-like comments.  This is not the way to market yourself or your books.  You may gain interest in your books, but you will also alienate people who find such things rude, especially if you are posting irrelevant comments in groups.  For instance, don’t promote your murder mystery in a group devoted to fantasy and sci-fi. 

Good marketing should interact and target.  Post those obvious self-promotional ads on sites and in groups set up for that type of marketing; that is what they are there for.  Otherwise interact with groups and sites; a “Hey guys, wonderful news.  I’ve got a new book coming out...” does more for your online status than a spam ad people ignore.

The one thing a writer has to remember is there are real people, potential readers, on the other side of cyber-space.  You need to make the best impression possible.

photo of me, if you want to include it in the post, and here are my blog links:

http://afstewartblog.blogspot.com/

http://afstewartpromotion.blogspot.com/

Mixing Up Approaches in Writing

The past few days I've done more research than writing it seems. I've got several works in progress that should be wound up and either submitted or posted by the end of the week. In my fiction and poetry I rarely outline. Sometimes lines of a poem come to me and I realize they belong in the middle somewhere, and I write the rest of the poem around it. Sometimes, the first and last lines come and I muddle through the middle. Or a scence flashes, ans I write it, make note of approximently where it might go, and it may or may not belong there when the time comes.

But the stuff I've been working on lately is of the "5 things for bla, bla bla" variety,  Which leaves me with scattered noted and website links to mold into a coherant and useful article. If all goes well I will have a little surge of articles in the next couple days.

I did have a couple of nice surprises -- the first was hearing that the Great Gatsby was being made into a movie again with a great cast, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Carey Mulligan. It's pre-production, barely even cast so it will most likely be forever before it's out, but I'm still excited.

I also happened to be following Stribooks (StarTribune Books) on Twitter, and caught them tweeting some news from the 2010 National Book Awards. It's like the Oscars, for books. So now there are new books on my read list. Nominees are here and I will need to investigate which ones I want to read. A neat thing is Coffee House Press got a nomination, and they're just a little literary publisher. Love to see the little guy get attention.

Tomorrow, I will get a break from blogging, as I bring in my first guest blogger, A.F. Stewart!

Good Night, Happy reading and Writing

Freezing

Sometimes, it can feel a little weird when I find myself actually enjoying the research involved in writing informational articles. It's been about a week now since I've written a new poem or other piece of creative writing. I've been posting bits of my novel, but that is all written already.

I was asked about the prequel to my novel,  No Sensible People, which I started quite some time ago. I haven't worked on it in ages, and I don't exactly know what I'll think when I do go back to it. I feel like I've evolved so much since I started No Sensible People. There's a strength that wants to come through, if I just keep working at it.

There are times I feel like it's all I can do to tread water, and other times when I think anything is possible. And I freeze because of my nerves, because this may be my last shot. What if I can't make it work? What if I don't succeed?What if I do?

It's that last question that maked it hard. Because win or lose freezing is probably inevitable. I just need to keep moving

On the Brink.....

Ready. Set. Set. Set.......go? Now? No, now. No NOW. Wow! wow. oh. eh.

All I have to do is get my thoughts together and make this thing work. There are a number of brass rings in the air, or at least plastic rings and it is time for me to grab them. I actually know of a few job openings that I'd actually want. I've been invited to submit proposals on elance that in no way involve academic dishonesty or the exploitation of innocents. (Both practices I frown on.) Associated Content upgraded and are more integrated with Yahoo now, which means more available assignments, and I am actually able to find my article on Indie Movie Theatres in Minneapolis.

 I was finally able to cash out on Gather, after 3 months, and Helium is moving right along too. My eHow allowance remains consistent, eventhough I'm not writing anything new for them. There's even a tiny trickling on Suite 101. My Twitter follower numbers are respectable -- if only I could get followers for my blog.

Yes, I know, I need to be more consistent with it -- but maybe if I had guest bloggers a couple days a week...... hmmmm *she looks up at cartoon lightbulb suspended over her head.*

The other big thing I've started is revisiting the marketing of my novel, No Sensible People. I'm actually posting the whole thing, about 1000 words at a time on Associated Content. Serialization was a big thing way back when. Maybe it will make a comeback? Who knows? The only thing is they haven't updated page views for a few days, so I can't see how it's doing. That's the downside of upgrades, there's always an adjustment period. Supposedly they're going back in tonight. Maybe there will be answers then.

But I will not lose my mind looking for answers. There's always a simpler question to move on to. I can go back later, and maybe it will make sense.

Divide and Conquer

I had heard it before, long before this online writing thing came to be. One way to increase your writing output is to respin an idea in a slightly different way. That way you can recycle your topic. One of the things I am starting to get about SEO, Search Engine Optimization, is that the search engines like to get as specific as they can.

A few days ago, there was an empty title on Helium on the benefits of having a study buddy, but when I looked today it was no longer empty. It's possible I may still write on it, but instead I suggested my own titles. What began as Tips for working in public -- which turned out to be too broad became 2 articles. How to Be Productive When Working in Public Places, on Helium and Things to Keep in Mind When Working in Public on Associated Content. They are two distinct articles, one focusing on productivity, the other basically on manners.

 I also recycled a recipe I had put on eHow a while back that hadn't made money there, revised it a bit and reposted it to Gather. Every site has it's protocol, and sometimes an article that's a stinker on one site can turn out to be a winner on another.

Back when I wrote my old blog, which was weekly, I would copy paste it onto different sites, thinking that would maximize views, but I've learned that isn't necessarily so. So now just about everything I write gets it's 15 minutes on a single site, and if that isn't enough I'll let a second site have a crack.

I've yet to make a fortune on any of my pursuits, but I do think I am getting better.

A Jewelry Day

Yesterday I dabbed a little in different writing projects, but never really got going on anything. I'll be falling short of my version NanoWriMo this week, but I won't waste too much time stressing over it. I worked hard this week, and I took most of yesterday as a jewelry day. Mostly, I worked on a brochure that has pictures of the stuff I have on sale at Etsy, and a few things I haven't listed yet, but will soon. I'm going to try and have a party on December 2nd, see if I can't get a few local sales.

Today, I am going to a bridal shower for my nephew's fiance. I made her a necklace. I'll also bring my brochure -- which is why I wanted to finish it-- at least most of the way. Tonight or tomorrow I'll get the new stuff listed. Work on a few kids jewelry items. I may stop at Michael's and get some ribbon and feathers. I worked on a new bracelet design. It has some dream catcher elements to it, but I really think it needs ribbon and feathers. Even jewelry making has it's rough drafts. This morning I made a Chritmas present. Turned out much better than the "not a dreamcatcher" bracelet.

By tomorrow, I will be back in full swing with my Nano plan, although no one should be surprised to see me write about jewelry in the next couple days.

Ohfer Odd.....

“Ohfer Odd, Ohfer Weird. Why is Ohfer shunned by men and often feared?” – from the musical “How to Talk Minnesotan” based on the book by Howard Mohr.

Today was a weird writing day. I started writing an op-ed piece on Prolife and Prochoice. I used to be Prolife, now I'm Prochoice. How and why will have to wait until I manage to finish the op-ed. There are things that bother me about some of the typical arguments on both sides, but like I said, how and what will have to wait.

So I got emotional. Put a poem up that was on one site and put a copy of it on another. Then I started to get random lines in my head and thought I might write a villanelle. I looked at the form, and it scared me a bit-- at least for what was going through my head. So I looked at some other forms, and saw the ballade, which features three 8 line stanzas with a regulated rhythm/rhyme scheme with a refrain line at the end of each stanza.

Ah ha! I can do that! So I wrote the little pattern on the side of the page. Some of the lines came easy, some were a bit harder, but I managed to wind up with a poem that I actually liked. Off I was to copy and paste from my word processing processing into Associated Content. I went through the motions, got the poem posted. Found it under my account section and opened it to post to Facebook and Tweet, then, like I always do I went to my profile page so I could “feature” it.

Where was my poem? Why couldn't I feature it? I'd struggled a good part of the day to get something I was proud of, and now I couldn't feature it? I hit the forum. Looked for someone with a similar problem, and finally just asked, “Is there a reason why my poem isn't on my profile page?” A few minutes later several articles showed up on my profile page that I didn't even write! Again, “Ohfer weird!” but a few minutes later my poem was where it belonged and the other people's work was gone.

It was a sensitive day, opening old wounds, and I thought that perhaps someone might be messing with me because the poem could be construed as controversial – it's called “Love the Bigot”

I left the house, and have been away from Internet access, so I don't know if I have any feedback on it so far. I suspect it might be all over the place- or not at all. But it's good to take a stand, even when doing so is not popular. Scares me a bit, but part of me thinks, “Ohfer brave,” and I smile. Part of the spirit of NanoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is to write so much that you silence your inner censor. I did that today.

PS. -- Associated Content sent out a notice that new stuff will update to the profile page once an hour. Don't like it, but I'll live.

Creating dynamic reading groups in primary education - by Gretchen Lee Bourquin - Helium

Creating dynamic reading groups in primary education - by Gretchen Lee Bourquin - Helium

Blog-- Unplugged

Alright, I suppose technically, I am plugged into electricity. Earlier today I was working on an article, doing online research in the library away from the outlet and wore the battery down.

Now, I'm back at the coffee shop that had me all twisted earlier because I couldn't tap into the Internet. I'm never coming back here again, I said to myself-- and yet just a few hours later here I am. Trying to get as much juice into my computer before it is time to go to the National Book Critics Circle event at 7 pm. It is likely it will either leave me exhausted or recharged--I'm hoping for the latter.

While I was working on the article, I kept peeking at Facebook, looked at Twitter, etc. etc, so I only got one article done today. I will need to do at least one more piece tonight, even after the event, but I can't pass up a literary event. I'm hopeless where that is concerned.
I did get a little housecleaning done as well, which is nice, and I have a new desk chair-- just have to clear a spot on my desk to set my computer again. Ha.

No new jewelry made today, but I did think of a couple possible marketing ideas. Fingers crossed. When I get my next few pieces written, I will let myself make something pretty. But I have to look at Etsy marketing as well. People can't buy my stuff if they don't see it. How do you get people to love you-- or at least love your work? Making-- or writing good stuff isn't enough. There's magic in there somewhere buried in hard work, just haven't found it yet.
Still hoping, though.

p.s. -- including blogging, I managed 3 posts, not too dismal after all. Goodnight!

Promises to Me

It is 9:30 p.m. and I am spent. I'm doing my own, non-novel version of NanoWriMo in order to prove to myself how prolific and productive I can be when I really set my mind to it. As corny as it sounds, it is helpful to know that there is a nationwide movement of writers buckling down and risinig to their own challenge.

My personal challenge is 25 posts a week including blog entries here, informational articles, fluffy stuff-- which I will try and keep to a minimum, and hopefully decent short stories and poems. I tried an aggressive goal last month, and didn't make it work. Hopefully, I will do better.

Yesterday was a wash -- first day back after being away at Marshall Festival. I finished some jewelry that was in progress, did a little socializing on sites, but didn't really write anything. Today, I posted twice on Gather, once on Associated Content, and once on Helium -- and I'm posting here. I have a short story assignment due in AC by midnight, which I have started and still hope to finish. I also made another necklace. A purple heart drop necklace -- very "regal."

Provided I finish that story tonight, I will declare the day a creative success.

I also voted, of course. It was the first election both my kids voted in -- it was exciting to see them get to have that right. My son missed the 2008 election by less than 2 months. He voted in the Primary, but my daughter hadn't turned 18 yet, so she couldn't vote  until today.

I still don't know how it all turned out, but I am hoping we can make the best of it regardless. When all is said and done we have more power over our lives than our politicians. Thank goodness.

Uff-da!

I survived Day 3 of Marshall Festival. Lessons learned included, "It's never safe to snub another poet," and "Never eat pancakes at a Nebraska truckstop at 4 a.m." -- being that this last piece comes from a piece called "Bad Buttermilk" I'll make sure I remember it, if or when I wind up at a Nebraska truck stop.

Between 3 readings and a world premeire play I managed two new articles, shared a writing prompt, and recycled an old buried story from one site to another. And now, it's all over but the blogging.

Tomorrow morning is brunch and farewells, the long road trip back to the city. Outside the window, I hear echos from the stadium -- the Homecoming game. A reminder that the whole world of my college is not the literary fare, even if it is for me. The campus, the town, the dorms have all changed, and haven't. The old friends seem only slightly modified by the thin cloak of time.

Next Festival is on the wishlist for 2012. It was five years since the last one. Eight years since the one before-- which I missed because my kids were in school and there was no sitter.

This time, I managed to keep book purchasing under control-- escaping with 2 collections of poetry, although I wanted more. And I managed to leave my own novel, fueled so much by the rural breath of this place in the hands of someone familiar.

I am ready to call it a day. Tuck myself in, listen to the cheers, and the muffled voice of the announcer until I drift away.

Scribbling - Going on Day 2 of Marshall Festival

Yesterday, I travelled down prairie roads from the "big city" to the campus that taught me so much about the written word, the human spirit, and left me wanting more. Fortunately, for me, every now and then Southwest Minnesota State University, old friends, and the prairie provides. Yesterday, I attended two author readings, a student reading, and a tribute my old professor, Bill Holm who passed away last year. He was an icon of a man, a poet, an essayist, a musician, etc., etc, etc. -- no amount of reminiscing can really do him justice. But we try, and will keep trying because whatever bits we share will comfort us.

The Marshall Festival is smaller than it used to be, more intimate. What was once always a packed event, with out of towners fighting for lodging, readings that boasted standing room only like a rock concert or playoff game allow for a little more elbow room. New flowers grow along Memory Lane. But as always, it is inspiring. If my count is correct, this is my 4th festival. And although it is different, somehow it is always the same.

Like always, I bring my notebook. And scribble inspirations in random directions. Some words my own, a memory sparked from some tangent gift from the writer in front of me. Words held in the reserves of my mind, that finally think they might be ready to come out and play.

So now I go off to scribble in the white space  more of their words, more memory, more prophesy, and my own bits of courage. Just happy to have another day.

Win Some; Lose Some

So I attempted the classic to do list today, and I did get some things done that were on the list, but missed others. I also got other stuff done I didn't think I would. Writing this blog today was on the list. I got close to the cleaning done I planned. I really hate cleaning. I got one article done -- I wanted to get 2 done, but I at least started on the second one. I went shopping for my trip I'm taking to Marshall on Thursday. Bought a robe and an Ethernet cord, and I made a gigantic pot of chili.

Since I am leaving on Thursday and coming back Sunday my kids will have leftovers to supplement their own devices. I use the term kids loosely -- they are 18 and almost 20. Perfectly fine on their own devices.

So tomorrow I will need to add packing to my list, which I will have all made by 8:30 a.m.. It's all in the article I wrote today. The one I will write tomorrow should be fun. And I will see what else I can do.

But for now, I will put my leftover chili in the fridge and get ready to go to sleep. 6:30 tomorrow I get to try all over again.

Yesterday Was Huge

I was having one of those weird anxiety laded days yesterday about articles I had written and were waiting in the editor's queue. Yes, I know editors have a big job, but some things seem to zip to the top, and others dwindle. Anyway I was waiting on 2 Demand Studio Articles, and 2 Associated Content articles. Finally by the end of the day, I had one published in each place, another rejected, and I'm still waiting on one of the AC articles.

The article I'm waiting on is about the educational system in the US. It started as a review of "Waiting for Superman" but has gone beyond that. So, I asked to be reviewed for upfront payment, which can take a bit. If I just posted it for performance payments, it would just go up. But I think it's worth something more.

So, in my anxious frenzy I turned to the forums -- which I really hadn't done on AC. "Should I withdraw my upfront payment request?" I asked. "Is it worth it to stew for a few bucks?"

At first, I got some bigwig on the site quoting policy -- "it can take up to 10 business days."

Yeah, I know. "It can take" doesn't mean it typically does, and it doesn't mean things aren't going to sit in a queue and then not be approved anyway. The good news with AC, is even if I don't get upfront, I'll still post it for performance payments.

Then I got a real answer. If I can get my page views up, I'll be offered more money. Duh. So I made a few friends followed some more people. My page views went from 32 yesterday (which was actually good for me) to 199 today. :) I'm still waiting on that  approval, but I'm not as stressed about it.

So I learned-- Ask questions. Make friends. It can be time consuming, but it's worth the time

Oh, and that poem I promised, written mostly right after I saw the movie Howl.

 

Risk　
A lifetime of careful,
I tread lightly, tread lightly
　
All these eggshells have
gotten me to the bottom of the ferris wheel
back where I started
dizzy from going round and round
and getting nowhere
I dip my toe delicate,
as if somehow it is better than my foot
　
I never know
where the dropoff is
I bind myself with kite string
strap on a blindfold and tuck
myself away
　
But this time
I will see where the wind carries me
as I leap
wings first
keeping my eyes open
my arms spread eagle to
splat if I splat
soar if I soar
　
Tomorrow, regret or not
I'll know
what lies beyond
these borders
as I make my ready
for the next jump

Learning to be brave

Okay, today was not very productive. I had meant to have a low key writing day anyway, but I was going to apply for more "real" jobs. I did get one app in though. I will just have to write and apply for practical jobs tomorrow.

Last night, I went to the preview screening of the film based on Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl." The film was a mixture of James Franco, playing Ginsberg reading "Howl" publicly, a reinactment of the "Howl" trial -- it was accused of being obscene and without literary merit, and animated representation of the poem, and dramatization of Ginsberg interviews.

Ginsberg was an open homosexual, and yes. "Howl" -- and many of his other poems were quite graphic in places. But perhaps the most interesting thing Ginsberg said was, "If a few people can be frank about homosexuality, then many people can be frank about other things."

And so lies the literary merit. Writing poetry, really writing poetry, is one of the bravest things you can do. Poetry exposes you, admits your vulnerability, even if only to yourself.

So tomorrow, I will finish the poem that I started writing in the memo area of my cell phone in the car on the way home. (No, I wasn't driving). And it will be posted here on my blog.

Technical Difficulties

So here I am at Panera, iced chai at my side, all logged in ready to do the final tweaks on my Autism and the Media article for Suite 101, and I get a server maintenence message. Ugh! I hate it when I'm ready for a site, and it's just not ready for me. I already wrote an article on smoothies this morning-- another Helium empty title that I couldn't pass up. It's smoothies. How many smoothies have I made in my life?

So my next plan is to go ahead and write my Temple Grandin movie review, which will either go on Gather, Associated Content or Helium. Probably A.C. -- I can't get a bonus for an entertainment article on Helium, and Gather I can really write anything. I'm going to do something soon on my jewelry making hobby soon, that will be for Gather.

Tonight, I'm going to see a film based Allen Ginsburg's Howl. Love these little writing field trips. Perhaps it will get me writing a little poetry again. There's an article title "How to Get Your Creativity Back After Writing Multiple Informational Articles."  Ah, perhaps eventually.

Hopefully, by the time I finish my movie review, Suite 101 will be functional again. I was starting to wonder if I shouldn't focus more on one site, rather than trying to diversy so much. Technical difficulties is one good argument for diversification -- as long as everything doesn't go down at once.

The Fish in France are Poison

Today I watched the movie Temple Grandin twice, the first time with commentary, the second time "straight up." Perhaps I should've done that in reverse, but oh well. In between the two showings I worked on an article about the media's influence on our perception of autism. I'm almost done with it. I should finish in the morning. At the moment, I'm exhausted. I'll also write a better review of the movie, but for now I'll just say that Temple Grandin was an autistic woman that hated French class. In French there's a lot of the use of the phrase "ils est" which she visualizes as "eel ate" -- overwhelmed, she asks, "Why are there so many fish in France?!"

 Of course even my limited French (I took 1 year in high school and a semester in college) tells me that "ils est" means "he is" in English, and "fish" is actually poisson -- which always reminded me of poison. Bread, of course, is "pain." If I play word games in my head, I wind up associating fish and loaves with poison and pain. Is there a secret meaning in this, like true generosity involves sacrafice?

But I digress. I'm sure the actual fish in France are just fine, and eating bread is far from painful. But still, I wonder at times why there is so much cross meaning in different languages on these seemingly so far from each other. Temple said she connected pictures in her mind. Can we do the same with words? Even words in different languages? It's worth exploring.

A Little Bit of Creative Can Go a Long Way

This morning it was a hard to make anything stick. My plan was to better organize all the research I did Monday and get a couple articles out. But I got sidetracked by my beads.

 I've been making jewelry lately, nothing fancy, just simple stuff. For years I've rarely worn jewelry because I'm allergic to cheap metal and I can't afford "good stuff." I had planned to take a break from writing for Helium, but then I got to wondering if there was an "empty title" (Helium gives bonuses for writing on a title no one has written on before) about jewelry making. Sure enough, there was a title about finding free beading patterns. So I wrote that, and made a couple necklaces, and started a draft on another article-- and perhaps most amazingly, I cleaned a whole bunch in my kitchen while watching Glee and NCIS at the same time -- and it didn't even feel like drudgery. Weird. But now I am tired, so sleep is next. Tomorrow will be good.

Life and Marshall Festival 2010

I can't believe it's been over a month since I updated this. I am bad bad bad. I have been writing, have over 30 articles on Helium now, waiting for bonus money to kick in. I also finished the giant blanket I was knitting for my daughter and started making jewelry. I'm wearing a braclet and necklace I made this morning. I got an email saying my blog was in the search engine, and I thought Jeesh! I should update that. So here I am.

The other cool news is that Marshall Festival is back this year. Marshall Festival is a rural writing festival held periodically on the Southwest Minnesota State University campus in Marshall, MN. It is not held every year, so you really have to keep your eyes and ears open, if not harness a bit of psycic ability. (Promotion for the event has been a bit lacking in recent years.) This year it runs October 28 -31st. Most, if not all events are free and open to the public and include readings (poetry, fiction, nonfiction), panel discussions, art shows, tributes, folk music concerts and more.

 Participants in past festivals hace included Robert Bly, Faith Sullivan, Meridel LeSuer, Howard Mohr, Ted Kooser, Greg Keillor, Linda Hasselstrom and much much more.

Here's the link to what's going on this year. Hope to see you there!

Marshall Festival 2010

Two New Articles and a New Book

Today I managed to write two new articles on Helium, and make a title for a third. The third one is a website review, and I started to get sleepy. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact there was a storm last night/this morning and I have been up since about 3:30 a.m.

But now I am up to 10 articles on that site, and I have three due on other sites on Sept 2nd. I also used my last bidding credit on elance, and signed up for oDesk. I had never heard of oDesk but I read an article about it on Helium. I still have to finish filling out my profile. It is supposed to work similar to elance, but with fewer limits and they take a larger commission. But there are no fees for writers, so it's worth exploring at least.

I would've done more, but I got to go to the bookstore! All these people are piping up about the State Fair, and as much as I enjoyed key lime pie on a stick a few years back I think I will like my new book much more. The book is called "The Child Thief" by Brom. (Yes, it's a writer with one name, like Sting or Madonna. Nonetheless, the book looks promising. )

I have often noted to those I know of my distain for Peter Pan -- that creepy boy from Neverland that picked on poor Wendy and then sat back and laughed with those bimbo mermaid girls. I never liked him, and now Brom has written a novel that exposes that herk for who he really is. I can't wait.

At any rate, I'm still sleepy and I want to at least get started on my book before I fall asleep.

TTFN!

Gretchen

Good Things

Today, I didn't get the applications out that I planned, but I did get articles posted on Gather, Helium, and Suite 101. I made my Suite 101 debut, an article on Free Arts organizations, which help victims of child abuse through art. There are so many important issues that we need to be in tune to and educate ourselves about. Suite 101 likes their writers to keep things objective, and not put a lot of themselves personally into articles, but by finding things that I care about I end up putting myself in there anyway.

Ha ha! Tricked ya, Suite 101. But seriously, this is nothing I can't handle-- I just need to approach these articles like mini research papers. The best length seems to be between 400-700 words, sure beats 20 page papers.

I also got in a plain old poem, called "Memory" and is posted on Gather. It's nice to stick in something that's just creative for it's own sake.

Tomorrow, the apps will have to take priority. But hopefully I'll be able to sneak in an article or two somewhere. I'll get used to this yet.

TTFN

Gretchen

The Balancing Act

Sometimes, I don't get enough done, simply because there is so much to do, and I don't know where to begin. Today, I focused on looking for a traditional job, applied to several jobs and found other postings to research and apply to over this next week. There's all that, and my commitment to freelancing, which I really want to do but if I could balance the traditional with the non-traditional that would be that much better.

So my goal is going to be 3 articles and 3 applications a day, at least 5 days a week. Sounds reasonable, right? Of course. I just have to find a reward system for myself so the rest of the massive to do list doesn't get in the way-- which of course is one more thing to put on the list.

And then there's the consideration of what to do first. Write the articles, or apply for the jobs? Or do I alternate? And I can't forget this blog, although no one is following it yet. That's another thing. I need to get a blogroll going.

I'm going to make this work, and tomorrow when I sit down to blog I will be able to report all the wonderful accomplishments I had, as there will more than likely be many. If I can just keep them straight.

TTFN

Gretchen

Website Overhaul- Nice & Simple

When I first set up my website a couple years ago, I had delusions of graduer. I wanted to combine it with this big review system, which I did not have the time and energy for. I ended up with all these extra pages, and it made updating my website quite a feat. I realized that just because I have the room to have a bunch of pages, doesn't mean I have to use it all. So now my website is my welcome/bio page with links to all the places I write or will be writing on a regulat basis, and a writers' resource page. I might add a writing sample page, but actually if you follow the links to places I write, you can find plenty of samples. Maybe I'll just feature a poem or short fiction piece once a week, just for fun. That could be doable.

I'm also almost done organizing my office bathroom. For the past few years I've been living in a two bedroom apartment with my two teens-- a boy and a girl. The kids each had their own room, and I slept in the livingroom. My son has the "Master" bedroom. I have now taken it over as I dedicate more time to writing. I have a couch in the middle of the room, with the bed and dresser behind me. The area behind the couch is the bedroom, in front of the couch is the office. The kids are welcome in the office, if they have work to do. But it's a work space. There's still minor tweaks, but I'm almost there.

Now it is after 7 pm, and I realize I haven't had dinner yet. How fast the day goes! Tuna pasta salad here I come. And I will do better making sure I get to this blog every day. I swear.

Making a Queue

It's been a crazy past few days. I had a birthday to celebrate, and I caught myself a doozie of a cold, and I'm no longer at my day job. I'd rather be writing, anyway-- but I do need to get paid. I have my ducks all in one room, but not exactly in a row, so that's what I need to do. Make myself a queue, and start working on it. Something simple that will keep me organized.

I was supposed to go on a college tour with my daughter today, but she cancelled on me. Someday, we will reschedule, but between the clouds, and my cold, and the "to do" list spinning around my head today might not be the best day after all.

Today, I want to make that queue thing, write 2 reviews, and two other articles. In the near future I want to revamp my website, make and promote Squidoo lenses, and coordinate all my other writing, balance the different levels of creativity involved. Not to mention updating my resume.

The mind whirls, but I'm excited.

ttfn

Gretchen

Glitches

Dear computer, oh why or why can't you just go to sleep when I tell you to?

Monday is my short day at my day job. I had my big old plan to get in a few hours of coffeeshop writing before meeting my sister. She's taking me birthday shopping. And here I am, all cozy with my coffee, and there is only 25% of my battery left on what was 100% when I left the house this morning. On 25% I have about 30 minutes, which means I am not going to be able to do more more than write and post this blog. Boo!

I still have my trusty copy of The Well Fed Writer in my backpack, so I suppose I will just read more of that once technology dies. I also have another paper notebook and pens-- and perhaps I can try and write the old fashioned way, but mostly, I don't want to give myself too much more work before I have my current workload more under control. The thing with writing longhand is you just have to go back and type it later anyhow. It is quite possible I could have a late night tonight.

So what do you do when life throws a glitch in your writing plans? How do you make your lemonade and keep it from getting too sour? I could try some poetry-- haven't done that in a while, and my process tends to be relatively low tech, so retyping won't be too big of an issue.

I could try writing emails on my phone -- my phone is charged, it's just browsing that's limited. I might be able to do a little research with the phone browser, write notes in longhand. Perhaps I can get an article out of the experience. Who knows?

So what do you do with glitches? You make them work, somehow. Because, really, what other choice do you have? And in the end you wind up a little wiser for the experience.

TTFN!

Gretchen

A Walk in the Park

I didn't get nearly enough writing done yesterday, and today I'm going to have a picnic at a park on the other side of town. It's over 2 miles to the train station, so between the walks there and back-- and in the park, I should at least be getting plenty of exercise today. I'll bring a book and a notebook along, though. Take some pictures. I deserve a little break, right? (If you call walking several miles and engaging in casual photojournalism a break.)

At any rate, I'm psyched. Even though this park is just on the other side of town, I haven't been there in decades. It's true I can't afford to travel to far away exotic places, but I do need to see more of the life in my general vicinity. It may be the back yard to me-- but to someone else it could be quite novel.

It is easy to get bored with our day to day lives, and start to think of ourselves as uninteresting. The only way around this is to go out and pursue our interests-- within our budgets, whatever that may be. Would I rather be touring Scottish castle today? Sure. But we work with what we have.

I am looking forward to today, the train ride, the walk, the weather (gorgeous in my neck of the woods, er, I mean park) And perhaps tonight I'll get more done -- if I'm not too tired.

TTFN!

Gretchen

So Much to Write; So Little Time!

Yes, it's Saturday-- but it doesn't make it less busy. Actually, there may be more to do. So far today a bid on a possible freelance assignment, applied to write at another website, and goofed off playing a game on Facebook. (Nobody's perfect). Anyway goofing off will have to wait- at least until this evening because there is too much to do.

My computer is all charged up and I'm getting ready for a session of coffee shop writing, followed by a workout. I need to edit an article already submitted, write a movie review I barely started, write three other articles due this week, and work on my "Authorscopes" literary blog.

Uff-da. I'd like to plug out something more creative too, but we'll have to see.

I realize it may sound like I'm complaining, but I'm really not-- I'm just thinking out loud so I can have an effective plan to keep working. Pockets of time come when they come-- and you can't write them off just because they are supposed to be "fun times." But, of course I will have to fit in some fun somewhere too. I plan on taking the trains to a big park tomorrow for a picnic, and yes there is a part of me that it trying to think of a way to write about it and make it profitable.

With the right mindset, you come to realize that words are everywhere. They are in what you know, and what you discover.

TTFN!

Gretchen

Spontaneous Shop Talk

This morning I was getting my Friday corporate bagel still carrying my copy of The Well Fed Writer, by Peter Bowerman that I'd been reading on the bus when someone from another department mentioned that she had the book as well. So we talked shop -- not company shop; writer's shop for a few minutes. I LOVE spontaneous writer shop talk. She mentioned the site where she writes online-- which I've heard of, but haven't written for. I am definitely going to check it out though.

Tonight, there is a happy hour with the department peeps -- which I will go to, but it will be a sober hour for me, because I have an article to finish tonight. There's also a few other things I want to get to this weekend-- including my Authorscopes blog on Herman Melville/Moby Dick.

I will have to make a point to meet more writers, because it really does energize me. And one of these days I should get to the Loft in Minneapolis. Maybe even tomorrow.

I can't forget this. I can't let myself get too busy to write. It's WAY too important to my well being, so I'm pledging today that I will write everyday-- even if it is just this blog, but hopefully it will be much more. But the grind calls me now, so, as Tigger would say....

TTFN! (Ta ta for now!)

Gretchen