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