by Patricia
The SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) is the author's boomerang -- pitch it in the mail, and it comes right back.
Over the years I have come to accept that, when I open the mailbox and find my name and address, written by my own hand, staring back at me, I have been rejected.
Usually, dejectedly, I will remove the envelope from the box, open it, and cringe as I read the cold, impersonal rejection slip. When I'm finished, I send it to live with the other rejection slips in my office and I try not to think about it. Discouragment, I have learned, doesn't offer much to encourage me into action.
A few months ago, however, I learned an important lesson about SASEs: never take the contents for granted.
I went to the mailbox, and groaned when I saw the 9X11 envelope inside. I brought it in the house and headed for the shredder. I knew which submission the envelope had been mailed with. There was no need to even open the envelope and read the rejection.
I started to tear the envelope in two, right down the center, before feeding it to my little friend, Jaws the Junk Mail Shredder. What would it matter? I thought. There was only a rejection slip inside. No need to even look at it.
Still ... curiosity got the best of me. At least I could add the rejection slip to the stack. At least, after all the effort put forth by the USPS to get my SASE back to me, I could open the envelope.
I opened the envelope, pulled out the letter, and began to read.
It was an acceptance letter.
The moral of the story: Count to ten before shredding your SASEs.
Showing posts with label Patricia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Patricia. Show all posts
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
A writer pleads guilty to avoidance behaviors
by Patricia
Confession is messy, unpleasant, and makes us squirm in our seats. But it's good for the soul -- or at least good for a blog post.
So here we go with a list of my most worn-out, over-used writing avoidance behaviors (not in any particular order):
- Testing spider solitaire to make sure it wasn't affected by those pesky hazardous programs my anti-spyware says I picked up while surfing the net.
- Checking Miss Snark's blog, because I don't want to miss out when she takes a hiatus from retirement.
- Downloading free trials of story-building software.
- Uninstalling the free trials after I realize I could write a novel in the time it takes to figure out how to use story-building software.
- Giving my cat a bath.
- Watching reruns of Law and Order.
- Returning to the kitchen for yet another handful of reduced fat Cheez-Its.
- Clicking the refresh button on my email inbox.
- Visiting QVC.com in case Today's Special Value is something I can't live without.
- Listing some of the avoidance behaviors I practice during those times I'm supposed to be writing.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Reading to Write
by Patricia
I made up my mind a few months ago to get serious about reading. Why?
Because if you want to write, you have to read.
It's not that I wasn't reading anything at all. I read the scriptures. I read the newspaper. (I also write for a newspaper, but that's another story.) I read my emails. I'm a regular blog reader. I read my work-in-progress (and usually get depressed by my lack of progress).
The problem? I wasn't reading in the genre I write.
I wasn't reading children's books.
Lin Oliver, the executive director of SCBWI, gave the keynote address at our regional conference in September. She shared several ways writers and illustrators could improve their work, and reading more children's books was high on her list of things to do.
I am much better at creating excuses than I am fine works of literature. Sadly, I had convinced myself I didn't have time to read because I had a book to revise, and my time was so limited that I needed to spend it producing work, rather than reading the work of others. The problem is, I want to read in the same way I want to write -- all at once, from start to finish.
I've just about convinced myself that desire is not practical as far as writing is concerned. Though I still wish for blocks of uninterrupted time, I regularly tell myself one page is better than nothing and at least brings me closer to the end. But when it comes to reading, I'd still prefer to pick up a book and not put it down until I've reached the last page.
After the conference, I decided to develop the reading habit, even if it was just a few pages a day. I was already reading the morning paper while using my exercise bike. I set a goal to use the last few minutes of my workout to read a book -- even if I only finished one chapter.
I'm pleased to say that since September, I've read six books -- and I understand why it's so important now to read in the genre I'm writing, especially since I spend my days stringing words journalism-style. I need to remember the pleasure of escaping to another world, as I have while reading Anna of Byzantium. I need to revel in the beauty and simplicity of a scene formed in free verse, as in Out of the Dust. I need to be reminded of the tough decisions children have to make as they form and sever friendships, like in the story True Friends. And I need to be reminded that in children's books anything is possible, as in Whittington.
Best of all, the more I read, the more I want to write, and the happier I am knowing I have chosen to spend my free time writing for children -- the best, most imaginative, and most inquisitive audience of all.
I made up my mind a few months ago to get serious about reading. Why?
Because if you want to write, you have to read.
It's not that I wasn't reading anything at all. I read the scriptures. I read the newspaper. (I also write for a newspaper, but that's another story.) I read my emails. I'm a regular blog reader. I read my work-in-progress (and usually get depressed by my lack of progress).
The problem? I wasn't reading in the genre I write.
I wasn't reading children's books.
Lin Oliver, the executive director of SCBWI, gave the keynote address at our regional conference in September. She shared several ways writers and illustrators could improve their work, and reading more children's books was high on her list of things to do.
I am much better at creating excuses than I am fine works of literature. Sadly, I had convinced myself I didn't have time to read because I had a book to revise, and my time was so limited that I needed to spend it producing work, rather than reading the work of others. The problem is, I want to read in the same way I want to write -- all at once, from start to finish.
I've just about convinced myself that desire is not practical as far as writing is concerned. Though I still wish for blocks of uninterrupted time, I regularly tell myself one page is better than nothing and at least brings me closer to the end. But when it comes to reading, I'd still prefer to pick up a book and not put it down until I've reached the last page.
After the conference, I decided to develop the reading habit, even if it was just a few pages a day. I was already reading the morning paper while using my exercise bike. I set a goal to use the last few minutes of my workout to read a book -- even if I only finished one chapter.
I'm pleased to say that since September, I've read six books -- and I understand why it's so important now to read in the genre I'm writing, especially since I spend my days stringing words journalism-style. I need to remember the pleasure of escaping to another world, as I have while reading Anna of Byzantium. I need to revel in the beauty and simplicity of a scene formed in free verse, as in Out of the Dust. I need to be reminded of the tough decisions children have to make as they form and sever friendships, like in the story True Friends. And I need to be reminded that in children's books anything is possible, as in Whittington.
Best of all, the more I read, the more I want to write, and the happier I am knowing I have chosen to spend my free time writing for children -- the best, most imaginative, and most inquisitive audience of all.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Ideas are like crystals
by Patricia
In The Right to Write, author Julia Cameron wrote that ideas are like crystals in the mind of an artist. Now, I'm not a chemist or a mathemetician so I can't give you all the details of how and why crystals form and the results that occur when they connect. Actually, I'm not sure if I can explain how and why ideas form and what happens when, like pieces of a puzzle, they begin to lock into place. All I know is that when I am writing a novel, scenes and snippets enter my mind, one after another. Getting them into a document in some form of logical order is sometimes a struggle. Occasionally, ideas surface, only to be discarded, trumped by ones that make more sense as part of the plot. One thing I have learned, though, is that the scenes that play over and over in my mind usually have some significant meaning and are meant to be included in the story.
One example of this occurred during the prewriting of the last book in the Kevin Kirk Chronicles series, The Final Farewell. (Prewriting includes all the time spent meditating on the story.) Two scenes played over and over in my mind and wouldn't go away. First, I kept seeing Kevin sitting on the bank of the Mississippi. Second, I saw Kevin at Fort Defiance, Ill., standing at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.
I'm no psychologist so I can't claim to understand why these visions returned, over and over, and how I could know internally, instinctively, without knowing logically, why they were important to the story. It was as if they were the pole, the magnetic north my story compass was meant to point to.
The moment in the writing process did come, however, when I realized why these events were important.
I am, for lack of a more sophisticated term, a symbolic thinker. I'm sure that's why I am fascinated by parables in the scriptures and literary allusions. These two moments at the river are symbolic for Kevin. At the confluence, as he observes the two awesome, powerful rivers merging to make a whole, he realizes there are forces larger and more powerful in his life than he has been able to comprehend. On the riverbank, for the first time in his life he is keenly aware of the concept that, like a river, "time stops for no man." You either sink, swim, or sit on the bank and live the rest of your life afraid to ever make a move.
As I look back on the process of creating the story, I understand why these scenes are relevant to the decision Kevin must ultimately make in the story, how they are almost like tools that unlock a compartment of knowlege inside himself, helping him understand his own weakness and to have confidence in his faith. But at the time I was in the creative process, the scenes were snippets of time that, at the time, didn't appear to connect to the story at all.
The point of my rambling is this: Don't discount those recurring scenes, those odd bits of vision that keep popping up in your mind. Don't dismiss the snippets of action you daydream or visit over and over in your sleep.
Your brain may be trying to tell you something.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Ten More Ways to Know You're a Writer
by Patricia Wiles
(Lori's post is so true for us! I couldn't resist sharing a few of my own quirks.)
10. You dream in stories, and when you wake up (even if it's the middle of the night) you grab something -- anything -- to write the dream down, because if you don't you'll forget it.
9. You have rituals you must perform or objects you must have on your desk in order to write. (I have my "Remember Who You Are" token from Terrie hanging on my desk at work, and I start my day with a soda and a bag of pretzels.)
8. Your friends are either imaginary (because they're in your mind) or invisible (because they're on the internet).
7. You may not recall the terminology used to describe proper grammar when writing, but find you know as if by instinct when something "sounds" right -- or when it doesn't.
6. You become so focused when working on a project you forget to do important things like eat lunch, feed the cat, blow out the candles you lit for ambiance, remove the laundry that's in the dryer ...
5. When you get a rejection letter, you cry. You swear never to send your story out again. You decide to pack up all your writing books. Then, a couple of days later, you realize if you just tweaked a couple of elements in your submission ... and before you know it, you're stamping another SASE.
4. You spoil movies and TV for your non-writer friends. When a character gets a book published and it goes on the market right away, you laugh and say, "That's so fake. That's not the way it is AT ALL." Then you proceed to tell them all about the submission and rejection process. Like they even care.
3. You realize a good book is the result of a good relationship between the author and the editor.
2. You get excited when a new office supply store opens in town.
And, the number one way (at least for me)...
1. You clean out your closet and find you still have copies of The Writer you bought in 1996, and you realize that after all these years, you still haven't given up hope -- and you're still writing.
(Lori's post is so true for us! I couldn't resist sharing a few of my own quirks.)
10. You dream in stories, and when you wake up (even if it's the middle of the night) you grab something -- anything -- to write the dream down, because if you don't you'll forget it.
9. You have rituals you must perform or objects you must have on your desk in order to write. (I have my "Remember Who You Are" token from Terrie hanging on my desk at work, and I start my day with a soda and a bag of pretzels.)
8. Your friends are either imaginary (because they're in your mind) or invisible (because they're on the internet).
7. You may not recall the terminology used to describe proper grammar when writing, but find you know as if by instinct when something "sounds" right -- or when it doesn't.
6. You become so focused when working on a project you forget to do important things like eat lunch, feed the cat, blow out the candles you lit for ambiance, remove the laundry that's in the dryer ...
5. When you get a rejection letter, you cry. You swear never to send your story out again. You decide to pack up all your writing books. Then, a couple of days later, you realize if you just tweaked a couple of elements in your submission ... and before you know it, you're stamping another SASE.
4. You spoil movies and TV for your non-writer friends. When a character gets a book published and it goes on the market right away, you laugh and say, "That's so fake. That's not the way it is AT ALL." Then you proceed to tell them all about the submission and rejection process. Like they even care.
3. You realize a good book is the result of a good relationship between the author and the editor.
2. You get excited when a new office supply store opens in town.
And, the number one way (at least for me)...
1. You clean out your closet and find you still have copies of The Writer you bought in 1996, and you realize that after all these years, you still haven't given up hope -- and you're still writing.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Are you lookin' for a fight?
If you're a writer, you'd better be looking for a fight.
Why?
Because every good story needs conflict.
If you want your reader to care about what happens in your story, the reader needs a reason to care. Conflict forces your character to choose sides. Conflict makes your reader think about what side she would choose if she were that character. It gets her involved in the story and makes her want to turn the page to find out how the character is going to handle the problem.
Life is all about conflict. If your story doesn't have meaningful conflict, it's not going to be relevant.
Don't shy away from conflict. There are conflicts in friendships, conflicts in families, conflicts in communities. It may be hard for us to write about conflict when we have been taught all our lives to be peacemakers. But if we don't allow conflict to occur in our stories, we're essentially removing our character's agency, allowing them to exist in a world where we save them from unpleasant outcomes. (Does this sound familiar?)
I've had many opportunities as a newspaper staff writer to observe conflicts from different points of view. It might be helpful to you to attend city or county government meetings or court sessions just to listen, observe, and take notes. When parties disagree or there is a problem to resolve, how do the parties involved handle it? How visible are their emotions? Did the outcomes meet their expectations?
Some conflicts have a polarizing effect. Take the meeting I attended today, for example -- a discussion about whether or not a board of health has the authority to enact a community smoking ban.
County government leaders say the board of health should not enact the ban, believing it's a job for elected officials. However, the elected officials don't talk as if they want a ban; squeaky wheels in the community say it's just another example of government trying to strip away the rights of the people.
On the other hand, you have the board of health. The members are convinced second-hand smoke is bad for the community, and can back that up with scientific evidence. They've been reluctant to act, or maybe just taking their time, exploring all avenues before making a decision.
This brings us to the critical point. At today's meeting, a state health official told the board that according to a legal opinion, health boards do have legal authority to enact a smoking ban.
Naturally, county government wants the board of health to back off, to say they're not going to enact a ban but allow the magistrates to decide.
The board of health can be pretty certain if the ball is put back in the fiscal court, the court won't pass the ban, considering there are some very vocal magistrates listening to a few very vocal constituents.
But, really now, why should the board do this? They're convinced of the dangers of second-hand smoke; 14 counties in the state have already gone smoke-free; and, in one of the most recent situations, the ban was enacted by that county's board of health, has not been contested in court -- and that county's ban, according to the legal opinion, is lawful and valid.
In that room today, there was no middle ground. People spoke either for or against the ban. But I'll be honest -- I'm eager to find out what happens next. Will the board decide to enact a ban or not? Will they cave in to the elected officials or will they do what they know is best for the community?
Someday -- I hope sooner than later -- our newspaper readers will be turning the page to find out.
Put your characters in a meaningful, relevant conflict, and readers will be turning the pages of your book -- not so they can skim to the end, but so they can savor your story, eager to learn the outcome.
Why?
Because every good story needs conflict.
If you want your reader to care about what happens in your story, the reader needs a reason to care. Conflict forces your character to choose sides. Conflict makes your reader think about what side she would choose if she were that character. It gets her involved in the story and makes her want to turn the page to find out how the character is going to handle the problem.
Life is all about conflict. If your story doesn't have meaningful conflict, it's not going to be relevant.
Don't shy away from conflict. There are conflicts in friendships, conflicts in families, conflicts in communities. It may be hard for us to write about conflict when we have been taught all our lives to be peacemakers. But if we don't allow conflict to occur in our stories, we're essentially removing our character's agency, allowing them to exist in a world where we save them from unpleasant outcomes. (Does this sound familiar?)
I've had many opportunities as a newspaper staff writer to observe conflicts from different points of view. It might be helpful to you to attend city or county government meetings or court sessions just to listen, observe, and take notes. When parties disagree or there is a problem to resolve, how do the parties involved handle it? How visible are their emotions? Did the outcomes meet their expectations?
Some conflicts have a polarizing effect. Take the meeting I attended today, for example -- a discussion about whether or not a board of health has the authority to enact a community smoking ban.
County government leaders say the board of health should not enact the ban, believing it's a job for elected officials. However, the elected officials don't talk as if they want a ban; squeaky wheels in the community say it's just another example of government trying to strip away the rights of the people.
On the other hand, you have the board of health. The members are convinced second-hand smoke is bad for the community, and can back that up with scientific evidence. They've been reluctant to act, or maybe just taking their time, exploring all avenues before making a decision.
This brings us to the critical point. At today's meeting, a state health official told the board that according to a legal opinion, health boards do have legal authority to enact a smoking ban.
Naturally, county government wants the board of health to back off, to say they're not going to enact a ban but allow the magistrates to decide.
The board of health can be pretty certain if the ball is put back in the fiscal court, the court won't pass the ban, considering there are some very vocal magistrates listening to a few very vocal constituents.
But, really now, why should the board do this? They're convinced of the dangers of second-hand smoke; 14 counties in the state have already gone smoke-free; and, in one of the most recent situations, the ban was enacted by that county's board of health, has not been contested in court -- and that county's ban, according to the legal opinion, is lawful and valid.
In that room today, there was no middle ground. People spoke either for or against the ban. But I'll be honest -- I'm eager to find out what happens next. Will the board decide to enact a ban or not? Will they cave in to the elected officials or will they do what they know is best for the community?
Someday -- I hope sooner than later -- our newspaper readers will be turning the page to find out.
Put your characters in a meaningful, relevant conflict, and readers will be turning the pages of your book -- not so they can skim to the end, but so they can savor your story, eager to learn the outcome.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Tips to avoid scams
By Patricia Wiles
There was a post on the latterdayauthors forum recently about identifying poetry scams, so I thought this topic of literary scammers deserved a bit more attention. There are lots of unscrupulous scammers out there who make a pretty good living by emptying the wallets of newbie writers.
We often talk about the business of writing, and writing is a business -- it's a lot more than pouring your creative soul out onto the page. And as with any other business, you will find those whose practices are less than ethical. It behooves new writers to take as much time learning and understanding how the business operates as they do learning how to craft a good story.
Here are a few tips and links I hope you'll find helpful.
1. Poetry and self-publishing scams: http://windpub.com/literary.scams/
There are legitimate poetry journals, then there are scam anthologies. A legitimate journal will not expect you to purchase a copy of their "anthology" if your poem is accepted for publication. A legitimate journal will, at the very least, pay you in copies. This link will take you to other links that expose some of these anthology-producing publishers for what they are: scammers. Also included are links explaining why some self-publishing outfits are less than trustworthy.
2. Legitimate agents and editors do not charge reading fees. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/;
http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/; http://www.sfwa.org/beware/
When you begin subbing your work to editors or agents, it pays to spend some time online at these sites. I've heard stories of "agents" emailing a writer, saying they'd read her work online and wanted to discuss representation. In most cases you will not get an unsolicited email from an agent or an editor. It may have happened in a rare instance or two, but most have too many submissions to spend time searching the web for new clients.
Before you submit to an agent, check Publisher's Marketplace to see what they've sold. Check AgentQuery.com or the AAR website to see if they're listed. Not all legitimate agents belong to AAR, but it's still worth a look.
Agents do NOT charge reading fees. They charge a commission after they sell your work, and most will expect reimbursement for office expenses, i.e. copies. Again, a good way to learn how real agents operate is to visit the blog of a real agent. One I especially like is Pub Rants.
It is common for agents and editors to attend legitimate writer's conferences and accept an honorarium for speaking as well as payment for one-on-one sessions with writers. These private sessions are educational tools to help writers know how to improve their manuscripts. Sometimes an agent or editor may request to see more of the writer's work because of this session. However, there is never any promise of representation or acceptance implied in these activities. They are critiques, not American Idol tryouts.
Real editors and agents will not read your submission, then suggest a friend who's a good freelance editor who can help you whip your work into shape. They can suggest you find one on your own, but they won't point you to one specifically.
3. When it comes to networking, take advantage of writers groups.
I am a believer when it comes to writers organizations. I am a member of SCBWI (The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) and over the years I have found it to be worth the cost of membership many times over. I have had more opportunities through SCBWI to network, meet real editors and agents, and learn more about the business of children's writing than I could have ever done on my own. If you have at least one published book under your belt (with an advance by a royalty-paying publisher) you can join the Author's Guild. There are also organizations for science-fiction/fantasy writers, romance writers, mystery writers and etc.
But if you're not at the point where you're ready to join an organization, there are many online resources you can turn to, such as those listed above. And of course, you can visit our latterdayauthors forum (the link is on the right) and ask there.
The process of writing, for all the creativity it entails, also requires a practical approach. Be sure you're prepared to deal with both. As the editor I work for at the newspaper says, "If your mother says she loves you, check it out before you believe it."
There was a post on the latterdayauthors forum recently about identifying poetry scams, so I thought this topic of literary scammers deserved a bit more attention. There are lots of unscrupulous scammers out there who make a pretty good living by emptying the wallets of newbie writers.
We often talk about the business of writing, and writing is a business -- it's a lot more than pouring your creative soul out onto the page. And as with any other business, you will find those whose practices are less than ethical. It behooves new writers to take as much time learning and understanding how the business operates as they do learning how to craft a good story.
Here are a few tips and links I hope you'll find helpful.
1. Poetry and self-publishing scams: http://windpub.com/literary.scams/
There are legitimate poetry journals, then there are scam anthologies. A legitimate journal will not expect you to purchase a copy of their "anthology" if your poem is accepted for publication. A legitimate journal will, at the very least, pay you in copies. This link will take you to other links that expose some of these anthology-producing publishers for what they are: scammers. Also included are links explaining why some self-publishing outfits are less than trustworthy.
2. Legitimate agents and editors do not charge reading fees. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/;
http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/; http://www.sfwa.org/beware/
When you begin subbing your work to editors or agents, it pays to spend some time online at these sites. I've heard stories of "agents" emailing a writer, saying they'd read her work online and wanted to discuss representation. In most cases you will not get an unsolicited email from an agent or an editor. It may have happened in a rare instance or two, but most have too many submissions to spend time searching the web for new clients.
Before you submit to an agent, check Publisher's Marketplace to see what they've sold. Check AgentQuery.com or the AAR website to see if they're listed. Not all legitimate agents belong to AAR, but it's still worth a look.
Agents do NOT charge reading fees. They charge a commission after they sell your work, and most will expect reimbursement for office expenses, i.e. copies. Again, a good way to learn how real agents operate is to visit the blog of a real agent. One I especially like is Pub Rants.
It is common for agents and editors to attend legitimate writer's conferences and accept an honorarium for speaking as well as payment for one-on-one sessions with writers. These private sessions are educational tools to help writers know how to improve their manuscripts. Sometimes an agent or editor may request to see more of the writer's work because of this session. However, there is never any promise of representation or acceptance implied in these activities. They are critiques, not American Idol tryouts.
Real editors and agents will not read your submission, then suggest a friend who's a good freelance editor who can help you whip your work into shape. They can suggest you find one on your own, but they won't point you to one specifically.
3. When it comes to networking, take advantage of writers groups.
I am a believer when it comes to writers organizations. I am a member of SCBWI (The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) and over the years I have found it to be worth the cost of membership many times over. I have had more opportunities through SCBWI to network, meet real editors and agents, and learn more about the business of children's writing than I could have ever done on my own. If you have at least one published book under your belt (with an advance by a royalty-paying publisher) you can join the Author's Guild. There are also organizations for science-fiction/fantasy writers, romance writers, mystery writers and etc.
But if you're not at the point where you're ready to join an organization, there are many online resources you can turn to, such as those listed above. And of course, you can visit our latterdayauthors forum (the link is on the right) and ask there.
The process of writing, for all the creativity it entails, also requires a practical approach. Be sure you're prepared to deal with both. As the editor I work for at the newspaper says, "If your mother says she loves you, check it out before you believe it."
Monday, August 27, 2007
Confessions of a frustrated blog mechanic
There was a time years ago when our lack of money forced my husband to be an amateur auto mechanic. I can recall those unpleasant afternoons he spent under the hood or beneath the axles of the family junker, not to mention the side-of-the-road breakdowns that required assistance from the extended family to get the sick car home.
Once, a friend came over to help him work on the car. After a couple of hours, his friend leaned back against the shade tree.
"I've exhausted all my knowledge," he said.
It was the ultimate declaration of defeat for the two shade-tree mechanics.
So what does this have to do with blogging?
I've had people tell me they're amazed I know how to build a website. Not amazing at all, I say. I don't build those nice sophisticated ones like real programmers do. I have a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) program. Big deal. Maybe they don't look as great as the professional sites, but much like my husband used to work on the cars, I do it myself 'cause I don't have the money to pay a professional.
I know just enough about HTML and coding to get myself in trouble. It's like insisting you can compete in the high dive at the Olympics when you have a fear of heights and the only thing you know how to do in the deep end of the pool is doggie paddle.
Being the kind of person who loves a challenge and relishes the agony associated with defeat, I've been determined to re-do my personal website and start a blog. Me, the same person who is guilty of knocking latterdayauthors off line for about two weeks because I altered some teeny-tiny thing by accident.
My husband told me recently that I am stubborn. I asked him if that was a bad thing.
"Well ... no," he said. But something in his voice made me wonder.
Here's my issue. I can blog anywhere, but I want to blog on a program that I can load onto my web server. I want the blog to be at my domain, with no dangling file name appendages. There is a certain program I want to use, and I want the program to do what I want it to do.
After several loadings, glitches, deletions, and other various and sundry aggravations that have prevented my blog from working right, I found myself in a state of self-mutilating frustration.
In a fit of bloody cyber-rage, I deleted my entire website. On purpose.
Now if you go to my website, there's a cute little construction sign and a message that says my site is coming soon.
I remember the early days of latterdayauthors. I worked for weeks at the computer, spending hours per day trying to teach myself how to build a website. I was able to construct a crude one using Microsoft Publisher. (horrors!) But I got it done. And when I got a better program, I built a better mousetrap.
It was hard, but I learned from my mistakes.
My time is much more limited now, but I have decided that no matter how hard or frustrating this is, I am going to accomplish my goal. I am going to learn how to use this stinkin' blog program. And if, when I finally get it right, the only hair I have left is the hair around my ankles, so be it.
I am not a quitter.
Once, a friend came over to help him work on the car. After a couple of hours, his friend leaned back against the shade tree.
"I've exhausted all my knowledge," he said.
It was the ultimate declaration of defeat for the two shade-tree mechanics.
So what does this have to do with blogging?
I've had people tell me they're amazed I know how to build a website. Not amazing at all, I say. I don't build those nice sophisticated ones like real programmers do. I have a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) program. Big deal. Maybe they don't look as great as the professional sites, but much like my husband used to work on the cars, I do it myself 'cause I don't have the money to pay a professional.
I know just enough about HTML and coding to get myself in trouble. It's like insisting you can compete in the high dive at the Olympics when you have a fear of heights and the only thing you know how to do in the deep end of the pool is doggie paddle.
Being the kind of person who loves a challenge and relishes the agony associated with defeat, I've been determined to re-do my personal website and start a blog. Me, the same person who is guilty of knocking latterdayauthors off line for about two weeks because I altered some teeny-tiny thing by accident.
My husband told me recently that I am stubborn. I asked him if that was a bad thing.
"Well ... no," he said. But something in his voice made me wonder.
Here's my issue. I can blog anywhere, but I want to blog on a program that I can load onto my web server. I want the blog to be at my domain, with no dangling file name appendages. There is a certain program I want to use, and I want the program to do what I want it to do.
After several loadings, glitches, deletions, and other various and sundry aggravations that have prevented my blog from working right, I found myself in a state of self-mutilating frustration.
In a fit of bloody cyber-rage, I deleted my entire website. On purpose.
Now if you go to my website, there's a cute little construction sign and a message that says my site is coming soon.
I remember the early days of latterdayauthors. I worked for weeks at the computer, spending hours per day trying to teach myself how to build a website. I was able to construct a crude one using Microsoft Publisher. (horrors!) But I got it done. And when I got a better program, I built a better mousetrap.
It was hard, but I learned from my mistakes.My time is much more limited now, but I have decided that no matter how hard or frustrating this is, I am going to accomplish my goal. I am going to learn how to use this stinkin' blog program. And if, when I finally get it right, the only hair I have left is the hair around my ankles, so be it.
I am not a quitter.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Welcome to our blog!
Hello everyone!
For a few years now, many of you have been frequent visitors to our website, latterdayauthors.com, and our writers forum. I think I can safely speak on behalf of the other latterdayauthors when I say thank you for being a part of our supportive writing community.
Today is a new day for latterdayauthors.com. We have said farewell to the old ezine format and have embarked upon one more timely and exciting -- the blog!
Starting Monday, August 20, 2007, we hope you will check back frequently to read our posts.
Now, if you will allow me an indulgence ...
I became acquainted with the other nine writers in the list to your right in 2003. We met online and our friendship (though virtual) has somehow persisted despite the fact that we all live in different geographic areas.
I am grateful to know David Woolley, Bill Gardner, Kelly Martinez, Terrie Bittner, C. S. Bezas, Lori Nawyn, Janie Van Komen, Janet Jensen and Kenya Transtrum. I am a better writer and person for knowing them. I have been especially blessed to meet some of them in person, and I will always treasure those memories.
Thanks, friends! I'll see you on the blog!
Patricia
For a few years now, many of you have been frequent visitors to our website, latterdayauthors.com, and our writers forum. I think I can safely speak on behalf of the other latterdayauthors when I say thank you for being a part of our supportive writing community.
Today is a new day for latterdayauthors.com. We have said farewell to the old ezine format and have embarked upon one more timely and exciting -- the blog!
Starting Monday, August 20, 2007, we hope you will check back frequently to read our posts.
Now, if you will allow me an indulgence ...
I became acquainted with the other nine writers in the list to your right in 2003. We met online and our friendship (though virtual) has somehow persisted despite the fact that we all live in different geographic areas.
I am grateful to know David Woolley, Bill Gardner, Kelly Martinez, Terrie Bittner, C. S. Bezas, Lori Nawyn, Janie Van Komen, Janet Jensen and Kenya Transtrum. I am a better writer and person for knowing them. I have been especially blessed to meet some of them in person, and I will always treasure those memories.
Thanks, friends! I'll see you on the blog!
Patricia
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