tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90395548726309519292024-02-19T08:21:32.047-08:00Nitty Gritty of WritingAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-60757009666014030522011-09-08T12:47:00.000-07:002011-09-08T12:47:44.769-07:00More September Writing Contests<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJ_NrVBUZNWPsoGeyPYj5gkmk7DcFCNAte0-DDvIgVOM7gnXuNCfx0WyW3O2K29ypN_ANFlEEFto9eoGedeQ8Xl5yUaZD-L8RSCMh-UUVqgXiHftlTWkCjiJhSYwrG2pcazgYP_wmFUc/s1600/paint+dry+cartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJ_NrVBUZNWPsoGeyPYj5gkmk7DcFCNAte0-DDvIgVOM7gnXuNCfx0WyW3O2K29ypN_ANFlEEFto9eoGedeQ8Xl5yUaZD-L8RSCMh-UUVqgXiHftlTWkCjiJhSYwrG2pcazgYP_wmFUc/s320/paint+dry+cartoon.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/w/watching_paint_dry.asp">Picture Source</a></span></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Short Story based on the prompt: Watching Paint Dry</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/competition/enter-paint-drying-short-story-competition.html">The Next Big Writer</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Prize = $150.00 plus publication</div><div style="text-align: center;">Deadline = September 29, 2011</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-85836070540201326522011-08-25T15:21:00.000-07:002011-08-25T15:21:44.382-07:00Five Tips to a Successful Blog<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Following is a summary of an article from <a href="http://www.dailyblogtips.com/">Daily Blog Tips</a>. I thought the five “mistakes” presented in the article are worth reposting because, although we may<i> know</i> them, we no doubt make them over and over. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">So here’s a reminder. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">I’ve summarized them below as <b>tips (to do)</b> rather than <i>mistakes</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdyZG1pjn-hMKAXIjXmyZN5vqnpsCR9aTlIhK_vv41zNe5T1AGAxjzeeRbz4-BnIhPOWxe6BlptBdI-YeToDQA-PmEasLeuHYXvO1WgmocMpRPs-0I1HnxxW2ZPaGyB8JGKpQaimg9KY/s1600/blog+cartoon.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdyZG1pjn-hMKAXIjXmyZN5vqnpsCR9aTlIhK_vv41zNe5T1AGAxjzeeRbz4-BnIhPOWxe6BlptBdI-YeToDQA-PmEasLeuHYXvO1WgmocMpRPs-0I1HnxxW2ZPaGyB8JGKpQaimg9KY/s320/blog+cartoon.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://andrewchenblog.com/2011/05/22/2011-blogging-roadmap-zero-to-productmarket-fit/">Picture Source</a></span></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"></div><ol><li style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"> Make Sure Your Posts have a POINT</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"> Post Regularly and Consistently</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Proofread! Proofread! Proofread!</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Format With Diversity – use different size fonts, headings, white space, and pictures</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> . </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Promote Your Blog – Facebook, Twitter, email, talking with friends and family, business card, etc.</span></li>
</ol><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Click here to see the<a href="http://www.dailyblogtips.com/are-you-making-these-five-common-blogging-mistakes/"> original post</a> on Daily Blog Tips<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-28227934415357509792011-08-22T17:53:00.000-07:002011-08-22T17:53:28.354-07:00September Writing Contests<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">September Writing Contests</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I found a couple of fun contests that I hope will inspire you to write and submit this month:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">A 100 word story contest and a Humor contest.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1892755642"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">100 Word</span></a></b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://www.100wordsorfewerwritingcontest.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Story</span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Doesn’t that sound like a fun challenge? Actually, it reminds me of the kind of prompts we might do in our journaling group. The website has a great tips list to prompt you even more. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">So here’s my suggestion – get with some writing friends for an afternoon of writing to the prompt together and send in the results! Runner up prizes are $50, $100, and $150; the winner gets $500!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://www.humorpress.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Humor</span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Humor contest is accepting submissions now through September 30, 2011. Winners, finalists, semi-finalists and even honorable mentions will all be published in <a href="http://www.humorpress.com/Results/HumorShowcase-Index.htm">Humor Showcase</a>, an online publication and the winner will receive $250.00! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Reading some of the stories in <a href="http://www.humorpress.com/Results/HumorShowcase-Index.htm">Humor Showcase</a> had me laughing out loud and triggered some of my own stories. I hope you will be inspired to submit your funny stories to this contest!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-80678257737192149542011-08-15T16:44:00.000-07:002011-08-15T16:44:26.656-07:00Two More August Writing Contests<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Note to my readers: In order to keep up with my blogging schedule as I return now to the classroom, I'm going to be posting only on Mondays. There may periodically be additional posts, but at least you can count on me for Mondays. Thank you!</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here are a couple of more writing contests for August that I thought sounded promising:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Screenwriting</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Writer’s Digest is offering a 12-week mentoring program for runners up of this prestigious contest: The <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/writing-competitions">Industry Insider</a> Screenwriting Contest.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Page limit: 15 pages<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Deadline: August 31, 2011</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Fiction </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://fictioninternational.submishmash.com/submit">Fiction International</a> is rewarding the winner of this contest with $1,000.00 Prize!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Word limit: 2000<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Theme: Blackness<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Deadline: August 31, 2011</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div style="border-bottom: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Think Ahead! Here’s one for September!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Fiction <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://fictioncontest@goodhousekeeping.com./">Good Housekeeping</a> is giving a $3,000.00 cash award to the grand prize winner!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Universal Theme: Women – any aspect of women’s lives today. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Deadline: September 1, 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3f2823; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-82274409725284322412011-08-08T18:46:00.000-07:002011-08-08T18:46:23.017-07:00What’s the Purpose of Your Blog?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Let’s be clear about it – there is nothing wrong with writing a blog simply because you just like to write and you think it’s kind of fun to put some of your work out there on the World Wide Web.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But if you want people to be interested, i.e., care about what you are doing and actually read your blog, then you really need to take a close look at your purpose. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">You need to identify your purpose and then you need to write in order to meet that purpose in every post. In other words, you need to connect with your audience (you may want to read or re-read my last post: Who is Your Audience?). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’ll admit, I resist this because it all seems a little too structured<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">; doesn’t this threaten my free-spirit style and my response to inspiration?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Yes and no. I’ve discovered that inspiration still grabs me even when I tailor my content to specific keywords and keep my audience in the forefront of my mind. And that “free-spirit” thing? Well, it just the way I am so really, it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can’t</i> be threatened!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">OK. Back to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">purpose</b>. You want to express yourself? OK – why? Answer that “why” question and consider how expressing yourself and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">doing it publically</b> are connected and you’ll have your purpose. Keep in mind that the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">doing it publically</b> part is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">audience factor</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">You want to improve your writing skills and develop better self-discipline? OK – again, consider how <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">doing it publically</b> helps you reach your goal. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Yes, posting regularly is a great way to develop your writing discipline and it’s true that the more you write, the better you get. But I’ll be honest with you – posting regularly on a blog that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no one reads</i> gets real old real fast. It also serves to chip away at your self-esteem. Do you really want to do that to yourself?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">OK. So we are back to purpose and square one. Beyond these personal goals for blogging, you absolutely need to consider how expressing yourself and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">doing it publically</b> are connected and you’ll have your purpose. Keep in mind that the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">doing it publically</b> part is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">audience factor</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Blog readers read because they want to get something for themselves. Whether it is inspiration, motivation, or entertainment, it all boils down to information in some form or another. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There you have it: TO INFORM is ultimately the purpose of your blog. Whether you are ready to confront this or not, I’m telling you that information is the foundation of any blog that has readers. Read a few of your favorites – go searching to explore some new blogs – no matter what their style is or their content, you will find that there is some form of INFORMATION there. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Challenge: Consider your writing style and the general content of the bulk of your work; consider your personal goals for writing a blog. Then brainstorm for ideas of “take-aways” for your reader. Finally, make a list of pieces of information you can offer that coincide with your style, content, and personal goals. And keep in mind that the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">doing it publically</b> part is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">audience factor</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Your list will become prompts for you as you progress forward with your blog. And the result? Well, you will gain more readers!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Resources</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/purpose/">Writing Guide: Purpose</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><a href="http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/purpose.htm">Writing with a Sense of Purpose</a><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.woodland.k12.mo.us/faculty/rgarner/Reading/Authors%20puropse.htm">Can You Determine the Author’s Purpose For Writing?</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-87486414301225604022011-08-02T16:01:00.000-07:002011-08-02T16:01:52.235-07:00Who Is Your Audience?<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Who Is Your Audience?</i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing your audience! While this may seem like a banal statement, let me assure you that it is not; most of us do not have a clear picture of our intended audience. (You may argue that you don’t need one, but I’ll address that in another post.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Let’s first look at the question, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Who are you?</i> This is important because the chances that YOU are similar to your audience are extremely high. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Describe yourself as you would be described in a demographic report. Sounds impersonal, I know, but do it anyway: <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">1) gender; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">2) age range (12-19? 20-something? 25-40? 35-50?); <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">3) income bracket; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">4) level of education; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">5) professional field; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">6) interests and concerns (i.e., politically active? Community-minded? Religious/spiritual? Concerned about global issues? Concerned about environmental issues? And so on…). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Place yourself in the first five categories and then choose one topic from your fifth category that best describes what consumes the bulk of your time, energy, money, and thoughts. Do this because it will help you get an objective perspective of yourself as all the companies and organizations that flood your email and physical mail box with unsolicited information see you. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Why is this important? Keep reading:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As a writer, you want people to read your work who are beyond your immediate circle of family, friends, and acquaintances. In other words, if you want to be published, you are ultimately seeking <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">strangers</i> to read your work. So who are these potential readers? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you are like me, you may not want to limit who might read (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and like</i>) your writing; I want to cast a great big net out there and just see what I get. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Seriously?? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I thought this was fine for a very long time. Then I actually heard myself say it recently and finally realized how <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">undirected</i> this is! Am I really willing to just write to the breeze and see what happens? Apparently I am because that is exactly what I’ve been doing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But that’s not what I do for my clients. My clients give me a demographic report of their target audience and I write specific tailored to that group of people. And guess what? My clients are getting far better results from my writing than I am. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To be precise, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">my clients are getting money from my writing</b>. I am not. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The writing I do for myself gets lost in cyber space. I truly believe it just vanishes. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What happens to your writing? Has it moved you to where you want to be as a writer? Or does it sit in a notebook or on a barely-read blog?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I invite you to look at the question of audience with me for at least a couple of months. After describing yourself as a member of a demographic group on someone’s report, write up the description of your audience. Then write to that audience for a while. Be committed to it because that’s the only way this experiment will give you an accurate result. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m going to do that with this blog and my other blog, Forever My Momma. Then in a couple of months, I’ll report back here with the results. I hope you will report back, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Links </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/audmod/com2g3.cfm">Determining Your Audience Type</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_2172541_identify-reading-audience.html">How to Identify a Reading Audience</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.keywordsblogger.com/find-your-audience-how-to-identify-a-niche-audience-to-serve/">Find Your Audience: How to Identify a Niche Audience to Serve</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-61042388328742514542011-07-28T08:49:00.000-07:002011-07-28T08:49:53.786-07:00August 2011 writing contests<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Five FREE Writing Contests!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dear Readers, <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I found some contests you can enter for FREE! Prizes range from $100.00 to $5,000.00! Deadlines and prize monies are listed below. Click on the links to get more information.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Good Luck!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><a href="http://www.justacontest.com/writing-contest-0000001302.htm">Kalkion Science Fiction Short Story Contest</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Deadline: now through August 25</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Entry Fee: FREE<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prize: $140.00<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.justacontest.com/writing-contest-0000001307.htm">Ourskirts Press Memoir Contest</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Deadline: August 16</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Entry Fee: FREE<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prize: $500.00<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.justacontest.com/writing-contest-0000001278.htm">Linda Flowers Literary Award</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Deadline: August 15</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Entry Fee: FREE<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prize: $500.00 and a Residency in North Carolina<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.justacontest.com/writing-contest-0000001303.htm">My Real Life Story Essay Contest</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Deadline: August 15</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Entry Fee: FREE<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prize: $5,000.00<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.justacontest.com/writing-contest-0000001284.htm">Past Loves Contest</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Deadline: August 16</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Entry Fee: FREE<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prize: $100.00<o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-59179816365702434742011-07-21T06:59:00.000-07:002011-07-21T06:59:00.857-07:00Midwest Writer's Workshop<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Announcement</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.midwestwriters.org/">The Midwest Writer's Workshop</a></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">July 28-30<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Muncie, Indiana</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
</span></strong></div><div style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Look who's on the program!</span></span></strong></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Cathy Day</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— novelist<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Patti Digh</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— nonfiction author<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Libby Fischer Hellmann</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— crime writing novelist<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Mike Lawson</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— political thriller novelist<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">J.T. (Jen) Dutton</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— young adult novelist<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Dennis Hensley & Holly Miller</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— faculty for Manuscript Makeovers<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Kathleen Ortiz</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Jessica Sinsheimer</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Roseanne Wells</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— Marianne Strong Literary Agency<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Lois Winston</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— Ashley Grayson Literary Agency<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Dana Kaye</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— Kaye Publicity<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Jane Friedman</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— industry authority on commercial, literary and emerging forms of publishing<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Gary Hensley</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— tax specialist<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">Matthew V. Clemens</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">— novelist and publisher<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">David Slonim</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">—banquet speaker, author and illustrator of children’s books<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Additional Presenters: D.E. Johnson, Cathy Shouse, Karen Lenfestey</span></span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-47735447683732990202011-07-18T12:21:00.000-07:002011-07-18T12:21:17.455-07:00What Agents WantHere is a re-post of an interview with Kathleen Ortiz, Subrights Director and agent with the Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation company and Lois Winston of the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency which was published in the Midwest Writer's Workshop E-Pistle.<br />
<br />
I hope the insights here are helpful!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Kathleen Ortiz</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold;">Q: If participants made an appointment with you, how should they prepare for their pitch session? </strong></span><br />
<br />
<div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">ALWAYS come prepared with a 2-3 sentence pitch and a hard copy of the query. I stress that the pitch is ONLY 2-3 sentences and the query is the actual query they would send. Since the MWW pitch sessions are ten minutes, the first 5 pages are handy, as well. Come prepared with questions in case the project isn't for me - I'm happy to spend the rest of the appointment giving advice/resources on how to pitch, send queries, do research, etc.</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold;">Q: What are you looking for?</strong></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I'm only looking for YA or paranormal/urban fantasy romance at this time. No women's fiction or other adult genres outside of romance. I like all YA, though the darker the better. I'd really like a YA horror, thriller, suspense, cyberpunk or intense mystery.</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
<strong style="font-weight: bold;">Q: What do you wish more writers knew?</strong></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Top three mistakes I see:</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span>1.<span> </span></span>Reading the entire query to me (it's a pitch - 2-3 sentences)</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span>2.<span> </span></span>Arguing with me if I kindly state it's not for me. You want someone who will be an advocate of your work - if it's not for me, respect my decision and use the extra time to ask questions about the industry. Someone else WILL be an advocate for your work.</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span>3.<span> </span></span>Giving me a business card. I don't keep them. If I ask for pages, it's the author's job to contact me not the other way around.</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
<strong style="font-weight: bold;">Q: Will you accept someone pitching an uncompleted manuscript?</strong></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I prefer someone pitches me if the manuscript is completed. </div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
<strong style="font-weight: bold;">Q: Finally, if you do not represent what a participant writes but someone else in your agency does, would you ever pass the person on to that agent? </strong></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If I'm pitched a Middle Grade, I will certainly refer it if it has potential. Otherwise, I prefer not to be pitched if it's not something I rep.</div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Lois Winston</span></div><br />
<div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold;">Q: What should participants bring to their pitch sessions with you? </strong></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">One page query letter and the first 2 pages (double-spaced) of their manuscript.</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
<strong style="font-weight: bold;">Q: What are you looking for? </strong></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Ashley Grayson Literary Agency was established in 1976 and handles both literary and commercial fiction, children's fiction, and some nonfiction. I currently represent authors who write romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, women's fiction, mystery, young adult, and horror, but voice is more important to me than genre, and I love books that make me laugh out loud. I'm not interested in category romance, erotica, regencies, inspirationals, westerns, or paranormal books that feature vampires and shape-shifters.<br />
<br />
<strong style="font-weight: bold;">Q: What mistakes do most writers make when approaching agents?</strong></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Three top mistakes I see:</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span>1.<span> </span></span>Many writers query too soon. Polish your work until it's the best it can be before you submit, and you'll receive fewer rejections.</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span>2.<span> </span></span>Know correct grammar and punctuation usage. Too many writers don't know the most basic of grammar and punctuation rules (and no, that's not what an editor is for.)</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span>3.<span> </span></span>Don't take rejection personally. This is a business. If your work isn't right for me, it may be perfect for someone else. Or you may need to reread mistakes #2 and #3.</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold;">Q: Will you accept someone pitching an uncompleted manuscript?</strong></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I would prefer to see authors with completed manuscripts. </div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
<strong style="font-weight: bold;">Q: Finally, if you do not represent what participants write but someone else in your agency does, would you ever pass the person on to that agent? </strong></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Yes, I do pass along manuscripts to our other agents if the manuscript is not right for me but might work for someone else at our agency.</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #214352; display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Geneva; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-17968287390166835392011-07-16T09:11:00.000-07:002011-07-16T09:11:24.761-07:00August Writing Contests<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #1366a8; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Writing contests are a great way to get your work out there for others to read. They also provide motivation and deadlines that will keep you cranking out those pages. Below are three contests that are coming up SOON. Check them out and ENTER! Then be sure to post a comment to let me know what you entered and ultimately, the results!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Short Story:</b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://216.197.127.196/gp/index.cfm?rsn=209&mn=Contests">Gival Press Annual Short Story Award</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Gival Press is offering their 8<sup>th</sup> annual short story contest – deadline is august 8<sup>th</sup>. Entry fee is $25.00 and the top prize is a whopping $1,000.00!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Poetry:</b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.umass.edu/umpress/juniper.html">The University of Massachusetts Juniper Prize for Poetry</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Only poets who have NOT previously published a book of poetry are eligible for this year’s event, so to all you who have been waiting for your right time – jump in! This is it! Entry fee is $25.00 and submissions must be received between August 1 and September 30, 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Screenplay:</b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.zoetrope.com/contests/">The American Zoetrope Screenplay</a> contest is offering $5,000.00 for the best script! Although the actual deadline isn’t until September 6<sup>th</sup>, I’m including it here because you get $15.00 off the registration fee if you submit it by August first. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1366a8;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Write on everyone!</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-62093516451284489382011-07-11T18:16:00.000-07:002011-07-11T18:16:17.775-07:00The HOW-TO Template<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">How-to articles are in great demand. There is even a whole website devoted just to how-to articles: <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how-to.html">eHow.com. </a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In today’s quick and easy availability to information and the DIY craze, people look online for directions to do literally – everything! I write for eHow.com and struggled at first to describe what seemed like really simple steps. With time and practice however, it has become much easier to envision the whole picture - from beginning to completion - of any number of tasks. I follow a simple template and you can, too. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Before I give you the template, however, let me give you a few tips:</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Break the procedure into sections if there are more than 10 or so steps involved. For example, for most of the sewing articles I write, I present it in 2 parts: 1) preparation; and 2) assembly.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Begin each step with a verb.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Read your completed article out loud before you submit it so you can visualize the procedure based on the words; if the description doesn’t give you the picture, then it isn’t clear enough.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Even if you are an expert, include references and/or resources at the end of your article.</span></li>
</ol><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">OK. Here’s the template:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Introduction <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tell the reader what the activity is and anything unusual or unique about your particular way of doing it. Include anything specific that you wouldn’t include in the steps. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Level of Difficulty <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Is it so easy that anyone can do it?</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (EASY)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Is it fairly easy, but still requires some concentration and skill?</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (MODERATE)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Is it something that requires prior knowledge and skill?</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (DIFFICULT)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Things You Need<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">List the things needed to accomplish this task. Make your list of supplies clear and simple like a list of ingredients for a recipe. Do not describe the things needed in full sentences or with long descriptions.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Steps <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Number your steps and write them in simple command form. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">References / Resources<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">List your references and resources at the end of the article.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Examples of River's eHow articles:</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_8663886_homemade-kotatsu-futon.html">Handmade Kotatsu Futon</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_8575986_make-kimono-obi.html">How to Make a Kimono Obi</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_8510738_sew-prom-dress-dog.html">How to Sew a Prom Dress for a Dog</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_8505346_make-handmade-tutu.html">How to Make a Handmade Tutu</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_6758101_make-egyptian-amulets.html">How to Make Egyptian Amulets</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></i></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-28959315533754847762011-07-07T05:16:00.000-07:002011-07-07T05:16:18.454-07:00The “NEW” Nitty Gritty of Writing<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dear Readers,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It is my aim to create a blog that is more user-friendly and reliable. This is one of the things I contemplated during my long absence from blogging and so I decided to make a schedule for posts. I hope this will help direct the focus of my blog, The Nitty Gritty of Writing, into two main categories: 1) tips and resources for writers; and 2) announcements of contests, events, conferences, etc. I will also continue to write my reflections in which I will include personal commentary, book reviews, and occasionally feature a guest blogger. I suppose this constitutes a third category, but I’m not going to promise when or how often these will be posted. (After all, there has to be some aspect left to whim and inspiration, right??)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here’s the proposed schedule for the “NEW” Nitty Gritty of Writing:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Mondays = tips and resources for writers<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Thursdays = announcements<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Random days = reflections (can’t be too rigid, you know!)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This schedule will begin on Monday, July 11, 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As always, I welcome your feedback!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-47626519344870042582011-07-04T11:25:00.000-07:002011-07-04T11:25:44.413-07:00Lessons from Absence: Nothing is Wasted<div class="MsoNormal">I’m writing articles again for <a href="http://www.demandstudios.com/">Demand Studio</a>s after a six month plus absence. I’m happy to report that I’m writing faster and more efficiently than I was when I stopped mid-way through my teaching year. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The articles are better now, too; my Demand Studios report card reflects higher ratings.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I thought it would be difficult to get back into the swing of writing online articles – I was lacking motivation, doubted my ability to manage time and self-discipline, and I expected to be discouraged by feeling I was starting all over again. To my pleasant surprise, I fell right back into it like it was second nature. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Here’s what I’ve learned (or remembered) about process: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">NOTHING IS WASTED. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Things we do have purpose, whether we recognize that purpose or not. Our choices direct our lives and our experiences shape us. After any absence and subsequent return, we discover that although we have changed and the environment of our return has also changed, what we have gained and brought back with us is significant and meaningful. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2RuFb5XzNM7Pcd2zYbUvA-PKhGHf-gQ8E8NKjWjqrgi1XmSX2E88m8nBP-gYOhq-7G1dRqsDengmw01i80pshpwlCLAcIMdxLZooCCrMs4SqMymnzRDrcP_VgELFe7QKYRP0gmooWAU/s1600/worry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2RuFb5XzNM7Pcd2zYbUvA-PKhGHf-gQ8E8NKjWjqrgi1XmSX2E88m8nBP-gYOhq-7G1dRqsDengmw01i80pshpwlCLAcIMdxLZooCCrMs4SqMymnzRDrcP_VgELFe7QKYRP0gmooWAU/s320/worry.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://spiritwomen.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-worry.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">photo source</span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I worried that I would have lost the two years of self-study that I invested prior to going back to teaching at the university; I truly believed it was gone when I first sat down to resume article writing. However, I soon realized that what I had learned during my intensive self-study was a firm foundation that I could return to and use as a starting point to move forward. Things in online writing and marketing changed in the year I was teaching; strategies and theories that were once “solid” were now defunct. But the essence of the practice and the personal benefits of self-discipline and resourcefulness had somehow multiplied in my absence. Indeed, my efforts had not been lost; nor were they wasted.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4kT8TOhngoO5bNQQziEzcdG-CP4r-YHdNzIkEO5JdNnM0ud5D2G8Fx-lB_fziiFlB5uaCY_ipvi9wdbUyMS5Noh5d9varc2qmmvBBxG3GMfOB0e3g7I-wl18U2V1uIJDfv8yH-WHWZs/s1600/thinking-man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4kT8TOhngoO5bNQQziEzcdG-CP4r-YHdNzIkEO5JdNnM0ud5D2G8Fx-lB_fziiFlB5uaCY_ipvi9wdbUyMS5Noh5d9varc2qmmvBBxG3GMfOB0e3g7I-wl18U2V1uIJDfv8yH-WHWZs/s200/thinking-man.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pastordanvera.com/?tag=destiny"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">photo source</span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">Likewise, my absence was a necessary reprieve that my soul required. Not writing is not particularly a good thing and I certainly do not advocate it, yet my absence from writing was NOT WASTED. For me, although I can write from a thinking state, inspiration comes from a free and wandering mind. Crowded, suffocated, and crippled from the reins of administrative policies, academic politics, NO as the most commonly heard response, lack of encouragement, trust and freedom, my mind was not free to wander. So I stopped, hibernated, and got recharged. When I awoke with a clear mind, I could pick up the pieces that mattered and sweep away those that had turned to dust. In so doing, I was blessed with the memory that NOTING IS WASTED.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil31nFqENri-A0cEzlHjinO0h784pPfaEXzpbr26rFR_hr0luarTTg5NhJVv7G7NpnrefMlercfM8Iyi8E5y0sJzzIC_c-CkuLHvBqiRQenqw0u5y16O-Op_dFecM2grWMJSQ6xlt0luk/s1600/treasure+chest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil31nFqENri-A0cEzlHjinO0h784pPfaEXzpbr26rFR_hr0luarTTg5NhJVv7G7NpnrefMlercfM8Iyi8E5y0sJzzIC_c-CkuLHvBqiRQenqw0u5y16O-Op_dFecM2grWMJSQ6xlt0luk/s1600/treasure+chest.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My message to my readers today is that no matter where you are in life, find encouragement in this knowledge that what you are doing and experiencing right now is meaningful. There is purpose, even to the pain and frustrations you endure. Your choices will direct your movements - either forward and away, or into new strategies for staying put; and these experiences will shape who you are. You may not always enjoy the process, but keep in mind that it is NOT WASTED. <o:p></o:p></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-27625079283406277252011-07-01T05:53:00.000-07:002011-07-01T05:53:38.278-07:00I'm Back!<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I thought I would be absent from writing this blog for just two months, but actually it took me six months to come back. Why? Winter blues, combined with job DIS-satisfaction, threatened to send me plummeting into depression. To combat this, I went into automatic survival mode which turns off the creative channels. Of course, denying creativity only compounds the threats to destroy me with depression, but the internal tape-recorder was already on auto-play by then, so negativity was sinking me and anything I might put on paper was not for the public eye.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then, true to the spirit of the artist in my soul, I had to hibernate and wait for myself to buoy back up to the surface where I could think and feel again. Only then did I dare to open my notebook.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_86AYx7wioNWrqszH9s_mPwFzKGMOeUHI3b2P6QVWHaghZW9JDgHEsy9-ipAq1n9yw2VIKcBur3VO2wQguRmfjTfBCvKd1t2gopFp1B1HaOMnSGTbF8GF3PrShkk08hqrGEH2IDlWkb4/s1600/bare+feet+walking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_86AYx7wioNWrqszH9s_mPwFzKGMOeUHI3b2P6QVWHaghZW9JDgHEsy9-ipAq1n9yw2VIKcBur3VO2wQguRmfjTfBCvKd1t2gopFp1B1HaOMnSGTbF8GF3PrShkk08hqrGEH2IDlWkb4/s320/bare+feet+walking.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s summer now and I am once again unemployed. Am I bailing out to the fantasy of the starving artist, or is it true that financial worries are nothing compared to the soul-suffocating stress of the working world? I don’t know for sure, but it I’m telling you, I feel alive, even with no money to spend, and I was dying, even with a paycheck to buy plenty of food.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I have great callouses on my feet, but my heart remains tender and fragile. That’s a great combination for rising with the sun and hiking to the river’s edge to write poetry, play with words and listen to God, and reconnect with my purpose and value in earth life. it’s a terrible combination, however, for managing the subtle nuances of academia that deny authenticity and chisel away at personal value.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nonetheless, that’s behind me now. The days are long and warm and I am once again awake. Bare feet on hard earth, birds and water ripples serenade me as my soul opens up and my pen scribbles quickly across the pages. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ahhhh! The riverside writer is back!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhazjpiL8XNIgR8mfRwfsjS_xVjhwFi7710dbbg5_15XFoWLMtkM_yI7_fwr5wT4-Kxf9hulcya-Jiqbod3JoTqbkpHOwdKKYrP5txgx2a37rM2H_DUWAUiMSXJvnZL3fE2Z7cm1Gt14/s1600/bare+feet+sitting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhazjpiL8XNIgR8mfRwfsjS_xVjhwFi7710dbbg5_15XFoWLMtkM_yI7_fwr5wT4-Kxf9hulcya-Jiqbod3JoTqbkpHOwdKKYrP5txgx2a37rM2H_DUWAUiMSXJvnZL3fE2Z7cm1Gt14/s320/bare+feet+sitting.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-64456386677628462302011-01-26T11:03:00.000-08:002011-01-26T11:03:36.438-08:00Writing BreakDear Readers,<br />
<br />
Please bear with me as I take a break from blogging for a few weeks. I'm going to focus my time and energies on reading and thinking for awhile.<br />
<br />
I want to reevaluate this Nitty Gritty of Writing blog and where I want to take it in the future, so your feedback is definitely welcome! How can I better serve you? What kinds of posts would you like to read? What kinds of information would you like to receive regularly?<br />
<br />
You may leave comments in the comment section below or send me an email.<br />
<br />
Please check back in early April when I will resume regular writing.<br />
<br />
Until then, Happy Writing to all of you!!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-84282048605783940322011-01-13T12:59:00.000-08:002011-01-13T12:59:26.451-08:00Simply Writing<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The nitty gritty of writing is first and foremost about simply writing. that’s it in its most basic, essential core: </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">WRITE</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The term “simply writing” may seem like an oxymoron because writing is comprised of so many steps, so much effort, so much mental energy, and so much time. And too often we get bogged down in all that we think writing is – the word choice, perspective, tenses, grammar, cohesion… We get overwhelmed by the potential of being read or the fear of not being read, the approval or disapproval of our work… We stop ourselves before we even get started!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sure, all these things and more make up the nitty gritty details of producing a piece of writing, but first, you simply have to </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">WRITE</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. Bring your mind to a screeching halt and silence all the crap that is clanging around in your head; strip yourself of all that burdensome baggage and just </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">WRITE</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Go back to the phrase “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">simply writing</i>” and notice that it is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">active</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Writing: n. “the act of a person or thing that writes” (<a href="http://dictionary.com/">dictionary.com</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Simply: adverb. “in a simple manner; clearly and easily… wholly, absolutely … sincerely” (<a href="http://dictionary.com/">dictionary.com</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Simply writing is the act of free-flowing pen on paper. Release yourself to the free-flowing pen because that is uncensored thought, ideas, images. It is the absolutely and sincerely of simply that gives life to the act of writing. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Simply writing is the essence of the nitty gritty of writing because the act of writing wholly, absolutely, and sincerely, is where you discover yourself and all your powers and limitations. And wish such self-discovery also comes the discovery of powers beyond yourself – powers without limitations. I’m talking about the inspiration and the unfolding of creating that surprises even you – the one who holds the pen. That free-flowing pen takes off and comes alive and you become both observer and participant in one.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">You can’t plan or orchestrate this experience, you can only show up. And this is precisely what I mean when I say that the most basic aspect of the nitty gritty of writing is simply writing: you show up ready to engage; you take the pen and begin to dance. That’s it. You do this regularly and the stuff you want to write about multiplies over and over. Your skills get better, the dance picks up speed and before you know it, you are performing complex movements beyond your dreams. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">You will eventually deal with all that other nitty gritty stuff later, but first and foremost, </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">WRITE</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">: get in the act of simply writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-16886413952921508082011-01-05T10:28:00.000-08:002011-01-05T10:28:19.598-08:00Finer Things Challenge: Carolyn<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Last month I posted a piece about the “<a href="http://nittygrittyofwriting.blogspot.com/2010/12/finer-things-invitation.html">finer things in life</a>”, suggesting that such things are not necessarily expensive items, but rather “unassuming moments when you are caught by surprise and taken on a spirit-soar”.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I asked readers to free-fall back into memory to find their own “<a href="http://nittygrittyofwriting.blogspot.com/2010/12/finer-things-invitation.html">finer things</a>” and to share them with me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b>Friend Carolyn Shobe sent me the following piece </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><b>in response to this prompt:</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">As I read your entry on the finer things of life, I was taken back to the Pow-wows I sponsored at Hoke High School in the 1980s. Many of the Lumbee students were disinterested in school academic subjects, but they came alive when I was granted permission to have a Pow-wow for the whole school. Connie, a gorgeous, petite, young lady of 14 dressed in plain brown </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 19px;">garb and performed the Lord’s Prayer in sign language. Never had those 1400 students been so quiet. We all sensed the presence of the Lord. Male students donned their fancy dancing garb and re-created out of their lost past </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 19px;">dances and drumming which touched the soles of our feet. There is truly something special about the rumble of drums and the flash of dancing feet. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 19px;">The feathers floated gracefully as they bowed their heads imitating buffalo hunts long forgotten.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> I think this affinity for drumbeats started when I was young and went </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 19px;">to high school football games. I have never understood football nor have I wanted to. I went to feel the stadium bleachers shudder when the band started. Drums speak to something primal in each of us; those who are too shy to dance or drum reach out for the beat and live vicariously through the drummers. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> Only once have I drummed in public. At Storer, the elementary home where I spent 9 years, we were visited by dancing, drumming African members of a troop. I was so mesmerized that I forgot about my size or my </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 19px;">age and went forward with the young and old volunteers to pour my soul into the stretched rawhide and the hollow wood. The song and rhythm transcended my lack of talent and pulled me into the mystery of the moment.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> These drums are truly part of the finer things you’ve touched on in Japan.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-1434308263080568682011-01-03T04:49:00.000-08:002011-01-03T04:49:03.238-08:00Beating Rice<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Note: the following post is an excerpt from my WIP, the Bath Tub Stories. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>– It is taken from the chapter on New Year’s festivities. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh077owWvaEX0r_W4dW24r3NkwnPwDuDljN8Ndqm-7HXW6tidcpCI8VTMaklAe8uFzyRxQszuX2CL1EvYCB6BTFa6zVSgqVkRW1_6yIwORKBn-IICFNi5DknlLfLh5NmYED37E8RaP0SyE/s1600/mochi_making.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh077owWvaEX0r_W4dW24r3NkwnPwDuDljN8Ndqm-7HXW6tidcpCI8VTMaklAe8uFzyRxQszuX2CL1EvYCB6BTFa6zVSgqVkRW1_6yIwORKBn-IICFNi5DknlLfLh5NmYED37E8RaP0SyE/s200/mochi_making.jpg" width="144" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Picture source: <a href="http://www.wabei-mono.com/blog/2007/12/">http://www.wabei-mono.com/blog/2007/12/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The entrance to the shrine grounds greeted us with steamy wafts of think sweet air coming from the over-sized iron pot dangling from its tripod over a large wooden fire contained in a metal barrel. Red bean soup with soft white balls of pounded rice simmered with long steady puffs of invitation calling the crowd to gather at the shrine.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Later,” Aki told me at the hint I might venture on over to grab a bowl of soup. “We’ll have some <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">azuki</i> soup on our way out. It’ll settle well in our tummies while we’re soaking.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“But…”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No time now,” she barked, marching on ahead of me. Stuffed shopping bags were swinging at her side, powered by the pumping of her arms. I scampered to dodge people trying to catch up with her.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We found the mocha-making corner at the far end of the grounds. Three long tables with white cloths stretched out before us. The center table held wooden framed trays filled with flat, palm-sized powdery balls of doughy rice patties. The table to the left was covered with empty tray yet to be filled, and Jitsu and her friends were serving hot green tea at the table to the right. The pounding bowls, situated between and behind the tables, looked like deep birdbaths perched on cement pedestals. The men ruled the pounding bowls while the women orchestrated the activities at the tables.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Mama! Angel-san! You are just in time!” Kenichi ran up to greet us, quickly taking the bags from Aki and handing me a large wooden mallet. He pulled me over to one of the pounding bowls. Three other men were anxiously ready to take over in explaining the process of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mochi</i>-making to me. Speaking all at once, I found it easier to watch the activities at other pounding bowls to get the idea. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yoosh! Yaroo!”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> I cried out, “I’m ready, Kenichi! Let’s do it!” Feet firmly planted, knees slightly bent, heavy mallet raised high over my head, I was primed, prepped, and biting at the bit. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Aim for the center,” Kenichi yelled just as I swung. The mallet plunged into the thick, sticky wad and it stuck. It stuck there like it had been grabbed and clinched by the blob of dough. All the other swinging mallets at other pounding bowls slapped and sprang back out in a high energy kind of rhythmic dance. Mine was firmly stuck. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The men fell back away from the bowl laughing and marching in circles - knee-slapping, hand-clapping hilarity broke their concentration. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh Angel-san, you are so funny!”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“You can’t stick it like that!”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Woo-hooo- hooo!”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Get Angel-san some sake! She needs to loosen her elbows.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The women giggled, but no one moved to pour me a drink.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kenichi grabbed the mallet from me and proceeded to demonstrate: mallet up, breath in, knees bending; exploding exhalation used to fuel the downward swing, body lifting, Whap! That’s the full thrust of the mallet into the big pile of sticky rice dough; then body lowers to power the reflex snap-up pull at the end of the exhale. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yank out of the swing at the exact moment of impact?” I asked. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Un. Whap! Pull!”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“OK!” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I gathered my energy and lifted the mallet, this time more dramatically, more deliberately. Controlled breath guided my power. It landed hard into the lump of rice and indeed, snapped back out!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqwAsKqCYS31JGNNZAC_HQQ8jdBDqGKJJQxTmC8Yg9G26itDwRbvvlIzjIod4qB8jsndsf1YNLR1QZ9-WCHL32iy-7puURHIIXLt8JKdm588bvgQs1WELIfwFwY1AjM5DTuoW5XokXkY/s1600/beating+mochi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqwAsKqCYS31JGNNZAC_HQQ8jdBDqGKJJQxTmC8Yg9G26itDwRbvvlIzjIod4qB8jsndsf1YNLR1QZ9-WCHL32iy-7puURHIIXLt8JKdm588bvgQs1WELIfwFwY1AjM5DTuoW5XokXkY/s200/beating+mochi.jpg" width="153" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Picture source: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://iamaviking.com/2006/12/18/making-mochi-%E9%A4%85%E6%90%97%E3%81%8D/">http://iamaviking.com/2006/12/18/making-mochi-%E9%A4%85%E6%90%97%E3%81%8D/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Woa! Get in there,” Kenichi ordered. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The men swooped back into position. They reached into the pounding bowl and scooped up one side of the over-stuffed, pillow-like wad of the rice as if lugging the side of an inflatable swimming pool. They punched it hard in the middle and pulled back their fists just as I brought the mallet back into the center. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Whap! And pull; whap! And pull. Fists were flung into the white material each time I brought the mallet out and over my head – lift and punch. Down with the mallet – whap! And pull.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41L0QDhrGS8XK2fJMcJ4dItI9mWq5VR69L2WnUuDxNQiDHfqAs8DvTs3d4c5E8x8JRYWlslNHfVaDFmiK0VLr74gbeILhMKyJxMb-ouzhAxdLLMblVn9HggJRGKzj_16CEnBMOo37Ms4/s1600/kneading+mochi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41L0QDhrGS8XK2fJMcJ4dItI9mWq5VR69L2WnUuDxNQiDHfqAs8DvTs3d4c5E8x8JRYWlslNHfVaDFmiK0VLr74gbeILhMKyJxMb-ouzhAxdLLMblVn9HggJRGKzj_16CEnBMOo37Ms4/s1600/kneading+mochi.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">picture source: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><a href="http://iamaviking.com/2006/12/18/making-mochi-%E9%A4%85%E6%90%97%E3%81%8D/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">http://iamaviking.com/2006/12/18/making-mochi-%E9%A4%85%E6%90%97%E3%81%8D/</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I began to dance my role. Dip and such as I lifted; jump and slam and I beat. My partners were an integral part of the dance – lean inward, lift and punch in time with my jumps, then sway back from the bowl with grace and ease, a gentle receding with each powerful blow from the surprising strength of my arms.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The rhythm worked like cogs in antique machinery – clickity-clack; clickity-clack; on and on until the rice was smooth like taffy. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1AILjiagAbwkbQLyc3CKtMGA7yQ8QKXZ7P7GZCJCT3P_8HlU2utO1WH2tPNeokEPNmq_9ybtXoeBXDzsdJ1QZTc9hrdW01N7ZHQ8DZgbLgPiRCm5LPZovN9Gu2LfC3db2Dim3WRfCRE/s1600/pounding+mochi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1AILjiagAbwkbQLyc3CKtMGA7yQ8QKXZ7P7GZCJCT3P_8HlU2utO1WH2tPNeokEPNmq_9ybtXoeBXDzsdJ1QZTc9hrdW01N7ZHQ8DZgbLgPiRCm5LPZovN9Gu2LfC3db2Dim3WRfCRE/s200/pounding+mochi.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1AILjiagAbwkbQLyc3CKtMGA7yQ8QKXZ7P7GZCJCT3P_8HlU2utO1WH2tPNeokEPNmq_9ybtXoeBXDzsdJ1QZTc9hrdW01N7ZHQ8DZgbLgPiRCm5LPZovN9Gu2LfC3db2Dim3WRfCRE/s1600/pounding+mochi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">Picture source: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://kiroma.wordpress.com/">http://kiroma.wordpress.com/</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">………………….........................….<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We plucked <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mochi</i> from the trays with disposable chopsticks and took them to the tea table where we wrapped them with dried, crispy strips of seaweed. Then we laid them on a grill over the nearby fire. Turning them with our chopsticks until they were drippy and gooey, I swallowed hard the saliva that pooled on my tongue in anticipation. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Jitsu appeared quietly at my side offering me a saucer with a soy and sugar mixture.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Your <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mochi</i> is done, Angel-san,” Aki told me. “Now dip and eat.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I slathered the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mochi</i> into the sauce and slurped it into my mouth. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I moaned the savory satisfaction then passed the saucer to the woman next to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hurry up,” Aki said, “mine is ready next!”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Jitsu brought us each cups of hot green tea to help wash the thick sweet lumps down our throats. She retreated from the circle unnoticed, just as she had arrived.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“No more,” Aki told me as I gulped my third <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mochi</i>. “You still want <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">azuki</i> soup, don’t you? It’s bad for your health to stuff your tummy before taking a bath.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-62133630309015164522010-12-30T13:56:00.000-08:002010-12-30T13:56:33.426-08:00Drums: Finer Things<i>The following is an excerpt from my WIP, The Bath Tub Stories. I am including it here because it describes, at least a little, why I consider drums one of the "finer things in life". </i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2xQ7gmqWBQmwHCJY61gcuiLGhf1y1seYHeeBBf7iMEr9SDJn6Znee29lV9TgWVSJmDCGhaCvBXZsOfjF-DfxOpl98-xW260D-By-0YRJKXEJ3S-wBGmsNu-Sbybhwzr4KHWJOUBaM24/s1600/taiko+drummer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2xQ7gmqWBQmwHCJY61gcuiLGhf1y1seYHeeBBf7iMEr9SDJn6Znee29lV9TgWVSJmDCGhaCvBXZsOfjF-DfxOpl98-xW260D-By-0YRJKXEJ3S-wBGmsNu-Sbybhwzr4KHWJOUBaM24/s320/taiko+drummer.jpg" width="234" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Flickr</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aki turned back to face me, taking her cloth from my hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “Thank you,” she said, and without breaking the movement of her body, she placed her rinse bucket at her feet, dropped her cloth into it, and turned on the faucet allowing the water to fill and spill over its curled lips, freeing the cloth of its dirt and foam. Wiping a clearing in the fog on the mirror in front of her with the heel of her hand, she continued, “So that was the first sunrise on earth. You see, it was the sound of God’s heartbeat that called light into the world. And that’s why the drums are so important.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “Isn’t that the cave by the sea?” I asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “Of course, and there’s a shrine there now to mark the spot. Have you been there?”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> I nodded.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Ei-san pulled herself out of the soaking tub, her skin glowing a soft red. “Tell her about the drought,” she told Aki. “Angel-san will like the drought story.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “<i>Yoosh</i>.” Aki pressed her hands hard into the top of her knees, groaning as she teetered to standing. “Come on, Angel-san,” she muttered. “I’ll tell you about the drought while we soak.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Our bodies vanished beneath the green sea kelp water, heads settled as independent buoys marking territories as if for night fishermen. I took in the bitter, salty aroma through my moist nostrils as I listened to Aki’s soothing, mesmerizing voice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">………. [drought story not included here] ……….<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 101.2pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “You’re going to the festival on Saturday aren’t you?” Aki called to me as I gathered my belongings.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “Sure,” I said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “The drums will be there, you know.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> I smiled, knowingly. Of <i>course</i> the drums would be there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “Wait!” she called, as I slid open the door to the dressing room. I turned to look at her.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> “Why don’t you come with me tonight to the drummers’ rehearsal? Come to my house at 7 and my son will drive us to the mountain where they are practicing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 69.3pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">……</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">…. [scene at Aki’s house not included here] ……….</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> We finally arrived at our destination, a gold-roofed shrine placed oddly at the end of a stone footpath on a flat clearing amid radish fields. There was a bare earthen space to one side of the footpath where a small group of people were preparing for the commencement of the evening. Men were lighting torches from the miniature fire contained in a metal barrel; women were laying out blankets and setting out the sake and square bamboo drinking cups, plastic boxes of home-made pickles, chopsticks, and bagged snacks from the convenience store at the edge of town.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> We parked at the side of the road and walked up to join them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Aki took over as set-up boss and the other women conceded gracefully, as if part of a choreography designed by the temple spirit. Jitsu and I sat on the corner of the blanket closest to the front and began nibbling on pickles. There were soft brown and bright yellow daikon pickles, short strips of cucumber pickles covered in a barley and miso paste, pea-sized crunchy white pickled onions, chewy pickled carrots, and even pickled cloves of garlic. The sour salty taste was surprisingly delicious. And the sting of warm sake washing it down caused a pleasant sensation in my head.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Kenichi moved with ease into his role as leader of the men as they finished arranging the drums. A line of barrel drums on large bamboo tripods varying in size from two feet in diameter to nearly four feet in diameter was broken by a wide space, behind which stood the master drum, a magnificent instrument propped on its side so that the skin of the drum faced the small audience. Its base was less than a foot high, yet Kenichi’s head came only to just below its center. Its very presence was powerful and drew me like a magnet into the ancient stories Aki had told earlier. <i>It is alive</i>, she had said. I began to understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Soon it appeared the preparatory rituals were complete. Even Aki had settled herself on an embroidered bum cushion she had brought from home.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> The bare-chested men performed their deep lunges and big arm circles. They took slow, deliberate breaths, exhaling with short, staccato growls. They cracked their knuckles and knees and they slapped each other on the backs. Then, at Kenichi’s signal, they gripped drumsticks the length of a forearm and some as big around as two inches in diameter. This then seemed to cue everyone into silence. Pickle munching ceased, chatter stopped abruptly, and the only movement was in the bodies of the drummers as they took their places behind their drums, moving as swiftly and quietly as ancestor Ninjas. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Not a breath could be heard. Excited by the anticipation, afraid of making a sound, my own inhalation was long, slow, controlled. I took in more air, then even more, fearful that my exhalation would ripple the space and disturb the intensity of the transformation that was taking over our little mountain gathering. Just when I thought I might float, Kenichi, strong, muscular back toward us, slowly raised his arms as if casting a net of trance-dust over us. Then he let out a cry – long, strong, and enduring; it resonated off the tightly bound skin of the master drum before him. Without fading in intensity, his cry suddenly came to an abrupt stop and the pounding began. Pounding! Pounding that shook the earth. Kenichi sprang up into the air through the balls of his feet, landing in a deep squat. The muscles in his back worked like machinery – bulging out, down, and up, controlling the penetrating rumble of the rhythmic ensemble. The men over the barrel drums did the same. Faces contorted with concentration, the sweat began to form on their brows and cast a glow over their bare, bronze, images.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> I was pulled toward the sounds – sucked into them. The drums were calling and I had no choice but to follow, be taken, and enter. The deep, deafening vibrations of the huge instruments took over all my senses. I could feel them between my ears, in the crevices of my belly, pounding in my chest, and thundering along my spine. Close as I was, it wasn’t close enough; I wanted to be <i>inside</i> them. I was aware of nothing but the drums and the all-encompassing darkness of the night. The monstrous sounds went down inside me, down beyond all flesh and bone, and moved my entire being with profound greatness. Timelessness. Pounding! The drums possessed me. They took me away to an emptiness that somehow seemed comfortable and familiar.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #7f007f;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>It's alive,</i> she had said. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-56063845368016467512010-12-28T20:24:00.000-08:002010-12-28T20:24:28.057-08:00Reverb 10<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyone looking for some really good writing prompts to close out the year 2010 should check out</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.reverb10.com/"> Reverb 10.</a> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Especially if you enjoy looking back and reflecting on the year past as a way to transition into the new one, you will really like this site. <a href="http://www.reverb10.com/">Reverb 10</a> is<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #2c2525;"> “<i>an</i></span></span><i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #2c2525;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #2c2525; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">annual event and online initiative</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #2c2525;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #2c2525;">to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. Use the end of your year as an opportunity to reflect on what's happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead. With Reverb 10 - and the 31 prompts our authors have created for you - you'll have</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #2c2525;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #2c2525;"><a href="http://thebarefootheart.com/2010/12/marrow/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #6e6e6e; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">support</span></a></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #2c2525;"> </span></span></i><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #2c2525;"><i>on your journey”</i> (from the Reverb10 website).</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 46.85pt;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #2c2525; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #2c2525; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There is a daily prompt (but you aren’t too late to get in on this) to help you reflect, process, and evaluate your 2010, each one written by a different author. For example, the prompt for December 15 (by <a href="http://37days.typepad.com/patti_digh/">Patti Digh</a>) is called “5 Minutes” and reads like this: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #2c2525; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #2c2525; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Did anyone see <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/video/60minutes/">60 Minutes</a> this week? There was a piece about memory. <a href="http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=2140">Dr. James McGaugh</a> is doing a study on what he calls “<a href="http://www.mahalo.com/super-autobiographical-memory">Super Autobiographical Memory</a>”. This is a condition in which the people who have this are able to remember everything about every day of their lives. Leslie Stahl who did the interview could pick any random day from even decades ago and the people could tell the day of the week and recall what they did as if it was only yesterday. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #2c2525; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Can you imagine? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #2c2525; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To date, Dr. McGaugh only has 6 subjects. It is no surprise that “<a href="http://www.mahalo.com/super-autobiographical-memory">Super Autobiographical Memory</a>” is rare: most of us have to think really hard to recall most things, and even then, we can’t possibly remember everything. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #2c2525; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I like this prompt because the act of going back in time to find the events that were most significant, and then recording them, is what helps to seal them in our memories. By doing this, not only do we capture and record meaningful moments to add to our legacy, we also place them more securely in our minds for future pleasure. I find such memories are like a treasure trove of defense tools when negative emotions rise up and threaten to dominate my interpretation of my life.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #2c2525; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway, check out <a href="http://www.reverb10.com/">Reverb 10</a> for this and 30 other great writing prompts!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-223965799733595552010-12-26T17:06:00.000-08:002010-12-26T17:06:48.377-08:00Finer Things Challenge: Norma<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Several days ago I posted a piece about the “finer things in life”, suggesting that such things are not necessarily expensive items, but rather “unassuming moments when you are caught by surprise and taken on a spirit-soar”. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I asked readers to free-fall back into memory to find their own “finer things” and to share them with me. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Following is an excerpt from Norma’s blog, </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://scrappygrams.blogspot.com/">Scrappy Grams</a>, in response to this prompt:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Linen table cloths, fabric place mats and cloth napkins are some things I picture when I hear the phrase fine living, or the finer things of life. It connotes to me old movies (a fondness of mine) with the romantic couple sitting at a table covered with a fancy linen tablecloth, beautiful lacy napkins and crystal wine glasses filled with sweet red wine.<br />
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My uncle David got me started on using place mats and cloth napkins, even for everyday use, when he was a salesman of kitchen and bath items to retail stores in Texas and surrounding states. One year when my family visited him, he stocked me up on samples he no longer needed. I've used place mats and cloth napkins ever since then. No plastic mats and paper napkins for me or my guests. Using these things fits in with my "green" side too. No filling up the dumps with my napkins and mats! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-53120596487547427992010-12-20T17:37:00.000-08:002010-12-20T17:37:40.628-08:00Christmas Greetings 2010<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Note: This is also posted on <a href="http://riverwrites.typepad.com/faithwalk/">Faithwalk</a></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="en-US" style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Brush Script MT"; font-size: 48.0pt; language: en-US; line-height: 119%; mso-ansi-language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Brush Script MT"; mso-default-font-family: "Brush Script MT"; mso-latin-font-family: "Brush Script MT"; mso-ligatures: none;">Christmas Greetings<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2010</span><span lang="en-US" style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Brush Script MT"; font-size: 48.0pt; language: en-US; line-height: 119%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Brush Script MT"; mso-default-font-family: "Brush Script MT"; mso-latin-font-family: "Brush Script MT"; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Oh Holy Night … when Christ was born.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And He shall reign forever and ever!</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 119.55pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hallelujah! Hallelujah!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: 119.55pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Holy Spirit catches our breath when we least expect it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hallelujah! Hallelujah!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the midst of mundane tasks, God grabs our heart and squeezes it tight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hallelujah! Hallelujah!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We move through our days, one after another: bored, lonely, worried, exhausted.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And then we fall.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Fall on your knees.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hallelujah! Hallelujah!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sleigh bells ring; are you listening?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hallelujah!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Angels sing; snow is glistening.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hallelujah!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Days are busy; I am dizzy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Line up pills; pay the bills.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lesson learned; cookies burned.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Gotta be nice.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Jesus Christ! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">What am I missing?</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Is anybody listening?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hallelujah?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ohhhhh!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hear the angels’ voices!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They will capture you for you are <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">His.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hallelujah!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He will get your attention; stop you in your tracks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He will fill you with emotion, end the commotion, and delight in your devotion.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hallelujah! Hallelujah!</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Dear Family and Friends,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE">found a video on Youtube</a> that portrays the profound magnificence of the Holy Spirit here among us. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Ohhhh! Hear the angels’ voices!</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Indeed, the Holy Spirit moves among us! The Holy Spirit here – here with us: this is the original and ultimate Christmas gift. Emmanuel! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Oh Holy Night when Christ was born!</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus brought to earth the eternal connection for us with our Creator. Because of that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holy Night</i> when the stars were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">brightly shinning</i>, we can recognize <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Emmanuel</b> – God among us – and know that we are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">His.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This Christmas season may your breath be caught and your heart squeezed tight. May you fall on your knees and receive the Gift: God among us.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And He shall reign forever and ever! <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Family Update:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0xvXiEILdLbzNHt84wIirRcpXEO4KE4GVvQL0Fiqxt0EnUFTg8udhu1miE1PduSKZPyWYaAxuU-jkK9ypcYTYyHxLBKbTAstrI_M7OrodJdS960oGI30v68r9P8D0xHHrEcI56Z8pPw/s1600/Family+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA0xvXiEILdLbzNHt84wIirRcpXEO4KE4GVvQL0Fiqxt0EnUFTg8udhu1miE1PduSKZPyWYaAxuU-jkK9ypcYTYyHxLBKbTAstrI_M7OrodJdS960oGI30v68r9P8D0xHHrEcI56Z8pPw/s1600/Family+pic.jpg" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br />
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</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJfJP1D9-se-7mgspRJA4rRux-xh31FssutVA62GbaAywBhsagqkJfGAUDzdRgpRvcOaPy6Ve2oriAh2HtwhinkfEREqpzUYCGRUFbJPI3xzkxNOQ-bc1JCfAVsZOKXv71xOG9kreRgQ/s1600/IMG_0692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJfJP1D9-se-7mgspRJA4rRux-xh31FssutVA62GbaAywBhsagqkJfGAUDzdRgpRvcOaPy6Ve2oriAh2HtwhinkfEREqpzUYCGRUFbJPI3xzkxNOQ-bc1JCfAVsZOKXv71xOG9kreRgQ/s200/IMG_0692.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">River</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> returned to the classroom in August teaching ESL at <a href="http://cms.bsu.edu/">Ball State</a>. My students are primarily from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and China. In addition, I continue to write. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-91502562697502204872010-12-18T05:32:00.000-08:002010-12-18T05:32:56.987-08:00The FINER Things: An Invitation<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fkmXmVjRMvQzsobeL9bj9QhmPSRFJWbGowZOydk35Mie4glASZY_lvFE6h3JbMBa39C4TcMjNJbJsc-0QTHAY1r3nyviFxkBDPYyXpxeNC38BF2VkU_TLDWegA7lbid5UDMTCJ5gNwE/s1600/drummers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fkmXmVjRMvQzsobeL9bj9QhmPSRFJWbGowZOydk35Mie4glASZY_lvFE6h3JbMBa39C4TcMjNJbJsc-0QTHAY1r3nyviFxkBDPYyXpxeNC38BF2VkU_TLDWegA7lbid5UDMTCJ5gNwE/s200/drummers.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Photo Credit:<br />
www.leapfrog-<br />
entertainment.com</span></td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Once exposed to the “finer things in life” it becomes difficult to live without them. I put the phrase “the finer things in life” in quotations because I am well aware that what I define as “finer” others may not see it that way at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SQfZX0eRBYD4QMcX69-Qdjv-3NpEU3xrMXy8rjE8CRnoVbY4n4rbA6ZiAxvdLCN54tRxMl3GBawPNmvdJeicf8qkiuvUxz00VsfN6HTbE8IwQhjVoPQQy8i_WMQoZ02xNj7Jl2_G2F0/s1600/woman+in+bath+in+winter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SQfZX0eRBYD4QMcX69-Qdjv-3NpEU3xrMXy8rjE8CRnoVbY4n4rbA6ZiAxvdLCN54tRxMl3GBawPNmvdJeicf8qkiuvUxz00VsfN6HTbE8IwQhjVoPQQy8i_WMQoZ02xNj7Jl2_G2F0/s200/woman+in+bath+in+winter.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: destination360.com</td></tr>
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are three “finer” things I crave on a regular basis: 1) a Japanese bath; 2) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNUF7QGJZwA">Negro Spirituals</a>; and 3) drums. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Having been exposed to these things, feeling fully their tight grip on my soul, I feel a nostalgic longing to once again spirit-soar – that spontaneous flight that is gifted to me by these “finer things”. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When you think of the “finer things in life” you probably think first of decadence and expensive items like champagne and caviar; jaguars and diamonds. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>But think again.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What indulgences do you enjoy that are hard-to-come-by and true one-of-a-kind gems?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m talking about things that cost no money, but also cannot be created or attained by giving yourself an uninterrupted afternoon full of time. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Free-fall back into your memory and find unassuming moments when you were caught by surprise and taken on a spirit-soar. Those are the “finer things in life”.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Maybe now as we approach the closing of this year it is a good time to contemplate these things. Let me present this as a prompt and an invitation: <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Describe one or more of your “finer things” and send it to me <o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>with permission to post it here on the Nitty Gritty of Writing. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>You’ll be a featured guest blogger!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-26248792010808904962010-12-15T04:20:00.000-08:002010-12-15T04:20:26.723-08:00The Pedestal Magazine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeC1WGKGcKCRfNHUtHIDPxAKMARc6AAhs4XFny5-IxYZmuhygzvVkMsQUqK1SLP2MdYt5G_wZGcWs2qF5AG_MxYcxI5MK-qf4AbMUuG9UX2U7M18qmr655TukQyO4Cv5pFnPXKt6xmgLU/s1600/pen+and+paper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeC1WGKGcKCRfNHUtHIDPxAKMARc6AAhs4XFny5-IxYZmuhygzvVkMsQUqK1SLP2MdYt5G_wZGcWs2qF5AG_MxYcxI5MK-qf4AbMUuG9UX2U7M18qmr655TukQyO4Cv5pFnPXKt6xmgLU/s200/pen+and+paper.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Writer’s write. That’s true, but they also submit their work in the hopes that more people will read what they write. <o:p></o:p></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I’ve recently found a high quality online magazine that I think is well worth your time. <a href="http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/index.php">The Pedestal Magazine</a> publishes 6 times a year accepts submissions regularly all year round. Both poetry and fiction are accepted and their pay rate is attractive. Don’t be intimidated by the quality of work they publish, rather let yourself be inspired by a high bar that you can aim to achieve.<o:p></o:p></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">In a review written by <a href="http://www.suite101.com/">Suite 101</a> writer </span></em><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Rickey R. Mallory</span>, ”</span><em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/index.php">The Pedestal Magazine</a></span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">is a professional rate ezine, one of the very few I've seen on the Internet. They have a polished, quality look, and the site is easy to navigate.” It is also impressive that they respond within 4-6 weeks to submissions. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">Go through the <a href="http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/archives.php">archives</a> to see what kinds of things they have published in the past. This is helpful just to know, not to use as a model to follow. In their submission guidelines they make it very clear that they are open to works that are not at all like what they have previously published. “</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We are always looking for the original piece, the piece that defies categorization and egregiously asserts its uniqueness.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";">If that doesn’t motivate you, maybe their pay rate will. They pay $40.00 for each published poem and $.08 per word for fiction. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Here is what they are accepting for the next issue:</span></strong><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> “Re fiction for the February 2011 issue</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(reading cycle December 28-February 14): we will be accepting both longer works and flash fiction, literary and genre work. Writers may submit up to two (2) flash pieces but are asked to submit only one (1) longer work (piece over 1000 words).</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Writers Write. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">They also submit their work.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Check out this online magazine! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/index.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The Pedestal Magazine</span></a></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9039554872630951929.post-15333604851259541852010-12-07T04:32:00.000-08:002010-12-07T04:32:54.884-08:00PATCH<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0e774a;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0e774a;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aWFRLajzG3x43ZpNDa7ZRoR_MaaYE1MGVEu25wkAv0BGq4TGgovuxJ89XZSaQoHKfE3bdrgYy3iCwmFToCEq3yudcQdSNoT8sA3o3hMpcNK7a5DMtZDzF_EcwawsoPK79mXwBAWHYCU/s1600/patch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aWFRLajzG3x43ZpNDa7ZRoR_MaaYE1MGVEu25wkAv0BGq4TGgovuxJ89XZSaQoHKfE3bdrgYy3iCwmFToCEq3yudcQdSNoT8sA3o3hMpcNK7a5DMtZDzF_EcwawsoPK79mXwBAWHYCU/s1600/patch.png" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0e774a;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Check out <a href="http://www.patch.com/">PATCH! </a>I first read a<a href="http://www.thewmfreelanceconnection.com/search/label/writing%20opportunities"> review</a> of this online local news publication and then checked out their website. It’s quite impressive!</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0e774a;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.patch.com/">PATCH</a>, created and sponsored by AOL, is a “hyper-local news initiative”. It started locally (I’m not sure where) and is quickly spreading all over the USA. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I found this publication because I was looking for paying writing jobs (outside my now familiar territory of article mills) and came across a really good resource that I also want to share here – it’s called<a href="http://www.thewmfreelanceconnection.com/"> The WM Freelance Writer’s Connection.</a> This is also definitely worth your time. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But for now, let me tell you a little more about <a href="http://www.patch.com/">PATCH</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.patch.com/">PATCH </a>pays between $50 and $300 per article! Yeah, that sure beats the article mills! They also have a good reputation for both quality articles and respect for their writers. If you go to the <a href="http://www.patch.com/">PATCH</a> site, you will learn about the company; if you go to one of their publications, you can see examples of their products. For example, I thought this edition of the <a href="http://www.patchhawaii.org/">Honolulu PATCH</a> was really cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Unfortunately <a href="http://www.patch.com/">PATCH</a> isn’t in all 50 states yet and it isn’t in Indiana where I live. Check out the <a href="http://www.patch.com/">PATCH</a> map to see if there is one in your state. If there is, read some of the articles and decide how you can contribute. If there isn’t, well, you can a) keep your eyes peeled for this publication to arrive locally, or b) be proactive in getting <a href="http://www.patch.com/">PATCH</a> in your neck of the woods. There is a link on their homepage to learn how to initiate <a href="http://www.patch.com/">PATCH</a> in your state. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Either way, <a href="http://www.patch.com/">PATCH </a>is well work looking in to. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So is <a href="http://www.thewmfreelanceconnection.com/">The WM Freelancer Writer’s Connection!</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Check them out and let me know what you think.<o:p></o:p></span></div></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01739857145252613233noreply@blogger.com0