I write a column for the Children's Miracle Network of Greater Kansas City newsletter. This is what appears in the October issue.
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“In everything give thanks.”
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I’ve a blue and rustic wooden sign emblazoned with those words. In everything, it says.
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We give thanks for the good of life, don’t we? The things that bring us joy. For what we want and have attained, for things that make us look and feel great. For doing well. For that which makes us laugh, what makes our hearts love, our spirits grow.
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But give thanks for adversity? For disappointment? For sickness, loss, fear, heartache?
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Well, yes. We should. Because it’s the adversity that makes us stronger. Disappointment pushes us forward. Loss leads to cherished memories. Heartache redirects to healing, and loving again.
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It’s all of what makes us who we are.
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We should be thankful for everything.
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I stand by these words, even with the gamut of emotion and change in my life the last couple years.
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I am thankful.
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Are you?
Showing posts with label column. Show all posts
Showing posts with label column. Show all posts
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Tuesday's Stuff and Things
LOVE this picture!
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I spent a large part of yesterday priming and painting our loft. It looks so great, and I'm pretty sure our carpet will be laid come Saturday... which means I could move in to and decorate both my bedroom AND my writing/reading nook by this time next week. I've been waiting for this for a long time and I can't wait!
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Last week I decided I wasn't happy with my start on Novel 2. A (big) aspect of the plot was leaving me unenthused, and I couldn't stop drawing parallels between the main character and someone I know in real life - which wasn't a good thing. I spent the weekend debating whether I needed to toss it out completely or set it aside for awhile, but ultimately decided the root story is one that needs telling (in short, a man's faith is tested when his world is turned upside-down). So I made a fat tweak, got some great input from misterwrites, and am prepared to get some work done this week. Wahoo.
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Last Tuesday the newspaper in which my humor column appears came in the mail. But yet my column was nowhere to be found. I'm near certain it was an oversight, but I can't be sure because my editor has yet to respond to my inquiry. Normally I'd be quick to let assumptions carry me away, but she frequently travels for her job and can't check in, so I'm trying to be patient. I'd sure like to know where my column is, though...
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I've started my Christmas list, which includes a flash drive and several books, including Kimmi's debut, The Unbreakable Child. You can preorder it if you like... just follow one of the links on her blog. Best of luck with everything Kimmi!
What's goin' on your Christmas list this year?
Anything happening for you this fine Tuesday?
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
And The Answer Is...
So in response to this entry from Sunday, 9 people (click on their names for their links) asked really great questions. (Although, one really wasn't a question per se. Janet.) Here they are, in the order they were posted, with my answers.
And my sincere apologies for the length of this post. My husband would say that, as always, I could have been much tidier and more efficient with my explanations. But that’s a writer for you, eh?
Travis Erwin: I believe you've mentioned living on or near a lake. How's the fishing, and what kind of fish are predominately sought?
We live at a 600+ acre lake in the Midwest, alongside peace and beauty. My husband fishes occasionally, not for sport but for recreation. We have the same fish as you do in Texas: bass, carp, crappie, bluegill, and catfish (our lake paper just reported a couple caught a 39 lb. flathead, though I'm not sure what the record is). We're also far enough north to have walleye, which I hear fishermen in these parts talk about often.
Janet: Questions with Qualman? This is queer. I quail at the thought, I quiver in fear. Will you quibble with my queries, quell my questions of quotidian quirks? What a quandary. Shall it cause quarrels? I lay down my quaking quill. I am not qualified.
Quite.
Joshua: well....since you answered my rash question lol… Do you find it hard balancing writing, being a wife, being a mother, and making brownies?
Absolutely, it’s difficult. Being a stay-at-home-mom is the greatest of my blessings and priorities, but I don’t want that to be all I do. I don’t want to lose sight of who I am aside from Mommy and what my desires are. So, balance is crucial to me, though I often feel I fall short of attaining it. It seems like something’s always got to give. I’d like to devote equal parts of time and energy to all aspects of my life, but there are most certainly days where my focus skews. My daughters always get that one part of me; the part that fixes their meals, guides their activities, hugs and snuggles, helps them in the bathroom, answers their questions, reads books, etc... But “extras,” like sitting down at the computer to play a game together, or going to the park, or doing a craft, are traded off with the other parts of my life. Some days, because of tasks and demands, I spend a lot of time on homemaker things. Other days, dishes and laundry fall to the wayside and I focus on whatever writing project has my interest and drive. And somewhere in there is physical and emotional support for my husband. Some falls under my homemaking role, like keeping his work clothes clean (he’s working 6 days a week, 12 hrs+, and can’t possibly do it himself) and fulfilling his desire for all things baked. The emotional support is easiest, because we talk several times a day, and I’m always ready with an ear and (usually) a back rub (when he's actually home). I know I’ll be able to strike a better balance once both girls are in school and I have several uninterrupted hours a day, but until then I have to try to juggle it all through the course of each week.
Still, I feel like I’m able to get quite a bit of writing done, which I’ll get into more down in Melanie’s question.
Oh, and there’s always time for brownie making… ;)
Joanne: You've mentioned writing a column. Can you give us some details on that ... how often, subject, topics you've covered, things like that? I think that's a nice facet of a writing career.
Great question, Joanne! I created and write a column called Every Mom’s Column. It’s a humor piece appearing quarterly, based on my life as a mom, and I write it in the vein of Erma Bombeck’s style. (I love her writing.) My goal is to share anecdotes and experiences in a relatable way, one that will leave moms laughing and feeling good about motherhood. Every Mom’s Column is put out in our county’s health department newspaper, which is printed by the local publisher. Having first proposed the article to the publisher himself and getting no response (at all), I approached the health department (who holds creative control) directly, who thought it a great idea and signed me on. I’d put time and energy into seeking syndication with the column (or a larger pub) if I wasn’t trying to make something of myself as a novelist. Still, the kinds of writing that appear in my column (which I’ll give examples of below in Terri’s question) are a passion of mine.
Angie Ledbetter: I've got a long research list of possible women's fiction agents if ya wanna copy! How's the hunt going?
Thanks, Angie! AgentQuery.com has become my best friend, it seems. I’ve found many who might be a good match, though none (yet) who seem to feel the same. My women’s fiction currently has a dozen rejections, and I have quite a few more out… several of which enough time has passed and I expect to hear nothing. So it’s with wavering confidence and strengthening anxiety that I continue. I did decide last night to take anothe swipe at my query letter, make some new changes. Will be working on that...
WendyCinNYC: How's your daughter liking school so far? How did you meet misterwrites?
She’s loving it! Her little friends and the daily routine fill her with excitement, and she’s experiencing so much. She’s also learning that not every experience is perfect, because one of the teachers rubs her the wrong way. I’m using it as a opportunity to teach her that we’ll always have disagreeable people in our lives; people who aren’t nice no matter the circumstance, and all you can do is smile and go on about your day.
A close friend of mine in high school (still a dear friend today) had a block of college classes with misterwrites freshman year. One day she said, “Janna, I know a guy, and you’d be perfect for each other.” So she told me about him, and him about me. Soon we had a blind date… A month later we knew we were serious. Got married almost two years later. And our 9th wedding anniversary is in two weeks. :)
Terri Tiffany: I can't wait to read all the answers!! I wondered about your column too--can we read some?
Since it’s printed in a small publication it's not available online. But I once posted my introductory installment on AW, here, and posted one here on Blogger several weeks ago. Let me know what you think. :)
colbymarshall: If you could name yourself anything other than Janna, what would your name be?
What if I told you I always liked the name Hortense Bolivia? *snicker* I teased my husband with that name for both our daughters. In the end, we chose more traditional names. Anyway, to properly answer your question… I like the name Valerie. And maybe that’s because I was thisclose to being a Valerie. It was just a few weeks before I was born that close friends of my parents' had their girl and stole the name. So I became Janna.
Melanie Avila: Phew! I'm getting in just under the wire. Friday my cousin and I were discussing you over lunch (all good, I swear). As we watched her boys run laps around the table, screaming, she said she can't figure out how you manage to write as much as you do with two little ones. She thought perhaps the fact that they are girls means they aren't QUITE as rowdy, so I'm curious what you have to say about that.
I would also like to know your favorite place to buy clothes. Not your dream place, but where most of them come from. (In the states I'm a Limited/Gap kind of girl.)
Sometimes I have no idea how I manage. My girls are, I think, just as rowdy as the next kids, especially my five-year-old. I guess it’s pertinent to say I rarely have thoughts that aren’t interrupted, and I’m forever having to take a break from my writing and get back to it later. [In example, when I wrote this post yesterday, it took stolen snatches of time over a five-hour period, between lunch, laundry, dishes, phone calls, running to school, talking with the contractor, helping my three-year-old in the bathroom A LOT, changing said three-year-old's clothes A LOT (because she wants to be a princess! no, no, she wants to be a Cheetah Girl!), checking in on Blogger, Facebook and MySpace, and vacuuming up crickets (it’s a part-time job).] Small snippets come to me throughout the day, so it seems I’m often hopping up and down from my desk to get them down. It’s horribly sporadic. (It does help, depending on how you look at it, that my computer is right off our family room, where we spend a large amount of our time. All of that will change once our remodeling is done.) But when one daughter is gone and the other is napping, or they’re engrossed in a favorite movie or game, or they’ve gone to bed and I’ve caught my second wind, that’s when I fill in the larger chunks of my writing. I so wish I had more time like that, but it’s such a hard thing when they’re little. I try not to wish away time, or dream too much about my days when they’re both in school, but a fairly big part of me does look forward to it.
Where do I shop most? Hmm. That’s tough because I frequent so many discount stores, and a lot of my clothing comes from them. (By “discount” I don’t mean Wal-Mart – though they get a large amount of our money – but places who receive overstocks and misplaced freight, of which they then seriously reduce the prices.) But as for retail, probably Target and Kohls most often. And I love Old Navy.
Wow, that's a horribly long blog. Tell me honestly, did you read it all or skim? Perhaps I should make up for it with very short, very simple posts for the next few days...
Thanks for participating! I had fun!
And my sincere apologies for the length of this post. My husband would say that, as always, I could have been much tidier and more efficient with my explanations. But that’s a writer for you, eh?
Travis Erwin: I believe you've mentioned living on or near a lake. How's the fishing, and what kind of fish are predominately sought?
We live at a 600+ acre lake in the Midwest, alongside peace and beauty. My husband fishes occasionally, not for sport but for recreation. We have the same fish as you do in Texas: bass, carp, crappie, bluegill, and catfish (our lake paper just reported a couple caught a 39 lb. flathead, though I'm not sure what the record is). We're also far enough north to have walleye, which I hear fishermen in these parts talk about often.
Janet: Questions with Qualman? This is queer. I quail at the thought, I quiver in fear. Will you quibble with my queries, quell my questions of quotidian quirks? What a quandary. Shall it cause quarrels? I lay down my quaking quill. I am not qualified.
Quite.
Joshua: well....since you answered my rash question lol… Do you find it hard balancing writing, being a wife, being a mother, and making brownies?
Absolutely, it’s difficult. Being a stay-at-home-mom is the greatest of my blessings and priorities, but I don’t want that to be all I do. I don’t want to lose sight of who I am aside from Mommy and what my desires are. So, balance is crucial to me, though I often feel I fall short of attaining it. It seems like something’s always got to give. I’d like to devote equal parts of time and energy to all aspects of my life, but there are most certainly days where my focus skews. My daughters always get that one part of me; the part that fixes their meals, guides their activities, hugs and snuggles, helps them in the bathroom, answers their questions, reads books, etc... But “extras,” like sitting down at the computer to play a game together, or going to the park, or doing a craft, are traded off with the other parts of my life. Some days, because of tasks and demands, I spend a lot of time on homemaker things. Other days, dishes and laundry fall to the wayside and I focus on whatever writing project has my interest and drive. And somewhere in there is physical and emotional support for my husband. Some falls under my homemaking role, like keeping his work clothes clean (he’s working 6 days a week, 12 hrs+, and can’t possibly do it himself) and fulfilling his desire for all things baked. The emotional support is easiest, because we talk several times a day, and I’m always ready with an ear and (usually) a back rub (when he's actually home). I know I’ll be able to strike a better balance once both girls are in school and I have several uninterrupted hours a day, but until then I have to try to juggle it all through the course of each week.
Still, I feel like I’m able to get quite a bit of writing done, which I’ll get into more down in Melanie’s question.
Oh, and there’s always time for brownie making… ;)
Joanne: You've mentioned writing a column. Can you give us some details on that ... how often, subject, topics you've covered, things like that? I think that's a nice facet of a writing career.
Great question, Joanne! I created and write a column called Every Mom’s Column. It’s a humor piece appearing quarterly, based on my life as a mom, and I write it in the vein of Erma Bombeck’s style. (I love her writing.) My goal is to share anecdotes and experiences in a relatable way, one that will leave moms laughing and feeling good about motherhood. Every Mom’s Column is put out in our county’s health department newspaper, which is printed by the local publisher. Having first proposed the article to the publisher himself and getting no response (at all), I approached the health department (who holds creative control) directly, who thought it a great idea and signed me on. I’d put time and energy into seeking syndication with the column (or a larger pub) if I wasn’t trying to make something of myself as a novelist. Still, the kinds of writing that appear in my column (which I’ll give examples of below in Terri’s question) are a passion of mine.
Angie Ledbetter: I've got a long research list of possible women's fiction agents if ya wanna copy! How's the hunt going?
Thanks, Angie! AgentQuery.com has become my best friend, it seems. I’ve found many who might be a good match, though none (yet) who seem to feel the same. My women’s fiction currently has a dozen rejections, and I have quite a few more out… several of which enough time has passed and I expect to hear nothing. So it’s with wavering confidence and strengthening anxiety that I continue. I did decide last night to take anothe swipe at my query letter, make some new changes. Will be working on that...
WendyCinNYC: How's your daughter liking school so far? How did you meet misterwrites?
She’s loving it! Her little friends and the daily routine fill her with excitement, and she’s experiencing so much. She’s also learning that not every experience is perfect, because one of the teachers rubs her the wrong way. I’m using it as a opportunity to teach her that we’ll always have disagreeable people in our lives; people who aren’t nice no matter the circumstance, and all you can do is smile and go on about your day.
A close friend of mine in high school (still a dear friend today) had a block of college classes with misterwrites freshman year. One day she said, “Janna, I know a guy, and you’d be perfect for each other.” So she told me about him, and him about me. Soon we had a blind date… A month later we knew we were serious. Got married almost two years later. And our 9th wedding anniversary is in two weeks. :)
Terri Tiffany: I can't wait to read all the answers!! I wondered about your column too--can we read some?
Since it’s printed in a small publication it's not available online. But I once posted my introductory installment on AW, here, and posted one here on Blogger several weeks ago. Let me know what you think. :)
colbymarshall: If you could name yourself anything other than Janna, what would your name be?
What if I told you I always liked the name Hortense Bolivia? *snicker* I teased my husband with that name for both our daughters. In the end, we chose more traditional names. Anyway, to properly answer your question… I like the name Valerie. And maybe that’s because I was thisclose to being a Valerie. It was just a few weeks before I was born that close friends of my parents' had their girl and stole the name. So I became Janna.
Melanie Avila: Phew! I'm getting in just under the wire. Friday my cousin and I were discussing you over lunch (all good, I swear). As we watched her boys run laps around the table, screaming, she said she can't figure out how you manage to write as much as you do with two little ones. She thought perhaps the fact that they are girls means they aren't QUITE as rowdy, so I'm curious what you have to say about that.
I would also like to know your favorite place to buy clothes. Not your dream place, but where most of them come from. (In the states I'm a Limited/Gap kind of girl.)
Sometimes I have no idea how I manage. My girls are, I think, just as rowdy as the next kids, especially my five-year-old. I guess it’s pertinent to say I rarely have thoughts that aren’t interrupted, and I’m forever having to take a break from my writing and get back to it later. [In example, when I wrote this post yesterday, it took stolen snatches of time over a five-hour period, between lunch, laundry, dishes, phone calls, running to school, talking with the contractor, helping my three-year-old in the bathroom A LOT, changing said three-year-old's clothes A LOT (because she wants to be a princess! no, no, she wants to be a Cheetah Girl!), checking in on Blogger, Facebook and MySpace, and vacuuming up crickets (it’s a part-time job).] Small snippets come to me throughout the day, so it seems I’m often hopping up and down from my desk to get them down. It’s horribly sporadic. (It does help, depending on how you look at it, that my computer is right off our family room, where we spend a large amount of our time. All of that will change once our remodeling is done.) But when one daughter is gone and the other is napping, or they’re engrossed in a favorite movie or game, or they’ve gone to bed and I’ve caught my second wind, that’s when I fill in the larger chunks of my writing. I so wish I had more time like that, but it’s such a hard thing when they’re little. I try not to wish away time, or dream too much about my days when they’re both in school, but a fairly big part of me does look forward to it.
Where do I shop most? Hmm. That’s tough because I frequent so many discount stores, and a lot of my clothing comes from them. (By “discount” I don’t mean Wal-Mart – though they get a large amount of our money – but places who receive overstocks and misplaced freight, of which they then seriously reduce the prices.) But as for retail, probably Target and Kohls most often. And I love Old Navy.
Wow, that's a horribly long blog. Tell me honestly, did you read it all or skim? Perhaps I should make up for it with very short, very simple posts for the next few days...
Thanks for participating! I had fun!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tuesday's Stuff and Things #3
What a beautiful day! As we headed to school this morning the temperature was in the mid-60s. I took a cup of chai tea along for the drive, and my day couldn't have started better. Now, as I sit catching up online, I'm eating a breakfast of champions: leftover chicken alfredo. *shrugs* I'm picky with my breakfast foods, and I figured this was better than nothing. Right?
So I promised to post pictures. Since I've talked about our remodeling and my new space (Janna's Writing and Reading Nook - just saying it makes me squee!), I thought I'd show you the progress. Here's the space from the top of the stairs. To my left is the master bath, behind me the master bedroom.
So I promised to post pictures. Since I've talked about our remodeling and my new space (Janna's Writing and Reading Nook - just saying it makes me squee!), I thought I'd show you the progress. Here's the space from the top of the stairs. To my left is the master bath, behind me the master bedroom.
And here, at the left side of the balcony, is where my floor lamp and big floofy (yes, floofy) reading chair will go. Maybe, just maybe, in another few weeks I can show you completed pictures. Yippee!
I'm writing the next installment of my column. (For those who may not know, I write a humor column with a motherhood theme. It appears in a local paper, quarterly.) My topic this go round is being an embarrassing mom. You know, the standard stuff, like licking your finger to wipe chocolate from your daughter's cheek. In the middle of her birthday party. When she's surrounded by friends and family. Got any good anecdotes to share? Surely I'm not the only embarrassing mom these days... *
In yesterday's post, I mentioned I would talk about feelin' the burn today. You see, I have this rash-- No, no. Wrong topic. I was going to tell you I've really been feeling that desire to push myself with my writing. I've admittedly slacked off recently, what with the end of summer, and having queries out but not being ready to send another batch. But it's time to move ahead, seeking my goals. I'm going to research more agents today and send another few queries. And I've got to move ahead with the other writing projects I keep talking about. After all, I'm not going to find what I'm looking for if all I do is think about writing. It's got to be about doing.
And that's it, folks. I think I'm gonna go try my new English Toffee cappuccino mix (I have my doubts since it's a mix). I'll let you know how it is.
Have a great day!
* I haven't really done that. Yet.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
A Break From The "Serious"
With 9 queries out, I'm taking a break. I don't want to get too many sent out and exhaust my agent search this early, so I've got to force myself to think about other things.
Yeah, right.
Got any suggestions?
In the meantime, the latest installment of my column came yesterday. It's a smaller, local publication, so there's no link to give, but I'll post it here. Should be good for a distracting laugh (at my expense). From Every Mom's Column in The Buzz, Summer 2008 edition.
***
I think I might quite possibly be the clumsiest person ever. Sometimes I know the origination of and reason for an injury, but often times I find surprise bumps or bruises and wonder, “How’d that get there?” I’ve rammed into open doors (car and cabinet), smooshed fingers (and not just my own), fallen on the steps (going up and going down), and done other silly things… like land face-down on the floor because a teeny—but sneaky—swatch of carpet tripped me up. It’s a wonder—a big wonder—I’ve never broken a bone. I’d knock on wood here, this second, but likely I’d wind up hurt.
What got me thinking on this was an MRI I had recently. MRI, in my case, stands for Motherhood-Related Injury. It’s an injury I’ve sustained merely because I’m a mother. A clutzy mother. And it directly (or indirectly) relates to a kid (or not).
The night was seemingly moonless and pitch black, filled with slumbering quiet. I was fast asleep, perhaps dreaming of iced mochas or the clearance rack at Target, when my heart jolted me awake.
“Mommy! MOMMY!”
It was my toddler, crying hysterically from the top of the stairs. Panicked from my bed, I hastily grabbed my glasses from the nightstand. Throwing them up my nose, I rounded the bed, aiming to breeze through the family room to the stairs. But in my groggy—and I can’t stress this enough: clumsy—state, I cut the corner a smidge too closely. Just there, where the wall extends adjacent to my door, housing a built-in bookshelf, I met the flat, solid expanse with a great, loud force.
WHAM!
My body bounced backward and my glasses sprung from their perch, landing—surely broken, I thought—off in the distance. My hands found my poor nose as I bellered into the night, “I think I broke my nose!”
My husband, none too concerned with yet another of my self-inflictions, snuffled a bit and rolled over. Grumbling and hurt, I righted myself, retrieved my glasses (still intact!) and continued—ever so slowly—to the stairs.
In the few seconds between my collision and the journey upstairs, wouldn’t you know it, my daughter calmed herself. So I tucked her back into bed and made my way to the closest mirror. Just what I’d suspected: My nose had had a good battering. I doctored it up, hoping to keep any swelling or discoloration at bay. And as it turned out, by morning time I had very little to show for my midnight accident. Just a small boo-boo with some tender, very faint bruising. It was hardly anything to wink at, and I couldn’t get compassion from anyone.
Which, in all actuality, was just as well. I’d rather keep such incidences quiet, since they’re so embarrassing. So you’re sworn to secrecy. Share the details of this MRI with no one. It’s just between you and me…
***
ETA: Refreshing Yahoo every three minutes to check my inbox for query responses isn't a productive way to spend my time, is it?
Yeah, right.
Got any suggestions?
In the meantime, the latest installment of my column came yesterday. It's a smaller, local publication, so there's no link to give, but I'll post it here. Should be good for a distracting laugh (at my expense). From Every Mom's Column in The Buzz, Summer 2008 edition.
***
I think I might quite possibly be the clumsiest person ever. Sometimes I know the origination of and reason for an injury, but often times I find surprise bumps or bruises and wonder, “How’d that get there?” I’ve rammed into open doors (car and cabinet), smooshed fingers (and not just my own), fallen on the steps (going up and going down), and done other silly things… like land face-down on the floor because a teeny—but sneaky—swatch of carpet tripped me up. It’s a wonder—a big wonder—I’ve never broken a bone. I’d knock on wood here, this second, but likely I’d wind up hurt.
What got me thinking on this was an MRI I had recently. MRI, in my case, stands for Motherhood-Related Injury. It’s an injury I’ve sustained merely because I’m a mother. A clutzy mother. And it directly (or indirectly) relates to a kid (or not).
The night was seemingly moonless and pitch black, filled with slumbering quiet. I was fast asleep, perhaps dreaming of iced mochas or the clearance rack at Target, when my heart jolted me awake.
“Mommy! MOMMY!”
It was my toddler, crying hysterically from the top of the stairs. Panicked from my bed, I hastily grabbed my glasses from the nightstand. Throwing them up my nose, I rounded the bed, aiming to breeze through the family room to the stairs. But in my groggy—and I can’t stress this enough: clumsy—state, I cut the corner a smidge too closely. Just there, where the wall extends adjacent to my door, housing a built-in bookshelf, I met the flat, solid expanse with a great, loud force.
WHAM!
My body bounced backward and my glasses sprung from their perch, landing—surely broken, I thought—off in the distance. My hands found my poor nose as I bellered into the night, “I think I broke my nose!”
My husband, none too concerned with yet another of my self-inflictions, snuffled a bit and rolled over. Grumbling and hurt, I righted myself, retrieved my glasses (still intact!) and continued—ever so slowly—to the stairs.
In the few seconds between my collision and the journey upstairs, wouldn’t you know it, my daughter calmed herself. So I tucked her back into bed and made my way to the closest mirror. Just what I’d suspected: My nose had had a good battering. I doctored it up, hoping to keep any swelling or discoloration at bay. And as it turned out, by morning time I had very little to show for my midnight accident. Just a small boo-boo with some tender, very faint bruising. It was hardly anything to wink at, and I couldn’t get compassion from anyone.
Which, in all actuality, was just as well. I’d rather keep such incidences quiet, since they’re so embarrassing. So you’re sworn to secrecy. Share the details of this MRI with no one. It’s just between you and me…
***
ETA: Refreshing Yahoo every three minutes to check my inbox for query responses isn't a productive way to spend my time, is it?
Friday, January 11, 2008
Calling All Erma Bombeck Wannabes
I'm so stoked! I was just visiting my friend Stacey's blog, Flibbety Gibbet, and ran across news about a fantastic writing contest. It's the annual Erma Bombeck Writing Competition!
Adored the world over and locked into history as one of the greatest columnists ever (in my mind), Erma inspired many in the ways of humor writing. I know she's who I try to emulate with my own motherhood-themed essays and quarterly column.
The guidelines for this competition are awesomely ideal, down to the requested word count, which meets my own average count for such pieces. The categories are humor and human interest. We can submit just one entry (so make it your best, people), and it must be previously unpublished. No entry fee, no age limits, yada yada. Click on the above link to see all the rules.
I'm gonna get to work on this. My mind is already working on a topic for the humor category... We have until February 17th, folks. Let's get to writin'! Good luck!
Adored the world over and locked into history as one of the greatest columnists ever (in my mind), Erma inspired many in the ways of humor writing. I know she's who I try to emulate with my own motherhood-themed essays and quarterly column.
The guidelines for this competition are awesomely ideal, down to the requested word count, which meets my own average count for such pieces. The categories are humor and human interest. We can submit just one entry (so make it your best, people), and it must be previously unpublished. No entry fee, no age limits, yada yada. Click on the above link to see all the rules.
I'm gonna get to work on this. My mind is already working on a topic for the humor category... We have until February 17th, folks. Let's get to writin'! Good luck!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
On The Road (to writing) Again
The last few days have been spent stressed and worried about issues at home. Today's a little less hectic and I'm getting back into the groove. I've been searching freelance jobs online and have, along with one last week, submitted two e-mail applications for paid blogging and/or freelance positions. I wait for responses ever-so-patiently.
Still working on my own articles; one is ready to send via snail mail, as soon as my replacement ink cartridge gets here, and another is halfway done, market selected (if I can get their page to come up without error, as it has for a few days now).
I've figured out my plan of action for my next column, as well as gotten official word that this month's is coming out next week. I can't wait to see it! Also thinking about my proposal for a second, unrelated column, which I hope to submit to the appropriate people in the next week.
Haven't looked at the Work In Progress (WIP) for about a week... but still have, what?, two-ish/three weeks in the month? Still time for that.
Whew! I'm digging this. I love throwing myself into the thick of it, trying to get set up with as much work (and success) as possible!
Still working on my own articles; one is ready to send via snail mail, as soon as my replacement ink cartridge gets here, and another is halfway done, market selected (if I can get their page to come up without error, as it has for a few days now).
I've figured out my plan of action for my next column, as well as gotten official word that this month's is coming out next week. I can't wait to see it! Also thinking about my proposal for a second, unrelated column, which I hope to submit to the appropriate people in the next week.
Haven't looked at the Work In Progress (WIP) for about a week... but still have, what?, two-ish/three weeks in the month? Still time for that.
Whew! I'm digging this. I love throwing myself into the thick of it, trying to get set up with as much work (and success) as possible!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Tweakin' The Goals
Is anyone getting tired of talk about goals yet? I'm almost wearing myself out...
The forums at AbsoluteWrite.com, which I've been a part of since September, prove to be an unending network of supportive friends and colleagues. They also serve to push me (and really, all of us collectively) to greater heights with writing. There's a particular thread that's purpose is to note monthly goals, thus holding us accountable for what we accomplish within a (roughly) thirty day time frame. Up until now I've been too intimidated (and scared) to post there, but I got a wild hair last night and set myself up for some things I want to do in January. They are:
1) Add 10k (or more) words to my WIP
2) Brainstorm an idea for my next column (it's quarterly and not due 'til March-ish)
3) Query another local paper about a column similar to the one I already write
4) Submit to at least two anthologies (ie. Chicken Soup and the like)
5) Submit to at least three magazines
Is it common for writers to have so much on their plate? I feel like maybe I'm setting myself up to do too much, but I really do want to chase after all these dreams. And there won't be any better time, right?
The forums at AbsoluteWrite.com, which I've been a part of since September, prove to be an unending network of supportive friends and colleagues. They also serve to push me (and really, all of us collectively) to greater heights with writing. There's a particular thread that's purpose is to note monthly goals, thus holding us accountable for what we accomplish within a (roughly) thirty day time frame. Up until now I've been too intimidated (and scared) to post there, but I got a wild hair last night and set myself up for some things I want to do in January. They are:
1) Add 10k (or more) words to my WIP
2) Brainstorm an idea for my next column (it's quarterly and not due 'til March-ish)
3) Query another local paper about a column similar to the one I already write
4) Submit to at least two anthologies (ie. Chicken Soup and the like)
5) Submit to at least three magazines
Is it common for writers to have so much on their plate? I feel like maybe I'm setting myself up to do too much, but I really do want to chase after all these dreams. And there won't be any better time, right?
Saturday, December 8, 2007
It Can Be Done
So on this, the same day I posted about motivation and finding a balance, I had a quite successful afternoon and evening. I managed to kick myself in gear to: do housework (dishes, laundry, straightening), whip out my next column (!), rid the refrigerator of its rancid leftovers (never my strong suit), play computer games with my oldest, snuggle with my youngest, fix a homemade dinner of meatloaf and the fixin's, and pick up where I'd left off (months ago) in reading John Warner's Fondling Your Muse. Whew! And, blessedly, the day's not over yet. I just wanted to have a looksee at my favorite sites and post this update. Shortly, I'll be moving on to bake chocolate chip cookies (seriously, how can one go wrong with that?) and join my daughers in the veiwing of whichever installment of The Santa Claus is on t.v. tonight. Whew!
Have a blessed night!
Have a blessed night!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
It's Here!
The publication with the first installment of my new column arrived yesterday. How exciting! I ran (up the hill, huffing... I'm no runner) from the mailbox and burst through the door. "It CAME!" I yelled to my husband, who watched my frenzy with the newspaper for a half-second, then returned to his project.
Soon after discovering my treasure amidst sales flyers and a cell-phone bill we had to leave the house. I absorbed the column with new eyes as we drove to our destination. I was nervous, excited, proud. I was grinning like mad. And I was a bit disappointed to see they changed the wording in one of my sentences. Actually, it was supposed to have been two sentences, but they replaced a period with a comma and ran (on) with it. Hmph.
During our excursion I was able to show the article to a friend, who hadn't really been acquainted with my writing yet. I stewed while she quietly read, afraid of what her response might be. Is it really that good? I wondered. Is she gonna think I'm a dork with only mild talents? ...She did seem to like it, but then my string of doubts took over.
Through fits of wakefulness last night I kept thinking I should have included this or That word should have been omitted. I reread it now and, though I'm proud of it, I worry it'll flop. Maybe it won't get the warm welcome I'm hoping for within our community. What if I'm not the next Erma Bombeck? ;)
But I just have to get my mind out of the funk. I have to believe in my writing, right? And I do. I just need to keep remembering that not every single person will enjoy my words. But if I write them true to myself, making them as entertaining as I can, I will have succeeded at my job.
Soon after discovering my treasure amidst sales flyers and a cell-phone bill we had to leave the house. I absorbed the column with new eyes as we drove to our destination. I was nervous, excited, proud. I was grinning like mad. And I was a bit disappointed to see they changed the wording in one of my sentences. Actually, it was supposed to have been two sentences, but they replaced a period with a comma and ran (on) with it. Hmph.
During our excursion I was able to show the article to a friend, who hadn't really been acquainted with my writing yet. I stewed while she quietly read, afraid of what her response might be. Is it really that good? I wondered. Is she gonna think I'm a dork with only mild talents? ...She did seem to like it, but then my string of doubts took over.
Through fits of wakefulness last night I kept thinking I should have included this or That word should have been omitted. I reread it now and, though I'm proud of it, I worry it'll flop. Maybe it won't get the warm welcome I'm hoping for within our community. What if I'm not the next Erma Bombeck? ;)
But I just have to get my mind out of the funk. I have to believe in my writing, right? And I do. I just need to keep remembering that not every single person will enjoy my words. But if I write them true to myself, making them as entertaining as I can, I will have succeeded at my job.
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