Early Warning

We've been having a lot of fun haven't we? I write most everyday, and you come over and read. It works for me. It felt synergistic, didn't it? I am more disciplined than ever about writing every day.

What you don't yet know, is that 40 days from today, I will have completed my one lap around the sun. I thought it only fair to give you a heads up.

Maybe I'll keep going like this, another lap around the sun.

Maybe I will start another blog... the "Margins Blog". It's for people who leave room in their lives for things to happen. They aren't so duty bound to their schedule, they aren't legalistic about daily attendance... I'm thinking about it and a few other opportunitues. I've been asked to post on the Music and Arts forum and I'd be honered to do that. If all the daily blogging were channelled into filler articles for one year, I might develop an income base. I think it's a worthy goal.

I'm weighing the options. You've been a really faithful reader, so whatever I decide, I promise to let you know. I won't leave you hanging if there is anyway around it, okay?

Of course, if you have an opinion, I'd love to hear it.

Kind Words

I'm sure it isn't because the snow is falling that I am already feeling something of the Christmas Spirit hitting me.
I was in the grocery check out line of the Peach Lady this week. I asked her how people were treating her. She said she wasn't getting enough hours at work. She wondered aloud if she ought to be trying to find another job?
"I don't know, I said. "The big three are in big trouble, and if they start letting people go, that's even more people looking for a job. Seems like you got a good thing going here, ya know? People have to eat."
"You think I should stay?"
"We'll just pray to the Good Lord for more hours."
"Wow, you've really helped me," she said. I thought she might be kidding. But she was practically gushing. "I think I just need to adjust my attitude and keep on. Thank you, I'm not even kidding."
"You're welcome. You have a good holiday if I don't get back here before then."
"You too! Have the best day in the world. Really. I mean it."

Wow.

Two Rejections Closer

You can’t win if you don’t play!
I see the slogans in the window of a convenience store. They are talking about the state lottery. I’ve never been a big gambler, or a small gambler when it comes to giving my money for a chance. If someone wants to raffle off of quilt, or a motorcycle, or even a house, I may buy a ticket. The money usually goes to a charity, an individual or a benefit fund. It seems, I don't know, more dignified somehow.
But, to some extent, I gamble in a different way. I write essays and then attempt to market them. I write queries to magazine and send them out.

An acquaintance of mine likes to keep “13 in play at all times.” That means she’s got 13 possible sales out there attempting to bring a check. I like that idea. When I implemented the idea, I liked watching the outgoing number rise. Of course, my expectation that an assignment or check will come in should rise as that number goes higher. I’m hopeful that as I become more consistent in keeping 13+ in play my income will reflect an increase. But there's an downside.
With an increase in submissions, comes the increase in rejections.
And now, I am two rejections closer to a Yes.

Persevering

Few things are impossible to diligence and skill.

Great works are performed

not by strength, but perseverance.
~Samuel Johnson

Instant Awake

It’s been just over a decade since I awakened to the little voice calling me “Mommy”. It’s as if the word itself is the cue for a spotlight to shine on me. And heeeeeeeeeere’s ...Mommy!
 I slept without moving, lulled by the cloudy sky’s faraway thunder and constant dripping rain outside our window. It’s the kind of sleep that makes you want to roll over and keep sleeping. The kind of beautiful not-a-care-in-the-world sleep where you’ve temporarily forgotten the work week has just begun. The kind of sleep that one wishes for on Saturdays and holidays.
But at six a.m. my youngest, now 17, tiptoed into my room, to my side of the bed. I’d slept past the 5a.m.wakeup time.
“Mommy?” I have slept through alarm clocks upon occasion. I have even forgotten to set them. and in recent years I’ve let my circadian rhythm, nearly perfected after all these years, wake me up at a now routine time. Very few things cause it to fail, sickness, time changes or jetlag, though I admit, all alarms have failed at some point. But my eyes never fail to pop wide open and my mind to be so crystal clear as the utterance of that single word.
“Mommy?” She surveyed my face trying to interpret if I was angry, worried or, really awake.
“What is it?” Thankfully there was no immediate crisis. Although her presence in my room meant something significant was afoot.
“There’s no coffee,” she said, stoneware coffee mug in hand. Then an afterthought. “And it’s 6 o’clock.”
I’m glad she gave me the important news first. And I was thankful for the unplanned extra hour of sleep. It made rushing around getting everyone ready for the day’s destiny a little easier to handle.

Did you ever have one of those desperate weeks where the flow just doesn't arrive? I really thought I was, what with Dr. appointments and various errands that needed run. But when I look over my shoulder, I realize I'm farther ahead than I thought.

I started my week with the rewrites of Alyce Times One. because I had such clarity about where it needed to go after the two readings. My notes for both nights were almost identical. The segues needed a little tweaking and some chatter needed trimmed. I suppose I cut four pages... I love it but haven't exhaled yet. I'm waiting for my co-writer's opinion before I start patting myself on the back.

I purchased Collins Australian Gem Thesaurus. It's barely bigger than a double pack of playing cards and very handy. Half price books. I haven't ever seen one in the states before, so I don't know how readily available they are...

My client's MS has been transformed and the second round edits are less time consuming than the original version. It's amazing the difference of one who willingly accepts the corrections as opposed to one who will not even entertain the idea that they need corrected. Out of six chapters, there are two to go and then I can return it to her.
The writing improved exponentially. She's truly impressive.

My interview with an exciting and forward thinking Public Relations "diva"
from the North and East Coast took just under two hours. I'm in the process of transcribing every word now to build an article around her for her information packet (a paying gig)and a few mags. If I start feeling sorry for myself, I'll have to remember her story.

I have just begun receiving rejections from the first tier of women's mags regarding another interview. I will begin querying the second tier next week.

I'm on track, I guess. I even have two more article ideas I can market that I've already collected some information for. How is your week finishing up?

Finish Strong

It’s August. We’re a little better than halfway through the year, and it seems like a good time to take out that list of goals we wrote out earlier, in January, and blow the dust off of them. (Hey back there, do I hear whining?)

I stumbled upon mine yesterday while trying to find a printer driver disc. The list laid out most days, ignored, to be glanced in a moment and prompt me to keep on track. In all honesty, another paper had been laid on it “temporarily” (three months ago) blocking my view and of course, all progress.

The last time I even thought about it was before summer started. I’ve managed to keep up with three out of… sixteen goals: write every day, blog twice a week and read aloud in writers group. As of a week ago, I'd gotten on track with six additional ones almost by osmosis.

Needless to say, a few things that I thought priorities six months ago have more or less taken a back seat due to a couple setbacks. If I scratch those until next year, all of which have to do with a book, it knocks off three. Now I’m doing better than half of my list. I have not read two books a week, more like two books a month. Even my magazines lay unfinished.

So far, my goal of 100 “sent” a year is currently at 32 (instead of 64). I can still meet 100 if I send 17 per month for the rest of the year. I’m hoping for a much better next year. I aspire to be on track and get to my five a week goal. If I could maintain that through from now through May, I’d be into a hundred before Summer hit.

Crazy as it sounds, I’m only concerned with getting the words out, and that isn't the goal. What in the world might happen if I actually get replies andmags want me to write for them?
It sounds like the beginning of a career...