I haven't done a meme for a little while now, but Dorit from Pieces of Me just broke my fast by tagging me to write 7 random facts about me.
Here we go:
1) I'm working out on the porch right now. It's a little windy, but sunny and about 70 degrees. Gotta love Colorado weather!
2) Speaking of loving Colorado weather, I'm heliotropic. That means that the weather affects my moods. If it's sunny, I'm happy. When it's overcast or rainy/snowy, I have to fight the urge to stay in bed all day. Apparently a lot of longtime Colorado residents are like this, because we get so used to seeing the sun almost every day.
3) I had my first boyfriend when I was four. He was in my preschool class, and he gave me a purple clip-on earring to remember him by. He kept the other one.
4) I kept that earring through two moves. In fact, it's probably still in my childhood keepsakes box.
5) Sushi is one of my favorite foods.
6) My favorite flowers are roses, preferrably peach in color.
7) My favorite color is blue, which caused a lot of problems when I was really little — back then it was supposed to be a boy's color, even more so than now.
According to the rules, I'm supposed to tag seven people. However, I've never been much of a conformist, so I'm going to break the rules, and grant a break to the usual recipients of my tags. Instead, I'm issuing a general tag to anyone who feels like being tagged — just leave a comment on the post to let us know you've blogged about it!
Showing posts with label memes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label memes. Show all posts
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
Meme: Tips for better blogging
Michele got me back for tagging her for the roaring writers meme: She just tagged me for another meme. The point of this one is to give tips for better blogging.
As a little background, I started this blog in December of 2005, but at that point I already had six months of experience as a paid blogger. But no matter how long you have been blogging, I think there is always more to learn.
Here are my tips for better blogging.
1. Write in a conversational tone. The blogosphere is all about being laid-back. When you blog, imagine your audience as a bunch of your buddies.
2. Keep your posts short. A good guideline is to write posts that are about 300 words in length — long enough to contain useful or entertaining information, but not so long as to lose the reader's interest. (Okay, so this is something I don't always do myself. However, I figure other writers are more likely to read a long post than your average blog reader.)
3. Interact with your readers. Encourage readers to comment on your blog, and respond to comments promptly when you get them. This creates a welcoming atmosphere and encourages readers to come back more often.
4. Mind the fine line between allowing opposition, and allowing your blog to become a hostile place. While as a writer, I'm all about the right to free speech, you also can't allow your blog to become a war zone. Set boundaries, and enforce them by moderating comments.
5. Be keyword-conscious...but not obsessed. The best places for keywords are in your title and the first paragraph of your post. However, if you pay too much attention to keywords, your blog posts will be stilted and uninteresting. Although I write keyword-focused blog posts for clients, I don't pay much attention to it on my own blog — for one, it's more personal than commercial, and for two, I figure if I write about writing, I'll probably get at least a few of the keywords anyway.
6. Read this book: Publish and Propser: Blogging for Business
. Although I've blogged about it before (here and here), it's worth mentioning again, as it is an excellent resource for bloggers at all skill levels.
7. Have fun. Yes, blogging can be a great marketing tool. It can improve your site's ranking and drive traffic to your site. But it is also an enjoyable writing exercise and an opportunity to network with the online community, so have fun with it!
I'm tagging:
1. Kathy Kehrli — with a fun blog like Screw You!, she ought to be able to give us some interesting advice!
2. Debbie Ridpath Ohi, who in addition to her Inkygirl blog, does one of my favorite Wednesday diversions, Will Write For Chocolate
3. Kristen King of Inkthinker
I can't wait to see what tips they have to give!
As a little background, I started this blog in December of 2005, but at that point I already had six months of experience as a paid blogger. But no matter how long you have been blogging, I think there is always more to learn.
Here are my tips for better blogging.
1. Write in a conversational tone. The blogosphere is all about being laid-back. When you blog, imagine your audience as a bunch of your buddies.
2. Keep your posts short. A good guideline is to write posts that are about 300 words in length — long enough to contain useful or entertaining information, but not so long as to lose the reader's interest. (Okay, so this is something I don't always do myself. However, I figure other writers are more likely to read a long post than your average blog reader.)
3. Interact with your readers. Encourage readers to comment on your blog, and respond to comments promptly when you get them. This creates a welcoming atmosphere and encourages readers to come back more often.
4. Mind the fine line between allowing opposition, and allowing your blog to become a hostile place. While as a writer, I'm all about the right to free speech, you also can't allow your blog to become a war zone. Set boundaries, and enforce them by moderating comments.
5. Be keyword-conscious...but not obsessed. The best places for keywords are in your title and the first paragraph of your post. However, if you pay too much attention to keywords, your blog posts will be stilted and uninteresting. Although I write keyword-focused blog posts for clients, I don't pay much attention to it on my own blog — for one, it's more personal than commercial, and for two, I figure if I write about writing, I'll probably get at least a few of the keywords anyway.
6. Read this book: Publish and Propser: Blogging for Business
. Although I've blogged about it before (here and here), it's worth mentioning again, as it is an excellent resource for bloggers at all skill levels.7. Have fun. Yes, blogging can be a great marketing tool. It can improve your site's ranking and drive traffic to your site. But it is also an enjoyable writing exercise and an opportunity to network with the online community, so have fun with it!
I'm tagging:
1. Kathy Kehrli — with a fun blog like Screw You!, she ought to be able to give us some interesting advice!
2. Debbie Ridpath Ohi, who in addition to her Inkygirl blog, does one of my favorite Wednesday diversions, Will Write For Chocolate
3. Kristen King of Inkthinker
I can't wait to see what tips they have to give!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Roaring writers meme
Kathy Kehrli of Screw You! has tagged me for an interesting new meme: Having been tagged with the Roar for Powerful Words Award, I now have to blog about three writing tips and tag five other writers.
According to the Roar for Powerful Words Award page, the idea is for me to list "three things [I] believe are necessary to make writing good and powerful." So here goes:
1. Write about what you believe in (or, conversely, believe in what you write about). I've written copy for topics I don't particularly support, and it sucks. Not only is it difficult to make the copy compelling, but it also makes you feel rather dirty, like the quintessential used car salesman.
2. Write when you are inspired. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't write if you're not inspired, but it does mean that when the light bulb suddenly turns on, when you are hit with a great idea or find yourself writing the material in your head, DO NOT simply take notes and save it for later. When you are feeling the most passionate about the subject, the words will flow out onto the page with little or not effort — but it will take a lot of effort to try to recapture that mood later on.
3. Don't forget to revise! Although I recommend writing when you are most inspired, I also will be the first to admit that passion doesn't always come out neat and clean on the page. When the inspiration hits, get your rough draft down, but plan to go back over it after a period of time has elapsed — after the impassioned frenzy passes, you'll be better able to catch mistakes and see room for improvement.
Sharing the Roar:
I am awarding the Roar for Powerful Words to the following five people:
1. Harmony, because I am SO glad she's back!
2. Amy Derby, because I don't know of anyone who works harder at being a freelancer
3. Michele Tune, who has done amazing things...and survived to write about it
4. Mariella, whose dedication — to her writing, to her family, and to the writing community — I respect very much
5. An honorary Roar goes back to Kathy; even though she has already participated in this meme, I can't deny that her blog is one of the most powerful writer's blogs that I know of.
Have fun!
According to the Roar for Powerful Words Award page, the idea is for me to list "three things [I] believe are necessary to make writing good and powerful." So here goes:
1. Write about what you believe in (or, conversely, believe in what you write about). I've written copy for topics I don't particularly support, and it sucks. Not only is it difficult to make the copy compelling, but it also makes you feel rather dirty, like the quintessential used car salesman.
2. Write when you are inspired. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't write if you're not inspired, but it does mean that when the light bulb suddenly turns on, when you are hit with a great idea or find yourself writing the material in your head, DO NOT simply take notes and save it for later. When you are feeling the most passionate about the subject, the words will flow out onto the page with little or not effort — but it will take a lot of effort to try to recapture that mood later on.
3. Don't forget to revise! Although I recommend writing when you are most inspired, I also will be the first to admit that passion doesn't always come out neat and clean on the page. When the inspiration hits, get your rough draft down, but plan to go back over it after a period of time has elapsed — after the impassioned frenzy passes, you'll be better able to catch mistakes and see room for improvement.
Sharing the Roar:
I am awarding the Roar for Powerful Words to the following five people:
1. Harmony, because I am SO glad she's back!
2. Amy Derby, because I don't know of anyone who works harder at being a freelancer
3. Michele Tune, who has done amazing things...and survived to write about it
4. Mariella, whose dedication — to her writing, to her family, and to the writing community — I respect very much
5. An honorary Roar goes back to Kathy; even though she has already participated in this meme, I can't deny that her blog is one of the most powerful writer's blogs that I know of.
Have fun!
Monday, November 19, 2007
The perfect meme for bookworms
Although I wasn't formally tagged, I'm doing a book meme that I saw on Kathy Kehrli's blog.
1. How many books do you own?
Honestly, I have no idea. Hundreds, I'm sure. The sad thing is how many I have had to get rid of for lack of space. If I weren't constantly under pressure to weed my book collection, I would probably have a thousand or more.
As it is, when I weed my collection, I'll usually give up newer books — even ones I really liked — in favor of vintage or antique books (such as my Brontë collection or my newest oldest book).
2. What was the last book you read?
I just recently finished Principled Profit, by Shel Horowitz. Although I usually read about half fiction, half nonfiction, I realized recently that I'd been on a rather long fiction streak. I'd heard about Shel's book when I attended his chat during the Muse Online Writers Conference, and it was pretty short and unintimidating, so I decided it would be good for reinitiating myself into the world of nonfiction, work-related pleasure reading.
3. What was the last book you purchased?
Olivia, Pajama Time, and Barnyard Dance (for Michael's nephews) and the special illustrated edition of 1776 (for Michael).
I hardly ever buy books for myself anymore. I usually only read them once, so I've started checking them out from the library instead. It saves me lots of money, not to mention the agony of having to decide which ones to get rid of when I run out of space yet again. Besides, having them for a limited amount of time (usually) forces me to get to them a little sooner.
4. What five books are most meaningful to you?
I can't believe someone expects me to know which books, out of the many thousands I've no doubt read, are the most meaningful to me!
The thing that hangs me up is the word meaningful. Not necessarily my favorites, in other words. That's part of why this is so hard.
I can think of one — or actually, seven: C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. These are meaningful to be because I practically grew up on them. I've read each of them a handful of times at least. They are so engraved into my imagination that I actually cried in parts when I saw the recent movie version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in the theater.
5. What is your most obscure favorite book? Or, favorite most obscure book… [Added by Lisa]
This one is easy: Anne Brontë's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Although Anne's work gets much less attention than that of her sisters, I think it is actually better in many ways. For instance, I think her way of addressing social issues is much more ingenious than Charlotte's monologues and narrative tangents in Jane Eyre, and her narrative techniques are at least as effective as Emily's cyclical plot in Wuthering Heights.
Your turn. Like Kathy, I'm not tagging anyone specific. Anyone who reads this is invited to participate. Just leave a link to your post in the comments.
1. How many books do you own?
Honestly, I have no idea. Hundreds, I'm sure. The sad thing is how many I have had to get rid of for lack of space. If I weren't constantly under pressure to weed my book collection, I would probably have a thousand or more.
As it is, when I weed my collection, I'll usually give up newer books — even ones I really liked — in favor of vintage or antique books (such as my Brontë collection or my newest oldest book).
2. What was the last book you read?
I just recently finished Principled Profit, by Shel Horowitz. Although I usually read about half fiction, half nonfiction, I realized recently that I'd been on a rather long fiction streak. I'd heard about Shel's book when I attended his chat during the Muse Online Writers Conference, and it was pretty short and unintimidating, so I decided it would be good for reinitiating myself into the world of nonfiction, work-related pleasure reading.
3. What was the last book you purchased?
Olivia, Pajama Time, and Barnyard Dance (for Michael's nephews) and the special illustrated edition of 1776 (for Michael).
I hardly ever buy books for myself anymore. I usually only read them once, so I've started checking them out from the library instead. It saves me lots of money, not to mention the agony of having to decide which ones to get rid of when I run out of space yet again. Besides, having them for a limited amount of time (usually) forces me to get to them a little sooner.
4. What five books are most meaningful to you?
I can't believe someone expects me to know which books, out of the many thousands I've no doubt read, are the most meaningful to me!
The thing that hangs me up is the word meaningful. Not necessarily my favorites, in other words. That's part of why this is so hard.
I can think of one — or actually, seven: C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. These are meaningful to be because I practically grew up on them. I've read each of them a handful of times at least. They are so engraved into my imagination that I actually cried in parts when I saw the recent movie version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in the theater.
5. What is your most obscure favorite book? Or, favorite most obscure book… [Added by Lisa]
This one is easy: Anne Brontë's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Although Anne's work gets much less attention than that of her sisters, I think it is actually better in many ways. For instance, I think her way of addressing social issues is much more ingenious than Charlotte's monologues and narrative tangents in Jane Eyre, and her narrative techniques are at least as effective as Emily's cyclical plot in Wuthering Heights.
Your turn. Like Kathy, I'm not tagging anyone specific. Anyone who reads this is invited to participate. Just leave a link to your post in the comments.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Too Much Information
Another of Amy Derby's Freelanceaholic posts inspired me: a meme where she (literally!) tells all. Read the comments, too! I can totally relate to Amy's not-caring-what-people-think thing, but sometimes I still wonder later if I should have posted something. Case in point: my belly button post.
Amy's post contains lots of things that are normally taboo to reveal. But you know what? Most of it applies to me, too.
1. Like Amy, I have allergies, though not as severe. When I was a baby, I could only wear one brand of diapers — all the rest gave me a rash. I've had bouts with perfumed lotion, too, where I get red, scaly patches that won't go away until I switch to something else. I can't wear any jewelry except gold, sterling silver, and stainless steel — and then only high-quality stuff, or I develop a nasty rash that takes weeks to go away. And I'm allergic to my darn cats — though don't tell them that!
2. Until I started getting all horsey on a daily basis, I wasn't bathing every day, either. Now I do, but mainly because my hobby is playing with animals that sleep in their poo. I figure writing is not very active, nor very dirty — so if that's all I'm doing, then why bother? (Though my beautiful antique claw foot tub is a really good reason why!)
3. I don't shave every day either. I'll go as long as I can without shaving during fall, winter, and spring (when I never wear shorts, and rarely wear sundresses).
4. I stopped wearing commercial deodorant more than a year ago. D#mn stuff makes me itch; I only put up with it that long because I felt I had to. When I went freelance, I found I didn't really need it: I wasn't very active, and I was never in stressful social situations. However, with all my horse-related activity, I started needing it again, so I'm now experimenting with a natural product (some type of mineral water).
5. I'm not particularly opposed to bras, but like Amy I tend not to wear one all that often. When I was at home all day every day, I just wore those bra top tank tops (with yoga pants) while I worked. However, when I'm active I actually find that wearing a bra is more comfortable, so this is another aspect of my life that has changed since I moved Panama to town.
And two more, just for fun:
6. I don't think I am actually OCD, but I definitely have some OCD tendencies. I have to be "even," for one thing: If I accidentally kick one ankle when I'm walking, I'll literally kick the other so that they both feel the same. It's usually subconscious. Also, I make lists like crazy (though I never follow most of them), and I have things that I have to do a certain way — like folding towels and washcloths, for example. Michael doesn't dare touch the laundry, even when I'm behind on it!
7. I "rescue" spiders when I find them inside (which I do frequently, our house being 87 years old). I catch them in a glass and take them outside. Lately, though, I've gotten lazy — but I still won't kill them, because it makes me feel bad. As a result, we have several spiders that we allow to live with us, just as long as they promise not to go anywhere near the bed.
Stay tuned for the next TMI post: All about my bodily functions.
(Just kidding.)
Amy's post contains lots of things that are normally taboo to reveal. But you know what? Most of it applies to me, too.
1. Like Amy, I have allergies, though not as severe. When I was a baby, I could only wear one brand of diapers — all the rest gave me a rash. I've had bouts with perfumed lotion, too, where I get red, scaly patches that won't go away until I switch to something else. I can't wear any jewelry except gold, sterling silver, and stainless steel — and then only high-quality stuff, or I develop a nasty rash that takes weeks to go away. And I'm allergic to my darn cats — though don't tell them that!
2. Until I started getting all horsey on a daily basis, I wasn't bathing every day, either. Now I do, but mainly because my hobby is playing with animals that sleep in their poo. I figure writing is not very active, nor very dirty — so if that's all I'm doing, then why bother? (Though my beautiful antique claw foot tub is a really good reason why!)
3. I don't shave every day either. I'll go as long as I can without shaving during fall, winter, and spring (when I never wear shorts, and rarely wear sundresses).
4. I stopped wearing commercial deodorant more than a year ago. D#mn stuff makes me itch; I only put up with it that long because I felt I had to. When I went freelance, I found I didn't really need it: I wasn't very active, and I was never in stressful social situations. However, with all my horse-related activity, I started needing it again, so I'm now experimenting with a natural product (some type of mineral water).
5. I'm not particularly opposed to bras, but like Amy I tend not to wear one all that often. When I was at home all day every day, I just wore those bra top tank tops (with yoga pants) while I worked. However, when I'm active I actually find that wearing a bra is more comfortable, so this is another aspect of my life that has changed since I moved Panama to town.
And two more, just for fun:
6. I don't think I am actually OCD, but I definitely have some OCD tendencies. I have to be "even," for one thing: If I accidentally kick one ankle when I'm walking, I'll literally kick the other so that they both feel the same. It's usually subconscious. Also, I make lists like crazy (though I never follow most of them), and I have things that I have to do a certain way — like folding towels and washcloths, for example. Michael doesn't dare touch the laundry, even when I'm behind on it!
7. I "rescue" spiders when I find them inside (which I do frequently, our house being 87 years old). I catch them in a glass and take them outside. Lately, though, I've gotten lazy — but I still won't kill them, because it makes me feel bad. As a result, we have several spiders that we allow to live with us, just as long as they promise not to go anywhere near the bed.
Stay tuned for the next TMI post: All about my bodily functions.
(Just kidding.)
Saturday, November 03, 2007
New meme: If I only had another hour...
Amy Derby of Write-From-Home.com tagged me for a new meme: What would I write if I had an extra hour each day?
I can't tell you how many times I've wished for an extra hour... or two or three or more! Ideally, with an extra hour every day I would spend that hour on fiction — something I am always wanting to write regularly, but a goal that is always overshadowed by that slightly more important goal of making money.
However, to be perfectly honest, it is most likely that my extra hour would be spent blogging and networking — and that's if I spent it in a writerly manner. It is actually quite likely that I would waste that extra hour sleeping in (I'm practically impossible to wake up, as I have super powers that allow me to sleep through alarms, telephones, and all other manners of noise). I also would be likely to spend that extra hour with Panama, who is quite possibly the most addictive (and expensive!) hobby I have ever had.
I've tagged Mariella, Alicia, and — if she's able to return from full-time-workdom for a little bit of meme fun — Harmony.
I can't tell you how many times I've wished for an extra hour... or two or three or more! Ideally, with an extra hour every day I would spend that hour on fiction — something I am always wanting to write regularly, but a goal that is always overshadowed by that slightly more important goal of making money.
However, to be perfectly honest, it is most likely that my extra hour would be spent blogging and networking — and that's if I spent it in a writerly manner. It is actually quite likely that I would waste that extra hour sleeping in (I'm practically impossible to wake up, as I have super powers that allow me to sleep through alarms, telephones, and all other manners of noise). I also would be likely to spend that extra hour with Panama, who is quite possibly the most addictive (and expensive!) hobby I have ever had.
I've tagged Mariella, Alicia, and — if she's able to return from full-time-workdom for a little bit of meme fun — Harmony.
Monday, October 01, 2007
The Random 8 Meme: a.k.a. Tagged with my pants down!
Interesting title for a meme. Anyway, I've been tagged thanks to The Insane Writer. I was confused by the rules of the post, so I traced it back, and apparently it was originally the Random 8 Meme. I'm returning it to the original rules.
Here goes.
The Rules of this tag:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
3. Tag eight people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs.
8 random facts about me:
1. I have a freckle right underneath my belly button.
2. When I was a kid, I thought everyone had a freckle (just like everyone has a belly button), so that's how I drew people.
3. I had Italian bread and cheese soup for dinner.
4. I read 110 pages of Harry Potter 5 the other night in exactly one hour.
5. Jordana Brewster has the exact same birthday as I do.
6. Michael and I went out for sushi for dinner last night. Yum!
7. Until I was in high school I though "fragrance" was pronounced with a short vowel "a" in the first syllable.
8. I think too hard about things like this to write truly random facts about myself.
I'm tagging:
1. Kathy (I always tag Kathy!)
2. Kristen
3. Amy
4. Alicia
5. Julia
6. Debbie
7. Bryan
8. Lorelei (why not?)
Here goes.
The Rules of this tag:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
3. Tag eight people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs.
8 random facts about me:
1. I have a freckle right underneath my belly button.
2. When I was a kid, I thought everyone had a freckle (just like everyone has a belly button), so that's how I drew people.
3. I had Italian bread and cheese soup for dinner.
4. I read 110 pages of Harry Potter 5 the other night in exactly one hour.
5. Jordana Brewster has the exact same birthday as I do.
6. Michael and I went out for sushi for dinner last night. Yum!
7. Until I was in high school I though "fragrance" was pronounced with a short vowel "a" in the first syllable.
8. I think too hard about things like this to write truly random facts about myself.
I'm tagging:
1. Kathy (I always tag Kathy!)
2. Kristen
3. Amy
4. Alicia
5. Julia
6. Debbie
7. Bryan
8. Lorelei (why not?)
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
How to be the Anti-Blogger
Now this is a fun meme! The point is to give "evil blogging advice" guaranteed to make other bloggers hate you and avoid your blog like the plague. Thanks to Alicia for passing this on to me!
How to be the Anti-Blogger: An e-Course in 5 Steps
1) Be really offensive. Offend everyone you possibly can, from the entire range of the spectrum. Rail against pretty much every type of person under the sun. Market yourself as a misanthrope.
2) Blog about politics. Nothing pisses people off faster than politics. Be sure to keep #1 in mind while blogging, though. Don't just write about politics — piss all over everyone else's opinions and beliefs.
3) Humiliate your fellow bloggers. Make fun of them every chance you get. The worse you embarrass them, the better!
4) Complain ALL the time. Write 2000-word posts about each of your complaints. Five thousand words for more significant complaints. Then complain some more about how no one reads your blog.
5) Spam everyone else's blogs and email. Post your link in comments at least a dozen times on each blog. Email your fellow bloggers daily whenever you can harvest their email addresses.
If you follow these five simple steps, you will be sure that not only does no one want to read your blog, but also that they hate you with a passion!
I'm tagging: Deborah Ng, Kathy Kehrli, and Kristen King. I would apologize for double-tagging any of you, but...well, that would go against the "evil" spirit of this meme!
How to be the Anti-Blogger: An e-Course in 5 Steps
1) Be really offensive. Offend everyone you possibly can, from the entire range of the spectrum. Rail against pretty much every type of person under the sun. Market yourself as a misanthrope.
2) Blog about politics. Nothing pisses people off faster than politics. Be sure to keep #1 in mind while blogging, though. Don't just write about politics — piss all over everyone else's opinions and beliefs.
3) Humiliate your fellow bloggers. Make fun of them every chance you get. The worse you embarrass them, the better!
4) Complain ALL the time. Write 2000-word posts about each of your complaints. Five thousand words for more significant complaints. Then complain some more about how no one reads your blog.
5) Spam everyone else's blogs and email. Post your link in comments at least a dozen times on each blog. Email your fellow bloggers daily whenever you can harvest their email addresses.
If you follow these five simple steps, you will be sure that not only does no one want to read your blog, but also that they hate you with a passion!
I'm tagging: Deborah Ng, Kathy Kehrli, and Kristen King. I would apologize for double-tagging any of you, but...well, that would go against the "evil" spirit of this meme!
Monday, April 09, 2007
Another meme: My favorite type of writing
Jess over at the JM Writing blog tagged me for a new meme: What's my favorite type of writing?
This is almost too easy to be a meme. :o) My favorite type of writing is... fiction. Of course, now I have to explain why I write so little of it.
Basically, as a writer who has only been freelancing for two years (full time for a year and a half) I have discover that it pays to follow the money, rather than my dreams. Basically, I'm achieving my dreams in steps. The first step was to make it as a writer, which I did when I worked for ten very long months as a technical writer. The second step was to "go freelance," which I did in October of 2005. The next step will be to devote more of my time to writing fiction, but before I do that I need to establish an income that will let me divide my attentions being directly-paying and potentially non-paying pursuits.
So there you have it: Fiction is my favorite kind of writing. And hopefully, someday (soon) I'll be doing more of it.
I'm returning the favor and tagging...
Harmony at Writer in the Making
scriptgirl at the Writer's Confidant Blog
Alicia at WritingSpark.com
This is almost too easy to be a meme. :o) My favorite type of writing is... fiction. Of course, now I have to explain why I write so little of it.
Basically, as a writer who has only been freelancing for two years (full time for a year and a half) I have discover that it pays to follow the money, rather than my dreams. Basically, I'm achieving my dreams in steps. The first step was to make it as a writer, which I did when I worked for ten very long months as a technical writer. The second step was to "go freelance," which I did in October of 2005. The next step will be to devote more of my time to writing fiction, but before I do that I need to establish an income that will let me divide my attentions being directly-paying and potentially non-paying pursuits.
So there you have it: Fiction is my favorite kind of writing. And hopefully, someday (soon) I'll be doing more of it.
I'm returning the favor and tagging...
Harmony at Writer in the Making
scriptgirl at the Writer's Confidant Blog
Alicia at WritingSpark.com
Monday, February 19, 2007
5 reasons why I blog
There's apparently a new writer's meme going around, and Harmony (Writer in the Making) tagged me for it. The point is to list five reasons why you blog. So, here goes - five reasons why I blog!
1) I love blogging! Personally, I think that's the best reason for blogging, and it's definitely my biggest reason.
2) It's like journaling. There's some debate over whether it helps you write or helps you procrastinate, but journaling is often prescribed to help get the creative juices flowing. Blogging is like that for me, except that it serves more purposes than simply journaling would.
3) It's a great tool for attracting traffic. The vast majority of my website traffic comes in through my blogs. I'm not sure whether the traffic is helping my business, but it's definitely making me better known in the writing community...which brings me to my fourth reason.
4) I like being involved in the online writing community. There's no substitute for the feeling you get when another blogger talks about you as though you're some kind of celebrity. I also think our thriving writing community gives us an advantage in our business lives, as it keeps us connected to one another, gives us the strength to say "Screw You!" to clients who would take advantage of us, and helps to remind us that if even if we work alone, we are not alone in what we do.
5) I like the idea of helping out other writers. Two years ago, I had just started freelancing on the side of a full-time technical writing job, and I was clueless. When I decided to take a chance and freelance full time, I had a better idea of what I was doing, but my only connection to the writing community was Angela Hoy's Writers Weekly. Over time, I started reading blogs written by other writers. The writer I am today can be attributed to a combination of trial and error, and advice from other writers. My blog is my way of "giving back" to the writing community.
So there you have it: five reasons why I blog. I am tagging the following writers to participate in this meme:
Kathy Kehrli, of the infamous Screw You! blog
Debbie Ridpath Ohi, of Will Write For Chocolate and Inkygirl
scriptgirl, of the Writer's Confidant Blog
Have fun!
1) I love blogging! Personally, I think that's the best reason for blogging, and it's definitely my biggest reason.
2) It's like journaling. There's some debate over whether it helps you write or helps you procrastinate, but journaling is often prescribed to help get the creative juices flowing. Blogging is like that for me, except that it serves more purposes than simply journaling would.
3) It's a great tool for attracting traffic. The vast majority of my website traffic comes in through my blogs. I'm not sure whether the traffic is helping my business, but it's definitely making me better known in the writing community...which brings me to my fourth reason.
4) I like being involved in the online writing community. There's no substitute for the feeling you get when another blogger talks about you as though you're some kind of celebrity. I also think our thriving writing community gives us an advantage in our business lives, as it keeps us connected to one another, gives us the strength to say "Screw You!" to clients who would take advantage of us, and helps to remind us that if even if we work alone, we are not alone in what we do.
5) I like the idea of helping out other writers. Two years ago, I had just started freelancing on the side of a full-time technical writing job, and I was clueless. When I decided to take a chance and freelance full time, I had a better idea of what I was doing, but my only connection to the writing community was Angela Hoy's Writers Weekly. Over time, I started reading blogs written by other writers. The writer I am today can be attributed to a combination of trial and error, and advice from other writers. My blog is my way of "giving back" to the writing community.
So there you have it: five reasons why I blog. I am tagging the following writers to participate in this meme:
Kathy Kehrli, of the infamous Screw You! blog
Debbie Ridpath Ohi, of Will Write For Chocolate and Inkygirl
scriptgirl, of the Writer's Confidant Blog
Have fun!
Friday, February 02, 2007
My writer's self-contract - join the meme!
There's a new meme going around, where writers are posting contracts with themselves. Kathy Kehrli cheated and tagged everybody who reads her blog (tsk, tsk), so I am posting my own self-contract.
I, Katharine Swan, do hereby agree to the terms of this contract with myself, effective immediately upon posting.
I will hold myself to be a professional writer, and act accordingly in all dealings with clients and potential clients. I will strike the word "employer" from my vocabular, and remember that the only person I work for is myself. I will endeavor to uphold my own standards of pay and the quality of my work at all times.
As a professional, I also understand that my goal must be not just to write, but to grow. I will endeavor to take every opportunity to challenge myself, to improve my writing, and to perfect my business. As part of this, I will actively market my services, maintain my website and blogs, participate in the writing community, take jobs that challenge me to build new skills, and pursue the things I want to do as well as the things I have to do.
I will remember that the first and foremost reason why I am a writer is because I love to write. This does not mean that it is acceptable to work for little or no pay, but that it is unacceptable to perform work that does not contribute to my overall happiness in some way.
Well, I think that's about everything I can think of. I'm tagging Harmony, scriptgirl, and Julia.
I, Katharine Swan, do hereby agree to the terms of this contract with myself, effective immediately upon posting.
I will hold myself to be a professional writer, and act accordingly in all dealings with clients and potential clients. I will strike the word "employer" from my vocabular, and remember that the only person I work for is myself. I will endeavor to uphold my own standards of pay and the quality of my work at all times.
As a professional, I also understand that my goal must be not just to write, but to grow. I will endeavor to take every opportunity to challenge myself, to improve my writing, and to perfect my business. As part of this, I will actively market my services, maintain my website and blogs, participate in the writing community, take jobs that challenge me to build new skills, and pursue the things I want to do as well as the things I have to do.
I will remember that the first and foremost reason why I am a writer is because I love to write. This does not mean that it is acceptable to work for little or no pay, but that it is unacceptable to perform work that does not contribute to my overall happiness in some way.
Well, I think that's about everything I can think of. I'm tagging Harmony, scriptgirl, and Julia.
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