Earlier today, my article “Self Worth and the Stories We Tell Ourselves” was published on Blogcritics.
Archive for the ‘Musings – Nonfiction posts’ Category
“Self-Worth and the Stories We Tell Ourselves” published on Blogcritics
Posted in Musings - Nonfiction posts on March 10, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
New article: “The Value of 99 Cents”
Posted in Musings - Nonfiction posts on March 8, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
This week I published “The Value of 99 Cents” on Blogcritics (and it was picked up by Seattle Post Intelligencer later that day).
A break fom the regularly scheduled programming
Posted in Musings - Nonfiction posts on February 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Usually I would post my Friday Night Reviews but as it turns out, this week I didn’t have any book reviews published. My two-part interview with Cliff Hines was published on Blogcritics and then picked up by Seattle PI, and I have a couple of book reviews I expect to be published over the next few days.
The last week, I’ve been focusing on putting together short booklets of my poetry and short stories to self-publish via Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. I posted my first story under a new “Store” page but then I decided to hold off on a “Store” page until I post a few more titles. I hope to have 7 or 8 “titles” by Sunday. 
Hope you have a lovely weekend!
Nonfiction articles published this week
Posted in Musings - Nonfiction posts on February 1, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
“Keeping Promises… And our Readers”, (Blogcritics, There, I Said It!).
“Writing Can Be Managed Like Everything Else”, (How to Tell a Great Story).
[Reprint] “Overcoming Shyness in Public Speaking”, (How to Tell a Great Story).
[Reprint] “Making Workshops Work”, (How to Tell a Great Story).
Nonfiction article published on Blogcritics
Posted in Musings - Nonfiction posts, New experiences, On Marketing, On Writing on January 26, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
My first article (not a review) has been published on Blogcritics: “Changing Perspectives: An Attitude and an Education That Helps Me Navigate the Publishing Industry”.
I have also had a few of my previous articles accepted for republication on a website for writers (How to Tell a Great Story).
Thanksgiving Alone
Posted in Musings - Nonfiction posts on November 21, 2012 | 2 Comments »
On the train today, I met a woman who had just discovered her husband of several decades had passed away; it had all happened too fast to coordinate for the holidays. There’s a possibility that she may be alone for Thanksgiving–that didn’t seem right, especially during such hard times, so I considered what I might have to give her. I remembered my poetry collection (“Notes at Midnight”) has a section about loss, so I gave her the bound copy that I happened to be carrying with me.
This woman was the third person I had spoken with who would be alone this Thanksgiving for various reasons. How many out there will commemorate the holiday in solitude? Some may prefer that–having the time to reflect and observe Thanksgiving on their own terms. One the other hand it could be a very sad thing, because of the loss of the person who was supposed to share that special day with one.
I’d like to share four songs that have brought me comfort during lonely times:
Happy Thanksgiving, and many blessings.
What does it mean to be successful?
Posted in Musings - Nonfiction posts, New experiences on November 9, 2012 | 5 Comments »
I successfully returned from the Ventura Writers Weekend and I set to work. Within five days of coming home, I had three pieces accepted for publication–that has never happened before.
As I wrote one of the pieces (“Promotion for the Painfully Shy”, due December 1st) I wondered about how others become successful in the face of obstacles.
Serendipity gifted me this: Eight Things Remarkably Successful People Do.
When I was thirteen, I sold 354 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in my first year as a Girl Scout. I managed to make contact with people all over my community. I was shy back then, but I was on a mission to sell the most Girl Scout cookies ever. I don’t remember why.
When I was fourteen, I pitched myself as a journalist worthy of my own “Teen Talk” column in the local paper, The Friday Flyer. Part of my job involved interviewing local students about their school.
I attended a public charter school for one year, from fourteen to fifteen. I was Student of the Month, Student of the Year, and on the Honor Roll. I was asked to give speeches when accepting the awards.
I graduated from High School as Valedictorian at sixteen, with additional honors in Creative Writing and Poetry. My valedictorian speech was printed in the local paper.
Everything I had set out to do, I had made it work, despite the fact that I had occasional panic attacks that brought on sobs of anxiety. No one knew, except perhaps my mother. But she knows everything.
Looking back at that time when I was successful in that way, there seems to be a parallel between what I faced (give up the goal or overcome the anxiety) and what someone might experience if they came across a loved one trapped under a car. There is no back-up plan, no time or room for failure. The fact that the car must move means the person will find a way to lift the car. That lifting two tons of metal is impossible doesn’t fit in the equation.
I was raised by a remarkably successful woman; how much she rubbed off on me or how much she encouraged me to just be myself, I don’t know. But I have learned to anticipate how much work is required and I embrace the challenge, especially if it means I can help others along the way.
