Saturday Edition – What We’re Writing and Reading

Welcome to this Saturday Edition of What We’re Writing and Reading.

We’re taking a little detour on the weekends now to share some of what we’re up to with our writing (when we’re not here) and what we’re into with our reading (around the web). We’ll also pull back the curtain a little to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what went into a piece.

We hope you enjoy this little diversion and encourage you to share your own posts and picks in the comments.

Happy writing! Happy reading! 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Lisa J. Jackson: I’m away on vacation this week, exploring “the Cape”. It’s been quite enjoyable and relaxing (once I convinced myself I didn’t *have* to do anything except fun stuff). I haven’t been online much (yay, I can cut the online umbilical cord!) Amazing that I’ve been a lifelong New Englander and never explored the Cape until now. On Tuesday morning there were 2 rain clouds in all of New England — guess where I was? Yep, right under them. Ah, well, it’s vacation.

What I’m writing: I’ve enjoyed getting back to journal pages and exploring my thoughts. I’ve had a lot of downtime and quiet time, and there’s something about sea air that rejuvenates my soul. I have notes for new story ideas written down, and I’ve written a lot in my planner – steps to achieving goals.

What I’m reading: I brought a copy of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine with me. It’s been fun to read short mystery stories. I’ve heard writers and authors say they can’t read in their genre when they are writing, but I think it’s like catnip for my muse. So many twists and turns for her to play with so when it comes to my stories, she can surprise me. I’ve also (finally) finished the novel  ”Precious Blood” by Jonathan Hayes. Definitely dark, and the main character is a medical examiner, so, well, you don’t want to read it while eating.

And this post caught my eye and is worth the time if you’re seeking to build an audience: 12 Ways to Delight Your Social Media Community & Audiences.

Or if you’re considering starting a blog, here’s a post with 5 top tips for Starting Your Business Blog.

I hope you’ve had a great week and have found ways to get your writing projects done while also enjoying some personal reading time.

Jamie Wallace: Hello, fellow writers! Happy Saturday.

Work has been a little wonky this week, but managing to keep busy with some website copy for an architect and continuing revisions to a B2B ebook. I haven’t managed any personal, creative writing other than my morning pages and a column I’m working on for next week’s paper. Mostly, I’ve been focusing on continuing to work on some critical business development projects. I’m working with a lovely coach (who I’ll write more about soon) and starting to really unpack where I’m going next with my marketing business. I’m pretty excited, especially because part of what I’m going to be doing will be geared towards writers. Finally!

What I’m Writing:

This week I posted another seriously from-the-heart post on my marketing blog. I wrote Do you know why you do what you do? after several disparate things clicked into place in my head and told me a story about the importance of knowing – really knowing – why you do what you do. The post was a little bit of a departure for me because it came out in a series of fragments that are loosely connected. I’m wondering if that was because I’ve been thinking a lot about creating a series of linked short stories. Perhaps my subconscious brain picked up on that vibe and tried to replicate it in some way in the blog post. I don’t know. What I do know is that I definitely got a little emotional on the recording.

What I’m Reading: 

Though I’m still working on Alice Hoffman’s The River King, I also picked up and began reading the first short story in a book that’s been on my bedside table for longer than I care to admit, Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clark. I’m becoming very interested in the idea of writing short stories, so I’m looking for good examples to study. (If you have any recommendations, I’d love to hear them!)

In addition, I enjoyed a few great blogs posts:

• 101 Tweetable Quotes For Authors by @AuthorMedia
• Kindle Singles and Why You Want One by @brooke_warner via @shewritesdotcom
• 6 Tips to Grow Your Twitter Followers by @DanielSharkov
• Your Platform is Not a Stage You Stand On  by @DanBlank

 

photo: M. Shafer

Deborah Lee Luskin: Finished another chapter of Ellen! And started the next! Recorded a commentary on Tuesday that was broadcast on Wednesday. All reading this week was work-related research, and free time was spent with visiting children. Bliss.

 

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Friday Fun – Favorite reads from childhood

Friday Fun is a group post from the writers of the NHWN blog. Each week, we’ll pose and answer a different, get-to-know-us question. We hope you’ll join in by providing your answer in the comments.

QUESTION: What did you enjoy reading as a kid? Was it the comics in the Sunday paper? Pop-up books? Hardcovered? Floppy covered? What leaps to mind as a fun read when you were a wee little lad or lass?

Lisa J. Jackson: Funny – the first thing that comes to mind is Sunday comics but only if I had Silly Putty so I could transfer some of the images onto the funky dough and them stretch it and play with it. For some reason that still makes me giggle. I particularly liked Garfield and can remember being able to make him shorter and fatter and giving him funny expressions when I had the Silly Putty. Second thing that springs to mind is comic books. I really enjoyed the small paperback stories with all the pictures. I had a super-hero spurt and enjoyed reading about all the individuals who each had a unique power. I think it went a long way to letting me know it was okay to not be part of the ‘in’ crowd. Fun question!

Diane MacKinnon: When I was 11 I was placed in an accelerated readers group at school, and we had to read Pride and Prejudice, which I hated: I told my mom it was about a woman and her four daughters and all they cared about was getting married–boring! We also had to read Jane Eyre, which I loved! I’ve read it many times over the years and it’s still one of my favorites. I’ve also reread Pride and Prejudice with a more mature outlook and found it’s not boring at all. Fascinating, in fact. Other favorites from my childhood are Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh, The Good Master, by Kate Seredy, and all the Nancy Drew books. I used to read all my brothers sci-fi/fantasy books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and basically anything that anyone left lying around.

Wendy Thomas: Like Diane, I got placed in an accelerated reading program called Jr. Great Books when I was young. It gave me an appreciation for the classics at a very early age (which is is one of the reasons why I think I was *the* only person in my High School class who truly enjoyed The Scarlet Letter.) When I think about my favorite books that I liked as a young child, there are many – Sad, Mrs. Sam Sack – the story of a woman who thought her house was too small and how she finally learned to appreciate the space that she had. The Little Mailman of Bayberry Lane – a charming animal story with a wonderful surprise ending and The Happy Birthday Present where a boy makes the most beautiful gift for his mother.

When I got a little older, Misty of Chincoteague  was the first of the many horse books I read. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang, Bambi, The Shoe Shop Bears. Rascal, and Born Free (hmm, look at those early nature memoirs) were some of the other books that also held magic for me within their covers. Like it is today, when I was a kid, you’d never find me without a book in my hands or one waiting for me in my backpack. While in school, I worked, was on school sports, and participated in school Government, but somehow, I still always found time to read.

Julie Hennrikus: I loved (and still love) series. I read Nancy Drew, and some Hardy Boys. I loved books by Beverly Cleary, and the Encyclopedia Brown books. And I remember some books, but not the names. I remember a series about kids who lived in a bus or a train? And Harriet the Spy, of course. Roald Dahl. And Archie comics. I am thrilled that I am moderating a panel on YA literature at the New England Crime Bake this fall. Should be a great opportunity to discover new books, and make some recommendations to the young readers in my life.

Jamie Wallace: What I remember most about reading as a kid is the sheer volume of books I consumed. Each week, my mom would bring my sister and I to our public library, a venerable old building with ivy climbing the walls and an ornate wrought iron gate at the door to the children’s room. From the very first, I loved the smell of the books and the experience of pawing through them one at a time, shelf after shelf. Mostly, I read fantasy and science fiction. JRR Tolkien was an instant favorite (I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time when I was in third grade), as was Peter S. Beagle (I must have read The Last Unicorn a dozen times). I read every book Anne McCaffrey wrote in her extensive Pern series. I read L. Frank Baum, Roald Dahl, and Shel Silverstein. I read The Wind in the Willows, Misty of Chincoteague, Julie of the Wolves, and Island of the Blue Dolphins. I read Ursula LeGuin’s Earthsea books and Madeleine L’Engle’s Wrinkle in Time series. I read E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet Swan. I read George Selden’s The Cricket in Times Square and Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth. Each week, I came home with a huge LL Bean tote bag filled to the top with new adventures. My appetite was insatiable, my thirst for story unquenchable. I miss those long days of doing nothing but reading. I do not know if I have ever come closer to bliss.

 

photo: M. Shafer

Deborah Lee Luskin: Oh, so many books! I was a lonely kid, so the characters in books were my best friends, starting with Are You My Mother, to Charlotte’s Web, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Doctor Doolittle, Beverly Clearly books, The Borrowers, Nancy Drew. And then came the Victorians: Arthur Conan-Doyle, Charles Dickens, Charolotte Bronte, Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen. As I teen, I read all of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe mysteries, and Regency Romances, historical fiction, anything steamy I could get hold of. I miss those days of reading all day and long into the night!

The winner, chosen by Random.org, for The Other Typist is: Kristin (#8).

Congratulations and please let us know what you think of the book.

Please send your mailing information to me at wethomas@gmail.com (the email through this website doesn’t work for me)

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The Other Typist – by Suzanne Rindell – Review and Giveaway

I was recently sent an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of the book “The Other Typist” by Suzanne Rindell. Because of my work as a writer, blogger, and yes a book reviewer on another site, I tend to get books sent to me on fairly regular basis.

Which, is sometimes a good thing and other times it’s not.

When this book arrived, I sighed. I have sooo many books to read in my to-read pile (can you relate?) but still, the book size (trade paper) and the cover art got my attention.

The Other Typist takes place in 1923 and is the story of Rose Baker who is a typist in a police station. IT is her  job to record criminal’s confessions.

I turned it over to read the back:

“Get ready for the year’s most fascinating unreliable narrator…”

Huh?

And then there was this little beauty by Alice LaPlante author of Turn of Mind:

“Eerie and compelling … a riveting page-turner… Don’t start this novel at night if you need your beauty sleep – you’ll stay up to all hours devouring its pages.”

Another review made reference to the book as a “page-turner” a phrase so overused in book reviews as to make it meaningless.  A few alarms went off in my mind – yeah right, is what I basically thought.

Even though I was busy, even though I had tons of work to do, I opened the book and read a few pages. I just want to get the feel of the book, I told myself.

That night Marc made dinner and I continued to read.

My nightly Criminal Minds (we only get basic cable and so Criminal Minds is pretty much all we watch) fest was ignored as I sat in my chair and read.

I stayed up late to keep reading.

The next morning, I got up early to read before I started my work.

Yes. It is that good.

So what makes this book so literally page-turning?

There are several things.  This book is definitely not a one trick pony. First of all, the main character, Rose, grabs your attention on page one and then she drills a hole into your brain and stays there. You can’t help but think about her after you’ve put the book down. Like a thought just out of reach, impossible to solidify, you keep thinking – what is it that is wrong with Rose?

There’s just something not quite right about her, but what? Because it’s a narrated story from Rose’s point of view, you are privy to her thoughts and so you are in the driver’s seat right beside her as you see the inevitable train crash coming.

But you can’t do anything except hold on tight because Rose doesn’t see what is so very clearly in her path.

Another page-turning aspect? The writing, my Lord, the writing is sublime. Here’s an example:

“So I was surprised one day when Odalie emerged from the interrogation room and exclaimed, “He is just absolutely the law itself, isn’t he?” As we were not in the habit of making conversation, I looked around to see who she could possibly be talking to. The days were getting noticeably shorter by then. We were headed into the long black nights of winter, and although it was only four o’clock, outside a cloudy sky was already turning from ash to soot. And yet inside the office there was still something vital, the peculiar sort of kindling that comes from human activity buzzing away in the falling dark of dusk. The electric lights still glowed, and the office thrummed with the sounds of telephones, voices, papers, footsteps, and the syncopated clacking of many typewriters all being operated at once. It could very well be day or night, outside for all anyone cared: at that exact moment, everyone was quite busy, absorbed in what they were doing. And there was Odalie – still standing in front of her desk, facing me, her question (rhetorical though it was) still hanging in the air unanswered. I looked up at her and I remember – I remember this image quite clearly – the bare electric blub that dangled above her cast a perfect shimmering halo around the crown of her head, a perfect corona of light caught in the sheen of her silky black bobbed hair.

“Yes,” I stammered after a while. “The Sergeant is an excellent man.””

So much is packed into this paragraph. We are privy to Rose’s thought process as she struggles to respond to a simple statement. We become incredibly uncomfortable for her, as she stumbles to figure out social interaction.

Please what is up with this chick?

There are so many more examples of this extraordinary writing that this book is worth the price for anyone to read just for its literary excellence.

And then there is the story. You’ll be reading along and a clue, a bit of stunning information is brilliantly dropped into the story as casually as if someone were commenting on the weather. There were several places where I had to go back to reread a passage.

Did it really say what I thought it said? Are you kidding me?

Using the book-review-overused, but yet, in this case, very apt turn of phrase, this “page-turner” will constantly gnaw at you. The Other Typist will seep into your brain. You will think about the book when it is in your hands, and you’ll be wondering about Rose and Odelie when it is not.

In short, go out and read this book. You will not be sorry.

Now for the fun part, the publicist has agreed to send a copy of The Other Typist to someone from this blog. Leave a comment below and a winner will be randomly selected and announced on this Friday May 17th. (US addresses only)

Note – I have not been compensated for this review. All of the opinions are mine.

***

Wendy Thomas is an award winning journalist, columnist, and blogger who believes that taking challenges in life will always lead to goodness. She is the mother of 6 funny and creative kids and it is her goal to teach them through stories and lessons.

Wendy’s current project involves writing about her family’s experiences with chickens (yes, chickens). (www.simplethrift.wordpress.com)

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Saturday Edition – What We’re Writing and Reading

Welcome to this Saturday Edition of What We’re Writing and Reading.

We’re taking a little detour on the weekends now to share some of what we’re up to with our writing (when we’re not here) and what we’re into with our reading (around the web). We’ll also pull back the curtain a little to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what went into a piece.

We hope you enjoy this little diversion and encourage you to share your own posts and picks in the comments.

Happy writing! Happy reading! 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Lisa J. Jackson:

What I’m writing: This week I managed to get short journal entries completed. Woo hoo! Yay me! I’m working on a magazine article and a business case study — I got the interviews done, now I have to transcribe them and get the papers written and submitted quickly. Have I ever mentioned that I love variety? I do!

What I’m reading:

I’m catching up on a couple of copies of Runner’s World. After walking my last 5K (I swear it was up hill both ways, sideways, and backwards), I’m determined to run my next one in a couple of weeks, and the motivation I’m finding in the stories in this magazine is amazing.

Here are couple blog posts that caught my attention this week:

• Here’s a video interview with a literary agent posted to a university’s (one that holds a special place in my heart) blog for creative writers. What a Literary Agent Does and How They Help You.
• Here’s a post with a fabulous picture of a momma and baby crane that leads into a post on Content Marketing: Are You Sharing Your Best Stuff? I think I’ve shared Pam Moore’s (1/2 marketing, 1/2 geek, 100% social nut) blog link with you before – it’s great.

Diane MacKinnon:

What I’m Writing: I submitted my short story last week so I spent the last month working on it every chance I got. It feels great to have it completed and out of my hands, but I do feel a little lost as I consider what my next big writing project will be. In the meantime, I’m journaling more, and I’ve been keeping up with blog posts for my blog and for WTL-LTW. I just saw a call for submissions for a shorter piece, so I may write an essay for that.

What I’m Reading: I’m currently reading two of Brene Brown’s books: Daring Greatly, her latest book, and I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t), her first book. I just started a book for my book club, but I’ll wait to mention the name until I get a little further into it.

Jamie Wallace: Oh, what a week I had last week! I missed being here on Saturday, but I had two really good reasons for my absence. (I don’t have a note from my mom, so you’ll just have to trust me on this.) Reason #1: My trusty MacBook Pro needed an emergency triple bypass. No joke. The Genius at the Genius Bar almost couldn’t get the diagnostics to run, and when he did he gave me a thumbs down on my battery, my fan, AND my logic board (whatever the hell that is). When he asked me to sign the release, and I asked if I had to leave my computer with him right then, at that moment, he said, “This isn’t elective, this is an ER, all-hands-on-deck situation.” Um … riiiight.

Happily, my computer is now (knock on wood) back up and running. Hooray!

Reason #2: I spent Saturday attending the Grub Street writers’ conference in Boston. This annual event (called “The Muse”) is fabulous. There is nothing so exhausting and so exhilarating as spending a whole day immersed in a crowd of rabidly literate and creative writers. The sessions were great, the camaraderie was heartwarming, and the keynote speaker was the one and only Amanda Fucking Palmer. I have SO much to share from the event, but I need to sit back and regroup before I do that. So – consider this a “coming soon!” notice.

What I’m Writing:

Work, work, and more work. Continuing to hammer away on one client’s ebook while just wrapping up first drafts of another client’s case studies. I also wrote a rather long post for my marketing blog on the topic of knowing (really knowing) who your competition is. (Hint: It’s not who you think it is.) I’ve been continuing to experiment with including audios with each of my blog posts, but still don’t feel 100% comfortable behind the mic. I’m guessing that comes with practice. Lots and lots of practice. Anyway – here’s the blog post: Your competition isn’t who you think it is.

I also posted a reprint of a column I wrote for my local paper on the ups and downs of house hunting. You can read Looking for love in the real estate section on my blog. Love to hear your  house hunting stories!

What I’m Reading:

The joy of novel reading has taken a backseat to a crazy schedule, but I still always seem able to make time for the blogs. Here are a few of my faves from the week:

• Lessons Learned From Bestselling Indie Authors On Writing, Publishing & Book Marketing by @thecreativepenn
• 22 Staples And The State Of Two Internets by @RichBecker
• THIS IS WATER. A must-see, if you haven’t already. <– This was the tweet from @SusanOrlean. I’m so glad she shared this poignant piece from David Foster Wallace. Writers have to see the water … and help other people see the water.

 

photo: M. Shafer

Deborah Lee Luskin

What I’m Writing: I finished my 330-word commentary for Vermont Public Radio’s annual Commentator’s Brunch, where thirty of us each deliver a 2-minute story on the same prompt. This year’s prompt: Lost and Found. Nothing is harder than writing this short! I also submitted a 500-word piece for the regular series; I hope to record it next week. My piece about storytelling, The Need That Sets Us Apart, appeared in my column for the local independent newspaper this week. And I continue to make progress on Ellen, the novel. What I’m Reading: Because I spend so much time in front of the computer for work, I tend to read books and magazines. This week, I’ve been reading The Bluebird Effect by Julie Zickefoose, and Prime by Pepper Schwarts. My great indulgence is to read The New Yorker while soaking in the bath.
 What Else I’m Doing: Spring chores and gardening! And the 2013 rowing season has officially begun!

 

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Saturday Edition – What We’re Writing and Reading

Welcome to this Saturday Edition of What We’re Writing and Reading.

We’re taking a little detour on the weekends now to share some of what we’re up to with our writing (when we’re not here) and what we’re into with our reading (around the web). We’ll also pull back the curtain a little to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what went into a piece.

We hope you enjoy this little diversion and encourage you to share your own posts and picks in the comments.

Happy writing! Happy reading! 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Lisa J. Jackson: Time flies by so quickly! Another Saturday already? Well, okay.

What I’m writing: I put the final touches on a short mystery story and subbed it to an anthology on Tuesday. Why I waited until the last minute to submit it, baffles me since subs opened in January for this particular book. I hope to get better at submitting in general and submitting before the last minute going forward. Speaking of last minute submissions – I better get my sub in to my crit group!

What I’m reading: The user’s guide to my new DSLR. So many features and things to learn about this fabulous camera. It’s a Nikon D600 and will keep my happy for many years to come. I’ve been saving and planning to get a nice camera for years. A goal accomplished!

In other reading – Terry Whalin posts a lot of great information for writers through his Twitter account. He’s a former literary agent and is now an acquisitions editor and author, so knows what writers need to know about. A recent post by Toby Neal caught my attention, Women and the new entrepreneurship. She talks about what it’s like to be a small business owner. Her site is focused on writing, creativity, and Hawaii (where she lives). And while I’m on the topic of small business ownership – Intuit has a lot of great articles and resources on its Small Business Blog.

 

photo: M. Shafer

Deborah Lee Luskin: Great progress on Ellen, the novel; wrote and submitted a column on storytelling for the Commons; started a commentary on the prompt “Lost and Found” for the VPR Commentator’s Brunch on June 15; wrapped up the special project I’ve been doing for VPR and submitted my final invoice (fun!). I also set up three meetings to learn from others about starting a very local newsletter for my small town. Wednesday evening, I attended a lecture about William Wadsworth and Robert Frost given by Vermont’s Poet Laureate, Sydney Lea, and I’ve been  rereading Robert Frost ever since. I also sat down at the piano twice!

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Saturday Edition – What We’re Writing and Reading

Welcome to this Saturday Edition of What We’re Writing and Reading.

We’re taking a little detour on the weekends now to share some of what we’re up to with our writing (when we’re not here) and what we’re into with our reading (around the web). We’ll also pull back the curtain a little to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what went into a piece.

We hope you enjoy this little diversion and encourage you to share your own posts and picks in the comments.

Happy writing! Happy reading! 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Lisa J. Jackson: The week started off intending to go one way and it turned out to be a lot different! The joys of freelancing – and why I still ‘pencil’ things into my day planner instead of writing them in pen. But it all works out in the end, every time.

What I’m writing: Blog posts and short stories ruled this week in the writing arena. Editing marketing collateral made up the bulk of my work, which is more reading than writing when it goes smoothly. And it did. Ahhh.

What I’m reading: I love this post by Pam Moore that touches on how important it is to just “be” sometimes – The Power of Focused Passion in Business and Life. I’ve found a blog that is inspiring for fitness goals – Train-Eat-Sleep - it’s insightful, motivating, and most important, real. And Lou Bortone has oodles of experience to share regarding video marketing and he makes it fun and easy to learn. Definitely a blog worth reading.

In other news: I’m enjoying my first-ever visit to New Jersey this weekend and attending a concert that’s pulling me back to my teen years. Pat Benatar still knows how to rock and roll, oh yeah. Even better, though, is I’m spending some awesome quality time with my brother. Fabulous.

photo: M. Shafer

Deborah Lee Luskin: I’ve had a perfectly lovely week with “nothing” exciting to report, save steady progress on my novel, steady progress on a special project for Vermont Public Radio, and a proposal to a prospective client regarding manuscript development. I’ve come to appreciate the magic of such “ordinary” weeks where all I do is forge ahead without fanfare but with concentration and delight. Part of me loves having one day much the same as another – until I hit a wall, and then I want everything to change. This has been a lovely week of diligent work. Hooray!

Diane MacKinnon: I’m working to cut 1000 words from a short story I’m getting ready to send off to a contest. I’ve been rewriting my story for the past couple of months and I think it’s a lot better than it was–but it’s also a lot longer. I’m going to see how many words I can cut without cutting the meat of the story. I’ve saved the long version because maybe it’ll end up being a novella–who knows?

A blog I read regularly is The Health Care Blog. It’s about all aspects of the health care field and I find it fascinating. While it’s aimed at health care professionals, many of the topics are important to health care consumers.

Jamie Wallace: Morning, all! It’s a cheerfully sunny, not-quite-warm day here on the north shore. I’m getting ready to hustle through a quick breakfast with my daughter so we can arrive early at an equine expo and sale where I hope we’ll be able to pick up some quality riding attire on the cheap. (Wish us luck!). Meanwhile – here’s what’s been cookin’ in my writerly corner of the world:

What I’m Writing: 

Again – not a whole heck of a lot. I’m in week two of a nasty cold that took me out at the knees at the start of my daughter’s April vacation. My energy level has been very low, but I’ve been trying to resist the urge to beat myself up about it and indulge, instead, in some sensible TLC. I have been working on client projects (an ebook for a software company and some key website copy for a friend and local architect). I have also been doing some discovery work on rebranding my marketing business. This is a fun but intense process that is helping me discover and define the “why” that drives my business.

Inspired by this work, I wrote a post for my marketing blog on the importance of Marketing From Your Core. I am an unapologetic branding geek and champion. In this post, I get back up on my soapbox to talk a little bit about why getting a handle on the core values and mission of your brand are so critical to your long term success. Even for writers (and perhaps I’ll put together a post on this soon), developing a brand is a smart and powerful way to set yourself apart from the competition. I know many writers balk at the idea of “being a brand,” but if you think of a brand as simply a “defined story” about who you are and why you do what you do, perhaps it won’t seem like such a foreign idea.

What I’m Reading: 

Affiliate Link

Last weekend, I bought a used copy of Alice Hoffman’s novel, The River King (affiliate link). I’ve only just started to read it, but I’m enjoying her characters and the setting which is a small New England town much like the one I live in. Magical Realism is probably my favorite genre, and Hoffman is one of the best-known writers in that category. The movie Practical Magic (which I adore) is based on one of her novels, but I’ve never read the book. I’m surprised at how slowly The River King starts, though. All the advice I’ve heard tells us to get things moving quickly – grab the reader’s attention, start the story in the middle. Hoffman seems content to spend quite a long time just introducing the characters and the setting. She is, I think, doing a little foreshadowing, but there aren’t any page-turning elements in play just yet. We’ll see how things develop as I continue deeper into the story.

And then there were the blog posts – lovely, lovely blog posts:

• How to Publish an E-Book: Resources for Authors by @JaneFriedman – A comprehensive wrap-up of posts on the topic of ebook production & publishing
• 2 Strategic and Compelling Reasons to Keep Blogging by @DanBlank – A head-clearing post on the value of a blog for a writer trying to develop a body of work
• Lean Sideways by Stacia Duvall – A beautifully written piece inspired by the maelstrom of controversy around Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In
• What’s the Best Way to Backup Your WordPress Website? by @JerodMorris – Technical tips to protect your blog
• Slash: Not Just a Punctuation Mark Anymore by Anne Curzan – A word nerd’s look at the evolution of language
• Art exists everywhere…. – via @NPR – Art in your coffee (for all you cafe-loving writers)
• The Bookstore That Changed My Life by @joshhanagarne - A beautiful, booklover’s story

Happy reading! Happy writing!

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Saturday Edition – What We’re Writing and Reading

Welcome to this Saturday Edition of What We’re Writing and Reading.

We’re taking a little detour on the weekends now to share some of what we’re up to with our writing (when we’re not here) and what we’re into with our reading (around the web). We’ll also pull back the curtain a little to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what went into a piece.

We hope you enjoy this little diversion and encourage you to share your own posts and picks in the comments.

Happy writing! Happy reading! 

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Lisa J. Jackson: I missed posting my update last week, but time got away from me (due to work and because I hadn’t finished up my taxes, yikes!) and I couldn’t gather my thoughts in time. Glad to be able to do it this week!

What I’m writing: I’ve been working on solution overviews and solution-in-detail documents which are marketing documents to promote, well, solutions. I’ve also written a couple of case studies and I did that short story submission for the 24-hour short story contest I mentioned on Monday. This weekend I’m putting the final touches on an anthology submission that has to be mailed within the next few days.

What I’m reading: (1) Too many e-mails! I have to get a better handle on my inbox. When I go even a day without checking it, I’m buried. That’s just crazy. (2) Does learning a new database count? I’m the registrar for a conference and I have to learn how to add in and change details so we can open registration in a few weeks. It’s fun and I have great support, but still, a lot to ingest. (3) Precious Blood, a novel by Jonathan Hayes. He’s a medical examiner in NYC and I met him a few years ago at a fantastic writer’s conference in NC – Writer’s Police Academy (this year’s conference sold out in a few days). The novel features and ME, and it’s hard not to think of him as the character, (4) the newest editions of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

In related news: Tomorrow night (Sunday, April 21) from 7-9PM EST, I will be moderating a live chat with Don McNair – a professional freelance manuscript editor (Editor-Proof Your Writing) and novelist at The Writer’s Chatroom. Feel free to stop by anytime during the 2 hours. Questions are taking in a queue and there’s a giveaway at half-time (and you have to be present to win). No registration necessary, just enter a username and click ‘sign on’ and you’ll be in!

Deborah Lee Luskin: I’ve had a great week of work, spending my mornings with Ellen, the novel I’m drafting. Afternoons were spent writing scripts

photo: M. Shafer

for two live gigs this week. Yesterday, I delivered a keynote address to the nascent Vermont Chapter of the International Association of Administration Professionals. I talked about ways caregivers need to care for themselves. The meeting was held at the Corporate Headquarters of National Life Group, in Montpelier, and was a jaw-dropping glimpse of the swank corporate world for me. Tonight, I turn storyteller for a local fundraising event to benefit the South Newfane Schoolhouse. In addition, I posted I Am My Own Boss, Part One, and queued Part Two to go live on Tuesday, April 23 – Shakespeare’s Birthday.

I finished listening to Bill Bryson’s At Home. All other reading has been research related. Still trying to figure out how to read more – but have also started on spring chores outdoors. So much to do . .  .. A good week all around.

Jamie Wallace: Well, I’m late to our Saturday get together. Yesterday, the day I usually take some time to add my two cents to this post, turned out to be full of chaos, crisis, and concern for many people in and around the Boston area. My sister lives in Watertown as does a friend and colleague of mine. In addition, my daughter was too close to the epicenter of activity for my comfort, being with her dad in one of the neighboring cities. Needless to say, it was a nerve wracking day.

Thankfully, this part of the horror is over, but I fear there is much more to come and more ugliness (of all kinds) will reveal itself. Still, as writers, we write. And, we read. So … here’s what I’ve been up to despite the awful week we had.

What I’m writing:

Freeform Friday: In the Company of Cats : This is a re-publishing of the column I write for my local paper and a piece that I had a dickens of a time writing. I naively thought, going into it, that the process would be a piece of cake. I love my cats. I love writing. how hard could it be to bring the two together and get 600 – 700 words down? Turns out – very hard. I made five false starts before I found an approach that felt like it was working. I almost abandoned the whole effort, but I’m glad I didn’t. The piece isn’t perfect, but it garnered me my first official piece of personal fan mail. Kind of cool.

Because my daughter was on school vacation, I didn’t spend much other time writing. Instead, I played hooky. And I’m glad I did.

What I’m reading:

(Affiliate Link)

Partly in honor of April being poetry month, and partly because my daughter just loves a funny book, she and I read Shel Silverstein’s fabulous Runny Babbit. I just love the way Silverstein plays with ideas and language. It was a delight to watch my daughter figure out what was going on and then laugh as though she was in on a private joke. We read part of the book at bedtime one night, and the next morning she got up early and phoned my mom to read a few of her favorite selections aloud. Priceless.

I’ve never been too much for poetry, and I know next to nothing about it, but I have begun to appreciate the way the form boils down an event or idea into its most concentrated self. As a chronically busy person, poetry  gives me a nice way to fit some reading in even if I only have a few minutes in my day.

And then there were the blog posts. Here are a few of my favorites:

The Short Story on Structuring Your Short Story by @storyfix

6 Pillars of a Successful Blog via @SEJournal

Here’s What Makes Stories So Powerful by @bweyi via @write_practice

3 Ways to Improve Your Author Website Today by @JaneFriedman

Say It Out Loud: How David Sedaris Makes His Writing Better by Kristin Hohenadel

25 Rare Photos of Famous Authors 

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Saturday Edition – What We’re Writing and Reading

Welcome to this Saturday Edition of What We’re Writing and Reading.

We’re taking a little detour on the weekends now to share some of what we’re up to with our writing (when we’re not here) and what we’re into with our reading (around the web). We’ll also pull back the curtain a little to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what went into a piece.

We hope you enjoy this little diversion and encourage you to share your own posts and picks in the comments.

Happy writing! Happy reading! 

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Wendy Thomas: I’ve hesitated joining these Saturday posts because I’m not sure of what I can add.

Hi, my name is Wendy and I write.

On a weekly basis I have 3-5 newspaper/magazine articles that need to get out and I write 5-9 blog posts a week. I’ve recently started blogging for GRIT and Mother Earth News magazines. I also teach classes and workshops.

On an average weekday I spend 6-7 hours with my butt in the chair. However, I try very hard to not be connected on the weekends so that I can spend time with the family and chickens. (You won’t see me replying to any specific comments until Monday.)

Because of my involvement and experience with internet marketing, I’ve recently partnered with two marketing firms and am now providing web content for various clients including web site overhauls, brochures, white papers, presentations, newsletters, and blog posts in the form of client success stories.

I write enough to get paid enough so that I can write enough of my own material to make me happy.

What am I reading?

Always a big fan of Larry Brooks’ Storyfix blog for writers. What he says resonates so deeply with how I view story writing.

I don’t have much time to read too many other writing blogs but I do read books. (With kids, I’ve learned to always carry a book, you never know when you are going to have to wait.)  I tend to focus on non-fiction and have recently read “Salt, Sugar, Fat”, “Pandora’s Lunchbox” and “The Heavy” – food/diet books seem to be trending right now- hmm, maybe I should write a post about that.

Jamie Wallace: Hey, Saturday readers! I missed you last week!

What I’m Writing:

Like Wendy (who, btw, can bring PLENTY to these Saturday posts!), I’ve been pretty darn busy lately. I’m currently working on an ebook series and website assessment/content update for one client and a new business pitch deck for another. I’ve also been (hooray!) finding some time to work on rebranding my own business (something I’m pretty excited about).

I did manage to get a post written for my Suddenly Marketing Blog. It has relevance for writers as it addresses some of the fears we have about putting ourselves out there in our writing, particularly blogging: Write drunk; edit sober. How to blog like you mean it

From the post: Blogging can be scary. Some days, it feels like you’ve been pushed on stage and asked to do stand-up. The guy who was on before you totally killed it. The crowd was laughing in the aisles and people were repeating his catch phrase. Now you’re up there, peering through the glare of the floor lights, trying to catch a glimpse of the audience, sweating under the deep and awkward silence of a crowd waiting to see what you’re going to do.

Yeah. Sometimes, blogging is like that. (… read the rest at Suddenly Marketing)

What I’m Reading:
I just finished Chris Guillebeau’s book, The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future.  Guillebeau is a little difficult to define, but I really admire his entrepreneurial spirit and activities. First known for his travel hacking prowess, he has expanded his empire to embrace a diverse audience of self-employed artists, adventurers, and business ingenues. His World Domination Summit was one of last year’s most talked about events.

The $100 Startup is a pretty quick and easy read that is chock-full of interesting stories about people who have found unique ways to earn a living by building businesses that require little or no capital investment. From the book’s description: “Here, finally, distilled into one easy-to-use guide, are the most valuable lessons from those who’ve learned how to turn what they do into a gateway to self-fulfillment.  It’s all about finding the intersection between your “expertise” – even if you don’t consider it such — and what other people will pay for.”

As a writer, I found the case studies (and there are a lot of them!) fascinating. Many writers need to supplement their writing income with other kinds of work. The $100 Startup provides a boat load of inspiration for different types of business models and niches. The stories also got my writer/publisher brain thinking about writing-related business ideas.

This is definitely a book I’ll be referring back to as I revamp my marketing business and branch out into other, non-marketing projects.

I bought The Cats of Tanglewood Forest for my nine year-old daughter, but I’ve been the one curling up on the couch with my own kitties to enjoy this feline fairytale. I love Charles DeLint’s work for adults – Widdershins, and The Onion Girl are two of my favorites – his mixture of urban fantasy and magical surrealism, flavored with folklore is right up my alley. These are stories you can disappear into … for hours at a time.

It also doesn’t hurt that The Cats of Tanglewood Forest is illustrated by one of my favorite artists, Charles Vess. Vess is a frequent collaborator with Neil Gaiman. They did two picture books together: Instructions and Blueberry Girl.

Each of these beautiful books is like an invitation to dream.  Though I haven’t had time to work on any stories of my own, spending time inside the worlds of other writers I admire helps me keep my own imagination lively.

[Disclosure: All the above links are Amazon Affiliate links. I just joined. I think if someone buys something through my link, they put a quarter in a cup labeled "tips" and eventually I'll earn enough to buy a cuppa at my favorite cafe.] 

photo: M. Shafer

Deborah Lee Luskin: I returned from a week-long vacation on Sunday and spent Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday playing catch-up, including filing my tax returns. But the time away was all that a vacation should be, and I’ve returned recommitted to working daily on Ellen. So far, so good.

My radio commentary Other People’s Clothes broadcast on Thursday, and I’m (still) reading Slow Democracy for a community discussion on Sunday. My husband and I put the 2117-mile road trip to good use by listening to Team of Rivals in advance of our visit to Gettysburg en route to Louisville, and we enjoyed Bill Bryson reading Home: A Short History of Private Life on the way back.

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Saturday Edition – What We’re Writing and Reading

Welcome to this Saturday Edition of What We’re Writing and Reading.

We’re taking a little detour on the weekends now to share some of what we’re up to with our writing (when we’re not here) and what we’re into with our reading (around the web). We’ll also pull back the curtain a little to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what went into a piece.

We hope you enjoy this little diversion and encourage you to share your own posts and picks in the comments.

Happy writing! Happy reading! 

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Diane MacKinnon: I’m working hard on the final draft (hopefully) of a short story I’m planning to submit for publication by the end of the month. I love the changes I’ve made, with the help of my critique group, but now my story is too long! I have to go back and cut some of the unnecessary words out–I know they’re there, I just need to look with fresh eyes! Then the story goes back to critique group one more time before I have to submit. Other than that, I’m enjoying writing in my gratitude journal and my 5-year journal daily, and my (big) journal as often as I can.

As far as reading, I have a few books going right now. I’m listening to a book on CD, called Heart of the Matter, by Emily Giffin. I’m at the climax of the book (I think), but I can only listen when I’m in the car alone, so I don’t know when I’ll get back to it. It’s really keeping me interested, though! At night before bed, I’m reading a couple of different books, all non-fiction: Keeping a Journal You Love, by Sheila Bender, which is inspiring on many levels and helping me to journal more regularly; The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History, by John M. Barry, which is a fascinating story that has already taught me a lot about the history of medicine in this country and I’m not even half-way through it yet; and Have a New Kid by Friday: How to Change Your Child’s Attitude, Behavior, and Character in 5 Days, by Dr. Kevin Leman. This one I picked up from the library because these pop psych books are like candy to me. I love reading about human behavior and psychology and the brain, and I have a three-year-old now, who is not a problem child at all, but it’s always interesting to see what the “experts” have to say about raising children. One thing I did learn from the book was to focus on “encouragement” rather than “praise” as praise is related to end-result or product, and encouragement is related to effort and character. It made sense to me that it’s better to talk about the effort that was made rather than the result, since the result will not always be perfect.

Lisa J. Jackson: What I’m writing — Like Diane, I’m also prepping a short story for submission. I’m sending in to a mystery anthology. The deadline is the end of the month and it has to be snail mailed in, so I really need to get on it! I’d also like to submit a dark fiction short story to an anthology that extended its deadline to 4/15. Fingers crossed I’ll get that one in too!

What I’m reading — I’m finishing up Don McNair’s “Editor-Proof Your Writing”, and am reading the latest copy of Writer’s Digest Magazine, Ellery Queen Magazine, and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. The short stories and articles have been the perfect fit this week.

I’m on a marketing kick and blogs of interest include: Jamie’s Suddenly Marketing – lots of inspiration and enthusiasm; B2B Digital Marketing – I’m drawn to the analytics the author posts, and his experienced look at today’s marketing world; and Chris Brogan’s blog that talks about the numerous aspects to owning your own business.

In related news: I’m spending today at a local 1-day writer’s conference and look forward to being around writers for 7-8 hours. I’m participating in workshops such as “Character is Key” (always like to learn about characters), “The Magic and Mystery of Middle Grade and YA Fantasy” (to see if I garner anything for one of my short stories mentioned above), and “Don’t Throw Away the Map” (looking at maps as a form of storytelling). And I should come away with even more ideas for stories by the end of the day.

 

photo: M. Shafer

Deborah Lee Luskin: I’ve been in Louisville, Kentucky, this week, attending the Humana Festival of New American Plays and sipping bourbon. On the way here, I explored the battlefield at Gettysburg, and generally, I’ve been seeing and learning and not writing, but absorbing all sorts of new information – which feels restorative. But, in this digital age, I’ve also been telecommuting with a pen-for-hire job that runs through the end of April. Doing so not only pays the bills but also means that my desk will be that much clearer when I return to work on Monday, and resume writing my novel.

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Saturday Edition – What We’re Writing and Reading

Welcome to this Saturday Edition of What We’re Writing and Reading.

We’re taking a little detour on the weekends now to share some of what we’re up to with our writing (when we’re not here) and what we’re into with our reading (around the web). We’ll also pull back the curtain a little to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what went into a piece.

We hope you enjoy this little diversion and encourage you to share your own posts and picks in the comments.

Happy writing! Happy reading! 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Lisa J. Jackson: It’s been a super-busy week for me with editing work, networking events, and business meetings, so I haven’t had much time to do any reading or writing. I did read the submissions from my critique group partners, and I obviously have to read the documents I’m editing, but I don’t think those count. <grin> I’ve also been reading airline schedules as I strive to plan an August getaway. I should be back to a normal schedule next week and have books and blogs to share with you, since I have a lot to catch up on!

photo: M. Shafer

Deborah Lee Luskin: The week began with the VPR broadcast of Some Came By Ship, a commentary on Passover and immigration (written the week before). Midweek saw the publication of Slow Democracy in The Commons, Windham County’s independent newspaper. I’ve done a fair bit of work-for-hire this quarter, so I also spent some time Thursday sending out invoices, which feels almost as good as depositing the checks that will come in! I also sent in promo material for Bookstock, a literary festival I’ve been invited to speak at in Woodstock, Vermont on Saturday, July 27, 2013, and I worked on a course description for a Revisioning Workshop that I plan to offer to prose writers beginning in May. And, I worked on my novel! If this all sounds frantic, it’s because I’m trying to clear my desk before driving to Kentucky to attend the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville – and visit my daughter the playwright.

Jamie Wallace: It’s been another crazy week. I can’t believe that this weekend is Easter and Monday is the first day of APRIL!! Where is 2013 going?!? Like Lisa, I’ve had little to no time to do any writing except the stuff I get paid for (most of which you wouldn’t be all that interested in – ebooks and other marcom materials for my lovely B2B clients). I did, however, get another column up in my local paper, and I published what turned out to be a mini manifesto of a blog post on my marketing blog:

Unexpected Small Town Regrets is my latest column for my local paper. I got a little more personal in this one than I have in past columns. I wasn’t all that sure about opening up the way I did, or even just turning the spotlight more on my inner thoughts rather than keeping it focused on a more generic experience. In the end, I followed my heart and sent the piece off to my editor. I still feel a little naked with it out in the world, especially in a way that is so close to home; but it’s also somehow comforting to let my guard down a bit.

On my own blog, I posted Easy Marketing for Small Businesses: 5 tips that will help you today. The inspiration for this piece is some conversations I’ve been having with local business owners. Though I often work with mid- to large-sized B2B companies, many in technology and most with global offices, I love working with small and micro business owners and creative entrepreneurs. (In fact, I’m working on some products and programs designed specifically for these people.)  I love helping these small business owners see all the possibilities of today’s marketing tools and techniques, but before I can get to that conversation I usually have to get past some marketing misconceptions.

Finally, here are a few of my favorite, writing-related posts from other bloggers around the web:

• The Best Bad Choice by @SPressfield
• Make a Living as a Writer, Part 2 by @RachelleGardner
• Make Every Moment a Work of Art by @jaltucher
• Paris Review – The Art of Fiction No. 189, Stephen King 
• Herbert Weitz, Book Binder To The Stars (VIDEO)
• 50 Reasons You Should Be A Bookworm
• Book Marketing: 9 Activities to Boost Your Author Career  by @danasitar via @thecreativepenn
• You’re Distracted. This Professor Can Help.

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