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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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.
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
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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Peeking behind the curtain to see bookshelves is revealing! Enjoyed it
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Lisa: Active’s “Couch to 5K” app for Andrioid or iPhone helped me train for my first 5k. I still use it. Good luck!
Jamie: Loved, loved, loved the video. Thank you!
Deborah: Thank you for the book recommendations. I’ve added them to my Goodreads.
🙂
Thanks, Sarah. I keep hearing about the Couch to 5K program. I’ve just been using an app to track progress but not to help train. I appreciate the nudge. 🙂
No problem. The program uses a run/walk interval method to train you. Each day it increases the run time, but the increase is so small that you don’t notice until week three. It is worth far more than the measly $2 it costs. Happy running (and writing)!
thanks again 🙂