Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving tradition

No Thanksgiving is complete without listening at least once to "Alice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie." (Warning: video of Guthrie's performance is 18.5 minutes long, but worth it.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_7C0QGkiVo

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

It's a Rhapsody, all right

Hee-larious!


SEO Blog

Found this great blog for SEO writing. I'm especially happy that the Daily SEO blog emphasizes quality of content, as many SEO sites have a clear emphasis on quantity of articles vs. quality. I was also a little surprised to find out that Google rules the world. I mean, look at all these websites, writers, photographers and other content creators and hosts who spend their work lives trying to entice Google spiders to like them. I know I often feel like a Google stalker. Just don't tell anyone else.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Happy Birthday to me

Today I'm 43 years young. Woo hoo! I have a rip-roaring fun day in store, with Nina home sick with a stomach bug, Thanksgiving grocery shopping to do, and much writing to catch up on so I can take a few days off for the holidays. Nina's illness means Kevin and I will have to postpone the dinner out we had planned (he lined up a babysitter and everything), but he did make me a wonderful birthday dinner Saturday night--grilled steaks, baked potatoes, squash and yummy focaccia bread.

Happy Lisa's birthday, everyone.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

How pumpkin pies are made


Angie short emailed me this hilarious pic. Thank goodness I wasn't planning to serve pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Find me on Suite101

Check out my first article for Suite101, an itinerary for a one-day visit to Columbia. I sure enjoyed writing it and wish I could have found something similar before Kevin and I visited the first time. Pretty good advice, if I do say so myself.

I plan to write a lot more features on Columbia for Suite101, and I've got plenty of story ideas. So be sure to check my Suite 101 pages before you come for a visit.

Writers & Perfectionism

Some good writing tips from Angela Booth on how to overcome/eliminate perfectionism by clearly establishing your intentions and setting deadlines. Reminder to self: follow these tips. I often get stuck on trying to find the perfect word or phase and spend entirely too long on an article. I also focus on that aspect of the story and lose sight of my original intent with the piece.

I realize I'm not perfect, but I guess I still hope to get there some day.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

No NaNo for Me-O

When I peruse my favorite writers' blogs and forums lately, I read plenty about NaNoWriMo gains and pains.

I'm jealous.

I have no time for NaNo this year, though it's no one's fault but my own. I'm months behind on writing, and I'm quite busy playing catch up. That means writing non-fiction for pay, leaving little or no time for "pleasure writing."

Still, I feel happy to at least be back on the rails, even if I'm not completely on track. And this time next year, I'm sure I'll be on all those forums complaining and celebrating right along with you.

Happy noveling!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Morning laugh

For any of you wondering what to get me for Christmas or my birthday (just remembered it's next week--shop now!), I would LOVE any Phyllis Diller books. I'd especially like to have "Phyllis Diller's Housekeeping Hints," appropriately published just a few months before I was born but apparently out of print. While searching for a particular quote from the comedienne, I found these gems:

“What I don't like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day.”

"Most children threaten at times to run away from home. This is the only thing that keeps some parents going.”

“You know you're old if they have discontinued your blood type.”

"A bachelor is a guy who never made the same mistake once."

"Housework can't kill you, but why take a chance?"

What I've Been Writing

Some of my most recent articles:

Memphis Fine Dining
How to Clean Mold Spores out of the Air
How to Pick the Right Reading Glasses
How to Take Care of Hives Without Antihistamines
How to Get Free Medicine for Children

As you can tell, I'm partial to "How-To" writing these days.

Write, Right?

I'm back on that horse.

After a six-month hiatus to get settled in South Carolina, I'm finally writing again. Feels pretty good, too. For a while there, I figured my freelance writing career might be over. I've been substitute teaching at Amelia's preschool and I planned to look for a full-time job after my youngest starts preschool next year. But that writing bug is hard to get out of your system, even when it's been dormant for a while.

I've decided to diversify--writing mostly for short-term money, sometimes for long-term career goals, and occasionally just for pleasure. Sites for which I'm writing include Demand Studios (SEO) and Constant Content (content). Suite101 accepted me and I recently submitted my first article there. I've also applied at Examiner for the Columbia State House gig, and I await their response.

It may not be glamorous, but it's professional writing, which is good enough for me.