Writing Creatively

Lost in New York

2012-01-22T09:04:00.000-08:00

Growing up I always felt a pull toward California, hoping one day to be discovered as a talented writer (yes, I realize now how ridiculous that sounds – I didn't have "writer" tattooed on my forehead after all), but lately I find myself visiting the east coast, most recently because my Marine son is stationed there.

I was once lured to New York by someone who made me a promise – he would introduce me to writers and editors he knew – if I moved in with him in Queens. Imagine being able to start a writing career knowing writers and editors without ever having had anything published yet!

He turned out to be a temporary roommate, however, because his promise came with strings attached. I wasn't interested in pulling those strings, and, as a result of his lies, needed to save money so I could return to the midwest.

A temp agency in Manhattan, which was not far from Queens, would prove to be my ticket home. I switched jobs several times in that 3-month-period. One of those jobs landed me at Penthouse Magazine where I worked in their research department (that's another blog), not exactly the form of entertainment I was comfortable writing, I thought, but then again, nobody hired me for my writing skills. No, I was hired to work in the Statistics Department where I would learn about advertisers and demographics (yes, Penthouse is a business).

The train ride from Queens to Manhattan was very short after my mile walk to the train. After work, I would return to Queens, but because I was unfamiliar with the New York train system, the train I thought I was supposed to board proved to be the wrong train.

The sun fell below the horizon as the landscape outside my window became darker and darker and more and more unfamiliar. In the days before cell phones, I was helpless in reaching my 10-year-old daughter to tell her my ten minute ride had somehow become several hours long. I think I ended up somewhere near the JFK Parking lot, which was on the opposite side of the state.

In the three months it took me to save enough money to return home, I met someone from California and with sparkles in my eyes, moved to Cali – for a week. After the realization hit that I needed an automobile to get to a job, I returned to the Midwest.

Something continued to pull me to New York, though, because years later I found myself in New York once again – to attend Robert McKee's Story Seminar. I had some screenplay ideas twirling around in my head, some of which had already made it to the page, and I wanted to learn the proper way to write a screenplay.

Fast forward to last year. I had earlier met a woman online whose sense of humor was similar to mine, and I thought her contribution to one of my screenplays would be extraordinary. I was right. Though she had never written a screenplay, she agreed to help me with one of mine – it needed a LOT of work.

When we completed the screenplay and were happy with the results, we entered our screenplay in a competition. I also entered, in a different competition, a teleplay I wrote myself. While I await the final results, I continue writing blogs.

Competition results won't be determined until next October, and win or lose, I will post them in this blog. Who knows, maybe my writing partner and I will end up in New York again, this time to promote our movie with actors speaking the words we put on the page. How exhilarating!

We won't have to worry about getting lost in New York though; we'll probably have a chauffeur. ;)

Texas Teacher's License

2012-01-13T14:08:00.000-08:00

The Author of this post is Solomon Dejesus

At least electricity rates in texas are not very expensive, they are about the only thing that is not. We recently relocated to Dallas because my husband is doing his residency at University of Texas Southwestern. I was a certified middle school English teacher in Georgia where we lived before. I figured that getting a teaching license in Texas would be easy and would not cost a lot. I was in for a big surprise. Luckily, I was able to find a job teaching at a small Christian school, but they still asked that their teachers be licensed by the state. I did not have to take any of the teaching exams again, they honored the exams I took in Georgia. I was surprised that I had to pay a five hundred dollar license transfer fee! That is more than it cost me to take the Georgia teacher’s licensing exam. On top of the license transfer fee, I had to pay for the actual license. That was another thirty-five. I hope that we don’t move again anytime soon.

Writers, Bookkeeping, and Tax Time: The Business Side of Writing

2012-01-12T08:23:00.000-08:00

Writers tend to forget that what we do is not only creative, informative, and entertaining, but also business – a small business, yes, but also a serious business. And if you're the type of writer I am, though you write a LOT, you probably get paid very little for your efforts. However, you still need to keep track of what you make in order to prevent an audit.

I'm looking forward to the day when I can actually make enough money to file an income tax return, because making that much money will mean that I can deduct a portion of my mortgage, heat, electricity, telephone expenses, other household expenses, all writing related products, the cost of relevant transportation, and so much more.

However, I would have to develop better bookkeeping skills, because I doubt if my rounding up or down would please the IRS. When I add money to my checking account – let's say the amount is $20.50 – I round down and, though I record the actual amount, I add only $20 to my balance. When I write out a check for the same amount, I record the actual amount, but I subtract $21 from my balance.

By recording money in my checkbook in that manner, I have hidden money that acts as a buffer to protect my account from becoming overdrawn. But my method isn't accurate and it won't help at income tax time.

One of my previous employers had considered me for the company's bookkeeping job (in addition to my designing job) until she discovered my method of bookkeeping. Though I told her I would alter my methods for her, she thought I might be better suited for designing.

A lot of writers write for more than one site and have a portfolio of organizations who use their services. Keeping track of income and expenses makes good business sense, but for writers devoted to their art, bookkeeping and budgeting can seem a little out of our comfort zone and a lot overwhelming. Besides, we have WORK to do and taking time away from writing means making less money.

However, for those of us who have difficulty with bookkeeping tasks, investing in a program that helps us perform those tasks relieves us of that duty. I'm all for anything that helps me focus on what I really enjoy – writing, while giving a bookkeeping software program the job of handling the details for me – bookkeeping.

So if you're a writer who actually makes a living at writing and you enjoy writing more than you enjoy accounting, consider using a program that will lighten your load.

Here's something that might bring a smile to your face: This year we have been given three extra days to file our taxes! Why? February gives us one extra day this year (2012 is Leap Year), April 15 falls on a Sunday, and April 16 is a federal holiday (Emancipation Day).

Smile!

Writing Under Stress

2012-01-07T15:17:00.000-08:00

Many factors contribute to stress – lost income from a "real" job, diseases that wipe out your savings, natural disasters, a bad credit report, and an assortment of other stress-causing circumstances.

As the saying goes, "When it rains, it pours," and when you become drenched in debt and/or worry, you have to challenge yourself to overcome the obstacles before you. If you are also raising children, your stress is compounded, and the decisions you make now will affect you and them for years to come.

Whatever stressors have contributed to your current situation, writing while under stress adds only more stress, especially when you have deadlines to meet. While you attempt to work through your day, surprises (and not the good kind) sometimes occur behind the scenes. For instance, creditors have been known to turn clients into collections with absolutely no warning whatsoever (happened to me) and the minimum payments they require are so high you almost have to get three jobs just to break even.

With no transportation because you lost your car, and with no electricity, gas, or water, because everything has been turned off, your stress level skyrockets. You are now even more ill than you were before the initial stressors occurred.

Don't allow stress to devour you whole, though. Figure out how you can release it. For writers, writing can be a powerful tool in releasing stress.

Writing is actually one of the better forms of release when it comes to alleviating stress, because writers can use this art form to release pent-up anger, frustration, and hostility. Or, we can slam a humorous spin on our disadvantages and attack them in a blog.

Of course the optimum way to avoid stress is to work proactively to prevent it. Alleviating all stress is impossible, but one way to help yourself deal with stress is to ask yourself if you can afford your current lifestyle. If you can't, consider downsizing.

You need money to stay afloat, but ask yourself, can creditors trust you enough to lend you money for a smaller home or a less expensive automobile? Request a copy of your credit report and get a free credit score so you will know where you stand financially.

As writers, we keep track of our ideas and our plans, but we also need to keep track of our income and our expenses. If one of your clients pays late, will your mortgage payment suffer? When will you get paid? Getting paid on time is an ongoing problem for many writers. You'll have to learn how to factor that in when budgeting.

If writing seems to be a lonely occupation for you, gather troops of supporters around you. They may not be able to support you financially but they can offer you hope and possibly instill in you a little faith in yourself when none seems to exist anywhere else.

As a writer, creative or otherwise, you have at your disposal your mind, your emotions, and your words. Break your projects into little bits. Learn how to divide your days into easily digestible bites. I know, it sounds like a computer program, but as writers, we need to be as efficient as computer programs. We have to know our strengths and our limitations, though, too, and not take on more than we can handle. And we need to set achievable goals for ourselves, so that when we meet that deadline, we can congratulate ourselves on a job well done.

As in any profession, we need to take breaks throughout the day and stretch our legs, our back, and our minds. Though this next step doesn't work for those of us incapable of napping (like me), taking a nap may replenish the spirit and refresh the soul. Exercising and meditating helps too.

Alleviating stress is difficult, especially when deadlines – self imposed or demanded by others – loom before you, but rewarding yourself with enjoyable tasks will help to lessen your stress level, and it will give you something to look forward to. We cannot always be prepared for everything that happens to us, but we can learn how to alleviate our stress and alter our circumstances.

"Circumstances – what are circumstances? I make circumstances." – Napoleon Bonaparte

AutoCorrect Does It Again!

2012-01-05T17:04:00.000-08:00

Who loves a good laugh?

Everyone I know! But busy days, heavy workloads, crammed time schedules, kids, and so much more take up so much of our time, we hardly give ourselves room for laughter.

Every once in a while we need to take a break, though – and laugh – and by laugh, I mean laugh heartily. You know, the kind of laugh that comes when you practically double over and cry because you're laughing so hard?

Well, here it is – AutoCorrect. I previously wrote an article where I provided a link to another site that posted Auto Correct mistakes, and a lot of what I read had me cry-laughing. That blog was part of a blog challenge and you'll find it by clicking Jokes Accidentally.

And then a friend of mine posted on his FaceBook page the top 25 Auto Correct mistakes from 2011 (thanks again, Mark).

If you have any "funny" in you at all, I can almost guarantee that you will LAUGH OUT LOUD when you read these mistakes. So, if you are in the mood for laughing, click Funniest Auto Corrects of 2011.

(Photos are from damnyouautocorrect.com)

If you would like to read more from this author, click any of the following links.

All Craft Connection

Your Weird Dreams
Your Blog Connection
Help For Single Parents
My Heart Blogs To You

Writing Creatively
Paranormal Minds
Product Favorites
Theresa Wiza's Blog
My Associated Content Articles
My Xomba Articles

Thank you for visiting!

Excuse Me While I Brag

2011-12-31T11:58:00.000-08:00

What a great way to end 2011. My article, Spontaneous Human Combustion – Truth or Fiction? made the front page of Xomba in two places!

If you're a writer, you know how much that means to me. If you're not a writer, you probably can guess how much that means to me.

So I end this year on a high note. Though my asthma and other physical problems continue, my cancer is being well controlled. Though only 3 family members will be celebrating New Year's Eve with me, I know the rest of my family and friends are with me in spirit.

Happy New Year, all of you. "The world is moving to a magical place," and I hope you all will experience some of the magic.

If you would like to read other blogs or articles by this author, I invite you to click on any of the following links.

All Craft Connection

Your Weird Dreams
Your Blog Connection
Help For Single Parents
My Heart Blogs To You

Writing Creatively
Paranormal Minds
Product Favorites
Theresa Wiza's Blog
My Associated Content Articles
My Xomba Articles

Thank you for visiting!

New Year's Resolution – Progress or Regress?

2011-12-30T08:24:00.000-08:00

We all like to think we're progressing in life – spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally. So to chart my progress, I decided to read a blog I wrote last December. Sadly I discovered the only "progress" I made was that most of the broken things from 2010 were fixed. But now, in 2011, more items have broken and what I had hoped to accomplish I haven't.

In other words, for most of 2011:

• My Internet was still not functioning properly though it seems to be working fine now – except for the person who has hacked into my wireless router making writing a VERY SLOW PROCESS (if I knew how to make my router invisible or prevent him or her from using it I would, but I don't).

• My computer had been broken for all of 2011 and is still broken – AND my laptop broke (finally got that fixed);

* I had to replace broken bathroom and kitchen fixtures;

• I failed to meet my own expectations for writing my blogs;

• I still have trouble remembering things;

• My refrigerator finally started working well (after $$$$ repairs YAY!);

• I had to purchase a new vacuum cleaner (more $$$$);

• I had to buy a new (well 2002) car (LOTS of $$$$);

• I had to replace my leaky ceilings (LOTS more $$$$);

and

• I hoped to get the area under my kitchen sink repaired, but it's still broken.

So all in all, I seem to be pretty much in the same place I was when I wrote The Clone Blog .

However, my hair is growing – I now resemble a combination of Einstein and Bozo on acid – and I'm 42 months closer to ending my daily dose of chemo meds. The asthma meds will continue through to the end of my life, and despite the continued slap from the Universe knocking me down every time I try to stand up, I still hold out hope that ONE DAY, SOME DAY I will succeed in breaking through the invisible barrier that prevents me from making enough money to LIVE.

So – my New Year's Resolution is to sell a screenplay or come up with a fabulous idea that will pay me LOTS of money, have at least one of my blogs go viral, republish a book I wrote years ago, and travel to England, to Hawaii, and to Alaska. However, it's completely out of my control so I'm also praying for Divine Intervention!

And I WILL BE OPTIMISTIC!

Happy New Year, everybody! May you all be blessed with happiness, joy, and love!

If you would like to read other blogs by this author, I invite you to click on any of the following links.

All Craft Connection

Your Weird Dreams
Your Blog Connection
Help For Single Parents
My Heart Blogs To You

Writing Creatively
Paranormal Minds
Product Favorites
Theresa Wiza's Blog
My Associated Content Articles
My Xomba Articles

Thank you for visiting!

No More Writing for Yahoo

2011-12-28T12:34:00.000-08:00

Over the past several months, along with experiencing computer and Internet problems, I've been away from writing – a lot – driving back and forth to Virginia three times over the summer, caring for grandchildren every week, and performing all the necessary tasks a home owner has to perform.

As a result of having little time to write, I've written very little ;)

But I have written. Many of my blogs are paid posts, and I take care to write them so that they will sound natural and will not appear forced. Other blogs I post are memories I don't want to forget or information I want to share, but when it comes to writing articles for Yahoo, I spend a lot of time researching and writing each article, and I pay attention to all the details that go into each article. I also strive to present a professional piece of work.

Seldom do I ask for upfront payment, but on those rare occasions when I have asked for it, except for those times I thought my chances of getting it were slim, I've received it.

Until now. After spending hours researching and writing, How to Report Internet Crime: Your Email was Hacked! Report it HERE! I asked Yahoo for an upfront payment. The article is packed with helpful information and the resources I used were from the United States government. However, I received no upfront payment and Yahoo told me that I wasn't an "expert" OR that I had "no personal experience with the subject;" therefore, I would not be allowed an upfront payment, which for me generally falls in the $3-5 range.

You may be wondering why I would even comment about such a small amount. My reason for being upset has nothing to do with the money. I'm upset because the Yahoo editor obviously didn't read the material before he or she squashed it like a bug. In two separate places I discussed my personal experience with the subject matter. Maybe whoever read it didn't understand that when the author uses such terms as, "I, me, my," she is relating a personal experience. And so, for me, I will devote my time to other pursuits.

One of those pursuits is Xomba. I spend a great deal of time researching and writing those articles as well. My most recent Xomba article put me on the most recommended list (as of today). To read that article, please click Spontaneous Human Combustion – Truth or Fiction? I may not make much money from Xomba (actually, I don't know if I get ANY money from Xomba), but at least I get recognition. At least I feel valued there.

Another place where I actually get paid to write is Blogsvertise. You write blogs for their customers and you get paid for doing so! If you want to write for them, please click below:

And if you want to read more from this author, please read any of the following:

All Craft Connection

Your Weird Dreams
Your Blog Connection
Help For Single Parents
My Heart Blogs To You

Writing Creatively
Paranormal Minds
Product Favorites
Theresa Wiza's Blog
My Associated Content Articles
My Xomba Articles

Thank you for visiting!

Starting a Biz

2011-12-13T14:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the post from Nora Mccoy

When we decided to start our business from home I had no idea it was going to become such a huge part of our lives. We happened to see online that there was a bed and breakfastfor sale in Kansas City and Mark’s parents lived there so we’d been talking for years about moving back. I can’t believe what luck it was so we bought the place and put in about 30K to make it what it is today. We of course upgraded all the rooms and got wireless internet providers Kansas City to install 4G in all the rooms and we even hired a great chef to come in and do breakfast every morning. There’s something to be said, though, for not having to answer to a boss and I think my husband would agree that now we’re happier than we’ve ever been. I love that the kids get to live so close to their grandparents and that my husband and I get to work together each and every day. It’s like a dream come true AND we’re making a living doing it!

Learning to cook

2011-12-13T14:16:00.000-08:00

Guest post from: Mohamed Simon

I’ve been trying to learn to cook better. My husband grew up with all this wonderful food and extravagant meals and I think my cooking has been a shock for him. However, I have been studying a lot of shows on the cooking channel and I am trying to become a better cook. I have been amazed at all the different cooking shows on DIRECT TV. I was able to find a special by Paula Dean that thought me how to make the perfect banana pudding. I tried it for the first time last night and my husband was in awe. Banana pudding is his favorite dessert and he actually told me mine was better than his mom’s. That was probably the best compliment he could have given me. I am just thankful for the Food Network and the internet. Without those two things, I would still be making everything out of a box. I do have to agree that homemade is so much better than the box. I had no idea how big the difference was or that I was even capable of making something so delicious.

Math Manipulatives

2011-11-28T11:33:00.000-08:00

Open your mind to possibility, and you can imagine everything possible. Theresa Wiza

Creativity! I have always loved that word. It pulls from one area and connects to another – or lots of "anothers" – in ways nobody ever imagined. Whether it results in the form of artwork, artistic forms of expression in other media, insightful thought processes, magnificent room designs, or culinary delights, the creative process allows us to use our talents and enrich our lives.

An added benefit to our own creative endeavors is that we can enhance the lives of others as well. Creativity is magical.

We all marvel at the genius of musical expressions, entertaining movies, and sumptuous feasts. They stir our emotions. They excite us. When artists put two or more ingredients together to form a completely different item, sparks of delight gleam from our eyes.

That gleam is absent in many of our children, though, who learn from uninteresting or uncaring instructors. If only parents and educators taught more creatively, rather than through rote learning procedures, children would be more engaged in learning and they would think learning was a fun experience rather than a chore.

And though you might not consider numbers to be creative, let me assure you that math manipulatives opened up my mind and allowed me to think in an entirely different way when I was only 12 years old.

Nobody called it Math manipulatives back then. My teacher didn't even call it algebra. She called it the New Math. What it entailed was thinking in "what if" terms. Instead of numbers increasing through infinity with the representation of each number appearing as 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., what if they went only to three, for example? How would the concept of higher numbers be represented? I don't remember the procedure, but I remember the concept, and if anybody remembers this type of math, please feel free to respond with the actual formula.

In the previous example, if Number Four didn't exist, the way to represent the number four would be to work in "powers." Perhaps the answer for four was three to the first power plus one to the first power. Conceptualizing math in that manner at that age stretched the imagination. In trying to comprehend the New Math, I learned two enlightening concepts: possibilities exist everywhere and imagination is limitless.

The thought process involved in imagining a number system outside the familiar number system ignited in me a love for creativity. Word games, too, inspired me. Assignments that required me to pull five seemingly unrelated words together to form a cohesive paragraph stretched my imagination and required me to think beyond any preconceived notions about what the assignment was supposed to entail.

My passion for creativity grew to include writing, crocheting, and design, and I encourage all of my children and grandchildren to pursue their own creative talents – whatever they may be.

Today when it comes to gift shopping, you can probably imagine the types of items I choose for my children and grandchildren – books, games, constructive play things – anything that inspires creativity, imagination, and fun.

Remember, when you open their minds to possibility, they can imagine everything possible.

Love Surprises!

2011-11-15T16:11:00.000-08:00

As a writer who writes and wonders if anybody reads my work, I love finding that people actually do read my words. Today, just a few minutes ago actually, I found this front page of Xomba.

If you look in the center under "Featured" for The Voices in Your Head: Hearing Voices, you'll see my article – but wait – it gets better! Look for "Most Discussed Article" and you'll see – The Voices in Your Head: Hearing Voices!

If you're a writer, you'll understand how happy I feel right now.

Want to read more from this author? Click any of the following links:

All Craft Connection

Your Weird Dreams
Your Blog Connection
Help For Single Parents
My Heart Blogs To You
Writing Creatively
Paranormal Minds
Product Favorites
Theresa Wiza's Blog
My Associated Content Articles
My Xomba Articles

Thank you for visiting!

Impressed With Teaching Strategies

2011-10-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to my granddaughter's school to celebrate her 7th birthday by bringing her lunch. When I arrived, I was a few minutes early. At the door to her 1st grade classroom, I noticed most of her classmates sitting at their desks, some of them with their heads down. Audrey wasn't among them.

Audrey's teacher told me that Audrey was outside playing with two other students from the class, because she had made good choices that morning. Everybody sitting at their desks, which included most of the class, was not allowed to go to recess, because throughout the morning, they had made bad choices.

Miss May's teaching strategies impressed me. Instead of punishing the kids for misbehaving or for not following directions, she was teaching them that the choices they made resulted in either a reward or no reward. She also placed the responsibility of their decisions upon the children themselves.

Critical thinking is an important skill that teaches students how to think independently and take responsibility for the choices they make. Teaching critical thinking skills is imperative if we want our children to start making good choices.

After thinking about the situation I witnessed yesterday, I wonder if my granddaughter's school used any of the guides offered at Mentoring Minds, a teacher education web site that includes, in their research page, a Critical Thinking Strategies Guide and a Critical Thinking Wheel, because I think that when students recognize that the choices they make result in consequences or rewards, they will make better choices

Mental Anguish, Physical Comfort

2011-10-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, my writing partner called to tell me that our screenplay was copyrighted. It was the first time I had heard her voice (though I had begun the screenplay years ago, the two of us had been working on this script only since last February).

Earlier this month I registered the completed script and she was supposed to copyright it, but the copyright process took a while because her computer was in the shop. Finally, though, and happily, on October 21, 2011, Edith and Ethel Go to Brown County was copyrighted. We are elated!

Our first step when the screenplay was registered and copyrighted, was to contact Jane Lynch and Joan Cusack to see if they would like to read the script. We wanted these two women, who would be hilarious in the movie, to read the script first. We haven't thought past that step though – we may enter it in contests if we don't hear from Jane and Joan within the next few weeks.

Busy all day Saturday, I decided to relax on Sunday while I worked on another screenplay, a couple of blogs, and some articles – after I figured out why my sink was leaking. I was hoping to also have time to hang the drapes that have been sitting on my bed for the past two weeks, because I couldn't figure out how to get the drill bits to fit in the drill. (Another problem solved after I brought the drill and the drill bits to the place where I bought the drill bits and learned how to install them).

NOT getting dressed yesterday would have looked lazy if anybody had dropped in, so I put on some medical scrubs and ran to the sink where, after careful examination, I found the source of the leak. You see, when my son-in-law and my daughter-in-law's sister's boyfriend (following this?) installed the sink, they tightened the "whatever-it's-called" (a bowl-type plastic attachment on the underside of the sink) too tightly. So for the past few months, it has been broken and, without my knowledge, leaking.

After researching and viewing several online article and videos, one of which was NOT how I wanted to fix my sink (the guy used some kind of foam that would have looked like I had fungus growing from under my sink), I decided the cheapest and easiest way to fix my fairly new sink is to put putty all around the whatever-it's-called. So another problem solved (once I get the putty).

When I discovered that mold had been growing where the water had been dripping, I realized the source of my illness for the past few months (I'm highly allergic to mold), so I feel good knowing I've solved THAT problem.

Thinking I had time to actually WORK yesterday, I went on to my next project. But then, as usually happens, another problem surfaced. Having crocheted a few scarves and hats I hoped to sell on eBay or etsy, I decided to take photos of them and download them onto my laptop.

iPhoto, which came with my laptop, stopped working though, and after several failed attempts – one of which was to try ImageCapture (another program that came with my MacBook Pro), and PhotoShop (importing didn't work), I discovered that the only way I could download photos from my camera was by using the Preview program, yet another program that came with my laptop.

After several hours of shutting off my computer, restarting the computer, plugging my camera in, taking my camera out, and trying different programs – Success! Preview worked!

So what it comes down to is this: I spent the whole day yesterday TRYING to accomplish my goals, but accomplished only making breakfast and lunch. Suddenly it was 7 p.m. so I closed my laptop, made myself some dinner, and turned on the television where I watched a delightful new program, "Once Upon a Time," words I used to use to begin every story when I was a child.

While I was mentally anguished for most of the day with numerous problems, at least I was physically comfortable all day solving them.

http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/

Love Laptop Computers

2011-10-21T05:19:00.000-07:00

When I first began writing, I used pencils and fountain pens. I loved the fluidity of fountain pens and the control I had using pencils – sometimes the results were sharp; other times they were soft, slanted, and smooth. Reclining on a couch or sitting on my bed, leaning against a tree or lying on the carpet, I recorded my thoughts in notebooks and on three-hole-punch ruled paper.

Then one day, on a Christmas morning in my early teens, I found a typewriter under the tree and and fumbled, one finger at a time, page after page, to bring my words to life. When the ribbon reached the end, I manually rolled it back to the beginning and started over, using it until it ran completely dry.

My first computer was an Apple IIe, which I used for college classes I took. Better than pulling paper out of a typewriter and correcting with White-Out, I was now able to erase everything and print my college papers on a dot-matrix printer.

But the problem with computers was that I was tethered to a desk. I'd lost the freedom to sit outside and record my thoughts. I no longer was able to recline on a couch or sit back on my bed.

And then (open the curtains and listen to the applause) laptop computers arrived! My eyes opened wide – FREEDOM!

I'm not the type to sit at a desk all day. I have to get up and stretch my legs. I have to move around. I have to be comfortable. Laptops allow me to write from my bed or sit on the couch or at the kitchen table. VERSATILITY means that I can take my computer with me when I visit my son no matter where he is stationed or bring it with me to any of my grandchildren's homes so that I can work when I need to work.

It took me several years to save up for my MacBook Pro, dropping all of my change every week into a canister set. It was one of the best investments I ever made and I haven't regretted it for one minute.

(Post was written on the couch while waiting for my grandchildren to awaken.)

Nurse Ratched Could Be In a Doctor's Office Near You!

2011-10-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

As she stood on the other side of the office with her arms folded across her white lab coat, she reminded me of Nurse Ratched (played by Louise Fletcher in the movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, starring Jack Nicholson).

I was in my pulmonary specialist's office having an attack of pneumonia (though I didn't know it at the time) and had to get an x-ray. I was told to call back later in the afternoon to get the results.

When I called back, Ratched told me that she wouldn't be able to give me the results because the doctor was gone.

"Can't you locate him? It's Friday," I explained, as if she didn't know.

She might as well have sneered, "yeah, so?" as I wondered, isn't nursing supposed to be a caring profession? "I need my results! How will I get the results if the doctor is gone?"

"You'll have to wait until next Tuesday (the doctor wasn't in on Monday)."

"But what if it turns out to be pneumonia? Can't you find somebody else to read the results?"

"You'll have to wait. There's nothing I can do about it."

I'm not usually a tattletale, but I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and I was afraid I might die if I had to wait until next Tuesday to find out what was causing my breathing difficulties.

Nurse Ratched was apathetic to my situation, so after I ended up IN the hospital, because the following morning I drove myself to the emergency room where I was admitted, I made sure to tell my doctor about Nurse Ratched's behavior.

Doctors don't want their nursing staff to treat patients as horribly as Nurse Ratched treated me. He assured me he would attend to the matter.

We all come across people who hate us for no reason, but personal issues do not belong in a doctor's office. Maybe she was menopausal, maybe she didn't like me on sight (I never met her until that day), maybe she was just having a bad day, or maybe she was insane. Whatever HER problem was, she needed a slap of reality.

That was in June, and I'm glad I talked to my pulmonary specialist about my treatment, because I am again having lung problems, and I will be returning to his office tomorrow. If I see Nurse Ratched there, I will be tempted to give her a Cuckoo Clock.

By the way, the reason I haven't been online much lately is not only due to the fact that I have been sick for the past couple of weeks, but also because my youngest daughter gave birth to my newest granddaughter, and I've been away from the computer – a LOT!

http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/

Expecting twins

2011-10-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

Contributed by Milford Woods

My husband and I found out we were pregnant a few months ago and were on top of the world. We knew we were going to have to make a few budget changes and cut backs to pay for the new baby, but we also knew it would be well worth it. Today we had our first ultrasound and we are actually having twins! Twins! That means double everything. While we are still excited, we are trying to figure out how to pay for two babies. Luckily after finding some great direct tv deals, learning how to coupon and making some major changes to our budget, I am confident we will be fine. It has taken a lot of work to go from crazy worry to calm worry, but I am proud of my husband for all his hard work. He is going to make a great dad and I am so lucky to have him in my life. He is able to take my crazy moments and fix them. He is a wonderful guy and I can’t wait to give him two precious, little children.

A Writer's Wardrobe

2011-09-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Today I write to you from my living room where I am still wearing my PJs and a robe – hours after I awoke. For the first time in DAYS, the temperature has dropped to a comfortable 66 degrees – which is fortunate for me considering my air conditioning went out yesterday when it was an uncomfortable 95 degrees. Today I am enjoying cool breezes wafting through my windows. Ahhh!

Though I like to feel comfortable, I should probably prepare for the possibility of somebody coming over (I am selling my home after all, and the "For Sale" sign on the front lawn has invitation written all over it). I probably should not be answering the door in my pajamas and robe. Even though I've been working for hours, wearing a robe and pajamas might make me look lazy.

As soon as I finish this blog, I will go to my room to grab my comfort clothes, my uniform, if you will. As most of you who know me know, I'm more interested in comfortable clothing than I am in fashionable clothing, especially if I'm sitting at home, because the more comfortable I am, the more productive I feel. Wearing nursing scrubs, while comfortable, looks more professional than wearing sweats all day. And, being comfortable while I work is one of my favorite perks about being a writer.

Check out the link below to find some comfortable working scrubs.

http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/

The First Writing Assignment

2011-08-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

Because I have always wanted to be a writer, I enjoyed every writing assignment my teachers requested of me. Writing, as a matter of fact, was my favorite classroom experience.

I envisioned myself, Erma Bombeck-like, sitting in my garage with a typewriter and a cup of coffee (long before I ever drank coffee, long before I ever had a garage, and long before computers ever appeared on desktops around the world), spinning out tale after tale, column after column, screenplay after screenplay, and magazine article after magazine article.

My vision, however, lacked prophetic realism – I found myself instead seated in a hospital office where the only writing I did was scribble patients' names on name cards – until the day my boss came up to me and said, "Did you really mean what you said when you told me you'd love to be able to write something?"

In my head I was happy dancing, and, eyes widened with expectation, I said in my most gleeful voice, YES!

"Good," he said, "the annual report is due and I want you to write it."

I felt as I thought Rembrandt would have felt if he had been told to draw nothing but stick figures. What was worse was that I knew nothing of hospital policy or policy management. How would I write about hospital policies when I wasn't even familiar with them?

"Don't worry," he said, "we're going to use an old report I wrote five years ago and tweak it."

Great, I thought. My first writing assignment is a tweaked version of an old annual hospital report that somebody else wrote.

On the up-side, that hospital was a world-renown teaching hospital, and while my name appeared nowhere on that report, everybody in my office knew I contributed my writing skills to produce it.

If I had been working for that hospital today, I wouldn't have had to retype the entire document. I could have used PolicyMedical™, the leading hospital policy management software, to help me write annual reports and hospital policies. Policy software would have effectively streamlined my job and made it much more simple.

Those skills really helped me, though. Today I just blogged about that experience.

Making buying textbooks a little easier

2011-08-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

Guest post written by Hannah Ferguson

If there's about anything that I can do to make something painful for worthwhile, I'm going to do it. That especially goes with saving a little bit of money. I guess that I'm what you could call cheap, but at least I know and admit it. I think it's a lot easier to be cheap especially when you know that you are. There's a lot less guilt involved that way too.

Right now my object of cheapness is getting together all my textbooks for the fall semester. I was browsing textbook sites online to find some steeply discounted books to buy a few nights ago when I saw the site www.CLEARWIREWimax4G.com. I read through it, showed it to my roommates and after that we decided to change over our home internet service at our college apartment to the provider.

Well, I'm lucky that I have a knack for buying college textbooks at really low prices, because I scored some really great deals. Now I have a few bucks to spend elsewhere, like on beer and pizza.

Quest for the 100 Word Blog Story

2011-07-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hidden under the keyboard were thoughts that had escaped from my head. I saw them run down the length of my arm and hide beneath the keys. I tapped ferociously at them until they screamed – Britney Spears-like – "Hit me, Baby, one more time!"

Was that a challenge or a threat? With Britney on the brain I knew that unless I got her out of my head, I would be stuck writing about her.

So I begged my thoughts to return to my head. They did, but now I've used up my 100 words.

If you would like to read more from this author, click any of the following links:

All Craft Connection
Your Weird Dreams
Your Blog Connection
Help For Single Parents
My Heart Blogs To You
Writing Creatively
Paranormal Minds
Product Favorites
Theresa Wiza's Blog
My Associated Content Articles
My Xomba Articles
Thank you for visiting!

Jim Carrey is the Black Swan

2011-06-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

This guest post from Hong Alexander

Ever since I switched to www.cannonsatellite.com, I find myself watching more television than I used to, especially on the weekends. I used to watch Saturday Night Live almost every single weekend, but I stopped watching once the cast seemed to have lost its humor. My favorite guest appearance on a TV show happened recently when Jim Carrey hosted Saturday Night Live. This is the second time I've seen him do this; even though the first time was probably the best, his appearance made the show much better the second time around. He always seems to steal the show, and I found myself laughing quite a few times.

His role as the Black Swan was exceptional and I thought I was going to fall out of my chair from laughing so hard. If I met him in real life, then I would probably suffer from stomach cramps because I would laugh at everything he said. The Black Swan skit went well and it worked because he really does know how to move gracefully -- that is if you consider an injured swan graceful. I've tried to watch the show several times since his appearance, but I just can't get into it as much. If he ever decides to come back, then I will be sure to watch.

Writers Need More MONEY!

2011-06-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

If, like me, you are a writer (or even if you are not a writer) who wants to make more money, I would like to introduce you to one of the easiest methods ever for making money. You won't become wealthy, but if you read emails, fill out surveys, and read, you can make money doing what you do every day anyway.

InboxDollars is a site I discovered only yesterday, and already InboxDollars has put into my CASH account $5.77. Not bad for only 20 minutes of my life. If you would like more information about InboxDollars, click any of the links in this blog, click the ad itself, which is located next to this blog, or read MAKE MONEY with InboxDollars!

If you would like to read more from this author, click any of the following links:

All Craft Connection

Your Weird Dreams

Your Blog Connection

Help For Single Parents

My Heart Blogs To You

Writing Creatively

Paranormal Minds

Product Favorites

Theresa Wiza's Blog

My Associated Content Articles

My Xomba Articles

Thank you for visiting!

Research on Health Issues

2011-06-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

As a writer interested in health-related issues, I visit a number of sites, including the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Mayo Clinic. I also subscribe to The Doctors Health e-Bulletin (http://click.discountclick.com/go/click.php?tid=633006) for breakthrough information on everything from the best foods to eat to exercises that improve brain function.

Advances in medicine are made every day and because doctors today appear to be more specialized than they were when I was growing up, it helps to know as much as we can about our own bodies so that we can make informed decisions when our doctors suggest a treatment plan.

In the "old days" people used to think of their doctors as gods. Today, we know that doctors are human and that they make mistakes. Going to the doctor with a sense of why we are experiencing problems helps our doctor care for us and lets him or her know that we are making intelligent choices.

As a result of my need to know as much as I can about my own body and about the current advances being made in medicine, I use as many resources as I can. The Doctors Health e-Bulletin is a good place to start. If you want to subscribe to The Doctors Health e-Bulletin, click any of the links in this blog or in the sidebar.

If you would like to read more from this author, click any of the following links:

All Craft Connection

Your Weird Dreams

Your Blog Connection

Help For Single Parents

My Heart Blogs To You

Writing Creatively

Paranormal Minds

Product Favorites

Theresa Wiza's Blog

My Associated Content Articles

My Xomba Articles

Thank you for visiting!

Writers – Let Others Know You Exist

2011-06-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

With all the emphasis on social marketing using email, Facebook, and Twitter, we often forget that other ways exist to introduce ourselves as writers.

Lots of communities hold "After Hours" meetings where people get together to discuss what their businesses can offer the community. At these meetings, representatives from various companies pass out business cards to let everyone know what their specialty is.

Attending one of these functions with business cards in hand lets the community know that your writing skills can help them with their next brochure, report, newsletter, or whatever their writing needs are. Local companies might be looking for business bloggers as well. Hand them your business card.

Want even more recognition? Post a large magnet on your car or van to let the community know that your writing skills can help them. I recently purchased from VistaPrint business cards and automobile magnets for this web site, Writing Creatively. Their prices are incredibly low AND VistaPrint's business cards are often FREE!

Visit the VistaPrint web site by clicking on the link next to this blog for more ideas on how to market your writing.

If you would like to read more from this author, click any of the following links:

All Craft Connection

Your Weird Dreams

Your Blog Connection

Help For Single Parents

My Heart Blogs To You

Writing Creatively

Paranormal Minds

Product Favorites

Theresa Wiza's Blog

My Associated Content Articles

My Xomba Articles

Thank you for visiting!