A Mule In Harness

When my sister-in-law first told me about terminator seeds I was pretty peeved. The idea of a terminator seed is garden and seed companies selling seeds that produce plants with genetically dud fruit so you’re forced to buy new seeds/plants every year. The seeds produced by the fruit of said terminator seed plants are sterile. So, you buy a tomato in the store, theoretically you should be able to take the seeds from that tomato, plant them, and voila – get a tomato plant.

Not so.

The seeds from a plant grown from a terminator seed are genetically engineered to produce genetic duds – the fruit of those plants won’t produce fruit.

Was this true? Was this the greatest hoodwink of garden lovers ever? I did a bit of digging online and sure enough, there are a ton of blogs and articles dedicated to buying only heirloom seeds to avoid and boycott the terminator seed business.

But Genetic Use Restriction Technology (GURT), or suicide seeds as they’re also known, date back to the early 1990′s. There are ban terminator organizations, and the Wiki article even cites the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. So I did a bit more digging and found other sites claiming that terminator seeds are illegal, only licensed farmers can access the seeds and must sign a lengthy agreement not to save seeds, etc.

So – who’s right? If a garden or seed company labels seed packets and plants with assurances of no terminator seeds – is that true dedication to customers or is it a marketing ploy because they’re not allowed to sell those seeds? Hmmm… (I’m not a conspiracy theorist – but I have to say this has got me thinking.)

A Third Option…

As a farm girl born and bred from many generations of farmers, I’m aware of a few animal species created through selective breeding. Now, we’re not talking about breeding a Dalmatian to a Labrador Retriever – we’re talking crossing species. Mules are the offspring of a mare (female horse) with a jack (male donkey). (If you breed a jenny (female mule) to a stallion (male horse) you get a hinny if you wanted to know – never seen one of those.) Male mules are infertile with only very rare cases of a fertile female mule (called a Molly). Beefalo (or cattalo) produce infertile male offspring, but fertile female offspring. Not exactly a success, because you can’t ever develop a true breed that way – eventually you breed the buffalo out of the cow – if you get my drift. It forces breeders to keep a herd of buffalo cows because only a domestic bull/buffalo cow pairing produce viable offspring (it doesn’t seem to work the other way around). Tiglons and Ligers are considered infertile, though one or two exceptions appear in the historical record with hybrid females.

Genetic modification has been in use in agriculture for a very long time – not as old as selective breeding mind you, but it’s not new technology by any stretch. Everyone raves about the potato plant resistant to the potato bug. We all love the tomato, a plant native to South America but now with more varieties than a stray tomcat. But don’t genetically modify my vegetables! Don’t hate me, my point is that there’s a lot more genetic modification in our food than we care to acknowledge.

Ever tried to grow a tomato plant from the seeds of a store-bought tomato? Doesn’t work. A lot of the fruit in grocery stores are genetically modified to grow in a variety of climates, in a variety of sizes and even colors. How else do they get a tomato from California to Ontario on a truck – and still have it be ripe and look edible? Hmmmm… They’re hybrids. They’re like the mules of the garden world. They can’t produce a second generation. And tomatoes aren’t the only fruits (or vegetables) we eat that are a product of genetic modification.

So, are terminator seeds really a product of duplicitous garden and seed companies, or a clever marketing ploy? Tell me what you think below.

Lisa

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Thought I’d share a couple of photos from my garden. It’s the May Two-Four weekend here in Canada – this marks the official start to cottage/camping season, yardsale season, gardening season, mosquito season, and the start of summer – it’s a big deal. AND we celebrate the Queen’s birthday with fireworks and copious amounts of barbequed meat (and often alcohol). Long live the Queen! (My mom’s family are United Empire Loyalists – I’m allowed to say that.)

Bleeding Heart

Clematis

Purple Iris

Columbine

Pick Your Poison

A word of caution…

Please, do not read this post and think of it as a to-do or must-do list. Don’t rush out and try to do them all. All of these platforms exist because they offer different things, and the people using them are looking for specific kinds of interaction. If you don’t play by the rules, you get kicked to the sidelines where no one else hangs out and you’ll be all alone. How sad.

A quick run-down by metaphor

Twitter is like the workplace watercooler – you check in a few times a day – meet someone new, have a couple of quick conversations, catch up on events/world happenings – and then you head back to what you were doing.

LinkedIn is the office. Professionals gather there looking for connections, networking, maybe a job – and answers.

Facebook is a living room or a common area at the dorm or the backyard barbeque – it’s where people go to hang out for a few minutes or an hour to connect with people they already know.

Google+ is… you know, I’m not really sure. I was an early adopter at G+ and have found a fabulous writing community there. Maybe G+ is like the ComicCon of social media platforms? I don’t know. There are a lot of professionals on there – but of all the platforms, this one still seems to be finding its niche.

Here’s a great infographic about who uses Facebook, Twitter, G+ and LinkedIn – and what they’re looking for on each platform.

Pinterest is the beauty salon or the mall – you go window shopping, flip through catalogs, gather ideas for a new renovation, a party, or a wedding. Pinterest is used by middle-class women, overwhelmingly, and is popular with the 25-54 age group and 60% have some college education. Is this who you’re writing for?

Triberr is like an aggregated news source that lets you be the know-it-all did-you-hear-about… star at the cafeteria lunch table, the backyard bbq or the watercooler.

If you’re writing for teens, chances are you won’t find many on Twitter. If you’re trying to connect with CEO’s, Facebook isn’t where they hang out. Know who you’re writing for, and where they hang out. Each platform attracts a unique audience. So, here’s a mashup of social platforms for writers, what they are, and how to use them to promote your writing.

Facebook – Facebook is my social media home – it’s where I hang out. I wrote this post about How To Use Your Facebook Profile To Market Your Writing, and that post includes links to a previous series that’s still mostly relevant I wrote on navigating Facebook. Here’s a recent mashup about how to tweak out your Facebook Timeline with a list of best-selling authors who are rocking Facebook to connect with fans.

Lisa’s skinny on Facebook: You can’t ignore Facebook, but you can’t automate it either. Facebook is not Twitter, it’s not Triberr, it’s not a blog. You need a strategy to connect with fans on Facebook that provides unique content. You need to know where Facebook falls in your marketing funnel, how you plan to engage fans – and what will keep them coming back.

LinkedIn – Jenny Hansen over at More Cowbell has a series of 4 posts about how to Make LinkedIn Your Happy Place and build a network on LinkedIn. Here’s a quick link to all 4 posts.

Jenny’s skinny on LinkedIn – I was active on LinkedIn long before I was on Twitter or blogging; most of my professional life resides there and the application has served me well (which is why I’m pimping it out to you)…Twitter and LinkedIn are both geared toward hooking up with the people you want to know. (Like editors and agents…just sayin.’) If you want to BUILD your network, you are simply going to do it faster on Twitter and LinkedIn…LinkedIn is more like attending a big conference – you’ve got people you’re scheduled to meet with, and they know people who know people.

Twitter - Marcy Kennedy (my cowriter) is the first person I turn to for Twitter advice. Marcy wrote a fun series on navigating Twitter: Top 5 Reasons To Join Twitter, 4 Things To Avoid So You Don’t Get Fed To The Twitter Sharks, How You Can Climb On The Twitter Lifeboat, and How To Avoid Wasting Time on Twitter. These were posted a while ago, but you can also check out More Cowbell for help with Twitter.

Marcy’s skinny on Twitter: “My husband hates Twitter, and when I first joined, he mocked me mercilessly. To him, Twitter is just a place where celebrities indulge their narcissism, and obsessed fans drool over every character they type. And, I’ll admit, segments of Twitter are like that. What many people still don’t realize though is that not all of Twitter is like that, and there are many excellent reasons to join, especially for writers.”

Triberr – Jenny Hansen at More Cowbell is my go-to source for Triberr. She calls Triberr her New Time-Saving Social Media BFF and you can find a 3 part series she’s written on how to navigate and rock Triberr.

Jenny’s skinny on Triberr: “Triberr is an invite only website for bloggers interested in increasing their reach. When you get invited into Triberr, you are a member of someone else’s tribe and you have the capability to start 3 new tribes of your own. Triberr is a free platform which enables bloggers to band together and share in each other’s audience.”

Pinterest – oooh ahhhh *waves spirit fingers* Pinterest is the shiny new Ferrari on the social media block. August McLaughlin took a look at Pinterest for bloggers with 7 Keys to Success To Success: Pinterest and Blogging.

August on Pinterest: “Like many, I was hesitant about joining Pinterest…Though I dug the concept, it sounded like a time-sucker and more fun than vital. When I learned that it’s the fastest growing social media platform, a top referrer to retailers and appeals particularly to educated women, I figured it was time to research my brains out look into it. I’m so glad I did.”

Blogging/Platform – Yeah, OK – blogging isn’t a social media platform per se, but if you’re a writer you’ve probably been told you need to have a blog. And when I have questions about blogging, the very first place I look to for advice is Kristen Lamb – social media guru for writers. Kristen launched the WANA (We Are Not Alone) Love Revolution and created the popular #MyWANA and #WANABlogs hashtags on Twitter. This is one my favorite posts by Kristen – The Modern Author

Kristen’s skinny on Platform – “Social media is, above all else, social. It is a community…We all need love–writer love, blog love, or even just friend love. The Internet can be a scary place if you are doing this by yourself. Well, now you don’t have to. We are going to be your adoptive Internet family….your Twibe…Many of you guys are starting blogs. Others of you aren’t sure you want a blog and you might be watching and learning… #MyWANA might help making friends a bit easier.”

What social media sites are you on? Why have you chosen them? How are you working to build a community?

Lisa

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Remembering Tori Stafford. Her family wore purple throughout the recent trial in her memory - purple was her favorite color.

3 years ago this past April, I was standing at my kitchen sink peeling potatoes for supper listening to the radio when an Amber Alert went out for a 8 year old little girl in a small neighboring community only 20 minutes away. The missing girl was the same age, in the same grade, as my younger daughter. My ever-independent daughter. My daughter was home, safe and sound, but the little girl on the radio didn’t come home from school that day and the police were asking residents for help. My heart pumped faster and tears instantly sprang to my eyes. That poor mother, what she must be going through? I stopped and prayed for the police and that little girl. I get goosebumps even now remembering that day.

What parent can’t relate to this fear? Just the thought of it has mothers gathering their children closer.

I later came to learn that little girl’s name was Tori Stafford – and she wasn’t coming home.

The tragic events of that day have been brought to light in two trials, the jury delivering a verdict for the second trial just this past Friday here in my city. Guilty. I’ve followed the investigation and the trial with tears in my eyes. My heart breaks for that little girl and her family. From what I’ve heard, Tori’s suffering was over by the time the Amber Alert went out. Her family never had a chance to help her.

Where a tragic story gets personal…

The details emerging from this latest trial were graphic and disturbing, and this little girl’s story should hit everyone hard. But behind the scenes, this story hits me doubly hard because the week before Tori was kidnapped, my younger daughter had begged and pleaded with me to let her walk home by herself. All her friends were allowed to walk home alone. She was responsible enough. She knew the way. I was being mean. I didn’t trust her. My gut told me she didn’t have the street smarts to navigate the more than 1kilometer walk home alone, so I said no.

But, as kids often do, she kept at it. My daughter chipped away at the confidence I had in that decision with emotional pleas and logical arguments. Maybe I was being over protective. Maybe I was being too strict. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her to find her way home or to wander. I was on the verge of giving in.

That Amber Alert was like a punch to the gut. This could have been my baby. The crime was completely random and it honestly could have been anyone’s child. A freak happenstance left Tori alone that day after school. The police say that total stranger kidnapping constitutes less than 1% of all kidnapping cases – but that statistic brings me no comfort and I’m sure it does nothing for that little girl’s parents either.

My resolve was strengthened that I had made the right decision and I trust my instincts even more now. A blogger friend August McLaughlin recently posted about the Gift of Fear. It’s an insightful read about listening to your intuition. Ever questioned your own intuition? Ever found out that you were wise to listen to it?

If you think of Tori and her family this week as they finish up the trial (sentencing, victim impact statements, etc.) send up a prayer, a good thought – whatever you’re inclined to do. No parent should have to endure the ordeal they’ve faced for the last 3 years. Because though justice has been delivered, at the end of it all, Tori isn’t coming home.

Lisa

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I don’t have a before picture (mostly because I’m too embarrassed to show one), but I had to move the barbeque and pull up some moss-covered patio stones. But, I found a quiet shady corner of the yard mostly protected from soccer balls and water fights for my garden.

My daughter and I agreed we’d spend no more than $20 on our fairy garden (after all, everyone knows fairies are frugal). So, we pilfered my gardens and split a few plants. We made a pond for the fairies, and went to the Dollar Store for decorations. It was a total blast. It was about 4 hours of work, (and no – we didn’t prepare the soil first- that would have put a serious dent in our decorating budget – but if I hadn’t been so cheap we would have) and hopefully a whole summer full of enjoyment.

Here’s some pics – tell me what you think. I’m thinking it needs a fairy ring…still working on that.

Just a little corner garden but we love it. It's too early to plant seeds or annuals yet, but we'll fill the baskets soon enough.

The lizard is my daughter's favourite decoration.

We just loved this little guy - he's so happy. Every garden needs a rabbit that won't eat anything

Our 'pond' is a little pathetic - but that's OK. You have to start small.

So, what plans do you have for your gardens? Where’s your favorite place to shop for garden accessories? Do you start plants from seeds?

Lisa

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Marcy and Lisa as Write! Canada attendees

But this year, Marcy’s not going. If you’ve ever met Marcy or I – well, chances are we were together. We go to virtually every conference together. And when we’re there we eat every meal together, we divide the classes we’re interested in and swap notes, we strategize together before we go. We even finish each others sentences. I’m very blessed to have such a great writing partner and friend. If you’ve never met Marcy, then you don’t know that of the two of us she’s the chatty one. She’s so much better at small talk and social niceties than I am – so I’m afraid I’ll flounder a bit here under the pressure. But, I’m only able to go for one day so – suck it up, Wilson! I’m determined not to be a wallflower!

Marcy and I were faculty together at this conference last year. She gave me permission to repost the blog post she wrote following our experience. (I’ve added a few extra thoughts.)

What Faculty Wish Attendees Knew About Writing Conference Appointments

(1) We can tell from a 15 minute appointment who is going to succeed and who is going to fail.

You probably think I’m exaggerating, but I’m not. It’s that obvious.

So what are some of the factors signaling success in a person’s future?

• a willingness to learn and work hard
• questions showing an understanding of what I said
• the ability to tell me what you need my help with (or the acknowledgment you’re just starting out and aren’t even sure what your first step should be)
• evidence you did your research ahead of time (if you booked an appointment with me randomly, that’s not a good sign)

Lisa: Marcy is very right. The most enjoyable appointments were with the writers who had specific questions or were looking for specific feedback on a piece. It’s very difficult when someone sits down, slides a manuscript under your nose and says, “What advice can you give me?” That’s a difficult situation and hard not to feel like you’ve let the other person down when all you have is just 15 minutes to come up with something profound.

Marcy and Lisa in Times Square for the Writers Digest Conference - 2012

What makes these so important?

Hard work and teachability trump talent every day. Lisa: *high five – so true!

Asking questions (or taking notes) shows that you’re listening, digesting, and are likely to apply what you’ve learned later.

If you know what you need my help with, you know your weaknesses. Recognizing them is the first step in fixing them.

Researching my background and areas of expertise wasn’t difficult. If you signed up with me randomly, it’s a warning sign you’ll also query agents and editors randomly.

Lisa: And both us are very accessible online – and so are most writing conference faculty. Having someone sit down with me and say – ‘So, what do you write?’ makes me wonder if they know what they really want/need from me because it would have taken five minutes to look us up on Facebook or our blogs.

We hope that the ones we see potential in will contact us later, even if only to tell us how things are going. I felt invested in some of the people I met this weekend, and even if I never hear from them again, I’ll be here, behind the scenes, rooting for them to succeed.

Lisa: Absolutely! As a newby conference goer I was so intimidated – I wouldn’t have ever dreamed of contacting faculty after the conference. I remember most of the faces I met even last year – and for the most part we’re happy to help.

(2) There’s nothing in it for us. We don’t even get paid to be there.

Although we get a small amount for any critiques we do before the conference, it’s not enough to cover the time we spend on the critiques, let alone our time at the conference. And we don’t get paid to come to the conference (in fact, we pay to come–albeit with a discount). We also don’t have our lodging or travel expenses paid for. Monetarily, this weekend was a loss for me.

The one and only goal of our advice is to help you succeed. Take what we say seriously. We’re there because we’re experienced professionals. Lisa: Yep! Couldn’t have said it better.

Marcy and Lisa at Mount Hermon Writers Conference - California 2011 Our room was at the top of a very big hill - I had to take a moment to tease Marcy about all the luggage she brought.

(3) Don’t take it personally – we’re just tired.

Faculty members put in 14 hour days. On Friday alone, Lisa and I put in 17 hours, including teaching a class, an impromptu workshop, almost 4 hours of one-on-one appointments with attendees, a working lunch, a working supper, informal meetings . . . you get the picture.

Lisa: Remember that we’re writers too and both introverts. Being ‘on’ for that long is exhausting. We’re excited to be there and we want to help as many as we can, but we’re human and we’re tired. Please don’t take it personally if we don’t give you the answer you’re looking for, or seem to brush you off. It’s truly not intentional. That’s why we’re so open to being approached through social networks after the conference. It’s about making a connection.

(4) We find it overwhelming (and flattering) that everyone knows who we are.

I’m really not cool enough to be that well known. In fact, I’m geeky and clumsy and boring more often than I care to admit. (If you don’t believe me, just ask my family.)

Lisa: We met so many readers last year who had never left a comment or reached out through Twitter or Facebook. It was truly humbling, but affirming that all our efforts were helping people. You have no idea how much we appreciated that. I can only assume that for most faculty, it’s the same thing. Especially for the American agents and teachers conference organizers take the time and expense to have come to Ontario.

Writing is such a lonely occupation – please don’t assume that you’re the only one who’s struggling to figure it all out.

Have you been to a writer’s conference? What do you wish writer’s conference faculty would remember about attendees? What have you sometimes wished you could say to a faculty member?

Lisa

Subscribe to this Blog or Like my Facebook page for writing links, upcoming course information, and encouragement. Or just hang out with me by subscribing to my profile for a more personal connection. I never post more than once or twice a day. If Twitter or Facebook aren’t your thing – shoot me an email. I love hearing from you! lisa@lisahallwilson.com

If you enjoyed this post, make sure to connect with Marcy on her blog, on Facebook, or Twitter.

Oooh – I’m all jittery. Blockbuster movie season has begun! If you haven’t already guessed, I’m a huge movie fan so you know I saw The Avengers on opening weekend. I’m no nerd girl so don’t ask me about comic books or epic battles, or how this movie stayed true to past versions. While I liked Black Widow and Hawk…guy…man, it was the Hulk that captured my attention.

Growing up, I watched the Saturday morning cartoons of The Incredible Hulk. He always came across as a mostly dumb, enraged but at times gentle, giant always rushing to the rescue. There was always this underlying layer of rage to him, but he cried, he sorta smiled at times, and mostly talked with his fists. I liked him.

Now we get to see Dr. Banner and the Hulk in a team situation. I don’t know much about The Avengers, or many of the characters who make up the team other than the Hulk. **I won’t give anything away that you wouldn’t see in a movie trailer.** Most of the movie the other team members understandably tiptoe around Dr. Banner who’s brought in as an expert. It felt like that child’s game Don’t Wake Daddy. After a while I wanted to say, ‘Give the guy some credit.’

The key to superhero movies, I think, is to let the audience see the hero’s humanity – or their struggle to be human. Dr. Banner doesn’t like the Hulk. The Hulk is uncontrollable, volatile, and destructive. There’s not much there worth redeeming.

In the final battle scene, Captain America (I think) says something to the effect of suit up – get your anger on to Dr. Banner. Bruce looks back over his shoulder and says, “That’s my secret. I’m always angry.”

BAM! That line hit me like a truck. I never saw the duality of the Hulk before.

I think everyone has a Hulk inside them. No, really. Is there a memory, a situation, an emotion, a person – that can just make you lose control? You say things that are destructive or harmful, you come out swinging no matter what, you talk with your fists (proverbially or literally), you lash out at everyone around you whether they’re at fault or not. When the Hulk comes out, you don’t see reason, there’s no mitigating circumstance, there’s just a cave-man-like reaction. We’d like to pin the green rage monster on people with anger management problems, but dig a little deeper. Is there a coworker who just sets you off every time they open their mouth? If you feel threatened do you come out ‘fists first’ whether that response is appropriate or not?

What situation or scenario do you need your Hulk for, so your weaker/softer/intellectual side can hide for a bit and not get hurt again. By the end of the movie Dr. Banner has learned that the Hulk isn’t all bad. He’s still more or less a wind-up toy that you point in the right direction and then get out of the way – but now the Hulk is an asset.

That line from Dr. Banner showed me a glimpse into his humanity. What does a brilliant scientist have to be mad about all the time? I’m guessing that condition pre-existed the Hulk or else why would it be a trigger? Even though that anger bubbled quietly beneath the surface, controlled, manageable – I bet he had a bad temper. I’ve heard it said that under the right circumstances, everyone is capable of murder. Do you think that’s true?

I have an epic bad temper. I have a really really really long fuse, but if I lose control I go from quietly sitting in the corner to explosively enraged. It’s only happened twice in my life – enough to know I never want it to happen again. I know there’s a Hulk inside me, but like Dr. Banner, I have learned how to diffuse the situation, walk away, turn the other cheek, take a deep breath. But maybe – like in the movie, there’s a time and place for the Hulk to be an asset. Where the monster, pointed in the right direction, is a force for good? What do you think?

What emotion quietly bubbles beneath your quiet exterior? What triggers your Hulk?

Lisa

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Curb Shopping On Garbage Day

On my walk yesterday I saw someone had put out an old crib at the curb. I stared at those horizontal slat sides, and the head board that really just screamed for a summer’s worth of Morning Glories – but I couldn’t bring myself to curb shop on garbage day. Not while I was walking. *shakes head* I know. I know. I could have saved that bit of glorious wood from the landfill.

Mealtimes are the most stressful part of a Mom’s day

Today I wanted to share about eating healthier. I was asked to interview this cookbook author for some freelance work I’m doing. Sandi Richard has authored 6 bestselling cookbooks, hosted 2 of her own shows on the Food Network AND she’s a mom of 7! So, I gave her instant mom cred – this stuff has been tested in the trenches. I grew up having sit-down family meals every night – but that’s been an elusive hit-and-miss thing with my family. It’s something we all say we’d like to do more of – but we end up eating quick junky meals in front of the TV more often than not.

Anyway, the basic premise is that if you knew what you going to be having for supper there would be less ‘drama’ in the evenings after work, less stress, less guilt-food purchases. So, I figured I’d give a shot. I had fun with my daughter going over the recipes time coded for preparation and chopping time.

First – full disclosure. I got the books for free, and I will be doing other work with this author, but I’m not being compensated in any way for this blog post. I don’t have an affiliate account with Amazon – so if you head over to Amazon from here I don’t get a cut for that referral.

Moving on.

The premise is that you plan the week’s meals, and shop by meal. So, this week I didn’t stare into my fridge and pantry and think – what am I missing? Instead, I went through the ingredients for each of the meals I picked from the books and bought what I needed to make those meals. (Plus school snacks, baking necessities, etc.) So, for this entire week I’ve known in the morning what we’re having for supper, and that I have all the ingredients to make it. I know how much time it’ll take me to make it AND the sides are super easy so I got my kids involved. This week, my kids made a spinach salad. My son said, “This is the best spinach salad I’ve ever made!” Hey – the kid hates greens. It was a small step. They also made a raw veggie platter, and coleslaw.

But, here’s the biggest bonus. My kids have been eating things this week that they’ve never been willing to eat. Here’s why. They look up the recipe and flip to the page where it tells you what Sandi’s family thought of it on a scale of 1 – 10. Sandi’s family has more authority with their tastebuds than I do. *shrug* Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

But, this has also allowed me to avoid those quick meal purchases – the frozen pizza, the chicken fingers and fries – the ‘fruit-flavored’ lunch snacks. And we’ve eaten at the dinner table almost every night this week. There’s no more chaos at meal time, and I’m not spending more than a half hour preparing supper.

No More Guilt!

Now I don’t feel guilty about running out to Little Ceasar’s for a $5 pizza that slightly resembles cardboard because I couldn’t decide what to have, everything was frozen, I was missing too many ingredients for what I wanted to make, the kids were screaming they were hungry – and I just wanted everyone to be happy. I didn’t have to run to the grocery store for the one or two ingredients I don’t have for the meal I’m in the middle of making thereby blowing my grocery budget – again. I didn’t spend money on fast food that leaves us hungry an hour later.

I have a sulphite allergy (sensitivity – it won’t kill me). Sulphites are a preservative, it’s an anti-browning agent which gets used in most prepackaged/canned/precooked/kept-hot-under-a-heat-lamp food. Making things from scratch is something I need to do more of. The allergy shiners under my eyes lately have rivaled a football player greased up for the big game. Not pretty. But having this plan has encouraged me to make more things from scratch which is just better for my whole family (the odd can of Campbell’s condensed soup aside). This week I made applesauce from scratch, the morning porridge or cream of wheat, school snacks, chicken stock, and granola. And every meal has included meat, grains, and whole vegetables. Crazy – right?

Will this last? I don’t know – but I’m thinking this is definitely worth sticking with.

Do you have a system for making more meals from scratch? Do you find meal times are an energy-draining chaos you’d rather avoid? What’s the biggest challenge you face to having a sit-down supper every week night?

Lisa

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Why? What’s your goal?

I’ve been seriously pursuing a career in writing for five or six years now, and by that I mean – sending queries every month, writing every day, learning craft, reading industry blogs and craft books, attending conferences near and far, giving and getting critiques, taking courses and classes online, doing free internships, etc. Why do I do that? Is there a point to that long apprenticeship? What’s my goal at the end of the day?

I think people write for different reasons, and there isn’t a right or wrong answer – just a right-for-you answer. I also think the writing snobs who point fingers at one group or another and say, ‘That means you’re not a real writer’ need to take a giant leap off a short pier.

I want to be published.

What does published mean? If I pay someone to create an ebook or print format of my manuscript, is that published? Does it matter how many people buy that book outside of my mother and her friends? Does it have to be my best work, or just good enough for now? Is listing a book on Amazon or Goodreads mean I’m published? Does just having friends and family read my work mean I’m published? Do I need an agent and royalty-based publisher to consider myself published?

**An aside: I think that if writing a book is on your bucket list and you pay someone to print it and list it on Amazon just so you can say you wrote a book – go for it. But if you’re in this to make a career out of it – heed this caution. It’s become exceedingly easy to press ‘publish’ when you get rejected by one agent, or get negative feedback from a contest or peer. This ‘I’ll show them,’ attitude isn’t a teachable one. Very few get to be company president out of high school – there’s a lot of living and learning and apprenticeship that has to happen before you earn the place at the head of the board room table. Don’t think that just because self-publishing is easily accessible that you can skip that apprenticeship and win the author lotto. That’s a short road to failure.

I just write for me.

Not every writer wants to be published. I know lots of people who attend conferences every year, who read writing blogs, and sit alone and write in their journals, write their own poetry, blog once a week or once a month – just to encourage others. Maybe they use their writing in family Christmas cards, or letters – maybe they just write for their church. Some never intend for anyone to read their work, they just enjoy the hobby of writing.

I need to earn a living writing.

What does that mean? Will you be the sole income earner? The second income earner? What’s your standard of living? One person is content to live in their parents’ basement on $13,000 a year, someone else needs to make $100,000 to be content. And here’s a huge pet peeve for me. Is writing a novel the only way to earn money writing? What about journalism, writing greeting cards, communications work, marketing copy, academic writing? They hire writers to write the dialogue and story lines for video games – does that count? What if all you ever got paid for was covering local high school sports for the small town newspaper?

It drives me completely insane when people ask me, “What do you do?” I say, “I’m a writer.” Then every single person asks, “Oh, have you written a book?”

Gah! Is having a book in my hand the only thing that makes me a writer?Seriously? Don’t get me started.

My immediate goal is to be published by a traditional royalty-based publisher – which means for most publishers I need an agent. My co-writer and I are going through that process now. If that doesn’t work out, we’re going to self-publish. But not until we’ve queried dozens of agents. As well, we’ve gotten feedback on that manuscript from bestselling authors – we’ll be hiring professional editors and cover artists, and there will be bucket-loads of marketing and promotion planned months in advance because I will have a benchmark goal of sales I want to achieve. And while I’m doing that, I’m working on my next book, because my long-term goal is to write full-time growing sales, readership, and community with each work. A company with only one product to sell won’t be successful in the long run – generally. What’s that saying? Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

Once you determine, specifically, what your goals are, look at why you’re writing. Is there a purpose behind it?

I write because at heart I’m a storyteller. It’s just how I’m wired. I see story everywhere. But there’s more to it. I’m also a truthteller. Even when it’s inconvenient, when it sucks, when I don’t want to be – I’m a truthteller. Some people appreciate that about me, some people walk away and say ‘You’re such a talented writer – why can’t you write happy stories with happy endings?’ In other words, TMI. But the artists who are swayed by others opinions struggle to create work that resonates, that’s fresh, that’s compelling – in my opinion. It’s taken a long time for me to be comfortable in my own skin.

When I write, I am always searching out the truth. I want my fiction to resonate, to touch people’s hearts, reveal the history in the myth. With my non-fiction, I strive to authentically tell the stories of people and organizations, get to the heart of the matter. That’s what I want to be known for – what I want my ‘brand’ to represent.

I think of Stephen King – his brand is writing scare-your-pants-off, stay-up-late-with-the-lights-on thrillers and horror fiction. Nora Roberts is known for kick-a$$ female heroines finding love. James Scott Bell is known for writing legal thrillers – even his zombie novels are legal thrillers. One of my favorite authors is Ted Dekker – his brand is fast-paced, don’t-see-it-coming-plot-twists that unmask society and every story is centered on revealing love in a variety of ways. When I pick up a novel by one of those authors – I know exactly what I’m buying.

My cowriter, Marcy is all about hope and redemption.When we write together, our strengths complement each other. Marcy’s stories have a lot of intrigue, are fast-paced, and involve elaborate world-building with intricate plot twists. My writing is gritty, dialogue driven, fast paced, with a lot of action. But the reasons why we write – what we want to be known for – are woven through every scene.

What are your writing goals? Why do you write? Have you gone through this process for yourself – were you surprised at your answers?

Lisa

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Is there a perfect someone out there for you?

There’s a scene from The Notebook where Allie is forced to choose between Noah, a man of modest means she fell in love with one summer but hasn’t seen in years, and Lon – an upwardly mobile heir to a fortune and successful businessman. She’s engaged to Lon, but realizes once Noah comes back into her life that she loves them both.

Allie to Lon: “It’s just that when I’m… when I’m with Noah I feel like one person and when I’m with you I feel like someone totally different.“

For Allie, there wasn’t a right or wrong answer. Lon and Noah were both good men who loved her, treated her well, and whom she loved in return, but they both wanted her to themselves. They weren’t interested in sharing. When she chooses Noah and returns to him, the only answer she gives is a shrug.

Team Jacob or Team Edward

The rivalry between Team Jacob and Team Edward from the Twilight series has always fascinated me. Now, let’s set aside the concerns many moms have over how this love triangle plays out. Let’s dissect the relationships in question for a minute.

Bella is intrigued by Edward, and he by her, from the very beginning. There’s a mutual instant chemistry. She falls for him without reservation. There’s lots of sparks, but there are things she doesn’t tell Edward – and parts of himself that he keeps from her. While Bella’s relationship with Jacob is as easy as breathing – natural. He was a friend when she needed one, no questions asked. He accepted her as she was, loved her as she was. The only thing she keeps from Jacob are details about her feelings for Edward (if memory serves me right).

Could Bella have been happy with Jacob?

I have known people who married their Jacob and live happily together, and I know others who married their Edward and seem equally happy. Is there a right answer?

I dated a guy off and on for about 2 years. I still remember the first time I saw him. He pulled up in a red convertible with his tan, sunbleached hair, and dimples, well aware of his effect on women. Later, I was working in the kitchen when several jugs filled with hot coffee were dumped splashing the back of my bare legs. In swoops this man that I saw, he picks me up and carries me across the kitchen as though I weighed nothing. He set me on the counter  with my legs in the pot sink and splashed cold water over the burns. He looked up at me with a pair of blue eyes and introduced himself.

And I fell hopelessly in love with him. What 17 year old wouldn’t? Like Bella, I had a mixture of this unhealthy obsession and blatant devotion the whole world could see. Years later when I run into friends who knew us together, they ask me where he is. They couldn’t imagine us not ending up together. Like Edward, he was protective (possessive at times), he liked to rescue me, and he sheltered me. He offered me a safe place, but we faced one storm after another.

Then I met my Jacob. He offered stability, security, and commitment. I grew to love him every bit as much as my Edward – but it was a slow yielding, an affection and attraction that bloomed through friendship. I liked the person I became with my Jacob better, I liked what my Jacob offered more.

Lon offered Allie a match her parents approved of, he offered her security. Noah offered her freedom. Lon would have let her paint if she wanted to, but when she was with Lon she forgot how much she loved to paint. To Allie, the security Lon offered wasn’t as important to her as the freedom to be whoever she wanted to be, which is what Noah offered. Personally, I’d have chosen Lon. Not because of his wealth, but because if I married someone who I fought with as much as Allie and Noah fought – I’d lose my mind.

We’re all different and we seek out different things in other people, in relationships. It doesn’t matter whether you choose your Edward or Jacob, it’s going to be hard to stay together because sometimes life sucks, people change, and there are some wounds that time can’t heal. Relationships are hard work.

Who do you think Bella and Allie should have chosen? Are you in a relationship with your Edward or Jacob? What’s your favorite love triangle of all time?

Lisa

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I’ve been festering all week trying to figure out how to build a vertical garden. I think it would just be a fantastic use of space – and I’m all about efficient (except when my procrastination gets in the way – I know, I’m an enigma). Until I started doing a bit of research, I didn’t realize how popular this idea was – especially in the urban farming community. There are hundreds of ideas out there on how to create a vertical garden.

I want a vertical vegetable garden, so I skipped over the living walls and living art posts. They’re alright, but in my house plants belong in a pot. I have 3 kids and 2 dogs – there are safety concerns (I’m concerned about my carpet mostly) I have been drooling over Wooly Pockets and other ‘just assemble’ kits you can buy online, but they’re not my idea of affordable (ie/ mostly free).

A quick twitter chat with fellow blogger Shawna Coronoda at The Casual Gardener opened my eyes. A vertical garden upcycling pallets? How cool is that? Plus, I’m totally envious of her fairy garden – that looks like a lot of fun.

So, I did a bit of digging (pun intended) and this is what I found. Anyone interested in taking up the vertical garden challenge with me? Bonus points if you can include some kind of fairy element to it

Fun ways to upcycle old things for a vertical garden. Really creative stuff here.

How to turn a pallet into a Garden by Life on the Balcony

Here’s HGTV’s version of the danmade vertical garden – Not sold on this design myself.

Here’s Patrick Blanc – lots of inspiration ideas here. The creator of the vertical garden/living wall. This is solidly in the way-too-big-not-for-me category – but the pics are fabulous.

Great list of questions to ask yourself before getting started vertical gardening.

A vertical garden using reclaimed rain gutters (eave strophes) Very cool.

A prettier version of the diy pallet garden.

DIY vertical garden upcycling shoe organizers.

The Garden Girl has a bit of a different take on it. Fun video below. Go big or go home.

Will you be planting a garden this summer? Would you consider vertical gardening?

Lisa

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