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Blogging 2008 ~ from a sunflower in Texas
Writing tips, topics, ideas, and examples. |
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Thoughts on writing. . .   |
| Despite interest on my part, this is the first year I've watched the Farm Aid Concert over Directv. The line up rocked with good ole timers like Willie, John Mellencamp, and an unbelievably mezmorizing set by Neil Young. I turned it up loud. Better that way.. I didn't realize how near in age I am to Mellencamp. He's always felt like a cousin to me--like part of my chosen family--or the part of the family that really does live in a small town. Van Alstyne, Texas, is a small town for sure--but Dallas is growing north into it Such rebels we were in the day...and this is one of my fav Mellencamp songs. He smokes 5 packs of cigarettes a day, and it's tellin' in his voice. I read that he did heavy cigarette smoking, and since he acidentally lit up on camera, guess he still is. His decision, but not good for one';s health, and I thought John looked "not right" some how--not exactly pudgey, but aged in a way I wasn't physically expecting. <pre><font size='+2'>John Mellencamp - Authority Song lyrics</font> Written by: John Mellencamp Oh, they like to get you in a compromising position They like to get you there and smile in your face Well, they think they're so cute when they got you in that condition Well I think it's a total disgrace And I said: CHORUS: I fight authority, Authority always wins Well, I fight authority, Authority always wins Well, I've been doing it since I was a young kid I come out grinnin' Well, I fight authority, Authority always wins So I call up my preacher I say, "Give me strength for Round 5." He said , "You don't need no strength, you need to grow up son." I said, "Growing up leads to growing old and then to dying" "OO and dying to me don't sound like all that much fun." So I said: CHORUS I said Oh no no no (3X) I fight authority Authority always wins CHORUS (Repeat several times) He smokes 5 packs of cigarettes a day, and it's tellin' in his voice. I read that he did really heavy cigarette smoking many years ago, and since he acidentally lit up on camera, guess he still is. His decision, but not good for one''s health. I thought John looked "not right" some how--not exactly pudgey, but aged in a way I wasn't physically expecting. He aged less cool than Springstein, but I guess that's to be expected. Neil Young did: Old Man - Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were. Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were. Old man look at my life, Twenty four and there's so much more Live alone in a paradise That makes me think of two. Love lost, such a cost, Give me things that don't get lost. Like a coin that won't get tossed Rolling home to you. Old man take a look at my life I'm a lot like you I need someone to love me the whole day through Ah, one look in my eyes and you can tell that's true. Lullabies, look in your eyes, Run around the same old town. Doesn't mean that much to me To mean that much to you. I've been first and last Look at how the time goes past. But I'm all alone at last. Rolling home to you. Old man take a look at my life I'm a lot like you I need someone to love me the whole day through Ah, one look in my eyes and you can tell that's true. Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were. Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were. There was something Neil Young got wrong in his discussion. He said, ". . . we all have children . . . " in reference as a reason to keep the world "green", but more to be aware of where your food comes from. . . and buy local because it's healthier, better, and less costly. |
| I am disabled when it comes to keeping track of time. I've been late arriving all my life, but the problem of being out of sync with the regular world has really exploded over the past few months. I was productively frozen over the winter. That's not unusual as I have seasonal affective depression, and tend to be "down" in the dim gray months of cold air. I was in my thirties before I realized I'd get depressed starting between October and November every year, then I'd come out of it in spring--about when Daylight Savings Time kicks in, and the sunshine is more direct, and obviously visible. My doc gives me antidepressants over the winter, actually pretty much all the time. I'm also taking meds to alleviate bipolar symptoms. Within the last year my dear old doc pointed out that the symptoms I most often spoke of were tell-tale signs of ADD, or ADHD--I guess I wasn't paying attention. I feel like I'm swimming thru chaos and clutter--in my mind and in my environment. It's like serious commuter traffic backups, except it's in my brain as well as my environment. I am indeed living in a land of confusion . . . <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3MzShg7yXik&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3MzShg7yXik&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> (Shoot. I thought the embed of the song might work. Sorry, guess not.) It could be that I need a vacation. I keep thinking about George Carlin's routine on "stuff", and how little was left by the end of his traveling about the island with running buddies. By bedtime, just about all he had left was his Visine. I know where my Visines are, at least. You always have to carry some of your stuff with you, to be really comfortable and at home. But in my case, the stuff has taken over. It sits in my path, blocks my way, and accumulates in ever mounting piles about my household path. It's more than just time to clean house. I feel like I need to tackle everything at once--clean up everything in site in one fell swoop. However, even with the meds, I don't have that kind of energy or attention span--though I think I've been sitting at my computer since about 1:00 am. It's 9:00 am now, and I've got to move about and take a stretch. I just can't come up with whatever it takes to get going...tackle tasks and cross them off the list. The list of things to do is too many pages to tackle. I need a smoke first, or a Coke, or an ocean's mass injection of adrenalin. Of course, that would be a bad idea, because I'd turn manic. I could do with a bit of pre-mania. I could get more jobs accomplished. There's too much multi-taking required in the world today, in my opinion. I've got to stretch. Sitting so long doesn't help my aching back. By now my legs are feeling quite uncomfortable. But, I know if I walk away from what I'm doing, it'll turn into another incomplete, uncompleted task...but hopefully only for a short time longer. My moods are like Texas weather--give it some time, and things can change drastically. |
| I've drafted two articles for http://www.Elements4Health.com . So far I've written on the topics of insomnia and the relationship between sun and skin cancer. I'm used to doing research, having majored in English and history, and been a teacher. I have a bit of a medical background. If you add up everything that's been wrong with me in 53 years, everything that's befallen my almost 86 year old mom, and about a year and a half of studying vet medicine, I should have some medical understanding of what I'm talking about. The challenge is to convey lots of fact based info, and keep the style light, and serious, but friendly. So far so good--and he's letting me pick my topics. I've brainstormed about a 5 page list of possible topics of health, or fitness, or sickness, that I'll be able to use to keep my enthusiasm going. So far, my muse leads me wherever my personal interest lies. But I don't want to start out with any topics that might be considered fluff. I put a lot of research into these articles. So far the word count ranges between 750 - 1,250. He originally requested much shorter, so I have to figure out how to be more concise. I'm having to keep up with reference information too, but not a proper MLA style. I'm going by what's already on the site.I'm in the process of subscribing to many RSS feeds, and newsletters, and alerts. Reuter's Health had a page where I applied to have access to their site as a web content writer. I selected from options, and what I intended to do was right there. There have been several library/professional sites I've needed to get in to when I was writing for http://www.DueNow.com . Still need to set up my new printer. Don't think it's going to be a big deal, but I hate tackling jobs I don't have lots of experience with. I'm telling myself that I'll get to it after the sun comes up. Not reasonable to do that kind of job in the dark. THIS TIME I'm using a new address I set up to receive most of the health and fitness info. That way it's all in one place, and it's not getting overlooked or adding to the addresses that get the most mail and spam to deal with. I also have the option of having some of the info sent to my phone via mobile--but I've still got to get all the setting correct on my Blackjack II. I like the phone, but I'm most likely at the bottom of the learning curve. Well, I'm off to select some favorite health and fitness web sites, plus sites with articles that have basic info on the organs and systems and all that sort of thing. There are SO MANY possibilities. I expect this assignment to be fun! |
| I think I'll remember to shut down my computer and unplug it the next time we have a thunderstorm. Evidently my house was struck last week because the Time Warner repair man blamed my lack of service on lightening. I lost my Internet connection last Thursday or Friday, and by Saturday my Mom let me know the house phone wasn't working either. I've had cable TV with Time Warner since before it was Comcast, and I switched over my phone service over to them in the last few months. With the phone and Internet both out, I thought the problem probably had to do with some connection in the house. I tried connecting my computer to the Internet every way I could think of, and nothing made any difference. I was glad when the cable guy finally arrived. He didn't check any lines in the house like I thought he would. He fixed the problem from my computer--or from the computer area. He showed me the lights on the box that connects to the computer from the wall. He said my particular lit up buttons indicated a power surge. When he "fixed" the computer, the phone worked too. I don't understand how all the connections hook up with each other, but I'm glad it works. After almost a week without Internet I was really feeling isolated. I'm still learning to use my Blackjack phone, and it was being particularly difficult when it was my primary means of communication. I would have used the Internet to try the Blackjack tutorial, because once I go through a tutorial a lot of my queries should be answered. But no Internet. I couldn't research for my writing job--no Internet. Every time I started to do some new task it involved getting on the Internet. Shoot! I figured out that if the screen on the phone won't light up at all that the phone needs to be charged. This PDA seems to need a charge every single day. I had a Razr before this and it was better about keeping its charge. So, while I was waiting for the ATT phone to charge, I started hunting for my Trac phone that I was using as a business phone earlier in the year. When I found it, it needed a charge also. It was several hours before I could make a phone call. All in all, I missed the computer connection more than I missed the phone. I have a paid assignment to write web content on the general topic of health and fitness. He only was asking for articles of about 500 words, but the first article on skin cancer went closer to 750 words. Adrian is the person I'm writing for, and he liked the article, and my style of writing. I'd sent him the article before I lost my connection, but I wasn't able to get on a computer to check my e-mail. I thought he might have given up on me. It was nice to get positive feedback. I need to insert one internal linkinto the article, and go back and make sure all my quotes are identified. He doesn't necessarily want MLA form. He just wants solid info documented. He wants the articles to be documented to make them "scholarly". I'll work out a system for citations as time goes on. So in the almost week I was without communication service, I didn't accomplish much. I did research the next topic. I'd printed a dozen articles about insomnia when I was working on an article last Christmas. I usually print my research because I read better from paper, plus I can highlight and make notes. I have lots of old research that I haven't thrown away. It was too many pieces of paper to part with. I guess that's why I'm keeping it. So many pieces of paper. . . so many murdered trees. At any rate, by now the second article is hand written, and I need to get it typed up so I can send it to Adrian before the weekend. I tie myself up in knots when I have a writing job. I feel like I need to work at getting the articles done ALL the time. No time to cook, go to the store, or water the yard. I FEEL LIKE I need to keep my attention on researching and writing, and I feel guilty if I spend time on anything else. But, I do other stuff, and end up feeling guilty because I'm not managing my time well. Better time management would get me to the end of the final draft more quickly. It's a good idea to work on, but right now I need to type up my insomnia article. If you'd like to check out the web site that my content will be showing up on, go to this url: |
| From time to time I've been able to locate a freelance assignment that pays a little, and I think I've stumbled on to a good assignment through Writerlance.com. I'm going to be writing for a fellow named Adrian, and his web site is I know my biggest problem is generating a time schedule, and being able to create an article in a given amount of time. I know I over-research, but it gives me a feeling of security to know I've at least scanned most of the info out there on the web. Then I use my notes to write a hand written draft. I like to be able to cross out, draw arrows, and look at the changes I've made before I go to Word to type my article up. All those steps are time consuming. My first two or three articles are researched, and I'm about to start typing the first article to send to Adrian. I told him I'd have it Monday, but I've had several life complications. The biggest hold up has been electricity flickering out because of thunderstorms. I lost my work, more than once. However, the sun is shining now, so I'm going to get my fingers to the grindstone. If this job works out, I may be supplying articles on health and fitness for awhile. I'm excited about that. I have a topic that's interesting, and researching will gain me some valuable knowledge. Wish me luck  |
| Reading is undoubtedly the best way to expand your vocabulary. When I was in the business of teaching English, vocabulary deveopment was a topic of considerable effort--at least on the teacher's part. Once a person leaves the school setting, vocabulary expansion doesn't generally rate as a very high priority. Writers are undoubtedly more likely to be vocabulary conscious than the average Joe. I know I'm more vocabulary conscious than most. I attribute my own vast vocabulary to reading, especially all the reading I did in college while majoring in history and English. I sometimes come across words in reading that I know, but don't know how I know them. If I check the dictionary, the definition I have in my head is usually near what I find online at http://www.m-w.com . I'm lucky that way, blessed with a large vocabulary. These days I am making somewhat of an effort to grab onto words I don't know. It seems a philosophical and noble endeavor to increase one's vocabulary, but it's not something to be accomplished by reading the dictionary. I've subscribed to those word-of-the-day web offerings, but have found that most of the words don't stick with me. The reason is that people best remember new words when they are introduced in context. Having a mindset for the general concept or category of a word enables your brain to file the information with others of the same kind, and retrieve the word when you need it again. When I read books, both fiction and non-fiction, I usually have a pencil in my hand. Most books I own are seriously highlighted for main points or exceptional passages. For awhile, I was underlining unfamiliar words, and jotting the definition on the page. Had I carried the idea through, I could've listed my "new vocabulary" inside the back cover of the book. I should try to remember that, the next time I tackle a reading with a front and back cover. I seem to do most of my reading online these days. I've run across another option for vocabulary expansion on afternoon television. Our local NBC affiliate airs Marv Griffin's Crosswords at 2:00 pm. I have it set to record, so that I'm a regular viewer. Regularly, the puzzle-solvers say, and correctly spell, a word that I don't know. For that reason alone, I consider "Crosswords" to be television worth watching. I keep my trusty note paper handy during the show, and I'm accumulating a list of words to integrate into my life. I haven't completely checked out the web site for the show, but this seems an appropriate place to leave a link. If you have a large vocabulary, and plan to visit in California, it could be a profitable game show to participate in. Until I make it to California, I guess I'll just have to keep playing from my easy chair. |
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