Finding Something Friday: Fonts and Funds

Looking for ways to make writing pay off? Search no more, my little fund-seekers.

This week, I was a tad busy catching up on web content writing. And I thought, Hey! Here's a way for a Junior Hall who just happens to be living back at the homestead to generate some funds (or beer money, depending on your perspective on life).

Junior Hall and I sat down to pick a Demand Studios article in which Cathy C. Hall could show him the ropes. I/he wrote "How to Act Like an Anime Character." People pay for that, you ask? Oh, yeah, they do. I learned tons about anime, and Junior Hall learned how easy it is to write web content articles.

Demand Studios is hiring writers; they pay a flat fee per article. Suite 101 is hiring, too. They pay based on web views, so your articles may not generate funds immediately, but you'll generate what we in the business like to call a "passive stream of income." Which is just a fancy way of saying that your writing will pay off while you sit back and do nothing. And Ehow works the same way. You don't even have to apply to Ehow; just sign up. You could make a living off of writing web content. Or at least enough for a six-pack.

And if you need a break from all that web writing, find out what font you are. Take this quiz here for a little insight into your font personality. I think I came up "Helvetica," the classic font. Let me know how font-astic you are. Now, off you go! Fonts and funds wait for no man (or woman).

An Award? For Me? Aw, Shucks (The Premio Dardos)

Thanks to Donna Volkenannt over at Donna's Book Pub, I've won my first award for the year. It's called the Premio Dardos Award, given in recognition of cultural, ethical, literary and personal values transmitted in the form of creative, original writing. Premio Dardos means "prize darts" in Italian (that's the award logo above)...I'm not sure what prize darts have to do with that logo, and to be honest, I'm not sure what Donna was thinking, throwing one of these literary darts my way. But I am ethical. I mean, how many times do I say "to be honest"?

In accepting the award, I must do the following:

1) Accept the award by posting it on your blog along with the name of the person that has granted the award and a link to his/her blog.

2) Pass the award along to blogs you find worthy of this acknowledgment. Remember to contact each of them to let them know they have been selected for this award.

So, without further ado, here's who I'm skewering (so to speak):

Suzanne Pitner has a wonderful blog called Teacher Writer that I just recently stumbled upon and had to read for an hour or two to catch up on all the great posts. Her blog is busting at the seams with teacher ideas, writing opportunities, contests, and other teacher-y, writer-y things. Suzanne is a PG sister of mine, but I had no idea where her writing had taken her. She's one busy teacher writer!

Hope Clark has a great blog that I catch up on every week. Many of you know Hope from Funds for Writers, and her blog lists interesting writing opportunities, too. You'll find grants, scholarships, contests, and I don't know what all. But what I really enjoy reading are her pithy notes at the end of her blog on her personal writing journey. Right now, she's shopping her book. It's a roller coaster ride of ups and downs and honestly, sometimes, I skip the contests and just read her notes.

See how honest I am? And honestly, I appreciate Donna's kind words. And I know you'll like Suzanne's and Hope's blogs as much as I do. Oh, and don't forget Donna's, too. Congrats to us all!

Where, Oh Where, Did My Widget Go?

Perhaps I've mentioned the Computer Fiasco of 'o9 before? The one that zapped out stuff willy-nilly? That single-handedly spiraled me into a state of near panic? And caused me to lag behind for an entire week at the very beginning of the year when timing is so crucial that I was nearly forced to throw in my writing towel?

I'm okay. Really. It's just that I lost my counter widget. And now, who knows how many folks have been dashing over here? I sure don't. But it's okay. Really. I've been looking around for a shiny, new little widget. In fact, I think I'll test drive a few.

So, in that little, forlorn spot where my counter used to be, I'm going to try widgets till I find the one that fills the empty hole in my hard drive. Now, should I start with something terribly, terribly educational, thus improving my mind and the minds of those who stumble upon my blog?

Or should I go for something a little less esoteric? I do love that Stewie on Family Guy. Especially when he takes off on novel-writing...

Stewie it is. I mean, c'mon. This is a writing blog.

What Not To Do Wednesday on Wasting Time

How many times must I tell you, grasshopper? You'll never get anything done if you continue to watch Youtube and read emails . A study was done, tabulating the amount of time we spend on email, which roughly came to 18 hours, 37 minutes, or 67% of our day, minus time for eating Cheez-its. Though, frankly, I can eat Cheez-its and read email simultaneously. I'm gifted that way.

I can eat Cheez-its and watch Youtube, too. In fact, I'm getting crumbs all over myself right now, watching From the Typewriter to the Bookstore: A Publishing story. You shouldn't be fooling around, watching this video, if you ever want to get published. But the video is from Macmillan...

So go ahead and watch, grasshopper. But stay away from that inbox. And put away those Cheez-its.

Tooting My Horn Tuesday for Right and Left Brain Writing at WOW!

Who knew there was such a thing as right and left brain writing? Good old Cathy C. Hall, that's who. Wham! just like that it came to me. So, I wrote up that article and pitched it to WOW!'s editors, who thought it was a timely article for the January issue. Which just happens to be all about time management. Now, who can't use tips on time management? Especially when making those first of the year goals or resolutions.

Check out "Making Time for Right and Left Brain Writing" if you're one of those writers who's constantly trying to find a way to tackle their fiction and non-fiction writing. But check out the entire January issue of WOW! here for tips on saving time, making time, meeting deadlines, and all things time-related.

Seriously, this is one timely issue. And here's a timely writing tip for you: The editors at WOW! often use writers who subscribe to Premium Green, WOW!'s market newsletter. Who knew?

Me, that's who! (And now you do, too.)

What Writers Do When They're Not Writing: Number 24

For the past few days, I've been reading blogs. Oh, and websites, too!

I didn't start out to spend HOURS reading blogs and whatnot. I started out reading one blog. I think it was The Muffin (the blog at WOW! Women-on-writing). And I thought, gee, I really need to add The Muffin to my blog so that I'll remember to read it. Then, since I was reading a Muffin post about other writing blogs, I thought, gee (again), I'll just check this one blog that's mentioned.

Suddenly, I was scampering from one blog to a website to another blog. I got totally swept away by all the fantabulous blogs and whatnot out there. But, I learned lots of swell writing stuff. I entered a contest on Writer Mama (and won a copy of her book!). More importantly, I had a third thought. Gee, I said to myself, I should write down all these urls and add them here on my blog. So, any minute, those fantabulous blogs and whatnot will show up under Favorite Detours.

Now, you can get detoured, too. As for me, I'm thinking I should probably get back to writing. Or one of the other 101 things I do when I'm not writing. (Like Number 3, reading books I've won! Whee!)



P.S. Thanks to Christina Katz, my favorite Writer Mama!

Finding Something Friday : Searching for Warmth

Okay, I know it's freezing all over the country, but when the temperature drops to 30 in my Georgia backyard... baby, it's cold outside! So, I thought I'd find something to warm the cockles of my heart. Feel free to warm your cockles, too (whatever a cockle is).

I'm still looking for all those favorite websites I had stored, and subsequently lost, in the computer fiasco of '09. Today I remembered "Anthologies Online." Check it out here for articles and anthology call-outs. I found a call-out for A Cup Of Comfort for Fathers.

A few days ago, I found the Cup of Comfort blog, which dang near made my day. Not the blog, so much, but a post about the latest C of C to be released: Cup of Comfort for New Moms. My story was listed in the index. Big deal, you might think. After all, I'd filled out a contract and sent my edited version back. But a contract and edited version does not automatically mean your story's going to end up in the book. Trust me.

Anyway, check out the Cup of Comfort website (The blog's there, too). You'll find all the info for the Father's book. Deadline is April 1, 2009. That's plenty of time to write a heart-warming little essay about dad, right?

And if you want to warm up your children's writing, you might want to check out the hot new happenings from Children's Book Insider. If you have a CBI subscription, you can get into their new CBI Clubhouse. But you can get their hot e-zine delivered to your inbox FREE! if you go to the Write4kids website. I'm still catching up on end-of-the-year and first-of-the-year newsletters and e-zines (like CBI). I got way behind, you know, on account of the computer fiasco of '09.

Do you get the feeling that you're going to be hearing about the computer fiasco of '09 for quite some time to come? Well, there you go...just one more thing you found out today on Finding Something Friday. Now, off you go. Start warming those cockles (whatever they are).

Tooting My Horn Tuesday for Reading Writers

Here's a Tuesday double tooting! (Um, that didn't sound very ladylike, did it? Let's keep moving...)

I just received my children's book Opinion from Elizabeth Guy over at Reading Writers. Remember that opinion I won way back when for writing that splendiferous sentence? (The Verb, the ezine affiliated with Reading Writers, sponsored a contest called The Sentence Soiree.)

So, first, I have to shout, "Whee! She liked it! She really, really liked it!" The parts that I thought were funny, she thought were funny, too! I love my main character; she loved that little guy, too! The story that I've labored over for months and months and months, she liked and enjoyed.

It wasn't all a love fest, of course. There were aspects of the story that needed work. And Elizabeth gave some great suggestions. Bottom line, that was absolutely the best prize I've ever won. Yay for me!

And yay for Reading Writers! I'd never considered an editing service before, but I can definitely see the value therein. And if I ever finish my second story, I know just where I'll send it for an opinion.

But for now, I need to work on my children's book. And you need to check out Reading Writers. You can sign up for the newsletter and get The Verb ezine sent to your inbox, free. Oh, and check out the latest contest. You could be tooting, too. (Um, I really need to come up with something else for Tuesday).

Finding Something Friday: My Precious

You know that creepy little hairless guy in the Lord of the Rings? The guy who, in an eerie obessive whisper, referred to the ring as "my precious"?

I'm that guy. Except instead of a golden ring, it's my dusty, old computer. And, I still have my hair. But if I don't get my precious back today, I may start pulling my hair out and jumping around on all fours. I'm that crazy without my computer.

The beneficent Mr. Hall has allowed me to check email and such, using his business computer. This morning, he had an errand, so I have a few minutes for Finding Something Friday. Here's what I found out about this nasty little virus that attacked my precious.

The helpful computer guy said that he had 20 computers in his shop with the same virus. That no anti-virus software could prevent or get rid of this virus. That if I ever see that black screen come up again, hit ALT and F4 IMMEDIATELY. He may have said lots of other technical and/or interesting things, but I think I went into some kind of shock. The whole episode's a little hazy.

The only thing I'm really sure about is my precious is still in the shop. And I've organized every single thing in my house. Twice.

Boomtown Review (Again)

So, here I am (again) reviewing a Thomas Nelson book. And technically, I'm reviewing Boomtown again.

Since this Thomas Nelson book is juvenile fiction, I initially reviewed it at Finders and Keepers, my kid's blog. I guess if you don't like this short review, you could read the longer version over there. But the opinion's more or less the same.

Boomtown's such a great name for a kid's book, right? I mean, c'mon, what kid doesn't like the idea of things that go bang!? And the cover's terrific, too. So, when I started this novel, I expected a booming good time. But unfortunately, the story fell a little flat.


It begins with promise, when a preacher and his family move to Boomtown and two of his kids proceed to blow something up. But since the narrator of the story is this stuffy preacher, all the joy of that occasion gets sucked right up. I know "joy" may not be quite the right word, but you know what I mean.

I cannot imagine why the author chose to write a kid's book from the preacher's POV, especially since this particular preacher is rather dull and stuffy. The mystery plods along in his voice, with an awful lot of telling and rather a small amount of showing. And honestly, there seemed to be quite a lot of people thrown in who had little or nothing to do with the story at all.


The Hopontops (a Native American group) popped up for a chapter or two. And a foundling appeared so that the preacher could adopt her. Why these characters dropped in to the story I'll never know. Because I just couldn't stand another book with that preacher. (Not that I have anything against preachers. Just this particular wimpy one.)

So, to sum up Boomtown (again), I'd have to say it was a bust.

Finding Something Friday is Off to the New Year!

Happy 2009!

Hang on a sec-who's that smiling on the first Friday of the New Year?

Yep, that's me! On the very FIRST page of the Bylines Calendar for Writers. When I opened this nifty desk calendar, I thumbed through the pages, starting at the back. Halfway through, I got this funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. And not funny ha-ha.

Did the editor forget me? I read the ENTIRE calendar. I was almost sick to my stomach before I turned that last page. (Oh, not because of the writing...the writers' stories are swell! But I was a teensy-weensy bit worried that my writing story hadn't made the book. Yes, I know, I had the complimentary copy and a nice letter, but I have this funny little gene that pops up every now and then. Also not a funny ha-ha gene. The gene that shouts, "Something's gonna go terribly wrong here!)

But then, wheee! There I was on page 1! Okay, enough about me...I've already told you how wonderful the calendar is and it's not too late to order. Check it out here, and check out the writer's guidelines for 2010. Wouldn't that be funny if you were on page 1 next New Year's? (And this time, I mean funny ha-ha. I'm smiling now thinking of your funny face. Guess which funny I mean now?)