What Not to Do Wednesday on the To Do List

The other day on Facebook, I wrote that I had finally accomplished my To Do List for the day. The trick, I said, was having a very teeny, tiny To Do List.

Well, of course, I was joking. But upon further thought, I had an epiphany that went something like this: Hold on there, Cathy. You may be on to something.

How many times, grasshopper, have I written down these looooong To Do Lists, only to accomplish the first two or three To Do's on the list? (It's a rhetorical question, so quit guessing.) The point is, I always seem to think I can accomplish way more than is Cathy C. Hall possible. And then, at the end of the day, when perusing my un-accomplishments, I don't feel so good about myself. In fact, I want to kick my lazy behind. Thank goodness, that's also not Cathy C. Hall possible.

But after perusing my teeny, tiny To Do List, I felt downright chipper. Whee for me! So, grasshopper, what have we learned today? Don't fill up your To Do List, setting unrealistic goals for yourself. Give yourself time to accomplish what you really need to do. At the end of the day, you'll feel ever so much better. And your behind will thank you.

Finding Something Friday: About Freelance Writing

I was just checking one of my Friday sites, which just happens to be called About Freelance Writing (hence the clever title of the post!). If you check it out, you'll find that on Friday, they (Anne Weyman and the rest of her scathingly brilliant crew) post writing jobs, from all kinds of places.

That's where I found my Baseball Beauties writing gig. Which I'm totally loving, by the way. And here's the latest, if you'd like to see what I've been up to over there.

Anyway, I like to take a look-see on Wednesdays and Fridays, to see if I can find another swell writing gig. It only takes a few minutes to scan the posts; I'm kind of like the Goldilocks of writers, looking for just the right job opportunity. But honestly, it's not just about finding writing gigs. It's about freelance writing.

Which just happens to be what this Finding Something Friday is all about. (Photo from stock.xchng)

Thursday's Three: Freebies! (Newsletters, that is. Writing Gold.)

Do you ever wonder how something like The Beverly Hilbillies became such a hit? I mean, besides the fact that the show had one of the all-time greatest theme songs? It was a simple premise: the old fish-out-of-water story. Plus, the show had colorful characters. Which just goes to show that's it all about finding the gold.

So, here's a few newsletters where you can find writing gold. All for free!

1. Writing-world: Moira Allen's terrific site is jam-packed with tons of resources, and she always throws in a few submission opportunities, as well as a great how-to article.

2. Funds for Writers: C. Hope Clark's free newsletter says it all in the name: she's giving you ways to make your own gold! Plus, Hope always throws in grant opportunities. She also has a paid newsletter, which if you're savvy, you can get at a bargain price when she runs specials. (Hint: Now would be a good time to check it out here. And get a free Tweetbook, too!)

3. Children's Writer E-News: If you write for children, or want to write for children, get this nifty newsletter. See where writers are getting published. Pick up great tips, and find out about contests. You never know who you might read there. (Okay, you do know. I was going for coy.)

The best thing about these newsletters is that someone else is doing the investigating work for you and delivering it to your Inbox, twice a month. All you have to do is the writing work. Assuming you want to make gold.

(So they loaded up their truck and they moved to Beverly. Hills, that is. Swimming pools, movie stars. Cue the banjos. And if you have a favorite free newsletter, why not share the wealth?)

Is Winning in the Stars?

So, you didn't win the last book giveaway. But that doesn't mean you can't try again.

Bonnie Hearn Hill is over at Finders and Keepers today with answers to writing Young Adult fiction. And she's over there on a blog book tour with her newest book, Aries Rising. Which is a romance/fantasy, brimming over with all things astrological.

I was kinda hoping Bonnie would tell this Libra all kinds of wonderful things about her writing future. And she did give me some advice. But honestly, I don't think you'd need to check the stars for that!

(Want to know what she said? You'll have to zip over here to Finders and Keepers -and leave a comment at F & K if you want to win a fun YA read! )

Power Of Memoir Winner (Wheee!)

Since the Beneficent Mr. Hall was out galavantin', I couldn't use the old "Pick a name from the Colander" method. So I used Random.org to (randomly) choose a winner for Linda Joy Meyers' The Power of Memoir.

It's not nearly as much fun as blindfolding The Beneficent Mr. Hall, spinning him around 37 times, and then watching him try to pick a name from a colander. But it did give me a name: Tami.

So, wheee! to Tami, who said some of her favorite reads were memoirs. Here's hoping we'll read Tami's winning memoir one day! (And thanks to all who left such lovely comments here. Here's hoping you'll win next time!)

Finding Something Friday: An Award For Being Special

So, my lovely blog buddy, Suzanne at Teacher Writer, passed along this lovely award to yours truly:

Imagine my shock when I realized that Suzanne (whom I've never actually "met") had tapped into the very essence of Cathy C. Hall. The Beneficent Mr. Hall, as well as most of the Junior Halls and half the state of Georgia, have issues with my creativity. But here I am, getting an award for it! As such, I'm required to share seven creative truths (or scathingly brilliant lies) about myself.

1. 37 people have called me a bald-faced liar-like that's supposed to bother me.

2. The President of the United States sent me a letter-and spelled my name with a K.

3. I used steel pliers to pull a stuck plug out of a socket-and blew myself across the room.

4. A British sailor took me disco dancing in Capri-and Her Majesty never find out . Um, till now.

5. The fire department had to come to my house to put out a cooking fire-and charged me.

6. The first boy I kissed is now a priest-in fairness, he kissed a lot of girls besides me.

7. I'm afraid of bridges, clowns and rabid monkeys-not necessarily in that order.

Now, the award rules (though I'm not sure if these are real rules or "creative" rules):

1. Thank the person who gave this to you. (Thanks, Suzanne!)

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

3. Link the person who nominated you.

4. Tell up to 6 outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth. The key here is the "up to" and the "at least." This means I might tell 4 outrageous lies and 3 outrageous truths, or any combination that equals 7.

5. Nominate up to seven "Creative Writers" who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.

6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.

7. Leave a comment on the seven blogs you nominate, letting them know you nominated them.

Though I can think of tons of writers who deserve this worthy award, I shall bequeath the honor on the chosen creative one, Lisa. Because she looks all nice and sweet, but you have to get up pretty early in the morning to fool me.

Linda Joy Meyers and The Power of Memoir Giveaway!

The WOW! Women on Writing Blog Tour is stopping by Cathy C's Hall of Fame today with Linda Joy Meyers and her recently released The Power of Memoir. And that's a good thing. Because not only do you get to share Linda Joy's insightful thoughts about Accidental Enlightenment, but you also get a chance to win her wonderful how-to book!

Let's see what Linda Joy has to say on writing in Accidental Enlightenment:

As a memoir writer and therapist, I'm always on the lookout for the small slices of life that make a story. Whether we realize it or not, we weave small stories as we go about our everyday life. What happens on an ordinary day as you drive to the store? You could have a lovely ride where you see all the beauty of the world-red roses and yellow tulips, a beautiful dog, smiling children; or if you're having a bad day, you might have a small rear-end accident, irritating, but you're grateful that no one was hurt. A trip to the store could change your life-meeting someone new that clicks, or encountering an old enemy that sends you careening into dark places you thought you'd escaped.

No matter what we're doing in life, there are many ways to understand the meaning of certain moments, especially the accidental ones. This is also true with writing.You might start a piece about a lovely memory-a summer day when you picked blackberries, then find yourself writing about a scary man or a tornado or your dead grandmother, or the time you were punished for breaking a dish-memories you'd forgotten for years. Some writers feel a little bit crazy or like they are doing it "wrong" when they begin in one place and end up in another, especially when they find one of their darker stories sitting down at the writing table like an uninvited guest.

The "accidental" writing is an opportunity, if you choose to view it that way, a chance to look deeply into our souls, a chance to heal and soothe old wounds. But we need to be willing to serve the dark guest at the table, to ask questions whose answers we are not sure we want to hear. After a while, you may find yourself writing in your gratitude journal. Writing can turn us around like that.

If you sit down and write for 10 minutes, not stopping to answer the phone or listen to the whispers of the inner critic, you can create a space for something new to happen. You might think you know what you plan to write, but what if something different comes out? Can you take a chance to let some other part of yourself step in and express the "something else" of your life?

You could begin with: "I remember..." Another writing session: "The best day of my life was..." And, "I wish it had been different..."

As you can see by these prompts, you begin to create an open space where you discover stories and yourself. Allow your hand, your mind, and the story to lead you to an accidental encounter with yourself, with the truths of your life.

One of the foremost researchers in the area of writing as healing, Dr. James Pennebaker says, "Story is a way of knowledge." This is a very exciting idea, because it means that we don't have to know what we are going to say. That we can count on the greater wisdom of our deeper self to take us where we need to go. Just as on that car trip, we can find ourselves in unexpected places. Don't worry about getting stuck. if you keep writing, you will find your way to where you need to go, accidentally enlightened by your writing and your stories.

Write for ten minutes today, and discover yourself!

I LOVE this idea! I'm kinda crazy about Linda Joy Meyers, too, though we haven't met. She's been a therapist for 27 years, and she's used this experience, as well as her MFA in creative writing from Mills College, to conduct workshops on healing and writing. And this work has influenced her ground-breaking book, The Power of Memoir.

Inside its pages, you'll find the steps you need to take to write your healing story. Steps like "Understanding Your Reasons for Writing" or "Organizing the Narrative Arc." But you'll also find answers to questions about publishing, and you'll read stories from workshop writers.

But what I like best about this powerful how-to book is that you don't need to write a 60,000 word memoir to appreciate what Linda Joy has to say. Maybe you just want to write a 1,000 word essay. But you want to get to the heart of your writing. The Power of Memoir can lead you there, 10 minutes at a time.

Okay, so now you're wondering how you can get your hands on this book, right? Leave a comment. In fact, you can leave a comment anytime through Sunday, 'cause I know some of you don't get a chance to stop by till the weekend. Monday morning, I'll draw a name from the comments and some lucky writer will get The Power of Memoir. Oh, and leave me some contact info...either an email or your blog address, so that I can let you know you've won.

And finally, just so you know, no one paid anybody here at the Hall of Fame. I received a lovely copy of The Power of Memoir, which I'm giving away. So there.

Finding Something Friday on the Creative Beast

A Southern Breezer (member of my SCBWI region) sent this little slide show along-and now I'm sharing it with you. Thanks to Betsy Streeter (at The Affluent Artist) who put pen to paper to draw this never-too-old reminder. (P.S. Okay, yes, it's an illustrator thing. But think outside the box, y'all!)

Let Out the Creative Beast

View more presentations from betsystreeter.

You know, this reminds me of something Linda Joy Meyers shared about "accidental" writing. She'll be here Tuesday, along with her new book, "The Power of Memoir." Come back to enjoy her words of wisdom and learn how you can win her book. Rrroooar! (That's my creative beast, getting ready!)

Tooting My Horn Tuesday for Baseball Beauties

Ever have one of those days where it was just one thing after another? Yesterday was mine. So I'm calling a do-over. Which explains why on Wednesday, we're having Tuesday Tootin' at the Hall of Fame.

Now, I know we've shared our writing woes and woohoo's here at the Hall, but there are other areas in Cathy C. Hall's life that have remained (and really, you should thank me for this) on the down low.

However, to truly understand how crazy excited I am to be writing over at Baseball Beauties, you need to know about The Secret Life of Sports lurking below my oh-so-classy exterior. Namely, that I am what other folks might refer to as a "fanatic." Which frankly, has a connotation I find a bit disrespectful.

The Beneficent Mr. Hall has learned over the years not to stand (or sit) too close to me while watching a sporting event. Because I am not what you would call a passive viewer. I'm more what you might call an "interactive" viewer. It's entirely possible that I will yell, scream, shout, throw objects, jump up and down, do fist pumps, chest bumps, and yes, accidentally slap someone who might be in close proximity during said sporting event.

Being a fan is all well and good if one is actually at The Ted, watching the home team. But if one is at home, say, watching the Braves on the big screen, then watching the game safely becomes sort of a sport in and of itself.

But, and here's a big but (mine withstanding), now my sports fanaticism is paying off. I get to write funny baseball stuff over at Baseball Beauties! You can read my first baseball bit here. I think you can leave a comment, too. (It's a new site, so bugs and such are getting worked out every day.)

Oh, and just so you know. I'm not one of those baseball beauties you'll see um, posing on the site. And since we're sharing down low info, I'll just admit here and now that even in my best days ever, I couldn't pull off the baseball beauty look. But I have gotten my share of looks while I've been at baseball games.

Finding Something Friday: Flashlight Memories at Silver Boomer Books

When I was looking for the Market of the Month, I came across a note I'd made about Flashlight Memories. But alas (and alack, even), submissions are due by March 15th! Technically, that would be a Market for the Half-Month.

But why should I let a few days keep you from submitting to a delightful anthology? Especially one by my friends over at Silver Boomer Books? And most especially for an anthology that's so dear to my heart.

Flashlight Memories will features poems and prose re: childhood reading. Oh, it makes me smile, just thinking about "A Pickle for a Nickel." Or the Just So Stories. Or reading in my secret hideout with- you guessed it- a flashlight. In fact, I have so many childhood memories about reading, it'll be hard to choose just one to write.

So, I have to run. By the time I decide what to write, the month will be half over!

Market of the Month: Oatmeal Studios

Oatmeal Studios is a greeting card market. Yeah, that's right. But a humorous greeting card market. Maybe there's something terribly amusing about oatmeal that I just don't grasp. Which might make it difficult for me to break into this market.

But hope springs eternal. I'm always sending out greeting card ideas. I've got, as the saying goes, a million of 'em. And one day, a Cathy C. Hall funny bon mot or two is going to sit up on that greeting card shelf in the grocery store. And I'm going to wait behind the shelf, watching people read cards. Possibly pushing, er, pointing them politely to a humorous Oatmeal Studios card.

Hey, it could happen. But I've got to actually write them first. So, let's check out this market and put our funny pens to paper. Because I bet you've got a million ideas, too. And if you think oatmeal is hilarious, you're already one step ahead of me.

Tuesday Tip: A Promise is a Promise is Springmingle

I know that I said I'd share what I learned from the conference I just attended. So, if you zip over to Finders & Keepers here, you'll get the skinny on Springmingle '10.

But here's what I read in this week's Horoscope section of TV Guide, just this morning:

Libra (It just so happens that I'm a Libra)
Jenna Elfman, 9/30/71 (So is Jenna Elfman! I liked Jenna Elfman in Dharma and Greg. Or I liked thinking that's the kind of kooky, carefree spirit I could be, if in fact I were the kooky and carefree type. I'm not.)

"Not everyone shares your sense of humor, so be careful what you say over the next seven days-because some people, maybe important ones, won't take kindly to your jokes and quips, especially if they're the target. Choose your words carefully and you'll have a great week."

Sheesh. Now I'm a nervous wreck. Because I've written about all kinds of important conference folks over at Finders and Keepers, and Cathy-on-a-Stick was at the conference, too.

But a promise is a promise. So enjoy. (All in all, I think I'd rather be a Taurus this week.)