Writer's Digest Yearbook is on Newsstands Now
If you've never read a copy of Writer's Digest, or even if you have, now is the time to buy the Writer's Yearbook 2008. This is always the best issue of the year with "100 Best Magazine and Book Markets for Writers" plus other useful articles on getting published. It's $5.99 for a copy on most newsstands, or check your library.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Communicating on the Road
We just made another step forward in being able to communicate while on the road in the RV. We purchased a USB720 connection for our Verizon broadband access to the Internet. We already had broadband/nationwide access with a PCMCIA card, but the USB connection allows us to use it with either the laptop or the desktop computer—although not at the same time—and costs the same as the original access. What a giant leap from the modem connection through our cellphone just two short years ago. Talk about slow!
Access to the Internet is even faster than with the PCMCIA card, although we’re still only receiving Nationwide access where we’re parked right now. Still, it’s a little faster and is just one more step towards making it possible to communicate with the world via the Internet from almost any location.
We just made another step forward in being able to communicate while on the road in the RV. We purchased a USB720 connection for our Verizon broadband access to the Internet. We already had broadband/nationwide access with a PCMCIA card, but the USB connection allows us to use it with either the laptop or the desktop computer—although not at the same time—and costs the same as the original access. What a giant leap from the modem connection through our cellphone just two short years ago. Talk about slow!
Access to the Internet is even faster than with the PCMCIA card, although we’re still only receiving Nationwide access where we’re parked right now. Still, it’s a little faster and is just one more step towards making it possible to communicate with the world via the Internet from almost any location.
What makes a good writer?
I’m not talking about great! Shakespeare and the classics authors have stood the test of time, so can be fairly judged to fit the term, “great.” I’m discussing contemporary writers here.
Among contemporary writers, what makes their work stand out among their peers?
We each have our favorite writers, whose books we must believe are good or we wouldn’t read them. They string words together well and their writing holds our attention. They’re articulate and they don’t make grammatical errors. However, what specifically distinguishes a good writer from the rest of the crowd?
Here are a few thoughts on the subject.
The writing is engaging. It captures readers’ attention and holds it all the way through the story or book. It probably even leaves readers wanting more.
The writing is grammatically correct. Good writers’ novels are properly punctuated. And outside of dialogue, the language is grammatically correct. If it’s a novel about an illiterate character, then it might be okay to ignore some rules. To be good, the character’s dialogue must be written in the language he or she would use—no matter how fractured their verbal skills might be. If a real person living in the setting the character appears in would commonly use ain’t, then the book’s character should use it.
Good authors can put their thoughts and feelings into words. Some writers are much better at this than others. They can describe ordinary places, people, and objects in words so that you understand exactly what they’re saying. You as a reader can visualize the scene as if you were there. You can feel the subject’s emotions.
Among contemporary writers who can do this, William Least Heat-Moon stands out as one of the best. He can take everyday situations and make you part of the action. When he describes people, his words sing.
Here is a brief quote from his book, Blue Highways that tells you exactly what he sees, but he describes things in words most of us would never think to use to express our thoughts. But they’re perfect. “The waitress wore threads of wrinkles woven like Chantilly lace over her forehead...”
Another wonderful passage describes another waitress, this one young and rude.
“Early in life she had developed the ability to make a customer wish he’d thrown up on himself rather than disturb her.”
Good authors can make their readers either laugh out loud or cry a flood of tears. Sometimes they can do both. Readers feel the emotions of the lead character. The writer makes every scene and circumstance come alive. Sometimes good writers pop up where we least expect them.
Janet Evanovich is a contemporary writer who has created her own best-selling niche that appeals to millions of readers. Her heroine, Stephanie Plum, is a bounty hunter, and as such, is a giant accident waiting to happen. Her antics are in turn hilarious and frightening. And when I grab one to read, I can’t put it down until it’s finished. Some people would categorize her books as chick-lit, but my husband loves them, too!
A good author is popular. I’m not sure this is a fair category because I’ve read some books by popular writers that weren’t all that great. At least I didn’t think so. But if their books consistently make the bestseller lists, then their fans are certainly finding the books interesting and entertaining. But will they stand the test of time?
Good writers are not always the most popular, but their work will remain popular through the decades and even centuries.
John Steinbeck’s works evoke strong emotion and have stood the test of time, so he falls under my description for a “good” writer—maybe even a "great" one. His beautifully descriptive words have caused readers to laugh and cry, feel happy and sad, and his writing evokes great empathy for his characters. It is a very special writer who can challenge the status quo, and inspire people to act for the betterment of those less fortunate.
The question you may be asking yourself is do I (Kay Kennedy) think I’m a good writer? P-l-e-e-e-z-e! I wish! My goal is to someday be a fairly good writer who can entertain readers, inspire people, and give hope to the hopeless, but I’m still a long way from there. But I keep plugging away.
I make grammatical errors sometimes and I am guilty of typos that slip through. My worst problem is writing a sentence that I’m sure won’t make sense to readers, so I re-write it and while erasing the previous sentence, accidentally leave a stray word in from my previous thought. Or I accidentally erase a word that should have been there. And somehow, these mistakes escape notice during proofreading or editing.
Every writer worries about mistakes slipping through, but I try not to focus on them. If I did, I could never put my thoughts and feelings into words. I would never manage to help readers see what I see. I have a feeling this is something good writers don’t worry about either. They leave that until last, after their words are down on paper and already successful at telling the story.
So until I can get every word perfect, make my writing interesting to readers and maybe even inspire them, I’ll never consider myself a “good” writer. And maybe that will never happen, but I love writing and I’ll keep on trying until the day I’m pushing up daisies.
And that’s what I want you to understand. If you like to write—especially if you love it—keep doing it. Everyday! Even if you think you can’t sell a story or article, write for yourself, or your friends and family. Some good writers are never discovered until after they’re gone, just like famous artists. Who knows? You and I may someday be remembered as great writers.
I’m not talking about great! Shakespeare and the classics authors have stood the test of time, so can be fairly judged to fit the term, “great.” I’m discussing contemporary writers here.
Among contemporary writers, what makes their work stand out among their peers?
We each have our favorite writers, whose books we must believe are good or we wouldn’t read them. They string words together well and their writing holds our attention. They’re articulate and they don’t make grammatical errors. However, what specifically distinguishes a good writer from the rest of the crowd?
Here are a few thoughts on the subject.
The writing is engaging. It captures readers’ attention and holds it all the way through the story or book. It probably even leaves readers wanting more.
The writing is grammatically correct. Good writers’ novels are properly punctuated. And outside of dialogue, the language is grammatically correct. If it’s a novel about an illiterate character, then it might be okay to ignore some rules. To be good, the character’s dialogue must be written in the language he or she would use—no matter how fractured their verbal skills might be. If a real person living in the setting the character appears in would commonly use ain’t, then the book’s character should use it.
Good authors can put their thoughts and feelings into words. Some writers are much better at this than others. They can describe ordinary places, people, and objects in words so that you understand exactly what they’re saying. You as a reader can visualize the scene as if you were there. You can feel the subject’s emotions.
Among contemporary writers who can do this, William Least Heat-Moon stands out as one of the best. He can take everyday situations and make you part of the action. When he describes people, his words sing.
Here is a brief quote from his book, Blue Highways that tells you exactly what he sees, but he describes things in words most of us would never think to use to express our thoughts. But they’re perfect. “The waitress wore threads of wrinkles woven like Chantilly lace over her forehead...”
Another wonderful passage describes another waitress, this one young and rude.
“Early in life she had developed the ability to make a customer wish he’d thrown up on himself rather than disturb her.”
Good authors can make their readers either laugh out loud or cry a flood of tears. Sometimes they can do both. Readers feel the emotions of the lead character. The writer makes every scene and circumstance come alive. Sometimes good writers pop up where we least expect them.
Janet Evanovich is a contemporary writer who has created her own best-selling niche that appeals to millions of readers. Her heroine, Stephanie Plum, is a bounty hunter, and as such, is a giant accident waiting to happen. Her antics are in turn hilarious and frightening. And when I grab one to read, I can’t put it down until it’s finished. Some people would categorize her books as chick-lit, but my husband loves them, too!
A good author is popular. I’m not sure this is a fair category because I’ve read some books by popular writers that weren’t all that great. At least I didn’t think so. But if their books consistently make the bestseller lists, then their fans are certainly finding the books interesting and entertaining. But will they stand the test of time?
Good writers are not always the most popular, but their work will remain popular through the decades and even centuries.
John Steinbeck’s works evoke strong emotion and have stood the test of time, so he falls under my description for a “good” writer—maybe even a "great" one. His beautifully descriptive words have caused readers to laugh and cry, feel happy and sad, and his writing evokes great empathy for his characters. It is a very special writer who can challenge the status quo, and inspire people to act for the betterment of those less fortunate.
The question you may be asking yourself is do I (Kay Kennedy) think I’m a good writer? P-l-e-e-e-z-e! I wish! My goal is to someday be a fairly good writer who can entertain readers, inspire people, and give hope to the hopeless, but I’m still a long way from there. But I keep plugging away.
I make grammatical errors sometimes and I am guilty of typos that slip through. My worst problem is writing a sentence that I’m sure won’t make sense to readers, so I re-write it and while erasing the previous sentence, accidentally leave a stray word in from my previous thought. Or I accidentally erase a word that should have been there. And somehow, these mistakes escape notice during proofreading or editing.
Every writer worries about mistakes slipping through, but I try not to focus on them. If I did, I could never put my thoughts and feelings into words. I would never manage to help readers see what I see. I have a feeling this is something good writers don’t worry about either. They leave that until last, after their words are down on paper and already successful at telling the story.
So until I can get every word perfect, make my writing interesting to readers and maybe even inspire them, I’ll never consider myself a “good” writer. And maybe that will never happen, but I love writing and I’ll keep on trying until the day I’m pushing up daisies.
And that’s what I want you to understand. If you like to write—especially if you love it—keep doing it. Everyday! Even if you think you can’t sell a story or article, write for yourself, or your friends and family. Some good writers are never discovered until after they’re gone, just like famous artists. Who knows? You and I may someday be remembered as great writers.
CAMPING AT WALMART
This time I want to talk about something serious. I promise that next time, I’ll resume telling about some of our humorous RVing moments.
I’m sure you’ve seen RVs parked at Wal-Marts and wondered why they’re there. Well, there are probably a couple of reasons why RVers stop overnight courtesy of Wal-Mart.
1. They are trying to save money. If an RVers wishes to stop for a brief nap, they may not think it’s worthwhile to pay $25-$40 plus for a place to park their RV for a few hours when they don’t plan to use any of the park’s amenities.
2. They can’t find an RV park nearby. Maybe they’re exhausted and need to catch a few hours sleep before heading out again, and they really don’t want to leave the Interstate and travel (maybe for miles) searching for an RV park. We’ve found this to be the most common reason RVers stop in Wal-Mart lots.
One time we were traveling the Interstate through Phoenix on a hot 100 degree-plus evening and needed to stock up on groceries and gas, so we pulled into a Wal-Mart & Sam’s hoping to fill both our pantry and gas tank. A security guard rushed over as we pulled off the road and said “you can’t park in this lot.” We told him we really needed groceries and gas, and asked if we couldn’t park on the outskirts of the lot and hike to the store to get groceries? “Oh sure,” he told us, “but then you’ll have to leave. The city doesn’t allow overnight parking in our lot, and cops patrol and ticket RVers.”
Well, we got our groceries, but while we were doing that, the gas pumps closed down for the night. So already low on gas, we had to make our way miles further down the freeway to fill up. If we could have spent the night there, we would have filled the gas tank first thing before we left in the morning. As it was, it took a couple of hours to find a rest area where we could stop. We hadn’t passed a single sign for an RV park along the way.
So, you wanna know, what’s up? You see RVs park in Wal-Mart all the time. There are two reasons that RVers might be turned away.
1. Some RVers set up camp for a few days, and they sometimes leave a mess behind. Those types give all RVers a bad name and destroy parking possibilities for us all.
2. Usually it is because nearby RV park owners raise a commotion about Wal-Mart letting RVers park there, and talk local authorities into forbidding it.
We worked for two RV parks back when we were work-camping that actively tried to prevent local Wal-marts from allowing RVers to stay overnight. In one park, there were two seasons when an available camp site couldn’t be found anywhere within 50 miles, but even then, the owner couldn’t stand to see RVers parking at Wal-Mart.
The other owner was much more militant. He wanted to prevent non-commercial camping anywhere in his state. He was president of his state’s campground owner’s association, and his group was actively lobbying the state legislature to pass a law that would prohibit State and National Parks from having campsites! Wal-Marts were also on their "search and destroy" list. Without competition to keep them honest, our greedy park owner and others could charge as much for rundown, bare-bones facilities as they wished. And that’s exactly what they would have done!
If you decide to park overnight at a Wal-Mart, always check with a manager first. They can tell you if it’s permissible and where it’s best to park. Thank them, and be sure to spend some money in their store. Then be sure to keep your parking site clean, and don’t extend slide-outs or awnings, or set out your lawn chairs and barbeque. And don’t stay more than one night. If you need to stay longer, find a nice RV park where you can spread out and enjoy your visit.
Many Wal-Marts offer excellent parking opportunities for when you are in a hurry and want to stop for a couple of hours or so to rest, or for when you can’t locate a nearby RV park. But RVers should never abuse their generosity by making the parking lot look like a disorderly homeless camp.
Just like in any civilized society, courteous behavior is a requisite if we want to keep emergency parking spots available to all of us. Surely, each of us can do our part to ensure the continued cooperation of Wal-Marts and communities across the country.
This time I want to talk about something serious. I promise that next time, I’ll resume telling about some of our humorous RVing moments.
I’m sure you’ve seen RVs parked at Wal-Marts and wondered why they’re there. Well, there are probably a couple of reasons why RVers stop overnight courtesy of Wal-Mart.
1. They are trying to save money. If an RVers wishes to stop for a brief nap, they may not think it’s worthwhile to pay $25-$40 plus for a place to park their RV for a few hours when they don’t plan to use any of the park’s amenities.
2. They can’t find an RV park nearby. Maybe they’re exhausted and need to catch a few hours sleep before heading out again, and they really don’t want to leave the Interstate and travel (maybe for miles) searching for an RV park. We’ve found this to be the most common reason RVers stop in Wal-Mart lots.
One time we were traveling the Interstate through Phoenix on a hot 100 degree-plus evening and needed to stock up on groceries and gas, so we pulled into a Wal-Mart & Sam’s hoping to fill both our pantry and gas tank. A security guard rushed over as we pulled off the road and said “you can’t park in this lot.” We told him we really needed groceries and gas, and asked if we couldn’t park on the outskirts of the lot and hike to the store to get groceries? “Oh sure,” he told us, “but then you’ll have to leave. The city doesn’t allow overnight parking in our lot, and cops patrol and ticket RVers.”
Well, we got our groceries, but while we were doing that, the gas pumps closed down for the night. So already low on gas, we had to make our way miles further down the freeway to fill up. If we could have spent the night there, we would have filled the gas tank first thing before we left in the morning. As it was, it took a couple of hours to find a rest area where we could stop. We hadn’t passed a single sign for an RV park along the way.
So, you wanna know, what’s up? You see RVs park in Wal-Mart all the time. There are two reasons that RVers might be turned away.
1. Some RVers set up camp for a few days, and they sometimes leave a mess behind. Those types give all RVers a bad name and destroy parking possibilities for us all.
2. Usually it is because nearby RV park owners raise a commotion about Wal-Mart letting RVers park there, and talk local authorities into forbidding it.
We worked for two RV parks back when we were work-camping that actively tried to prevent local Wal-marts from allowing RVers to stay overnight. In one park, there were two seasons when an available camp site couldn’t be found anywhere within 50 miles, but even then, the owner couldn’t stand to see RVers parking at Wal-Mart.
The other owner was much more militant. He wanted to prevent non-commercial camping anywhere in his state. He was president of his state’s campground owner’s association, and his group was actively lobbying the state legislature to pass a law that would prohibit State and National Parks from having campsites! Wal-Marts were also on their "search and destroy" list. Without competition to keep them honest, our greedy park owner and others could charge as much for rundown, bare-bones facilities as they wished. And that’s exactly what they would have done!
If you decide to park overnight at a Wal-Mart, always check with a manager first. They can tell you if it’s permissible and where it’s best to park. Thank them, and be sure to spend some money in their store. Then be sure to keep your parking site clean, and don’t extend slide-outs or awnings, or set out your lawn chairs and barbeque. And don’t stay more than one night. If you need to stay longer, find a nice RV park where you can spread out and enjoy your visit.
Many Wal-Marts offer excellent parking opportunities for when you are in a hurry and want to stop for a couple of hours or so to rest, or for when you can’t locate a nearby RV park. But RVers should never abuse their generosity by making the parking lot look like a disorderly homeless camp.
Just like in any civilized society, courteous behavior is a requisite if we want to keep emergency parking spots available to all of us. Surely, each of us can do our part to ensure the continued cooperation of Wal-Marts and communities across the country.
FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS!
One of the greatest gifts we can give to someone we love, especially a child, is the love of reading. Youngsters don’t normally discover books without a guiding hand from a parent, grandparent, or an adult they respect.
I was taught to love books early and remember hungrily scouring the library’s bookshelves as a kid, searching for that special book with which to spend a hot, lazy summer afternoon.
And then one day I realized books have the power to provide a complete education to anyone willing to learn. Want to know how to hunt for wild game, then dress it and prepare it? That information is available in a book. Want to know how to write a computer program? You’ll find that in a book, too. No matter what anyone wants to learn, it’s all there on the bookshelf.
When I wanted to learn how to make a living as a writer, I searched every library within a 100 mile radius, looking for information that would educate me. Stacks of books lay about my feet and I greedily devoured them all, searching for the clues that would make me a successful writer and making notes to keep for later reference.
After almost twenty years of practicing what I learned, I wrote a book about making money from writing titled “Portable Writing: the secret to living your dreams with 25 projects to fund your freedom.” You see, the secret I discovered from books is that writing could fulfill all my dreams. I can live where I want, travel where or when I desire to, and make money while pursuing the pleasures of life. Not a bad way to live.
So to all you aspiring writers out there, I recommend that you read my book to learn how you can live your own fulfilling life and pursue your own dreams on your own terms. And think about others on your shopping list this Christmas who would love to learn from a simple, easy to understand book how they can lead a successful life as a writer. You can order a copy by clicking on http://www.booklocker.com/books/2461.html or at www.Amazon.com.
For those aging boomers on your list who might be interested in recalling the turbulent ‘60s, or the civil rights movement, or any other profound moment that has happened during their lifetimes, why not buy them a copy of “Looking Back: Boomers Remember History from the ‘40s to the Present.” You can buy it at: http://www.booklocker.com/books/3256.html or www.Amazon.com.
Give the gift of books this Christmas! Clothes wear out or go out of fashion, electronics become outdated, and food gets eaten and then is quickly forgotten. Books are the most lasting and meaningful gifts you can give to someone you care about.
One of the greatest gifts we can give to someone we love, especially a child, is the love of reading. Youngsters don’t normally discover books without a guiding hand from a parent, grandparent, or an adult they respect.
I was taught to love books early and remember hungrily scouring the library’s bookshelves as a kid, searching for that special book with which to spend a hot, lazy summer afternoon.
And then one day I realized books have the power to provide a complete education to anyone willing to learn. Want to know how to hunt for wild game, then dress it and prepare it? That information is available in a book. Want to know how to write a computer program? You’ll find that in a book, too. No matter what anyone wants to learn, it’s all there on the bookshelf.
When I wanted to learn how to make a living as a writer, I searched every library within a 100 mile radius, looking for information that would educate me. Stacks of books lay about my feet and I greedily devoured them all, searching for the clues that would make me a successful writer and making notes to keep for later reference.
After almost twenty years of practicing what I learned, I wrote a book about making money from writing titled “Portable Writing: the secret to living your dreams with 25 projects to fund your freedom.” You see, the secret I discovered from books is that writing could fulfill all my dreams. I can live where I want, travel where or when I desire to, and make money while pursuing the pleasures of life. Not a bad way to live.
So to all you aspiring writers out there, I recommend that you read my book to learn how you can live your own fulfilling life and pursue your own dreams on your own terms. And think about others on your shopping list this Christmas who would love to learn from a simple, easy to understand book how they can lead a successful life as a writer. You can order a copy by clicking on http://www.booklocker.com/books/2461.html or at www.Amazon.com.
For those aging boomers on your list who might be interested in recalling the turbulent ‘60s, or the civil rights movement, or any other profound moment that has happened during their lifetimes, why not buy them a copy of “Looking Back: Boomers Remember History from the ‘40s to the Present.” You can buy it at: http://www.booklocker.com/books/3256.html or www.Amazon.com.
Give the gift of books this Christmas! Clothes wear out or go out of fashion, electronics become outdated, and food gets eaten and then is quickly forgotten. Books are the most lasting and meaningful gifts you can give to someone you care about.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Writing’s Dirty Little Secrets
You might think the writer’s strike in Hollywood doesn’t have anything to do with you, other than interrupting your favorite television shows. And it does do that—big time! Generally I’m not a fan of strikes to win concessions in labor disputes because they disrupt the lives of too many people. Strikes like those against grocery chains close down access to food, which we all, even the strikers, need to survive. Strikes by hospital workers can endanger a public in need of vital surgical procedures, or needing a safe, sterile environment in which to recover from a serious illness. Striking seems a little extreme.
Still, even though the writer’s strike might disrupt my TV viewing habits, it’s not going to endanger my life or my welfare. It will hurt those behind-the-scenes people whose livelihoods depend on the television industry for a paycheck, and who are struggling to get by. But maybe this is the only way writers can acquire an equitable share of the enormous income stream their words can generate. A writer works hard on a script, only to see it then be used to create endless income sources for production companies at little or no additional cost to them. Shouldn’t the writer be entitled to a piece of the action?
Here’s what points up the inequities best. If a songwriter writes a song, they get residual payments every time that song is sung anywhere, even if it’s in a private wedding ceremony. How? Songwriters belong to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and that organization collects payments from anyplace that is likely to host a musical performance. When you see a piano player in a Nordstrom’s or another retail establishment, the store has to pay a fee to ASCAP to cover the music used. I don’t know, and couldn’t find information on whether someone at each business or venue has to keep a list of all songs played and report them, or if ASCAP simply collects regular fees from these venues based upon an “average” or “estimated” number of songs, then divides it among all songwriters.
We had a friend who was at one time a well-known songwriter and entertainer, and even though he’s no longer alive, his estate will continue to receive residuals from his songs. We knew he received checks every month, but I assumed they were from recording studios as they issued new recordings of his songs, performed by new artists.
For a couple of years we helped out in an RV Park in Mountain View, Arkansas, where music is a vital part of the community and traditions. Our park had a small clubhouse and also a little outdoor shed where pickers and singers could gather to jam. These were usually informal gatherings, in no way sponsored by the park, but still in park facilities. So one day, officials from ASCAP paid our RV Park a visit, demanding a monthly fee because there was an obvious stage in the clubhouse and a sign over the shed that said, “picker’s place.” By the way, Mountain View, the “Folk Music Capital of the World,” focuses on traditional folk and mountain music, so a lot of what is played there is no longer protected by copyright laws, if it ever was. And a lot of non-professional pickers and singers write their own songs. Still, ASCAP was seeking to protect its member’s copyrights.
Photographers and graphic artists generally have their work protected so that they can continue to receive payment if their photos or artwork are used in any other way than that specified in the original contract. Photographers ensure future payments by keeping the negatives of photos they take, even if a client pays them a huge fee to take the pictures thinking they will own their own photos and negatives. Artists and photographer assure their rights by getting a contract signed up front specifying those rights.
It’s not easy to protect writer’s works. Articles, stories, poems, etc. can be copied easily by anyone owning a copy machine, or can be scanned into any computer, making it virtually impossible to protect a writer’s work from illegal use. There is no way to police use of every phrase, poem, story, or larger work.
The other difference between writers and other creative professionals is a strong membership organization or union that supports photographers and artists—and frankly—one difference is tradition. Another is that there are so many writers. Now I didn’t say talented or even good writers, but there are a lot who are more than willing and desperate enough to take any writing job another writer refuses. Until writers unite into one strong organization, such as the Writer’s Guild, and demand fair payment, things will continue as they have always been.
The other dirty little secret
When I first started writing, I read that women writers were often paid less than men, and that fewer writing assignments were available to them. I pooh-poohed the idea since I believed from the start that I could succeed anyplace a man could.
Then I learned the awful truth! I was approached by a magazine publisher to write for their new magazine, and established a pattern of submitting an approximate 1500-word article each month, with photos taken by my husband. In the meantime, a young man assumed the editing position. Then one day my husband decided to write an article about an event he attended. He wrote a good, but brief article with one photo. I edited it and submitted it under his name. When his check arrived, it was 20 percent more than what I had been receiving. I was stunned!
So I discovered firsthand that there sometimes really is a difference in what men and women are paid in the magazine world.
There are a couple of things you can do to prevent being underpaid if you are a woman. I’ve read that some women writers use their initials instead of their first name, and magazines can assume whatever they will. For instance, a name like Barbara Jean Storm becomes B. J. Storm. If you do this, make sure your bank will accept checks made out to you that way. I’ve never tried this, so can’t say whether it works or not, but I don’t see why it shouldn’t.
You can also choose a pen name of the opposite sex. Some men writing romance novels use women’s names as their bylines, and I’m sure there are instances where women writers assume a man’s pen name. Or choose a non-gender specific name like Terry or Jerry.
Pen names are popular choices for writers because they give you a measure of anonymity should you became “famous,” and if your name is difficult to pronounce or spell, a pen name is easier for magazine editors and readers to remember. Since “Kay” is my pen name, when I receive a check made out to Kay Kennedy, I endorse it with that name and then sign my real first name underneath. I’ve never had a problem getting checks cashed or deposited.
Another sneaky way around the problem if you are married is to write the article in both spouses’ names. For instance, the byline would read “By Barbara and John Storm.” I have noticed that a lot of articles appear in various magazines under two names, usually a male and female, and maybe that actually helps sell articles. I can’t say. But that is what I did after realizing my husband’s byline was worth more than mine. I wrote a few more articles for that same prejudiced magazine because they paid promptly, but since my husband always helped with the articles and took pictures, I felt it was perfectly reasonable to use both our names as authors.
Sometimes, a writer’s got to do what a writer’s got to do to make a living in what is apparently, still a biased, sexist society.
And I say to those on strike, Good Luck! We writers may be passionate about what we do, but we have a right to make a living, too.
You might think the writer’s strike in Hollywood doesn’t have anything to do with you, other than interrupting your favorite television shows. And it does do that—big time! Generally I’m not a fan of strikes to win concessions in labor disputes because they disrupt the lives of too many people. Strikes like those against grocery chains close down access to food, which we all, even the strikers, need to survive. Strikes by hospital workers can endanger a public in need of vital surgical procedures, or needing a safe, sterile environment in which to recover from a serious illness. Striking seems a little extreme.
Still, even though the writer’s strike might disrupt my TV viewing habits, it’s not going to endanger my life or my welfare. It will hurt those behind-the-scenes people whose livelihoods depend on the television industry for a paycheck, and who are struggling to get by. But maybe this is the only way writers can acquire an equitable share of the enormous income stream their words can generate. A writer works hard on a script, only to see it then be used to create endless income sources for production companies at little or no additional cost to them. Shouldn’t the writer be entitled to a piece of the action?
Here’s what points up the inequities best. If a songwriter writes a song, they get residual payments every time that song is sung anywhere, even if it’s in a private wedding ceremony. How? Songwriters belong to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and that organization collects payments from anyplace that is likely to host a musical performance. When you see a piano player in a Nordstrom’s or another retail establishment, the store has to pay a fee to ASCAP to cover the music used. I don’t know, and couldn’t find information on whether someone at each business or venue has to keep a list of all songs played and report them, or if ASCAP simply collects regular fees from these venues based upon an “average” or “estimated” number of songs, then divides it among all songwriters.
We had a friend who was at one time a well-known songwriter and entertainer, and even though he’s no longer alive, his estate will continue to receive residuals from his songs. We knew he received checks every month, but I assumed they were from recording studios as they issued new recordings of his songs, performed by new artists.
For a couple of years we helped out in an RV Park in Mountain View, Arkansas, where music is a vital part of the community and traditions. Our park had a small clubhouse and also a little outdoor shed where pickers and singers could gather to jam. These were usually informal gatherings, in no way sponsored by the park, but still in park facilities. So one day, officials from ASCAP paid our RV Park a visit, demanding a monthly fee because there was an obvious stage in the clubhouse and a sign over the shed that said, “picker’s place.” By the way, Mountain View, the “Folk Music Capital of the World,” focuses on traditional folk and mountain music, so a lot of what is played there is no longer protected by copyright laws, if it ever was. And a lot of non-professional pickers and singers write their own songs. Still, ASCAP was seeking to protect its member’s copyrights.
Photographers and graphic artists generally have their work protected so that they can continue to receive payment if their photos or artwork are used in any other way than that specified in the original contract. Photographers ensure future payments by keeping the negatives of photos they take, even if a client pays them a huge fee to take the pictures thinking they will own their own photos and negatives. Artists and photographer assure their rights by getting a contract signed up front specifying those rights.
It’s not easy to protect writer’s works. Articles, stories, poems, etc. can be copied easily by anyone owning a copy machine, or can be scanned into any computer, making it virtually impossible to protect a writer’s work from illegal use. There is no way to police use of every phrase, poem, story, or larger work.
The other difference between writers and other creative professionals is a strong membership organization or union that supports photographers and artists—and frankly—one difference is tradition. Another is that there are so many writers. Now I didn’t say talented or even good writers, but there are a lot who are more than willing and desperate enough to take any writing job another writer refuses. Until writers unite into one strong organization, such as the Writer’s Guild, and demand fair payment, things will continue as they have always been.
The other dirty little secret
When I first started writing, I read that women writers were often paid less than men, and that fewer writing assignments were available to them. I pooh-poohed the idea since I believed from the start that I could succeed anyplace a man could.
Then I learned the awful truth! I was approached by a magazine publisher to write for their new magazine, and established a pattern of submitting an approximate 1500-word article each month, with photos taken by my husband. In the meantime, a young man assumed the editing position. Then one day my husband decided to write an article about an event he attended. He wrote a good, but brief article with one photo. I edited it and submitted it under his name. When his check arrived, it was 20 percent more than what I had been receiving. I was stunned!
So I discovered firsthand that there sometimes really is a difference in what men and women are paid in the magazine world.
There are a couple of things you can do to prevent being underpaid if you are a woman. I’ve read that some women writers use their initials instead of their first name, and magazines can assume whatever they will. For instance, a name like Barbara Jean Storm becomes B. J. Storm. If you do this, make sure your bank will accept checks made out to you that way. I’ve never tried this, so can’t say whether it works or not, but I don’t see why it shouldn’t.
You can also choose a pen name of the opposite sex. Some men writing romance novels use women’s names as their bylines, and I’m sure there are instances where women writers assume a man’s pen name. Or choose a non-gender specific name like Terry or Jerry.
Pen names are popular choices for writers because they give you a measure of anonymity should you became “famous,” and if your name is difficult to pronounce or spell, a pen name is easier for magazine editors and readers to remember. Since “Kay” is my pen name, when I receive a check made out to Kay Kennedy, I endorse it with that name and then sign my real first name underneath. I’ve never had a problem getting checks cashed or deposited.
Another sneaky way around the problem if you are married is to write the article in both spouses’ names. For instance, the byline would read “By Barbara and John Storm.” I have noticed that a lot of articles appear in various magazines under two names, usually a male and female, and maybe that actually helps sell articles. I can’t say. But that is what I did after realizing my husband’s byline was worth more than mine. I wrote a few more articles for that same prejudiced magazine because they paid promptly, but since my husband always helped with the articles and took pictures, I felt it was perfectly reasonable to use both our names as authors.
Sometimes, a writer’s got to do what a writer’s got to do to make a living in what is apparently, still a biased, sexist society.
And I say to those on strike, Good Luck! We writers may be passionate about what we do, but we have a right to make a living, too.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
TIARA WEARING, BEAUTY AND BOOK SHARING PULPWOOD QUEENS
Last year, I discovered one of those pleasant surprises that make us realize that hope is not lost for literacy in America. Sometimes, all it takes is one clever woman who is creative and not above using large doses of humor to get people to pick up a book and read. Kathy Patrick of Jefferson, Texas had a beauty shop and she loved books, so she started what is probably the only beauty/book shop in the country.
But she went much further than that! She formed a book club, called the Pulpwood Queens, whose members read books and discuss them at regularly scheduled meetings. There's a twist to her book club, though. Every participant must wear a tiara! Big hair helps, too - this is Texas, after all.
Kathy's Pulpwood Queens club chapters are spreading across the country now. They place a needed focus on literacy and support hardworking writers who (trust me) don't get a lot of encouragement or support from either publishers or bookstores. I've provided a link to her Web site below.
Kathy is a generous, creative, and caring woman who is not immune to helping those in need. I'll write next time about the project she is pursuing to help the writer of a new book. Meanwhile, check out her Web site.
Last year, I discovered one of those pleasant surprises that make us realize that hope is not lost for literacy in America. Sometimes, all it takes is one clever woman who is creative and not above using large doses of humor to get people to pick up a book and read. Kathy Patrick of Jefferson, Texas had a beauty shop and she loved books, so she started what is probably the only beauty/book shop in the country.
But she went much further than that! She formed a book club, called the Pulpwood Queens, whose members read books and discuss them at regularly scheduled meetings. There's a twist to her book club, though. Every participant must wear a tiara! Big hair helps, too - this is Texas, after all.
Kathy's Pulpwood Queens club chapters are spreading across the country now. They place a needed focus on literacy and support hardworking writers who (trust me) don't get a lot of encouragement or support from either publishers or bookstores. I've provided a link to her Web site below.
Kathy is a generous, creative, and caring woman who is not immune to helping those in need. I'll write next time about the project she is pursuing to help the writer of a new book. Meanwhile, check out her Web site.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
CHRISTMAS IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING,
and what better gift for your friends and family than a book that offers an emotional stroll down memory lane?
The Book: LOOKING BACK: BOOMERS REMEMBER HISTORY makes a wonderful Christmas gift for those on your list who are reaching “that certain age” when the past begins to look better all the time. Or for your children and grandchildren, who need to know the story of the amazing moments their parents and grandparents lived through.
History is not boring—especially the history of the Boomers! Oh yeah, the way we were taught it in school could positively make me snore. But this history book is different! It is written by those of us who were there—who witnessed it all as it happened.
We watched the amazing drama unfold on the small black and white screens of that new invention, the television. Some of us even participated in various events that made the news back then. What exciting times we had, and how sorrowful some of it was as we wondered if the world would survive until we reached adulthood.
For a personal journey into the past that will bring back memories of assassinations, riots, an unpopular war, and a government that seemed to be coming apart at the seams, Looking Back provides a unique firsthand glimpse at the times. The book also recalls the polio scare that had our parents keeping us at home to avoid becoming one of those children confined to iron lungs or wheelchairs. Fortunately, a remarkable new vaccine was discovered to prevent the disabling and deadly disease, freeing us to once again enjoy childhood activities like going to public swimming pools and Saturday matinees.
Also recalled are drive-in movies—those theaters under the stars where almost all of us went with our families and on dates. Lacking shopping malls then, the drive-in movies were our social scene. And of course, the end of segregation is covered by three of us who attended Central High School during the integration crisis in 1957/58, by one who recalls the sorrow of segregation during those years, and by one Vietnam War veteran who first came face-to-face with integration while serving during the Vietnam War.
Looking Back is receiving great reviews for the way history was treated in the book—not as a dry, boring subject but as many interesting stories interwoven to reveal the emotions behind history. It’s not a book that readers have to read from front to back. Instead, readers can pick and choose the stories they want to read at any one time.
The beautifully designed book is available as paperback for $17.95 plus shipping and handling. It can be ordered online from http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html, with delivery within 10 days.
Or order directly from me for $22.00 (covers shipping and handling). Send check to: Kay Kennedy, P. O. Box 4566, Cottonwood, AZ 86326. Delivery should be within 10 days, but I’ll notify you if it might take longer.
My book, PORTABLE WRITING, also makes the perfect gift for the budding writer on your list. Or for the writer you know who claims not to be able to make enough money as a writer. Portable Writing offers detailed instructions for 25 different projects that definitely create a comfortable living for any writer, anywhere! It is based on my experience, so I know the projects make money. This book is also available by ordering from me with a check for $21.00 at the above address, includes shipping and handling.
Or order online for $16.95, plus shipping and handling, by clicking on the book image at top, right of this page.
and what better gift for your friends and family than a book that offers an emotional stroll down memory lane?
The Book: LOOKING BACK: BOOMERS REMEMBER HISTORY makes a wonderful Christmas gift for those on your list who are reaching “that certain age” when the past begins to look better all the time. Or for your children and grandchildren, who need to know the story of the amazing moments their parents and grandparents lived through.
History is not boring—especially the history of the Boomers! Oh yeah, the way we were taught it in school could positively make me snore. But this history book is different! It is written by those of us who were there—who witnessed it all as it happened.
We watched the amazing drama unfold on the small black and white screens of that new invention, the television. Some of us even participated in various events that made the news back then. What exciting times we had, and how sorrowful some of it was as we wondered if the world would survive until we reached adulthood.
For a personal journey into the past that will bring back memories of assassinations, riots, an unpopular war, and a government that seemed to be coming apart at the seams, Looking Back provides a unique firsthand glimpse at the times. The book also recalls the polio scare that had our parents keeping us at home to avoid becoming one of those children confined to iron lungs or wheelchairs. Fortunately, a remarkable new vaccine was discovered to prevent the disabling and deadly disease, freeing us to once again enjoy childhood activities like going to public swimming pools and Saturday matinees.
Also recalled are drive-in movies—those theaters under the stars where almost all of us went with our families and on dates. Lacking shopping malls then, the drive-in movies were our social scene. And of course, the end of segregation is covered by three of us who attended Central High School during the integration crisis in 1957/58, by one who recalls the sorrow of segregation during those years, and by one Vietnam War veteran who first came face-to-face with integration while serving during the Vietnam War.
Looking Back is receiving great reviews for the way history was treated in the book—not as a dry, boring subject but as many interesting stories interwoven to reveal the emotions behind history. It’s not a book that readers have to read from front to back. Instead, readers can pick and choose the stories they want to read at any one time.
The beautifully designed book is available as paperback for $17.95 plus shipping and handling. It can be ordered online from http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html, with delivery within 10 days.
Or order directly from me for $22.00 (covers shipping and handling). Send check to: Kay Kennedy, P. O. Box 4566, Cottonwood, AZ 86326. Delivery should be within 10 days, but I’ll notify you if it might take longer.
My book, PORTABLE WRITING, also makes the perfect gift for the budding writer on your list. Or for the writer you know who claims not to be able to make enough money as a writer. Portable Writing offers detailed instructions for 25 different projects that definitely create a comfortable living for any writer, anywhere! It is based on my experience, so I know the projects make money. This book is also available by ordering from me with a check for $21.00 at the above address, includes shipping and handling.
Or order online for $16.95, plus shipping and handling, by clicking on the book image at top, right of this page.
SHOULD YOU EVER USE SWEAR WORDS IN YOUR WRITING?
A recent article by Morgan Hunt in Writer’s Digest discussed when it was okay to use swear words in your articles or stories. Anyone who watches much television or goes to movies knows that obscene words are proliferating in the media as quickly as mispronunciations of words. (Does anyone else get irritated by newscasters incapable of pronouncing words correctly besides me?)
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m no prude and have been known to, on occasion, slip naughty words into tales that I tell. Actually, more than on occaasion! However, I have my limits, and when it comes to writing, there’s a time and a place for that type of language. And yes, swear words do have their place in stories, articles and books, depending on the circumstances.
Non-fiction
For nonfiction work, why use swear words when emotions can better be expressed with other, more acceptable words unless you’re writing for a publication that regularly features articles laced with that type of language? However, if you are quoting someone else, swear words may best help readers picture that person’s personality. For instance, if you are quoting a well-known person who swears, then it is usually okay to use his or her words exactly as told to you (or use a row of symbols to indicate the word). And especially if you are using well-known quotes from a movie, book, etc., you should include the offensive words. I’ve never faced this decision, but if I was using a quote that employed the “F” word, I would look at the article’s intended audience.
If for a men’s magazine, then it might be okay to go ahead and use the actual word, but if writing for other magazines and they occasionally employ such usage, then I might use ‘f---’ or ‘f---in’, or symbols. Then it would be up to the editor to change it, or the reader to supply the rest of the letters, although most readers familiar with popular culture would know what was intended. Make sure you know your audience!
Fiction
For a fictional story or book, usage of obscene words depends on the characters. What social setting are they in? What era? Is the setting and the character culturally ‘hip’ and where swear words are commonly used? When writing about decades before the ‘60s, swear words would almost never be used unless you are writing about the underbelly of society. Obviously, gangsters and murderers would not be concerned with proper language, and instead would likely spit curse words out to intimidate victims or impress their peers. Young boys might also occasionally use naughty words to look tough that their mothers would frown upon. There are few other occasions to use swear words during earlier eras—but there are always exceptions.
I faced the question of using swear words when I started my new mystery novel. My goal is to write a book that is funny, hip, colorful, and will appeal to young women from every background. So I feel I should refrain from flagrant use of offensive language.
However, the lead character is a 30-ish single young woman who was briefly married to a dimwit redneck whose friends cursed to replace strong emotions, so she definitely has a nodding acquaintance with crude language. She works as a single interior designer working in Houston, a fairly socially conservative region of the country, but with lots of young people living away from home for the first time and struggling with their somewhat conservative roots while trying to fit into the freewheeling lifestyle of a sophisticated, large multinational city.
The lead character’s parents are very conservative, live a typical small town lifestyle, and attend church every week. So she’s caught in a cultural warp—between young, trendy peers who strive for the ‘coolness’ factor—and her parents’ "socially correct” world, which doesn’t tolerate swear words pouring out of the mouth of a woman. This is basically a “deep South” background and tradition where the distinction between the roles of men and women and how they are expected to behave is still clearly defined.
I do want the language to reflect real life, so my main character, who is as "with-it" as any young woman, uses the word ‘dang’ a lot—a currently popular swear word in Texas used by young people who find typical curse words offensive. The characters that swirl around her, though, are not as hesitant about cursing. Some occasionally blurt out mild curse words that express their frustration and anger. I’m still struggling with how to keep the story from being offensive while still staying true to the character of typical young people working in a stressful environment.
So should you use swear words? The line that separates when to use swear words and when not to in writing is not clearly drawn. Clearly, if writing for a religious magazine or newspaper, you would never use one. If writing for pop culture publications where the crude utterings of hip-hop artists and other young entertainers would shock almost anyone over 30, then swear words are almost expected.
Markets for magazine articles require that you understand who their advertisers and readers are and what their tolerance level is. If tough language is the norm, then you can follow suit, but if you fail to find even one minor swear word in any of their back issues, then don’t include a single one if you expect to sell your work to that publication.
A recent article by Morgan Hunt in Writer’s Digest discussed when it was okay to use swear words in your articles or stories. Anyone who watches much television or goes to movies knows that obscene words are proliferating in the media as quickly as mispronunciations of words. (Does anyone else get irritated by newscasters incapable of pronouncing words correctly besides me?)
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m no prude and have been known to, on occasion, slip naughty words into tales that I tell. Actually, more than on occaasion! However, I have my limits, and when it comes to writing, there’s a time and a place for that type of language. And yes, swear words do have their place in stories, articles and books, depending on the circumstances.
Non-fiction
For nonfiction work, why use swear words when emotions can better be expressed with other, more acceptable words unless you’re writing for a publication that regularly features articles laced with that type of language? However, if you are quoting someone else, swear words may best help readers picture that person’s personality. For instance, if you are quoting a well-known person who swears, then it is usually okay to use his or her words exactly as told to you (or use a row of symbols to indicate the word). And especially if you are using well-known quotes from a movie, book, etc., you should include the offensive words. I’ve never faced this decision, but if I was using a quote that employed the “F” word, I would look at the article’s intended audience.
If for a men’s magazine, then it might be okay to go ahead and use the actual word, but if writing for other magazines and they occasionally employ such usage, then I might use ‘f---’ or ‘f---in’, or symbols. Then it would be up to the editor to change it, or the reader to supply the rest of the letters, although most readers familiar with popular culture would know what was intended. Make sure you know your audience!
Fiction
For a fictional story or book, usage of obscene words depends on the characters. What social setting are they in? What era? Is the setting and the character culturally ‘hip’ and where swear words are commonly used? When writing about decades before the ‘60s, swear words would almost never be used unless you are writing about the underbelly of society. Obviously, gangsters and murderers would not be concerned with proper language, and instead would likely spit curse words out to intimidate victims or impress their peers. Young boys might also occasionally use naughty words to look tough that their mothers would frown upon. There are few other occasions to use swear words during earlier eras—but there are always exceptions.
I faced the question of using swear words when I started my new mystery novel. My goal is to write a book that is funny, hip, colorful, and will appeal to young women from every background. So I feel I should refrain from flagrant use of offensive language.
However, the lead character is a 30-ish single young woman who was briefly married to a dimwit redneck whose friends cursed to replace strong emotions, so she definitely has a nodding acquaintance with crude language. She works as a single interior designer working in Houston, a fairly socially conservative region of the country, but with lots of young people living away from home for the first time and struggling with their somewhat conservative roots while trying to fit into the freewheeling lifestyle of a sophisticated, large multinational city.
The lead character’s parents are very conservative, live a typical small town lifestyle, and attend church every week. So she’s caught in a cultural warp—between young, trendy peers who strive for the ‘coolness’ factor—and her parents’ "socially correct” world, which doesn’t tolerate swear words pouring out of the mouth of a woman. This is basically a “deep South” background and tradition where the distinction between the roles of men and women and how they are expected to behave is still clearly defined.
I do want the language to reflect real life, so my main character, who is as "with-it" as any young woman, uses the word ‘dang’ a lot—a currently popular swear word in Texas used by young people who find typical curse words offensive. The characters that swirl around her, though, are not as hesitant about cursing. Some occasionally blurt out mild curse words that express their frustration and anger. I’m still struggling with how to keep the story from being offensive while still staying true to the character of typical young people working in a stressful environment.
So should you use swear words? The line that separates when to use swear words and when not to in writing is not clearly drawn. Clearly, if writing for a religious magazine or newspaper, you would never use one. If writing for pop culture publications where the crude utterings of hip-hop artists and other young entertainers would shock almost anyone over 30, then swear words are almost expected.
Markets for magazine articles require that you understand who their advertisers and readers are and what their tolerance level is. If tough language is the norm, then you can follow suit, but if you fail to find even one minor swear word in any of their back issues, then don’t include a single one if you expect to sell your work to that publication.
Friday, October 19, 2007
ROAD TRIP AND CAT TALES!
Starting with this article, I will be sharing a few amusing tales from our first ventures out into the exciting world of RVing. The first is about our maiden RV road trip with our traumatized cat, Sedona.
We had camped in a Volkswagen bus and slept many times in the back of our various station wagons on camping trips, and I had even slept on a quilt spread on the ground with nothing overhead, and attempted tent camping once. I'll write about those adventures later. But for our first real RV trip, we rented a 24-foot camper to attend a sailing regatta in California.
Since we were traveling that far, we decided to go on to Sedona, Arizona and take our young, big beautiful and colorful Maine Coon cat, Sedona, who was named for the brilliant landscape in the area. Why we thought she would appreciate seeing the inspiration for her name, I’ll never know.
Sedona immediately decided the only safe place in the camper was her litter box, which we had placed in the shower. It was familiar to her. She didn’t eat or drink for two days because she didn’t want to soil her ‘bed’. When we finally arrived at the lake in California and found a campsite in a rustic National Park, you could see the gratitude in her eyes as she made a beeline for her water and food, then scurried back to her box to relieve herself.
It was only then that I decided to take her out for a walk to acquaint her with California nature on a leash with a harness guaranteed by the pet store to keep Houdini from escaping. The pet store employee obviously never met Sedona! She quickly figured out that if she planted her back feet firmly in the pine needles, put her front feet together and shrunk her head to the size of a pinpoint, when I pulled on the leash I would yank the harness over her head. Score one for the cat! She didn't run, though. She just stood there glaring at me triumphantly.
After the regatta, we headed for Sedona (the town) and a campsite just above Oak Creek. It was lovely, and a short walk and plunge into the cool waters of the creek kept the 100-plus temperatures from getting to us. No more walks for Sedona, though—she was relegated to the camper where the air conditioner ran continuously to keep her and us cool. It wasn’t long before we discovered another of her quirks.
Having been born and raised in western Washington where thunderstorms are rarer than hot, sunny days, Sedona had never lived through one. When the first rattling clap of thunder boomed between the bright red cliffs above us, Joe and I were thrilled to sit and watch the show, snapping pictures of the lightning bolts bouncing off the fiery buttes. Sedona was having none of it. She went flying back into her box—not as clean as it had been when we started out.
When the show was finally over, we fished her out and proceeded to bathe her in the shower to make her clean again. Although she was two years old, she had never before had such horrible indignities imposed on her! After suffering through a thunderstorm and a bath, both in the same afternoon, she proceeded to climb up on a pile of our clothes and show us what she thought of our idea of cleanliness. We locked her in the bathroom and headed for the laundromat.
Sedona settled down after that (no more thunderstorms, thank God!) and didn’t seem to mind the long trip back to Washington until we got within 60 miles from home. I don’t know if she sensed that home and sanity were close by or was simply fed up with the drive, but she suddenly set up an ear-splitting yowl that lasted the rest of the trip. We didn't have to carry her from the camper to the house when we arrived at home - she flew down the hill like a furball on fire.
That week-long trip in an RV convinced us that we would definitely be buying a motorhome and Sedona would just have to learn to adjust. As I told her often during our deep, philosophical discussions, she had the same fur to get glad in that she got mad in. Okay, so not glad, but at least agreeable.
She traveled with us until a few months before she would have turned nineteen, and it was only in the last couple of years that she finally learned not to fear thunderstorms or the moving motorhome. We suspect she might have become too old, too sleepy, and maybe a little too deaf to notice the occasional loud booms of thunder or the RV's movement and engine noise. But anytime we finally got parked, she was always eager to run to the doorway to peek out and see where this trip had landed her.
Starting with this article, I will be sharing a few amusing tales from our first ventures out into the exciting world of RVing. The first is about our maiden RV road trip with our traumatized cat, Sedona.
We had camped in a Volkswagen bus and slept many times in the back of our various station wagons on camping trips, and I had even slept on a quilt spread on the ground with nothing overhead, and attempted tent camping once. I'll write about those adventures later. But for our first real RV trip, we rented a 24-foot camper to attend a sailing regatta in California.
Since we were traveling that far, we decided to go on to Sedona, Arizona and take our young, big beautiful and colorful Maine Coon cat, Sedona, who was named for the brilliant landscape in the area. Why we thought she would appreciate seeing the inspiration for her name, I’ll never know.
Sedona immediately decided the only safe place in the camper was her litter box, which we had placed in the shower. It was familiar to her. She didn’t eat or drink for two days because she didn’t want to soil her ‘bed’. When we finally arrived at the lake in California and found a campsite in a rustic National Park, you could see the gratitude in her eyes as she made a beeline for her water and food, then scurried back to her box to relieve herself.
It was only then that I decided to take her out for a walk to acquaint her with California nature on a leash with a harness guaranteed by the pet store to keep Houdini from escaping. The pet store employee obviously never met Sedona! She quickly figured out that if she planted her back feet firmly in the pine needles, put her front feet together and shrunk her head to the size of a pinpoint, when I pulled on the leash I would yank the harness over her head. Score one for the cat! She didn't run, though. She just stood there glaring at me triumphantly.
After the regatta, we headed for Sedona (the town) and a campsite just above Oak Creek. It was lovely, and a short walk and plunge into the cool waters of the creek kept the 100-plus temperatures from getting to us. No more walks for Sedona, though—she was relegated to the camper where the air conditioner ran continuously to keep her and us cool. It wasn’t long before we discovered another of her quirks.
Having been born and raised in western Washington where thunderstorms are rarer than hot, sunny days, Sedona had never lived through one. When the first rattling clap of thunder boomed between the bright red cliffs above us, Joe and I were thrilled to sit and watch the show, snapping pictures of the lightning bolts bouncing off the fiery buttes. Sedona was having none of it. She went flying back into her box—not as clean as it had been when we started out.
When the show was finally over, we fished her out and proceeded to bathe her in the shower to make her clean again. Although she was two years old, she had never before had such horrible indignities imposed on her! After suffering through a thunderstorm and a bath, both in the same afternoon, she proceeded to climb up on a pile of our clothes and show us what she thought of our idea of cleanliness. We locked her in the bathroom and headed for the laundromat.
Sedona settled down after that (no more thunderstorms, thank God!) and didn’t seem to mind the long trip back to Washington until we got within 60 miles from home. I don’t know if she sensed that home and sanity were close by or was simply fed up with the drive, but she suddenly set up an ear-splitting yowl that lasted the rest of the trip. We didn't have to carry her from the camper to the house when we arrived at home - she flew down the hill like a furball on fire.
That week-long trip in an RV convinced us that we would definitely be buying a motorhome and Sedona would just have to learn to adjust. As I told her often during our deep, philosophical discussions, she had the same fur to get glad in that she got mad in. Okay, so not glad, but at least agreeable.
She traveled with us until a few months before she would have turned nineteen, and it was only in the last couple of years that she finally learned not to fear thunderstorms or the moving motorhome. We suspect she might have become too old, too sleepy, and maybe a little too deaf to notice the occasional loud booms of thunder or the RV's movement and engine noise. But anytime we finally got parked, she was always eager to run to the doorway to peek out and see where this trip had landed her.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
CHECK OUT BLOG FOR "LOOKING BACK: BOOMERS REMEMBER HISTORY"
I'm constantly updating the blogs for "Looking Back" so that readers can gain even more knowledge about the eras that were written about in the book. You can find the blogs at either: http://boomersrememberhistory.blogspot.com or at http://lookingbackboomersrememberhistory.blogspot.com.
The latest blogs are about the integration crisis at Central High School in 1957, which has been in the news a lot lately because this year marks its 50th anniversary. I was a student there, so I've added more personal thoughts about the crisis than appear in the book about that important moment in civil rights history. My sister was one of the "lost" students who found herself without a high school to attend the following year, and received her lessons in front of the television for awhile until a church affiliated school was started in our neighborhood. She attended that school until Central High was reopened in the fall of 1959, and she graduated from Central in 1960.
I'm constantly updating the blogs for "Looking Back" so that readers can gain even more knowledge about the eras that were written about in the book. You can find the blogs at either: http://boomersrememberhistory.blogspot.com or at http://lookingbackboomersrememberhistory.blogspot.com.
The latest blogs are about the integration crisis at Central High School in 1957, which has been in the news a lot lately because this year marks its 50th anniversary. I was a student there, so I've added more personal thoughts about the crisis than appear in the book about that important moment in civil rights history. My sister was one of the "lost" students who found herself without a high school to attend the following year, and received her lessons in front of the television for awhile until a church affiliated school was started in our neighborhood. She attended that school until Central High was reopened in the fall of 1959, and she graduated from Central in 1960.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
HOW TO LIVE YOUR DREAMS:
Travel While You Make Money Writing
Hike the Grand Canyon today, explore the coast of California tomorrow, take in an arts festival in a coastal community the next day. Next on your agenda: a cruise to Mexico, or to Alaska, or the Hawaiian Islands. Sound like a dream existence? Well, it's a lifestyle that is available to anyone who wants to create their own business and workstyle. It takes talent, creativity, and a willingness to expect the unexpected, but if those are traits you claim, you can succeed as a traveling writer.
Oh, and it helps if you read a good "how-to" book on the subject; one that gives you step-by-step instructions. One like Portable Writing!
There are many talented writers who travel extensively. Some write as a hobby while others are in the writing business—in other words, they support their mobile lifestyle with their writing skills. I spent several years fine-tuning my writing business and experimenting with various projects to determine how I would find clients, and then keep in touch with them after I hit the highway. Once I had my system up and running, I headed out on my fulltime adventure and never looked back.
Of course, at first I thought I would write travel articles and sell them to magazines, but I soon found out it’s difficult to make a living as a magazine writer. It would take approximately ten published articles per month to support the lifestyle I wanted to live, which was by no means extravagant. That meant churning out an article every three days. Too much like a job, not the freedom I was seeking!
So I decided to supplement my magazine income with business writing. No spending hours researching articles. Instead, business or corporate clients told me what they wanted and I produced it. It didn’t take long to realize I could make way more money writing for businesses!
Corporate and business clients pay well, give me repeat business, and refer me to their peers. As I travel and if I don’t have referrals at the new location, I simply attend business meetings in towns I visit and introduce myself to prospects. I give them a brochure that tells what I can do for small businesses and provide a list of former clients, with their permission, of course.
One of the most profitable types of writing I do is to write articles for corporate executives who want an article in their name to appear in industry newsletters or trade magazines. Most don’t have the time, ability, or inclination to write, but need this type of exposure for their business, or if they’re still climbing the corporate ladder, to impress higher-ups. I'm happy to provide the service for them.
When I started writing twenty years ago I was an interior designer, which gave me inside knowledge about the field of design and architecture, and contacts. It was natural for me to produce copy for design related businesses, including ghostwriting articles for industry magazines. Those jobs led to referrals to people in the same field as well as other types of business owners and professionals. Soon I had a thriving new career.
Business owners need many different types of written materials. Every new business owner needs a press release for the local newspaper. Every seminar, workshop, or conference needs news releases to attract attendees. Also brochures. It’s easy to learn how to write press releases and brochures.
Many business owners like sending newsletters to customers and prospects. They often need ads, flyers, letters, and other written materials.
One of my most successful projects was a series of short advertising columns written for various industries. Consisting of 100 words or less, they can be about anything from pet care, floral design, and travel to interior decorating, real estate, and weddings. Market them to business owners in whatever field you care to focus on. Buyers then use the columns in their local newspapers, which gives them a weekly presence in their community. It appears as a column with their byline and photo, even though it is an advertisement.
There are many more types of materials you can produce for business and corporate clients, including employee manuals, instruction manuals, and joint or co-op newsletters.
Finding clients in areas where you’re staying is simple. Tell prospects you meet, “I help business owners with their marketing needs. Do you know anyone who is new in business or who might need to get more exposure for their business?” You’ll get referrals, or the person you’re talking with will ask for your help.
Learn your trade, hone your skills, and do the best job you possibly can. And don’t be shy about asking for reference letters from clients who are especially happy with the job you have done for them. Those and a few writing samples will land you plenty of new clients.
If you’re shy about promoting your skills to strangers, you can write and publish “print-on-demand” how-to booklets, or create your own subscription newsletters and sell them through the mail or on the Internet. Readers are always interested in new or thoughtful presentations of information relating to their hobbies and interests.
Whatever your writing expertise or field of interest, you CAN make a living from writing while traveling the country. All of the above project types and more are detailed in my book, Portable Writing: the Secret to Living Your Dreams with 25 Projects to Fund Your Freedom.
Any questions about articles appearing here can be directed to me at: kayknndy@yahoo.com.
Travel While You Make Money Writing
Hike the Grand Canyon today, explore the coast of California tomorrow, take in an arts festival in a coastal community the next day. Next on your agenda: a cruise to Mexico, or to Alaska, or the Hawaiian Islands. Sound like a dream existence? Well, it's a lifestyle that is available to anyone who wants to create their own business and workstyle. It takes talent, creativity, and a willingness to expect the unexpected, but if those are traits you claim, you can succeed as a traveling writer.
Oh, and it helps if you read a good "how-to" book on the subject; one that gives you step-by-step instructions. One like Portable Writing!
There are many talented writers who travel extensively. Some write as a hobby while others are in the writing business—in other words, they support their mobile lifestyle with their writing skills. I spent several years fine-tuning my writing business and experimenting with various projects to determine how I would find clients, and then keep in touch with them after I hit the highway. Once I had my system up and running, I headed out on my fulltime adventure and never looked back.
Of course, at first I thought I would write travel articles and sell them to magazines, but I soon found out it’s difficult to make a living as a magazine writer. It would take approximately ten published articles per month to support the lifestyle I wanted to live, which was by no means extravagant. That meant churning out an article every three days. Too much like a job, not the freedom I was seeking!
So I decided to supplement my magazine income with business writing. No spending hours researching articles. Instead, business or corporate clients told me what they wanted and I produced it. It didn’t take long to realize I could make way more money writing for businesses!
Corporate and business clients pay well, give me repeat business, and refer me to their peers. As I travel and if I don’t have referrals at the new location, I simply attend business meetings in towns I visit and introduce myself to prospects. I give them a brochure that tells what I can do for small businesses and provide a list of former clients, with their permission, of course.
One of the most profitable types of writing I do is to write articles for corporate executives who want an article in their name to appear in industry newsletters or trade magazines. Most don’t have the time, ability, or inclination to write, but need this type of exposure for their business, or if they’re still climbing the corporate ladder, to impress higher-ups. I'm happy to provide the service for them.
When I started writing twenty years ago I was an interior designer, which gave me inside knowledge about the field of design and architecture, and contacts. It was natural for me to produce copy for design related businesses, including ghostwriting articles for industry magazines. Those jobs led to referrals to people in the same field as well as other types of business owners and professionals. Soon I had a thriving new career.
Business owners need many different types of written materials. Every new business owner needs a press release for the local newspaper. Every seminar, workshop, or conference needs news releases to attract attendees. Also brochures. It’s easy to learn how to write press releases and brochures.
Many business owners like sending newsletters to customers and prospects. They often need ads, flyers, letters, and other written materials.
One of my most successful projects was a series of short advertising columns written for various industries. Consisting of 100 words or less, they can be about anything from pet care, floral design, and travel to interior decorating, real estate, and weddings. Market them to business owners in whatever field you care to focus on. Buyers then use the columns in their local newspapers, which gives them a weekly presence in their community. It appears as a column with their byline and photo, even though it is an advertisement.
There are many more types of materials you can produce for business and corporate clients, including employee manuals, instruction manuals, and joint or co-op newsletters.
Finding clients in areas where you’re staying is simple. Tell prospects you meet, “I help business owners with their marketing needs. Do you know anyone who is new in business or who might need to get more exposure for their business?” You’ll get referrals, or the person you’re talking with will ask for your help.
Learn your trade, hone your skills, and do the best job you possibly can. And don’t be shy about asking for reference letters from clients who are especially happy with the job you have done for them. Those and a few writing samples will land you plenty of new clients.
If you’re shy about promoting your skills to strangers, you can write and publish “print-on-demand” how-to booklets, or create your own subscription newsletters and sell them through the mail or on the Internet. Readers are always interested in new or thoughtful presentations of information relating to their hobbies and interests.
Whatever your writing expertise or field of interest, you CAN make a living from writing while traveling the country. All of the above project types and more are detailed in my book, Portable Writing: the Secret to Living Your Dreams with 25 Projects to Fund Your Freedom.
Any questions about articles appearing here can be directed to me at: kayknndy@yahoo.com.
WHEN IT'S OKAY TO WRITE FOR FREE
As a professional writer you should expect to get paid, but there are times when writing for free can advance your career. Writing articles in your local newspaper can get exposure in your local community, which is especially helpful if you’re seeking clients there. Just be sure that the paper includes a short biography that tells people what you do and gives them a way to reach you. Practice writing a short (2-3 line) promotional piece about your writing business and send it with every article you write—whether you’re getting paid or not. The paper may not use it if they’re paying you, but insist that they do if you’re not getting paid.
For instance, when I lived in one spot, I often wrote feature articles for a business newspaper simply for the exposure. I would include a paragraph that said: “Kay Kennedy is a Tacoma writer who creates newsletters, brochures, and other written materials for business and corporate clients. Contact her at: xxx-xxxx.” As a traveling writer, I give them an e-mail address or direct them to my Web site.
When writing for free, make sure you let readers know who you are, what you do, and how to reach you.
Another reason to write for free is to get your first byline. Also to get your name in front of readers who might like your style of writing and contact you for a project they have in mind. Or to get your name in front of prospective agents, magazine editors, or publishers. I have also written free articles for newsletters of organizations that I belong to, or serve on the board. I consider those as a volunteer service, but the exposure certainly doesn’t hurt my business, either.
As a new writer, you’ll probably want to seek free publicity to help your business grow. As you build your business, you’ll know when it’s no longer profitable to write for free.
As a professional writer you should expect to get paid, but there are times when writing for free can advance your career. Writing articles in your local newspaper can get exposure in your local community, which is especially helpful if you’re seeking clients there. Just be sure that the paper includes a short biography that tells people what you do and gives them a way to reach you. Practice writing a short (2-3 line) promotional piece about your writing business and send it with every article you write—whether you’re getting paid or not. The paper may not use it if they’re paying you, but insist that they do if you’re not getting paid.
For instance, when I lived in one spot, I often wrote feature articles for a business newspaper simply for the exposure. I would include a paragraph that said: “Kay Kennedy is a Tacoma writer who creates newsletters, brochures, and other written materials for business and corporate clients. Contact her at: xxx-xxxx.” As a traveling writer, I give them an e-mail address or direct them to my Web site.
When writing for free, make sure you let readers know who you are, what you do, and how to reach you.
Another reason to write for free is to get your first byline. Also to get your name in front of readers who might like your style of writing and contact you for a project they have in mind. Or to get your name in front of prospective agents, magazine editors, or publishers. I have also written free articles for newsletters of organizations that I belong to, or serve on the board. I consider those as a volunteer service, but the exposure certainly doesn’t hurt my business, either.
As a new writer, you’ll probably want to seek free publicity to help your business grow. As you build your business, you’ll know when it’s no longer profitable to write for free.
PORTABLE WRITING SUBSCRIBER HAS ARTICLE PUBLISHED
I recently read my July/August issue of Escapees and found something by subscriber, Bernie Fuller, who wrote an article titled: Camping with Pets. It offers some good tips, such as having a copy of your pet’s medical records with you in case of it needing emergency treatment, and lists items to have in a basic first-aid kit for your pet. Bernie also has an article appearing in the newest issue of Escapees Magazine titled: The First-aid Kit in the Window, about the versatile and amazing aloe plant.
My article titled Chasing History Along America’s Byways also appears in the current (September/October 2007) Escapees Magazine issue.
Subscribers: I’ll be happy to let other readers know you have been published if you’ll send information to me at portable.writer@yahoo.com. As you can see, I sometimes don’t get around to reading even RVing magazines until long after they come out, and might miss your articles there.
I recently read my July/August issue of Escapees and found something by subscriber, Bernie Fuller, who wrote an article titled: Camping with Pets. It offers some good tips, such as having a copy of your pet’s medical records with you in case of it needing emergency treatment, and lists items to have in a basic first-aid kit for your pet. Bernie also has an article appearing in the newest issue of Escapees Magazine titled: The First-aid Kit in the Window, about the versatile and amazing aloe plant.
My article titled Chasing History Along America’s Byways also appears in the current (September/October 2007) Escapees Magazine issue.
Subscribers: I’ll be happy to let other readers know you have been published if you’ll send information to me at portable.writer@yahoo.com. As you can see, I sometimes don’t get around to reading even RVing magazines until long after they come out, and might miss your articles there.
Monday, September 24, 2007
After a twisting ride up to Jerome, then the narrow climb up to the hotel (2-way traffic shares a one-lane road, with blind turns around buildings), there's nothing like a satisifying dinner at the Asylum Restaurant. Of course, then you have to retrace your route back down the mountain! The views up here stretch to the red rocks of Sedona. Photo by H. Harris.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
G-r-r-e-a-t Grand Canyon Trip
As promised, I’m sharing our recent trip to the Grand Canyon by train. A package is available through the Auto Club that includes either 3 days and 2 nights with meals at the historic Grand Canyon Hotel, or there is an RV package so you can spend your nights in your own bed in your RV parked in a park next to the hotel.
I would have preferred my own bed. If you’ve ever slept on a lumpy rock, then you know what the 2 nights were like on the hotel’s mattresses. So okay, I’ve never slept on a rock, but now I don’t need to. The mattress memory will stick with me!
The trip was wonderful. We met four friends (two couples) from California who don’t own RVs, so that’s why we stayed in the hotel. Included in our package were 2 buffet dinners and 2 breakfasts, the train ride to the Grand Canyon and a buffet lunch at the GC plus snacks onboard the train. We took the first class car, so snacks were conveniently located inside our car, as well as nice restrooms.
Following our lunch at the GC after arriving, we boarded a bus for a tour of the South rim. What a wonderful time, and the views were amazing! Our driver took us to some overlooks that had fewer
tourists, so we had mostly unobstructed views to die for.
After leaving the hotel the next day, our friends came to Cottonwood to spend the night, so we decided to have dinner at the Grand Hotel up in Jerome. It’s perched high on the mountainside above Jerome, which is roughly 3000 feet above the valley floor (elevation approximately 6000 feet). The Asylum is a gourmet restaurant that has a limited number of tables inside, so we ate out on their porch. The view was magnificent and the weather was perfect for eating outdoors. It’s a steep climb from the parking lot up to the restaurant, but if you have reservations, you can enter the hotel lobby and have someone take you up on the elevator. That’s an experience not to be missed! The elevator has definitely been around for many, many decades!
The next morning we all met to eat breakfast at a Cottonwood restaurant before our friends left for home. This trip was like all others with our friends in one way—our time together seems to revolve around food. However, this time no one had to cook!
If you already travel by RV, it’s still great to get away from your usual life for a few days, even if your most serious challenge consists of pursuing leisurely escapes on the road. Getting together with old friends is always a great change from the everyday sameness that even RVers sometimes settle into.
So whether you decide to take your RV or take the Grand Canyon hotel package, or create your own with a stay at a more modern Williams motel while sampling local eateries, the train trip is a wonderful, relaxing way to enjoy the view and spend the day. No matter how you get there, the Grand Canyon should not be missed when you travel to Arizona.
As promised, I’m sharing our recent trip to the Grand Canyon by train. A package is available through the Auto Club that includes either 3 days and 2 nights with meals at the historic Grand Canyon Hotel, or there is an RV package so you can spend your nights in your own bed in your RV parked in a park next to the hotel.
I would have preferred my own bed. If you’ve ever slept on a lumpy rock, then you know what the 2 nights were like on the hotel’s mattresses. So okay, I’ve never slept on a rock, but now I don’t need to. The mattress memory will stick with me!
The trip was wonderful. We met four friends (two couples) from California who don’t own RVs, so that’s why we stayed in the hotel. Included in our package were 2 buffet dinners and 2 breakfasts, the train ride to the Grand Canyon and a buffet lunch at the GC plus snacks onboard the train. We took the first class car, so snacks were conveniently located inside our car, as well as nice restrooms.
Following our lunch at the GC after arriving, we boarded a bus for a tour of the South rim. What a wonderful time, and the views were amazing! Our driver took us to some overlooks that had fewer
tourists, so we had mostly unobstructed views to die for.
After leaving the hotel the next day, our friends came to Cottonwood to spend the night, so we decided to have dinner at the Grand Hotel up in Jerome. It’s perched high on the mountainside above Jerome, which is roughly 3000 feet above the valley floor (elevation approximately 6000 feet). The Asylum is a gourmet restaurant that has a limited number of tables inside, so we ate out on their porch. The view was magnificent and the weather was perfect for eating outdoors. It’s a steep climb from the parking lot up to the restaurant, but if you have reservations, you can enter the hotel lobby and have someone take you up on the elevator. That’s an experience not to be missed! The elevator has definitely been around for many, many decades!
The next morning we all met to eat breakfast at a Cottonwood restaurant before our friends left for home. This trip was like all others with our friends in one way—our time together seems to revolve around food. However, this time no one had to cook!
If you already travel by RV, it’s still great to get away from your usual life for a few days, even if your most serious challenge consists of pursuing leisurely escapes on the road. Getting together with old friends is always a great change from the everyday sameness that even RVers sometimes settle into.
So whether you decide to take your RV or take the Grand Canyon hotel package, or create your own with a stay at a more modern Williams motel while sampling local eateries, the train trip is a wonderful, relaxing way to enjoy the view and spend the day. No matter how you get there, the Grand Canyon should not be missed when you travel to Arizona.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
NEWS TO USE TODAY!
Short Story writing contest
Angela Hoy at Writers Weekly holds a yearly 24-hour short story writing contest, and I encourage subscribers to submit their stories. The contest happens THIS SATURDAY (22 Sept.) so if you're interested, go immediately to her website and sign up. Cost to enter is $5.00. The contest is limited to 500 entrants and is a very popular contest among writers because of the prize money. It definitelty usually fills up, so sign up right away! There are 85 prizes given (first prize - $300, second prize -$250, third prize - $200 - plus 82 other prizes). Sign up at: http://www.writersweekly.com/misc/contest.html.
ISBN Numbers
Angela Hoy had a letter in her latest newsletter asking if it was legal to resell ISBN numbers. If you're not familiar with ISBN numbers, they're the number that is assigned to each published book, and that belongs only to that book. Books must have this number to be listed for sale through distributors to book shops, and to libraries.
Authors or publishers must buy these numbers from R.R. Bowker company in blocks of ten, and the cost is prohibitive for many self-publishers to buy the entire block. Still, if writers can't afford to buy their own block of numbers, or if they only expect to ever publish one book, it's best to sign up with a "Print on Demand" Publisher like Booklocker to get their book printed: http://www.booklocker.com. Booklocker also helps with marketing and offers tips and suggestions to authors for getting their book publicized. They only sign-up about 10 percent of authors who apply, but it's an honest, legal company that provides a wonderful service to its authors.
Warning! Now it appears that a company is buying up ISBN numbers and advertising them for sale individually, at a profit. Don't be fooled if you run across an ad for individual ISBN numbers! If you buy one, you can never be listed as the publisher under that number. Find information about this problem on R.R. Bowker's Web site: http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/resellers.asp.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm attempting to keep subscribers informed about issues they might need, so I will include the above types of information in blogs and the newsletter as I learn it. Also, you might want to subscribe to Angela Hoy's ezine: http://www.writersweekly.com for lots of great information on writing.
Update on new book:
LOOKING BACK is keeping me busy. Already I have moved 25 books, and am having to order more. This is only my personal activity in less than one week. Booklocker carries them (book's page - http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html) , and the trading post here where we're staying is now carrying the book, too. I'm weighing a few other options that have proved beneficial in the past. And the book is available through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble's Web site and as a special order in their bookstores.
Hopefully contributors have received their autographed copies and are enjoying reading the book and their and other essays by now.
Short Story writing contest
Angela Hoy at Writers Weekly holds a yearly 24-hour short story writing contest, and I encourage subscribers to submit their stories. The contest happens THIS SATURDAY (22 Sept.) so if you're interested, go immediately to her website and sign up. Cost to enter is $5.00. The contest is limited to 500 entrants and is a very popular contest among writers because of the prize money. It definitelty usually fills up, so sign up right away! There are 85 prizes given (first prize - $300, second prize -$250, third prize - $200 - plus 82 other prizes). Sign up at: http://www.writersweekly.com/misc/contest.html.
ISBN Numbers
Angela Hoy had a letter in her latest newsletter asking if it was legal to resell ISBN numbers. If you're not familiar with ISBN numbers, they're the number that is assigned to each published book, and that belongs only to that book. Books must have this number to be listed for sale through distributors to book shops, and to libraries.
Authors or publishers must buy these numbers from R.R. Bowker company in blocks of ten, and the cost is prohibitive for many self-publishers to buy the entire block. Still, if writers can't afford to buy their own block of numbers, or if they only expect to ever publish one book, it's best to sign up with a "Print on Demand" Publisher like Booklocker to get their book printed: http://www.booklocker.com. Booklocker also helps with marketing and offers tips and suggestions to authors for getting their book publicized. They only sign-up about 10 percent of authors who apply, but it's an honest, legal company that provides a wonderful service to its authors.
Warning! Now it appears that a company is buying up ISBN numbers and advertising them for sale individually, at a profit. Don't be fooled if you run across an ad for individual ISBN numbers! If you buy one, you can never be listed as the publisher under that number. Find information about this problem on R.R. Bowker's Web site: http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/resellers.asp.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm attempting to keep subscribers informed about issues they might need, so I will include the above types of information in blogs and the newsletter as I learn it. Also, you might want to subscribe to Angela Hoy's ezine: http://www.writersweekly.com for lots of great information on writing.
Update on new book:
LOOKING BACK is keeping me busy. Already I have moved 25 books, and am having to order more. This is only my personal activity in less than one week. Booklocker carries them (book's page - http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html) , and the trading post here where we're staying is now carrying the book, too. I'm weighing a few other options that have proved beneficial in the past. And the book is available through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble's Web site and as a special order in their bookstores.
Hopefully contributors have received their autographed copies and are enjoying reading the book and their and other essays by now.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
"Looking Back" is now available
My new book, Looking Back: Boomers Remember History from the '40s to the Present, was just released and is now available for sale. You can read an excerpt and order the book at http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html.
Writing this book has been a long, but fascinating journey into the past, and I hope readers will enjoy reliving the sometimes terrifying, sometimes amazing, and often unbelievable moments in history that have defined the lives of the Boomers.
Twenty writers (including me) share memories of those times in the book through poignant and emotional stories that bring the past to life. This book was written for all of us alive during those years to help us understand and remember the times, but it has also been written to chronicle history for those too young to have been around then so they can hear the stories firsthand. This is not an impersonal book of facts, dates and names. Instead it is "history as seen through the eyes of those who lived it!" The book brings history to life!
My new book, Looking Back: Boomers Remember History from the '40s to the Present, was just released and is now available for sale. You can read an excerpt and order the book at http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html.
Writing this book has been a long, but fascinating journey into the past, and I hope readers will enjoy reliving the sometimes terrifying, sometimes amazing, and often unbelievable moments in history that have defined the lives of the Boomers.
Twenty writers (including me) share memories of those times in the book through poignant and emotional stories that bring the past to life. This book was written for all of us alive during those years to help us understand and remember the times, but it has also been written to chronicle history for those too young to have been around then so they can hear the stories firsthand. This is not an impersonal book of facts, dates and names. Instead it is "history as seen through the eyes of those who lived it!" The book brings history to life!
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Writing for Magazines
Sometimes it seems that my articles are terribly redundant, but I recognize that we have some new readers who might want to know what has been written about earlier. And frankly, I’m not sure I’ve really covered the subject of writing for magazines in detail. So I’ll write this as if you’re just starting your writing career and want to know how to get your articles published.
If you don’t have any experience with magazines, then please go to your local library and read all the back issues of Writer’s Digest and the Writer magazines, as well as any others you might find there. If you can’t locate them anywhere nearby, then I suggest going on the Internet and subscribing to one or both because they provide continually updated information on what editors are looking for, and list current needs of various magazines. They are both full of helpful articles. Read enough of them and you can receive a complete education in the “how-to write” department.
Seek out every magazine you can find that interests you, and slowly browse through them. So many magazines are printed each month and sent to selective audiences that no single book or magazine on writing can list them all. A lot of them are industry related, so are only sent to people in the field they cover. These are excellent magazines to get your byline in if you know something about the subject, or are willing to learn. Check doctor’s offices, hospital waiting rooms, and waiting rooms virtually anyplace you have an appointment and have to spend time waiting. Car dealers, repair shops, the drugstore pharmacy—the places an obscure magazine might turn up are endless.
Browse your local newsstand for magazines. Always copy down any submission information you find in them, including the editor’s name. But do more than browse. Study the ads—they’ll tell you what types of people read the magazine. Read a few articles to see how they’re written. Lots of facts and references telling where you can find more information? All using quotes from noted experts. Lots of general stories based on the author’s experience? These clues will provide you with information on how you should slant your article.
Start writing an article on anything that interests you, then put it away for a week or so and go back and read it. Does it look good enough that it might have appeared in a magazine, or does it lack the polish most published articles display? Magazines have editors, but they will not polish your article to make it appeal to their audience. You have to make sure your article is ready for print and doesn’t include typos, misspelled words, or grammar mistakes. Yeah, you might slip up with one or two minor mistakes, but any more and the editor will simply trash your article.
After you can produce a top-notch article, then it’s time to start thinking seriously about submitting something to a magazine. Hopefully during the time you’ve been practicing, you’ve found a magazine you want to write for, or a subject that you think will appeal to a specific audience. Now you can write your query letter and tightly focus it on the needs of the editor you’re contacting.
The query letter! Your letter should start out with a fabulous quote lifted from your article. This is where writers disagree on the process of writing. Some say don’t write an article until you have an assignment, but if you don’t write something, including an outline of your article, I don’t think you can produce an exciting query letter. And that’s what you’ll need to get the editor’s attention. You’ll need an excellent quote that draws the editor in immediately, then briefly say something about your topic and that you would like to submit an article on the subject, titled “...”. Continue into another paragraph that tells how you will handle the subject (using quotes, humorous, instructional). Write a paragraph telling what experience you offer: (you’ve worked in the field, you know the subject well because..., you will be interviewing experts (name them) for your article, or list your published experience. Close with an optimistic sentence that says you look forward to completing the article for ...magazine and can submit it within ... days (or weeks) after receiving an assignment.
Once you receive an assignment, go ahead and produce the best article possible and submit it. If you’re unsure of the quality of your work, then ask a trusted friend to read it and tell you what they think. Make sure it is a friend who will give an honest appraisal of your work. If you know an experienced writer, then ask them to help you out, or join a writer’s group where you can read your work and get feedback. And for Pete’s sake, use your spellchecker and grammar checker on the piece before it leaves your computer!
NOTE: Some magazines don’t require a query letter and prefer that you send a finished article. These are usually carefully targeted magazines to a specific group of people. For instance, Escapees Magazine will only accept finished articles.
There’s an upside and a downside to pursuing this type of work, known as writing on spec. You’ll spend time researching and writing an article that may not be accepted. If not, you won’t get paid for your time. Or maybe you will! If the magazine you send it to doesn’t accept it, you are free to market to other, similar markets. So you might make a sale to another magazine. Another downside is that oftentimes there’s no way of knowing what a magazine will pay for an article, if anything. To find a listing of what magazines pay, check Writer’s Market for the current year. But be aware that only a small fraction of magazines are listed in this book.
The upside to writing on spec: if you’re a new writer with no credits to your name, an excellent article written on spec might be the easiest way to break into the field.
Remember, grab the editor’s attention with your killer opening. And remember that your article must be top-notch for even these “on spec” magazines to buy it. I have written articles without an assignment, but usually only for magazines that I’ve written for before, so have an idea of whether the editor will buy it, and I know ahead of time about what amount of pay I’ll receive for the article.
Next time: When it’s okay to write and not get paid for it.
Sometimes it seems that my articles are terribly redundant, but I recognize that we have some new readers who might want to know what has been written about earlier. And frankly, I’m not sure I’ve really covered the subject of writing for magazines in detail. So I’ll write this as if you’re just starting your writing career and want to know how to get your articles published.
If you don’t have any experience with magazines, then please go to your local library and read all the back issues of Writer’s Digest and the Writer magazines, as well as any others you might find there. If you can’t locate them anywhere nearby, then I suggest going on the Internet and subscribing to one or both because they provide continually updated information on what editors are looking for, and list current needs of various magazines. They are both full of helpful articles. Read enough of them and you can receive a complete education in the “how-to write” department.
Seek out every magazine you can find that interests you, and slowly browse through them. So many magazines are printed each month and sent to selective audiences that no single book or magazine on writing can list them all. A lot of them are industry related, so are only sent to people in the field they cover. These are excellent magazines to get your byline in if you know something about the subject, or are willing to learn. Check doctor’s offices, hospital waiting rooms, and waiting rooms virtually anyplace you have an appointment and have to spend time waiting. Car dealers, repair shops, the drugstore pharmacy—the places an obscure magazine might turn up are endless.
Browse your local newsstand for magazines. Always copy down any submission information you find in them, including the editor’s name. But do more than browse. Study the ads—they’ll tell you what types of people read the magazine. Read a few articles to see how they’re written. Lots of facts and references telling where you can find more information? All using quotes from noted experts. Lots of general stories based on the author’s experience? These clues will provide you with information on how you should slant your article.
Start writing an article on anything that interests you, then put it away for a week or so and go back and read it. Does it look good enough that it might have appeared in a magazine, or does it lack the polish most published articles display? Magazines have editors, but they will not polish your article to make it appeal to their audience. You have to make sure your article is ready for print and doesn’t include typos, misspelled words, or grammar mistakes. Yeah, you might slip up with one or two minor mistakes, but any more and the editor will simply trash your article.
After you can produce a top-notch article, then it’s time to start thinking seriously about submitting something to a magazine. Hopefully during the time you’ve been practicing, you’ve found a magazine you want to write for, or a subject that you think will appeal to a specific audience. Now you can write your query letter and tightly focus it on the needs of the editor you’re contacting.
The query letter! Your letter should start out with a fabulous quote lifted from your article. This is where writers disagree on the process of writing. Some say don’t write an article until you have an assignment, but if you don’t write something, including an outline of your article, I don’t think you can produce an exciting query letter. And that’s what you’ll need to get the editor’s attention. You’ll need an excellent quote that draws the editor in immediately, then briefly say something about your topic and that you would like to submit an article on the subject, titled “...”. Continue into another paragraph that tells how you will handle the subject (using quotes, humorous, instructional). Write a paragraph telling what experience you offer: (you’ve worked in the field, you know the subject well because..., you will be interviewing experts (name them) for your article, or list your published experience. Close with an optimistic sentence that says you look forward to completing the article for ...magazine and can submit it within ... days (or weeks) after receiving an assignment.
Once you receive an assignment, go ahead and produce the best article possible and submit it. If you’re unsure of the quality of your work, then ask a trusted friend to read it and tell you what they think. Make sure it is a friend who will give an honest appraisal of your work. If you know an experienced writer, then ask them to help you out, or join a writer’s group where you can read your work and get feedback. And for Pete’s sake, use your spellchecker and grammar checker on the piece before it leaves your computer!
NOTE: Some magazines don’t require a query letter and prefer that you send a finished article. These are usually carefully targeted magazines to a specific group of people. For instance, Escapees Magazine will only accept finished articles.
There’s an upside and a downside to pursuing this type of work, known as writing on spec. You’ll spend time researching and writing an article that may not be accepted. If not, you won’t get paid for your time. Or maybe you will! If the magazine you send it to doesn’t accept it, you are free to market to other, similar markets. So you might make a sale to another magazine. Another downside is that oftentimes there’s no way of knowing what a magazine will pay for an article, if anything. To find a listing of what magazines pay, check Writer’s Market for the current year. But be aware that only a small fraction of magazines are listed in this book.
The upside to writing on spec: if you’re a new writer with no credits to your name, an excellent article written on spec might be the easiest way to break into the field.
Remember, grab the editor’s attention with your killer opening. And remember that your article must be top-notch for even these “on spec” magazines to buy it. I have written articles without an assignment, but usually only for magazines that I’ve written for before, so have an idea of whether the editor will buy it, and I know ahead of time about what amount of pay I’ll receive for the article.
Next time: When it’s okay to write and not get paid for it.
Never a dull moment for RVers
When we started RVing, I expected it to be exciting. Or at least never boring. However, there were lots of exciting moments that I could never have contemplated—even in nightmares!
Pipes leaking, the roof leaking, the air conditioner leaking, the toilet leaking? Yes, it seems every darned thing in this motorhome has a seal that shrivels up, or dries out, or falls apart, and hence the dreaded leak. Luckily my husband is handy or this lifestyle would have become too complicated for me a long time ago.
I stepped out of the shower onto a wet spot the other day and thought it was just where the shower door had dripped water. Only it didn’t dry up. Not that day, and not the next! Finally hubby decided to check it out before the wet spot spread. And you guessed it—the seals on the toilet had done their thing with a final gush of water (I hope clean) that soaked a spot on the carpet.
So he bought seals for the toilet. It was too hot to work on it when he brought them home that day, so he took a nap. That always works to make things better. Then today he decided to tackle pulling the toilet, and that’s when he found out he had bought the wrong seals.
That’s where I come into the picture. I’m busy fixing lunch when he informs me that I need to run into town to pick up the correct seal, but first I need to drop him and the toilet off at the dump station so he can clean it thoroughly before reinstalling it. Not before I eat the lunch I’ve prepared, I indignantly inform him!
After my trip into town I pick him up at said dump station and find him dying (not literally) of thirst. Never mind that I had offered him my diet coke before I left him in the hot sun preparing to hoist the 100 lb. toilet around for an hour or so.
Finally we get home and he realizes the carpet needs to be cleaned behind the toilet—a spot we can’t possibly reach when the toilet is in place because of the genius of RV designers and engineers who plan the placement of such things. Thank goodness hubby decides to scrub that area, but there’s still the rest of the carpet (including the big orange spot that spreads from the bathroom into the hall where I dropped and broke a bottle of steak sauce—don’t even ask what I was doing with a bottle of steak sauce there!) We’re having the carpet cleaned thoroughly later this week, but I have to pre-treat the spot (for the third and hopefully last time) before regular cleaning can commence.
Meanwhile, I’ve measured the distance between the motorhome and the campground restroom a couple of times so I’ll know exactly how far I have to sprint in the middle of the night, if necessary. And I’m keeping the BIG spotlight beside the bed so I can snatch it in a hurry and use it to watch out for rattlesnakes, tarantulas and scorpions between here and the restroom. Such is the life of a fulltime RVer!
Now that you’ve heard way more than you ever wanted to know about RV toilets, I’ll try to think of something more positive for next month’s RVing article.
Next time: the Grand Canyon Railway excursion
When we started RVing, I expected it to be exciting. Or at least never boring. However, there were lots of exciting moments that I could never have contemplated—even in nightmares!
Pipes leaking, the roof leaking, the air conditioner leaking, the toilet leaking? Yes, it seems every darned thing in this motorhome has a seal that shrivels up, or dries out, or falls apart, and hence the dreaded leak. Luckily my husband is handy or this lifestyle would have become too complicated for me a long time ago.
I stepped out of the shower onto a wet spot the other day and thought it was just where the shower door had dripped water. Only it didn’t dry up. Not that day, and not the next! Finally hubby decided to check it out before the wet spot spread. And you guessed it—the seals on the toilet had done their thing with a final gush of water (I hope clean) that soaked a spot on the carpet.
So he bought seals for the toilet. It was too hot to work on it when he brought them home that day, so he took a nap. That always works to make things better. Then today he decided to tackle pulling the toilet, and that’s when he found out he had bought the wrong seals.
That’s where I come into the picture. I’m busy fixing lunch when he informs me that I need to run into town to pick up the correct seal, but first I need to drop him and the toilet off at the dump station so he can clean it thoroughly before reinstalling it. Not before I eat the lunch I’ve prepared, I indignantly inform him!
After my trip into town I pick him up at said dump station and find him dying (not literally) of thirst. Never mind that I had offered him my diet coke before I left him in the hot sun preparing to hoist the 100 lb. toilet around for an hour or so.
Finally we get home and he realizes the carpet needs to be cleaned behind the toilet—a spot we can’t possibly reach when the toilet is in place because of the genius of RV designers and engineers who plan the placement of such things. Thank goodness hubby decides to scrub that area, but there’s still the rest of the carpet (including the big orange spot that spreads from the bathroom into the hall where I dropped and broke a bottle of steak sauce—don’t even ask what I was doing with a bottle of steak sauce there!) We’re having the carpet cleaned thoroughly later this week, but I have to pre-treat the spot (for the third and hopefully last time) before regular cleaning can commence.
Meanwhile, I’ve measured the distance between the motorhome and the campground restroom a couple of times so I’ll know exactly how far I have to sprint in the middle of the night, if necessary. And I’m keeping the BIG spotlight beside the bed so I can snatch it in a hurry and use it to watch out for rattlesnakes, tarantulas and scorpions between here and the restroom. Such is the life of a fulltime RVer!
Now that you’ve heard way more than you ever wanted to know about RV toilets, I’ll try to think of something more positive for next month’s RVing article.
Next time: the Grand Canyon Railway excursion
Subscriber has written book for RVers
Portable Writing Newsletter subscriber Bernie Fuller has written Amateur Radio for RVers: A Primer. It holds information that is definitely important to RVers who may find themselves needing help in a remote area one day where there’s no cell phone transmission. The book provides helpful answers to such questions as:
Are you aware of the communications modes available to you when the cell phone bombs?
What is Amateur Radio? What does it do to help you?
Is the licensing procedure difficult, or can you qualify?
Bernie Fuller is an advocate of complete communications systems to make traveling by RV safer and more enjoyable. His expertise covers all manner of radio communications and he imparts his extensive knowledge of RVing and communications in this book in non-technical terms anyone can understand. Amateur Radio for RVers is available for $14.95. You can get more information by going to his web site: http://www.writeoutdoors32.com.
Portable Writing Newsletter subscriber Bernie Fuller has written Amateur Radio for RVers: A Primer. It holds information that is definitely important to RVers who may find themselves needing help in a remote area one day where there’s no cell phone transmission. The book provides helpful answers to such questions as:
Are you aware of the communications modes available to you when the cell phone bombs?
What is Amateur Radio? What does it do to help you?
Is the licensing procedure difficult, or can you qualify?
Bernie Fuller is an advocate of complete communications systems to make traveling by RV safer and more enjoyable. His expertise covers all manner of radio communications and he imparts his extensive knowledge of RVing and communications in this book in non-technical terms anyone can understand. Amateur Radio for RVers is available for $14.95. You can get more information by going to his web site: http://www.writeoutdoors32.com.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Do you need all those RV goodies?
This time I'm writing about RV goodies that some of us want, some of us need, and some of us simply can't live without. Just like a home, owners can define and personalize their living space and lifestyle by the add-ons. And RV add-ons can be just as expensive as home accessories and improvements.
Our neighbors next door just added a new screen room to their motorhome today. Now they can sit outside, bug free. Only thing is, there are no bugs where we’re parked in Arizona. This is the most bug-free place I’ve ever been. Screen rooms are nice in places where the air is thick with mosquitoes, flies, and other airborne nuisances, but these screened porches are also nice for creating a private space outdoors. And they're only one type of goody that RVers can add to their homes on wheels.
Some items are required for comfort and safety, but some are "gotta have its," and not necessities. Still, they add a lot to the RVing experience. Some other goodies are "over-the tops" that simply make life more pleasurable.
We’ve added a few gotta have-its to our RV, too. We have an outdoor rug that matches the coach so that as little dirt as possible is tracked indoors onto our carpets. We have awnings all around, which not only shade the windows, but also allow us to leave windows and the door open when it rains for air circulation. Awnings are definitely requirements for us.
Tire-covers are required items. They protect the tires from ultraviolet rays and help them last longer. Most RV tires never get enough mileage on them to wear out. Instead, the sun cracks the sidewalls and the tires usually fail long before the tread wears down. That’s why it’s recommended to replace tires at least every seven years, even if the tread looks fine. Tire covers help extend the life of tires.
A screen covers our front windshield and side driving compartment windows while we’re parked to help filter the sun and for the extra privacy they provide during daytime hours. It does little at night with lights on in the motorhome, so would fall under the heading of a gotta have-it.
We also installed a folding shade on the inside of the windshield that can block the sun on bright days, or can provide complete privacy. We discovered these shades after leaving the car parked in the hot sun while at shopping centers during our first season in Arizona. The driver can simply grab each side of the shade and fasten it together with the snap and loop fastener attachment. Then when we got ready to drive, it’s simple to unfasten the shade in the center and let it snap back into position on each side. When it’s folded back, it takes less than an inch of storage space, so it definitely doesn’t cause a hazard by blocking the view. In fact, it isn’t even noticeable.
We finally bought one for the motorhome, and have had one installed on the three cars we’ve owned since first spending our first winter in Arizona. They’re definitely requirements for anyone who lives or spends time in hot, sunny climates.
We can see a motorhome from our site right now that has screens attached to the outside of all its windows. These are custom made and help cut the glare on windows while providing privacy during the daytime. To us, these would definitely fall under the heading of over-the-top extravagances.
Then there are the lawn chairs. Every season it seems, a new, more comfortable model comes out, and some RVers rush out to purchase the latest thing. It’s the same with barbeque grills. Some RV Parks furnish them, but after we saw someone put his sewer hose on top of a grill, we realized having our own was a requirement. But some RVers rush out to buy the newest model every year. We found one small enough to haul around in its own carrying case, and we’re sticking with it.
There are so many other items RVers can spend extra cash on, like a cover for the stovetop that keeps it from rattling while driving down the road. It also provides a little extra work space when the stove isn’t in use. However, the times when I’m cooking are the times when I need extra countertop space. Then I have to find a place somewhere out of the way to store the heavy wooden cover so it doesn’t crack somebody’s ankle if it falls over as they walk by. I guess when we bought it, it was one of those gotta have-its. It does do a good job of hiding a dirty stovetop when company drops by unexpectedly!
Other accessories are mostly decorative. But to most women, those are requirements simply because they make the RV more homelike. Consider cookware and dishes. You gotta have them, so why not buy pretty ones? I bought expensive dinnerware similar to the old Melmac of the ‘50s, but thin like china, while we were in Canada. Next I purchased placemats, napkins, and cute decorative napkin rings that coordinated. I still use the dishes, but I couldn’t locate the rest of those other little gotta have-its if my life depended on it. Guests get paper napkins if they’re lucky. If I’m out of those, they’re offered a paper towel to dab their mouths and protect their laps. And napkin rings? Anyone out there need some cute, colorful parrot napkin rings when I find them?
All semblance of “class” disappeared from view in this RV after only a few months on the road!
Next on the RVer’s list are the various vehicles to get around an RV Park like bicycles, over-sized tricycles, Segways, scooters, 4-wheelers, etc. Prices on these things can set you back a few thousand dollars. Hoofing it is a lot cheaper, even with the price of new walking shoes every so often, and walking helps keep weight under control (the RV's and yours). Or so I'm told!
If you’re buying a new RV, realize that your first trip to a camping store will probably set you back some big bucks after you spot items you can’t live or travel without. You’ll quickly create your own list of requirements, gotta-have its, and over-the-tops to outfit your home on the road.
Next you’ll be renting a storage locker to store all the stuff you bought for your new lifestyle, but soon realized was taking up too much space. It’s a lesson all RVers learn sooner or later, some much later than sooner. Travel in your RV for awhile and observe what other RVers have and use. Ask them how important various items are, and why. You’ll save lots of money if you determine what you can’t live without before loading your RV down with a lot of gotta have-its and over-the-tops that will add weight to your RV and that you’ll never use.
This time I'm writing about RV goodies that some of us want, some of us need, and some of us simply can't live without. Just like a home, owners can define and personalize their living space and lifestyle by the add-ons. And RV add-ons can be just as expensive as home accessories and improvements.
Our neighbors next door just added a new screen room to their motorhome today. Now they can sit outside, bug free. Only thing is, there are no bugs where we’re parked in Arizona. This is the most bug-free place I’ve ever been. Screen rooms are nice in places where the air is thick with mosquitoes, flies, and other airborne nuisances, but these screened porches are also nice for creating a private space outdoors. And they're only one type of goody that RVers can add to their homes on wheels.
Some items are required for comfort and safety, but some are "gotta have its," and not necessities. Still, they add a lot to the RVing experience. Some other goodies are "over-the tops" that simply make life more pleasurable.
We’ve added a few gotta have-its to our RV, too. We have an outdoor rug that matches the coach so that as little dirt as possible is tracked indoors onto our carpets. We have awnings all around, which not only shade the windows, but also allow us to leave windows and the door open when it rains for air circulation. Awnings are definitely requirements for us.
Tire-covers are required items. They protect the tires from ultraviolet rays and help them last longer. Most RV tires never get enough mileage on them to wear out. Instead, the sun cracks the sidewalls and the tires usually fail long before the tread wears down. That’s why it’s recommended to replace tires at least every seven years, even if the tread looks fine. Tire covers help extend the life of tires.
A screen covers our front windshield and side driving compartment windows while we’re parked to help filter the sun and for the extra privacy they provide during daytime hours. It does little at night with lights on in the motorhome, so would fall under the heading of a gotta have-it.
We also installed a folding shade on the inside of the windshield that can block the sun on bright days, or can provide complete privacy. We discovered these shades after leaving the car parked in the hot sun while at shopping centers during our first season in Arizona. The driver can simply grab each side of the shade and fasten it together with the snap and loop fastener attachment. Then when we got ready to drive, it’s simple to unfasten the shade in the center and let it snap back into position on each side. When it’s folded back, it takes less than an inch of storage space, so it definitely doesn’t cause a hazard by blocking the view. In fact, it isn’t even noticeable.
We finally bought one for the motorhome, and have had one installed on the three cars we’ve owned since first spending our first winter in Arizona. They’re definitely requirements for anyone who lives or spends time in hot, sunny climates.
We can see a motorhome from our site right now that has screens attached to the outside of all its windows. These are custom made and help cut the glare on windows while providing privacy during the daytime. To us, these would definitely fall under the heading of over-the-top extravagances.
Then there are the lawn chairs. Every season it seems, a new, more comfortable model comes out, and some RVers rush out to purchase the latest thing. It’s the same with barbeque grills. Some RV Parks furnish them, but after we saw someone put his sewer hose on top of a grill, we realized having our own was a requirement. But some RVers rush out to buy the newest model every year. We found one small enough to haul around in its own carrying case, and we’re sticking with it.
There are so many other items RVers can spend extra cash on, like a cover for the stovetop that keeps it from rattling while driving down the road. It also provides a little extra work space when the stove isn’t in use. However, the times when I’m cooking are the times when I need extra countertop space. Then I have to find a place somewhere out of the way to store the heavy wooden cover so it doesn’t crack somebody’s ankle if it falls over as they walk by. I guess when we bought it, it was one of those gotta have-its. It does do a good job of hiding a dirty stovetop when company drops by unexpectedly!
Other accessories are mostly decorative. But to most women, those are requirements simply because they make the RV more homelike. Consider cookware and dishes. You gotta have them, so why not buy pretty ones? I bought expensive dinnerware similar to the old Melmac of the ‘50s, but thin like china, while we were in Canada. Next I purchased placemats, napkins, and cute decorative napkin rings that coordinated. I still use the dishes, but I couldn’t locate the rest of those other little gotta have-its if my life depended on it. Guests get paper napkins if they’re lucky. If I’m out of those, they’re offered a paper towel to dab their mouths and protect their laps. And napkin rings? Anyone out there need some cute, colorful parrot napkin rings when I find them?
All semblance of “class” disappeared from view in this RV after only a few months on the road!
Next on the RVer’s list are the various vehicles to get around an RV Park like bicycles, over-sized tricycles, Segways, scooters, 4-wheelers, etc. Prices on these things can set you back a few thousand dollars. Hoofing it is a lot cheaper, even with the price of new walking shoes every so often, and walking helps keep weight under control (the RV's and yours). Or so I'm told!
If you’re buying a new RV, realize that your first trip to a camping store will probably set you back some big bucks after you spot items you can’t live or travel without. You’ll quickly create your own list of requirements, gotta-have its, and over-the-tops to outfit your home on the road.
Next you’ll be renting a storage locker to store all the stuff you bought for your new lifestyle, but soon realized was taking up too much space. It’s a lesson all RVers learn sooner or later, some much later than sooner. Travel in your RV for awhile and observe what other RVers have and use. Ask them how important various items are, and why. You’ll save lots of money if you determine what you can’t live without before loading your RV down with a lot of gotta have-its and over-the-tops that will add weight to your RV and that you’ll never use.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Today's Articles
- Progress on book and readers’ contributions
Book blog address: http://lookingbackboomersrememberhistory.blogspot.com and http://boomersrememberhistory.blogspot.com - RVing to explore history
- A bit about grammar
Contributors to Looking Back who are also Subscribers
There are some wonderfully talented writers among the list of subscribers to this newsletter (there are probably a lot more, but I haven’t seen everyone’s writing. I would like to pay tribute to them. In all, 19 people sent in 22 essays and 2 poems that recalled history from World War II to Hurricane Katrina. One even sent an essay about one of the future challenges I wrote about concerning health problems that we face in the new Century—eating disorders. That disorder seems to be a growing trend, and a worrisome one for all parents of teenagers, especially girls.
The book’s contributors are listed in alphabetical order:
Dave Beckes wrote a great article about what it was like to have been brought up in a segregated world, then to suddenly join the integrated society of military life. Dave manages to capture a snapshot of being exposed to people different from him after he joined the military during the Vietnam War, and recalls how racism sometimes filtered into their lives even while in faraway ports. He also poignantly describes serving aboard ship just off the coast of Vietnam, and how he hesitated to get acquainted with some Marines onboard after one he became friendly with failed to returned from a mission into the thick of war.
Bill Chatham recalls in his essay that he wasn’t all that interested in history until he had raised “four new history deficient people.” Then he remembers someone saying one day, “Everyone remembers where they were the day Kennedy died,” and he realized he did. He recalls sharing some significant historic moments while gathered around a card table with friends, and how that helped him realize the importance of all he had lived through.
Nola Rae Lewis remembers graduating from high school just as World War II ended, and then meeting her husband in college, which he was attending as a veteran returning from the War. She relates the contribution to their lives of the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act, which was passed to help those who fought in that War return to civilian life. She recalls that the Veteran’s education bill paid for her husband’s education, and a Veteran’s Administration loan helped them buy their first home.
Maria Russell remembers the devastating effect of Hurricane Katrina. She and her husband had just settled down in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi after years of living aboard a boat and traveling along the coasts of the United States while raising their kids. Hurricane Katrina destroyed their two-year-old home, leaving nothing but a couple of pilings standing. She recalls returning after having evacuated ahead of the storm, and helping neighbors clean up, then getting a 5th-wheel and truck and once again becoming nomads. Maria also recalls a bit of humor as well as the generosity of ordinary people when she went into a store to purchase a cosmetic product following the hurricane.
Rev. Barry Zavah captures the essence of growing up as a baby boomer in an “Ozzie and Harriett world,” then in less than a decade, being confronted with a drastically different existence. In his words, “ America went from the music of Little Stevie Wonder and The Beach Boys to acid rock; bobby sox to mini-skirts; June Cleaver to woman’s lib; segregation to black power; turbo props to moon landings.” On television, he witnessed images of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, riots, and assassinations, all within the space of a decade. He recalls a lifetime of a Boomer’s memories in his essay.
If I’ve left anyone out, please let me know.
The wonder of it all
One of my main reasons for writing this book was because I realized the influence television has had on the Boomer generation, and the effects of seeing all the startling images flashed on screens in living rooms, night after night. Those around from the ‘40s to the ‘70s witnessed the violence, turbulence, political upheaval, and other disturbing scenes that seemed without end. And then we watched with amazement as the first astronauts landed on the moon and stepped out onto its surface. What a thrill to see that historic moment!
The world has changed drastically since the ‘40s. Who would have thought following World War II that in only a few years, our domestic tranquility would be challenged by issues like integration and civil rights?
Integration was a big deal for those of us born before the early ‘70s and who had previously lived segregated lives. And yes, I realize there are still areas of our country that are segregated to this day! But even those people who live in segregated communities are used to now seeing all races living, working together, and getting along in movies and on TV. I can remember when there was a huge uproar in the ‘60s because a white female singer, Petula Clark, touched the arm of black singer, Harry Belafonte, while performing on television together. That was the first physical contact between a man and woman of opposite sexes on television.
In the book, I cover the integration crisis at Little Rock Central High School because I was a student there at the time. We students weren’t concerned that black kids would be going to school with us. Our lives focused on ourselves, like most teenagers. Clothes (poodle skirts or matching sweaters and straight skirts, penny loafers or saddle oxfords, and bobby sox) and hair (ponytails and duck tails) consumed the attention of the girls.
I doubt that the boys were thinking much about what to wear, but their hair was obviously a concern because they all began sporting flat tops and crewcuts. Most had sports on their mind, just like now. We were all captured by the new music, rock ‘n’ roll, and anxious to learn the newest dance craze. We went to the drive-in movies to watch the latest movies under the stars and to mingle with friends at the snack bar. That was our lives, in a nutshell. I’m sure some kids I went to school with were racists, but in a mix of more than 2000 students, I didn’t know them personally and didn’t witness any violence.
To suddenly be confronted with mobs of racists outside the school seeking to prevent integration was horrifying to most of us, just as it was to the nation and world that watched the scenes unfold on television. But we students kept our mouths shut because we were afraid—of what, we weren’t sure. We didn’t even talk among ourselves about the conflict. Emotionally, we were still children, prematurely faced with grown-up realities that most of us had never been exposed to, or had expected to face. This drama hadn’t been listed in our instruction book for growing up.
But, we made it through, just like most of our generation who didn’t either get killed in Vietnam or wasted by drugs in the ‘60s. Now, some of us are talking about what happened back then at Central High, and in the world at large. The crisis at Central changed my life, and I write about that. Two excellent essays appear in the book about Central High that year of 1957/58.
Because of television, everyone living now was a part of history as no other generation in history has been. We were sometimes ashamed, sometimes astonished, and sometimes horrified and saddened by what we saw, but I somehow think it strengthened those of us who survived it all.
The book is at the publisher’s and I’ve already approved the cover design. The design is outstanding, and I think all the contributors will be pleased when they see it. Many different stories appear in the book, and some come from different viewpoints. But then, they all reflect the diversity and fortitude of Americans at large. That’s what makes this country great! We lived it, we survived it, and now our stories are about to come out in print!
I’ll email subscribers when it is printed and ready for sale.
There are some wonderfully talented writers among the list of subscribers to this newsletter (there are probably a lot more, but I haven’t seen everyone’s writing. I would like to pay tribute to them. In all, 19 people sent in 22 essays and 2 poems that recalled history from World War II to Hurricane Katrina. One even sent an essay about one of the future challenges I wrote about concerning health problems that we face in the new Century—eating disorders. That disorder seems to be a growing trend, and a worrisome one for all parents of teenagers, especially girls.
The book’s contributors are listed in alphabetical order:
Dave Beckes wrote a great article about what it was like to have been brought up in a segregated world, then to suddenly join the integrated society of military life. Dave manages to capture a snapshot of being exposed to people different from him after he joined the military during the Vietnam War, and recalls how racism sometimes filtered into their lives even while in faraway ports. He also poignantly describes serving aboard ship just off the coast of Vietnam, and how he hesitated to get acquainted with some Marines onboard after one he became friendly with failed to returned from a mission into the thick of war.
Bill Chatham recalls in his essay that he wasn’t all that interested in history until he had raised “four new history deficient people.” Then he remembers someone saying one day, “Everyone remembers where they were the day Kennedy died,” and he realized he did. He recalls sharing some significant historic moments while gathered around a card table with friends, and how that helped him realize the importance of all he had lived through.
Nola Rae Lewis remembers graduating from high school just as World War II ended, and then meeting her husband in college, which he was attending as a veteran returning from the War. She relates the contribution to their lives of the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act, which was passed to help those who fought in that War return to civilian life. She recalls that the Veteran’s education bill paid for her husband’s education, and a Veteran’s Administration loan helped them buy their first home.
Maria Russell remembers the devastating effect of Hurricane Katrina. She and her husband had just settled down in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi after years of living aboard a boat and traveling along the coasts of the United States while raising their kids. Hurricane Katrina destroyed their two-year-old home, leaving nothing but a couple of pilings standing. She recalls returning after having evacuated ahead of the storm, and helping neighbors clean up, then getting a 5th-wheel and truck and once again becoming nomads. Maria also recalls a bit of humor as well as the generosity of ordinary people when she went into a store to purchase a cosmetic product following the hurricane.
Rev. Barry Zavah captures the essence of growing up as a baby boomer in an “Ozzie and Harriett world,” then in less than a decade, being confronted with a drastically different existence. In his words, “ America went from the music of Little Stevie Wonder and The Beach Boys to acid rock; bobby sox to mini-skirts; June Cleaver to woman’s lib; segregation to black power; turbo props to moon landings.” On television, he witnessed images of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, riots, and assassinations, all within the space of a decade. He recalls a lifetime of a Boomer’s memories in his essay.
If I’ve left anyone out, please let me know.
The wonder of it all
One of my main reasons for writing this book was because I realized the influence television has had on the Boomer generation, and the effects of seeing all the startling images flashed on screens in living rooms, night after night. Those around from the ‘40s to the ‘70s witnessed the violence, turbulence, political upheaval, and other disturbing scenes that seemed without end. And then we watched with amazement as the first astronauts landed on the moon and stepped out onto its surface. What a thrill to see that historic moment!
The world has changed drastically since the ‘40s. Who would have thought following World War II that in only a few years, our domestic tranquility would be challenged by issues like integration and civil rights?
Integration was a big deal for those of us born before the early ‘70s and who had previously lived segregated lives. And yes, I realize there are still areas of our country that are segregated to this day! But even those people who live in segregated communities are used to now seeing all races living, working together, and getting along in movies and on TV. I can remember when there was a huge uproar in the ‘60s because a white female singer, Petula Clark, touched the arm of black singer, Harry Belafonte, while performing on television together. That was the first physical contact between a man and woman of opposite sexes on television.
In the book, I cover the integration crisis at Little Rock Central High School because I was a student there at the time. We students weren’t concerned that black kids would be going to school with us. Our lives focused on ourselves, like most teenagers. Clothes (poodle skirts or matching sweaters and straight skirts, penny loafers or saddle oxfords, and bobby sox) and hair (ponytails and duck tails) consumed the attention of the girls.
I doubt that the boys were thinking much about what to wear, but their hair was obviously a concern because they all began sporting flat tops and crewcuts. Most had sports on their mind, just like now. We were all captured by the new music, rock ‘n’ roll, and anxious to learn the newest dance craze. We went to the drive-in movies to watch the latest movies under the stars and to mingle with friends at the snack bar. That was our lives, in a nutshell. I’m sure some kids I went to school with were racists, but in a mix of more than 2000 students, I didn’t know them personally and didn’t witness any violence.
To suddenly be confronted with mobs of racists outside the school seeking to prevent integration was horrifying to most of us, just as it was to the nation and world that watched the scenes unfold on television. But we students kept our mouths shut because we were afraid—of what, we weren’t sure. We didn’t even talk among ourselves about the conflict. Emotionally, we were still children, prematurely faced with grown-up realities that most of us had never been exposed to, or had expected to face. This drama hadn’t been listed in our instruction book for growing up.
But, we made it through, just like most of our generation who didn’t either get killed in Vietnam or wasted by drugs in the ‘60s. Now, some of us are talking about what happened back then at Central High, and in the world at large. The crisis at Central changed my life, and I write about that. Two excellent essays appear in the book about Central High that year of 1957/58.
Because of television, everyone living now was a part of history as no other generation in history has been. We were sometimes ashamed, sometimes astonished, and sometimes horrified and saddened by what we saw, but I somehow think it strengthened those of us who survived it all.
The book is at the publisher’s and I’ve already approved the cover design. The design is outstanding, and I think all the contributors will be pleased when they see it. Many different stories appear in the book, and some come from different viewpoints. But then, they all reflect the diversity and fortitude of Americans at large. That’s what makes this country great! We lived it, we survived it, and now our stories are about to come out in print!
I’ll email subscribers when it is printed and ready for sale.
Standing on this spot in Big Hole Montana where the Nez Perce Indians were ambushed by the U.S. Army early one morning before dawn, visitors can still feel the terror and horror of that battle. More than 100 years later, the wind howling through their abandoned camp sounds like the screams and moans of the women, children, and elders who were killed that day. In spite of the surprise raid, the Nez Perce managed to defeat the troops on this spot. Many lived to fight another day after a long march through a portion of what is now Yellowstone and up through Montana in bitter cold as they faced starvation.
Searching for History in Your RV
One of the best uses we’ve found for our motorhome is exploring historic sites. We’ve all read about the Wild West; places like Tombstone, Virginia City, the Black Hills of South Dakota. We’ve heard about the Oregon Trail and the people who followed it west to new homes and lives. We know about the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere’s ride through the area warning settlers that the British were coming.
There’s so much history in this country that didn’t have much meaning to me until I started traveling in an RV. We had made plenty of trips across the country on vacations, but mostly we were rushing to visit relatives, then rushing back to wherever my husband was stationed at the time.
It wasn’t until the early ‘90s that we finally found time to meander and talk to people we met. In 1993 or 1994 I was directed to a man to interview in Mountain View, Arkansas for an article I was writing about the area’s music and attractions. That man quickly became a friend and a fountain of information about the Civil War and other interesting stories from the past. You see, when I met him, he was already in his mid-eighties and had known his grandfather, who was born before the Civil War. Suddenly history was alive, and I was hooked.
Next I met an elderly woman who also lived in Northern Arkansas, and did she ever have some stories to tell. I was sent to her to find out about some of my ancestors who had settled that area, but I learned a whole lot more. She was active in politics and served on Clinton’s presidential election committee, even at her advanced age. And she knew a whole lot about history. Now I was really hooked on history.
Now, every trip we make involves checking out historic sites, no matter whether it is famous or a lesser known place. We’ve walked the streets of Tombstone. We’ve visited Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood. We followed the Freedom Trail in Boston and saw where the tea was dumped. We went aboard the U.S.S. Constitution while it was being restored in Boston Harbor. We climbed to the top of Washington’s Memorial in D.C. (no longer allowed—too many people suffered heart attacks climbing the 800 breath-robbing steps). We visited Dealey Plaza in Dallas where President Kennedy was assassinated. These visits gave us a close-up perspective on those events, but a couple of historic sites really moved us.
We visited Northeastern Oregon because my family had settled there in 1878. While there, I became curious about the story of Chief Joseph and his people, the Nez Perce Indians who had called that area home before the land was taken from them by the government. We followed their trail to Big Hole, Montana, where the U.S. Cavalry ambushed them early one morning before dawn and killed numerous women, children, and elders. You see, they had already left their homeland headed for Canada after being forced out when their treaty was voided. The story gets even worse before they finally surrendered and were forbidden to ever return to their beloved homeland.
This was one of the most horrifying stories I’ve ever encountered, but it made me realize that behind every historic event are real people whose lives are affected. I felt similar sadness when I explored the Civil War Battlefield in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Enemies, some of them relatives and former friends of each other, fought face-to-face battles over principles that are difficult to understand now. Traveling through the Battlefield and imagining the hardships they faced, as well as the terror that reigned on the townsfolk, was almost more than I could bear—even after almost 150 years.
That sums up why traveling to the sites where history is made is so educational. It gives an up-close perspective when you can stand on the ground where historic figures stood. You can almost hear the battles. You can almost see the wounded and feel their pain. Your stomach growls in sympathy and you want to cry out when you learn that the townspeople and Rebel soldiers at Vicksburg were reduced to eating shoe leather before the siege on the city finally ended. How did this happen in a civilized country, among civilized people?
Traveling gives you a personal perspective that makes history hard to forget, and makes you realize how lucky you are to be living now. It instructs you to understand that as a civilized country, we must never let issues divide us so deeply again. And that’s what learning history is all about, in the first place. It teaches lessons for the future so the same types of mistakes are never repeated.
If you have an RV and haven’t yet explored some historic sites, think about making that your next RVing adventure. There are sites all across the country, so a long trek shouldn’t be necessary. Simply hop in the RV, turn the key, and drive down the road a piece where you’re sure to find something significant from the past, no matter where you live.
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