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.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
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.
A Bit About Grammar
I’ve written about this subject before, but I may have made a slight mistake on one point. I said that periods and commas should always go inside quotation marks. Well, it seems the world has passed me by, and me without a clue that I wasn’t “hip”. I kept wondering why I saw so many people putting the punctuation outside the quote marks. I’ve even seen it a few times in publications, but I just figured the editors were ignorant. Yeah, that’s it, they were ignorant. Certainly it wasn’t me.
When I had Looking Back edited, the editor asked me if I didn’t want to put some of my punctuation marks outside the quotes. I quickly answered, “No way! Why would I want to do that?” Well, she tells me, this has become an accepted way to do it now because it makes more sense to some people. Whether it was the failure of teachers to teach proper grammar, or lazy people who didn’t learn the rules, I don’t know. But just like some of the other rules that have changed in recent years, it is now acceptable to put commas and periods outside the quotation marks on occasion, as listed below.
It is acceptable when you include a word or phrase inside quotation marks at the end of a sentence, but that is not a direct quote.
Example, outside: He claimed he was a “General”.
Example, inside: He said, “I am a General.”
Okay, now that I’ve told you this, I can say that I honestly can’t do it. I can still hear the English teachers screaming at us to learn the rule about commas and periods going inside the quotation marks. So I left my punctuation as I had been taught in my new book, Looking Back. If that marks me as old-fashioned or behind the times, so be it. Until I have a magazine editor say something about it, I will continue to punctuate the traditional way.
And I realize rules do change. I can remember in school learning to use commas everywhere. There were a million rules about using commas. Then one day, it became acceptable to basically only use commas to separate clauses in places where you would pause in speech. That was a lot easier for me, I’ll admit, but I still use more than many other writers. Sometimes if you’re not careful, carefully worded sentences can turn into long, confusing run-on sentences that have to be read several times to make sense.
So here is a place where you can go for help when you’re confused about a grammar point. A site called Ask the Grammar Lady is operated by a former teacher. You can go to her website, or direct your grammar questions to: p.acton@mchsi.com.
Best of luck with all your writing adventures.
I’ve written about this subject before, but I may have made a slight mistake on one point. I said that periods and commas should always go inside quotation marks. Well, it seems the world has passed me by, and me without a clue that I wasn’t “hip”. I kept wondering why I saw so many people putting the punctuation outside the quote marks. I’ve even seen it a few times in publications, but I just figured the editors were ignorant. Yeah, that’s it, they were ignorant. Certainly it wasn’t me.
When I had Looking Back edited, the editor asked me if I didn’t want to put some of my punctuation marks outside the quotes. I quickly answered, “No way! Why would I want to do that?” Well, she tells me, this has become an accepted way to do it now because it makes more sense to some people. Whether it was the failure of teachers to teach proper grammar, or lazy people who didn’t learn the rules, I don’t know. But just like some of the other rules that have changed in recent years, it is now acceptable to put commas and periods outside the quotation marks on occasion, as listed below.
It is acceptable when you include a word or phrase inside quotation marks at the end of a sentence, but that is not a direct quote.
Example, outside: He claimed he was a “General”.
Example, inside: He said, “I am a General.”
Okay, now that I’ve told you this, I can say that I honestly can’t do it. I can still hear the English teachers screaming at us to learn the rule about commas and periods going inside the quotation marks. So I left my punctuation as I had been taught in my new book, Looking Back. If that marks me as old-fashioned or behind the times, so be it. Until I have a magazine editor say something about it, I will continue to punctuate the traditional way.
And I realize rules do change. I can remember in school learning to use commas everywhere. There were a million rules about using commas. Then one day, it became acceptable to basically only use commas to separate clauses in places where you would pause in speech. That was a lot easier for me, I’ll admit, but I still use more than many other writers. Sometimes if you’re not careful, carefully worded sentences can turn into long, confusing run-on sentences that have to be read several times to make sense.
So here is a place where you can go for help when you’re confused about a grammar point. A site called Ask the Grammar Lady is operated by a former teacher. You can go to her website, or direct your grammar questions to: p.acton@mchsi.com.
Best of luck with all your writing adventures.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
TODAY'S ARTICLES:
- Writing makes the time fly: sharing the big OOPS in my book manuscript
- RVing during the dogs days of summer where the living is easy
- My essay on the latest Supreme Court ruling, copied from 6/29 posting at: http://lookingbackboomersrememberhistory.blogspot.com
WRITING MAKES THE TIME FLY
Nothing tells me it is summer more than looking at the thermometer and seeing we’ve hit the century mark. When did that happen? I’ve had my nose (and mind) buried in the new book for the past couple of weeks, trying to make sure everything is perfect before it goes to press. Yesterday I went out and suddenly noticed that it is really hot. The “monsoons” haven’t arrived yet, so we don’t have the thunderstorms to cool us down in the afternoons.
Writing is something that comes easy to me, but getting it right doesn’t. So, I thought I would share the most common boo-boos that my editor found with my manuscript. Some are silly mistakes. Come to think of it, most are, because I should know better. I know that some would-be writers are afraid to commit their stories to paper because they’re afraid they aren’t perfect enough. So, here’s imperfect. Look at it and see if you can’t do better.
The worst thing I did (I think) was not sticking to the same usage throughout the book. Not even through one paragraph. I sometimes wrote “US” and sometimes, “U.S.” Same with Washington DC, and Washington D.C. And sometimes I wrote the forties, the 1940s, and ‘40s. I didn’t notice, but my editor sure did!
To make it worse, when I got the manuscript back, I thought I could go under “edit” and “find ,” then type in US and change all of them to U.S. at the same time. What a mistake that was. I was really confused when my program showed it had found over 1000 uses of US. No, I thought! There’s no way that I mentioned the United States that many times. It didn’t take me long to figure out what had happened, but by then I had to go all the way back and check each U.S. separately until I got it straightened out. Unfortunately, it had automatically changed every place “US” or “us” appeared, even in the middle of words like cU.S.tard and tumultuoU.S.
The same thing happened with DC. Suddenly words like grandchildren became granD.C.hildren. Now I have to read each page carefully to change them all!
Then there was number usage. I know the rule: ten or under, you spell the word out. Over ten you use the number. Just one of those stupid mistakes I make when my mind is working on autopilot. When thoughts are flying at me, my mission becomes to get them entered into the computer and not worry about mistakes until later. However, I should have caught these simple problems when I proofread the manuscript before sending it to the editor.
It’s getting corrected, but I’ve spend extra time now trying to get it all straightened out. What’s my message here? If I can get a book written and published, considering the ridiculoU.S. mistakes I make, then I know each of you can do better. Next time, read about more of my goofs that the editor caught!
NOTE: Some of this newsletter’s talented subscribers submitted essays to my new book. You can read some of these great essays when the book gets published—hopefully this month.
Nothing tells me it is summer more than looking at the thermometer and seeing we’ve hit the century mark. When did that happen? I’ve had my nose (and mind) buried in the new book for the past couple of weeks, trying to make sure everything is perfect before it goes to press. Yesterday I went out and suddenly noticed that it is really hot. The “monsoons” haven’t arrived yet, so we don’t have the thunderstorms to cool us down in the afternoons.
Writing is something that comes easy to me, but getting it right doesn’t. So, I thought I would share the most common boo-boos that my editor found with my manuscript. Some are silly mistakes. Come to think of it, most are, because I should know better. I know that some would-be writers are afraid to commit their stories to paper because they’re afraid they aren’t perfect enough. So, here’s imperfect. Look at it and see if you can’t do better.
The worst thing I did (I think) was not sticking to the same usage throughout the book. Not even through one paragraph. I sometimes wrote “US” and sometimes, “U.S.” Same with Washington DC, and Washington D.C. And sometimes I wrote the forties, the 1940s, and ‘40s. I didn’t notice, but my editor sure did!
To make it worse, when I got the manuscript back, I thought I could go under “edit” and “find ,” then type in US and change all of them to U.S. at the same time. What a mistake that was. I was really confused when my program showed it had found over 1000 uses of US. No, I thought! There’s no way that I mentioned the United States that many times. It didn’t take me long to figure out what had happened, but by then I had to go all the way back and check each U.S. separately until I got it straightened out. Unfortunately, it had automatically changed every place “US” or “us” appeared, even in the middle of words like cU.S.tard and tumultuoU.S.
The same thing happened with DC. Suddenly words like grandchildren became granD.C.hildren. Now I have to read each page carefully to change them all!
Then there was number usage. I know the rule: ten or under, you spell the word out. Over ten you use the number. Just one of those stupid mistakes I make when my mind is working on autopilot. When thoughts are flying at me, my mission becomes to get them entered into the computer and not worry about mistakes until later. However, I should have caught these simple problems when I proofread the manuscript before sending it to the editor.
It’s getting corrected, but I’ve spend extra time now trying to get it all straightened out. What’s my message here? If I can get a book written and published, considering the ridiculoU.S. mistakes I make, then I know each of you can do better. Next time, read about more of my goofs that the editor caught!
NOTE: Some of this newsletter’s talented subscribers submitted essays to my new book. You can read some of these great essays when the book gets published—hopefully this month.
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