On Writing by Karen J. Olson

Fear of What?

2007-01-04T13:50:00.000-08:00

While others fear failure, and I’m no exception, I’ve always feared success more. In spite of that, God has seen fit to prosper me in unexpected ways.

Each time I’ve gone into the next phase in my writing journey I’ve done this weird jungle dance, leaping and cavorting around the fire. When I get skittish enough and the flames get high enough I wind up and run at it, trying to sail over it. The knowledge that I’ll catch a spark and ride into the night air is usually diminished by the surety that my butt will burn because I chose the moment when it would be so. I fail to notice that the flame is stronger, more incendiary, more flamboyant than usual. Sometimes a new fuel is burning and I leap anyway.

After the scorching I settle down near the fire and examine it again. I give my cooking the meticulous care it deserves. Some Shamans put up with my antics, open to the process of each individual, others, perhaps seeing themselves in my wild flight, sneer and send rhetoric out to other Shamans on the feather-headed move of their warrior-flame-child.

I work hard; I learn fast, I try again. I sit on the lee side of the fire and cook, slowly roasting and turning, singeing, then cooling. The fire is hot. I’m in danger of chucking my fork into the conflagration and walking away. But I don’t. I just needed to know how hot the fire was, it gives me limits, parameters.

Maybe it’s why firewalkers tread on hot coals. Not because they think they can or cannot. Maybe it’s just a validation that you’re alive and can still just do it. No rules, no nothing, just that moment in space when you’re high above the fire, gazing at the blaze, committed to some serious consequences either way. But the freefall seems to be a validation of free will.

I join hands with the Great Shaman and he jumps with me, ever faithful, understanding my ways, measuring my success not by the height of each fire I’ve jumped but by the length of time I can take the heat.

I’m working on larger dishes now and the fires are larger. I’m learning to cook with indirect heat. The rules have changed, but the principles are the same. I’ve been scorched recently so I’m ready to settle down now and really cook. It’s a relief this, almost a catharsis. I’m ready now for the next phase.

How’s your writing going!
Happy January all!
Karen

Your Writing Newsletter

2006-11-26T08:40:00.000-08:00

Happy November and December writer friends,

Since the fall issue of my e-newsletter came out at the beginning of November I decided to wait until the end of the month and combine the November blog with the December one. Furthermore, let’s discuss newsletters in general and what they mean for you, as a writer.

First of all newsletters are press releases. While you can site your upcoming articles, books and speaking engagements, the core of the newsletter should meet a need that your reader has. Offering writing opportunities, helpful articles/tips and even freebies can ensure that your reader won’t hit the delete button when your newsletter lands in their mailbox, or inbox as the case may be.

Second, invite reader response. A good way to connect to your reader is to ask a question and ask the reader to contact you. This helps you focus your efforts on what’s important to him or her. It’s essential that you remain teachable and what better way than to listen to those who walk a similar path? Reader response often benefits you by offering input. Many of my responses come to my e-mail box because the newsletter only goes out to a certain mailing list. When my website is up, the newsletter will be accessible there.

Next, make your newsletter visually appealing. Use soft color, graphics and visual breaks. A jazzier color might work if you’re audience is flashier but remember that compiling it is easier than reading it. Neon blue can get on a reader’s nerves or eyes. The lack of visual clutter also helps so that your newsletter is easy to read. It eliminates the feeling of confusion or being overwhelmed by content.

Finally, develop a format that you follow with each issue. Your reader will look for his or her favorite section and will scan down to read that first when pressed for time. Not all parts of your newsletter will speak to all readers, but you can better meet reader needs by supplying diverse topic areas and addressing some detail within that topic each time you publish a new issue.

Spend time on the Internet looking at styles of newsletter and come up with one you think will match the tone of your writing and meet your reader needs.

Have fun!
Karen

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Thoughts on Wisdom

2006-10-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

Lately I’ve been reading a book called, “Abounding Grace: An Anthology of Wisdom” edited by M. Scott Peck, author of “The Road Less Traveled.” The book is a compilation of pithy prose that is a partial record of the wisdom of the ages … according to one man, anyway.

We tend to assign wisdom to those statements that summarize our human condition, our reality or our positionality. I like the words of Anne Morrow Lingberg:

“I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness and the willingness to remain vulnerable.”

Or Adlai Stevenson, “Knowledge alone is not enough. It must be leavened with magnanimity before it becomes wisdom.”

To me, wisdom is directly tied to grace. It’s also the knowledge that you are not indispensable. When you view the world from the dispensable angle everything shifts into perfect priority without your help. Love is paramount in wisdom as is curiosity about the world around us. Love brings us fully alive and curiosity is the seeking of wisdom in addition to knowledge. Wisdom is knowing right from wrong, or at least having the wherewithal to ask someone who does.

I believe that knowledge is in the mind and wisdom is in the heart. I know people who are well-educated fools. I know children with disabilities who are wise way beyond their years. Maybe they feel dispensable at an early age. I hope not, but if the result of that feeling is wisdom it may be worth it.

I believe that acceptance, not just tolerance which implies ignoring someone (have you ever noticed that ignoring and ignorance are the same word?) is crucial, forgiveness essential, mercy a capstone and grace the pervading flavor … are all columns in the house of wisdom.

The world has had a great many prophets who have said many great and wise words, but sooner or later you have to choose your own path toward wisdom and ask your own questions. Only then will you truly understand man’s love of God.

Have a great October and we’ll see you next month.
Karen

*****“The Mosaic of Creative Nonfiction”******
For a presentation by Karen J. Olson
No pre-registration necessary

Please join us on Tuesday, October 10 7:00 pm
Western Wisconsin Christian Writers' Guild
Bethesda Lutheran Brethren Church (corner of State and Hamilton) Eau Claire WI

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Scents and Seasons

2006-09-07T05:47:00.000-07:00

Happy September Writers!

How are you today? It’s hard to believe the summer is over and school has started. For those of you who desperately cling to the legalistic definition I realize that summer officially ends September 21, but for me, fall starts September 1 and summer ends with the first day of school. Never mind they might not be the same day.

I’ve always broken the seasons into three months each. Summer is June, July and August; fall is September, October and November; winter is December, January and February; spring is March, April and May. It helps me focus on the nature of things I think.

For example, each month within the seasons has a distinct picture in my mind. Let’s talk about fall as an illustration.

September is filled with dark dawns, cricket-song and a hastened pace. October is all apples, colored leaves, pumpkins and crisp nights. November carries early evenings, lamplight, bare trees and wood smoke.

See what I mean? Spend some time this year picking out the characteristics that are unique to each month, or certain holidays. Embrace the sensory rich seasons and journal about them. It will help you create scenes when you’re writing. If something takes place in early September in Wisconsin and you have leaves changing color (other than the odd tree that jumps the gun or the early sumac) your prose will be less authentic.

As people, we’re consumed with weather and seasons. As writers we want to make sure that we study and do some observational research in addition to all our book-learnin’.

Take some walks and soak in the seasons,
See you next time!
Karen

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Reality Mosaic

2006-08-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

Hello writers,

Buckle your seatbelts. I've got a couple of rants here, after the polite small talk. Boy, did I kick butt last week! I changed my office hours back to the fall schedule and had all Wednesday and Thursday to write. I smoked through tons of work!

My children’s book is done and heading out to readers. Kind of scary, but cool. An author in the cities asked if she could see it so I’ll have a professional as a reader too. What a gift.

My book for caregivers only has about 10,000 words to go. I’m at 55,000. With 5,000 for front and back matter that means I can write anywhere up to 10,000 and be good to go. Time to cut the cord on that one too. Fly … be free.

I’m scouting fellowships and need to get in gear there. One of the fellowships I’m looking at is in creative nonfiction. I know my level of craft in that genre is at beginner level but supposedly that doesn’t matter to this fellowship.

Some asked me recently (regarding a creative nonfiction piece I wrote) how much of it was true. Why does that question always bug me? Maybe I’ll use the name literary nonfiction or start listing my research on the bottom of the page: interviews, diaries, newspapers, archives and other documentation. Sheesh. Makes me crazy.

I guess when you use “I” as a character others will always ask you that question. For me, it’s black and white – Hello? – It’s nonfiction! End of story. Good bye. (I’ve always liked that line in the Shrek movie.) Non means no, ergo nonfiction means no fiction. .

It really doesn’t make me too crazy. It’s a testament to my storytelling ability, or use of literary technique, I guess. What I really need is a few kind, pat answers to those who ask that question. For example, when someone asks me how much of my nonfiction is true I should just answer, “all of it, it’s nonfiction.” (Said without the sarcastic duh! I want to add on the end of the answer.)

I think that people confuse truth with fact. Although subjective, my truth can be backed up by interview, by diary, by newspapers BUT it is not prepositional fact. I don’t really want to get into the metaphysics of “is truth real?” That philosophical crap does make me crazy, or at minimum, exasperated. I understand it, I just have no tolerance for it in the larger picture of life.

One gentleman asked me what kept me from stealing other writers’ work. I didn’t have an answer. I should have said, “My ethics. My principles. Loss of credibility” or any number of clever and glib responses. Instead I stared at him blankly. The thought had never occurred to me. What would be the fun and challenge of that? Being a writer, for me, is the process, not being able to say I’m a writer. Maybe that’s the difference. I’ve known writers who have romantic notions on the business of writing. They like to say they are writers but have yet to open a single book on the craft. They muddle through, wondering why they’re having such a tough time and they expect others to lead them by the hand. Ticks me off all these namby pamby writer wannabees who feel they can pilfer or “share” intellectual property. But then … that’s another rant and I’ve got two rants going already.

Back to creative nonfiction. When I read Gay Talese or Lee Gutkind I think, “Wow, will I ever get to that level of craft, or that level of subject within the genre?” Because I use myself as the main character, in a combination of memoir and personal essay, I look to writers with less grandiose prose. Garrison Keillor, Mike Perry – people who write truth and reality in my world. I don’t chase down celebrities (Talese), Chinese sports stars (Talese) or stand all day, every day in a transplant operating room (Gutkind) waiting for the story to come together. I can’t even relate to that level of subject matter (or total commitment of all resources.)

I do relate to Keillor as he talks about his childhood, or Perry as he talks about the Beagle. I know people like that. I understand the careful handling of the people in their stories so that they are treated with dignity, humor and depth. Maybe it’s a Midwestern mentality. We like our authors grounded in Midwestern truths.

I’ve had people ask me how I can remember so much about my childhood. Everything hit me so hard when I was young. I was a very sensitive child and normal everyday events impacted me with perhaps a greater eye to detail. Where do I get my ideas? I took a lot of risks and so a lot of weird stuff has happened to me. I’ll never be into gonzo journalism like Hunter S. Thompson, but there was a time in the ‘70s when I could have been. I’m just trying to come to terms with the great mysteries in life, I’m not trying to solve them. That would force me into the crazy-making philosophical realm. I can only keep working, through my writing, on the mosaic that makes up my reality.

Catch you next month!
Karen

10 Tips for Summer Writing

2006-06-12T07:29:00.000-07:00

It seems that summer has arrived for good. With temperatures at 85 degrees and warmer it feels more like July and August than May and June. I’m not complaining, mind you. A friend and I were discussing it at dinner last night and we’re convinced one of two things will happen. Either July will be unnaturally cool, as though it flipped seasons or the cosmic dial will be set on incinerate and we’ll all grow pale and wan in our controlled environments (horrors if we should sweat and clean out a few pores!)

So, what’s everyone working on? Did anyone write about the 6-6-06? Not me, it gives me the creeps. Not that the actual date gives me the willies but that certain people embrace it as a black omen. Normally reasonable people start seeing weirdness in everyday situations. Having said that, however, I agree with another friend I talked with yesterday morning. I keep my kid a little closer and my senses alert. In reality some people do choose a darker path.

On to brighter things … I’m working on my books, the normal speaking engagements and freelance editing. My schedule is changing for the summer and I hope to really get some additional writing hours in. As long as we are on the topic of summer writing let’s talk about balancing family and work. How do we do it?

1. First, make a conscious decision about how much you want to work. My son sleeps until 8:00 some days so my best writing time is early in the morning. Instead of working certain days of the week I’ll be shifting my hours so that I’m working certain hours each day and there will be significant adjustments to our routine.
2. Next, decide on which summer activities dovetail with your schedule. For us, most of our plans fall into the afternoon or evening so mornings, again, became the natural choice for work hours. Plus this enables me to get to the gym each morning after I drop my son off at his morning caregiver.
3. Keep regular office hours. My office hours are 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. this summer. That means no frittering away half the morning with mundane household tasks or chats on the telephone. In fact, I let the machine pick up calls when I’m writing.
4. Set summer writing goals. The first week of the summer is spent goal setting for both the summer and for my annual goals. I’ll get them down on paper and keep them in a visible place.
5. Set summer reading goals. I’ll spend part of one of my work days reading good books, interesting articles and timely research. It’s part of being a writer.
6. Bible study and prayer. I include both prayer and spiritual growth in my work day. It’s as important, if not more so, than academic growth. This gives me time to review character choices I’ve made and seek counsel for upcoming projects.
7. Creative free writes. Some days I’ll just sit and write, like I used to before I was paid to write. Other days I’ll focus on revisions and edits but summer is sensory rich and I want to take advantage of that by laying down raw material.
8. Balancing businesses. Not only am I a writer and columnist, I’m a speaker and a freelance editing and critique service. This means that I need to balance the schedule accordingly.
9. Mentoring. Currently I mentor three writers with a fourth possibility. It requires substantial time but I believe that we reap what we sow. It our job, as men and women of faith, to encourage others who are not as far along as we are. “You’re training your competition!” one woman said to me. You know what? My faith allows me to help other and still receive God’s best for me. Having said that, I set some strong boundaries so that I get my own work done too but I can sow seeds of encouragement with a generous hand.
10. Play. I will free write outside on the patio with a glass of iced tea sitting next to me. I will proofread in my office chair with windows open and fresh flowers on my desk. I will make time for family and friends, hang out at the pool and go to drive in movies. It’s summer and we get to have fun!

Take care all! I’ll see you next month.
Karen

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A Writer’s Memory

2006-05-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

If I ever had any doubt about the divergence between a writer’s brain and the non-writer’s brain it is brought clear by a conversation my brother had with my mother.
I wrote a Christmas humor piece about our Christmas trees when we were growing up. The details came back to me in Technicolor as I closed my eyes and typed: the smell of the tree lot, my father working on trimming the tree—everything.

“Where does she get this stuff? I don’t remember any of it.” My younger brother asked my mother. She glanced at him in surprise.

“Well, I guess you were pretty young, maybe you don’t remember. She interviewed me for some of the details,” my mother responded.

A woman I know loves to tell that story as though my brother’s lack of recollection could somehow discredit me. I smile serenely. I am a truth-teller. I don’t have to worry about being “found out.”

I believe that I file memories differently than other people. I think all writers do, it’s the reason we’re able to write. We’re wired differently than non-writers. We see life through a unique perspective and it’s stored in a way that is accessible to us decades later, in detail. It’s an amazing gift. One that I no longer take for granted.

When I was young I was often accused of being overly sensitive. Did events make a bigger impression on me? Did I notice more than the average person? Am I more intuitive? Who knows? Whatever it is, it works.

I still remember graffiti written on the Campanile wall at SDSU from 1969 when I was in third grade. One that stands out is “Spirew Agnew picks his nose.” I don’t know how I remember it, but I do. I also remember that the cement enclosed stairs in the campus tower changed to cement stairs with steel railings the closer you got to the top.

I remember the dairy lab and the mint bon bon ice cream cones. I remember the commencement area where my father got his doctorate degree. The red brick contrasting with the dark robes adorned with blue doctoral stripes on the upper arms.

I remember the way the sidewalks ran, the sign on the launderette that stood across from campus in the small “college-town” area. I remember that my best friend’s dad ran a dry cleaning business and belonged to the Knights of Columbus. I remember the smell of the dry cleaning and the soft swish of the bags as they spun on the rotating clothes rack. I remember his hot fudge ice cream topping and that he was the first man I’d ever seen cry.

I remember the city pool and the season ticket patch sewn on my swimsuit. The swimsuit was a red, white and blue 2-piece with a white pleated skirt and blue stars sewn on. I remember that the tips of the stars curled inward toward the center of each star before the summer was half over. My little brother had a pair of red, white and blue trunks with a small silver anchor sewn on for decoration. He had my mother cut the anchor off when he had trouble doing the back float in swimming lessons. I remember the store across the street from the pool and the frozen Milky Way candy bars with flattened sticks that held messages and turned curvy once they were in the candy bar itself.

I remember the smell of our infant neighbor, Shelly Boom Boom’s apartment, where her mother, Sherry, lived in a perpetual display of tossed clothing, old food and dirty diapers. I remember the poplar trees that lined the alley behind our house and how they sounded. I loved the sound the leaves made as they clacked lightly together. All these memories come from a place I lived only one year.

I have memories all the way back until I was three years old. Some clear, some amorphous … some good and some not so good. The point is … I remember.

So … we think differently, we writers. We remember differently, we file away facts and scents and scenes in a way most people don’t. We are able to integrate memories but keep separate details clear as well. What a blessing to have such tangible memories of our lives. What a gift to be able to pull up moments with all your senses instead of in a narrative form.

The next time you feel overwhelmed by your experiences, realize that your writer’s mind is busily filing away memories for you to put on the page at a later time, and offer up a prayer of thanks for your unique writer’s mind.

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Fur Ball Prose

2006-04-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

I’m wrestling words today. I have a talk due soon I thought I’d written. I looked at my notes and I scrapped the entire thing. Now I have to begin again.

When the talk needed re-doing I decided to perhaps take my mind off it by doing other things. Sometimes my peripheral thinking is clearer. Can you have reverse macular degeneration of the writing part of your brain?

At any rate, I don’t feel like writing, or editing or outlining or well … working. It’s awful. The only remedy is AIS. A** in Seat. Write through it. Which is what I’m subjecting you to, innocent reader, right now. I should apologize for taking you on my painful path of prose but I gotta take someone.

It’s not writer’s block. I don’t believe you can get writer’s block if you just sit and write the drivel that needs to be expelled before you hit pay dirt. I usually hit this impasse when I edit too much and don’t free-write enough. Like a cat that licks its fur, sooner or later that kind of inward attention results in a fur ball of sorts. Until it’s spewed onto the page you can’t get much else done.

So, I write the dreck that comes from being in another writer-place for a while. Funny, that. We need to write don’t we? It’s not even really like we have a choice. We can choose to be a writer by profession but being a writer is who we are all the time … period. We can’t help but see the world differently.

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Mentoring

2006-03-04T04:40:00.000-08:00

Mentoring

Mentoring is an illusive animal. So many people misunderstand it. Some writers treat mentors like their own personal tutor and others are afraid to ask a single question. I mentor several writers and this is my understanding of mentoring.

It’s a symbiotic relationship. We depend on each other. The mentoring relationship involves me helping you come along on the writing path, and you helping me in other ways that support my writing. When I mentor a writer I ask them to do the following:

1) That you, in turn, agree to mentor someone less experienced than you. This is a stumbling block for most writers who have their sights set on a mentor. They want someone to take time out of their schedule to give them added attention but they resent or begrudge the time to help others. “I don’t have time to mentor someone else,” tells your mentor that you don’t value her time either. Ouch.

2) That you will set annual goals. I’ve found that when I set annual goals I am more focused which means I reach my goals more efficiently. In fact, I usually meet 12 month’s worth of goals in six.

3) We set up a schedule of accountability:
a) Meet each month for a minimum of one hour but no more than two hours at a time.
b) Up to two phone calls of about 40 minutes each month. One is the usual amount.
c) These will be scheduled to accommodate both of our schedules.
This is another hurdle because many writers don’t like to schedule that rigidly. For me, as a mentor, it’s imperative, or I’d never get my own work done. Impromptu meetings and phone calls can derail the most focused writer. It’s a business and meetings should be scheduled like a business. Now, after saying that … I still am available for your questions if you are “stuck.” If you cross the line I’ll let you know, not my buddies.

4) I will answer questions in some cases and steer you toward learning how to find your own answers in most others. (The “teach a man to fish” mentality.) I’m not here to do your work for you. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to do the work. No one likes a lazy apprentice who doesn’t clean up her copy or edit her own work, who asks questions she could’ve easily looked up herself. “But I don’t know where to look.” Start by going to Google.com and asking your question. You’d be amazed at how far you get.

5) If you e-mail with involved questions (an answer more than a simple yes, no, or look here) I will save them until we meet, or for our telephone conversation. E-mail is a time drain. I try to check mine only twice or thrice a day and limit my response time to about 30 minutes in the morning for it, and 30 in the afternoon. I check it at about 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. and again at about noon and finally at about 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. I shut down at 5:00 for the day and do not check e-mail on the weekends. (Lesson 1, Grasshopper!)

6) When you ask me a question please let me know where you’ve already looked for the answer. It will help me understand your thought processes.

7) I’ll share writing samples if I feel that they might be beneficial to you.

8) I will try to provide encouragement, writing tips, career advice (when I can J), bits of wisdom and goal planning.

9) You and I will have a prayer partnership for all aspects of our relationship. Just as Paul helped to train up Timothy, Timothy lifted Paul up in prayer. Let’s hold each other up. (The Paul/Timothy concept is attributed to Chip McGregor of Time Warner Faith Division).

10) We will discuss the craft of writing. Things such as grammar, The Writer’s Market and Writer’s Guidelines.)

11) Remember that criticism is not personal. When I read your pieces I have prayerfully considered them. Move past the emotional reaction to see the comments without bias.

12) Books and reading are crucial to your development as a writer. Modeling is one of the most effective learning techniques. If you read great writers you will see the craft modeled and your learning will be accelerated. (Lesson 2, Grasshopper) I may ask which books you are reading, or we may even read a book together.

13) As my apprentice I ask for your support as well. Your prayers, your encouragement and your help when possible will assist me in reaching my goals too. This means that I may ask you to be a reader for a chapter of my book, write a review of my work on Amazon or another on-line bookstore, or some other item. Tell your friends about me. Help promote me as I help promote you. We’ll create buzz for each other.

14) I expect honesty. If you aren’t happy with the mentoring relationship, don’t stew. Please come to me so we can work it out in Christian love. Not all mentoring relationships work. Over time we’ll discover how we mesh.

15) I expect confidentiality. I keep your questions and your work to myself. I ask that you do the same for me.

Please prayerfully consider what a mentoring relationship means to your writing life. If I’m going to put in the time, I would be hurt if you didn’t. You set your own goals in this process, so you decide how much time you’d like to commit. We’ll also spend time discussing juggling home, family and work. We’ll work out a schedule unique to us. Mentoring is a two-way street.

It’s amazing how many writers never make it past the first requirement. The mentor/apprentice relationship was initially ascribed to professions. Since we are using it in the original context it’s logical and intelligent to create a job description so that there are no misunderstandings. It’s imperative that both people understand the mentoring relationship or neither will truly benefit. I hope this helps. Now, your first assignment is to go out and offer to mentor a budding writer.

Have fun!

Karen J. Olson
©2005

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A Place to Be

2006-01-25T08:29:00.000-08:00

The day is windy, full of breathy voices and secrets. The trees tap code on windows with branch tips, sending their messages, deciduously decoding the whispers in the wind. Frozen grass clicks and crunches, stabbing leaves that scamper over crusted snow banks.

Windows rattle, drafts sneak in under doors. The chill hangs around baseboards, ankles and spare rooms. The dog moves from the floor to the carpet, from the edge of the room to the center … creeping with the heat.

I add an extra layer of flannel and nudge the thermostat up a couple of degrees. I turn on lamps to push back the metalesque gloom with electronic sunlight. My grandmother’s afghan lays across my lap.

I’ve closed the curtains and turned on the oven as makeshift hearth. I will bake potatoes and make soup at my doored fireplace, fighting the cold January day with a modern version of the primeval fire. I am safe, secure, warm and happy in my cozy little nest.

The best nest.

P.D. Eastman wrote a children’s book called “The Best Nest”. The little bird in the nest kept singing
I love my house
I love my nest
In all the world
My nest is best.
The sentiment had nothing to do with large stone structures, expensive furnishings or exotic décor. It had everything to do with having a home, a place to be.
Be safe.
Be warm.
Be loved.
Wild windy wintry days remind us that we all need a place to be.

Please pray today for people who have no home … no place to be.
Please pray that that each and every one of us has a nest … a place to be.
Find a way to help someone without a home,
or someone struggling to keep their home …
or for those who are miserable and alone to be called Home.
We all need a place to be.

Stay warm and safe,
Peace,
Karen

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Full Words

2006-01-03T15:07:00.000-08:00

The New Year is here and with it a sense that winter is moving on. The manic pace of the fall settles into the slower winter schedules.

I gave the blog a break from September until now. I wasn’t sure if it made any difference for anyone but me. Many of you asked why I’d stopped and encouraged me to continue so I’ve decided to do just that. You want the blog notices to continue too so I’ll keep doing that as well. I’m still a little rattled that you all missed me.

First, what’s been happening with me? My columns in Family Times and Quality of Life Times are still going strong. The December/ January issue of Family Times carries my piece Snowflake Qualities and Quality of Life Times has my Christmas column The Snowstorm Home.

I’ve done a little newspaper work this fall, not as much as I’d like to, but teaching homeschool and working on my books have truly taken over. I hope to balance that a little better in the New Year. I love working with the regional paper and miss it when I don’t have time to accept assignments.

Check out my entry in Bylines Desk Calendar 2006 for Writers. My story, Pink Rhinos, is positioned on the week of Christmas 2006. The photo is of Ryan and me walking on the beach. Photo credits go to Imo.

Also, please join me for my presentation at the Western Wisconsin Christian Writers' Guild, “The Lie of Time Management: How to Play the Game without Losing your Marbles” on Tuesday January 10 at 7pm. Please stop by and say hi.

I’ve done more television and newspaper PR for my Chicken Soup for the Soul stories. It’s been fun and educational. I’m still not used to being on the other side of the interview. I’m the interviewer, remember? Chicken Soup does a wonderful job of notifying newspaper, television and radio all over the state.

So … my New Year’s resolution is year is to revamp the old schedule to accommodate the blog and some more newspaper work if it comes my way as well as keep working on my various books. I don’t have contracts for any of them yet but working on multiple projects seems to work the best for me. In his timing, right?

As I write from commitment to my faith I am humbled by how far reaching God makes my words. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11.

When we, as writers, work with God sitting next to us we know that he is in control, sending out words that help, heal and give hope to those he intends to reach. His words, through us, do not come back empty.

What are your New Year’s resolutions? Have you taken God’s supernatural ways into consideration as you sit down to write? Fasten your seatbelts! It’s going to be an exhilarating ride.

By His Grace,
Karen

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Skittering Bird

2005-09-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

The drooping impatiens hung from a hook on the white, wrought iron pillar. The pillar rose from my one-step front stoop. The white plastic greenhouse pot swayed gently in the wind. How could the plant be doing so poorly? The plant had bloomed with an abundance of fuchsia colored blossoms all summer long. Now, by evening each day, the greenery hung like wilted lettuce, and the flowers lost petals. I watered it every day. It revived it … until the next evening, when it looked sick again. What’s wrong with it, I wondered.

The plant had been a favorite shady spot for the small purple finches all summer. Every time I watered the plant, they came to drink. They ignored the birdbath out front and jumped into the bright pink blooms to sit in the shade during the summer days that climbed well into the 90’s.

I hoisted the watering can above my head and began pouring a steady, heavy stream of water into the plant. A few seconds later a tiny bird fluttered out and fell to the ground on the cement driveway. It sat there, fuzzy and stunned, looking at me with its dark bird eyes.

I took the plant off the hook and looked in. There was a miniature, down-lined nest sitting in the middle of my impatiens plant. I carried the plant over to the bird. It didn’t move. I walked right up to it. It stayed in place, peering at me. I reached down to grab it and put it back in its nest. Frightened, it skittered down the driveway to the boulevard, too young to fly.

I walked to the boulevard with the plant. The bird was adorable in its petite downiness, and pathetic in its sheer vulnerability. I wanted to save him. I didn’t want a cat or some other animal to kill him. After all, I was the one who nearly drown him. I tried again and finally scooped up the tiny finch and put him in the nest. I hung the plant back up.

I’d knocked the bird out of its nest, but I’d put it back in, too. Did God notice my fear as I tried to catch the finch? Did he write this helpful act in his book? Had I sown seeds that I would reap later? Would someone put me back in my nest when I fell, because I had put this little guy back in his? I sighed and walked to the front window. I gazed into the ironwood tree next to my stoop. It was alive with excited, twittering finches. Perhaps I’d made finch headlines.

Happy bird watching, fellow writers!
Blessings on your day,
Karen

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Reading Free Week

2005-08-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

This week is a reading-free week. If you’ve done The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t … you simply must.

I’ve done The Artist’s Way once before, a couple of years ago. I was astounded at the insight “the morning pages” brought me. (If you haven’t done the course, now you have to, just to find out what morning pages are!) I’ve decided to read the book again as though it is new and do the “other half” of the exercises (another thing you’ll have to find out by reading the book … and no, Julia Cameron is NOT paying me for PR.)

In the book there is a reading-free week where you try not to read anything. At first it seems impossible, and let’s face it, I’m not going to ignore an editor e-mail because I’m doing an artist’s exercise. But, for as much as possible, I don’t read for a week. I try not to sit in front of the television either.

It’s amazing how much we, as writers, read. I started last Thursday with my week and yesterday caught myself reading the rice box, in detail! Then I got a new magazine in my mailbox and read the editorial and two articles before I even realized I was, yet again, reading. I found myself looking at all sorts of unusual things in my attempt to “not read”. I examined my grocery receipt with undue attention and found that hamburger was nearly half off that day!

However, most of the time, I’ve been creating havoc in an attempt to de-clutter. I’ve torn apart my bedroom, the kitchen, and the downstairs family room. My car is filled to capacity with items to go to Hope Gospel Mission, and my window wells are weed-free (actually I still have one left to weed). I’m like the Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh, with a triple espresso in me. “So much to do, so very much to do!”

However, the value of The Artist’s Way is indisputable by those who’ve read it and seriously try to follow the many instructions. This cannot be taken lightly; my writing is showing a difference. I love the way that works. It’s like a writer’s pipe cleaning. It made a difference in me before and it is again, on an even higher level.

As I viciously tear apart my home my creative juices flow and I buy new acrylic paints and a pristine canvas. As I carry out bags of old clothes and household items for charity, I also feel the blood flowing and I begin to take walks again. I write more because I’m reading less. And on Thursday when I’ll be able to go back to reading, I know this week has been liberating, a vacation for my verbal input valve. A much needed rest for the data assimilator that is my brain. Instead my mind is looking at cloud formations, paint wheels, and the world around me.

Take some time and do The Artist’s Way for yourself. It’s work … artist’s work and not for the faint-hearted. But, you’ll thank yourself (and Julia Cameron) later.

A Prayer for You
I pray today that you have a free flow of ideas. That you take time to feel the pen on the page and not just the click of computer keys. I pray that you fall in love with writing all over again. And I pray that you find the words you want for each sentence you write.
Blessings on the week,
Karen

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Dog Days of Summer

2005-08-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow writers!

As the “dog days” of summer continue we find ourselves howling and scratching with the rest of the mutts. I always thought that dog days just meant that dogs slept more, lacking energy during the hot sunny days. It actually has more of a story than that.

Sirius, or the dog star, is the brightest star in the sky. In the summer Sirius rises and sets with the sun (in the winter, in northern climes, it’s only out at night). During late July, Sirius is in conjunction with the sun, and the ancients believed that it added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and steamy weather. The dog days run from 20 days before the conjunction to 20 days after it. It is the name for the sultriest period of summer, from about July 3 to August 11.

So I howl with the dogs, just because I can.

Speaking of dogs … our neighbors have a Husky that insists on howling every time a siren sounds. I’ve nicknamed him Siren (yeah, and I’m a writer, which proves sometimes creativity is more than a person can handle). I used to laugh when he caroled with ambulances (no small thing, since we are only a half mile or so from a main artery leading to the hospital) and police cars in his demented choir practice.

That is … until he matched the tone of the weather warning siren … perfectly. Now, he howls in that tone and we run to turn on our televisions to check for storm warnings. There aren’t any … ever.

Let’s imagine this dog. He wants to come into the house where it’s cool and watch a little TV with the family. He howls the tornado siren and the family thinks, Better get the dog in … and check the television, will you? See what kind of warning they’re talking about. It doesn’t even look rainy. But you know, Bart said one time he saw a tornado and the sun was shining at his house. He saw it off in the distance … we better check.

Meanwhile, the dog is called in, and saunters in like nothing happened. He’s pleased with himself and his makeshift door chime. He gets a drink out of his bowl and lays in the middle of the air conditioned house, sighing in satisfaction.

He’d wonder about publishing the results of his master’s conditioning, but he is, after all, a dog, and not an obsessed writer, so he goes to sleep, snoring loudly.

Ah, the freedom of the odd writerly rambling; the meanderings and musings of a writer with the ability to wander willy-nilly across the page. Got to love it.

Blessings on the writing today, try a free form piece like the one above. Let ‘er rip with no thought about markets, grammar or spelling. Just fly! You remember, the way you did when you first started writing. Let it go and just see what kind of artword (no that’s my terminology, not a misspelling) you can whip up in your creative frenzy. Tap into your imagination and have some fun.

August Article Releases:

Spirit Led Writer – I have a feature article posted on this writing e-magazine for Christian writers on Seven Reasons to Write for Low Paying Markets. It’s posted at www.spiritledwriter.com. Take a few minutes to check it out.

Chicken Soup for the Grandma’s Soul is out. I got my contributor copy. I will have some signed copies available in September for sale. Please let me know if you want one. My story, Gutsy Grandma was chosen for this collection of stories.

Family Times – My column on children and disabilities is out for August/September 2005. I wrote a piece on transitioning preschoolers into kindergarten. Pick one up at a grocery store, hospital or clinic.

Have a blessed week and may you find just the right word for that sentence.

Karen

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The Writer’s Book of Hope by Ralph Keyes

2005-07-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hello out there!

Is anyone reading any good books on the craft of writing? I just finished Ralph Keyes’s The Writer’s Book of Hope and it was well worth the money laid down. He discusses the entire writing, editing and publishing process.

Keyes gave an inside view to the publishing world and the micro-culture that is editing. He adds perspective to all phases of the process, something we writers desperately need, especially during the dry times.

The book is liberally sprinkled with famous people who have been rejected many, many times before they were published. For some reason we like to hear how Stephen King’s wife dug his manuscript out of the garbage, how James Michener’s agent thought he had so few prospects he dumped him … just before he won the Pulitzer for Tales from the South Pacific.

We want to know that editors and agents can be friends and nurturers. Keyes cites examples of wonderful relationships that can, and do, occur in the writing world. At any rate I highly recommend the book just for sheer perspective on the business. At the very least it will affect your marketing strategy.

Hope you are all staying cool today.
Blessings,
Karen

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Filling the Well

2005-07-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

Hello there! How are all of you? I bet you thought I’d abandoned you didn’t you? Not so! If you’re anything like me you’ve been relishing summer moments. In this part of the country when summer consists of 12 weekends we need to get out there and live a little! Stockpile all those great ideas and details for pieces all winter long.

I’ve been hanging out at zoos, parks, fairs, and farmer’s markets. I’ve watched fireworks, musicians, artists, and people. I am, as they say, filling my creative well.

I people-watch and collect attitudes, appearances and anecdotes like shiny new marbles. I breathe the fresh air, watch the birds, and mow the lawn. Each task is sensory rich. Each days puts a new shooter, a cat-eye, or a purey in my wonderful bag of colorful stories.

I spent great blocks of time free-writing. I make a timeline of life events and start constructing stories … about lessons learned and thoughts that appear willy-nilly. I write in bursts. Firing out a couple of magazine or newspaper articles each month but my main goal is to freely create.

I play with my son and experience life through his eyes, his viewpoint, his disability. I talk with my mother and see her perspectives, treasure her memory-walks and store up her advice. I write to my brother, a long letter about our extended family at a recent funeral. He sends me photos of his latest catch in Puget Sound, three large crabs in his crab pot. I pick raspberries on my other brother’s land and come back scratched, sunburned and happy.

I go to picnics, museums and parks. I read, I gaze into the wind blown trees, I watch children solve a dispute with rock, paper, scissors. Maybe we should solve all of our problems that way. Imagine the peace. Children learn that they need to resolve issues or there’s no one left to play with. Hmmm. Something to consider …

So, dear friends, I haven’t left you behind. I simply must live my summer and store up those memories for winter days when it’s so cold, when the wind moans and soup bubbles on the stove … the times when I dig out my summer free writes and start shaping and forming them into the prose that is my work.

I’m here. I’m just playing. Children learn through play, and I am nothing if not a child of God.

Blessings on your summer,

Karen

Whirly Gigs Are Raining

2005-06-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

The whirligigs are raining today.

The wind creeps up and wraps its fingers around the branches that are loaded with caramel colored seeds. The cool, breezy hand rattles and tickles the tree. The tree laughs, throwing its confetti high into the wind.

The tiny wings spiral down, down, down like an early summer’s celebration. They cascade onto me, my computer, the dog. I laugh out loud at such a whimsical way of planting. The breeze reaches down and tickles me after I laugh, causing me to grin again, including me in the joke, part of the wind whimsy, part of the parade. I tip my face to the sun hoping it will join in the play. It shines steadily, like a benevolent parent smiling on happily playing children.

The dog stands and shakes. The tree grows silent, sighing gently in satisfaction of a game well played. The whirly gigs alight gently on the grass, seed end pulled down by the weight of itself. It waits to take hold, to sow itself in the still cool soil.

The tree relaxes. Robins and grackles line her branches, ready for the next exciting ride on waves of air currents. All is peaceful; all is well on this June morning celebration of life.

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The To-Do List

2005-05-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hey writers,

How are you all doing? I’m finding it really tough to write as the weather gets nicer. I want to be outside in the sun, when it shows up. I want to sit in the warmth and relax. I have a major urge to spring clean and garden and take daytrips and ride bikes and … well, the list goes on and on. Writing seems to shift further toward the bottom of my list each time I look.

It’s one of the ebbs in the tide of writing. Ebb and flow, ebb and flow. I have tons of ideas, and am fairly good about journaling and blogging but I don’t have a lot of deadlines right now and that sometimes affects my motivation. I’ve set a few deadlines for myself and hopefully I’ll get rolling soon.

One of the difficulties for anyone who works at home is making the appropriate choices. We want to get it all done. We want to work all day, but then we wonder why the housework didn’t get done or why we’re still doing laundry at 10:00 p.m.

We are faced with myriad choices throughout each day and every time we choose writing, something else is left unchosen. Finally, there comes a time when the writing needs to be set aside for a few days and we reestablish order and deal with all of the things that have piled up.

My household to-do list is my “thing that never gets done.” I have bedrooms to paint, window woodwork to stain, basements to clean, offices to rearrange, and rooms to update. However, it all takes time and money, and both are in short supply here so I continue to choose other items on my long list.

How do you get everything done at your house? Do you feel you have a nice balance going? Even though I have all these major projects I feel as though I am in balance and making the right choices for me and my little family. The pace is different than I expected but I know that my priorities are straight.

To everything there is a season. I know it will all get done … eventually. J

Hope all of you are doing well.
Karen

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Terminate these Bugs in your Writing in order to make the Structure Stronger

2005-05-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

1. The word “that”

Many times we insert the word “that” when we don’t really need it. It can become a hard-to-break habit. Scan your article and find the word. Read the sentence with and without it. If the sentence makes sense without it, then stomp on that bugaboo and toss it out. You don’t need it. You’ll find it tightens your piece and increases flow.

Example:
With - There were many times that I wanted to laugh out loud while reading the book.
Without - There were many times I wanted to laugh out loud while reading the book.

2. Versions of the word “to be”

We’ve all heard that we need to move from passive to active voice but what does that mean? One of the easiest ways to check our work for passive voice is by reviewing our piece for use of the verb “to be” which indicates a possible use of passive voice. Swat those “bees” and wax active. (ok, so sue me for the corniness!)

Example:
Passive - There were many times I wanted to laugh out loud as I read the book.
Active - Many times I wanted to laugh out loud as I read the book.

3. Pesky transition words

It’s fine to use transition words such as ‘therefore’, ‘again’, and ‘for the same reason’. Having said that, however, make sure that you don’t develop them as mannerisms in your writing.

I’ve read pieces that have so many transitive words that if I eliminated the superfluous ones I would cut the piece by the traditional one-third! All right, so perhaps that’s a little exaggeration, but do check your writing to make sure that your transitions are clear and you aren’t relying on transitive words too heavily. It can become a lazy way of moving between paragraphs … and a bad habit. Like gnats, transition words can form a cloud in your work, irritating the reader.

4. Clichés

Clichés have their purpose, especially if you can carry off kitsch in your writing (not an easy thing to do), but normally you want to avoid them.

Listen to the way others talk and describe things and you can pick up new ways of getting a thought across. For example, one day I startled my son, who described his fear as, “You scared the bones out of me.” Wow! What a great non-cliché way of describing that scared, knee-buckling feeling like your bones have liquefied.

It can be fun to have a character in fiction who speaks in cliché all the time, or one who abuses his clichés. C.J. on the BBC sitcom, “The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin” murders his clichés, frequently two and three clichés with one blow. (If you love language I recommend this fast-paced, typically British series). C.J. also prefaces most of what he says with another cliché, “I didn’t get where I am today by …” which sets up the carnage of the clichés that follow. It can be entertaining to play with cliché but try to eliminate them in normal prose. There are so many really wonderful words in our language. As writers it’s our job to find, and use them.

5. Big Words and other bugs

Now that I’ve eschewed clichés let me quote a favorite of my father, “Don’t use a $100 word where a $10 word will do.” That doesn’t mean that you can’t use sophisticated wordage, it just means that you have to look a little harder to choose the word that really fits. Get out the magnifying glass and really examine the words you use. Remember to speak clearly and succinctly.

For example, “My cousin functioned with the atavistic notion that all he had to do was snap his fingers and his wife would come running.” Now, I could leave out the word atavistic and the sentence would still make sense but in this case the use of the term meaning “throwback to a previous time” sets a certain tone and gives the character a defined attitude. It adds to the content.

Just be careful as you select your words so you choose ones that best get your point across or serve the function of the piece.

The Bug Terminator
Now, you’ve got five new bugs to terminate. Remember to save the first draft of your piece, so you can compare it to the finished product!

Happy writing!
Karen

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Column Writing: Is it for you?

2005-05-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

Have you ever considered writing a column? If you have more than one idea on a particular topic perhaps column writing is for you. Consider the following questions to see if column writing is in your future:

1. I have an area of interest or expertise that I’ve examined from multiple angles.

You need to have some basis of interest, experience or expertise to write a column. Most columns are themed. I have a column in a family parenting magazine on disability issues. I write service pieces, how-to articles and a variety of other types of articles for my column but they ALL have something to do with disability.

I also wrote an article series, a mini-column on the Beatitudes applied to everyday life for a Christian publication. The series ran for 15 months. While I wrote it, both the editor and I considered it a column, but after 15 months I found that I had said what I wanted to say and the column came to a natural close.

I have another column that runs in a faith-based, general market insert for the regional Sunday paper. I have been featured as a columnist in the Home section of the paper. Therefore, the column, which is usually a life experience piece can be humorous or poignant but is about some facet of hearth and home life.

Make sure that you stick with your theme. Both you and your editor will be happier. There are columns out there where the writer seems to comment on whatever he or she wants, but in reality that’s probably not the case. There are columnists who have social commentary or political commentary. Before you pitch a column, try looking at a number of columns by other writers and figure out the underlying theme to each one. It will help you focus your efforts.

2. I have information or a viewpoint to get across to my audience.

I want to get information to my audience. This just means that you have passion for your subject or expertise in some area. You have ideas, abilities or something your target audience needs to read, it will enrich their lives in some way. There is a “demand” or market for your material.

3. I can work with very little editorial supervision and support.

Column work is one of those things that is good for the independent worker. You are constantly filing away ideas for future columns, watching new developments in your theme area and staying current in all ways. You need to take that burden off the editor’s shoulders. She has to trust that you are going to come up with something timely, relevant and that needs very little input from her, other than regular editing. Like any other article, your column must be polished to the nth degree and something that meets a need in the readership. As a columnist you take on that responsibility.

4. I can come up with at least a dozen column topics related to my area of interest without breaking a sweat.

Columns have a way of running their course but if you pitch one that has an evergreen theme, or one that has new material all the time, you’ll have more staying power.

For example, there was a limit on how much I could say on the Beatitudes and that column eventually ran its course. However, my disability column will probably run forever. There are new developments, new procedures, new treatments, and new discoveries all the time. I’ll never run out of material. Also the interest level is high for me because I have a child with disabilities. This ensures continued research and staying current in the area of disability advancements.

Try to come up with something that can run at least a year; the longer, the better. Start with a bimonthly or a monthly column. It’s amazing how quickly each monthly deadline arrives. Just a quick word on column deadlines … your editor has now saved a spot for you in her publication, don’t leave her with a hole to fill. Make sure that you get the work done.

5. I like to save information on my topic and usually think, “Hmm, that would make ANOTHER great article on…”

You need to have a steady stream of input because you have a steady stream of output. Save information you find, set up a filing system for your column and make sure that you keep learning in your area of interest or expertise. No editor wants an outdated column.

6. Have you written previous articles on this topic?

Is there an interest? If you’re going to pitch a column idea it’s best to have published something similar on the topic so that you have clips to show the editor. It’s easiest to get a column when you’ve published a couple of articles with your target publication in the area of interest or expertise. Lay the groundwork for your column request.

One more thing about columns:
Columns tend to develop followings and the same people will begin to look for more and more of your material. You may even receive fan mail. If you do receive letters from readers, make sure that you take the time to respond. It doesn’t have to be a long letter, just a thank you for taking time to read and comment on your work.
Then add that person to your newsletter mailing list and send the most recent copy. There are many purposes and functions to mailing lists but … that’s another topic!

We each have different talents and abilities; I hope this blog entry has helped you determine if column writing is on your horizon. Happy writing!

Blog Comments field
I’ve had some questions on the comments field for this blog. If you want to comment, click on the word “comment” below the entry you have comments for. It will send you to a blog signup page, however, below the sign-in section there’s a button that says you can “post anonymously”. Then you can leave a comment on my site without having a blog account. Please sign your name in the body of the comments section so if others have responses to what you wrote they can address them to you. Let me know if you’re still having trouble.

Clips? What clips?

2005-05-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last time we talked about publication histories and today I think we’ll mention clips. What are clips? Why do we need them? Where should we store all those clippings, and trust me, they start stacking up fast!

What are clips?
A clip is a sample of your work that has already been published in another newspaper, magazine, or book.

Why do they call them clips?
Clips got their name because writers would literally “clip” their articles out of various publications (yes, with a scissors) and send them to editors along with a query for a new and different idea. The clips show both a sample of the writer’s style and proficiency as well as the type of publication for which they’ve been writing.

Why send clips?
You don’t always have to send clips. However, it takes some of the risk factor out of a query from an unknown writer if the editor can see that the writer has done similar work before. It usually increases your chance of getting an acceptance instead of a flat no.

Do I have to send original copies of my work?
No. Photocopies are fine. If you can get your work to neatly copy onto 8 ½ x 11 inch paper so much the better. This is especially important with newspaper work which can be long and cumbersome with ink that is not made to withstand extended handling. Photocopy each clip neatly and file it with the original.

Where do I store my clippings?
Many people like to have a three-ring notebook with each clip mounted nicely. I have one that I try to maintain. But for functional purposes it’s best to get each article onto regular 8 ½ x 11 inch paper and make a master copy. Then photocopy a few copies of that to file with the master and the original work so that you aren’t running to the copy store all the time. If you have a copier at home, this step isn’t really necessary.

I then store my clips in hanging files in cardboard file storage boxes that line the hallway outside my office. I file all clips from a single publication in the same color of hanging file but individually stored and labeled for easy access. Your system should suit your needs.

How long do I store my clips?
I keep all mine but rotate the older ones to the bottom and the keep the newest on the top.

How old can clips be when you send them?
That varies. I try not to send anything over three years old at the outside. If I really think a particular clip shows what I want to display and it’s older than three years I might enclose both the older clip and then a newer one that is similar so that editors know I’m keeping fresh clips as well.

When do I not send clips?
It isn’t necessary to send clips with short fiction. Usually, a description or summary of what you’re writing is enough. If you’ve written for a publication multiple times you can stop sending the editor clips (many times that happens after the first two publishing credits from that editor or publication) for other articles.

Overall, only you can really judge whether you should be sending clips and how you should file them. I hope what I’ve written here will get you started if you haven’t set up your clip file yet. Happy filing!

Karen

Blog Comments field
I’ve had some questions on the comments field for this blog. If you want to comment, click on the word “comment” below the entry you have comments for. It will send you to a blog signup page, however, below the sign-in section there’s a button that says you can “post anonymously”. Then you can leave a comment on my site without having a blog account. Please sign your name in the body of the comments section so if others have responses to what you wrote they can address them to you. Let me know if you’re still having trouble.

Publication History - Should you have one?

2005-04-26T18:27:00.000-07:00

After a while, when we’ve published multiple articles and have boxes of clips sitting in storage it’s easy to let the recordkeeping slide. But this is exactly when we should be concentrating on building our clips into a portfolio with a publication history.

What is a publication history? It’s similar to a work history. Not really a resume but close. Each writer formats their publication history in his or her own unique way but for those of you who have never compiled one I have a few tips. I hope they are helpful.

1. First go through publications where you consistently publish. Over my writing career I’ve had four columns. I still have two of them. This is where I start compiling my history in rough draft form.

2. List the publication name, the name of the article, the date of the issue and the focus of the piece in one or two sentences. I add whether I included photos with the project or not and any sidebars are listed with the article and cross-referenced separately as well.

3. List the articles within publications from most recent to oldest. A variation on this is to list from most recent to oldest without regard to publication. I, personally, like showing the editorial relationships I’ve built by doing consistent work with the same publication so I group mine, especially for the column work.

4. Don’t fudge. List exactly what you’ve done. No more, no less. It’s important that you be accurate. Publishing is an intimate workplace and a lot of editors know each other and talk.

5. Don’t use the words ‘small’ or ‘little’ when describing your article. For example, I had a 300 word article in Christian Parenting Today and that’s how I describe it: as a 300 word contribution not a “small article”.

6. Be creative in your word choice but don’t use a $100 word where a $10 word will do. Don’t try to impress the editor with wordy descriptions. They’ll look at the publication and the size of your article, and if you’ve written for the publication more than once, that’s all.

7. Don’t use smaller than 10 font and don’t use anything other than Times New Roman or Courier fonts. Make sure there is enough white space so that the document reads easily with clean lines.

8. The publication history is not a one-sheet and should not be confused with it. The one sheet is a sheet with bio and PR materials on it. Items will be extrapolated from your publication history as highlights on your one-sheet but you won’t include all of it. One-sheets will be the topic of another conversation. Speaking histories are different as well. Again, a topic for another discussion.

9. Try to keep your publication history up to date. This is easier than it sounds. Once you have a lot of articles published it’s easy to lose track of what you are doing. If you don’t use a submission tracker consider using one. You might remember the article you published last month but you may not remember one two years ago. If you’d like a copy of a submission tracker page that I use just let me know by contacting me at ryolson@charter.net and I’d be happy to email it to you.

10. You don’t need to send your publication history to each publication when you query, editors aren’t interested in seeing all that. The publication history is mainly so that you can keep track of your work in a summarized form and sell reprints more efficiently. You can copy and paste to create tailored publication histories as a menu for reprinted work.

I hope you found something that will motivate you to keep the publication history current and organized.

Blessings on your words today and everyday!
Karen

5 Ways to Fit Writing into the Spare Moments

2005-04-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

Hello Writers!

How are you doing this fine spring morning? How have your writing schedules been? If you’re a mom chances are you’re struggling. With school and all of the other activities our families are involved in we tend to find ourselves really stretched at this time of year.

I’ve come up with 5 Ways to Fit Writing into the Spare Moments and wanted to share some of them with you.

1. First things first. Pray. If you aren’t reading your Bible in the morning before you start your day you may be more haphazard in your approach than you realize. God will put minutes in your day for you to write if you ask. He is faithful. In a day without any spare time he will help you to identify the time that you need to get the job done.

2. Designate a time on the clock. From 1:00 until 2:00 I have made arrangements with my family during this hectic time that I need that hour for daily writing. Sometimes it ends up being journaling only, and that’s fine. I can dig in the journal later for possible pieces.

3. Forget about querying on new subjects for now. Query on the stuff you’ve already written. Dig out some of those old pieces that haven’t seen daylight for a couple of years and come up with new markets. Type a quick query and fire it out. Then forget about it.

4. Absorb. Spring is sensory-rich. Soak in all the new and wonderful stimuli and consider this writing. Remember that there will be days when you’ll be inside and have to write. Enjoy getting out and filling the creative well. Writing is about experiencing as well as putting words on paper.

5. Give your family your full attention. Rather than being distracted from your writing by your family or distracted from your family by your writing try focusing 100% of your attention on the task at hand. If you give your family 100% of your attention 23 hours a day chances are they’ll understand the one that you want to use to write.

I hope that these five ways of gleaning writing time help you as much as they helped me. God bless the words that you write today. We’ll see you soon.

Karen

Blog Comments field
I’ve had some questions on the comments field for this blog. If you want to comment, click on the word “comment” below the entry you have comments for. It will send you to a blog signup page, however, below the sign-in section there’s a button that says you can “post anonymously”. Then you can leave a comment on my site without having a blog account. Please sign your name in the body of the comments section so if others have responses to what you wrote they can address them to you. Let me know if you’re still having trouble.

Welcome back!

2005-04-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I haven’t posted for a couple of weeks because of Easter, blog troubles, a death in the family and other miscellaneous family doings. But, I’m back now and I’ve missed you!

The book CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SINGLE PARENTS SOUL is out now! My story, “One Cold Winters Night”, is on page 22. Make sure that when you finish the story you turn the page to see the cute cartoon the editor chose to illustrate it. I still have some copies left if you are interested.

The April/May 2005 Family Times should be out the first weekend in April. My article, “I Love the Mountains…” is about the Very Special Arts choir in Eau Claire headed up by Trish Meschke, a retired elementary school music teacher. The concert for the choir is at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 24 at Peace Lutheran Church in Eau Claire. The concert will be in the sanctuary and is free. A good will offering will be taken to help with expenses for the program. Remember to pick up a copy of Family Times and read about the choir.

As April approaches I have another anthology story “Nehemiah” that will be in the book, FINDING AND FOLLOWING GOD’S WILL by Dr. Jane Kise. Please let me know if you are interested in copies of the book.

Also in April my article, “Reflections on a Parent’s Love” will be released in FOCUS ON THE FAMILY-SINGLE PARENT FAMILY EDITION. I received a few advance copies and there is a very cute picture of my son in there. The magazine can be found at www.family.org

Call Out to Caregivers of Children and Young Adults with Special Needs:
I’d like to stop for a moment and ask the caregivers reading this, “What do you do to take care of yourself? How do you nurture that part of you that needs to remain in balance?” Answers can be either posted in this blog (see instructions below) or sent directly to me at ryolson@charter.net. I may use some of the answers in an upcoming article. If I want to use your answer I will contact you via e-mail to ask your permission. If you post anonymously it is with the understanding that I may use the answer if I want. Would you be willing to sign your post “Linda in Iowa” or “Karen in Utah”? I’d appreciate your input. We are creative in the ways that we make our caregiving life work. Let’s see what everyone else is doing…

Thank you all for joining me on the blog this morning. Blessings on your week and we’ll talk to you soon!
Karen

Blog Comments field
I’ve had some questions on the comments field for this blog. If you want to comment, click on the word “comment” below the entry you have comments for. It will send you to a blog signup page, however, below the sign-in section there’s a button that says you can “post anonymously”. Then you can leave a comment on my site without having a blog account. Please sign your name in the body of the comments section so if others have responses to what you wrote they can address them to you. Let me know if you’re still having trouble.

The Other Side of the Spectrum

2005-02-28T09:03:00.000-08:00

I read an article recently about a writer who dances once each day with her three-year-old. It started as an accident and ended up being something that released her creativity in her writing.

I also know a writer who pounds out rhythm on his drums each day. He bangs and crashes and flails about. Then he sits down at the computer and smokes through a good chapter or more.

I stamp. I recently picked up the stamping hobby and have found that it releases my creativity. To go from words to visual helps me use a different part of my brain.

Winter around here means a reduction in visual input. Everything becomes dark. Evening comes early, the streets all look black and white. In the house we see golden light from our lamps and fireplaces but we don’t see the rich colors of the summer. Stamping helps feed that need in me for color. It stimulates me visually.

I also drum … and it creates in me an ear for rhythm. I dance … and it creates a feel for flow. It’s funny the way that all forms of creativity feed each other. God is infinite in his perfection, isn’t he? I’m not a great drummer or a stellar dancer, but I’m having fun.

How do you feed your creativity? How do you nourish your talent? Do you bake, sew, knit, rock-climb, white-water raft, sing, or jump rope? If you don’t have anything that builds up your writing take time to think about it. What are you interested in doing? Start today and let me know your plans! Let’s dance along the spectrum of creativity and let it inspire us for the work we do.

Happy stamping, jumping, swimming … and writing!

Blog Comments field
I’ve had some questions on the comments field for this blog. If you want to comment, click on the word “comment” below the entry you have comments for. It will send you to a blog signup page, however, below the sign-in section there’s a button that says you can “post anonymously”. Then you can leave a comment on my site without having a blog account. Please sign your name in the body of the comments section so if others have responses to what you wrote they can address them to you. Let me know if you’re still having trouble

Whistle While You Work

2005-02-21T07:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone!

Whistle While You Work
I spent yesterday shoveling. We had snow and my little car spins on a snowflake so we didn’t make it to church. Finally, we are well enough to go and we still didn’t make it. . I cancelled Ryan’s participation in Best Buddies however. It was from 4:00 p.m. lasting until 5:15 or so. At 6:00 p.m. I was still shoveling and my neighbor, God bless him, was snow blowing the plowed-in end of my driveway a mere 10 days after gallbladder surgery. His wife and I stood out there shaking our heads but he wanted to try it and I guess you have to start somewhere. I was sure grateful, the snow was heavy! I started out!

I’ve been working hard on my book as time allows but I’m going to sit down and make a writing schedule today. I’ve been fitting it into the spare moments and everything seems a little out of sync … so before it gets wild and wooly I’m taking steps to ensure that I don’t go an entire week and forget I’m a writer! Hey, it can happen. Life happens. I’m still whistling.

Organization is one of my gifts so I decided to really concentrate on putting it to work for me. How do you stay organized? Do you have a set schedule? Do you have a writing day? Do you write certain hours each day? Do you combine tasks to be more efficient, like listening to writing tapes while you clean? What do you do to eke out that writing time that you need? Let’s help each other find out what’s working so we can help each other. I’ll keep you posted on how my schedule works … after I find time to make it out ! Let’s whistle together! Whistle while we work.

Blog Comments field
I’ve had some questions on the comments field for this blog. If you want to comment, click on the word “comment” below the entry you have comments for. It will send you to a blog signup page, however, below the sign-in section there’s a button that says you can “post anonymously”. Then you can leave a comment on my site without having a blog account. Please sign your name in the body of the comments section so if others have responses to what you wrote they can address them to you. Let me know if you’re still having trouble.

Happy writing this morning!
Karen

Wild Words

2005-02-17T06:48:00.000-08:00

I have to tell you, I’ve got the Febs in a bad way. Typically February is a month of frustration. We’re waiting for spring, we’ve had enough cold and snow, and we’d rather be outside more than once each day.

How do you deal with the Febs? I work on my house with the intent of getting ready for good weather. If the kitchen is already painted and all those pesky little jobs are done I will have no reason not to sit at my deck table when the nice weather comes.

Wild Words

I love those hot days of summer … the ones that in my opinion are perfect. At 7:00 a.m. I get up and get dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. I brush my hair back in a pony tail and wash my face, foregoing makeup, not checking the mirror in my eagerness to get outside and feel the day. Barefoot, I head to my office to grab whatever I’m working on and head outside. The dog trails behind me and my son sleeps. The dog is up early, my son is a teenager.

The sun is bright and already warm. The air is laden with flower-scent with just a slight breeze, the kind that stirs the small, stray, hairs at the nape of my neck that have curled into ringlets in the humidity. I drag my deck chair into the sun and set my iced tea on the table next to me, a bowl of varied melon bits sits next to it. The glass begins to sweat. It’s comfortable sitting in the sun now, but I know that within half an hour I’ll be putting up the umbrella on the deck table and or moving into the yard under the maple tree.

With my alphasmart perched on my lap and I slap on sunglasses and begin to write. I feel like I’m painting instead. All the words start flowing like weeping watercolors. I close my eyes and continue to type, smiling slightly and feeling free.

I open my eyes and watch a bee drunkenly swing from flower to flower as if on the string of a marionette. I breathe in the heavy air and continue to add color to my project, blending and mixing my metaphors, determined that summer will be a time of verbal freedom. I can clean up the clippings later, right now I want to garden and I don’t care of the pink is next to the red, I just want to be playing in the dirt of my words.

My fingers dance like rain on the keys and my mind wanders like the winds of midsummer, blowing first one way, then the next, tickling me and making me laugh out loud.

After a time I stretch and put up the deck umbrella. I move under it and begin my real work but for a stretched moment in time I was as free as an explorer on a new ocean. For a time I was not bound by rules or ways of writing. For a time, this hot summer morning, I created for me and for God only. I planted wild words as he planted wildflowers. We laughed with the joy of creation and shared a moment of pure joy.

Tsunami Relief

2005-01-31T08:21:00.000-08:00

Another week ahead and I’m finally feeling human. I had the flu last week and am happy to say all I have left is residual cold symptoms. Don’t want to go through that anytime soon again.

Speaking Engagement:
I’m speaking at the Western Wisconsin Christian Writers' Guild on Tuesday, February 8 at 7:00 p.m. at Bethesda Lutheran Brethren church in Eau Claire. The topic is “The Passion You Write With: How to Keep the Fire Stoked.” The talk ended up being a little more pragmatic than I thought it would at first but I wanted to give writers a tool kit for gaining support, fighting frustration and squashing panic. I think it will be helpful because it is so practical and hopefully by offering realistic solutions people will be inspired. Please join me.

Book Sales:
I’ll be selling copies of But Lord, I Was Happy Shallow, an anthology by Kregel Publications that carries my story The Rubberband Master. Copies are also available via mail order. Contact me at ryolson@charter.net for ordering information. The price is $14.99 with shipping at $4.

Well …

I spent the weekend watching survival films. You know the ones I mean … I watched a couple get lost in the Rockies and almost freeze to death with their baby in tow, I watched a ski lodge get buried in an avalanche and I watched Julie Andrews and James Garner fall in love while they were snowbound in an old cabin. I started wondering if there was a message there and I should start reading survival manuals! What is it about natural disasters that interest us? Is it confirmation of a higher power? The true magnificence of creation?

I read an article recently about a little British girl ( I want to say she was about 10 years old) who had studied tsunamis in school a couple of weeks before her family took a trip to Indonesia. Typically before a tsunami the tide gets sucked way out, exposing areas of the beach not normally visible to us. It attracts a lot of curious people and then the wave comes crashing in.

This little girl recognized the signs of the receding tide and screamed that a tsunami was coming. She is attributed with saving approximately 100 lives because the people around her listened and ran. They were able to get to a safe place before the water came racing in. Apparently there is a delay between the recession of the tide and the coming of the wave of about 30 minutes? Don’t quote me on the time delay but it seemed that it was longer than you’d think, long enough for people to make their way to the beach and look at the exposed sea floor or run away, depending on their knowledge.

After that I watched a National Geographic special on tsunamis which was absolutely fascinating. I highly recommend it if you get a chance. With the computer graphics and the interviews with tsunami experts I was truly in awe, especially of the tsunami alert system set up in the Pacific Ocean. One thing about National Geographic…they don’t need to exaggerate or sensationalize. The facts alone are enough to blow your mind.

I guess we all take the disaster risk we are most familiar with, don’t we? I live in the Midwest with tornadoes and blizzards. My brother lives in Seattle with the potential for volcanic eruptions and tidal waves. My aunt and uncle live in Arizona with intense heat and the potential for earthquakes and sandstorms. Another great aunt just moved back from Florida where the hurricanes were devastating last year. My cousin and his family live in Las Vegas … I’m pretty sure that place will be smoked by God … just kidding! I had to throw that in just to unnerve you.

In thinking about the tsunami I have decided that 10% of the earnings from my anthology But Lord, I Was Happy Shallow that are collected on Tuesday night and by mail order through this blog will be given to the tsunami relief fund. God has blessed me with a safe and warm home this winter. It’s time to turn outward and help those who are suffering. Blessings on your week.

Writing Through the Haze

2005-01-24T07:22:00.000-08:00

Another week begins. I just spent three days down with the flu and I’m still dizzy with the accompanying vertigo, an unwelcome twist to the normal crud. Saturday was especially fun shoveling a foot of snow with a fever, dripping nose and sore throat. I’m just hoping it ends soon and I don’t spread it to loved ones. I’d like to crawl into bed and stay there for the day but … I’m a homeschooling mom with deadlines. (I’m sitting in my recliner typing this in my jammies onto my Alphasmart...there are some perks to working at home!)

How do you handle assignments when you’re ill? Do you muddle through and hope the article is the quality product you usually turn out or do you ask for an extension? Do you have any tricks that get you through it so that you make your deadline? Do you steam yourself with teas and aromatherapy?

Personally, I usually plow through. As long as I can break it up into mini assignments punctuated with naps, tea breaks and hot chicken soup broth. It’s one of the nicest things about working at home. You’re on no one’s schedule but your own. As long as the end result is the one that was expected no one really cares how you got there. It’s oddly decadent to actually take a nap mid-afternoon when you’re sick.

The weird thing is that the ultimate goal is getting better and the nap speeds up that process. If more employers operated that way they’d find that their absenteeism rates dropping in the long run because people would take care of themselves before getting sick enough to be at home for a week or spreading their illness to other employees ... just another soapbox of mine.

Well, it’s off to assignment-ville for me. I hope your writing goes well. Blessings on your words today! Aaahhhh – chew!

Making a Difference

2005-01-17T07:30:00.000-08:00

You know the feeling. The one where you hate everything you write and none of it seems to make sense. You don’t really have writer’s block, but you don’t want to look at the current project either. You love the actual writing but then when you look at the rough draft you want to cry. Will it ever look the way it’s supposed to? You know it will, but right now it doesn’t feel like it.

Enter my world. I’m working on chapters one and two of a book I’m writing and I’m on the third rough draft (you read that correctly … THIRD rough draft) of chapter one. I’m ready to stomp on it and beat my monitor about the ears with a paper towel tube as recommended by a humor writer on a forum I read.

Just as I’m reading the want ads for alternate employment my e-mail pops up with a message from an editor I worked for last year. She has received two more letters from readers complimenting me on my writing and is mailing one of them to me and is quoting another in the body of her e-mail. Wow! They might not know who I am in the Midwest but the West Coast wants to know what else I’m writing … maybe I’ll get to a warm climate yet. J

I think it’s so cool that my words travel to distant places and touch the hearts of those who need to hear them. No matter how frustrated I get when I hit a particularly difficult piece to write I know that someone is out there and he or she wants to read my stuff, my work, my passion.

Their curiosity arouses mine and I decide to put down the paper towel tube and want ads so that I can work on my chapter revisions. Their kind words and faith in me as a writer spur me on. I think of the man in California who took the time to write, the woman in Arizona who said my writing blessed her. I can’t stop now. My next piece might make an even bigger difference. That’s all I want to do … is make a difference.

Blessings on the writing today,

Karen

The Creative Wave

2005-01-10T06:54:00.000-08:00

Bad artist, baaaad artist. I’ve been journaling…a little. Blogging…very little. Actually producing finished writing…even less. BUT, good artist ... I've been creating…all over the place.

It’s funny how writing goes through cycles like that. We writers write whether the muse hits us or not, but there are times when the creative energy is so high that it feels like we are surfing on a wild, rolling wave. It’s thrilling, titillating, and fulfilling as our skill takes us through the rush of words.

Then there are times when it seems like we paddle and paddle, never getting out far enough to catch a decent ride in. Soft swells give us a gentle, relaxed feeling as we complete assignments, send out queries and journal. We float, our eyes on the sea as we work, waiting for that next great set of waves to carry us on another tumbling ride. It’s an addiction, it’s a passion, it’s writing.

GOOOAAAAL!

2005-01-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

Wow. January already! I always get just a touch of spring fever in January…maybe I’m confusing it with cabin fever? I always feel like we’re half way to spring on January 1, but really winter has just begun.

January usually means resolutions and goals for most of us. I reviewed my goals for the year and, believe it or not, I’ve met them all. I’m astounded. My yearly goals are on a fiscal schedule, rather than a calendar one. I go from July to July each year, mapping and hatching my weird disjointed plans.

I plan for every part of my life when I set goals. If I tried to just plan my writing goals I think they’d be unrealistic in relation to the smorgasbord that is my life. Typically, I glance at my six-month goals in January to see where I am in relation to the goals for the entire twelve months. That doesn’t mean that I’ve been going nuts over here toiling around the clock, but it does mean that setting something down on paper really helps me focus my efforts over the year, even if it’s subconsciously.

So now, I find myself in the questionable position of goal-setting in January with the risk of unrealistic expectations. I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions because I believe that coming off the holidays, and all its Technicolor fantasy, bleeds into the amount of truth and realism that I need when I set goals, however, I think it’s probably worse to be goalless.

Imagine how boring and undirected a sport would be without goals? Basketball with no baskets wouldn’t thrill most of us. Football, soccer or hockey with no goals … what would the soccer announcers do? Instead of yelling GOOOOOAAAAL they’d be forced to read player bios and become espresso addicts while trying to stay awake.

We need direction and we need goals. I set goals for 12 months out, then steps that help me reach them at six months, three months, one month and two weeks. I map it all out so that I can see where I’m headed. Rarely do I look at my goals again until the six month mark.

As we make up our goals this year, let’s be artistic. One year I followed a yellow brick road, another year a path into the clouds. Be creative, after all, we are artists.

Blessings on your 2005 plans!
Karen

Frigid Temps

2004-12-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

The temperatures here are frigid -11 this morning with windchill advisories at -25 or more, enough to make getting in the shower this morning a little rough, then once you’re in and the steam is rolling, it’s even harder to get out.

I stocked up my winter beverages recently. I bought a variety of flavored teas, spiced cider, cocoa mixes and international coffees. A friend dropped off a box of Christmas Nutcracker tea yesterday as well. Yummy! What would we do without our hot showers and our hot drinks? All that hot water is something we’ve gotten used to.

When I lived in Mexico for a short time our room only had cold water. Taking showers in the morning involved gasping for air as the icy spray hit. At the end of the first 10 days my hair and complexion had never looked better…makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

My writing is coming along, albeit at a much slower pace with the holidays. There are friends to call, errands to run and cookies to bake, all part of the Christmas season. In fact, I just remembered that I am bringing the vegetables and dip to our Christmas Eve celebration and I haven’t even purchased them yet!

I find that I am writing a lot of deep thoughts during this advent and thinking about life, internal balance and peace. I read an article recently about a 69-year-old doctor from Peru who wanted to climb Mt. Everest. He lied about his climbing credentials and his training. He hired a questionable guide rather than an experienced Sherpa and began his ascent.

Near the top his guide departed in frustration and he was left on the mountain to die. The guide himself descended and with help for the last 200 yards made it back to the first descent base camp and promptly went to sleep. Rescue parties went to look for the doctor and found him near the summit. They proceeded to climb down, helping him. By this time the doctor was out of his head, gasping even with oxygen and falling every few steps. Finally, because they knew they wouldn’t survive a night on the mountain, the rescuers gave their oxygen tanks to the doctor who was now incapable of continuing and went on, leaving him on the mountain, for a second and final time, to die. Survival became paramount.

Did the doctor believe that Mt. Everest was something that was hard for others but wouldn’t be difficult for him? Did he, with the egocentricity of some, think that he was stronger and better than the mountain? There will always be those who push to the edge. Some will fail, just as this doctor did, and some will win, only to find that nothing else measures up and ultimately they’ve not found the peace they seek. And some, like the experienced Sherpa will co-exist with the mountain in harmony with a balance of respect, skill and wisdom.

Perhaps it’s typical of those who seek peace outside of themselves and why a homemaker in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has found her peace along with the rancher in Wyoming, and the fisherman in Maine. They look within for the balance and find it. They co-exist with nature and don’t feel the drive to challenge something larger than themselves.

The rancher faces winter with common sense and planning. The fisherman heeds warnings when the sea is unfavorable, and the mother in Wisconsin calls her children in when the temperatures are cold. They all take risks but not without the wisdom and understanding that bring peace.

Perhaps we need to count our blessings this Christmas if we have found that deep place within ourselves that we call peace. We are secure in the knowledge of who we are, even if we don’t know what life holds. We are ready to embrace the next change, the next horizon, but with a certain understanding and lack of need to conquer that which is truly unconquerable.

Blessings on your season,
Karen

The Office Party

2004-12-15T07:31:00.000-08:00

I decided that daily blogs are too much for me. Great intentions … but then you know what they say about the road to hell being paved with good intentions. I’m scaling back to a couple of times each week at best.

Some of you have let me know that you would like to make comments but that the blog challenges you to set up a blog of your own instead. I’ll check into it. I put a check in the box that said anyone could enter a comment but obviously I need to re-check the parameters. Thanks for letting me know.

I had a writers’ Christmas party last night (my office party as it were) and had fun. The organizers planned a lot of activities that were fun but I kind of wish I would have had more time to chat, being out of my cave and all. Those of you out there full-timing know what I mean don’t you?

The guild gave out prizes for the writing contest. I thought the judging was super-hard this time because the level of craft was exceptional, especially in the top three. I was tickled to find that one of my best friends won first and one of my favorite editors/friends won second! I’m keeping good company and I know I am blessed with these wonderfully talented friends. I wish I had a gift certificate for Borders. Anyone want to send me one?

I’m in creative mode today and have the entire day to write. What a luxury! I feel at peace and ready to put prose to the page.

Happy Christmas preparations! Eat a Christmas cookie for me!

Writing Quote of the Week for December 11, 2004

2004-12-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

“I have written so much about myself because I am the subject on which I am the best informed.”

Samuel Butler (1835-1902)

Rough Drafts

2004-12-09T13:34:00.000-08:00

My posting blog daily is a goal, remember, not something I’ve accomplished. I wanted to aim high and try to blog daily, it’s still my goal but it may take longer than a week to achieve it.

I’ve been working hard lately on my book … chapter one. I finished the rough draft yesterday and edited last night. I kept looking at it and thinking it was unfocused (actually I thought it was pure crap but I don’t want to go there). After using a technique I learned from a fellow writer, a more accomplished writer, I realized that the piece was very focused but it was a ROUGH DRAFT!

Why is it that we writers fall into the same pits every time we walk this path? How is it that we write many drafts of a piece but we’re always a little startled by the mess on the page the next time we sit down to write a fresh topic first draft? I shake my head, tired of my own neediness.

When I look at it through the eyes of a writer working on a second draft I begin to see the threads that I will tug to tighten the piece. I rearrange paragraphs, slice out matted knots of words and yank on particularly stubborn prose. Once the second draft, or maybe the third draft is done I begin to really enjoy myself. Now that the fabric is smooth I can add a French knot here, a backstitch there, a silver thread throughout.

I finish it, send it off into the world and begin with a fresh piece. I look at the next rough draft and see nothing worth saving…but I save it anyway and start my revisions.

The Rain

2004-12-06T13:24:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I weep with the rain … days upon days of rain. No thunder, no lightening, just the steady drumbeat of my heart breaking. It’s not a disabling downpour or a violent tempest, but a continuous out-pouring of my soul. It feels as though it may never stop.
I never expected to spend my entire life healing. My son has disabilities and the pain of that is ever present. Some days the wounds are raw and bleeding, other times they don’t feel as fresh, but old and familiar. I don’t allow myself to think of what might have been very often, but when I do, the grief brings me to my knees. On my knees I cry and pray, seeking restoration.
Like the lush, green foliage after a rain, my spirit regenerates with the tears, God’s way of gently healing me. My son climbs into my lap without a sound. His hair is the color of wheat, his eyes cornflower blue. He puts his head on my shoulder, pops his thumb in his mouth and sighs. In those moments, my healing is visible.

Buffalo Blues

2004-12-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

Feeling a little overwhelmed by the title “writer” today…I feel the Buffalo Blues begin their swarming run. The Buffalo Blues (and I capitalize that for a reason!) don’t involve depression or true sadness, they are more subtle.

I side step as the herd of words running amok on my page threaten to stampede off the monitor and surge wildly around my office, bellowing and snorting. There are too many to choose from...I can’t just shoot into the group, I might bring down one that doesn’t fit or that is too fatty for my purposes.

I watch them careen out of control for a while, feeling as though I am hunting without a gun. Suddenly I see the one I want. It is svelte, fast and just a tad edgy, it fits my mood and I aim with a practiced eye. I shoot and it lands on my document with a smack…got it in one shot.

Word by word, page by page I hunt for the right words, the right sound the right flow. The Buffalo Blues are out there, waiting for me, but not today. I won today.

Christmas articles...write 'em now, tweak 'em later!

2004-12-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

It’s always been hard for me to write Christmas queries and articles in March or April instead of November and December when I feel like writing them. I’ve decided to try to write the rough drafts during the season when I feel like it and then do the market research and query letters in the months when I need to send them in order to comply with magazine guidelines.

I find that having all of the Christmas décor out and looking glitzy helps my mind reach back to childhood experiences and sensations that I don’t feel at any other time of the year. Memories flood back with an old crocheted Santa or an ornament that has little baby chew marks on it from tiny little teeth.

Ideas I’ve tucked away with the garland come racing back as I recall the parishioner, who during communion lost his wafer in the garland decorations and proceeded to hold up the process by hunting frantically through the greenery and finally emerging victorious, the Host held high above his head.

How about the Christmas when my son was a shepherd in the Christmas pageant and wielded the shepherd’s staff as a cane, ultra-long and dangerous? What about the bake sale where someone dumped an entire table of cookies on the floor? Or the candle-lit service when your best friend sang a solo in the choir?

Childhood memories of lefse, rommegrot and krumkake filled my Scandanavian home just as animal crackers and an orange were standard in my stocking. What about the scents of coffee, cookies, and pine?

So, write about all the Christmas and holiday ideas that are bouncing around like loose Christmas balls and tweak ‘em … later.

Happy writing!

I am Earth Tones

2004-12-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

I am earth tones
I am coffee and cream
with a mint cookie.
I am a chocolate sparrow,
common, yet counted.
I am a milky snowflake,
unique yet part of a cloud.
I am the solid earth,
the breezy sky
and dancing water.
I am the rustle in the trees,
the heat in a rock,
and the song in a forest.
Karen J. Olson 7-19-03

Let's Talk Acceptance and Rights

2004-11-30T16:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we talked about rejection, let’s talk about acceptance today.

Is there anything sweeter? Is there a better feeling than seeing that fat envelope with the publisher logo that means “contract”?

And…is there anything more frustrating than looking at a contract and wondering if you are giving up every right (and then some) for a few hundred dollars?

Some magazine publishers have gotten away from the contract that is written in legalese and gone to a more author-friendly version to avoid misunderstandings. All I can say to those of you who have…bless your hearts. I worked with attorneys for 15 years and it can still leave me behind. But there are still a few out there using the hard-to-read version and it’s hard to figure out what rights they are asking for.

The rights we normally all sell are First North American Serial Rights, abbreviated 1NASR or FNASR. However, even if we type this on our manuscripts it doesn’t guarantee that those are the only rights the publishers will take. Unless we have a contract stating otherwise we need to research the publication and find out what rights they buy.

Most magazines want electronic rights (e-rights). I usually try to sell 1NASR and limit the purchase of e-rights. If they are set on getting the electronic rights and have a set reason for purchasing them (an e-magazine they publish), know how long they will appear on their site (30 days) and want to archive the story for a set amount of time (about six months) I have no problem with selling the e-rights.

Some magazines don’t really have a use for them and just ask in case they need electronic rights later and for those publications I research previous e-use before signing off on the rights to the piece. If the piece is something I want to sell somewhere else in the near future I don’t allow e-rights because in my opinion once e-rights have been sold not many print publishers are interested anymore.

However, having said that an example of successfully selling e-rights is a situation where I had sold first rights and I sold a reprint to The Lutheran Digest, which is a national magazine that uses mainly reprints. The piece was a good one and I sold them 1NASR. After they had printed my piece on page one of their publication, a highly visible location, they contacted me a couple of months later and wanted to by e-rights. Feeling, in my gut, that perhaps this might be a wise move on my part to get the exposure I sold limited e-rights on their website with archival rights (meaning they can store it in their archives for a specified time as well). We were both happy with the arrangement.

Another example is Focus on the Family – Single Parent Family. I sold First Worldwide Rights on a piece that I plan on using in the future. (They want worldwide rights because their immediate competitive market is worldwide) and e-rights. Had I not known that Focus is moving toward e-publications I might have thought this was too much exposure for the piece since I had plans for it but I decided that I was okay with the electronic exposure because of the nature of the publication and the number of people who would see my name so signed off on those rights as well.

Once of the questions I hear regarding rights is “How much of the article do I have to change in order to claim first rights again?” The rule of thumb is at least 30-50% of the piece must be new/revised in order for you to sell first rights again. That means a new slant or angle and a new way of using your research to write the next article. Remember, if editors are paying you for first rights, ethically you owe them a new article. Your integrity as a writer can be ruined pretty easily if you deliberately set out to mislead a publication or get lazy and sell the same article with minor changes. I don’t think it’s worth jeopardizing your reputation just to take the easy way out. The publishing world is small and word gets around.

Having said that, editors are experienced professionals and can tell when you’ve made a rookie mistake (rookie mistakes are a topic for a new blog someday). I once had a source lie to me and it seemed as though everyone who could corroborate his story was dead or moved away but when the national magazine called to do a fact check he came clean and admitted the truth. It didn’t blacklist me as a writer or anything, but it made me look inexperienced and inept. Those things happen, however, and editors, better than anyone, know that they do so if something is a mistake, come clean and move on. Don’t dwell on it.

Just a quick word on selling all rights…I don’t do it. Not many writers do. It means that you can never even use the idea of that article again. After all the research you’ve done do you really want to sell it all…forever? I know it’s tempting to get that big clip, but be cautious. Sometimes rights are negotiable and I would suggest contacting the editor and discussing options for the contract. As long as you are professional they will be too.

Good luck with those acceptances and those contracts. Remember, you aren’t alone; I’m mashing my way through them too.

Blessings on your writing today and I hope you’ve got a big fat envelope in the mail box today!

Karen

Rejection is Good for the Soul

2004-11-29T13:42:00.000-08:00

I met someone once who proudly claimed that he’d never had a piece of writing rejected. I rolled my eyes( internally, if such a thing is possible) and thought to myself, “What are you going to do when you do get rejected?” It will happen. You know it. I know it. It’s inevitable in the life of every writer.

There are two philosophies about submission of manuscripts. The first theory is that you start small and gradually build credits so you end up pitching stories to the local papers in the area first, followed by regional publications and lastly the nationals.

The second methodology involves starting at the top. Once you get a rejection from the New Yorker then go for the second tier, then the third, and so on. Why not start at the top? All they can say is no, and no doesn’t hurt, at least not after the first few times.

I recently read about a concept called “volunteering for rejection” where the writer deliberately stretches to reach a goal by sending queries to publications that are nearly (or clearly) out of his reach. He’s pretty sure he won’t get published by … let’s say the New Yorker just to toss one out there … but by overreaching his current level of craft he desensitizes himself to the rejection to a degree. There is a good chance you won’t see print in the New Yorker but when the rejection arrives you shrug, grin with self-deprecation and head off to fire the query to the next publication. Just reaching as far as you can and trying to get someone’s attention is a lesson in risk-taking, strength and fortitude.

You will still be writing for local and regional publications regardless of the number of big magazines you query but I’ve found that I also seen more and more of my writing accepted at national levels as well. This past year brought at least one new national hit into my clip boxes each month. Woman’s Day may not have given me a byline but I’ve been in there twice with small pieces and I was paid…very well. I’ve been in Chicken Soup anthologies and had editor contacts in my mailbox complimenting me on my work when they do reject it.

Is rejection good for me? You bet! It builds character, endurance and fortitude. It guarantees that I have staying power. It means that I get my self-value internally instead of externally which is the goal of every writer.

So, send those queries out, writers. Send them all out. Get your submission tracker out and load it up. Make sure you’re working and getting mail. Rejection is good for the soul, especially if you are stubborn like me, and refuse to take no for an answer.

See you tomorrow and we’ll chat about acceptances and contracts. Until then, keep your stick in front of your face so you don’t take a puck to the head. (any Red Green fans out there?)

Blessings,
Karen

Counting My Blessings

2004-11-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

I hope the week finds you relaxed and happy. I want to take some time to give thanks for all of the things in my life that have contributed to my health, happiness and well-being, I hope that you have time in your busy week to recognize and give thanks to those people in your life that make it richer, fuller and more joyous.

First of all, I thank God for the blessing of my son, Ryan, who is an inspiration and teacher to me. I thank God, also, for His Son, who is my source of inspiration and my ultimate instructor. I pray that those who seek wisdom and understanding find it in places where the light shines brightly.

I thank God that I am safe, warm and well-fed and I pray that those who are cold, hungry or in war-torn areas of the world find warmth, nourishment and peace during the holiday season.

I thank God that I have family and friends who love me and I pray that those who have no family left or are isolated from friends find companionship and conversation.

I thank God for my fellow writers who give me fellowship and encouragement, and my mentor, Mary DeMuth, who makes time for me in her busy schedule. I pray that they find all the right words as they continue to write their messages of home and hope.

I thank God for my mother, and her help with Ryan, without her support on so many levels I would not be realizing so many of my dreams. I pray for her health and fulfillment.

I thank God for our family dog, Poppie, who makes us laugh more than any dog we’ve ever had. I pray that she continue to bring joy to us.

I thank God for the people who read my work and faithfully follow my columns. I pray that they might find inspiration and motivation in what they read.

I also, dear friends, pray for you. I pray that you have the fortitude to do what needs to be done, the perseverance to get where you are going, and the wisdom to find the balance in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving from me to you!

Who Put Pepper in the Pot?

2004-11-15T13:53:00.000-08:00

What is the deal with exclamation points!?! Lately I’ve noticed that writers are peppering prose with superfluous punctuation.

Now, I love the exclamation mark as much as the next writer, but I’ve been taught to use them sparingly, like hot peppers. If you put in too many hot peppers the flavor is lost and the consumer becomes immune to the delicate bite of the occasional jalapeno.

Likewise, the exclamation point. I tire easily and a string of shouting, surprised sentences makes me want to take a nap, the exact opposite goal of the exclamation mark.

So…if your strong words are at the beginning and end of the sentence as they should be, and your sentence structure is such that the statement alone is powerful enough to let the reader exclaim on his own then I say …throw those exclamation points in the freezer. Save them for a day when the dish is bland and tasteless, and hope that day never comes.

Just a thought, from a rogue writer on a manic Monday, faced with a blank page.

Blessings on your words today,
Karen

Let It Snow!

2004-11-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome writers!

How is everyone this November Monday as we in the north wait for winter to begin? Usually we see measurable snowfall by Thanksgiving, so it really is “over the river and through the woods” to get to grandmother’s house.

When I moved back from South Dakota I had to adjust to the differences in the winters between South Dakota and Wisconsin. A Dakota blizzard is kind of like seeing through time. No matter how modern the world becomes, a Dakota blizzard wipes out the calendar. The wind screams at night and seeps around the edges of the doors and windows like icy smoke.

It gets so cold that the snow doesn’t stick together but shifts like sand in a desert creating and recreating dunes and drifts. Sculptures with sharp edges and ripples sift and sparkle, sometimes as high as the eaves on the house. School is called off when the morning is still sunny and bright. But, because of blizzard warnings it’s called early so no one gets caught. A Dakota blizzard means the auto club doesn’t get there either. When the storm hits the euphoria of being safe and warm permeates the entire household.

When I returned to Wisconsin I was in sixth grade and could truly appreciate the differences between living on the prairie and in the sheltered forest. There were still blizzards but they weren’t as wild and untamed as the ones in South Dakota. The pines lowly moaned but it was rare to hear the banshee-like screeching that the Dakota winds brought. Fascinated by the differences between the states, I was especially intrigued by the snowplows.

“Aren’t they cute?” I asked my father. He smiled at my naivety. He understood,but was amused at my reaction.

“Why are there so many colors?” I asked.

“Well, the city plows are blue, the county plows are orange, and the town plows are yellow.”

“What color are the big ones?” I interrupted.

“The graters? Yellow or orange.”

“No, the BIG ones, you know, the giant snow blowers?”

“They don’t need those in Wisconsin,” my dad said.

“How do they get anywhere after a blizzard?” I asked, needing to figure out my new home.

“They don’t have the snow here that we saw in the Dakotas.”

My brow furrowed, wondering why they didn’t get the same weather. It was only one state away. I liked the multi-colored plows pushing snow to the sides of the road like Tonka Trucks. In South Dakota the snow throwers were only one color…snow-packed and dirty. They were behemoth, belching giants that seemed like rescuers after the blizzards that lasted three days without stopping. It took me a while to trust that the smaller, color-coded trucks in Wisconsin could get the job done. I found that they met the needs of the residents beautifully.

As an adult I always get excited when I hear about blizzard warnings. I lay in groceries and am home hours before I need to be. We get out board games, cocoa and bring in anything that might get buried or blown away but there is always a slight let down as blizzards rarely last more than a day here and no one ever really gets to see the raw magnificence that is a real time-stopping Dakota blizzard. I’ll never leave the north. I love my seasons…even the snowy one.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
Stay warm, writers.
Karen

A Subtle Shift

2004-11-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately on the clerical end of writing. It seems like I’m submitting so little work but I have items coming out every month. My focus has shifted subtlety and I’m mentally making the shift as well.

I have three speaking engagements for November which is a new and exciting change for me. I want to begin a speaking platform in earnest and this gets me out there networking a little. One is a boot camp presentation on anthology writing and the other two are presentations at my church and at the Senior Center. There is sign-up for the last two so I hope there are people interested in coming to hear me. It’s a small, slow start.

I applied for an artist’s fellowship and the application took weeks to finish. Attached to the application is 30 pages of manuscript. I decided what to send, printed it out and it was exactly 30 pages. A sign, I hope? Competition is stiff, but I hope that I’m in the running.

I realized my book proposal isn’t quite as done as I thought it was. After completing the fellowship materials I went back to it and, as always, with time, the proposal needs tightening in some spots and development in others. I wanted to have it completed by now, but am finding that the marketing section is also a unique challenge (a story for another entry).

Check out Byline Magazine this month. I have a piece on my First $ale called, “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” in there.

I continue to make the subtle shifts that are inherent to the writing life and I’m sure I’ll find myself shifting into a more active, less clerical stage soon.

Blessings on your week!
Karen

I Can Do No Less

2004-10-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

Why do writers keep writing? 95% of us will probably never see the best seller list. We don’t make huge sums of money or gain great fame…so why do we write? I wonder about the writers that say they hate writing, that talk about how hard it is and how much they sweat onto the page…I want to ask them, “Why are you writing then?”

I can’t imagine not loving every aspect of the process. I can’t imagine not feeling that surge of energy and a little bit of panic when I face the fresh blank page, the chipping away process of editing, the carefully crafted winnowing to see the sculpted piece revealed, the shining and buffing of the finished product. I lose myself in the process and covered in clay and dust I emerge, happy, satisfied. I am a writer. I write because I can do no less.

Hidden Markets

2004-10-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, I’m having some fun now! My marketing research for my book proposal is uncovering a whole new underground market. Seems that a lot of the books on disabilities are printed outside of normal channels, usually through the vanity press, so the market stats are probably way off. I’ll have to stick with royalty press growth trends to have standard publishing trends but the last special needs conference I went to had an entire room of books that traditional publishing houses know nothing about! It speaks to me of an untapped market.

Today I’m listing press releases and wondering if I have to pay for them and if I should list a lot of them or just a few. I’m the kind of person who does what she says she will do so if I list them, I’ll send them. I’ll have to chat with my newspaper contacts.

Anyone else out there working on a first book proposal? I could use a couple of co-dependents. I do have a wonderful mentor, Mary D., who is helping me. She has been so open and forthcoming with information regarding book proposals that I know I’d be way behind if she hadn’t. I highly recommend a mentor, it’s so nice to have the expert available for all those niggling questions that you can’t find answers to.

Well, it’s back into the market research and press release carnival.

Blessings on the writing today,
Karen

Wishing Never Filled a Game Bag!

2004-10-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

The Maori have a saying, “Wishing never filled a game bag!” I agree, so each year I set goals in order to help me catch the elusive quarry I want: a healthy spiritual life, a healthy body, a stable home, good friendships and writing that I can be proud of.

One of the steps crucial to my success in bagging the game I want is my goal-setting process. I visualize my ultimate goals and then figure out how far I can get toward those goals in a year’s time. For example, one of my end-goals is to have books published. I want to be a working author but I know that there is a steep learning curve and that a lot of time and perseverance need to go into learning my craft before I can realistically attain that goal.

So, first I start with what I think I can get done in a year. My goals last year were to be published in national markets three times within that year and to work on acquiring at least one, if not two, anthology credits. These are concrete, measurable, realistic goals. I had already been writing for local, regional and statewide publications with a couple of small national hits. I began to focus on the national markets I wanted and didn’t give up.

Then, I broke the annual goals into smaller time increments. Where did I think I was going to be in six months in relation to my yearly goal? I figured, like most of us would, that I would be about half way there. Then I broke that down into a three-month goal. Where would I be in three months? Again, I chose half-way to my six month goal.

The next step involved figuring out what I could do now, what the first steps were and who I needed to enroll as a support system in order to accomplish this goal. I listed my mother because she helps with childcare, giving me a chance to write. I listed editors and other writers because of their invaluable input on my work. I named my church for spiritual support and my friends for telephone and coffee support. I took inventory of every person in my life who contributes, directly or indirectly, to my success in attaining my goals for the year. (I sent thank you notes too when I realized how much love, caring and support I had received over the year.)

I haven’t bagged the book I want yet, but it’s in my sites, and I’m ready to lay plans down on paper for next year!

Have a blessed writing day and see you soon,
Karen

Artistic Weirdoes!

2004-10-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I’ve finally got my book proposal done except for the marketing/competition section. My three sample chapters need some refining but I feel like it’s within my reach. Yippee!

I began homeschooling this fall which derailed my five-day writing weeks but I am learning to ride the ebb and flow that is freelancing without stressing out too much. If it’s supposed to happen, it will. I miss the time I had while Ryan was in school, but I love having him home. He’s been in the public school system since he was three years old. It’s like I told his teacher for this year, “It’s not about the school, it’s about the child.” They seemed to understand. Whether they believe me is another issue.

I got a call from a wonderful editor last night that I met at the Write to Publish writer’s conference at Wheaton College a couple of years ago. She called to tell me she had some extra devotionals that my pastor wanted and I remembered why I wanted to write for her so badly. What an amazing woman! Her joy and passion shines forth as she talks and (plus no one ever really gets tired of being called things like “dearheart”) I want to tuck her into my pocket and take her home. It inspired me to be positive, passionate and joyful, it really does affects everyone around you.

I saw Sharon Sheppard at the Minnesota Guild on Monday and listened to a talk on focus in our writing, she had some great veteran tricks up her sleeve and I saw Tina Miller of Obadiah Press at the Western Wisconsin Christian Writers' Guild on Tuesday speak on Finding Your Niche. Both women were wonderful and gave me tons of writing ideas.

I highly recommend attending meetings with other writers and artists. We all need to know there are other artistic weirdoes out there, don’t we??

Have a great weekend,
Karen

A Drippy Day of Gray

2004-10-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

I needed a day of rain today. It gave me a great excuse to sleep in an extra hour, then really dig into and finish my latest project. I ended the day with a baked potato and an independent film I’d been wanting to see.

When the commute to work is a flight of stairs I appreciate the intimacy of rain. It wraps me in soft gray sheets and tucks me into my office. The muted yellow light of the desk lamps seeps into my work and it becomes pensive, reflective and moody.

Emotions roll onto the page like continuous rumbling of thunder and flashes of inspiration light up the page. My breathing slows as I stroll in the rain of my words.

Peak Colors

2004-10-10T09:15:00.000-07:00

Fall is truly here. We have peak colors for maple and birch trees in Wisconsin this weekend and my neighborhood looks Kincaidesque.

Kids play in leaf piles, moms rake leaves, dads burn leaves, street sweepers clean leaves off the roads. Something that normally brings no comment is suddenly the topic of every conversation.

There is a natural pride in us when the leaves turn, and we believe a spectacular autumn to be special blessing. There is a certain length and cadence to the seasons and we feel robbed when the rain and wind take the leaves too early. The vibrant blue sky forms a cool canvas for the hot splashes of color and it’s hard to tear your eyes away form it.

Country fields turn the condiment colors of mustard, ketchup and honey and the sumac edges the highway ditches like a brick-red wall holding the fields from running onto the road. Soon the lazy oaks will begin their stretch into the sky, turning cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; adding their unique spice to the landscape.

The smoky incense of leaves burning, the musky odors of the earth, tinged with the sweet scent of ripe apples mix like the nose of an aged bottle of wine. The barrels of squash, pumpkins and Indian corn at the farmers market remind us to put away lawn furniture grills and summer toys and begin our hibernation preparation. More pies are baked, more nights are spent at home in front of the fireplace, and the board games come out of the closet.

We walk at dusk in the crisp night, hands buried in our jacket pockets. It’s quiet, all the windows are closed but the curtain are still open. We’re not used to the early darkness yet, the lights from the modest old homes on my street fall onto the leaf bags shaped like pumpkins and spiders. The street lights are glowing a deep yellow, still not completely awake.

We walk up our sidewalk and open the front door of our own home. The combination of baking squash and cinnamon apples rushes toward us and we breathe deeply, welcoming the blessing of having a warm place to be. We move to hang up our coats and laugh as a coat falls on the dog and she is covered completely. Such simple joy. We are home.

Autumn Blessings on your day.

Happy Autumn!

2004-10-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

Happy autumn!

The fall season brings bright colorful days, crisp refreshing nights, and cozy crackling hearths. It’s a time of year I have always loved and I hope it finds you well.

Releases this month include:

ANCHOR - A series of 30 daily devotionals I wrote I for the month of November on the theme of “Times of Trial.” The project was a labor of love and I hope that you find the devotionals helpful and inspiring.
BYLINE MAGAZINE - A story about my first sale was purchased by Byline Magazine for the October issue of their publication for writers.
THE SECRET PLACE - This is a piece called "Shared Birthdays."
QUALITY OF LIFE TIMES - "Just a thought ... on Listening," hits the Sunday edition of the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram special section.

I keep you in my thoughts and prayers,
Blessings,

Karen

Pink Rhinos

2004-09-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

As I started work this morning I picked up an interview piece from the day before. Stamped all over my article were pink rhinos the size of quarters. Some were right side up and some were upside down. Five marched across the bottom of the paper in a line and three sat on their derrieres part way down the page. The rest were roaming freely.

My son had taken a rubber stamp of a rhinoceros and needing to lay the animal down on paper immediately, he had stamped my interview piece. He came over and pointed out his work with pride and happiness.

“Look Mom, aren’t they perfect? They’re so pretty; I really love them.” With a sigh, “I wish I had a rhino.”

“Ryan, they’re wonderful. You did a very nice job. Your rhinos look so neat.”

“They’re for you,” he said, his chest puffed out.

“Thank you, honey,” I said, grateful for my article back. All of my revisions for the final draft were on it. He ran off after the dog.

I sighed and looked around. Personal items and family photos decorate my desk. Ryan’s artwork, column deadlines and favorite scripture stick to a large bulletin board with large colorful tacks. Playing in the background is my favorite Christmas CD. No one is stating company policy against Christmas hymns and no one is here to tell me that I can’t have a Nativity set on my desk. My son rearranged the animals in the manger. The sheep are missing and Buzz Lightyear is sitting on a camel.

I love working from my home. I can’t imagine going back to an office. I want to write. I need to write.

Sometimes in the darkest part of the night I get scared. What am I doing? I’m not a writer! I will never make a living at this! I better get a real job! Then, like the pink rhinos marching across my interview piece, the reasons for staying home and writing march back into my consciousness and into my heart. It is for the Lord that I write. I am giving back with the gift that he gave me. He is in charge, not me. The little pink rhinos frolicking on my words are just a reminder of the blessings that dance into our lives each and every day, if we allow them.

I picked up the next piece from the stack of first drafts. The lost sheep from my Nativity set stared at me from under the copy. I smiled and left them there, certain that God had placed them “just so” and that inspiration was inevitable. I began to write.