I know I am not alone among my writer friends and colleagues who have a problem writing. This problem is what I call either the need to prime the pump or to get clear and free. You see, when my head is spinning with all sorts of things – to-dos, ideas, worries and other brain clutter, I can’t settle down enough to write. They spin and whip me into a frenzy that ties my muscles and brain cells into little knots. I have to calm down in order to move ahead – with anything. Likewise, if my physical space is chaotic, I have much the same problem. Only with this situation, it’s a glaring need to get it cleaned up and organized. It doesn’t necessarily have to be...
Read MoreWhen I say things like that, I can hear the crowd behind me murmuring with exasperation at such a comment. When faced with a blank page, many people just freeze. Well, let me tell you, so do writers. The difference is that writers are resourceful and know where to look for inspiration. You don’t need a muse per se, but you do need something to tip over the bucket so the words pour forth. So, let’s get kicking some buckets. And I am going to share one little secret with you today. First, a little tidbit. When you write a blog post or create posts to publish on social media, it helps to include a nice image with it. It could be funny or beautiful, but an image draws...
Read MoreBeing of a “certain age,” I receive the monthly AARP magazine. And being a bit of a word-aholic and information junkie, I read it – all. In the section where readers get the publication to resolve financial complaints, Ron Burley wrote this about company they were investigating: Shoddy presentations “The handouts were full of misspellings,” she remembers, and she sent us the proof. The firm’s website also has careless errors. The obvious connotation was that the company was unprofessional and schlocky – and careless. Hmm. All that from the words offered to potential clients and every onlooker that accesses its website. As a young person growing up in a...
Read MoreLoretta LaRoche’s book, Life is Not a Stress Rehearsal, has truly been fodder for thought. It was so funny – and so real – that I even read long portions to my husband as we lay in bed at night. I just had to share it with him. Not so much to enlighten him, but to share evidence that someone else thinks like he does! Yes, he’s wonderful and smart and funny – but don’t tell him that, OK? I wanted to just let him know, “Hey, now I get some of what you’ve been saying.” So much of what she covers has to do with communication. She comically weaves around it but when she’s done with the basket – it holds all the communication issues between genders,...
Read MoreI read a novel a few years ago that I both loved and despised. How can that be? Well, the language was beautiful. The way the words were strung together was lyrical. I found myself reading sentences aloud just to hear them tripping off the tongue. But the problem with the book was that the story being told was trite and boring. It was about as exciting as watching paint dry. I have to admit it was a good book to read before bed. However, I wanted all the beautiful words to make the story magical – or enticing – or give it some life. Failing that, it went on and on, never once drawing me in and forcing me to read into the wee hours. The purpose of words is to...
Read MoreThis morning I was trying to cram more stuff into my purse like puzzle pieces so it would all fit. Needless to say, as the day wore on and items kept falling out, I realized what a mistake I had made. I was the mastermind behind the aggravation I dealt with all day. Writing is like that, too. You can’t cram too much into a paragraph or paper or else it becomes more aggravation than communication. When too many ideas are jumbled together and are not explained fully or connected to each other, it’s confusing. When you send a customer a message that is confusing, it becomes an aggravation and you know what happens then. What do you think will happen when they receive...
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