Category Archives: Random

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Writer’s ego: success

ego

I’m really not falling off of the blog-wagon, just too busy to mash together any ideas longer than 140 characters. Anyhow, I did have a thought the other day that I want to share, although it’s a rather incomplete thought. What came across my mind is the product of a challenging month, both positive and negative. It’s about success. Success comes in two parts:

1: convincing yourself and others you can do something,
2: proving it.

Before I go much further, I want to point out that I don’t consider myself a particularly successful person. No doubt I’ll be called out on this one, because I’ve done alright, but I’m really not where I want to be, and I fail badly at #1.

It’s one thing to sit in an interview and wax poetic about your skills and abilities, and perhaps even be convincing enough to satisfy the hiring manager(s) that you are, in fact, all that and more. This is well and good, but it’s only part of the story. Once you walk into that new job or contract, the clock starts ticking to prove yourself. I’ve hired a lot of people. Some try too hard to prove themselves and miss the mark, after all they were hired for a particular task. I’ve hired others who come in, identify the needs and push to excel in meeting those, and I have absolutely hired people that have come in and upon being hired feel there isn’t any need to prove themselves, or only give it a token effort.

I think it’s the same with writing, well any craft really. An amazing sales pitch might sell lots of books, but what’s that worth if the story stinks? Conversely, I could write an amazing story with fabulous commercial potential, but if I can’t make the sales pitch, nobody will ever know. Both of these things need to happen. As much as I’d like to be a professional, full-time writer, I recognize I’m chasing a dream. I’m fine with that, but I would like people to read and enjoy my story.

I could sit here and blog all day long about how well I write, maybe convince a few folks that I can tell one hell of a story. However, without a damn good story to stand behind, what does it even mean? What does it mean if I’ve written an excellent story and haven’t been able to convince anyone they should take a look at it?

I have no idea.

I don’t really know where I was going with that. Perhaps I just want to make the point that this is something I struggle* with.

 

* Beat myself up.

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Liebster Award

Today while I was knee-deep in writing up some statistical documentation, debugging an MS Access time-out error, and seriously considering alternatives to cursors*, my telephone chimed. It was that special chime you get when someone clicks a like or comments on the blog. If you’ve got an iPhone with the WordPress app installed, you’ll know what I’m talking about. It was a like from Gabriel Penn, followed by a comment.

When I finally got a moment to actually look into my notifications in some detail, the comment said that he had nominated me for the Liebster award. I have been nominated in the past for other, similar, awards, but elected not to ‘accept’ them. In part because they have the feel of a chain letter. I’ve been considering that position lately though. I’ve come to the conclusion that, in fact, these awards do serve a purpose. First off, they offer a way for bloggers to, out of the blue, recognize others that have inspired them, informed them, or otherwise made their experience in life somehow better. Secondly, they provide a way to connect important elements of a blogger’s social network to other, disconnected parts**.

With all that in mind, I’ll accept the nomination and keep the chain going, but perhaps from a slightly different perspective. In order to ‘accept’ this nomination or award***, I’ve got to first answer some questions about myself, from http://officialgabrielpenn.wordpress.com/ here they are:

1. Why do you blog?
I started the blog because I decided to become serious about writing. I bought a new computer (Like a cheap one that is like 25% nicer than the on I had and 50% bigger), and started a blog. The blog was intended as a place to muse about the things I am learning, the problems I am having and most importantly, connect to other writers. I continue because it encourages me to write. Since I started, I went from having 2/3rds of my WIP written to now working through my first full re-write.

2. Favorite music?
90’s alternative.

3. What would be your perfect day?
My perfect day would be a day where I truly didn’t have to think or worry about work (my day job). Just for a day.

4. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
To take this into the realm of fiction, since it says ‘anywhere’, I’d like to visit any other planet in the universe that has an atmosphere and climate similar to Earth. Alternatively, a visit to the UK might be fun.

5. Favorite author?
This is a super difficult one. When I was younger the answer was Piers Anthony, no question. He made me love books. I’m not sure I’ve really got an overall favorite any more, at least not one author I would single out.

6. Coke or Pepsi?
I prefer Coke, but I’ll drink Pepsi without a fuss. I’m not super picky.

7. What is your favorite historical time period?
I’m fond of vikings and Alfred’s England – late 800s. That’s a pretty interesting time.

8. Read on a Kindle or paperback book?
Kindle, Paperback, Nook, audio book, whatever, it really just depends on how I can get my hands on what I want to read.

9. Who would you want with you if you were stranded on a deserted island?
My wife.

10. Favorite color?
Green.

11. What do you hope people get out of your blog?
This is a tough question. If anything, I’d hope that other writers would see the various difficulties or concerns I’m writing about and identify with them. It’s much easier to face challenges and problems when you know others are standing there with you.

So, there are my responses. Below are the nominations. Again, I’m taking a slightly different direction than intended here. I’m naming these blogs because I think others should take a look at what these folks have to say, and what they’re up to. I’m ignoring the number of followers anyone has. I find their insight helpful and their work compelling. If for some reason you’re reading my blog and haven’t seen these, go take a look.

Even though Gabriel Penn nominated me for this, I’m placing his name on my list as well. Check out what he’s up to.

1.) officialgabrielpenn.wordpress.com
2.) pisscoffeeandvinegar.wordpress.com
3.) pontiuscominius.wordpress.com
4.) wyrmflight.wordpress.com
5.) suebahr.wordpress.com
6.) dreamsandletters.wordpress.com
7.) fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com
8.) jessicamariebaumgartner.com
9.) ducksandchickens.wordpress.com

I know the rule says 11, but I ran out of folks I would put on to the short-list that I feel are really worth reading. Plus it’s late and I’m getting tired.

Finally, for those who choose to continue the chain, here are 11 questions.
1.) Why do you blog?
2.) What is one of your core values?
3.) If you could work anywhere, where would that be?
4.) If you had the opportunity to ask 1 question of any author who ever lived, who would you ask, and what would your question be?
5.) What inspires you?
6.) If you were to be remembered in the world from 1 piece of advice, what would your advice be?
7.) Favorite beverage?
8.) Do you have a favorite font?
9.) How do you deal with rejection?
10.) What is your current or most recent project?
11.) What do you hope people will get out of your blog?

* If you are even remotely curious just google T-SQL cursors. This isn’t a blog about SQL Server after all.
** I’m not going to claim to be an expert at social networking, or social networking analysis, but if you mapped out connections you would see more than one tight groups in any individual’s network that don’t connect to other groups at all, except through the root. Award posts offer a one-time connection to these disconnected parts such that they might connect.
*** I’m really sort of fuzzy on how this works, even after spending 45 seconds researching it.

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Happy April Fools Day!

I spent a lot of unnecessary time this week thinking about what sort of April fools post to make. Given the frequency of my posts lately, I suppose I could have just skipped it and called it good. However, coming up with a topic that is simultaneously BS and relevant to writing was going to take a lot more time than I’m willing to invest just now (You may call this for what it is – lazy). It’s not that I’m a huge fan of the pranks and what-not that sometimes happen today. Last year for April fools a couple of the ladies at work cleaned my office. If you’ve ever seen my office, at least before last spring, you’d know that this was not only a massive undertaking, but also that the effect of looking as if everything had been moved out of my office, leaving nothing more than a clean desk and a computer. The real joke was on my colleague down the hall. Much of the mess in my office was transplanted to his. This was funny because his office is usually tidy, everything in it’s place. Anyhow, after that, I thought I should really do something BIG this year. Nope. Just not in me.

I could have written a big post about how my wife eased me into purchasing some 27 baby waterfowl by breaking it first into small numbers that sounded vaguely like the added to say much smaller number. I didn’t think to add up before yesterday. She also use the ‘free shipping’ argument. I’m not really convinced free shipping is worth 30 birds living in the house for six to eight weeks and all of the feed the free shipping is not going to pay for. No, I couldn’t write that because she already did, and it’s also not an April fools joke. This is happening.

Also on the list of possible posts for a short while was to post something about the hippopotamus found in Kenai Lake, that may be part of Pablo Escobar’s feral herd. Google this, I dare you.

No, I didn’t do any of those things. I concluded I would be much better off not doing anything for April Fools this year. You know – roll like it’s a regular day off of work to focus on writing. Instead I decided to leave you with a picture of the tattoo I got today.IMG_0451