8 Feb 2014

14 in ’14, just for fun.

Here for your perusal are 14 books I intend to read in 2014, just for fun [alpha by author surname] …
PS – Geez, I like girly stuff:

1. The Second Journey: The Road Back to Yourself by Joan Anderson

2. Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares

3. The Lost Husband by Katherine Center

4. The Runaway Quilt by Jennifer Chiavernini

5. Glitter & Glue by Kelly Corrigan

6. The Book of Qualities by J. Ruth Gendler

7. The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

8. The True Secret of Writing: Connecting Life with Language by Natalie Goldberg

9. Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz

10. Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope & Repair by Anne Lamott

11. Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist’s Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, or Why Pie Is Not the Answer by Jen Lancaster

12. Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts

13. The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith

14. Lethally Blond by Kate White

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7 Feb 2014

getting a good writer makes all the difference.

Happy Friday! Here’s hoping you can see the beautiful in it.

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6 Feb 2014

will shakespeare: a dude with staying power.

image via 8fact.

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4 Feb 2014

writerly wisdom, via public radio’s ira glass.

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3 Feb 2014

my one little word for 2014.

I expected the holidays to be intense. They just are, especially when you’re the mom of the holiday-hosting household, which I am.

But January? I expected it to be full, but fresh. The calm beyond the storm of The Season. The reset button called A New Year.

Not so much for me this time around.

My January was two trips to Dallas, my mom’s 80th birthday, two science fair projects, three bouts of stomach virus, one car accident, one big goat show [with one blue ribbon!], & one Mother of All Migraines [surprising? um, no].

Plus, you know, Daily Life. Seriously, y’all, we just returned our Christmas tree to the garage yesterday.

All of which is to say, for me, in 2014, February is the new January.

So … Happy New Year [it is the New Lunar Year, after all]!!

Since 2008, I’ve adopted a new year’s tradition [begun by artist & designer Ali Edwards] called One Little Word.

I choose one word for myself for the year – a word I can focus, meditate & reflect upon as I go about my Daily Life. I invite it in, live with it, let it speak to me & follow where it leads.

My past words have included embrace, hello, full, clear, light & shine.

For 2014, I’ve decided my One Little Word is [drumroll, please] … UP [applause, please].

Up | ready, eager, open, awake, into a happy mood

Last year, I moved forward from several spots where I had been stuck for years.
This year, I intend to keep moving forward, but upward, too.

I’m moving on up, turning it up a notch, taking it to a whole. ‘nother. level.
Just call me Ms. 45-Degrees 2014.

It’s a New Year, everyone. What’s your One Little Word going to be?

Image available as poster from Poster Inspired @ etsy.com.

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3 Dec 2013

8 gifts of words you can diy this year.

As a writer-girl, I’m all about the words [contrary to the impression you might have gotten from my recent blog-posting dearth – ahem]. As A.D. Williams once said, and I believe, “Words have special powers,” so it’s not unusual [cue Tom Jones] for me to give gifts that are word-oriented – books, journals, personalized items, etc.

But the real beauty of a word-gift is the more personal it is, the greater impact it makes. And the most impactful word-gifts are the ones you make yourself.

DIY word-gifts are simple:
1. Write down something meaningful.
2. Give it to someone you care about.

OK, I hear you. Easy for a professional writer, sure. But writing something meaningful is hard.
It can be. But it doesn’t have to be. Let me get you going with some ideas intended to spark the writerly fire within you:

1. Write a letter. A letter of gratitude, a letter of forgiveness, a letter of encouragement, a letter of admiration. Say what has been left unsaid. Say what you’ve said a thousand times, but this time, put it in writing. Use nice paper, dark ink and your own handwriting. The letter you pen in an hour may be treasured for a lifetime. Truly.

2. Give wall-worthy words. Frame it: a favorite quotation, poem or lyrics; a wedding invitation, tender love letter or child’s wish list; an important telegram, news item or other memento. If it’s worth keeping, then it’s worth framing – and with Michaels‘ almost-perpetual framing specials, it can’t fail.

3. Give words in a jar. Slips of paper – a dozen, 52, 365. One thought per slip – things to be thankful for, wishes for a new home/couple/baby, qualities you love about her/him. Fold ’em up and stuff ’em into a pretty, cute or clever container – jar, bowl, fortune-cookie-shaped coin purse. Done!

4. Go back & forth. Begin an exchange journal with a far-off friend, an ailing aunt or your teenage daughter. Make sure you let the other person know it’s a no-stress, no-rules, no-deadlines gift, meant simply to help keep you closer. You can provide them with a question to answer or a prompt to respond to, to help alleviate any perceived pressure.

5. Whip up a word cloud. Go to Wordle or Tagxedo to enter a list of words [inside jokes, your wedding vows, places you’ve traveled to together] and shape them into a wonderful word cloud, also suitable for framing.

6. Create a collection. Write down three favorite somethings – holiday memories, words of wisdom, lightbulb jokes – and put them into a binder with an attractive cover page and dedication. Add to it annually. Or how about your top 25 Christmas stories and poems for folks with young children, so they can read one each December evening leading up to the big day?

7. Give The Gift of a Letter. OK, this is an actual book by elegance expert Alexandra Stoddard. But it’s among my favorite writer-girl books, and it’s about a kind of writing everyone can do. Full of anecdotes and prompts, it’s a pretty and practical guide, and with your own handwritten note added, it’s a grand gift.

8. Create a quote calendar. I’ve been making my own calendar of inspirational quotations for several years for my dearest friends [and myself, of course]. I created it in Word, and I just follow the same template each year, adjusting the dates and refreshing the quotes, then I print it out on white cardstock, trim the pages and bind them with a colorful clip at the top.

If you’re not interested in DIY-ing a quote calendar, then I’m happy to offer a PDF of my 2014 edition for you to trim, bind and give – just send me a request!

Whatever word-gift you choose, the most important thing about writing it is to make it your own. Use your own voice and your own handwriting. The purpose of a word-gift is, after all, to create a personal connection with the person you’re writing it for. So don’t try to write something perfect – just write something perfectly you.

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7 Nov 2013

7 signs your clients are right for you.

This month, I celebrate eleven years as an independent business & marketing writer [aka, freelance copywriter].

Eleven years – whaaa?? Also, wowza.

I’m so, so grateful for the overall success I’ve experienced as this particular breed of plate-spinning, teacup-juggling, unicycle-balancing working mama. It’s definitely not without its crashing, shattering, wince-worthy wipeout moments, but all in all, it’s sure an interesting ride.

And a gratifying one – both in the moments when the autonomy and flexibility let me be there for my kids, and in the moments when I hit the bullseye professionally for a great collaborator/client.

And I’ve been absurdly lucky to work with an abundance of great collaborator/clients over the past eleven years. And sure, a smattering of folks I’d rather not engage with again. But the beauty of encountering both is, it teaches you what you want in the people you work with. And as an entrepreneur, I’ve learned how to spot a keeper-client [and how to let go of ill-fitting ones, but that’s another post!]. Here’s how I know when I’ve found a good fit:

1. I think ‘yay!’ rather than ‘ugh.’ whenever I see an email or hear a voicemail from them.

2. Our interactions are positive, creative, thoughtful and thought-provoking.

3. They’re good people, and I believe in what they do and how they do it.

4. Their expectations are reasonable and enable me to offer my best work.

5. They value my experience, expertise and contributions.

6. They pay me fairly and promptly for my good work.

7. They like me, what I do and how I do it – and they let me know.

Fairly simple stuff, right? And yet, a rather rare gem among the treasure trove of projects I’ve accumulated during the past decade-plus-one. Rare gems I’m ever-grateful for, & hope to hold onto for years yet to come.

Interested in meeting a few of them? Pop over to my Clients page and feel the love!

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21 Oct 2013

my primary punctuation peeve: a primer.

I’ve been asked the question – and have answered it – myriad times, yet I never grow weary of educating others on this mystery of my field.

“Why is this ‘high-school’ hyphenated, but that ‘high school’ isn’t?”

Of course, we’re not talking about actual high schools [or whatever]; we’re talking copy, people.
And the issue is compound-modifier hyphenation.
WAKE. UP. It’s just proper punctuation. Try to stay with me, folks.

Here’s how to know when you need a hyphen and when you can go hyphen-free:

Use a hyphen between two words when they’re being used as a single term modifying [describing] another noun.

EXAMPLE 1: We’re going to bust the high-school students for truancy.

Without the hyphen, it’s as if there’s a comma between the two modifying words, and they both modify the noun separately. So without the hyphen in Example 1, it would mean the students were high students and school students – which may or may not be accurate, but isn’t what we’re trying to communicate here and now.

EXAMPLE 2: We’re going to bust the high school students for drug use.

This is technically correct, but I’d suggest deleting the word “school,” since it seems a little redundant with “students.”

EXAMPLE 3: We’re going to bust the truant senior students for skipping school today.

This needs no hyphen because “truant” and “senior” both describe the noun “students” separately – the students are seniors, and the students are truant.

EXAMPLE 4: We’re going to the high school today to bust students for truancy.

This needs no hyphen between “high” and “school” because “high” is the only modifier, describing the noun “school.”

So …
:: When there are two describing words working together to describe the noun, use a hyphen.
:: When two describing words are working separately to describe a noun, no hyphen.
:: And no hyphen when there’s just one adjective and one noun.

The best example ever of this rule is extra | marital | sex:
Extra marital sex is something most wedded couples wouldn’t complain about.
Extra-marital sex is something most would.

Now, go forth and be the hyphenation hero in your work environment!
Or give me a ring with your latest compound-modifier hyphenation quandry – I’m happy to help.

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4 Oct 2013

6 signs your tag[line] is it.

The thing about taglines is, they seem so simple, so easy.

Think different. The uncola. They’re gr-r-r-eat!

Great taglines, for me, are like Olympic athletes – they make it look so incredibly effortless, it makes you think, just for a moment, ‘I can do that!’

But creating a really great tagline is rarely easy. Or simple.
Creating a really great tagline – & getting agreement from all interested parties to adopt it – is a rare feat, indeed.

So, the tagline, defined: A succinct phrase, situated under or alongside your logo, that communicates a single but powerful brand message designed to resonate strongly with an intended audience. It is the distilled essence of your brand message – conceived strategically, expressed artfully & delivered persuasively.

Easy-peasy, right? Yeah, right.
This is why God made professional writers, folks.

[Hey, I think I just found my new hiphop DJ name: Pro Writa. You know, like rap star Flo Rida? We’re practically separated at birth, y’all. Word.]

Aaaaanyway … Tapping into my extensive adventures in tagline-writing, here are six qualities of a great tagline – you want your tagline to display as many of them as possible; fewer than four, & I recommend returning to the scribbling board.

1. A great tagline is clear. Specific & simple, not vague or overly complex.

2. A great tagline is pithy, meaning brief, punch-y and meaningful. Succinct, relevant & put some *pop* into it, will you?

3. A great tagline is often clever. Unconventional, provocative or humorous, but not too cutesy.

4. A great tagline references benefits or differentiators. Make sure it’s believable, and don’t try to squeeze too much into it.

5. A great tagline is memorable. Tastes great, less _____. Melts in your mouth not in your _____. Takes a licking & keeps on _____. You remembered how to fill in those blanks, didn’t you?

6. A great tagline tells a story. What’s your story? What gets you emotional when you think about what you do? Your logo & tagline should communicate that feeling – not act as just a descriptor.

Whew! That’s quite a list to fit into just six words or so. So don’t try this at home. Hire a professional [e.g., Pro Writa!], & when she hits the bullseye, you just might find yourselves exclaiming in tandem, “Tag – you’re it!”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Most influential tagline by decade, 1940s-2000s*

1948: DeBeers – A diamond is forever.
1956: Allstate – You’re in good hands [with Allstate].
1962: Avis – We try harder.
1975: American Express – Don’t leave home without it.
1988: Nike – Just do it.
1993: California Milk Processor Board – Got milk?
2002: Las Vegas – What happens here stays here.

*All still being used today. Now that’s great taglining!

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19 Sep 2013

5 signs your website designer is spidey-riffic [just like mine!].

I love my new website.

I mean, I LOVE it. I lurve it, heart it, super-heart it, & may be a little obsessed with it & all its sparkle-iciousness.

And honestly, it simply wouldn’t exist without my amazing website-designer-slash-developer-slash-colleague-slash-friend, Karen Barry.

I love Karen, love her work & love working with her. And believe me, coming from a content writer who has worked with a couple dozen different website designers over the years, that is a rare trifecta.

So here’s what it is about Karen that made me want her to do my website, makes me want to work with her to do other peoples’ websites, & makes me refer her as frequently as possible to people who may be searching for someone to do their website.

1. She gets where you’re coming from & takes you further. A wonderful web designer is first & foremost an excellent inquisitor & listener. She hunts & gathers information about your business, preferences & vision throughout the site-building process, & turns it into a website that makes you feel heard. She also offers expert guidance, thoughtful recommendations & creative ideas that turn your concept up a notch, to a whole new level [up to eleven!].

2. She knows it all [but isn’t a know-it-all]. A website design master knows the best web-hosting providers, the best website-template collections, which templates will work best for what you want your site to be, do & look like, how to customize templates when you want them to be or do or look like something a little different, how to auto-connect the website with your email & social media marketing, how to sprinkle it all with SEO mojo, &, of course, how to make it all pretty. Oh – & can explain it all to you so you actually understand it.

3. She’s a crackerjack project manager. A great website creator is organized & detail-oriented. She ends every interaction with a clear outline of next steps & respective responsibilities. She is assertive & responsive in order to keep the behemoth moving forward, regardless of stumbling blocks, slowdowns or setbacks [all of which are inevitable, incidentally]. She is an affable taskmaster toward an end-game website that is consistent, creates connections & ensures conversions.

4. She can set it up & let it go. A terrific web architect will not only put a delightful site together for you, but also do it in such a way that she can teach you how to maintain it your own self. Let’s face it – launching a well-done website is no cheap feat, so you don’t want to have to keep forking over the big bucks evermore for every itty bitty alteration or addition you want to make. The best web designers I’ve worked with build the bulk of their sites in WordPress [as this one is], so almost all maintenance is diy-friendly.

5. She understands the importance of rock-solid content. Yeah, you knew it was coming. A fabu web guru will urge you to spring for professional content to complement her professional site design. Because, again, a striking architecture without a strong foundation simply won’t stand – it ultimately won’t deliver the way either of you desire. And neither you nor your designer want your terrific efforts to launch a WOW website to go to waste. Get a pro to write it right!

Yes, it’s a loaded list, but check off all five & you’ve got yourself a website-designing superhero, just like mine [radioactive blood, whole-head mask & unitard optional].

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