One mistake, three lessons!

I made an error the other day. It’s embarrassing, I know, but I’m glad I told someone (my publisher, Lou Turner, High Hill Press) my plan to enter my book, Strengthen Your Nonfiction Writing,” in a self-published book competition.
 

“It’s not a self-published book,” she said. High Hill Press is considered a small press.

I told her that because of the wording of the contest guidelines I thought it would fit the definition, but would check before entering. I’m so glad I double-checked, because I was wrong!

So here are the three lessons I learned from one mistake:

1   1)    Read submission guidelines carefully (then read them again)

2   2)    Network with industry professionals who know more than you

3   3)    Know what you have, know what it is, know what it’s called!

Write soon,

Mary

Be careful what you wish for! (Another writing prompt)

For one of the short oral presentations in my speech class, I have students go to an online history site, look up their birth date, and present the information to the class regarding what happened on that day in history. I thought it would be a fun writing prompt, as well, to try to write a short story about one of the events. So I went to History.com to make sure that information was still available, and found some interesting history about Mother’s Day, which I have paraphrased here:

Ann Reeves Jarvis, who, by the way, never married or had children, wanted to honor her mother after her death in 1905. She believed that most holidays were biased towards male achievements, and wanted to honor the sacrifices mothers made for their children.
She began a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and politicians, and by 1912 many states and communities had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual holiday. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson designated the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
According to History.com, Jarvis’ wanted to honor mothers by having them wear a white carnation as a badge, and visit one’s mother or attend church services. But when Mother’s Day became a national holiday, florists, card companies and other merchants capitalized on its popularity, and the commercialization disgusted Jarvis. Although she originally worked with the floral industry to help raise awareness, she eventually urged people to stop buying cards, flowers and candy, and disowned the holiday altogether by the time of her death in 1948.

So with this writing prompt, you have three choices. The first choice is my original idea to look up your own birth date and write about one of the events that happened on that day in history. The second option is to write about someone who wants something or someone so badly that he or she will do anything to get it, but add a twist, however, by creating an outcome that has a completely negative consequence. The third choice is to answer the question, “If you could create a new holiday, what would it be, and why?”

Write soon,
Mary

A writing prompt that speaks to me

I’m not big on writing prompts, but this one I like. It’s called one last wish, and comes from Author’s publish.com. Have fun, and let me know if it works for you. I have something in mind, more later … here’s the link for instructions.

http://www.authorspublish.com/writing-prompt-one-last-wish/ 

Write soon,

Mary

You don't know what you don't know

Have you ever been talking to someone who used a word you did not know, and been so embarrassed that you let the person continue talking so he or she would assume you knew it? I haven’t, but I’ve heard about people who have. (Just kidding, of course I have!) If someone used a word you didn’t know, did you:  A) Ask what it meant, or B) Continue the conversation as if you understood, and then looked it up later?

If you chose “A,” then you are an honest person who recognizes the fact that you are not perfect, and cannot know everything. If you chose “B,” then this word’s for you: “Macroverbumsciolist,” which means a person who pretends to know a word, then secretly refers to a dictionary. (It also means someone who is unfamiliar with big words.)  

So the next time someone uses the word “macroverbumsciolist,” you won’t have to be a macroverbumsciolist!

Write soon,

Mary

Who can blame you?

OK, so here’s why I didn’t write much today. 1) I’m doing laundry for other people in this house. 2) I’m entering grades for my students in the computer so they can see how much work they need to do to pass the class. 3) I’ve been sick because one of my students probably gave me a bad cold, so I’m not feeling creative.  4) I have to go to the library and return my own books because my daughter went to college in another state and can’t run simple errands for me like she used to. 5) My son is too young to drive to the library by himself.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, it’s Blame Somebody Else Day! So, go for it, and blame other people for anything you want. It’s kinda fun! Here’s the website, and you can blame me if you spend too much time looking up funny national days and not doing what you should be doing! http://all-funny.info/real-list-of-national-days

Write soon (but if you don’t, blame somebody else!),

Mary