Quiet Keystrokes and Midnight Ramblings

I am in the midst of writing a biography to sit alongside a project I am working on.  This is probably the fifth biography I've written because no matter what I come up with, the next time I take a look at it I feel like it's so "blah".  For some reason, I just can't fit enough honest razzle dazzle into a paragraph or two about myself to make me feel like I'm the kind of person I'd like to know. (If that sentence doesn't make any sense to you, don't worry.  It doesn't make much sense to me either.) Whenever I do get the urge to sit down and rewrite the biography blurb, in addition to feeling like it lacks the pizzazz of my wit and charm, I also tend to be a little less than honest about some things.  For example, the biography has never said anything like, "Denise is a workaholic author, business owner, office manager, caregiver and paintball enthusiast who often spends the wee hours of the morning mentally drafting new policies, procedu...

I've been quite distracted this last week, missing one deadline and teetering ever so closely to the next one.  Life, as it always seems to do, has gotten in the way of me making it to my next set of writing goals.  It is interesting how it all seems to fall apart at once, but doesn't seem to go together quite as easily.   We are marching towards the light though.  As I type, my wonderful husband is on his hands and knees, getting my stove and oven ready for removal (and replacement!).  My computer is residing in pieces on the dining room table mid-way through an overhaul, and I have suddenly snapped-to and realized that it's about time I get back to my work schedule. So here I am, blogging away on a Wednesday as scheduled.  It feels good to get back on track :)

My writing has taken off this past year, and although I won't go so far as to say that I'm a writer "in demand", I have somehow begun to amass a long list of deadlines and due dates.  Now, I'm not complaining - having a list of writing assignments and requests makes me feel useful and respectable in a way that is incomparable to any other job/career I've held.  But it does make me pause during the first week of the month when I write all of the deadlines on the whiteboard above my computer and when I'm done the board runs over with colors, bullet points and underlined important projects. Managing deadlines can be tricky, especially when other opportunities pop up mid-month, a family member falls ill or the sun comes out and calls to you through the window.  It's probably the most difficult task I deal with on a week to week basis, and I have to force myself to not push things out "until tomorrow".  Some of the things that help to keep me on ...

Well, we've rushed into 2011 with much fanfare and although many of the bloggers around me are busy writing about their New Years Resolutions (mine can be found floating around a random forum somewhere, I'm sure) I am going to skip that train and move on to something that I know I'll actually follow through on. Writing is a lonely business, no matter how you slice it.  Sure, you accumulate a slew of proof-readers, editors and readers with thoughtful comments and feedback along the way; but when you are actually engrossed in the act of writing - the work of it - it's all you, baby.  Writing is most often a silent and private affair comprised of overwhelming amounts of caffeine, staring blankly out the window and spinning slowly in an office chair staring at one's feet and wondering when inspiration will strike. ...And God forbid you actually get words down on paper!  Then you have to go through days (or months) of nail-biting anxiety while you wait to bear back o...

Now that we're all out from under the pressure of National Novel Writing Month ( Nanowrimo ), it's time to take a look at the creations we've made.  In truth, I was not a winner this year but I am looking forward to giving it another shot next year.  The month wasn't all a wash though as Nanowrimo DID spur me on to write the first two chapters of my second novel, inspire me to move forward with finishing the manuscript of my first and give me the kick-in-the-pants I needed to apply for featured writing spots with Yahoo! and Examiner.com. Add to the mix a bout of flu, a head/chest cold, a somber death in the family and a busy Thanksgiving and it's easy to say that November was crammed as full as it possibly could have been.  Although life certainly didn't take a break through this Nanowrimo, it did show me that I can keep plunking along on my writing projects even when things are crazy.  My new goal?  To have novel #2 written and in editing by the time the next...

What a whirlwind adventure this year has brought to me in writing!  I had hoped that this year would propel me into the world of an writer, but could never have expected just how much progress I'd be able to make in becoming the authoress I've always dreamed of being.  As I sit and reflect on how much I have to be thankful for this year, the list is astoundingly long. I've been given the blessings of a career change, the opportunity to write both online and in print, the completion of one novel and the beginnings of a second, a position creating content for a wonderful company on the verge of exploding in a joyful mess of growth and progress, the support of friends and strangers, and even more that I can't think of right now. This year hasn't been all roses and double rainbows, and it certainly hasn't been the easiest year for our family; but it has been a year of personal and professional growth, a reminder that I have an incredible family to lean on when t...

A lot of growth has been seen on the writing front these last few weeks.  As I mentioned last week, I have been accepted as a writer for Examiner.com  but I've also seen some great forward movement in my other writing.  As Associated Content has become merged into the Yahoo! Contributer Network , I decided to go out on a limb and apply for one of their featured writer positions.  I am happy to announce that I have been accepted as a Featured Travel Contributer!  What this means for me is more consistent writing assignments, more money (hopefully) and greater exposure on the web.  I'm very excited by this, even though it is taking me some getting used to the new content guidelines that Yahoo! has put together.  I'm sure that with practice I will catch on soon though. For a quick trip through the travel articles that won me my Featured Contributor title, please feel free to click the links below.  And the next time you're looking for a vacation, g...

Well, it's just a few days until Christmas, and only a handful more before the year 2009 comes to a close.  As I look back on the last 12 months, I am amazed at all that has been accomplished both in my personal and professional lives.  It is impressive not because the accomplishments have been grandiose, but because even with the flailing economy there has been room for progress.  So, as we move forward into 2010 I am excited to discover new opportunities and adventures that will come from the stabilizing of the housing and financial markets as well as the chance to take a few more steps towards my personal hopes and dreams. As I prepare to embark on a new journey, here are some great bits of insight that have helped to inspire me over the last 12 months, and that continue to help validate my decision to change my life path: Mike Rowe on American Labor On a midnight venture across the Internets to try to find something interesting, I stumbled across t...