I have already told you about the things I wanted to see in a Kindle, before plunking down my money to buy one. Without them, it just wasn’t worth $260 to me. And then, they came up with an offer I couldn’t refuse. Buy a Kindle, try it out, and…
Poetry Reading
It’s the 5th Annual Blogger’s Silent Poetry Reading. I’ve participated in 2006, 2007, 2008 over at my knitting blog andin 2008 here. Then last year gave you the Very Special Treat of sharing one of my own poems with you. it went over so well, I thought I’d try it…
Faux Invoice Direct Mail
Let’s take a look at another direct mail I received recently, this time for a magazine subscription. Like the last one, I consider this to be “sneaky.” First, it looks a lot like an invoice, even though I’ve never subscribed to Good Housekeeping magazine–or even read it, so far as…
Are You a Bi-Polar Writer?
I sometimes think my life would be easier if there was just one kind of writing that I enjoyed doing. If all I loved was copywriting, I could focus on polishing my marketing technique. If fiction was the all-powerful muse, I could immerse myself in prose and telling great stories.…
Anatomy of a Direct Mail Piece
I got this direct mail piece the other day, and was kind of appalled at how sneaky it was. Mind you, I love creative direct mails. It’s a tough market, and if you have something to sell, you need to be creative. This one, though? A DVD in a nice…
Low Tech Living in a High Tech World
It’s so easy to get caught up in the technological marvels of the 21st century. High-speed internet access and wi-fi at every corner. Cordless telephones and cellphones to keep in touch everywhere we go. Computers and email have far eclipsed fax machines and typewriters. We can bring our entire music…
Is Your Vocabulary Holding You Back?
It’s so easy to tell writers that words are tools and it’s good to have as many in the toolbox as possible. Mixing and matching words to form the perfect sentence, after all, is what writers DO. But what if your vocabulary is actually getting in your way? Too Many…
Great Way to End the Year
Okay, I’m calling it a draft now. 82,419 words and at long last, my novel is written through the final chapter. Phew! I’m not entirely sure how long this really took. My guess is I started in 1999. According to my reading list, I read J. Winocour’s “Story of the…
Highlights from 2009
Here, in case you missed them, are some of my favorite posts from the year: Pulse Warmers: What little things help you through your day? Loot and Plunder: Do you follow through? Or do you leave people feeling like they’ve been pillaged? Let the Yeast Do the Work: Because writing…
Bloggers to be Thankful For
I haven’t spread any link-love in a while, so I wanted to take a moment to list some of the many blogs that I read every day and that give me that warm, cozy feeling inside. (Or, you know, are just really helpful or entertaining.) I’ve got hundreds of blogs…