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Happy 1st Birthday, Blog! \(^0^)/

2/23/2014

Time didn't just fly by this past year, it took an SST! So much has happened since February 24th of last year, including the release of my first book of verse: Echoes, Neo-Victorian Poetry, and my life is no longer as it used to be.

As soon as Echoes was published, author dates began to nudge their way into my calendar. The Clockwork Alchemy Convention, which was my first foray into book signing, paneling, and selling at an author table, kicked things off.

Soon, I was involved in book signings, poetry readings locally, conventions, an inaugural author fair, and a reading in a local cafe. Attending the San Francisco Writers Conference rounded out an entire year of author dates.

Did I see any of this coming? Nope. It's all been a huge, exhilarating, and sometimes exhausting surprise to me. Another surprise came in the form of a recent comment from an experienced blogger at the SFWC recently.

Apparently, I blog too frequently! Her advice was to post to one's blog once a week, or twice a month, and no more. So, in this celebratory blog post I am announcing that I will begin uploading my posts once a week ... for now.

And so, as I prepare to blow out the candle and enjoy this luscious birthday cupcake with my blog, I thank you for spending the time to read this ongoing dialogue about becoming an independently published poet, and blogger.

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I can reply to blog comments now!!!

2/19/2014

1 Comment

There is such a thing as a conceptual framework; an intrinsic, psychological heads-up on how to perceive and organize information about something. I think of it as a complex and complete understanding of an idea of a device.

I, for instance, can look at a computer program, such as Weebly, and not have the faintest inkling of what I'm looking at, because I lack the requisite technical conceptual framework to do so. It's just all dots and dashes to me.

I am equally at a loss whenever I need to refer to a road map, which I sadly perceive as a disorganized plumbers schematic. This is what I mean when I say that I am not at all tech-savvy, though I've used computers since 1986.

Words and rhyming schemes and meter make a great deal of sense to me, and I am very comfortable with them. But now I'm writing a blog, which requires not only words, but at least some tech management. Alas ...

About six months ago, I suddenly lost the ability to "reply to blog comments." No matter what I read or who I talked to about this, I made absolutely no progress in understanding what had changed. It was all so very frustrating.

My friend, Cali Gilbert, author of the It's Simply series and It's Simply Serendipity: Four Steps to Manifesting a Life of Bliss, sent me a page from her Weebly blog which I compared with my own early, working replies.

Wait a minute! Oh! You can't reply while in "Edit" mode? 0_o Seriously???

So, I had been lacking the correct questions to ask about this issue ... and this had me me on a rabbit chase through erroneous answers and misdirected internet searches. All I really needed was that visual clue for comparison.

Now, at long last, I can joyously announce, "Please feel free to leave a comment on my blog, and I will reply as time allows" ... or as I should more properly say it, "as Weebly allows." Thank you so much, Cali!

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A most important writers conference ...

2/17/2014

1 Comment

For authors and poets, whether published or not yet ready to publish their work, there are few gatherings that are as empowering as the annual San Francisco Writers Conference. I have now attended it six times!

Reflecting back on this weekend, spent among authors, aspiring authors, poets, agents, publicists, and so on, I can happily report that this year's conference was, for me, exponentially better than all of the previous SFWC's.

What was it that made this conference so much better? For me, it comes down to something akin to Rote Learning, wherein one develops a deeper understanding through repetition, while grafting in new content and scope.

I felt a bit overwhelmed by all of the of new and wonderful information coming my way during my initial weekend at the SFWC, and I hung on tight to the benevolent guidance of the seasoned attendees and staff there.

The subsequent year, I was more familiar with the SFWC, and I learned how to better glean the pertinent and precious gems of knowledge that are strewn among panels, workshops, and other attendees .. and so on and so on.

It is quite possible to acquire an agent and a book deal during this conference. I've seen it happen. For Echoes, however, the conference showed me that self-publishing was the way to go, and why. Hence, the San Francisco Writers Conference is remarkably ripe with myriad opportunities and lessons.

It is largely due to this conference that I am able to present Echoes, Neo-Victorian Poetry in book form to any and all who are interested in rhyming verse. This year, my book was for sale, and sold, in the conference bookshop.
If you are a writer, and have never attended this important conference before, here is my advice to you:

1) Investigate what was on offer this year on the San Francisco Writers Conference website, which you can find by clicking here.

2) Begin to pay close attention to this website, beginning in October, for the schedule contents, writer's contests, and updates.

3) Join the SFWC Facebook community.

4) Attend the next San Francisco Writers Conference in February 2015.

For those of you who cannot afford to pay the SFWC attendance fees, there are scholarships available, as well as some volunteer opportunities. However you manage it, I invite you to join me in February 2015 at the next San Francisco Writers Conference. You'll be very glad you did.

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Valentine's Day, with writers ...

2/13/2014

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Tomorrow is Valentine's Day ... when I will find myself once again surrounded by citizens from all regions of Writerdom at the San Francisco Writer's Conference. And this year, I get to attend it with my husband.

Just why this event always falls on Valentine's Day I do not know, but it is an awesome, fun and inspiring venue, populated by some very caring and thoughtful people. Dan Poynter, as I mentioned earlier, for one.

Since the conference runs all weekend long, my next post, on Sunday, may be a tad delayed, as was this one. It would be nice to have a tail to tell or two by then, or at least an upshot on how it went and all. Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I've spent a good deal of time today writing a poem for a Valentine's Day card. Why bother with commercial cards when you can make your own, right? It also puts another poem at the ready for, perhaps, another book of verse. which is coming along nicely. Just a few more poems to pen ...

For now, since I have a concert to attend this evening, I must sign off with one more shout out for the San Francisco Writer's Conference. Drop on by if you happen to be in San Francisco, and say, "Hi." I would love to see you there.

Once again, for more information on the SFWC, please click here.

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Thank you ever so much, Mr. Poynter!

2/9/2014

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Every year, during the Valentine's Day weekend, you can find me at the San Francisco Writer's Conference. My position there is voluntary, and it puts me smack in the middle of agents, publishers, marketers, and other authors.

Last year, Dan Poynter, the modern day grandfather of self-publishing, spent a few hours with Emily Thompson and me, sharing with us many of the facets of going indie, as well as a variety of reasons to do so. It was awesome.

At one point, he picked up a book from the seller's table and told us to examine the paper it was printed on, which was cheap newsprint. He told us how publisher might trim material from a book to keep their costs down.

Unfortunately, he had walking pneumonia at the time, and yet he refused to sit and rest rather than talk with us. This subject is important to him. Dan told us what had gotten him into self publishing such a long time ago.

As he told it, one of his college buddies had invited him to go skydiving. Dan fell in love with it and the next day, he went up twice. On the day after that he skydived three times. He couldn't get enough of it, and it didn't end there.

One day, he went into the shop where he rented his skydiving gear and asked if they had a book on the sport. The owner was surprised. No, they gave lessons, but they had never had a book on it in the shop.

So Dan went home and wrote a book about skydiving, and published it himself. Then, he went back to the shop with a small stack of his books and asked if they would mind keeping them on consignment for him.

At that time, self-publishing came with a stigma. It told people that your book probably wasn't any good. One needed an agent and a publishing house behind you. Dan had taken a very bold, calculated step.

A week later, he walked into the shop again. Right away, the shopkeeper came up to Dan and asked him if he had any more books. The shop had sold out of them and they had become very popular. His books kept selling out.

I owe Dan Poynter an immense amount of thanks for his encouragement and his guidance. He was so very generous of his time and knowledge, and I am hoping to see him again this year at the San Francisco Writer's Conference.

For more information on the San Francisco Writer's Conference, click here.

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"What is MBH?" he asked...

2/5/2014

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Some time ago, my husband and I had finished our meal in a restaurant, relinquished our plates and cutlery to the busboy, and were awaiting the check, when my husband turned to me.

"I have MBH." he whispered. "Okay if I wait for you outside?"

I smiled and said, "Sure baby, I'll see you out there."

A few minutes later, a waiter came by with our check. He glanced at it, then back at me, and asked, "You were here with someone, right?"

"Yes," I said, "I'm here with my husband, but he has MBH."

"Oh! I am so sorry," he said. A hesitant moment later he asked, "Um, ... what is MBH?"

"It stands for My Butt Hurts, " I said rather flatly.

His expression went from empathy to stunned. Within a heartbeat, he turned on his heels and walked away. True story.

I mention this little vignette as introduction to the fact that I have also developed MBH, though in the trade it is commonly referred to as Writer's Butt. Alas, this is not a mild, nor a laughable, affliction.

As a poet. I can walk the room and elsewhere, attend briefly to other needful things, and am only faintly aware of the world from behind my glazed-over eyes. Writing poetry is so much more mobile.

As an author, I now find myself being too well rooted to my seat for far too long. The accompanying symptoms come on so gradually, I scarcely notice them at all, until my calves begin to seize and scream!

And, I now wake up every morning with the essence of my "novel" floating vaguely in my mind, teasing at me to open the file and look more closely at it, work on it, immerse myself in it's greedy needs...

I mentioned these details to Emily Thompson, Author of the Clockwork Twist series. She smiled and gently patted me on the shoulder. "Well, congratulations!" she said. "You're an author!"

Wow! In my head, I had to publish my "novel" before I could consider myself "an author." I do have all the symptoms, though. Okay then! But for now, I'm sticking with calling it MBH.

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One would like to respond ...

2/2/2014

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I do wish that I could respond to the comments left for me on this blog. Though that area is open to you, the reader, that is not the case for me. I am only given two options: to "Read" or "Delete" a post.

Though I continue to investigate Weebly for avenues of responding, I have hit a brick wall at this point. So, if there is a blog mason out there who knows how to fix this shortcoming, please let me know.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoy reading your comments. A blogger can always use a bit of encouragement, and I have received many supportive responses, as well as some brilliant snarky quips.

As you've no doubt noticed, my posts generally rotate around the topics that I'm working out, or events that I am involved with, but I do recognize that life is a great deal larger than my personal dealings.

And so, I put it to you who read this blog: would you like to suggest a topic that you would like me to write about? Mind you that, unless I know your email address, you'll have to assume that, "I'm on it!"

In the meantime, I am gearing up to once again attend the San Francisco Writer's Conference. This annual event brings together authors, publishers, agents, and offers all manner of resources.

If you would like to see more information about this wonderfully helpful and inspiring event, please click here. More on this later...

0 Comments

Happy 1st Birthday, Blog! \(^0^)/

I can reply to blog comments now!!!

A most important writers conference ...

Valentine's Day, with writers ...

Thank you ever so much, Mr. Poynter!

"What is MBH?" he asked...

One would like to respond ...

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