Happy New Year from Mysterious Issues
I want to wish everyone the best of new years. Here’s to your plans and writing goals. May you achieve your dreams.
Photo by The Gifted Photographer
Writing Quote of the Day
Charles Dickens walks into a bar and orders a martini.
The bartender asks, “Olive or twist?”
Other Duties as Assigned
Every employee hates to hear that phrase, “other duties as assigned.” Bosses add that bit of lingo to cover those odd jobs that come your way. No longer can you cop out of a job saying, “That’s not in my job description.” Read the fine print. It’s there.
I had one of those assignments the other day. The boss asked me to print a document, which I did. When I looked it over to make all the pages were there, I noticed that it wasn’t in English, only the abstract. I took it back to the boss and told him. “Well, yes,” he said, “I’m going to get a translation done.”
The document was pretty long, over eight pages in fine type. Being the dutiful employee that I am, I thought that maybe I could give it a try. There are, after all, online services that will translate a document.
Of course, this had to be a more complicated process. First, I had to convert the PDF to a DOC file. That wasn’t too hard. The next thing was finding a translator site. I managed to find that too. So, I had the document converted into English.
There’s a bit of a catch when using an automated service. There are bound to be errors. Part of the translation went well, because it was science terminology. That’s pretty straight forward. Every now and again, a glaring error would practically pop off the page. I was able to score some brownie points and give my boss a few laughs, but next time, get a live person to do the free translation.
Tech Tip: Getting Free Stuff
If you’re like me, free stuff is good. Especially when times are tough, good deals can be hard to come by. When one does, strike early rather than later.
Listia is an auction site that I recently stumbled upon. The auction site operates on a point system, with 300 points when you sign up. Rather than bidding on dollars, you bid using points that you earn or buy. The site is new, so the opportunities to snatch up some deals are there, like this portable 7″ DVD player. The electronics section had several good items for writers including USB drives.
It’s a good concept, kind of like a barter and trade thing. In any case, it’s a good way to get empty those boxes stacked in the closet.
Writing Tip–The Power of Small
Today’s writing tip is about not forgetting the little things. I think sometimes we need to step back and take a long look at the value and power of small things.
I was reminded of the power of small the other day when I was working at the day job. I had put my contacts in earlier in the morning. As luck would have it, either something in the air or a bit of eyeshadow flecked off and into my eye, probably under the contact judging by its feel.
Those of you that wear contacts, I’m sure can appreciate the discomfort. Until I could do something about it, the little speck of whatever grated against my cornea. With tears in my eyes, I headed to the restroom to remove my contacts.
The incident reminded me of another time when the power of small became so clear. Cayenne pepper is a fine-ground spice. When it gets into your eye, it can cause havoc.
All of this got me wondering, just how powerful is small. I thought of other small things that have a huge impact like that tiny sliver that gets caught under your fingernail or small slice of a paper cut. All of these are minor things, yet in a certain context, they become huge.
I thought of this in terms of my writing. Sure, the big events drive a story, but what about the little things? Things like a sideways glance or a harshly-spoke “No!” can say a lot about character and plot. Pepper your story with a few of these and you will understand the power of small.
December 13–National Violin Day
If you didn’t know it, today is National Violin Day. What better time of year than the Christmas season than to promote violin music!
As kids, we always had music playing in our house. Whether it was my dad’s strange love for gypsy music or Fred Astaire singing, “Way You Look Tonight,” music filled our lives.
When I left home and the family’s electric organ, I admit that I missed music. I then decided to take up the violin. Now, for those of you that have never attempted playing the violin, let me tell you this–it’s hard. It requires a keen ear for pitch and melody. It requires strong arm muscles. Keeping that violin tucked under your chin is hard work too. Having callused fingertips also helps, but you’ll get those after time, so don’t worry.
Unlike other instruments where with a little practice it sounds like you’re playing something, the beginner’s road is a tough and painful one. It takes awhile not to make sound that makes the neighbor’s dog howl. I took lessons with a nice, patient Russian lady. Unfortunately, the violin and I were not destined to be. I gave it up after about six months.
Today, I have new appreciation for violin music. I appreciate it for its beauty. I appreciate it for the skill that is necessary to play well. Today, as good as any day, it a good day to savor some of the most beautiful music ever.
Tech Tip: Backpack for Blog Posts
Today’s tech tip is about staying organized. As a writer of five blogs, I often find it overwhelming to keep up. However, each of them are unique and give me a chance to indulge in my favorite things. Writing, of course, is one of them.
I’ve tried to come up with a system to keep my blogs current and to plan posts. I like to use evenings, when I’m just hanging out maybe watching TV to do my planning. I can plan, but not have to be totally engaged. One system I’ve been using for a few months now is BackPack.
There’s so much to like about BackPack. It’s easy to use, intuitive. The layout is attractive. For blog planning, I’ll use the calendar function. I have color-coded calendars set up for each of my blogs. At the beginning of each month, I’ll plan my posts. There will be obvious seasonal topics. I’ll add those. I also include my regular weekly posts.
Oftentimes, I’ll mull around ideas for posts. To make sure they actually happen, I’ll add them to my BackPack calendar. Then, when it’s time to start writing, I’ll refer back to my calendar for post ideas.
Another way I use it is through Pages. I’ve accumulated several regular sources from my nonfiction writing. Of course, efficiency in writing is always a plus. I created pages for my typical writing topics. Then, I’ll add my reference links, formatted for inclusion in my work.
I’ll also use the Pages to note sites with particular information or statistics that I find compelling or useful. I’ll enter the info on one line and right below, cite the source. The formatting alone saves me a lot of time. I don’t have to worry about errors from re-entering information. My work feels more streamlined.
When time is money, anything you can do to save some moments here or there is valuable. With BackPack, I have my calendar, references and resources in one place.
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