Last Wednesday I looked at human connections. This week I delve into connections in logic and events.
I think it perhaps is the writer in me, or maybe that pesky remnant of my left brain, that looks for logical connections between events and people. Sometimes, also, illogical connections. What do I mean?
What is the connection between weather and mood, mood and action, action and reaction?
When I see a behavior, an event, or even a natural phenomenon, I start looking at the cause and effect relationships. I don’t mean in an algebraic sense. I’m terrible at math, especially algebra proofs. I do love, though, sorting out the factors that lead people and animals to behave as they do.
If my friend lashes out at a friendly barista when she makes a simple mistake, is it in character or out? If out of character, why did it happen? Is my friend having a bad day and, if he is, then why? Is it a personal problem, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or a problem with medication dosage?
When earthquakes and tsunamis start ripping through the earth at a startling rate, I wonder about that rate. Is there a cause and effect relationship within the earth's plates that causes a ripple effect (um, yes, pretty sure there is)? Does the earth go through this cycle every several hundred years, or is this a sign of the coming end? Or have things been this bad all along, and we just didn't have the technology to spread the word?
And what about the connection between such disasters and the humans who endure them.? The people of Japan show amazing fortitude in the face of calamity. In other places, such events would lead to looting and rioting. What is the connection between events and reactions? What deep recesses of the soul lead some to amazing heights of courage and others to the darkest depths of human behavior?
Maybe I’m wrong about this being something writers examine in particular. Perhaps this is another trait all humanity shares. I’m not sure it is, though, because I often find myself getting sideways stares when I start asking why people behave in certain ways under not-so-certain circumstances. These, though, are the questions that drive my thoughts…who, what, where, when, how and why.
Next Wednesday, the role of connections in our lives.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday Update -- 3/28/11
After suffering a major relapse last Wednesday, I again find myself pulling my hair out over how little I accomplished and how far behind I am. I was so ill last week, I simply forgot about the writer's group on Tuesday. They probably don't expect to see me again.
Here's what else I haven't done; I haven't:
I did take a bit of a plunge last Friday. Thursday, I opened our local paper (a weekly that comes out on Wednesdays). I scanned all 6 pages and, for the first time in months, looked at the help wanted ads. That same paper, the Gazette-Times, is currently looking for a part-time news editor.
I wasn't on the hunt for a job. I wasn't consciously seeking an opportunity. But...part time? Two days a week? News editor? I dropped off my resume on Friday.
I haven't heard back one way or the other yet. It has only been three days. I imagine that, even in a town of 1,300, there's some stiff competition. I'm praying though, and have all fingers and toes crossed.
In some ways I feel like this may be a sign of insanity. After all, I purposely try to work from home in order to raise my daughter myself (versus having a daycare do it). I don't feel I need more on my plate right now; I'm busy enough.
In other ways, I feel I'm going to seed. This job, if gotten, could be what I need to give me back a bit of my edge. Besides, we need the money.
So, there's my situation for the week. How's everyone else doing this last Monday in March?
Here's what else I haven't done; I haven't:
- Trimmed my short romance to Woman's World requirements,
- Written the Shadowland post for my last deadline (with another deadline coming at me on Wednesday),
- Marketed any of the tips or fillers I have lying around,
- Written outlines or drafts for miscellaneous ideas,
- Done anything with my children's books,
- Worked on my NIP,
- Journaled, or
- Much else.
I did take a bit of a plunge last Friday. Thursday, I opened our local paper (a weekly that comes out on Wednesdays). I scanned all 6 pages and, for the first time in months, looked at the help wanted ads. That same paper, the Gazette-Times, is currently looking for a part-time news editor.
I wasn't on the hunt for a job. I wasn't consciously seeking an opportunity. But...part time? Two days a week? News editor? I dropped off my resume on Friday.
I haven't heard back one way or the other yet. It has only been three days. I imagine that, even in a town of 1,300, there's some stiff competition. I'm praying though, and have all fingers and toes crossed.
In some ways I feel like this may be a sign of insanity. After all, I purposely try to work from home in order to raise my daughter myself (versus having a daycare do it). I don't feel I need more on my plate right now; I'm busy enough.
In other ways, I feel I'm going to seed. This job, if gotten, could be what I need to give me back a bit of my edge. Besides, we need the money.
So, there's my situation for the week. How's everyone else doing this last Monday in March?
Friday, March 25, 2011
Ramblings, Reflections and a Blog Roundup -- 3/25/11
I can't believe it's Friday. I imagine I'm not alone in that thought.
It seems strange to me to think in those terms since I don't have a Monday through Friday, 8 to 5 kind of job. Being a mom is more like a 24/7 job, while trying to squeeze everything else in around the edges. Still, years of dealing with a 9-5 environment has left me with the continuing urge to measure weeks in five-day units. So, another week has passed.
I suffered a relapse of the cold I thought I was beating. So, not much got done besides the basics. By the basics, I mean feeding and clothing my family (barely) and...well, that's pretty much it.
Enough about my life. That can all be said in my Monday update. Here's what I found in my Google Reader this week.
A question about the use of real place names turns into an answer about not giving into distractions on Rachelle Gardner's blog.
Keep Your Eye on the Ball
On the same blog, guest blogger Mary Demuth weighs in on 7 Ways to Be a Professional. Since this is something I work hard at (yes, despite apparent flaws), I thought it worth including in this roundup.
7 Ways to Be a Professional
We've all heard the slogan, "Write what you know." What if you want to write about a place you've never been? Write It Sideways has a great post on the topic, complete with pros, cons and helpful advice.
7 Tips for Writing About Places You’ve Never Been
When I first started reading Mary's post at KidLit.com, I thought, "Yeah, I've heard this before." But her post on matching detail and syntax to content turned out to be insightful and worth the read, even if you simply consider it a reminder.
Mimetic Writing
T.L. Cooper has an interesting post on priorities and the workaholic in her over at Write with TLC.
The Workaholic in Me
This last one has nothing to do with writing. As a frustrated travel addict, though, I enjoy reading Ryan's posts on his thoughts. It doesn't hurt that he's an old college friend. Anyway, this post from The Savvy Traveler was well-written and worth the read. And maybe it does apply to writing, if you bend your mind enough.
What's the Nature of Your Travel Addiction?
That should be enough to keep us all busy. I continue to battle a cold, so I know I missed tons of great posts this week. My apologies to the authors of those posts; I'll catch you on the next go-around! Till then, happy Friday and happy writing.
It seems strange to me to think in those terms since I don't have a Monday through Friday, 8 to 5 kind of job. Being a mom is more like a 24/7 job, while trying to squeeze everything else in around the edges. Still, years of dealing with a 9-5 environment has left me with the continuing urge to measure weeks in five-day units. So, another week has passed.
I suffered a relapse of the cold I thought I was beating. So, not much got done besides the basics. By the basics, I mean feeding and clothing my family (barely) and...well, that's pretty much it.
Enough about my life. That can all be said in my Monday update. Here's what I found in my Google Reader this week.
A question about the use of real place names turns into an answer about not giving into distractions on Rachelle Gardner's blog.
Keep Your Eye on the Ball
On the same blog, guest blogger Mary Demuth weighs in on 7 Ways to Be a Professional. Since this is something I work hard at (yes, despite apparent flaws), I thought it worth including in this roundup.
7 Ways to Be a Professional
We've all heard the slogan, "Write what you know." What if you want to write about a place you've never been? Write It Sideways has a great post on the topic, complete with pros, cons and helpful advice.
7 Tips for Writing About Places You’ve Never Been
When I first started reading Mary's post at KidLit.com, I thought, "Yeah, I've heard this before." But her post on matching detail and syntax to content turned out to be insightful and worth the read, even if you simply consider it a reminder.
Mimetic Writing
T.L. Cooper has an interesting post on priorities and the workaholic in her over at Write with TLC.
The Workaholic in Me
This last one has nothing to do with writing. As a frustrated travel addict, though, I enjoy reading Ryan's posts on his thoughts. It doesn't hurt that he's an old college friend. Anyway, this post from The Savvy Traveler was well-written and worth the read. And maybe it does apply to writing, if you bend your mind enough.
What's the Nature of Your Travel Addiction?
That should be enough to keep us all busy. I continue to battle a cold, so I know I missed tons of great posts this week. My apologies to the authors of those posts; I'll catch you on the next go-around! Till then, happy Friday and happy writing.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Connections -- Part 1
I look for connections everywhere.
I don’t know if it’s my rural upbringing, my writer’s mind or some human trait we all share, but I follow the thread of every person I meet or event I encounter to see how it connects with other people and events. I do this as a person, but also as a writer. That’s why I’ve decided to write a short series of posts on the subject. I’ll write about connections with people, connections with events, how connections shape our lives and how those connections shape our writing.
First up, connections in humanity.
Human Connections
I believe it is, in fact, a very human endeavor to examine the connections between ourselves and others. Whether we’re raised on a wheat farm in Oregon, an Italian neighborhood in the Bronx or a village in Botswana, all of us find something satisfying in establishing connections between ourselves and others.
Whenever you hear of a person-centered event in your community--a birth, death, wedding, accident or arrest--what is the first thing you do? If your family is like mine, you look for relationships. "Ah, yes, so and so who’s getting married is the son of this person who was related to that person who was a next door neighbor of the other person, who is--of course--a second cousin of such and such."
Like any good “Six Degrees” game, you eventually end up with a connection. Maybe it’s a familial connection. Maybe it’s not. In any case, you get close enough to establish that person’s place in your world. They are no longer simply a disembodied name. They are someone who, no matter how convoluted the path, is firmly fixed in your reality. You have a connection.
Next Wednesday: connections in logic and events.
I don’t know if it’s my rural upbringing, my writer’s mind or some human trait we all share, but I follow the thread of every person I meet or event I encounter to see how it connects with other people and events. I do this as a person, but also as a writer. That’s why I’ve decided to write a short series of posts on the subject. I’ll write about connections with people, connections with events, how connections shape our lives and how those connections shape our writing.
First up, connections in humanity.
Human Connections
I believe it is, in fact, a very human endeavor to examine the connections between ourselves and others. Whether we’re raised on a wheat farm in Oregon, an Italian neighborhood in the Bronx or a village in Botswana, all of us find something satisfying in establishing connections between ourselves and others.
Whenever you hear of a person-centered event in your community--a birth, death, wedding, accident or arrest--what is the first thing you do? If your family is like mine, you look for relationships. "Ah, yes, so and so who’s getting married is the son of this person who was related to that person who was a next door neighbor of the other person, who is--of course--a second cousin of such and such."
Like any good “Six Degrees” game, you eventually end up with a connection. Maybe it’s a familial connection. Maybe it’s not. In any case, you get close enough to establish that person’s place in your world. They are no longer simply a disembodied name. They are someone who, no matter how convoluted the path, is firmly fixed in your reality. You have a connection.
Next Wednesday: connections in logic and events.
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