Meryl's Notes Blog at meryl.net by Writer Meryl K. Evans

Links: Julius Caesar 2010 Edition

2010-03-19T14:00:29Z

: Image via Wikipedia

“What the …? Julius Caesar?” OK, I used St. Patrick’s Day last week so it’d appear before the actual day. Easter and Passover (Eastover? Passter?) are not until next week. OK, so the Ides of March as mentioned in Julius Caesar comes before St. Patrick’s Day, but I was outta ideas. Since we’re talking Roman dates, this could be the XIX edition. So is this my Seinfeld post for the month where I talk about nothing?

Brain food…

Wordoid: Creative naming service for product names, web sites, domains and whatnot.
PaperRater: Not just for college students. Free resource to help students improve their writing. (Writers, too!) [Link: BitRebels]
How I’d Negotiate with Clients Wanting oDesk “Features”: Great response to one writer’s experience with oDesk.
Book Summary Template: How to Get the Most from a Book: While it’s best to pick a few books and read them often to better grasp and implement new knowledge, some of us like to read a variety. This template will help you make the most out of a book.
How Writers Can Manage Federal Income Taxes: Don’t. Shoot. Messenger. Also, 5 tips for filing your taxes easily.

And for fun because we’re allowed…

The Lost Art of Handwriting: Embroidered email designs. Who knew such embroidery and email could be moving.
Intranet Secrets: Who knew the intranet could be funny?
Evolution of Tech Companies’ Logos: How did I ever miss Apple’s original logo? First I’ve seen it.
Sketch a Move: I’ve seen something similar where you draw the move and the car follows your drawing or maybe it was a robot? [Link: Mark Hurst]
Paradoxymoron: Cool painting of bookshelves by Patrick Hughes. [Link: Mark, too]
Paris 26 Gigapixels: Take an interactive trip around Paris. No plane ticket needed. [And Mark again!]

Guest Post: 4 Essential Traits of a Writer

2010-03-18T13:33:21Z

: Image via Wikipedia

I did not set out to become a professional writer. Instead, serendipity had a large role to play in my career. But my choice of profession did not surprise people who’ve known me since my school and college days. They expected it all along, given that they saw me acing essays and winning poetry and short story competitions.

They saw traits of a natural writer, someone who felt comfortable with words and who did not have to strive hard to come up with a decent essay or story even at short notice. People recognize a writer through a few essential traits especially the following.

1. Writers are voracious readers: I’ve been a bookworm since the time I was six when I discovered the wonderful world of books. I devoured any written material I could grab. Even today, I would rather curl up with a book than watch a movie or flip TV channels.

Most writers love to read. Their love of books makes them want to write, and the more they read, the better writers they become. Reading as much as you can about varied subjects, topics and viewpoints is the best way to stay current and improve your writing. Good writers know and understand this unwritten rule.

2. Writers are intuitive thinkers: Good writers are able to think deeper about any subject and delve into it instead of skimming through it on a superficial level. They know that without a good understanding of any topic or niche, then they cannot write comprehensively about it. So whatever their chosen genre or niche, they work to stay up to date and understand it thoroughly.

3. Writers are observant bystanders: A writer’s sub-conscious is always on the lookout for story ideas. They look at situations differently from others in their quest to find an interesting article or book.

They also know how use their creative instincts and spin a story the right way. For example, if the style is serious, they don’t cloud the narration with flashy language. If they have the liberty to spin a yarn, they do it to the best of their ability. In short, writers’ brains work overtime when they sense a story in any situation. They don’t rest until they sort through the idea and transform it into words that lead to a good article or book.

4. Writers are diligent researchers: A writer needs strong research skills consistently achieve success. You may know your subject well, but any story or article has to be thoroughly researched and the facts double-checked to avoid making mistakes and losing your credibility. Good writers know they must have the patience to plod through their research. Otherwise, they won’t achieve the kind of success that they want.

This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of online degrees. She welcomes your comments at her email id: anna.miller009@gmail.com.

Chasing away the Jealousy Greens

2010-03-16T21:33:41Z

: Image by oliverchesler via Flickr

Celia Rivenbark has a great guest post here about Fighting the Green-Eyed Monster that describes how I feel once in a while when I let my amygdala (the caveman brain) do the leading instead of the hippocampus (the developed brain). I’ve heard it all:

Jealousy wastes time and energy…
Don’t compare yourself to others, measure your own progress…
We don’t tell others we’re jealous of them, so I bet some folks are jealous of you and you don’t know it!
Forget them, focus on you!
List your accomplishments.
Keep practicing… keep doing…

Love this quote.

“Jealousy is all the fun you think they had.” Erica Jong

We can be logical all we want about jealousy, but that doesn’t stop our caveman brains from pushing all logic out the door. So I asked fellow writers how they deal with it.

“I think jealousy is a natural part of the process. There are two choices. A. Become bitter. B. Continue to hone skills.” Maureen Wood

“Not ‘jealous’ but MOTIVATED!” Mary Jo Campbell

“Jealousy is a huge waste of time. It should be a quick peek at the scoreboard then get back to thinking/writing.” Jim Canterucci

“I mutter vulgarities under my breath and tell myself I’m way better looking. ” Roberta Rosenberg

“Everyone focus on your own work, please. Less time watching what others are doing, more time doing what you are doing. Oops, sorry, that was Christina the teacher talking. How do I do it? Hmmm…well, I guess it’s true, I’m only jealous of others if I’m focusing on them instead of me. If I focus on me, then I’m in my own process and there is no room there for jealousy. Plus I’m feeling good about what I’m getting done.” Christina Katz

“I figure there was a reason they got to and I didn’t. Then I look for that reason. It may be I’m not ready yet, or my path leading to publication is different (subject matter, or angle, etc.) I also congratulate them if I know them, or try to connect with them if I don’t (if I can find something to ask them), or help promote them… again, there’s a reason their perspective is in the world, so at that point someone must be able to benefit.” Christa Miller

“I admit that they beat me to it because I wasn’t quick enough off the mark, congratulate them and try to learn from the experience. I don’t usually feel jealousy.” Sharon Hurley Hall

“I know I have a place and a purpose; I keep my heart and eyes focused on the goals I have set for myself. Rejoice with those who rejoice!” Dawn Herring

“Look at all the things that you have been blessed with…..and remember to appreciate God’s gifts. You have no way of knowing how good or bad the other person’s life has been or may be in the future.” Kristen Clark Baldridge, one of my bestest friends ever since the age of five.

“Jealousy is a waste of energy. I try to read Lifebook every day.” Jeffrey Johnson, a former coworker and a lifetime friend who left Texas for Tennessee.

“Write the sequel!” Eileen Martell, worked with my mom when I was a young’un.

Excellent advice. Next time, cavegirl brain decides to bonk me on the head — I’ll read these.

P.S. It’s coincidental that St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow. Nothing to do with the good kind of green!

How do you deal with ol’ greenie? Why do you think rears its ugly head?

Links: St. Patrick’s Day Edition 2010

2010-03-12T15:34:30Z

My family doesn’t have a drop of Irishness in our blood — that we know of, anyway. But that never stopped my dad and me from wearing green on March 17th. Dad went the extra mile by wearing a dark green suit to work with some silly button like, “Kiss me, I’m Irish.” Obviously, he liked to have fun and I am sure some folks today would say the button is harassment. No matter, count on my wearing green.

Brain food…

8 Must-Have Twitter and Facebook Add-Ons: Oh yes, add-ons go beyond browsers and blog apps. The article forgot to point to the scripts (all use Greasemonkey), which can you find by searching userscripts.org. Facebook Purity explains how to install scripts for other browsers.
Synopsis Tips for Writers: Excellent short post. [Link: BubbleCow]
10 Turnsoffs Keeping Readers from My Blog: These are the unwritten rules I tend to follow… at least, I hope I am.
10 Amazing Life Lessons You Can Learn from Albert Einstein: Not a single one has anything to do with relativity.
33 Writing Terms You Should Know: When WIP on an ms, be sure to stick to DL while following GL [Link: BubbleCow -- awesome resource... follow @bubblecow!]
Research Tip: Finding Crutch Words: Do you keep using some words repeatedly? I try not to, but with all that I write… it can be tough. Current challenge is to avoid that and which. Not easy! [Link: @elizabethscraig]
Top 100 Sites on the Internet: Very cool interactive graphic. [Link: @kirstinbutler]

Image from jimbowen0306 / CC BY 2.0

And for fun because we’re allowed…

10 Coolest Foosball Tables: Aww… My husband just has an ordinary table.
70+ Examples Of Beautiful Night Photography: Breathtaking… [Link: Ruhani Rabin]
40 Outstanding Mascot Designs: I’d love to have one… but not sure it would fit this site’s brand. Or what. My favorite mascot: Fort Worth’s TCU Horned Frogs. I found many horned toads in my backyard while growing up. [Link: bkmacdaddy]
Junkyard steampunk Yoda: Serious, I am.
5 Browsers and the Modes of Transportation They Resemble: Pretty darn accurate.
Top 10 Japanese Etiquette Mistakes: I love reading about cultures and etiquette even though I never get to try them (or avoid them). I learned about #2 from my husband and I have used it.
Friday Funnies: Words Shape Your Existence: Great way to kick off weekend (and Spring Break for some of us). [Link: @alexkaris]

Game du Jour: Week of 15 March 2010

2010-03-12T15:15:06Z

The following games will be discounted next week on Game du Jour, the first ‘one-deal-a-day’ website dedicated to indie and casual games:

Mon. February 15th: 50% off on Born Into Darkness

Tue. February 16th: 65% off on The Clumsys 2: Butterfly Effect

Wed. February 17th: 65% off on Evoly

Thu. February 18th: 50% off on Many Years Ago

Fri. February 19th: 65% off on Farm Mania 2

Sat. February 20th: 65% off on Azteca

Sun. February 21st: 65% off on Green Valley – Fun on the Farm

10 Reasons Why I’m Not Going to sxsw interactive

2010-03-11T20:27:54Z

Image via Wikipedia

I enjoyed the two times I went to sxsw interactive in 2002 and 2003. I met a lot of folks and put many names with faces. I’m grateful I went to Break Bread with Brad as Brad L. Graham passed away recently. He was a warm person who welcomed everyone to his delightful event. I also played in Anil Dash’s KICK! in 2002. It’s like kickball where no one is picked last!

I told a story at Fray Cafe both years. (Here’s the story from 2002.) I participated in 20×2, one question in two minutes. The question: “What are you waiting for?” Well, I was proud of my entry because I was not good at creating such a video, but it got messed up when it transferred to the presentation computer. It messed up all the timing and animation. I was embarrassed and disappointed.

Oh, and I was almost eight months pregnant in 2003. I obviously enjoyed many memorable experiences I would never had without sxsw. Why wouldn’t I go and create more this year? And to make it harder, many freelance colleagues and a couple of clients will be there. OK, here’s why — but pprlisa’s list is the best!

It’s time to shake Austin. My last trip? Austin. The trip before that. Austin. About four or five trips to Austin and no where else. When you live in the great state of Texas, a lot of events tend to occur in Austin including PTA. I’m starting to think there are only two places in the world: Texas and Washington, DC, the only time I’ve ever lived outside of Texas.
I need to catch up on recorded programs before the DVRs explodes. Yes, that’s plural. I record almost everything. As a mom of three, watching TV makes you feel guilty — but not when you’re doing the laundry or exercising while watching it. Since my circadian rhythm will be off-kilter when Daylight Savings Time kicks in on March 14, TV is the best medicine — thereby, guilt-free.
I must stop daughter from getting tons of piercings. She’s wanted to add two more ears piercings for a while. No problem. Suddenly, the list grew and she wanted it all done during spring break. Dearie… let’s start with two. Besides that, she’s the kind who doesn’t take kindly to pain. More than two piercings will make her wisdom teeth removal experience look like a basic dental cleaning.
I want people to remember me as my photo. The photo that’s my avatar everywhere is from 2005. I don’t know if I can pull off a good hair day the whole time there. Curly hair has a mind of its own.
I need to avoid the temptation to buy more books. Oh, count on seeing plenty of authors hawking their books. I bought signed copies of books by Lawrence Lessig, Cory Doctorow (I also sat next to him at Fray Cafe) and Rebecca Blood. My pocketbook is being too appreciative. Sadly, out of those three that I remember, I’ve only read one.
I have my Austin phoon shot. I went back in 2003 despite having the phoon shot from 2002 because I knew that as a very pregnant woman, I’d have no chance of retaining my balance. It was like a free pass.
I can’t tell a Fray story. Fray Cafe is no more.
I like torturing myself. Anytime I go into Twitter — I see a mention of someone going to sxsw. I love knowing who I am missing out on and torturing my soul so I can write the baddest and saddest poem ever. Either that or it’ll give me a good reason to stay off Twitter for a week and spend spring break time with the kids. Nah…
I have a bad case of overwhelmitis. sxsw has grown so big, it’d blow out my expensive cochlear implant batteries too frequently. Plus, it’ll be harder to plug in my laptop with many more folks in attendance all fighting for the few outlets. And sxsw-i has grown more than double. I’m an introvert on Myers-Briggs — it does not mean I’m shy … I’m not. It means being around large crowds drains my energy. Even in 2002 and 2003 when it was a nice sized conference, I collapsed at the end of the day and when I arrived home. I’m an ISTJ in case you were not wondering.
I have no chance in foursquare. The folks at sxsw are the type who use the location-based service religiously. I’m a sore loser Why do you think a telecommunications company is having to up its network service at Austin Convention Center? Because 95 percent of attendees connected to the Internet to tweet, blog, check in foursquare, etc.

Diner Dash 5: Boom! Regular Version Released

2010-03-11T20:04:21Z

The regular version of Diner Dash 5: Boom! is now available for $6.99. Here is the review of Diner Dash 5: Boom!

The Collector’s Edition includes:

Exclusive advanced levels for extra gameplay
An interactive strategy guide
Behind the scenes concept art
Animated screensaver and wallpapers
“Flo Over Time” historical retrospective

Guest Post: How Writing Helps to Heal

2010-03-10T13:12:23Z

Welcome to meryl’s notes blog (this here place you’re lookin’ at) in Plano, Texas. We’re honored to be a stop in Linda Joy Myers‘ WOW! Women On Writing Blog tour.

About Linda Joy Myers Ph.D. She’s president of the National Association of Memoir Writers and a practicing psychotherapist. She is the author of The Power of Memoir and Don’t Call Me Mother: Breaking the Chain of Mother Daughter Abandonment, which won the Gold Medal Award from the Bay Area Independent Publishing Association in 2007.

How Writing Helps to Heal by Linda Joy Meyers

Most of us intuitively know that writing our thoughts and feelings helps us to feel better, but now research shows that writing helps to heal both the mind and the body. In 1999, the first studies came out about studies done by Dr. James Pennebaker and other that writing helps to heal such physical ailments as arthritis and asthma. Since then other studies have shown immune system improvements when a person writes about traumatic or upsetting events for only a few minutes. Traumas can include events such as war, natural disasters but many of us have suffered traumas from within the home through some kind of abuse or abandonment, or betrayal by a loved one.

Whether a trauma occurs at home or out in the world, it remains part of body memory and could even return in a flashback. During the last few years, a lot of new research has been done on the chemistry of the brain in regards to trauma and strong negative emotions such as rage and fear. Traumatic memories are stored differently than regular memories, which means that it’s harder to put them to rest and move forward. You might have recurring dreams or get stuck in a memory that repeats over and over again like a stuck record.

Writing your stories helps to put the past to rest, but some people are afraid of what they might encounter. I’ve learned that you can come at your writing indirectly, not confronting all the memories head on, by writing the light and positive stories as well. Pennebaker told his subjects that if a topic was too painful, they should write about something else, and the research shows that writing positive stories is about as healing as writing darker stories. You need to decide what path is better for you, and it’s important to take good care of yourself.

One way that writing heals is the weaving between being the narrator and the main character in a memoir story. This dual consciousness is part of the healing process, as the narrator helps us to develop a perspective on what happened, and the character “I” gets inside who we were then. When we write scenes using full sensual details, we take a small hypnotic trip to the past and live in our own skin for a while, then return to “now.” The process of writing and telling stories, especially if they are shared helps to heal and to change our perceptions of who we were and who we are now.

Interweaving Dark and Light Stories

It helps to weave back and forth between your dark and light memories to explore your healing stories and keep your emotional balance. Choose either the lighter or the darker topics. You may need to write a story several times to get through all the layers of your feelings.

The darker topics

Pain	Rejection
Loss	Despair
Vulnerability	Depression
Fear	Jealousy
Longing	Death
Abuse	Illness

Freewrite about one of the topics for 15-30 minutes. See if your feelings, thoughts, and reflections shift after writing. Journal about your observations. It always helps to keep an ongoing writing journal about your work.

Choose a memory that includes a positive quality and write that story.

Qualities of light

Peace	Love
Vulnerability	Trust
Joy	Forgiveness
Generosity	Empathy
Serenity	Courage

Further Reflections

What happened during the writing, and afterward?
Write a story where the beginning is darkness and the end is light, or the reverse.
Balance your memoir writing sessions between dark and light stories to keep an emotional balance.

The path of emotional healing is often like cleaning out an old wound: it hurts while we are cleaning it out, but we feel so much better afterward. It helps to have an ongoing practice that keeps the healing progressing. Here are some suggestions for your regular writing sessions.

Make a list of the darker memories that trouble you from time to time.
Write down the age you were when these difficult times happened.
Write down what you did to cope with the event at the time.
How do you feel now about the incident?
What would you have liked to happen differently?

Honor yourself during the process. Because the goal of this kind of writing is healing, give yourself permission to listen to the stories that arise naturally from within, stories that have an emotional punch for you. If you get stuck writing the same story, consider therapy or other emotional support.

Write about yourself at different ages and in new voices, you will be writing and witnessing from multiple perspectives, weaving a larger, more integrated story of your life.

Dark memories or trauma are resolved if you are no longer troubled by them. Resolution means that your life is not governed by your fears and you’re not disturbed when you remember the event. In other words, you remember it, but no longer have the emotional reaction that you had before. It’s become an event that happened, part of your life story, among many others.

Writing Tips

Protect your vulnerable self by distancing in the writing. First, write about what happened in the third person: “she” or “he” instead of “I.” Write as if you are watching the event in a movie.
Write a scene about a difficult incident, but make it turn out the way you would have wanted it to. Change the incident so it ends more pleasantly and positively.
Tell what happened before and after a difficult incident. Write around it, but not about the event itself.
Make a bare-bones list of what happened in the difficult incident and put it aside. Notice your feelings as you make the list.
Make a list of the dark topics or stories that you aren’t ready to write. List them by title or theme.
Make a list of the light stories, stories that bring you a feeling of well being, happiness, contentment, and safety. They may include memories about love, spiritual experiences, and miracles.
When you are ready, choose from the “light” list to write a story.
When you feel ready, write one of the dark stories.
Alternate as needed so you write your memoir in a way that feels balanced and safe.
Be brave — write your healing stories.

If you’re interested in writing to heal, check out Linda’s book, The Power of Memoir.

How does writing help you?

Links: Marching Right in 2010 Edition

2010-03-05T14:27:47Z

: Image via Wikipedia

Ah, I got nothing today — no stories, nada. Just lots and lots of work since I had a few appointments not related to business. At least, it’s been beautiful and sunny all week.

Brain food…

Bite-Size Edits: “Bite-Size Edits takes a text, chops it into pieces, and serves those pieces randomly to editors. Players get points for editing text, for providing useful comments, for helping to get a text completely edited.”
Using Web Tools For Creating and Managing Contracts: Important topic. I had one client (I had worked with him before without problems) who failed to live up to his part of agreement and I had no contract for it. (I know. Shame on me.)
How to Make Better Decisions: “Accepting ownership of consequences and balancing responsibility with your own personal goals lets you overcome stress, enabling you to making empowering decisions.”
I wish I would have known: Answers from 11 top freelancers: Focus on designers, but applies to others including writers. I wish I would have known that my inability to use the phone like everyone else would be a big barrier to getting clients. But reflecting on my life and career — the path that got me here was the best route.
The Five Best Mispronunciations I’ve Ever Heard: I love malapropisms every since I learned about them reading The Rivals
. They’re fun. They inject humor in a conversation. Just heard one on NCIS this week: A character from another country said in reference to Kennedy shooting, “…shot from the book suppository.” More discussions over at Nathan Branford’s blog.

And for fun because we’re allowed…

Cool and Unusual Business Card Designs: I love these round ups. Such creativity! And 10 free orange business card templates.
15 Entertaining Toilet Paper Designs: Notebook paper for writers. That’s productive!
15 photos that are real, not Photoshopped: My heart fell into my stomach looking at Dean Potter on tightrope walk in Yosemite.
Cool Cupcake Creations: Tasty! Glad I haven’t seen these locally… they’d be tough to resist!
Another 12 Unfortunate Logos: Aw, c’mon. How do you end up with these logos? Logo work isn’t something that’s done in five minutes and usually involves at least two people. Someone HAS to catch these!

Game du Jour: Week of 8 March 2010

2010-03-05T14:27:01Z

The following games will be discounted next week on Game du Jour, the first ‘one-deal-a-day’ website dedicated to indie and casual games:

Mon. March 8th: 50% off on House Racers

Tue. March 9th: 50% off on New Star Tennis

Wed. March 10th: 100% off on Space Spy – Free Game

Thu. March 11th: 45% off on Azada: Ancient Magic

Fri. March 12th: 65% off on Youda Legend: The Golden Bird of Paradise

Sat. March 13th: 60% off on Shaman Odyssey: Tropic Adventure

Sun. March 14th: 50% off on Hidden Identity – Chicago Blackout