When trying to try in a blog web address, you type part of it as ".blogpost.com" instead of "blogspot.com."
I feel like I've written a lot of emails with the words "blog post" to the blog editor recently at work. Today's the first time I've "mispelled" the URL that way.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Editor's Note
Today I wrote my first editor's note (a short, often italicized introduction to an article)! I was asked to "set up" an excerpt as an article and noticed that the last time that we did that we had an editor's note. By the time I was done writing it, I found I could tie the whole thing to a news article from a couple days ago. It felt great. It'll publish next month.
I'm thrilled that I got to write one. I guess because the word "editor" is in "editor's note" and I wrote it. So I'm an editor then, right? And I'm also still amazed when anything I write gets published.
I'm thrilled that I got to write one. I guess because the word "editor" is in "editor's note" and I wrote it. So I'm an editor then, right? And I'm also still amazed when anything I write gets published.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Grammar Love
Yesterday grammar made the news—on the homepage of Yahoo News to be exact.
This week I started reading The Glamour of Grammar (2010) by Roy Peter Clark. I'm really enjoying it! It's a book that celebrates the intricacies of language with a little bit of how-to in it.
As I read the book and talked with our editorial intern last week, I realized more that words and language are exciting to me in the same way my artistic friend gets excited about colors and design, and in the same way that my hubby loves board games that are deep in strategy. And also in the same way that I see the contestants who did well on So You Think You Can Dance feel about the art of dance and performance.
So yesterday I went to Barnes & Noble and bought a copy of Writer's Digest magazine. I've never bought a single issue of a magazine since it's usually twice the price of one issue of a subscription, but this time I felt compelled. It's a "Top 10" theme that includes enough content about non-fiction this issue and I'm enjoying it. Unfortunately (for me), other issues of the magazine usually covers mostly fiction.
An ancient lit professor in college loved to talk about the Oxford English Dictionary that showed etymology. He was a happy guy who made everyone laugh with phrases he made up. Since then, every once and a while I've wondered if I should get that type of dictionary for fun. The author of the book I'm reading mentioned the dictionary in that way. We'll see.
This week I started reading The Glamour of Grammar (2010) by Roy Peter Clark. I'm really enjoying it! It's a book that celebrates the intricacies of language with a little bit of how-to in it.
As I read the book and talked with our editorial intern last week, I realized more that words and language are exciting to me in the same way my artistic friend gets excited about colors and design, and in the same way that my hubby loves board games that are deep in strategy. And also in the same way that I see the contestants who did well on So You Think You Can Dance feel about the art of dance and performance.
So yesterday I went to Barnes & Noble and bought a copy of Writer's Digest magazine. I've never bought a single issue of a magazine since it's usually twice the price of one issue of a subscription, but this time I felt compelled. It's a "Top 10" theme that includes enough content about non-fiction this issue and I'm enjoying it. Unfortunately (for me), other issues of the magazine usually covers mostly fiction.
An ancient lit professor in college loved to talk about the Oxford English Dictionary that showed etymology. He was a happy guy who made everyone laugh with phrases he made up. Since then, every once and a while I've wondered if I should get that type of dictionary for fun. The author of the book I'm reading mentioned the dictionary in that way. We'll see.
Friday, June 3, 2011
New Strategies (for Me) in Writing
Earlier this month I published my first article that I felt proud of on a blog in my organization. My only other article I've published was so short, and it ended up being half-written by someone else when it was edited. So I felt like it wasn't really, totally mine and that my writing was too short.
But for this article I found I had much, much more to write about. And another one is scheduled to go live next week!
So looking back, I see that I've found three good strategies to gain motivation to write more:
1. Find my own article ideas. I used the "news" and "blog" feature on Google Search trying different key words. The articles that most drew my attention from the search gave me a lot to write about. I usually only can write about three or four paragraph, but I found myself writing more when I found my own article ideas.
2. I realized how news articles often work. Back in April I was following the news, reading almost any and every article I could find, about Sony's Playstation Network shutting down unexpectedly and for over a month. I quickly found that many news sources cited and reported only what other news articles and press releases said--and only that it seems like--nothing new to add. How easy is that? Just re-state it in your own words. But I really liked the articles that said new information or an opinion. So when writing recently, I've used an approach of finding a news article, summarizing it in my own words while thinking of how it relates to my audience, and then adding on the end what resources and articles my organization has to help readers learn more about the topic. Fortunately, my organization has a wealth of that sort of thing, and I pick what news to talk about based on what I can point to from my organization.
3. Blogs fit me well. I don't like reading lengthy articles. It just seems way too long to me. So I found that the shorter, one page at most, blog articles that link to other places is what I enjoy a lot. I like that companies have taken on blogs, so that they can have professional writing on it.
I know that the biggest question for most people is how to even get a chance to be noticed and published. I work in office support in a publishing company--so for me my experience is "getting your foot in the door." But even then the opportunities aren't right there. For over a year I haven't been asked to write anything for work, but in one week two different people asked if I wanted to write! I feel like this shows that we don't necessarily control everything. It's really up to God's timing when and if that door will open for a time. So I'd say wait patiently and do what you enjoy--whether or not people see your name in a by-line.
But for this article I found I had much, much more to write about. And another one is scheduled to go live next week!
So looking back, I see that I've found three good strategies to gain motivation to write more:
1. Find my own article ideas. I used the "news" and "blog" feature on Google Search trying different key words. The articles that most drew my attention from the search gave me a lot to write about. I usually only can write about three or four paragraph, but I found myself writing more when I found my own article ideas.
2. I realized how news articles often work. Back in April I was following the news, reading almost any and every article I could find, about Sony's Playstation Network shutting down unexpectedly and for over a month. I quickly found that many news sources cited and reported only what other news articles and press releases said--and only that it seems like--nothing new to add. How easy is that? Just re-state it in your own words. But I really liked the articles that said new information or an opinion. So when writing recently, I've used an approach of finding a news article, summarizing it in my own words while thinking of how it relates to my audience, and then adding on the end what resources and articles my organization has to help readers learn more about the topic. Fortunately, my organization has a wealth of that sort of thing, and I pick what news to talk about based on what I can point to from my organization.
3. Blogs fit me well. I don't like reading lengthy articles. It just seems way too long to me. So I found that the shorter, one page at most, blog articles that link to other places is what I enjoy a lot. I like that companies have taken on blogs, so that they can have professional writing on it.
I know that the biggest question for most people is how to even get a chance to be noticed and published. I work in office support in a publishing company--so for me my experience is "getting your foot in the door." But even then the opportunities aren't right there. For over a year I haven't been asked to write anything for work, but in one week two different people asked if I wanted to write! I feel like this shows that we don't necessarily control everything. It's really up to God's timing when and if that door will open for a time. So I'd say wait patiently and do what you enjoy--whether or not people see your name in a by-line.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
A Book About Identity
After reading and writing what feels like hundreds of e-mails at work, I often feel like reading is the least fun. But somehow I still go back to reading! It's inescapable. I guess this is one indication I do like editorial work, since my love for reading comes back every so often.
This week I'm reading my first Os Guinness book. I never heard of Os before I read a biography on Francis Schaeffer that mentioned Os. First of all, I think the name Os is awesome. Secondly, his writing is full of quotes and stories from all sorts of people and times in history. And he really thinks deeply.
As I read his book, The Call, I feel like I'm listening to a friend tell me all his deep thoughts. Maybe it feels like listening to a friend also because he doesn't say, "Do these five steps." Instead he takes time to show how what he is writing about is complex, that our life on earth can't be perfect, and that's okay.
I think good friends normally don't tell you a number of rules to follow to solve your problem; rather, they acknowledge that life is complex, and that it's okay that you haven't reached perfection, and that life is more than that (it's more about fun and friendships).
The book is about how to view identity and calling in life. Identity has always been a topic I've been interested in. I guess my interest is due to living in our culture: it seems like the culture says you can buy and chose your identity--like being goth or a cheerleader type or a sports person. But I've always wanted to know what more defines us, what more tells us it's okay to just be absolutely unique (but if we're unique, something different than anyone else, how can you define each person?).
Calling is something I'm not as interested in, but this book combines the two. Your calling identifies you in some way. This is interesting.
Anyway, I wanted to list what books I've read so far in 2011. But only because I'm too lazy to remember to write it anywhere else! A friend told me he writes down each book he reads, and I find merit in that. So here it is:
This week I'm reading my first Os Guinness book. I never heard of Os before I read a biography on Francis Schaeffer that mentioned Os. First of all, I think the name Os is awesome. Secondly, his writing is full of quotes and stories from all sorts of people and times in history. And he really thinks deeply.
As I read his book, The Call, I feel like I'm listening to a friend tell me all his deep thoughts. Maybe it feels like listening to a friend also because he doesn't say, "Do these five steps." Instead he takes time to show how what he is writing about is complex, that our life on earth can't be perfect, and that's okay.
I think good friends normally don't tell you a number of rules to follow to solve your problem; rather, they acknowledge that life is complex, and that it's okay that you haven't reached perfection, and that life is more than that (it's more about fun and friendships).
The book is about how to view identity and calling in life. Identity has always been a topic I've been interested in. I guess my interest is due to living in our culture: it seems like the culture says you can buy and chose your identity--like being goth or a cheerleader type or a sports person. But I've always wanted to know what more defines us, what more tells us it's okay to just be absolutely unique (but if we're unique, something different than anyone else, how can you define each person?).
Calling is something I'm not as interested in, but this book combines the two. Your calling identifies you in some way. This is interesting.
Anyway, I wanted to list what books I've read so far in 2011. But only because I'm too lazy to remember to write it anywhere else! A friend told me he writes down each book he reads, and I find merit in that. So here it is:
- Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life by Colin Duriez (biography)
- Home by Marilynne Robinson (fiction)
- God's Plans for Your Life by J. I. Packer ("Christian Living." Okay, the title sounds very boring, but it was good! I read most chapters, and from them I learned valuable things.)
- The Good News We Almost Forgot by Kevin DeYoung
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The Lazy Writer
A friend who's read my past writings told me to think about writing again. I told her, no, no one would read it. She said two people would. But since I really like her, I made an effort to think about it.
My solution: buy a notebook to write down thoughts about writing. Anne Lamount in Bird by Bird said this changed her writing life.
I really was coming up with lots of ideas I thought; I needed that notebook pronto! So I went out to the store and bought one for two dollars.
My mind must be playing tricks on me: Now that it knows I have this notebook with me always, it refuses to give me good writing ideas. Like it's frightened of more work or something.
Well, to be fair, my mind is fine—I just fail to write things down quickly. I think fear gets to me. I can't get out of my head that writing poetry (what I used to love) is just sheer emotionalism with good theology traded in for a good sentence or two.
But it hit me at some point to think about memories with friends and as a kid—where amazment at how things simply are was normal. I think I want to write about that, and to praise God for making it all! What a great goal.
Now, for actually sitting down and doing it, I'm not sure how that will work. I feel like I just don't like staring at paper. I'm realizing more that I sometimes don't trust myself to not go overboard with writing fluffy-ness. I need to be nicer to myself. But how do I start?
Oh, letting go of perfectionism is never ease. I'm still a recovering perfectionist.
My solution: buy a notebook to write down thoughts about writing. Anne Lamount in Bird by Bird said this changed her writing life.
I really was coming up with lots of ideas I thought; I needed that notebook pronto! So I went out to the store and bought one for two dollars.
My mind must be playing tricks on me: Now that it knows I have this notebook with me always, it refuses to give me good writing ideas. Like it's frightened of more work or something.
Well, to be fair, my mind is fine—I just fail to write things down quickly. I think fear gets to me. I can't get out of my head that writing poetry (what I used to love) is just sheer emotionalism with good theology traded in for a good sentence or two.
But it hit me at some point to think about memories with friends and as a kid—where amazment at how things simply are was normal. I think I want to write about that, and to praise God for making it all! What a great goal.
Now, for actually sitting down and doing it, I'm not sure how that will work. I feel like I just don't like staring at paper. I'm realizing more that I sometimes don't trust myself to not go overboard with writing fluffy-ness. I need to be nicer to myself. But how do I start?
Oh, letting go of perfectionism is never ease. I'm still a recovering perfectionist.
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