Playing the Bass Card

I grew up playing guitar. I started taking lessons when I was about 11, on an acoustic guitar, and took lessons and played until I was 18. At that time I was playing electric, and was in a garage band after school. It was such a good time of life. I know that memories can sometimes be gilded, but I really do remember those days with such happiness.

The other day I was thinking about playing again. I think it was something in a movie that got me started. I had tried a few years ago, and boy are my fingers tender now. It would take quite a bit to get them toughened up again. I still remembered the placement of the notes. However, if I did go back to it, I was thinking about looking for bass guitars for sale and learning to play bass. It is such a cool instrument, and one I've always loved, but never learned.

Is it too late for this old dog to learn a new trick? Maybe now that I'm living back up in the city where it's easy to find lessons, I will take a look around, and give bass guitar a try this summer.

Smoke Free?

Well, as a writer I feel like I'm in good company when I say I'm also a smoker. That doesn't make me particularly proud though. I've thought about quitting often. I did manage to quit for a year and a half, but during that time I suffered huge bouts of depression and lost a lot of clients, couldn't concentrate on anything for long, and gained a ton of weight.

I went back to smoking and things leveled out very nicely, although it took a little time. I want to quit again, but do not want to go through the above problems. So I decided to try e-cigarettes. I got one in the mail the other day, and it is okay, but not enough to relieve cravings. I've learned that there are better brands, so I am waiting for a different one to come. It should be here next week. I'll let you know how it goes.

Business or Pleasure

As a writer it is sometimes hard to think about what you do as a business. There always seems to be some unseen, unspoken line between commercialism and art, but never more than in the writing arena. It's a place where artists look down upon anyone mentioning anyone who talks about the money as a sell-out, and seems to hold aloft those that eek by as true artists.

Sometimes I think that's a myth perpetrated by the publishing houses so that they can get away with paying slave wages to the most of their writers while a few rake in millions--after all, there have to be a few to make the dreams for the many who will never achieve such heights.

The bottom line, though, is that even writers have to pay rent, mortgages, car payments, utility bills and buy food. The amount of money you make isn't really the reason you need to treat your writing like a business, however.

You may never need to get business funding, however you may need to apply for a loan on a house, new car or even in some cases cable internet. You need something that shows you are a self-employed business person.

You also have to show the IRS you are a serious business and writing isn't just a hobby. So it is important to treat your work as a business. Save receipts and keep records of submissions even when they get rejects. The act of submission is a business act that shows you are in earnest.

Timeless

I was watching M*A*S*H today and thinking about how much I still love that show. It got me thinking about why there's such a connection with some shows, no matter how old they are, and how some other ones that you've seen decades ago and loved then, now were so dated. Perhaps some of it has to do with the fact that M*A*S*H was a period piece even then, but I thought that wouldn't explain some other classics such as All in the Family, Golden Girls or even I Love Lucy.

I Love Lucy is even more of a standout in that it was obviously done in the early years of TV. Sets were barely realistic, but still, it looks relevant still when watched today.

I think much of it has to do with the realism of the characters, the honesty in which they're played, but a lot has to do with the general atmosphere. There has to be something believable about the surroundings. In M*A*S*H it was evident. Even though shot in the hills of California, it LOOKED believably like an Army mobile hospital in Korea.

Even I Love Lucy on its rough sets was believable as a tenement apartment in New York.

So, how does that relate to writers? The stories you write need to be timeless to stand up when someone picks them up decades after you wrote them. Are the scenes believable? Do the characters ring true? Is the atmosphere palpable? These are the things that classics are made of. It doesn't matter what time period you write about or in, what matters is if it will still strike a cord decades down the line.

Learning New Things

It's still January, and I'm knee deep in work. I probably shouldn't be thinking of boating season already, but I can't help it. It's during this time of the year that I begin to long for the warm days of summer, the rolling water and spending the weekends on the boat. I have to plan for this year though, because the trailer we use to take the boat back and forth from the marina needs a little work before it's ready to haul 10,000 pounds. I've been looking into some miller welders, and thinking about trying my hand at doing some of the welding work myself. Actually, it would come in really handy if I could do it. There's a lot to be done both at the property and the occasional repairs to a 16 year old trailer. It would be a wise investment and something very interesting to learn. Heck, I may even be able to incorporate it into a story at some point where my heroine has to learn how to do metal work. I bet it could be funny. I'll find out when I try myself. If it's funny, or if I melt the whole trailer while I learn.

Wow, Busy January

I'm not sure what is in the water, but it seems like every single one of my regular clients woke up on January 1st and made resolutions to do an entire year's worth of work in one month. I am pretty busy on a regular basis and I sure am grateful for that. Since beginning my venture on Elance I have developed a very strong client base with excellent fees that keep me busy all the time, but I have been busier this month already to the point I am working overtime and wearing myself out. It's not all bad, of course. I've made more in 9 days than I normally do in an entire month. I guess that will make up for any occasional slow times during the year. LOL

Promotions and Books

Do you do book signings? I don't know whether to tell you I love them or hate them. I do enjoy meeting people and talking about my books, but they can be a lot of work. I like book fairs even less. There's the same possibility for talking to people, but at book fairs they aren't just there to see you. They're there to see EVERYBODY. You have to really find a way to stand out from the crowd. I like to offer little goodie bags with magnets, bookmarks and things. Those are all pretty common items at a book fair though. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you have to come up with some original stuff. Things like lapel pins go over really big. The big plus to having something like that is, if they're attractive enough, and people wear them, they become walking billboards for your book, or you. It can be a tough choice to decide which to promote when going to events like that. At book signings you are basically there to promote the current book, but at fairs you should really be promoting your entire collection, and making your name known. Whether you opt for name recognition or book promo, pins, pens and other goodies make great gifts for viewers.

One of Those Days

I'm having one of those right now. I just spent an hour working on an article for a client, then realized it is on the same subject I did a few months back for them. So I had to trash all that work and start over again on a new piece. Doesn't it just make you tired to even think about it? Such is the life of a freelance writer. It's worth the headache though. I get to work from home, and when I get really frustrated, I can just go out and take a walk or even take a nap. Try doing that from an office.

Writer's Block? Move!

Once in awhile you need to take a break from sitting behind your desk and pounding away at the keys. Whether you are writing fiction, or plugging away at a non-fiction piece, get out and experience the world. Put on your jansport backpacks and take a hike in the woods, or jog around the block. It's great just to get out and get moving a bit. If you've run into a mental block, taking a walk or jog is a great mind boost. It helps stimulate oxygen to the brain, and you'll be surprised how much it helps to relieve those nasty writer's block blues.

Get Moving While Staying Seated

If you spend long days at your desk like I do, you may feel like you're forever planted in your chair. It may feel like you don't have any way to exercise, but here's a video for you to get your blood pumping and help your circulation while you're writing away.

Coin Collecting

I have a cache of old "peace" dollars. They are worth more than their face value now, but I'm hoping they will increase even more as times goes on. A little nest egg for retirement years. I'm also considering if its a good idea to buy morgan dollars to increase my collection. Morgan dollars are worth more than peace dollars, so may really add to my collection for retirement. Collecting these precious coins is more complicated than you might think. When I first started collecting the peace dollars I thought they were all worth the same, but that's not true. There are only certain years that have the most value. Others may be worth a little more than face value, but not as much as the other years. There are great places online to find out the value of old coins you have. Once you get into it, the thought of increasing your collection becomes very attractive, and it's a lot of fun too.

Illinois blues

I've been having a little trouble getting motivated to work this month. I don't know if it's the cold weather, my ramped up exercise program and renewed focus on other things, or a combination of both, but it's really cramping my style. I have work to do, and I get it done, but much slower than normal. I think the weather, and shortened days has the most to do with it. I really don't like winter. I need to move somewhere more stable weather wise, but it seems like I am destined to stay in Illinois my whole life sometimes.

Finding Everything at My Fingertips

One of the things I love the most about the Internet, besides being able to work from home, and watch videos, talk to friends and play games is that I can find things I need easily. The Internet is way better than the yellow pages. If I need an electrician, a carpenter, an appliance store or anything at all, I just have to look it up online. If I needed someone to clean my carpet in North Carolina, I just look up carpet cleaners cary nc. If I want someone to work on my boat engine, I just look for marine mechanics in my general area. It's so easy and I've found that while not every business is online, most are, and the ones that aren't I probably don't want to deal with anyway.

Storing Fat

Okay, I'm not going to turn this into a weight loss blog or anything, but I just happened to see this and it was very revealing.

Great Deals Right From Home

Do we really need a new excuse to shop online? I don't really, but I do love to save money, and there's no better way than to do what those otherwise normal people do on the Friday after Thanksgiving... wait for the big holiday sale: Cyber Monday. What could be better? The ability to shop from my living room, and save money at the same time? At least I can be pretty sure no one will rush through my living room, try to grab my computer out of my hands as I buy a pair of socks, or spray me with mace to get the new camcorder on sale. Cyber Monday--all the benefits of that other day with none of the danger and hassle. I don't even have to drive.

Off Again, and On a Roll

Okay, I survived Thanksgiving and a very nice dinner at my niece's apartment without gaining weight, and am off to a really good start on this diet. I hope it keeps up so I don't get discouraged again. I've seen some things these last two weeks that really make me want to stick with it this time. I don't want to end up in the kind of shape some of the people I've seen on TV end up in. The scary thing is, if I don't put the brakes on I can see it happening. I'm just too old to handle even the weight I am now. When I was younger, I could carry it, but as I get older I seem to have less strength to handle it.

Easy Gifts for the Holidays

Thanksgiving is in a few weeks, and Christmas is right around the corner. I never have time to shop, so I love looking for great holiday gift ideas online. I am going to be spending Thanksgiving with my niece, and all of us are driving up north to be there. I'd like to take a little gift for her, and I think a gift basket would be great. That type of gift is easy to give, in just a few clicks it's all done, and I don't have to take time out to drive or hunt around busy shopping malls. I love that kind of gift for my husband too. He loves to eat, I love to shop on line, and he's hard to buy for so a delicious gift basket is perfect.

Winter Blues Already

I'm missing boating. It's funny but I missed it a little last summer, but not as much as I thought I would. Maybe it's because I was so busy moving, and working, but now that colder weather is setting in, I'm really missing it. I'm still working as hard, but I am pretty much settled down, and there's not much that can be done outside now either, so I can't busy myself that way. Maybe it's the start of winter blues. LOL If I'm this way already in early November, I can't imagine what it will be like in February.