Week of December 29, 2013 - Words of Wisdom - Happy New Year

By Joan Whetzel

 

Words of wisdom come in many forms. They appear everywhere around us from bumper stickers and page-a-day calendars to well written articles and speeches. The best wise words I've heard lately cam in the eulogy my son gave at his father's funeral. I'm reprint it here because the words are so great.

 

 

It can be argued that a human is ultimately the sum of his experiences.-Benjamin Sisco

and my dad had plenty of those... son, student, repair man, programmer, husband, but his greatest achievement was being a father. as a boy I would go to his train club with him I think those were the best times of my life I like to believe that those were his too.. I still remember when I was 4 and I got my first train set.. just as his father had for him.. I remember how happy I was.. I cannot wait till I can do the same for my children.

 

Believing oneself to be perfect is often the sign of a delusional mind-Data and my dad was not perfect just as no one is.. I remember one trip to the beach as a child My dad was grilling some hot dogs for us and the sea gulls were terrorizing him.. these were some brave seagulls.. one actually flew down and swept the hot dog off the flaming grill... My dad was so mad at the sea gulls he picked up the hotdog chased after the seagulls and threw it at them as they flew away.. and it was the most hilarious thing for all of us watching it happen and we still laugh about it today..

 

what is the nature of the universe?-Dr Crusher My dad taught me a lot of things but the best thing he taught me is to explore. I remember using the telescope in the back yard, or at the state park, going to the observatory. I remember the best gift that my dad ever got me it was a telephone for my room but it came in pieces and I had to build it. it taught me to build... fix... ask why which are now may favorite things to do and were his favorite things to do as well.

 

It is possible to commit no errors and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life- Picard  My dad taught me so much and always tried his best to have a common interest with me which is the best trait that he could have possibly passed on to me.. and even though he taught me all these things.. I still made a few choices that would lead me down a path that while I was meant to go on it put me and my family through some though times... but was it not for him I would still be on that path.. so he took what could have been a lose and it became a win.. because of him I am a man, I am smart and I will be every bit the great father that he was..

As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of she who is with child, so to you do not know the works of god who makes everything... (Ik-Le-Ze-Ass-Tiees) Ecclesiastes 1:5  God's master plan is mysterious he puts all of these obstacles in our path to steer us in the right direction.. every decision that has been made or will be made leads to an outcome exponentially more intense then the decision that brought us there but each one is important and can bring about the greatest and worst times of your life... I cannot speak for the future but I know for the moment each decision in his life and mine was leading up to his three beautiful granddaughters whom he would give or do anything for…God allowed him to see them, hold them one last time the day before his tragedy… knowing that God can arrange that to happen makes moving forward so much easier...

 

All we can do Is keep moving forward... make the decisions that will lead to the next out come.. dad... I love you so much and thank you for all that you have done for me.. follow your path now... to boldly go where no man has gone before…  Second star to the right...and straight on 'til morning. -Kirk/Peter pan

                                                                        -Captain Mark Whetzel of the USS Enterprise

 

Week of December 15, 2013 - No Blog This Week

Sorry no blog this week. Be back after the first of the year.

Joan.

Week of Dec. 8, 2013 - Making Boring Topics Come to Life

By Joan Whetzel

 

There have been plenty of occasions when I have been assigned a topic to write about which I find utterly boring. My challenge was to make them interesting to myself, so that I could make writing about them equally interesting. There are a few steps any writer can use to wake up a snoozer of a topic.
 

1. Connect the topic to the things people do every day. I’m talking about driving or biking. Exercise, shopping, cooking, family events, holidays and the like Making the topic  a part of everyday life makes  it easier to relate to.
2. Connect it to news, sports, and pop culture. Showing how it relates to current events and the things people enjoy every day is sure to liven up a sleeper of a topic.
3. Use juicy verbs and nouns. That means no verbs that require the “is” form. It also means avoiding adjectives and adverbs, only using them rarely.
4. Writer conversationally rather than lecturing. Conversational writing sounds like you’re talking with your audience on an equal basis. Lecturing sounds condescending or overbearing.
5. Add photos, clip art and diagrams to illustrate what you’re talking about. Don’t forget sidebars to add a few interesting tidbits and factoids  related to the topic.
6. Put yourself into it. Give personal accounts - without naming names - of how you encountered or dealt with a similar set of circumstances, how you learned to enjoy something about the topic, how you learned something from the experience, etc.

 Most of all, have fun with the topic. If you can find the humorous side of it, all the better.

 

Week of Dec.1, 2013 - Book Review of "Double Image" by David Morrell

By Joan Whetzel

 

I recently picked up this book again. I say “again” because I didn’t remember reading this one until I started reading it. It only took a few pages to remember the basic story line for “Double Image” but I realized that I couldn’t remember the details that made the book so interesting the first time around.

 

“Double Image” begins with Coltrane – a photojournalist – in Bosnia taking photos of the Bosnian President, a man  the world suspects has been murdering his own people, thought no proof has yet been produced –until Coltrane narrowly escapes Bosnia with his life and the photographic evidence of the President overseeing the mass killing and burial of his fellow Bosnians. Coltrane returns home to accolades for his highly publicized photos.

 

His photos have attracted the attention of another famed photographer who Coltrane admires. The man is dying and his last request is that Coltrane take copies of his photos for a “then and now” reproduction to see how the world has changed since he took his original photos. But before Coltrane can complete the project, he begins getting phone calls from the Bosnian President, threatening the lives of Coltrane and everyone he cares about. He starts carrying through with his threat, killing his grandparents and two of his closest friends.  Until Coltrane manages to kill him before any more damage is done.

 

Yet, if Coltrane thought his problems were over, he was sadly mistaken. He learns that his mentor/photographer had a secret love for a little known, up and coming actress in the 30s, and that he had hundreds of pictures of the woman in a secret vault. In the process of learning about the woman, Coltrane discovers that the woman had a granddaughter, who may well have been fathered by Coltrane’s mentor. The woman appears genuinely charming and unassuming – at first. But as their relationship progresses, it becomes obvious that she is using everyone around her, and pitting the men in her life against each other. Almost too late, Coltrane leans that the woman has left a long trail of bodies in her wake. Her story mimics the Bosnian Presidents in many ways, and the way that she attacks Coltrane is eerily similar to the way the Bosnian President attacked Coltrane.

 

I’m not going to tell you how the story ends, or who wins in the end. You’ll have to pick up the book to find out. I will tell you that, though David Morrell gives you a brief break in the action between the two story lines, he manages to give the two story lines for “Double Image” that sense of déjà vu that effectively connects them together.

 

Rereading this book made me remember why David Morrell is one of my favorite authors. His stories jump right into the action and keep you gripped to the story from the first page until the last. If you haven’t read this author, pick up one of his books and give him a read. You may even find yourself re-reading his books. In fact, I think I’m going to have to go back and re-read some of his other books.

Week of Nov. 24, 2013 - On Being Thankful

By Joan Whetzel

 

Today would have been my 34th wedding anniversary. And though my husband passed away earlier this year, I still find I have so much for which to be thankful.

 

1.      2 wonderful children who have done so much to help me put my life back in order. I cannot count the ways. They've accomplished more things than I could ever mention here - it would take up pages and pages.

2.      3 beautiful, healthy granddaughters who are all characters with their own unique personality that make them a joy to be around.

3.      My brother Steve who sat with me in the ICU and through both of his surgeries, and prayed for Mark, and fussed at me to eat something better than the M&Ms and Sprite I had for breakfast in the ER, and for helping to clean out the store room, connecting the washer and dryer, and helping with the first garage sale

4.      My sister Mary Jo who drove me to and from the hospital, helped me figure out the Social Security website, the IRS website, the mortgage company website, for the financial help, and for helping to clean out the garage.

5.      My sister Carol for helping to clean out the store room, fixed my computer problems, and helping me with a make-over so I could get ready for returning to the work force.

6.      My sister Amy for helping clean out the garage and for helping with 2 garage sales.

7.      Uncle Roy and Aunt Lois, Mark's sister Sharon, Aunt Doris, and all of Mark's extended family for sitting with me in the ICU. through his surgeries, and at the end when he passed in the hospice care.

8.      Uncle Roy and Aunt Lois for their help in getting me through the probate process and for financial help at the beginning.

9.      Mark's boss and co-workers for their generous donation and their well wishes, for his boss (Mr. Williams) presence at the hospital and his help getting the information I needed to work the benefits department to get everything I needed.

10.  For my parents who, though they couldn't spend a lot of time at the hospital, supported me with gazillions of prayers, a few episodes of "Keeping Up Appearances" on PBS to remind me to laugh and find the humor once in a while, and for the comfort foods.

11.  Mark's cousin David who arranged the memorial service and preached at the service, and for all the prayers he said for us.

12.  David and Mirranda's family and Dave's friend Zach for helping us to clear out some things from the house and garage, taking care of a few personal matters, and helping with some home repairs.

13.  Mark's friends at the Houston Tinplate Operator's Society train club for their prayers and their generous donation.

14.  All of the customer service people who went out of their way to not only be kind, but to make it easy to change all of our accounts and billing into my name.

15.  The funeral director who came to mom and dad's house the day Mark died and helped arrange the cremation, the death certificates, the online memorial and obituary, and the coordination with cousin David for the memorial service.

16.  Steve's friend, Gus Tamborello, for helping me through the probate process, during a time when I couldn't figure out where my head was.

17.  The one IRS agent who was rude and the mortgage company people who refused to work with me and insisted they couldn't help me because they hadn't received my paperwork and documents (sent 3 months earlier), only to come back and blame it on the failure of another department. These people forced me to take a more creative approach and to seek help and counsel in other directions, which led to better solutions to the problems I was trying to correct.

18.  All the years I was able to write freelance and my college degrees. I was able to earn a little money on the side and may have just given me enough of an edge to get me a full time job that pays better than minimum wage.

 

I am even thankful for all the situations this year that took way longer than I thought they should have. If I'd gotten most of those things done when I wanted them done - NOW!!! - I would have missed out on the opportunity to learn a little patience and to see that most of those things would have been accomplished in the wrong order, which means I would have had to go back and redo a bunch of stuff or I would have had an unsatisfactory outcome. Though I wanted everything done according to my timing, there were a number of steps that needed to fall into place before these situations could be resolved. When you're sitting in the darkness of a life thrown into chaos and not-knowing, you can't see the steps and preparations and behind-the-scenes work that need to take place in order for everything to fall into place. Looking back, none of these things would have fallen into place if I'd pushed for getting things done NOW.

 

I know there are some things, and more importantly people, that I am forgetting here. If I have forgotten you, know that I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Maintaining Your Authority as an Expert Author

By Joan Whetzel

There are probably a million ways to kill your authority as an author, and they're all easy traps to fall into. The best way to maintain your authority is to be original. Look for ideas that others are writing about, certainly; by all means. But look for the questions they aren't answering, and make their topics your own, written in your own quirky, unique style.  How do you maintain your authority?

·         Avoid clichés, overused quotes, jargon, and modern day slang and colloquialisms. slang and colloquialisms go out of date quickly and lose their meaning. They others have been so overused that readers are tired of reading them and hearing them.

·         Keep learning new things. Nothing exudes enthusiasm for your topic like the fact that you've just learned something new about it, or found some new way to connect it to other ideas. Learning new things also keeps boredom at bay and keeps you from repeating stories and information that have been around for awhile.

·         Fact Check. Making sure you have the background information you need and have double checked your facts shows that you know what you're talking about.

·         Take risks with your ideas and opinions. This allows you to stand out from other writers who tend to share opinions. But don't be so far out there that you get slammed for libel or inciting someone to violence or criminal acts. Just have a good strong opinion and back it up. Then sit back and enjoy the debate it stirs. Or better yet, watch others quote you.

·         Write about multiple aspects of the same topic, rather than tweaking the same story over and over again. If you can't find anything new about a topic (rainbows), move onto another topic of interest (light, color, rain).

·         Find your audience(s). Figure out what different audiences that content websites, blog sites, and magazines have, then tweak your favorite topics for those audiences. You can get multiple sales off just one article that has been tweaked to appeal to different readers.\

·         Use social media and social networking to promote your writing and let people know where they can read your articles.

·         When your articles and stories are answering a question, be precise and to the point with your answers. Then back up your statements with examples and evidence.

·         Write from a positive point of view. Leave the negative comments and observations outside the door to your writing space. Yes, even an opposing viewpoint has validity, so give it the positive observation it deserves.

·         Keep It Simple Sweetheart  - the KISS method. Keep the language easy to read. Break it down into small to medium length paragraphs. And break your stories and articles down into 3 to 5 subheadings. It breaks up the subject into small, manageable "sound bites" that readers love. The can see what's coming at a glance and it's so much easier to read short blurbs than one big, run-on article with no way to tell what the sub-topics are. It's like getting 3 to 5 mini-articles for the price of one.

All these things should help set you apart from other writers and make readers stand up and take notice. Some of my best selling articles have been the ones that offered more than other writers on a specific topic.

Week of Nov. 10, 2013 - Updating Your Writer's Office

By Joan Whetzel

 

 

From time to time, as my writing career has evolved, I have found it necessary to update my office. The change is due to a number of issues

 

1.      My writing space has become boring to me.

2.      The space has become uninviting, sending me looking for other places to write.

3.      My writing style or my clients have changed, or the topics that I now find interesting to write on are no longer supported by the books, colors, and objects I have around me.

4.      My personal style, esthetic, or tastes are evolving.

5.      I feel the need to scale up (something bigger or more elaborate) or scale back (thin out my research materials or my artwork and furniture.

There are a few ways to change up you writing space in order to free up your writing muses and keep the ideas flowing

 

1. Rearrange furniture, bookshelves, artwork, and play toys. Yes, you heard me. If you don't have play toys, your muses won't come and play with your writer's mind. On the other hand, if the muses are tired of your surroundings, they won't come and play with you either, so rearrange things just to startle yourself whenever you enter the room. It jars you out of your rut, which keeps the creative juice running laps around your office.

 

2. Clear Out the Old stuff. That includes books and other research materials that are out of date or that no longer support your current writing projects. Get rid of old toys that you no longer play with. Get rid of old files, old writing projects that you are certain you will not complete, or old clients that you haven't worked with in a while.

 

3. Add Something New like a new lamp, a new piece of artwork, a few new books, some new curtains, a new chair. Anything new will work as long as it feeds your senses.

 

4. Add or Change Colors. The new colors could be added by way of artwork, furniture, drapes, chachkis that hang in your window, lampshades, or a new coat of paint on the walls or office door. The color change can be small (a few accessories) or large (large pictures or wall painting).

 

5. Change Out Your Music. If you find yourself listening to the same music over and over again - or worse, no music at all - it's time to jar yourself out of your rut by changing or adding music to your environment. Some people find the concentrate better with vocal music. Others, like myself, find it easier to write with instrumental music only. Whatever your choice, change it up. Try music you've never listened to before (cultural music, folk music, percussion music, jazz) or artists who's styles you've never tried. Changing up the music jars you out of your rut and keeps the creative juices flowing.

 

As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that I need to change out my music again and thin out my book shelves. Christmas is coming up, so for those of you reading this, if you have some books you'd like to pass on as Christmas presents, I'm looking forward to some good reads. If they're your favorite authors, even better.

 

Week of Nov.3, 2012 - Lollygagging

By Joan Whetzel

 

I have not had the opportunity to do much lollygagging since my husband died last May. I am currently feeling a strong urge to do some serious lollygagging though. All the work my daughter and I have put in since his death and all the work I've been putting in to finding a full time job has put a major dent in my energy levels as well my mental and emotional well being. A little lollygagging could just be the medicine I need to recharge my batteries.

 

Lollygagging Defined

Lollygagging, according most dictionaries, seems to mean:

·         performance of activities that have no real purpose..

·         fooling around.

·         spending time doing things with no real goal in mind.

·         dawdling.

·         dallying.

·         procrastinating.

·         being flat-out lazy.

·         dragging ones feet to avoid doing something one is supposed to be doing.

 

For those who are driven by the need to fill all your waking hours with meaningful tasks, then, lollygagging would be considered a waste of time - and probably a waste of energy as well.

 

Lollygagging in America

In the American military, to a charge new recruits with lollygagging is to accuse them of fooling around or wasting time. For us mere civilians, it is sometimes used to refer to kissing and caressing a loved one. The term "lollygagging" first appeared in American usage around the mid-1800s and was hurled at anyone having the gall to disgrace common decency with such licentious behavior (the whole kissing and caressing in full public view; you know, p.d.a. or public displays of affection). How it came to mean wasting time, I haven't discovered yet.

 

How Does One Lollygag These Days?

Well, I suppose by putting off this blog, by not writing one last week, forcing me to write this blog today - well, I guess that was a form of lollygagging. Though, technically, I wasn't dawdling, I actually had to use the time and energy on another task of equal importance, but one that made me money (nearly $200). So I wasn't technically lollygagging since I wasn't wasting time or energy.

 

Other ways I think I could lollygag might include:

1.      reading a book.

2.      going to a matinee movie, instead of working (I've done that twice recently and it felt great to play hooky).

3.      take a picnic in the middle of the day (the temperature is right, but the recent rains have put my favorite picnic grounds under water, or made them too muddy to enjoy).

4.      window shopping at the local mall - ugh! I hate shopping.

5.      meandering the internet, looking for useless information.

6.      sitting on the front porch, watching the grass grow.

7.      doing the whole couch potato thing - though I have found in recent years that I can't stand just sitting there in front of the TV.  My hands need to keep busy, otherwise I feel like I'm wasting time. And I get extremely board, no matter how interesting the show or movie is.

 

I'm sure there are some really great ways to lollygag, though I can't seem to think of any other than these. I am getting a little tired of these same few lollygagging techniques. I wish someone would send me some good lollygagging ideas.

 

Week of Oct. 27, 2013 - N0 Blog this week - and it's NOT because I'm Lollygagging.

No I'm not lollygagging. I'm do a big garage sale. Next week. I'll come back and tell you about lolly gagging, though.

Week of October 20, 2013 – The Jackalope Myth

By Joan Whetzel

Here in Texas, Jackalopes are a part of the State lore, part of the landscape. A few taxidermists have even contributed a small number of “trophies” as if to prove the existence of these mythical creatures. Truth be told, Jackalopes belong to the same level of myths as the Loch Ness Monster, Yeti, and bigfoot. The artistry of the taxidermists notwithstanding, their creations are meant to feed the tourist trade rather than being a representation of reality.

Jackalope Folklore

Where the jackalope stories originated is open to interpretation, though Douglas Herrick is said to be the inventor of the first jackalope stories. Apparently he and his brothers ran a taxidermy business in Wyoming back in the 1930s. They thought it would be funny to attach antelope horns to a stuffed jackrabbit's body to see if they could pass it off for real. The melded the animals’ names together , calling it a jackalope. The myth took off, and the family taxidermy business has sold thousands of the stuffed critters in the decades since.

What lends credence to the myth is that, due to the shope papilloma virus, jackrabbits have in fact been known to grow something that looks like horns. This may, in fact, be the source of the legends, sort of a “truth imitating fiction” kind of thing.

Jackalopes as a Part of Culture

·                     Since the first manipulated stuffed jack elopes first appeared on the market, they have become a decoration in many a saloon and home trophy walls.

·                     In many states – yes, Texas included - the  stuffed trophies have been used to trick unsuspecting tourists out of their hard earned money.

·                     The jackalope by the name of Jack Ching Bada Bing made regular appearances in American TV show “America’s Funniest People in the 90s as well as appearing in the opening sequences of the animated TV series “Gravity Falls.”

·                     Several video games have Jackalopes as part of their cast of characters: Red Dead  Redemption, Redneck Rampage, and Guild Wars 2

·                     The jackalope is the log for the Miike Snow band and for an Australian beer, the Hop Factory beer.

·                     “Jackalope” is the name of a Canadian pop rock group.

·                     There are two ice hockey teams – one  professional one junior A – in Odessa, Texas that go by the name the “Odessa Jackalopes.”

Websites Propounding the "Truth" of the Jackalope

If you’re interested in hearing some of the stories about the jackalope, check out the websites:

The Jackalope

http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/tall-tales/jackalope.html         

The Jackalope Conspiracy

http://www.sudftw.com/jackcon.htm

The Jackalope, Douglas, WY
http://www.jackalope.org/?page_id=15

The Jackalopes of Wyoming

http://legendsofamerica.com/wy-jackalope.html

Jackalope, Roadside America

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/creatures/jackalope.html

Week of September 13, 2013 - Keywords, The Key to Increasing Your Audience

By Joan Whetzel

 

Keywords, roughly defined, are main words people use to hunt for specific topics and information on the internet. Using these keywords to help you write your online content can reward you with increased readership – as long as your writing is good.

 

There’s No Replacement for Good Thinking and Writing

The best writing is cultivated by thorough research as well as careful analysis of your subject matter. No amount of keyword use can substitute for doing your homework, organizing your information, and self-editing. The combination of keywords and good research and writing will draw in your audience and keep them coming back for more. The trick with keywords, is in predicting which ones most readers are like to use when hunting for information that you provide in your online content, and not overusing them.

 

Why Predict the Best Keywords?

1.                  You’ll beat out the competition for readership.

2.                  More readers, combined with good research and writing, will set you up as an expert in your field, or at the very least, the go to writer when it comes to informative articles.

3.                  Your existing readers will recommend your writing to others, thereby increasing your readership further,  because the writing is good and because the information was easy to find since you chose the right keywords.

4.                  You’ll build your reputation as a credible source for good information.

 

Keyword Selection Tools

Google has a keyword selection tool that is quite useful for helping writers select keywords for the articles and online content that they’re working on. A lot of writers use these tools, and they’re great for helping to find the best keywords. The problem is that these sites are providing are not only providing the best keywords to you, they’re providing them to everyone else as well. My best suggestion is to use them at first, to get an idea of what keywords readers are using to hunt for your information. But once you start getting the hang of it, start relying on your own best judgment.

 

Other People’s Keywords

In your own searches for information, look closely to see if others leave a list of their own keywords,. The ones they used to do their research and the keywords they used to write their own articles and online content. Also ask people you know to make a list of keywords they’d use to hunt for the topics you’re writing about. Check out social media sites for the keywords they’re users work with. What are the latest buzzwords surrounding your topic? They make for good keywords, at least as long as the buzzwords are hot. Once they cool down, you might need to change them out for newer keywords.

 

Common Sense

Common sense will suggest the keywords that are most relevant to the topic you’re writing on. Once you’re identified your audience, use their everyday vernacular to help you choose keywords. A 6^th grader will choose different keywords to search for information than a 10^th grader, than his or her parents, or even someone in their 80s.

 

Keywords, generally speaking, are best chosen before you begin writing, that way you’ll have a list of topic-related keywords to incorporate into your writing. Once you get the hang of selecting topic-related keywords, you’ll probably find yourself, keeping a running catalog in your head. The trick, then, becomes using the keywords naturally, so they become part of the writing, like they belong there. Make sure to use at least one of the keywords in the title and the summary used to draw audiences to your writing. That way your reader’s will know, up front, that they’re in the right place.

 

By all means use keywords. Just be careful how you choose them, and how you use them.