A Course in Miracles

Day 11 / 30-Day Writing Challenge

What would feel like a miracle feel right now?

Yep, that's right. I'm asking about miracles. Because I want to see if I can help make one happen. And cuz Alexandra Franzen told me to.

I follow Alexandra's blog. She writes about how to be a better writer and a nicer human being. Two things I'm really interested in.

So, tell me, what would fell like a miracle right now.

I'll go first: Right now, if I walked into my place and it was sparkling clean and fixed up exactly how I want it.

Now you.

When You Meant to Write the Very Best

Day 10 / 30-Day Writing Challenge

I try to live by the Golden Rule. Someone using my mistakes as fodder for jokes or other amusement really isn't enjoyable for me. So, I try not to do that to others.

But, the above photo, which I found circulating on Facebook, is gold. That the misspelling/misuse is used in a compliment (notice I didn't use "complement," who knows if it was intended for a geometry teacher!) to a teacher. Well, the irony doesn't get much better than that.

Makes you wonder if it was intentional. Maybe it is an excellent example of passive/aggressive expression. Maybe the teacher was the WORST teacher the student ever had. We'll never know, will we?

There's always a lesson to be learned, a nugget buried in the debris. Now, Friday blog posts are going to be Friday Funny.

Animal Writes

Day 9 / 30-Day Writing Challenge

Nella, a semi-feral cat from Catalyst for Cats. 

One way I use my writing to make the world a better place is doing volunteer publicity work for  Catalyst for Cats. 

Catalyst for Cats is dedicated to helping stray and feral cats. The primary goal is to prevent the suffering of  cats, and its main strategy is the reduction and control of feral cat populations within Santa Barbara County through its TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) and feeding programs.

Mostly I write press releases for Catalyst. Typically, the news is about a grant we received or the annual fundraiser, the Cat's Meow Raffle.

Donating some time to Catalyst is a way I can give back to the community and it helps polish my writing. Plus, I love cats. Actually, I love all animals. 

Below, Randi Fairbrother, founder and president of Catalyst for Cats, getting ready to pull the winning ticket at the Cat's Meow Raffle on Oct. 16, 2013. (Oct. 16 is National Feral Cat Day.) Randi founded Catalyst for Cats in 1990. 

Surprisingly Good Writing Advice from an Even More Surprising Source

Day 8 / 30-Day Writing Challenge

You won't believe who provides a pretty darn good source of writing advice. The federal government that's who!

Plain language advice from the place you'd least expect it. Check it out here.

Oh, it's not a place for the stumped fiction writer or the dilettante exploring new writing prompts. The intention of plainlanguage.gov is to instruct federal employees in better written communication. Who knows? Maybe one day all of us will be able to understand the tax code.

From the home page, the mission is clear:

"We start with a discussion of your audience because you should think about them before you start to write your document or your web content. In fact, you should start to think about them before you start to plan. From there we move to organization, because developing a good organization is important during your planning ... "

Does someone in your office write a one-and-a-half-page memo rather than an all-that's-needed three-sentence communique? Got an underling whose over-the-top word count reports reflect on your ability to do your job? Maybe a quick look at plainlanguage.gov will be helpful.

Federal government employees have created a Web site dedicated to clear and concise communication. plainlanguage.gov.

Delivering the Summer Issue of Carpinteria Magazine

Day 7 / 30-Day Writing Challenge

I spent my Monday morning delivering the latest hot-off-the-press issue of Carpinteria Magazine. It's our thickest issue to date, and look, isn't she a beauty! 

Delivery girl is one of the hats I wear as Carpinteria Magazine editor. Magazine designer Kris Whittenton and I loaded up a big red wagon, walked down one side of Linden Avenue and back up the other delivering magazines. It was fun. We looked cute, too, pulling that wagon around. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to receive the magazine. 

Carpinteria Magazine can be found all over town, in parts of Santa Barbara, too. Hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. 

The print run for Carpinteria Magazine was 15,000. It took quite a few forklift loads to get all the pallets delivered. At 120 pages, it's heavy reading!

Sharpening the Tools of the Trade

Day 6 / 30-Day Writing Challenge

Tools of the Trade. The things I need to complete my work in a timely and better than satisfactory manner include a computer with word processing capability (preferably Word because that's what 99.9% of the professional world uses) and an Internet connection. 

Yes, there are lots of other bells and whistles available to enhance my performance. A wrist pad is nice. A brain dump system is nice. A theory of professional organizer Sara Caputo, a brain dump gets information from the brain to another receptacle such as Evernote or the more basic paper and pen. Efficient filing of paperwork is a godsend. 

Just as language always is evolving, so are the tools of one's trade. For example, peruse means to read in a thorough or careful way [uh, yes it does, look it up] the constant misuse of it has altered its meaning to the give-it-a-glance sense. 

Yesterday, I trashed a (former) favorite tool/system of mine. The use of sticky notes for brain dumping. The notes became too unwieldy. Covered with fluorescent, small, square-shaped papers in a higgledy-piggledy manner, my desk had become more of a detriment than an enhancement to my job.

I haven't discovered the perfect replacement system yet, but I'm working on it.  There's chalkboard I could use, but that is not conducive to in-the-moment thinking. A blank book/journal might do the trick. I've thought about writing on the wall.  A kindergarten-size easel with paper might be cool. 

I'll be giving this a lot of thought. Perusing the matter, one might say. 

Bye-bye sticky notes. It was efficient while it lasted. Need to move on. 

Mail Art - More than the Written Word

Day 5 / 30-Day Writing Challenge

Following up to yesterday's post, Communication Compromise, is my recommendationof "Good Mail Day, A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art" by Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler. The book is a mail art how-to guide. The back cover defines mail art as pieces of art sent through the mail rather than displayed or sold in traditional venues.

Isn't that a beautiful cover? Let me tell you, the inside doesn't disappoint. Filled with gorgeous individually designed envelopes, the book is a fountain of inspiration for ideas and choices.

I bought the book at the National Postal Museum in Washington D.C. (well worth a visit when in D.C.) If your local bookstore doesn't stock it, ask to have it ordered. Or, check here.

Such a great book! Really made my day. Now I can have a Good Mail Day every day.