My Life In Cards

My most important accessory these days is one of those healthy back bags with twenty some pockets. I sling the heavy bag over my shoulder everywhere I go. Tucked in each individual pocket, is a card for every opportunity from grandma to Enrolled Agent.

Queen Moll still rules her Red Hat Society chapter. Maybe it’s the the conspicuous red and purple attire, or seeing aging ladies in red hats and plucking bling that draws the interest. Once they observe the laughter and antics of our crowd, women by the hundreds beg for information. A flick of a card and they are on their way. We’ve been known to hand them out to men “for their wives.” And then there was the man who begged to join us once his estrogen kicked in.

Witts End Grandma and Grandpa will be on duty for a while. I made those cards and stuffed them in Little J’s pockets every day in case he wandered off. I told him to hand them out to all his friends so he’d get lots of play dates. It worked great until about 3rd grade. It was tolerated until Little J celebrated his 13th birthday and then suddenly he wasn’t little anymore. Now we fondly call him Mr. J. Except for a few hidden in the bottom of my bag, the cards have mysteriously disappeared.

Witt’s End? Well that became history when I renamed my blog Witt Bits. Witt’s End had a ring of finality, maybe not a good idea. It’s a long story – the one to be written.

As long as real work remains on my desk, the Enrolled Agent card will continue to be renewed. Speaking of work, I’m finding that writing is interfering with my money making opportunities. I’m getting old and tired. I want to retire sometime in the next decade or two. There may not be enough time to finish the trilogy of my life so I’m concentrating on that one perfect memoir. I have made that commitment. With a deadline. Sort of. Chapter One must be written within the next seven days or my memoir coach may send me off to seek another avenue.

Being a business card junkie and the ace of procrastination, I decide I simply must design another card. Conventions, conferences and classes are in the works and I need put on a new face. Problem is, what do I call myself? Blogger? Too casual. Writer? I used that one when I thought I might yield some magazine credits. Contributor? That went the way of ThemeStream.com (but not before I received a check for $72.38 for my penny-a-read stipend). Then I got an idea. Why not just call myself “Author?” After all I was paid for my work, once. Doesn’t that qualify? So here I am using the “A” word. Just don’t try to find me on Amazon… yet.

Why We Write

The memoir writing slows as I spend more time researching how to do it rather than adding words to the book. Memoir accountability this week – zilch. Research accountability – hours. It’s a good thing the memoir class begins this Friday.

Meanwhile, Amber Lea Starfire has an inspiring article on her Writing Through Life blog today. Learn What Makes a Memoir “Good” here.

Aboard the Zephyr yesterday, I finished reading Why We Write About Ourselves: Twenty Memoirists on Why They Expose Themselves (and Others) in the Name of Literature. It’s excellent. But, I may need to read the 20 something memoirs before I write mine. Incentive to write: strive to be in the 2nd edition.

Stories From The Heart VIII

Stories from the Heart

Big step for me ahead. I have signed up for my first Women’s Writing Conference. Notice I said “first.” I’m hoping to gain enough confidence to keep on going. As a 16 year member of Story Circle Network, this is the venue that seems right for me. Although I have not participated in a writing circle for several years, I feel as if I already know some of the women who will be there, and I already know they are a sincere and compassionate bunch.

Now about that “comfort” part. This is definitely a leap out of my comfort zone as I am much more comfortable sitting in my private little office with only the birds and squirrels for an audience. Not that I’d stand up in front of anyone and expect an audience. There’s a fear there and I suspect I know where it started. Way back in junior college in a creative story class my instructor called on me to read what he said was an A+ story. That would have been fine if he hadn’t added, “and see if you can do it without your face turning red.” The rest of that story is obvious. It’s time to get over that. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll have the courage to share one of my pieces at the open mike night. Oh no, now what kind of commitment have I made?

Scrivener

The best writing software I have discovered is Scrivener. There’s a bit of a learning curve but it’s worth the time to explore. This is the layout that works for me but there are plenty of view options- corkboard, outliner, editor – and it’s easy to switch between them. Want to write with minimal distractions? Hit F11 and you get full screen.

Visit Literature & Latte website for details and see the endless options. Watch a couple tutorials. Download a FREE trial of the full version. Heck, buy it for only $40. It’s a bargain.

There are plenty of cool tools to use also. My favorite is the project target. Setting goals and tracking keeps me accountable. I need to set goals and track my project. Which brings me to my distraction of the day – the name generator. Wondering if I should change my name to one of these that came up when I used my Norwegian and English heritage to search: Diamante Vinje, Blessing Egge, Luvena Nicolaysen, Michaela Christoffersen, Jaclyn Juve, Avlynn Loe, Kacie Mele, Jeanae Nylund, Cherrill Gronlund, Lorenna Langlie.

Note, I do not work for Literature and Latte.

Uff Da.. I’m at 59,262 words, just a little behind.