I've got a brand new pair of roller skates...

Remember when you were a kid, and life was all about right now? You walked out the door with no plan, no agenda - whatever happened next was completely unknown to you, and that was the fun of it.

I'd forgotten about that, until I started reading Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott. The book is about writing and life, but it's also about taking things small steps at a time, letting the characters show you what happens next. No-one sits down and pours out a full length novel in one shot.

The one thing that really jumped out at me is Anne's concept of the "one inch picture frame." As in, write only about what you can see through the frame. What a marvelous focus tool!

Bird By Bird has reminded me of the joy I once felt when I walked into my 7th grade English class and the teacher would say "Today, we write." She would give us a prompt, and then we'd scribble furiously for 20 minutes. The stories shared were what we saw through our respective tiny picture frames, but funnily enough, the views were panoramic.

Sometimes life can't help but take precedence...

I was really hoping to be blogging every weekday again, but a few things came up in the last two weeks that took precedence. However, today is a new day, beginning a new week, and a new month - so here I am.

I went to Barnes & Noble on Saturday looking for 2 specific books (and maybe a side of inspiration). Picked up Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott and The Writing Diet by Julia Cameron. I figured while I was there I'd grab The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, as well, since it just won the Newbery Medal.

One would think it would have its own spectacular display screaming "Here I am! Buy me!" But, no, not so much. I walked over to the information desk to ask about it. The had no copies in-store, but they had just placed an order for... 12.

Now, I know the award was a huge surprise, to the author himself, even. But, come on, the book has been hyped all over the 'net - and Neil went on a whirlwind tour, reading a chapter of the book at each stop. You'd think bookstores, and Target, and Walmart would have some copies on hand.

So, I'm rather dismayed to say that amazon.com will most likely profit from my book buying dollar. I really wonder if there will be any brick-and-mortar bookstores around by 2015.

Now, where did I put that... ?

I've been reading a lot of blog posts, Tweets and Plurks about getting organized. It is that time of year when people resolve to be better about keeping track of their stuff and where they put it.

There are many options for writers to keep backups of their writing. The one thing I always try to do is keep an actual hard copy of anything I write (well, anything I sink a lot of time into, anyway). I print it out and put it in a plastic sleeve, and then put it in a 2 inch binder. I haven't written enough pieces for this to be a space issue just yet.

As for virtual storage and organization, this is what I do...

• I keep one copy on my desktop computer, as that's where I do most of my writing.
• I have a designated SD card for my writing and I keep copies there as well. Jump Sticks work just as well.
• I also upload my files to Google Documents, so that I can access them from anywhere I can acquire an internet connection.
  

There are online backup sites, such as www.4shared.com or www.mozy.com. Some are free, some are not.

If anyone has other ideas/ways they stay organized, please chime in. Now, where did I put that... ?

A world dusted in confectioner's sugar.

It began to snow at daybreak. At first a fine sifting, gradually increasing, until there were four inches of fresh powder by noon. Now, the flakes look like goose down. It lifts my spirit and makes me drowsy - simultaneously.

School was dismissed two hours early. My plans for the afternoon hit a hard stop, but I don't mind. I still remember the excitement of an early dismissal from school, and walking into my warm home and my mom hugging me. We'll make cookies and take care of homework without the pressure of dinner making, and bath taking and bedtime.

Snow like this slows things down. I do appreciate it - now and then.

It was only a matter of time...

Publisher Meredith to cut 250 jobs, take charge

Back in the game!

My New Year's resolution is to get focused and get back in the game of Freelance Writing. I veered off course as soon as the kids went on Summer Break last year and it was all downhill from there.

But...

I have submitted a gardening tip to a major mag and it's under consideration. I sent a query to a regional gardening magazine regarding a reprint. And, I've spent a lot of time the last couple of days jotting down ideas and researching publications to query.

I've also come to the realization that I've been much too isolated and I NEED to get out and socialize, and participate in life if I want to have a hope in hell of generating interesting ideas. So, one other goal for 2009 is to do things I've never done before. Nothing radical or bone breaking, but do some of the things I keep saying I'd like to do - like spend a weekend camping up North in Minnesota, visit the places in the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and go hunting next Fall.

That's my plan for the year. What's yours?

Book Review - The Writer's Planner by Gayle Trent

If you're a writer, you probably have a system for keeping track of your works in progress. But, if you're a new writer, you may have found yourself lost as to how to organize your work. Gayle Trent has provided an excellent tool with The Writer's Planner.

"At last, writers have a planner all their own. This printable, editable planner includes articles, URLs of interest to writers, quotes from writers and a submission tracker. You can even list your TBR list and your favorite sites with passwords. Best of all, the planner can be used year after year as long as you save a copy of the original."

The Writer's Planner is available at the Amazon Web Store.