Something to distract you from something else.

I'm at critical mass at the moment. Even my boss is telling me "you need to slow down" when he's usually saying "Pile on more! You can do it!" And his way of telling me this is to tell me a big story about a woman who had kids and worked really hard and then had some kind of breakdown and now she looks old and really skinny.

Wait, skinny would be cool...

Anyways. Here are some nifty sites to peruse:

To freelance for trade magazines, be a team player over at Word Count by Michelle Vranizan Rafter.

How to get your clients to pay invoices promptly by WikiHow... which is really a weird web site because clicking the "Random Article" link in the right hand corner can take you in directions you don't want to go... I got "how to form the word blood with your fingers" and then "how to panhandle online" and now I'm feeling so icky that I almost don't want to link to them... except the paying invoices article is actually pretty good.

Harness the writing process to become more effective (and efficient) writer by Paul Lima who gives verra verra good advice.

Don’t quote the AP… or else? by Carolyn Erickson... who really does hit the flat bit with the hard thingy.

Back shortly after these messages.

I'd like some blood, please.

Via fellow PWACer, Marijke Durning.

Please take a moment to visit Heal Emru and consider getting tested as a bone marrow donor.

Some questions...

I found this over at My Write Hand:

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Just enough on my plate to eat, just enough warmth to go without socks, just enough money to pay the bills, just enough love to fill my house.

What is your greatest fear? Losing my family.

Which historical figure do you most identify with? Sir Winston Churchill.

Which living person do you most admire? My children.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Deceit.

What is the trait you most deplore in others? Deceit.

What is your greatest extravagance? Buying books.

What is your favorite journey? When I'm "leaving on a jet plane".

What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Are you kidding? There are no virtues that have reached the level of overused. They should all be used more!

On what occasion do you lie? When my kids aren't ready for the truth.

What do you dislike most about your appearance? My my face breaks out.

Which living person do you most despise? No one. "Let no man pull you low enough to hate him." -- Martin Luther King Jr.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse? "Like". I hate that word. "and she's all like, I hate that word..."

What is your greatest regret? I don't believe in regrets.

What or who is the greatest love of your life? My husband. For real.

Which talent would you most like to have? Singing!

What is your current state of mind? Scattered.

If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be? That we followed the seven virtues more often.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Achieving the title of "mommy".

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be? An angel.

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be? Me.

What is your most treasured possession? My health.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Absence of God.

Where would you like to live? With my family. Wherever that is.

What is your favorite occupation? Mother.

What is your most marked characteristic? My red hair... or my temper that goes with it.

What are the qualities you most like in a man? Honesty.

What are the qualities you most like in a woman? Proverbs 31:10

What do you most value in your friends? Kindness.

Who are your favorite writers? Joshilyn Jackson, Shirley Jump, Jodi Picoult, Maeve Binchy, Diana Gabaldon.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction? Jamie Fraser (by Gabaldon)

Who are your heroes in real life? Our men and women in the military.

What are your favorite names? Mommy and Daddy.

What is it that you most dislike? Noisy eaters.

How would you like to die? With advanced warning.

What is your motto? I can do it.

Suicide of Reason in Canada

Another column is up at Pajamas Media. I am quite happy that it's gotten 37 comments so far... and has been quoted on several other blogs!

When Your Writing is Controversial

I write for a site that has its fair share of controversial articles. And every once in a while one that I put up is controversial. Like the one I put up today.

My article criticized the Canadian Border Services Agency. (As my husband said... good luck crossing the border later this month ;) lol) It's not like it garnered 100 comments, but it did get at least one comment from a superviser with the CSBA. (probably clicking 'flag this person' at this very moment...)

Basically they haven't been allowed to have guns. Now they are being given guns but it's taking a heck of a long time to get 7200 guards certified. (Not all of them will get guns)

To top it off, there are new recruits being incredibly dumb and posting pictures on Facebook of alcohol consumption in uniform.

Anyways... you can read it if you like.

So what do you do when your writing draws criticism?

1. Analyze the criticism to determine a) who it's coming from and b) if it has merit.

2. Find something in the criticism that you can learn from.

3. Do not take it personally.

The third point is the hardest because many critics take things to a personal level. For example, one critic didn't like my tone (sarcasm) and while on one hand I know that it's just the tone I chose to write in, on the other I feel it's a criticism of me as a writer and the tool I chose.

(I'm not a huge fan of sarcasm... but I use it sometimes...)

The first point is important because everyone one has a bias. A quick Google search determined that one of my commenters was a supervisor at the CSBA. I can understand why he'd take offense to my article.

It was about one viewpoint, one opinion.

It goes without saying that many, many employees at the CSBA are good workers. But the fact is, their employer has faced controversy in the last few years and that's what my article was about. The controversies.

After reading the comments, I digested them and responded. I wasn't offended, really, how can you be offended by an opinion. It's an opinion, not an action or a concrete attack. It's just one person's opinion.

Now if I'm totally flagged at the border now I will really be offended. LOL

Please feel free to comment...

(Cross-posted at Mama Needs A Book Contract)

Group Blogging

FYI... I'll ALSO be blogging over at the new Writing Mother Group Blog, come check us out!

www.mamaneedsabookcontract.blogspot.com

Wassup ...

Mir got hitched.

Kira's kids are growing... waaah!

Joshilyn's dog committed planticide.

Lani has another podcast up ... and has invented the perfect mix of alcohol and writing

Lena's house still hasn't sold, and her breakdown is entertaining. For me. Not so much for her.