A #WeekendCoffeeShare offering Fiverr tips for publishing

Posted on July 23, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

If we were having coffee….

Thanks for coming over. You’re my first guest in our new house because we’re still unpacking, as you can tell. I cleaned off the table for you, a bit. Just push my laptop aside.
The kitchen’s still a mess–makes me think if we need all these plates we have–but our cups are unpacked. I don’t want you to trip, so let me get you something. I’m having the last Sheetz House blend K-Cup, unless you want it. I have other flavors plus loose leaf black tea.

The best news this week is about my ankle. Physical therapy ended Friday. My movement, strength and flexibility are back, as good as or best as it will be. All that’s left is one follow-up with my ankle ortho to check on the fracture, maybe a final X-Ray, hen I should be done with this whole thing two months after moving in to the house.


I also hit 31,000 Swarm check-ins. I know from past experience that you get extra points for hitting those thousand marks, so I planned it to get the max points possible. I planned that moment for a whole week. That check-in got me: 100 coin points for an even 1000 check-in; 15 for my weekly streak at the Route 22 Starbucks; 15 for my overall weekly streak at coffee shops; 5 for attaching a photo and 2 point coins for sharing the check-in on social media. That’s 137 points, and I used my 3x Joey Beans sticker bonus. I got 411 points, but it’s not my highest. If I was Mayor there, maybe. Still, it’s fun to watch all those coins fall into my app wallet and hear the plunk-plunk-plunk-plunk-plunk of 411 coins, and then to see all those coffee cup stickers fly on the screen.
.
.
My writing is getting exciting. I’m in this mad rush to edit and publish my MomMemoir in time for the annual August Star Trek convention in Las Vegas. I went back to Fiverr for editing and cover services. This is the second and the last time I’m going to work on this book, and I’m making it the best product it can be. My former graphic designer is still doing gigs, which is what projects on the site are called, so I purchased a package that includes files I can use for eBooks and separate ones formatted for print publications. His gig starts at $5, but I paid $40 for the extra options I wanted.

I was skeptical the first time I heard of Fiverr. All kinds of services offered for $5. Are these people experts or hawkers? Are they industry professionals? Professors? Retired? Full-time freelancers? Part-timers who work a day job? Really, what can I get for 500 pennies?

What I’ve received so far is professional customer service, which you know is a big,

Posted in Movies, Music, Vibrant Creativity, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A #WeekendCoffeeShare offering Fiverr tips for publishing

Let’s talk Star Trek, #ROW80 and writing tips

Posted on July 19, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”~Confucius, Chinese philosopher

Today’s memoir writing tip: Don’t begin with backstory.

Perfect advice as I rewrite my Star Trek MomMemoir. The annual Las Vegas Star Trek convention begins in two weeks, and I need to be ready with my updated short memoir.

That’s what I’m calling my book these days. The current version is just under 6000 words. My writing groups have bantered the definitions of “flash fiction,” “creative memoir,” “short story,” “novella” and “book.” These discussions are not just about the technical, official writer vocabulary, but also what is generally perceived by the public. What are the readers getting themselves into?

My short memoir about the trip Mom and I took to Las Vegas to see Star Trek: The Experience is the perfect tie-in to the sci-fi convention. The event’s timing caught me by surprise, so when I sat down to tweak my current 2013 book for marketing, I realized how much more vibrant I could make it. The book started with an info dump and backstory.

I’m following the iconic advice: start in the middle of action. I put what I feel is the pivotal moment that changed my entire perception of Star Trek right there as Sentence One. It was previously at the top of Page 3. Today’s Memoir1 critique group gave me more advice to help me with focus and description, which is good because I plan to (re)publish my book this Sunday night.

This whole thing–from writing to rewriting to marketing–has put a kink in my ROW80 Round 3 goals, yet at the same time, surprisingly, strengthens them.

1–Craft a succinct 30-second book elevator speech.

This goal had my DadMemoir in mind, but I wrote a one-sentence summary of my MomMemoir for the Montclair Write Group today: “This is my short memoir about my mother and I bonding through science fiction, how I fell in love with Star Trek, and the distances we would go for that love: Las Vegas.”

What do you think?

2– Continue my 17 Writing Outlets in 2017 and follow through.

I’m putting this on hold until August, giving me time to focus on promoting my (new) book and to continue cleaning and unpacking our house.

3–Fine tune a regular social media schedule.

The middle of writing mania is a good test of my first outline:
Monday–Email, home stuff
Tuesday–Write, focus on memoir/books, print out copies for biweekly critique group
Wednesday–Write blog posts, do social media
Thursday–Email, read blogs, reply to my blog comments
Friday, Saturday and Sunday are still under construction

4–Catch up, let go of and/or publish old blog posts.

I’m struggling with this. Deleting half-written blogposts is like tossing my precious work words and time in the trash.
Help!

5–Catch up on email.

Right now, Monday and Thursday are email days.

6–Schedule weekly Myself-Time to review all these goals.

Fitting this in where I can this week.

7–Work on memoir and other stories.

Success here! It’s not my intended DadMemoir. but (re) publishing MomMemoir counts.

Posted in Movies, Music, Vibrant Creativity, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pigeon poop and writing prompts

Posted on July 11, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

“All wealth is the product of labor,”~John Locke, English philosopher

Yesterday, I wrote about pigeon poop and people loved it.

That’s the beauty of free write exercises: you have no idea what will spew from your pen.

The Montclair Write Group met for the monthly Penny University Free Write at The Fine Grind. Three topics, 20 minutes each and then everyone reads what they wrote. The prompts were: the perfect pitch; the one who got away; and either Angry Barber or No Matter What.

For the first prompt, I wrote a murder mystery between utensils. The second prompt is where I introduced the poo.

Paul pumped his feathers, his eyes focused on the far side of the pk lot. Adjust for wind. Straight. Straight. Release.

Plop!

Thomas’ chest feathers unfluffed wilted. As Paul returned, Thomas said, “You hit the window, not the headlight.”

“Last min. change,” Paul said. “I wanted to make more of a splash for little Perry here.”

That was fun. People around me nodded and shared their car pigeon poop stories.

Don’t pooh-poo the opportunities a free write gives you.  All writing advice books offer this tip.  Yeah, who has the time? After all, if you’re sitting down to write, let’s make it a productive writing session and work on a current project. Otherwise, a free write is a useless distraction and another form of procrastination.

Who has the time? We all do, but who makes the time? If it wasn’t for this get-together at the cool coffee shop, I would not have. But look at what magic appeared.

You don’t need a book of prompts to do this. Who has those handy anyway? If you’re out in public, pick three words from posters or signs around you. If you’re at home, choose three objects around you. Set the timer on your phone or microwave and write.

I launched each piece with a noun and an action: “Suzie looked” and “Three pigeons sat” and Jamie danced.” Pooping pigeons followed. The group shared enough ideas and personal experiences that I have fodder to continue these ideas into some thing.

Pigeon poop. Who’da thunk?

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

This #WeekendCoffeeShare about reading and unpacking

Posted on July 9, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor
  • If we were having coffee….

    • Hello! Isn’t this a nice Starbucks? It’s a Clover store, and they still have my Nicaragua Macarena. That’s not it’s real name, of course, but a barista back in Michigan couldn’t pronounce it, so that’s what she called this blend. These Cranford baristas don’t know much about these Reserve coffees, so I recommend a tea or this Macarena.

    This was our first 4th of July in New Jersey. When we lived in Michigan, we crossed the Detroit River to celebrate the US holiday in Windsor, Canada. This year, we’re celebrating in our country. A clerk in the Quick Chek recommended the fireworks in Union’s Biertuempfel Park. I know, that’s a mouthful and I still don’t know if I pronounced it right. We got close enough to see the ground launches and feel the Boom! in our chests. The finale was loud and bright, and people on the streets around us clapped afterwards. That’s the sign of a great light show.

    The house is still not unpacked. The shelves and cabinets are crusted with 30 years of someone else’s dirt. It soaked deep into the wood. Gross! Yes, exclamation point. My ankle is almost healed, so I’m now able to do more work. I’ve gone through three 6-roll packages of paper towels, a 5-pack of sponges and bottles of various cleaners.

    My husband set up our new TV and my WiiFit yesterday. I’m excited to use my exercise game again. This time, I’m easing into the exercise. The last time I took an extended break from my WiiFit, I jumped into my typical 60-minute step program. Talk about sore knees and thighs the next day.

    Hey, let’s talk writing. Have you been productive this week? I feel accomplished. I wrote three blogposts that I published on schedule. I also finished reading my first book in fo-ev-ah and posted a review on Goodreads. I noticed how few people I had in my list, so I connected to social media networks. I now have 82 Goodreads Friends to inspire me. Feel free to join me over there.

    This week is my Montclair Memoir2 meeting, so I have to work on my piece to bring for critique. I’m also looking to set aside time to review my ROW80 Round 3 goals. I’m telling you about all this to keep me accountable.

    So, what’s motivated you this week?

    Posted in Movies, Music, Vibrant Creativity, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Should Pokémon Adventures be a part of book challenges? All that and a book review.

    Posted on July 7, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    “Memory…is the diary that we all carry with us.”~Oscar Wilde, Irish Dramatist

    Comic books count as books read.

    When I was a kid, my school and Scholastic Books sponsored summer reading challenges. I walked door-to-door and asked people for donations. Neighbors and friends of my parents supported me by offering 25-cents per book read, $20 total, whatever. Some of the books I read are commonly refer to as chapter books. These books have a moderate-length story with supporting pictures or illustrations. I read The Black Stallion and its series. Charlotte’s Web was another. I don’t know if I was old enough to read A Wrinkle in Time yet. Age-appropriate? I read some sci-fi books that were deep for my age, but my mom loved them, therefore so did I.

    Was it wrong to read, say, Frog and Toad are Friends? I chose some books like that because they were quick reads, and the more books I read, the more money I earned and the cooler prizes I could collect. When I returned to get my 50-books-read donations, some of those per-book pledges turned into a lump sum. Ticked me off; a pledge is a pledge.

    Anyway, I never read any Batman or Richie Rich or Archie comics for such challenges. That would be cheating. Today, would manga count?

    They should. These are serious books. Chain bookstores have sections dedicated to graphic novels. To used bookstores near me have a shelf or three, and comic book stores overflow with them. I read comic books, so manga had an appeal to me, yet also not. Staring at the rows and columns of lookalike books is like wandering a romance section: unless you know an artist or author, they’re all the same.

    My friend Deb recommended the Pokémon series to me because of my current obsession with Pokémon GO. Her kids grew up with Pokémon, so she steered me to Pokémon Adventures as well as her son’s favorite, the Black & White series. I started with Pokémon Adventures Red & Blue series because it said “Vol. 1” on the spine and has a Bulbasaur on the cover. I like Bulbasaurs, and it’s a creature I recognize. The familiar seemed safe.

    I started the book during the Fourth of July weekend and finished it last night. The coolest part was seeing Pokémon I know from the game come to life on pages that left my fingers inky. Some of the translation feels off, and the Boom! Bang! Ka-Pow! scenes were tough to get a sense for because V-V-IRRRRR! Shtoom! and GNSH! aren’t common in my traditional comic experience. The story itself follows the adventures of Red, a boy who wants to be the greatest Pokémon trainer ever. I’m not familiar with the original movies or trading card game, but in this book, there are quests, friendship, death, villains, thieves, mentors and lessons learned. Each chapter has a story arc involving Red and one or two Pokémon, the tension of unexpected struggles and the resolution from the actions. It’s a complete book that ends but is also continued.

    I enjoyed it more than some contemporary books I’ve read. Heck, I plain and simple enjoyed it. That counts.

    Posted in Movies, Music, Vibrant Creativity, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

    Things I notice writing in coffee shops

    Posted on July 5, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    “Just living is not enough; one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”~Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author

    What do you notice around you?

    Today, writing in Rock ‘n’ Joe Union coffee shop, the music includes a country artist’s cover of “Purple Rain.” There is something so, so wrong about that.

    Most people who sit in a shop for a solid amount of time still order drinks in to-go cups rather than for-here mugs.

    A lot of coffee shops are a Pokémon PokeStop, A Pokémon Gym, or are near enough one to spin at. A few hours of productivity means a full items bag.

    People who sit in a shop’s comfy chairs are the only ones who read books…real paper books.

    When three people sit at a 2-chair table, no one ever puts the third chair back.

    I’m not often asked, “What are you writing?” or “What are you working on?” It doesn’t matter if I’m working with pen on paper or on my laptop/tablet.

    Most laptop folks are ignored either out of politeness or the appearance of snooping.

    Snippets of conversation caught out of context are fabulous story fodder.

    Posted in Movies, Music, Vibrant Creativity, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

    Writing goals as #ROW80 Round 3 begins

    Posted on July 3, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    “Only I can change my life; no one can do it for me.”~Carol Burnett, American actress

    This Round 3 is all about writing focus and scheduling.

    I was late to my Memoir2 group last week, so I couldn’t test my new 30-second elevator book speech. The summary intro writerly member Krista gave was more complete than mine. If I were grading it, I’d give it an A+ and write Excellent! at the top of the page. She first described her book topic, and then the part that stood out to me was her description something like, “Once chapter is the traumatic story and the following chapter is reflection and ways to heal.” Succinct. Explains to the reader the topic and what to expect. The format of her storytelling. In so many ways, Yowza!

    That’s what I want from my short book description, but I need to think more about what my memoir is. Random stories that build upon a lesson, sure, but the non-chronological format has me tongue-twisted. Writing more of the book and editing the parts I already wrote would help. Sharing all these efforts and getting feedback will be useful. None of this will work without some direction and focus.

    Which leads into my ROW80 Round 3 goals, not necessarily in any order:

    1–Craft a succinct 30-second book elevator speech.

    I will use my latest version at each Montclair Memoir2 critique meeting and tweak afterwards as needed or inspired.

    2– Continue my 17 Writing Outlets in 2017 and follow through.

    I have collected publications and local contacts, but I’m not contacting these folks. That’s a problem. Must be fixed.

    3–Fine tune a regular social media schedule.

    There are a few days that my social media outlets have regular postings and updates (Instagram Tuesday Tree Update, for one), but I need more of a presence. There are people I miss socializing with. I can’t promote my writing if all I offer is my book promotion. I miss reading blogs. The move from Michigan to New Jersey made me sloppy and weak. I will try one outlet or something every week in Round 3, tweak as needed. Instagram—Facebook Author Page—Twitter–reading blogs–Goodreads—LinkedIn—YouTube…keep all, focus on some more than others?

    4–Catch up, let go of and/or publish old blog posts.

    Still figuring out what to complete and what to let go of.

    5–Email: read and act on one old day and one new(er) email each day.

    Doing this completes almost 180 days, which would put a significant dent in my email inbox.

    6–Schedule weekly myself-time to review all these goals.

    Wednesday looks like it might work.

    7–Work on memoir and other stories.

    Again, gotta schedule the time.

    And off we go….

    Posted in Movies, Music, Vibrant Creativity, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

    A #WeekendCoffeeShare in writing mode and in-laws

    Posted on July 1, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    If we were having coffee….

    Hey, glad you could join me here outside Philly. Hope you didn’t hit too much holiday traffic. It’s a cozy Starbucks, isn’t it? I’m chillin’ with a Café Vanilla Frapp. The baristas know how to make a good one, sweet and thick. Of the two Starbucks in the area, I like this store best, and not just because this is where my husband and I have farewell coffee with his folks when we leave. But we don’t leave like we used to anymore.

    We’re down here in North Wales to visiting my in-laws. Much shorter than our drive from Michigan. *smiles* No turnpike, just a zip down Rt. 202 through antiquey towns of Lambertville and New Hope, with a toll at the New Jersey bridge, of course. The weather was perfect for last night’s drive, and it looks to be the same for today’s barbeque. His dad is grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, and at my suggestion, he’s also throwing some veggies on there. I adore grilled carrots and zucchini, brushed with olive oil, smoky and crunchy.

    I know, I’m still wearing my boot. My fractured ankle is healing delightfully, and my physical therapist says I don’t need to wear this all day anymore. I have it on now because Lucky is here, the rambunctious, three year old puppy, who has been known to jump on me. A lot. It’s best I keep my ankle supported rather than risk injuring the fractured ankle.

    Back in New Jersey, Comcast cable finally set up. First program I watched? Law & Order Criminal Intent. It’s calming to have familiar programs as background noise again. I can’t write in silence. The nothingness creeps me out.

    I’m in a new critique group, by the way. It’s still with the Montclair Write Group, just Memoir1 instead of Memoir2. There’s a lot of people on vacation and a lot of new people interested. A bit of shuffling was needed to keep the groups balanced, and it never hurts to have a new set of eyes reviewing my work.

    The 4th Thursday of every month, the Write Group hosts their “Free-for-alls for Writers” event. This week, memoir author Lorraine Ash presented her workshop on The Four A’s of Memoir. Those elements are Assault, Abyss, Awareness and Action. She read examples from published memoirs, but the examples rambled on an on, and they were books I’d never read anyway. Lorraine was dynamic when she spoke, and those moments were educational and valuable. Eight of us went out afterwards to Manny’s Diner, and the discussions over dinner were much more intriguing. I was surprised how happenin’ downtown Montclair is on a Thursday evening.

    All this talk of memoir and writing makes me think of the upcoming Round 3 of Round of Words in 80 Days. What do I want to accomplish in my writing life for the third quarter of 2017?

    How are you getting ready for this July 4th weekend and the second half of 2017?

    Posted in Movies, Music, Vibrant Creativity, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Do you know how to critique a writer’s writing?

    Posted on June 13, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    “You must not confuse being good with being liked.”~Paul Arden, American author

    Tomorrow, Wednesday, is my second official Memoir2 meeting, and apparently I don’t know how to critique.

    By official, I mean the second meeting where I present my work to the group for critique. Let me say, as before, the feedback is tough and just what I need to improve. However, feedback from my feedback is that I need to improve my critiquing skills.

    “You’re line editing,” was the recurring comment from our moderator. I have no idea what that means. I know what line editing is, but I don’t know how that applies to my critiquing. When I offer feedback, I note any part of the work that is confusing to me as a reader, be that sentence flow, a lack of detail or an unexplored idea. I believe my comments are helpful, but what am I really supposed to notice?

    I’m spoiled by my structured Michigan critique group, Deadwood Writers. An author who wants a piece reviewed at the biweekly meeting emails a piece of writing with three specific questions for feedback. On the night of the living critique:

    1–Start by mentioning something positive, something you like about the piece.

    This is important. This can be difficult.

    2–During the meeting, speak only about the three questions the author wants feedback on.

    Members ask about the flow of a piece, the voice of the writer or if a particular idea clearly conveyed. That last one is what I’m tripping on in New Jersey.

    3–Write any additional comments on the paper for the author to read later.

    Did you notice spelling errors? Maybe you saw capitalization issues, tense shifting or info dumps. Write that down and don’t clutter the critique time with that stuff. The author asked for specific feedback, so give that.

    Here at the Montclair Write Group, things are less formal. We go around the room, and one by one offer our overall impressions on the piece. No formal structure, no guidelines–except, apparently, verbal line editing.

    What a free environment. It’s so hippie-free that it’s downright scary. There’s no structure, no guidance, just immediacy. There should be time for reflection, I think. Then I realize, A reader’s reaction is immediate. You need that instant feedback because a reader stops reading in a heartbeat. They don’t have the luxury of critique background, and neither should you.

    Or should you?

    Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

    A first writing #WeekendCoffeeShare in New Jersey

    Posted on June 3, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    If we were having coffee…

    Hey, I’m glad you could meet me here. It’s my first time at the Chatham Starbucks. What do you think? It’s super crazy busy, and I guess it’s like this every weekend. It’s one of two Clover stores in this area. Franco the barista described all the Reserved coffees. I have no idea what’s new. The last Clover store I was at was back in the winter when we still lived in Michigan. Franco suggested the Peru San Ignacio, a lemon-lime-cocoa coffee. Seriously, I was skeptical, too, but it’s a smooth coffee, not biting at all. When I told him I wanted it in a grande for-here mug, like I always do, he gave me an approving nod and a “Very nice” comment.

    I like this place.

    But then, I’m liking New Jersey.

    My past life in New Jersey wasn’t overall positive. The best parts were meeting my husband here and establishing my freelance writing career. That was fun. I detail all the good and the bad in my memoir I’m working on (*wink, wink*), but all that made me who I am today–I know, so cliché–and it’s the reason I’m back.

    I hope I can re-establish a freelance career. My old editor said to contact him, but I let contacting a new editor lapse. Doesn’t make me appear reliable. All I can say is that buying a house is a lot more strenuous than we expected, and I’m hoping I get a second chance.

    It’s nice to be out with Internet. Cable gets hooked up tomorrow, and my husband set up my computer and printer yesterday. Sweet. My home office is still swallowed up by boxes, but with a purpose, I will make time for this room. Wait ’til you see it. Natural light looking out onto scenic areas of our house and neighborhood. It is inspirational for writing.

    It’s good that I’m out writing. Have you ever missed something so much that you’re itching to do that thing? I denied myself writing, and that’s cruel. I can’t believe I did that–voluntarily!– but I feel invigorated, like taking a break was needed. I’m behind in edits and rewrites and all that, but it’s weird: I don’t feel behind. I feel excited. My memoir critique group probably helps with that. They offered great feedback, commenting on sections that none of my other critique groups did. It’s fascinating to hear from people who have never read my writing. And this is a hard-ass, honest feedback group, which is just what I’ve been looking for.

    Well, me Pokémon items bag is almost full and mu mug is almost empty. Tell me about your week before we go. What’s new and exciting, or old and exciting, in your life?

    Posted in Movies, Music, Vibrant Creativity, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

    On writing, not writing and buying a house

    Posted on June 2, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”~Benjamin Franklin, American inventor

    My life has been unsettled chaos: we bought a house!

    All I will say here about the experience is thank goodness New Jersey requires lawyers to negotiate the buying and selling process.

    My life is a maze of large cardboard boxes that smothers every needs-to-be-cleaned room. I know where most of my writing stuff is in my soon-to-be office. I know where most of my computer stuff is. I think I know where my printer and monitor are. All of this doesn’t matter much because we don’t have Internet.

    It’s easy to use external factors as an excuse for not writing. Could I be writing? Of course. I have printed drafts I took with me to Temporary Housing where my husband and I lived for three months while buying our house. I know where that paperwork is. The hotel room’s atmosphere was stifling and uninspiring, and there were plenty of places nearby that I could go to. I did, and then life buying a house got busy and chaotic. Which brings me to The Now.

    Have you tried life without Internet? We haven’t had service in over a week. It took longer to schedule installation than we expected. I’m actually excited that I fell on the sidewalk last week and had to see a specialist this week. Because of that, I found an adorable coffeeshop located near the doctor’s office, a coffeeshop that has WiFi. Sighhhhhh….

    I’m sitting by the open window at The Coffee Mill Roasters in Millburn, NJ. My weather app shows that it’s 77-degrees, yet just breezy enough to feel cool and refreshed. Because of the welcoming open space with free WiFi, I feel the endorphin release of writing and blogging. That feels good. I’m drinking a blend of light and medium roast coffees. I snagged the last slice of Balthazar’s coffee cake, which the owner said is his favorite. Always go with staff recommendations, especially your first time in a new place. From here, I can also spin at the Starbucks PokeStop three doors away to fill my items bag. Bonus! Oh, and there’s free parking on Fridays and Saturdays in June. I’ll be back, even after we have cable and Internet.

    Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

    A family #WeekendCoffeeShare with writing organization tips

    Posted on April 15, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    If we were having coffee…

    It’s quiet in here, isn’t it?

    Barnes & Noble cafés are usually subdued, but the Easter holiday must be why it’s extra quiet in here. They’re proudly brewing Verona, which is one of my go-to Starbucks coffees. The barista is super friendly, so you’ll get a smile with your cup of tea or coffee. Oh, I have a B&N account–well, my husband does–so let’s get you that 10% discount.

    We’re down here visiting his folks, and right now, he’s visiting the music department. He’s hoping not to be disappointed by the pitiful CD music selection, but he’s sure he will be.

    The move back to New Jersey continues to be, let’s say, challenging to find a house. Being this close to family and friends again is a delight. If we get the house we’re negotiating, we’ll be about 2 hours away from here, which is a lot better than the 12-hour drive from Michigan. We get to do casual weekends like this, Easter dinner or random visits whenever we feel like it.

    The last part of the house inspection came back favorable, which is a relief. We have one more set of hoops to hip-hop through. I think. After that, I guess all we do is wait for the closing date. I hope.

    I went to the Montclair Write Group’s free write on Monday. I’m trying something new with my writing format or approach. I bought the Michaels version of a Travelers Notebook last year intending to use it in a specific way to organize my writing. I have three inserts. The first one is for my regular journaling. The second one is for writing notes or interview transcriptions from freelance writing assignments. I’m looking for work once we get settled in our house, and this setup will be perfect based on my past writing experiences in New Jersey those many years ago. The third insert is exclusively for my creative writing and story ideas.

    In the past, everything dumped into my regular journal. I would have needed to index each one to properly find everything, and that is not going to happen. What a great idea to keep my writing segmented.

    The problem is that this whole contraption is too big for any of my purses. It’s even bulky in my writing bags, but I can squeeze it in. If I’m out on a casual day, I can’t implement this great idea because my travelers notebook doesn’t travel well in everyday life. After about 3 days, I took the first insert out to use as my journal since it’s a size I typically use. I kept the other two inserts in the snap binder. I’ve only taken the whole thing out in public to those Montclair write meetings to use the third insert for the creative writing prompts.

    I’m brewing another idea for journaling and writing that’s inspired by two books I saw last year. It seems such an obvious experiment, but it’s unconventional enough to never consider it. I’m thinking when to put it into action. It’s not intuitive, but it could be. Maybe when this current journal is filled.

    What about you this week? Any creative ideas bursting forth? Spending time with family or friends this weekend? Happy Easter or Chag Sameach, however you celebrate.

    Posted in Movies, Music, Vibrant Creativity, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Celebrating 3 must-read writing bloggers

    Posted on April 11, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”~Abraham Lincoln, American president

    Today, l celebrate bloggers.

    We’re all in this together, whatever our reasons for writing, whatever our topics or motivation. Supporting each other is what we should all do, but it can seem daunting. After all, when do we write our blog and read other blogs and comment on them and then comment on comments and then reply to the comments on our blog?

    Let’s break it down together. Make a schedule, a small, definable, specific one. One YouTuber I follow writes in her description: “I reply to comments twice a week on Monday and Thursday.” How perfect is that? Everyone knows what to expect when–even her. This is an ideal thing for bloggers. She is my hero.

    Then there’s writing. You know your schedule or are figuring it out. Whatever you do, be consistent. On those times that you’re not consistent, do NOT apologize. It irks me when I see that in blogs, like that person’s job is to entertain or inform me. Your life is your own, and your followers will understand. They’ll be extra super-duper excited to see you return.

    What makes this whole beautiful community is created by commenting on blog posts and forming relationships. You don’t have to respond immediately to everything in real time, but everyone who comments deserves a reply. Don’t underestimate the power of “Thank you” or “Glad you enjoyed this. A comment is a compliment; acknowledge it as such.

    I don’t have a schedule yet, so I have nothing to maintain. My life is abnormal and unstructured at this moment as we finalize the house buying process. My blogging schedule remains constant–publishing on odd-numbered dates–but discovering new blogs is difficult right now. Carving out time to read seems trivial, but where do we start? Let me share three bloggers I always make time to drop in on:

    In no particular order:

    1–Jeanette A. at Deadwood Writers Voices

    This writers group blog features posts on a wide range of topics. Jeanette writes about video games. I have precious memories of Atari and I currently enjoy Nintendo games and the WiiFit experience, but reading her detailed First Person Shooter experiences makes me want to expand my horizons and play. I can’t play FPS because the character’s point of view gives me a dizzy headache, so I live vicariously through her. I love her detail about the atmosphere and the glitches and all the subtleties of gameplay. Her latest post about the Sims games is a short, tragic memoir-esque read that reminds us to never give us the classic games of our youth.

    2–Marcie Hill at Marcie Writes

    If you need blogging inspiration or want to learn the business side of writing, she’s one to follow. Her blog has a strong selection of links under her Resources tab. Her book, 62 Blog Posts to Overcome Blogger’s Block, got me out of my blogging funk with unexpected and creative prompts and ideas to write about. If you’re stuck for ideas, you won’t be after this.

    3–Haiku Horizons

    This site posts a poem prompt every Sunday night. Haiku a short form poem, traditionally three lines in 5-7-5 syllables. Some poets, myself included, have taken it beyond the nature-season inspired topics and morphed in into describing elements of our days. I actively participate in this weekly challenge, and I have discovered other bloggers to follow by clicking on the Link button. Not everyone who posts is a poet, so don’t be intimidated by that aspect. Haiku is one way these bloggers express themselves and their interests.

    Happy reading! If you have any other sites that inspire you, leave the links below so we can all discover new awesomeness.

    Posted in Movies, Music, Vibrant Creativity, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

    A #WeekendCoffeeShare returning from Miami

    Posted on April 9, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    If we were having coffee…

    Hi there. Grab a seat. The couches in our hotel room are surprisingly comfy. I’m going to brew a cup of Starbucks Veranda in the Keurig. What would you like? I can microwave water for tea if you prefer. There’s only so much I can do in this extended-stay hotel, but we’re moving towards a house, so we may not be here much longer.

    I focused on my writing this week. I was poolside at a Miami resort with no plans or appointments. I indulged myself in rare sun–you know I have sensitive skin–and I wrote two blog posts. I thought about the atmosphere I was in and the atmosphere I like writing in. Poolside is not a bad atmosphere to write in. Water and lounge chairs are soothing. Beware the indirect sunlight reflection off the pool. You can catch a sunburn even while under a large beach umbrella.

    There are some little complications with the house hunting process that are turning into large complications. Everything is more time consuming than I expected. There are attorneys and inspectors and unexpected issues. our closing date looms almost a month away and things are still…tweaking.

    I made time to examine my ROW80 Round 2 goals. I didn’t do that before the official start date last Sunday, and I feel better taking time now to focus on what I want to accomplish. So far there’s no progress, but I defined my goals two days ago.

    The good, the bad, the frustrating. How about you? What exciting things have you been up to?

    Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Boldly stating my #ROW80 goals, Round 2

    Posted on April 7, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that, in the process, he does not become a monster.”~Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher

    Welcome to Round 2 of A Round of Words in 80 Days, running April 2 – June 22, 2017.

    This round overlaps the hopeful finality of our house purchase and moving, so I have to be realistic here.

    I miss writing. I haven’t made time to work on my memoir or any short stories. I focused on blog posts, catching up on what I’m behind with. A binder clip full of half-written or almost-edited pieces fill my writing bag. Writing these days feels like work, yet I enjoy writing. Do you feel the same push-pull of productivity?

    A Round of Words helps brings things into focus, wrangling a few key tasks, I see people who post updates that are monumental: write this story; edit that book; edit this blog piece; budget personal finances; plot this story; exercise 5x week; outline story ideas; and so on. I’ve seen more than one person list ALL THAT as their ROW80 quarterly goals. Impressive, admirable and insane. I couldn’t do all that. When would I breathe? Looking back, my Round 1 Goals were achievable, but I did not follow through on them. These are my focus areas for April through June:

    1–Buy a house.

    Easier said than done, but it’s Priority One. In the spare time I have between house hunting details are these goals:

    2–Catch up on social media, not catch ’em all.

    Set up a schedule for posting and replying. Make it a ritual somehow. I don’t want it to feel like work. I want it to be light, a celebration. I could go very deep with this philosophical outlook and examine what I want each social media presence to present, but right now, I want to maintain current connections. Let’s take it from there.

    3–Establish a blog post schedule and keep up.

    For every new post I write, I will write/revise an older one. This will keep me focused since I’m behind in my post-every-odd-numbered-day blogging. I will maintain that schedule, but I need to control the madness.

    4–Create a blog focus/direction/editorial calendar

    This is something I have been cloying with for some time. I began this blog to have an Internet presence to showcase my past published articles and demonstrate my current writing style. This would eventually showcase my published books, and I would become a world-famous, best-selling author. I never had a focus, so my ideas muddle together in an unfocused mess. What do I want to do? What service am I providing? Some people write just to write. I write with a purpose, which has changed over the years. This goal ties into Goals #2 and #3, so it seems that my blog is the key focus this quarter. Completing that/this/these tasks will set me, I can set myself up for a strong Round 3.

    6–Work on my memoir.

    Edit chapters. Write new chapters. Organize chapters. Learn Scrivener. This is a rambling goal, listed here to remind myself what I’m working on.

    7–Play around with short stories.

    I’m writing snippets of stuff based on intriguing prompts from Montclair Write Group’s monthly “Penny University” Free Write Workshop. I have them organized in a special, separate journal, so I can easily refer to them anytime. Some of these I can see turning into stories. Some are just fun exercises.

    8–Read books.

    I actually made time to read while I was in Miami this week. I chose a light YA book that has been on my TBR list for a few years. I don’t want to make reading a defined goal like “one book a week” or “10 books each month.” That sets expectations and guilt if the challenge is not met. I don’t need that stress in my life. I want to read more now than I have been, which has been none. This is a time luxury I have not made for myself.

    That’s the best for me right now. It’s not a bad list to work from to break down into good tasks. Gotta get started.e

    Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

    A writing #WeekendCoffeeShare

    Posted on April 1, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    If we were having coffee…

    Hey, I’m glad you could make it to Starbucks. Hope the traffic on Rt. 22 wasn’t bad. Sit down, let’s chat. I’m not sure if my Frappuccino is a Celebratory Frappuccino or not.

    We just came from out potential-house inspection. One of the last things our inspector found could be a show-stopper. Underground oil tanks can leak and contaminate the soil, se we excluded all houses that had one listed in the description. No one mentioned an oil tank here until today when our inspector discovered the pipes. That kinda shocked everyone, including our real estate agent. The rest of the house shows well, but this…this…. We’re waiting for the inspection report which we’ll receive tonight or tomorrow.

    For that reason and so many more, I need a break. Turns out I got the opportunity to travel with my husband to Miami next week. Florida in April? The weather’s gotta be gorgeous. It’s supposed to be a gorgeous resort, so I am properly attired with a new, fitted bathing suit and my summer nails. I’m not a pink person, but don’t these Pompeii Purple gel nails shout “poolside”?!?

    How’s your writing coming along? This writing group I found, Montclair Write Group, they really do about 30 events a month as the coordinator, Carl, touts. I’m invited to observe one of the memoir critique groups the first week of May. The weekly Writing Support Group met Tuesday at 10am. That’s way, way early for me, but I want to see what all the hype is about. I expected more practical advice and people sharing real struggles about writing and freelancing, but the group obviously knows each other because there was a lot of overlapping cross-talk. I took notes, but no one else did. I’ll check back sometime to see if the format is different on another day. The coffee shop I found in downtown Montclair, Trend, is alone worth the visit. A converted house, wooden floors, comfy chairs, sturdy tables and homemade pastries. Yeah.

    I’m also leaping into the Write On challenge to write 30 letters in 30 days. April is National Letter Writing Month in addition to being National Poetry Month. I’ve been mailing dollar store notecards to one of my college friends for months, just because. Now I have this new kit, plus I discovered last year’s kit. Yeah, shows I didn’t write a lot last year. Maybe this year will be different.

    Enough about me. What’s been going on in your life these days?

    Posted in Movies, Music, Vibrant Creativity, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

    The Friendship Edition of #WeekendCoffeeShare

    Posted on March 19, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    If we were having coffee…

    Thanks for meeting me here. SmartWorld Coffee is the first coffeeshop I discovered here in New Jersey. It’s my default location because it’s close to temporary housing and it’s the warmest coffee shop I’ve ever been in.

    Both coffees here are good. I prefer the medium roast Magic City, but the Smart “Mudd” is smooth for a dark roast. Sometimes I get it just for the name. It’s cool to drink tasty mud.

    This is my usual table. I know, two weeks and already a regular. The staff doesn’t know me just yet, but I know here. This table is far enough from both doors and from the condiment counter. Sun doesn’t hit my horizon until about 5pm, which gives me a good day to write. And this table is perfect for setting up my writing pad, tablet and for-here mug.

    Can you believe it’s 3 weeks to the day that I arrived back in New Jersey? It feels like forever in a blink of the eye. So much running around looking at houses and now paperwork for a house we are interested in. I keep looking at listings because, well, I feel skittish for some reason. Maybe all the legalese is getting me down-doobie-doo-down down.

    How’s your writing coming along? Me, I’m mostly writing blogposts these days. On Monday, I attended The Montclair Write Group’s free write workshop. One Monday morning a month, anyone meets at The Fine Grind over in Little Falls–have you been?–and writes bits and smooches from writing prompts the moderator brings. I got there late and participated in only two of the three prompts. No one critiques these pieces. It’s a time to get together with other writers and play with words. Very casual.

    What scared me was everyone reads their piece aloud. Oh my gosh, it’s been forever since I did that. I read my short fiction and my poem aloud, and it felt so weird. In my old critique group, we had the option to have our piece read aloud, and then we had the option to have someone else read it. I always chose someone else, because he or she didn’t know what my inflections are, and that was an eye-opener–or an ear-opener–for approaching my revisions.

    Anyway, this group is active in all sorts of writing workshops and meetings. They have a memoir critique group *pause for a deep sigh* and I’m looking forward to getting involved with them. Someday.

    I’m not done with Michigan yet. I registered for Mega Meet in May. My best scrapbooking friend and I have decided that I am coming back every year for this event. Scrapbooking, card making, shopping for crafting stuff I have too much of already and hanging with my friend. We got all our classes, and we have 3 or 4 classes together. The only downside is that 10-hour drive, but that’s what hotels are made for. Besides, this year, I need to bring Tree and Sprout and my other plants back with me.

    That’s been the excitement of my life this week. I snatched a few minutes here and there to catch some new Pokémon GO critters, including the super-duper rare Togetic. In fact, I caught it right here in Denville. From SmartWorld coffee, right here at this table, I can spin the PokeStops at bothe the Starbucks across the street and the Denville Clock Tower. I’m Mayor of both of those, too.

    Have you had a fun week? I’ve been doing all the talking. Tell me all about it.

    Posted in Movies, Music, Vibrant Creativity, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Claiming myself in a new state of mind…kinda

    Posted on March 9, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    “It is important to stay positive because beauty comes from the inside out.”~Jenn Proske, Canadian actress

    Today I heard Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ and I cried.

    I have no reason to, but I did. I guess I do have a reason. There’s one line that Michiganders emphasize EVERYtime that song plays:

    “Just a city boy, raised in…” (wait for it) “…South Detroit.”

    I hummed along and automatically claimed that line as my own just as I’ve been conditioned to. Instantly, I got homesick, which is weird. Michigan is not my home, just the state I resided in for these past 11 years, but the familiar and unknown crashed together.

    We’re house hunting now in New Jersey. It’s still a daze to think I’ll be a Jersey girl again, another state that’s not my home. I’m not discouraged by the search. There are well-groomed houses that are within our price range in cities we could live in. We haven’t found The House yet, and that’s the unsettling part of all this.

    IMG_9738

    Haiku Horizons prompt #159: Cold

    I’ve found some coffee shops to claim as my own, local shops that give a 5-cent discount if you use a for-here mug and offer loose leaf tea drinks. I even made a friend at one of them. I found potential writing outlets and publications to explore. I discovered a writing group I’m trying out next week. I feel good about all that, but right now, that d@#n unknown scares the crap outta me.

    I left friends. A left a kick-a$$ writers group. I left the safe and familiar. I’m working to create a new safe and familiar, but where? I’m afraid that the connections I’m making here, close to the temporary housing we’re currently living in, will be nowhere near where we settle. That’s unsettling.

    I couldn’t even properly mourn my memories. Landscapers came by at just that moment, blowing grass clippings into my car. I had to drive away, and that pissed me off.

    I claimed that line as my own. I claimed that state as my own. I’m being quite presumptuous with my life, and I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.

    Posted in Movies, Music, Vibrant Creativity, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Perceptions and misconceptions of New Jersey

    Posted on March 3, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    “At the end of the day, life is about being happy being who you are.”~Kim Kardashian, American celebrity

    I’m in New Jersey now, and I’m surprisingly happy.

    I lived in NJ for almost 10 years before getting married and moving to Delaware and then Michigan. I thought I’d paid my dues and earned the right never to return, but Destiny has a weird sense of humor.

    My life before was not entirely a bad one. I was here during those formative, post-college years. I worked part-time. I worked full-time. I gained weight. I lost weight. I found new friends, and I pushed some of those nasty people out of my life. I fell in what-I-thought-was-love. I broke up. I was broken up. I drove to Asbury Park one winter evening to see The Stone Pony, musical home of Bruce Springsteen, just because I could. I got engaged. I was gifted a new car. I paid off credit card debt. Family members died while I was away here. I developed stronger writing skills and wrote some intensely fun, intricate newspaper articles. My time here was not a waste, but there is that stigma towards NJ. To an extent, that is true.

    IMG_9638

    Haiku Horizons #158: Waste

    People are rude. There is a lot of traffic which frustrates people which makes them rushed which adds to traffic which makes people cranky and when they stop to buy something on the way home, they are still rushed and therefore rude. Gangsta songs and movies, reality shows and controversial musicians all come from here. I get the stereotype and therefore the stigma.

    Adding to that, the more north you go, which means closer to New York, generally the more traffic rush and rudeness you’ll find. Guess where we are?

    In my week here, I’ve been surprised by my presumptions and misconceptions. Public conversations have been pleasant. I had three spontaneous conversations in Starbucks and chatty staff at two local coffee shops. I didn’t expect outgoing people. Most drivers seem to honor the speed limit of 65mph, and I’ve only been cutoff twice and honked at once. I’m the one balancing and adjusting to the speed limit here having come from a 70mph state.

    My husband is happy, and I mean ecstatically so. He’s in a positive work environment, and he comes “home” after work talking about his work, not office politics. I put home in quotation marks because we’re currently in temporary housing at an extended-stay hotel while we search for a house.

    I’m happy because I have the freedom right now to write as much as I want. Coffee shops have become my daytime office, so I make sure to order enough coffee and food to justify my time here supporting the local environment.

    I met my realtor for the first time last night. My husband met her twice before, but this was my first time. We clarified areas to look at, how best to contact each other, identified what language I should avoid in listings and the research she needs to do so we don’t waste our time.

    IMG_9692

    This is what I found. Maybe Bingo, but I couldn’t tell if the woman was dressed all in black

    Today, while I await her updated emails, I’m at a new coffeeshop writing and playing Café Bingo. I received the game as a going away present from my Deadwood writerly friend, Kelly. The cardboard bingo card has 25 images of coffee shop clichés. When you spot one, you push back the appropriate square rather than stamp an ink circle like a traditional bingo card. These cards are reusable since the squares just bend back and not pop out. No waste or lost pieces to deal with.

    Since I’m here by myself, I try to see if I can get all squares pushed in. It makes me stop and look up from my laptop. To embrace the friendliness and the openness. To be present.

    But no Bingo. That’s okay.

    Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    Reflections on #ROW80 goals, buying house and coffee

    Posted on March 1, 2017 by DWHirschAuthor

    “Sometimes just when I say hello the right way, I’m like, ‘Whoa, I’m so cool.'”~Robert Pattinson, English actor

    It’s been five months since I completed a Photo365 spread, but it feels like forever.

    The first is the date I would normally post that, along with some deep, introspective look back at the life that was. I offer no perspective other than I saved no photos for February, January and November, with only a smattering of images in October and December. Despite my dozens of PokemonGO screenshots, Goodbye Selfies, Tree, coffee and sunsets, I collated nothing. Why? Did I lose interest ? Did I forget? Have my priorities changed?

    Yesterday, I discovered a local coffee shop in Denville: SmartWorld Coffee. It’s small, almost teeny-weeny with its 6 circle tables, 3 barstool square tables and 2 comfy chairs. The store closed early this week because tomorrow, they unveil a new them. More comfy chairs, the owner said, improved lighting and more. I have no idea how this will all fit together in this cozy space, but I admire them for improving the experience.

    We should all strive for that, even when we don’t know the end result. We see it in our mind’s eye, but how does that translate to reality? I’m striving for success with my first quarter goals, which are part of my “17 in 17” and ROW80 projects.

    1. Buy a house.

    It’s not really a goal in the sense of writing or achievements, but that is my #1 priority. Finding a house is a part-time full time job. It’s somewhat out of my control because I can only look at houses that are available. Listings change day-to-day, but this goal is at the mercy of sellers.

    Since I have this time on my hands, I’m focusing on two of my goals for the next few months:

    2. Write 17 chapters in one or various books.

    As much as this is work, being creative is finger painting for my brain. I almost feel guilty giving into play. After all, there’s more serious writing to do. Can play be serious?

    3. Explore 17 writing outlets.

    I was about to type that I haven’t done anything yet, but the proverbial light bulb in my head blasted on. Next to SmartWorld’s condiment bar is a shelf of local publications and business cards. The publications are the type that are full of text and look like a folded newsletter, the ones you find in small-town boutiques, local bookstores–if you’re fortunate enough to have one–libraries and coffee shops. We’ve all passed them by and wondered if anyone reads them because the info inside is specialized and local, We don’t know if they’re interesting because we never pick them up, just snob by the independently produced papers.

    Of course people read them! The publisher wouldn’t waste money on paper and staples otherwise. The beauty of these is that they are specialized and local. They know their audience, the key to any successful book or magazine or newspaper.

    I picked up three publications: the Morris County’s Our Town; a folded flyer for GFWC Woman’s Club of the Denville-Rockaway area; and NJ Kids on the Go! Of these, I’m only counting Our Town towards that 17 goal because it’s the only magazine publication with stories inside. The GFWC is an organization I know nothing about, and NJ Kids is mostly advertisements. By flipping through the February issue, I learned the Pinball Hall of Fame Museum Arcade is in Asbury Park.

    I admit that I’m hesitant to delve deep into these. My husband and I haven’t found a house yet, so we could end up living miles and counties away. That may mean nothing. That may mean everything. I won’t know un less I try, and the opportunity was a cup of coffee away.

    SmartWorld is my first Photo365 for March.

    Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments