tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-112813742012-01-19T07:02:30.229-08:00Random thoughts from Dy Larson of Ink Think, freelance editor and copywriterDynilanoreply@blogger.comBlogger1151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-88952392333141887982008-11-16T13:52:00.000-08:002008-11-16T14:14:15.094-08:00

A recent e-Marketer daily article talked about TV as "old media" and mentioned the decreasing influence it has in sales and the slowly decreasing amount of money being spent on television commercials as a result.As a DVR queen, I agree. I love my DVR and rarely watch live TV--and its attendant commercials--anymore.I do watch a couple of shows that I think are taking this "old media" in a great

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-48672978306604121942008-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:002008-11-01T00:01:00.240-07:00

The weather in Central Texas FINALLY cools off. Ok, yea, not til mid-November, but still...And there's that holiday with the big bird... Yea, that's nice, too.And, for the 10th year in a row, there are crazy people ALL OVER THE WORLD writing novels! Whole 50,000 word novels in a mere 30 days. For those of you who do not participate and therefore have not done the math over and over, that works

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1394158510555160422008-10-07T07:45:00.000-07:002008-10-07T07:52:13.393-07:00

Yes, it's just a trial, but still...If you Google my name, and if you're thinking of doing business with me I always assume you have, one of the things that comes up is a comment I made on an article about e-books a few years ago. Basically I was saying that the most logical application I could conceive of for e-books was textbooks. Anyone who has watched a junior high student load 30lbs of books

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-41758072011619648182008-10-04T09:31:00.000-07:002008-10-04T10:10:40.407-07:00

It's October! The morning air is actually crispy and nice feeling for an hour or two before we go back to the Texas usual. The first cool mornings of autumn always make me happy. Then sad when the heat comes back for another 6-8 weeks, lol.More importantly, October means that www.nanowrimo.org is open for the business for the new year in preparation for November which, as we should all know by

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-79906655058303733072008-08-28T19:04:00.000-07:002008-08-28T20:05:52.289-07:00

I was going to try to hide it, but the effort is making me tired, already, and its only been 4 days.I am ~not~ a full-time VA.There, I said it. I've only been a full-timer a few times over the years, since work seems to come in waves. Very dilettante of me, but dh had a good job with a mega corp that supported my scribbling.Note the HAD.Yea. We both started job-hunting a week after has became

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-44773968512857998142008-08-21T18:34:00.000-07:002008-08-22T08:43:32.848-07:00

What is this quandary you ask?Personalized vs. ProfessionalAbout 6 weeks ago dh had some buddies of his in the marketing department at mega corp (name changed to protect the guilty) rip to shreds review my website.The Ink Think site was also reviewed by a group of fellow VAs and WAHMs about a year ago.The comments from the two groups could not be more different, even though the site has not

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-20986129637346490602008-07-21T08:35:00.000-07:002008-07-21T08:38:18.396-07:00

This is an interesting article on all-women networking and fraternal groups in the UK.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-54485003790710591252008-07-07T11:46:00.000-07:002008-07-07T12:01:27.096-07:00

As a solopreneur (a pretentious made-up word I despise that is nonetheless accurate) I hate when people talk about the downsides of working with a one-(wo) man show, but when it happens to YOU, as it has to me, you are forced to acknowledge that there IS a downside.Small shops and freelancers have a lot of advantages over the big boys--we usually have more creative freedom and flexibility, we

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-85271128256415972502008-05-05T07:14:00.000-07:002008-05-05T16:15:47.821-07:00

*sigh*Upgrade begets upgrade is the way of the world. In order to sync my calendars I have to upgrade my Outlook. Upgrading my Outlook is only $100 cheaper than upgrading my whole MS Office package, so I bit the bullet on that one today.Tonight, we have fun with Microsoft installations :-S I'm not a huge MS fan anyway, as anyone who reads my posts on the OffAssist blog already knows, but I am

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-7491100419187375432008-05-04T19:41:00.001-07:002008-05-04T19:53:49.514-07:00

Ink Think is doing respectably well these days, after a long slow start, and I decided to reward myself this weekend. My old business (cell) phone has been having a harder and harder time taking a charge--the battery was fine, but the little connector thingy in the phone wasn't connecting unless you laid it down just right and held your mouth so. It was very WordPerfect 5.0!After much thought

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-68597651370595040392008-05-02T15:04:00.000-07:002008-05-02T15:07:39.392-07:00

My 7 yo got her first email account this week. Heavily controlled through a site with awesome parental controls, but yes, her first email acct.She got an email this afternoon from an acquaintance in the UK and called me over to see."Mom, she spelled color wrong!"It was colour. I explained about Brit spellings and she was okay with it, but still. A proud moment for Editor Mom.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-65501324017492151782008-04-11T12:11:00.000-07:002008-04-11T14:12:54.029-07:00

Ink Think is NOT in da house. This is what my soon-to-be 7yo wanted for her birthday, so we are off to the Alamo City to get animalistic! Ya'll have a great weekend!

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-77668789775592955392008-04-02T17:46:00.000-07:002008-04-02T17:48:27.892-07:00

... or the OED, I would completely, utterly, and absolutely grind into dust all record of the word "proverbial" so it could never be used again.That is all.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-73150292570114757222008-03-27T15:12:00.001-07:002008-03-27T15:25:16.295-07:00

I'm not really a huge fan of modern art, preferring Impressionism to Surrealism, and Caravaggio to Klimt. Yes, I know those aren't overly modern examples, but most truly modern art, pretty much anything 20th century, leaves me scratching my head and wondering whether or not my 6yo had at it while I wasn't looking.This, though. THIS, I love. The sculpture is by Olafur Eliasson and installed at

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-74066995363451808472008-03-09T11:59:00.000-07:002008-03-09T12:05:40.789-07:00

Apparently the world is not enough for Doritos. In June 2008, Frito Lay, the parent company of Doritos, is sponsoring the first ever interstellar advertisement.Once you stop laughing (or maybe that was just me), you can check out the full article at Science Daily.The star system they are aiming for is about 42 light years away and scientists theorize that some of its planets may support life

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-84032871782197726762008-03-04T20:00:00.000-08:002008-03-04T20:04:06.762-08:00

I AM the Mommy. This Thursday that means I am the chauffeur, the hand-holder, the snuggler, the security blanket, the snack deliverer, and the pain med administrator.My daughter is having foot surgery Thursday morning (3/6/08) , so I will be out for the day.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-22665004118033732392008-02-25T04:35:00.000-08:002008-02-25T04:43:17.816-08:00

Good - More Time for Other PeopleToday is the last day of my onsite gig. It's been nice to see grown-ups who are not fellow parents at my daughter's school on a regular basis, but I'm ready for it to be done. I got out of the house, got to wear dressy work clothes for a few months, and got the job done, so it's time to end it.Starting tomorrow I can borrow my daughter's Godzilla slippers to

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-89006710756147211072008-02-13T07:03:00.000-08:002008-08-16T06:23:55.377-07:00

Pet peeve alert! I've been reading a lot of websites lately in preparation for some interviews I'll be doing, and most of them are for virtual professionals. People who work primarily or exclusively on the Internet.Yes, "I"nternet. It is a proper noun, folks, and begins with a capital letter. It boggles me that people are making the Internet the main source of their income and livelihood,

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-38371229684804722982008-02-10T12:53:00.000-08:002008-02-10T12:55:22.657-08:00

omigosh, I laughed so hard I cried. Mostly because it is so true.Check out: www.straightouttawinston.comTrack Two, my new theme song!

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-2831611727158777742008-01-16T12:54:00.000-08:002008-01-16T13:04:05.086-08:00

That, in a nutshell, is what most Americans think of direct mailers. An interesting, if slightly out of date, article at e-Marketer gives the details.Apparently junk mail, the actual physical kind, only accounts for about 2% of municipal waste. The average person asked credited it as being 1/3 to 1/2! That's a big difference.Compare that to spam, which most people just blow off as a nuisance--

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-20196721968603095702008-01-03T19:33:00.000-08:002008-01-03T19:59:20.950-08:00

Writers qualify as starving artists. It's true!And all thanks to people who think like the one who wrote this Craigslist ad: Looking for freelance writers to write some articles.If you require pay, what is your rate?Are they serious? "If you require pay"?!?! I am easy-going, and, frankly undercharge for my services, but not quite THAT much.If you do need a writer, and really, truly, cannot

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-34339876791652227692007-12-05T18:04:00.000-08:002007-12-05T18:12:07.471-08:00

Aching fingers that is...NaNoWriMo came to an end without my novel coming to an end. I didn't make the 50K goal this year. I'm a bit sad about that, I know it's silly but I wanted another one of those spiffy little winner icons to go with the one from 2006.I am, however, at peace with it. I have a solid 35K words toward a story I want to tell--last year's NaNo got circular filed when I looked

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-90621293583429303442007-10-12T22:21:00.000-07:002007-10-12T22:24:44.787-07:00

Learn something new and help save the world!www.freerice.com/index.phpLearn some new words, prove to yourself how smart you are, and they donate rice through an international aid agency. How cool is that?

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-89728657732660078402007-10-02T17:44:00.000-07:002007-10-02T18:52:43.190-07:00

Well, technically not for another month, but still...National Novel Writing Month is less than a month away! The 2007 NaNoWriMo site is up and running as of this morning for returning participants to sign in/up again or for new novelists to join the fun. Try it, then you, too can have one of these nifty icons on your website/blog/tattoo:

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-18150899429822628912007-08-23T19:17:00.000-07:002007-10-30T10:49:42.061-07:00

and my DSL was down when I tried to check email at 7am!The horror. I fought with it on my own, rebooting this, rebooting that, until 10am. Then I started calling the in-house tech support (my husband) at work every 20 minutes til he called me back."Honey, the Internet is broke."He walked me through all the things I'd already done and a new trick or two, then told me to give up and call the ISP

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-61273017639050045422007-08-22T17:48:00.000-07:002007-08-30T17:50:46.983-07:00

Wow. I was awarded the VA Networking VAccolade Business Entrepreneurs Award. I am rarely speechless, but today, I am.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-83209728782155499192007-08-15T11:52:00.000-07:002007-08-15T12:07:15.109-07:00

Or, as we call it on my writing lists, Blatant Self Promotion.I joined the staff of the IVAACast, the newsletter for the International Virtual Assistants Association, a couple of months ago. My first article is in the August 2007 issue, which came out today.Guess who's on the cover? Yep. Me! Well, my article. But that's okay, I don't photograph well, I'd rather it be my words than me...

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-29282048452536721362007-08-13T04:16:00.000-07:002007-08-13T04:29:43.839-07:00

Did you read Jane Austen in school?I didn't, not even once. Apparently this is a rare thing. It's made books like "The Jane Austen Book Club" really hard to enjoy because I had no idea what the heck the characters were referring to.No more!Thanks to LibriVox I can listen to Jane Austin in my car, for the cost of burning the CD.LibriVox is a project to record all the public domain books of the

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-87221286488239530362007-08-07T08:06:00.000-07:002007-08-07T08:19:26.690-07:00

I have to admit, I live for stories like this one from the Entrepreneur.com blog.Nothing says, "yes, editors really do have a purpose in life," like a little commercial embarrassment for the people who didn't use one. Localization is also a GOOD thing :-)Just in case you want to cut to the good parts, here are the sites the Entrepreneur blog links to. Be warned, they are a bit irreverent and

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-14600012682416580552007-07-15T21:01:00.000-07:002007-08-09T04:32:50.574-07:00

A few months ago I began writing a monthly column for Taylored Business Services' newsletter. You can read this month's article, about what your freelance writer wants you to know before you solicit a bid, below.To find out more about TOS, a bookkeeping and virtual assistance firm, or to sign up and see the whole newsletter in your inbox every month, visit their website at

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-73938337411104776862007-06-27T15:34:00.000-07:002007-06-27T13:36:39.650-07:00

For your book, that is.No, not what it's in, what it's made OF.Check out this article at TheStar.com about a new environmental book printed on recyclable plastic.Me? I'm a closet greenie, so I think it's a great idea.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-22739700805623058632007-06-20T13:25:00.000-07:002007-06-20T13:30:11.798-07:00

"Content is King" has been a byword for web marketing on and off for the last several years. With the increasing popularity of "web 2.0" (an appellation that appalls me--it's the same web it's always been, folks!) and Flash, the importance of good text has gotten away from people.Just ask the hotel folks. Their own industry publications are telling them they need better, more organic

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-15465122851876919892007-06-06T13:07:00.000-07:002007-06-06T13:13:59.311-07:00

I have to say, though, that I think they tapped the wrong kind of writers for this. Sure, sci-fi writers are unconventional thinkers, and all the ones in the group mentioned in the article have doctoral degrees in some branch of the sciences, but still... I would have tapped the military/political thriller writers first. I am quite sure I am not the only Tom Clancy fan who read "Debt of Honor" (

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-25715266396926365422007-05-18T11:35:00.000-07:002007-05-18T11:43:20.097-07:00

My first away-from-home writers' conference.I am SO excited. A little nutty, too, since it's the 8th-11th of November and I'm already outlining this year's NaNo project. But, since it IS NaNo time, I'm springing for a single room--all alone and packing my Senseo. I may go completely without sleep for 4 days... :-D

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-60235965877329216672007-05-14T08:47:00.000-07:002007-05-14T09:33:19.402-07:00

I heard about GiveAwayoftheDay on one of my writing lists - they had a nifty little writer's utility that day. Unfortunately I was on digest and didn't get the message until the next day, when it was no longer available for free.The free software changes daily, 7 days a week, so I check it each morning now, along with my email. For those with children, or a general love of gaming, there is also

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-58347062225846297802007-05-05T06:21:00.000-07:002007-05-05T06:32:58.502-07:00

It's our annual pilgrimage to the past.Every Spring I meet my my parents and brother, sometimes an aunt, and trek 160 miles north of here to take my daughter out for a day of old-fashioned fun and grandparent bonding.This year, it's today. Normally I'm pretty available even when I'm not home, but not today - no wireless in the Renaissance.I'll be returning calls and emails late tonight or

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-54209081729835836942007-04-26T21:59:00.000-07:002007-04-26T22:01:45.679-07:00

Have you heard about the new VA Talk Show podcasts? No?Check it out at: vatalkshow.com.See that nifty group picture at the top of the page? I'm the brunette kneeling on the right - woohoo! Almost famous, that's me!

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-22493071954388939812007-04-19T13:54:00.000-07:002007-04-19T14:00:07.987-07:00

Sometimes we get a day or a few off, when we would rather not (like my recent hospital stay!), and can't take one when we wish we could.Today, I got lucky. I (finally!) got completely caught up with the things that needed doing while I was in the hospital and the things that didn't get done the month before I went in while I was sick.So, today I: - chaperoned a fossil-hunting field trip with 48

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-22881160502064633652007-04-02T09:05:00.000-07:002007-04-02T09:07:35.009-07:00

A story to inspire all writers, courtesy of Yahoo..."96-year-old author proves it's never too late to write that book"Nice to know there's hope for all of us not quite so old, eh?

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-26936674121238971352007-03-07T08:44:00.000-08:002007-03-07T08:56:36.335-08:00

Sounds juicy, eh?Sorry to disappoint, but I do need to get a few things off my chest.F I R S T -Oy have I been sick! I started feeling it Friday and by Sunday I was cheerfully hoping for my own death. Then came Monday and I was sure I had died and someone forgot to tell me. Yesterday was a bit better, but, well, I now have an overwhelming urge to redo my bathroom since I've spent the past five

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-80757094918231750672007-02-28T07:14:00.000-08:002007-02-28T07:19:05.693-08:00

How do you indicate more than one halo? Is it "halos" or "haloes"?Turns out, it's BOTH. Talk about a stupid rule. How do I know which my editor wants? I don't want to pester her with silly questions, but I don't want to use a version she will consider incorrect, either.This is definitely one of those rules that makes non-Wordgeek types hate grammar--and even some of us wordgeeks, too.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-81823191472387157722007-02-20T09:55:00.000-08:002007-02-20T09:59:47.066-08:00

Maybe not literally, but it sure feels like it!My husband added some new equipment in his office, which also housed my printer, and we found out yesterday that wasn't going to work. I went to print something about 6pm yesterday and blew the breaker for that entire side of the house (NOT the side my office is on, incidentally). "Come and get yer *%@&* printer, honey!"I did. And the stand it was

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-69226874053898614642007-02-17T22:29:00.000-08:002007-02-17T22:38:30.133-08:00

Ever have one of ~those~ days?I am--after a couple of years of not knowing for sure if this is what I wanted to do or not, okay with it--a content and ghostwriter for small businesses & solo operators. I do web content, I do newsletters, I ghostwrite articles, I edit them pre-pub, stuff like that.I do not know a SINGLE person who does what I do. Not one. The freelance editors group refers me

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-75701545839450215832007-02-13T19:02:00.000-08:002007-02-13T19:06:35.153-08:00

I've had this word stuck in my head all day, so I just thought I'd share.A B N E G A T I O N - denial, particularly self-denial, from the Latin abnegare to refute

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-55558456328581920522007-02-09T12:54:00.000-08:002007-02-09T13:00:39.926-08:00

Okay, okay, so I don't work in hospitality anymore, but I still get the newsletters and keep an eye on the biz.There's a piece in yesterday's USA Today about the new mini-bars that just tickles me pink. I say good for them! Hotels' in-room revenue has dropped sharply with the proliferation of cel phones and high-speed web access (killing long distance and reducing pay-per-view sales).I just

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-32701130355779612352007-02-07T14:49:00.000-08:002007-02-07T14:56:43.942-08:00

I forgot how much *work* homework and classes can be.I'm taking an SEO and website marketing class (technically two classes they require you to take concurrently) to learn a little bit more about the non-content aspects of SEO for my site. I'm hoping to learn a little more about design/marketing, too, since while I love the site Kimmer did for me, it's starting to feel like time to change things

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-34475692524135680752007-02-06T20:37:00.000-08:002007-02-06T20:39:12.450-08:00

That means I'm asking my blog visitors to be virtuous for a little while. I just moved the Ink Think blog from Blogger to my website and I'm still trying to work out the kinks in the process, so please be patient, and try not to laugh :-)

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-51361865919200448682007-02-01T07:09:00.000-08:002007-02-01T07:14:37.235-08:00

I took this lovely quiz to determine my accent and it told me I don't have one:What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-72389175132147827542007-01-29T11:30:00.000-08:002007-02-06T20:56:16.254-08:00

Why? Because I usually do kitchen chores in the early morning while waiting for the almighty bean to bestow its nectar upon me (aka waiting for the coffee to brew). If I don't do the dishes and laundry then, I usually catch them later in the day when I go downstairs for a refill.Of course, the latter was affecting my productivity since if I was downstairs doing chores I was ~not~ upstairs

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-46193823951142584702007-01-23T11:43:00.000-08:002007-01-22T23:44:02.327-08:00

I love the library. Really, I do, and this is one reason why.On the 4th Thursday of every month from January-May they are offering a free writer's workshop at one branch. It's the branch of the Austin Public Library absolutely furthest from my house, of course, but I'm thinking it may be worth the trip.For more info, click the link in the post title or visit: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-51867288326752579562007-01-16T10:54:00.000-08:002007-01-25T11:37:03.732-08:00

Virtual Author's Workshop/Conference from eWomen Publishing NetworkI wish I'd found out about this a week or two ago. In wandering the website, I was unable to tell whether or not they accept late registration. I think they will, since today is just the 2nd session and the first 3 sessions on planning are free according to their registration information.A $249 author's conference you can take

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-21862478640047508582007-01-03T21:55:00.000-08:002007-02-06T20:53:14.081-08:00

I was a devout TurboTax user for years. Until last year.The version of TurboTax that would help me file my taxes as a self-employed business owner was $69.99 last year. The H&R Block TaxCut version that did the same was $39.99. I'm a small business, to me that is a BIG difference.In all honesty, I see very little difference between the two. Both have gotten harder to navigate over the years (

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1166165680943660012006-12-14T22:47:00.000-08:002006-12-16T09:47:13.570-08:00

I mailed holiday cards to my clients last week, on the 5th. I went to check my mail on the 8th and was excited because my box was full.Full of my client cards. The geniuses of the postal service sent them Back To Me.I went to the clerk and complained. She patiently blacked out the machined barcode they had put on the front and back of each card (that directed delivery to me), re-cancelled the

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1165609655903869092006-12-08T12:24:00.000-08:002007-02-06T20:53:58.375-08:00

Lulu.com is offering a single black and white paperback copy of your NaNo novel for all NaNo 06 winners, if you get it to them before January 16, 2007. For more info, click on the link in the post title.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1164840575840568912006-11-29T14:48:00.000-08:002007-02-06T20:54:52.722-08:00

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1164575970888531522006-11-26T13:10:00.000-08:002006-11-26T13:21:34.593-08:00

I am mostly a business writer - promotional materials and web content - but have been obsessing for the past 26 days on a fiction project and have some unfinished articles floating 'round the hard drive as well. The business content is easy since that is almost always done as a work-for-hire and the person or entity who commissioned it owns the copyright.The fiction and articles, though, those

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1164003064801248852006-11-19T22:09:00.000-08:002007-02-06T20:56:46.903-08:00

Yep, broke the halfway point tonight. Ten days left and 24Kwords... I am so wigging!NaNo ‘06 - 26, 208 & counting! 50K or bust, Baby!

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1163042164205280732006-11-08T19:02:00.000-08:002007-02-21T22:22:34.412-08:00

The 10K barrier, that is.I broke 10K today and the day is not yet over :-) Most people who give up (I knew the stats before the month started but they've floated clean out of my head!) do so prior to the 10K mark. Of those who make 10K I *think* over 50 or 60% of them finish.Based on missing a few days over the weekend I can still be on target if I up my daily word min to a little over 1800.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1162780566435952602006-11-05T18:34:00.000-08:002006-11-05T18:36:06.446-08:00

Dang visiting family messed up my word count as I was unable to get alone with the computer for two days (oh, the agony!)If you need me tomorrow, I'll be holed up at Starbucks, trying to get caught up!:-)

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1162616002342015442006-11-03T20:34:00.000-08:002007-02-06T20:58:36.944-08:00

I changed my mind and brought him back - he's not dead, just missing. I haven't decided yet if I want to kill him off or not. It would be closer to the true story my novel is loosely based on to let him live, but, from a plot perspective it would be a lot easier on me if he dies. I'll have to think about it some more.So... On to the Nano tips:1. Get a calendar JUST for Nano. I got one from

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1162493616004581582006-11-02T10:51:00.000-08:002006-11-02T22:07:40.640-08:00

...Only Day 2 and I've already killed off a character. Muahahaha!(too much coffee, too little sleep... expect more of the same for the next 28 days. ) Oh, and I'm taking December 1st off, just so everyone knows.**********It's twelve hours later and I changed my mind and resurrected him. Wonder if he'll survive the day tomorrow...

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1162442292963023972006-11-01T20:36:00.000-08:002007-02-21T22:21:37.356-08:00

Woohoo!I made my word count for the day with 97 to spare! On the other hand, that is pretty much ALL i got done today. Good thing I scheduled the day for it, since I probably won't be able to get away with that kind of time at the coffee house (2 1/2 hours) more than once a week or so...Keep an eye on this year's participant icon to the right, it's keeping a running score on my word count.50K

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1161385496634581102006-10-20T15:58:00.000-07:002006-10-22T17:40:33.116-07:00

So... I went cruising iTunes for the inaugural 2006 WriMo Radio podcast the other day. I found it :-)I also found "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing", "AmericanWriters.com -- Creative Writing Podcast", "Tech for Writers", and tons more I didn't have time to subscribe to.With my new iPod hook-up in the truck I can run around town being a(wait for it)G r a m m a r

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1161239786711049932006-10-20T04:30:00.000-07:002006-10-19T15:19:16.943-07:00

There are times it is really good to be a virtual assistant. This is one of them :-)A recent study by the Trasnsportation Research Board, "Commuting in America III", found that, among other things, over 13 million ~more~ people are solo commuters than were in 1990.The Transportation Research Board has been analyzing commute info since 1986, based primarily on U.S. Census data. So, while report

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1161296116607416072006-10-19T15:05:00.000-07:002006-10-19T15:16:48.690-07:00

Yep, that's me.A nice young man named Jeff called me from GoDaddy to talk about my hosting and email, since I've been with them for almost two years and went month-to-month over the summer pending the purchase of my new domain.I didn't buy any of what he was selling, but he was so helpful (and called me on their nickel, which I appreciated since their one downside for me as a very small business

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1161123161669027352006-10-17T15:12:00.000-07:002006-10-17T20:43:48.720-07:00

It's that time again :-)Well, technically it won't be that time until 2 weeks from 12:01am tomorrow, but you get my drift.I figure that gives me two weeks to find a topic/plot for 2006.***note to self - run to store & pick up Chris Baty's book tonight!***Yea, I have no plot. I don't care!I got so thoroughly stoked doing this last year--I remembered why I like to write, even though I basically

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1160111146785248402006-10-05T22:04:00.000-07:002006-10-05T22:05:46.796-07:00

This is where I'll be the 12th-15th of this month.Yea, I know, some hiatus.I'm looking forward to learning a lot.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1159753991870514572006-10-01T18:48:00.000-07:002006-10-08T13:34:41.690-07:00

Apparently domain backordering is NOT enough. At least not when it isn't private. I paid GoDaddy happily to monitor inkthink.com this year, since it's current registration, unused for YEARS was set to expire 9/30/06. I did not make the info private.The registrar, as far as I can tell, renewed it for another year ON THEIR OWN BEHALF. Most likely cuz they could see it was backordered. I

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1159456012769393222006-09-28T08:01:00.000-07:002006-09-28T08:06:52.780-07:00

Ink Think is shutting down for Fall Break, ya'll. If you are someone I have a current project going with, don't worry - it'll get done, I'm just not seeking out new business or taking new clients at this time.Thanks & feel free to email me directly if you happen to be one of those people mentioned above.Dy

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1157877727098186712006-09-01T01:32:00.000-07:002006-09-12T04:21:32.463-07:00

I've always had a soft spot for September--probably because it's the month of my birth, but we're not going there :-)Now, however, it *has* to be my favorite month, because September is :Be Kind to Writers and Editors Month! Seeing as how I am both, I'm hoping for double the love (and I really like coffee...if you've got a mind to be really, really kind).Well, okay, I just found that out when I

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1147793947108897242006-05-16T08:35:00.000-07:002006-05-16T08:39:07.123-07:00

For a totally off-topic kind of post.I dreamed I got a freelance job editing and writing an editorial column for the Washington Post. In the dream the job made me think of my grandmother and how proud she would be of me were she still alive. Which is odd, since she subscribed to the New York Times, even while living in Texas. Of course, she did go to high school and college in DC, so maybe

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146765889390027712006-05-04T10:46:00.000-07:002006-05-04T11:04:49.410-07:00

For a great overview of the issue, check out Wikipedia's Net Neutrality page.It'd be nice to think this wasn't something for us normal folk to worry about, but it is, for many reasons.I run a freelance business from my home office that is wholly dependent on my ability to access the internet, the ENTIRE internet since I also provide research services, for a reasonable monthly fee (I already pay a

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146500414315685742006-05-01T09:15:00.000-07:002006-05-01T09:24:57.630-07:00

Happy Mother Goose Day!For more info on the holiday, click here.To celebrate it, island-style, check out a project I recently had the pleasure of formatting for publication, Old Nene's Book of Hawaiian Nursery Rhymes, a native Hawaiian take on Mother Goose's wisdom.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146167797672360912006-04-27T12:44:00.000-07:002006-05-01T09:22:50.060-07:00

If you've been here before you may have noticed my profile has changed. I also run a couple of personal blogs that, while I am not at all ashamed of them, I prefer not to have them associated with my professional life.So, after many hours of re-posting blog entries under the new profile and deleting the old ones, I now have a new and improved...well, more politically correct at any rate, biz

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1145831065431869242006-04-12T07:23:00.000-07:002006-05-01T09:29:32.346-07:00

*smile*Now that it's all done I can finally post about a project that has eaten up a fair amount of my time the last few months - Old Nene's Book of Hawaiian Nursery Rhymes has gone to press!No, I didn't write it or illustrate it, I *drum roll* ~formatted~ it. Part of my extended line of services :-) and I couldn't be happier with the final product.Check it out at: http://www.lulu.com/

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1145831505069463022006-04-05T15:31:00.000-07:002006-04-23T16:20:41.470-07:00

I'm not ALL business 'round here, obviously, or I wouldn't have posted my two bits 'bout The Da Vinci Code.I have been all business lately, though. If I've written original material at all, not just editing, it's been strictly work stuff since my failed NaNo attempt last year.No More!I started something new today. Even more daring of me, it's FICTION. Yep, fiction. I'm working on a contest piece

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1145834553737211572006-03-18T19:12:00.001-08:002006-04-23T16:30:41.140-07:00

Okay, so I stayed up too late last night and got too little done today in order to finish The DaVinci Code.I liked it. It's sort of intellectual fantasy meets James Bond. It had the same weakness I saw in Angels and Demons (read that one last year, also from my dad, in prep for reading DVC), primarily that waaay too much happens in way too infinitesimally short a period of time.Beyond that?

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1145835099600819992006-03-17T16:02:00.001-08:002006-04-23T16:31:56.516-07:00

Ok. I'm finally doing it. I've been avoiding The DaVinci Code like the plague just because I refuse to read a book based on buzz alone, especially religious controversy buzz.Til now. I have a friend who is one of those readers publishers dream of touching, the kind that don't read a lot and read very little fiction. And she loved TDVC, so now I gotta try it. I have had it on my shelf (loaner

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1145835180247460892006-03-07T09:09:00.001-08:002006-04-23T16:33:20.273-07:00

Two days after my last post my computer mysteriously failed :-(It stayed down until Friday of last week. Yep, TWELVE DAYS spent accessing the web from the library or a friend's house.Technically I imagine it's still down. I don't care, I got a shiny NEW puter that weights half what the old one did (I use a notebook). Didn't really need the expense, who does? But now I'm operational once more.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1145835313311809312006-02-18T06:34:00.000-08:002006-04-23T19:08:01.316-07:00

Had breakfast with my parents yesterday and my father used a word my mother and I agreed could not ~possibly~ be a real word.P E R S E V E R A T I N GDoes that look like a real word to you? Honestly? Me either.Turns out it is (who knew) but at least I can tell my father it doesn't mean what he thought it meant.He used the word in a way that implied he thought it meant a mounting level of

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1145835427619316122006-02-16T12:13:00.001-08:002006-04-23T16:39:39.283-07:00

Anyone who writes does it because they love the written word, they love language and it's permutations, they have a vision or an idea to communicate. They do NOT write for the money (there's a reason writers are usually lumped into the "starving artist" category!).I resigned from my paid blogging gig today.My regular business is building up, slowly, but it is building, and what I was doing for

Dynilanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1145852005159406762006-02-15T11:12:00.000-08:002006-04-23T21:15:27.620-07:00

Word love? Yes, that's the title because, quite frankly, I love words. I love the way we have such a variety of ways to express ourselves with language. I'm hoping to make this a semi-regular feature as I come across words that pique my interest.*****I was working on a piece for a client this morning and was trying to decide whether I should use inquiry or enquiry and if there was a

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1145852444231164652006-02-12T16:20:00.000-08:002006-04-23T21:22:16.940-07:00

I am starting to seriously think I'm not cut out for working through writing books. I finally started Les Edgerton's book, "Finding Your Voice: How to Put Personality in Your Writing".>Chapter One (thus far, I haven't finished it yet) is talking about all the things that help stifle our natural voice, pretty much all of which I agree with. A big one is the basic rules of writing we are taught in

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1145852922633213772006-02-09T23:28:00.000-08:002006-04-23T21:28:54.880-07:00

It's 130 in the morning.I'm trying to pick up a new ghosting gig and promised I'd have my finished piece to them by Friday. In my mind that means mid-day Friday, not the 11:59pm I occasionally get away with in the virtual world. I'm tired. My preschooler will be up in 6 1/2 hours. I just started the coffee brewing.And I'm jazzed. I don't particularly want to write this article; its subject

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1145853144321200812006-02-08T20:13:00.000-08:002006-04-23T21:32:59.170-07:00

(to the tune of "I wish I were a rich man")Why would I wish to be a lawyer? Is it the glamour? The money? The never ending student loans that have to be repaid?Nope.I was talking to a client today and mentioned that when writing for clients I don't charge for my "ruminating" time (currently ;-) since I am not actually writing even though it is an essential part of the process. Her comment was

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146164847407364802006-01-23T13:07:00.000-08:002006-04-27T12:07:27.410-07:00

According to various sources all over the web and in print, creative nonfiction is nonfiction told in a novel-style (or something close to that, I'm doing this from memory in the doc's waiting room!)So... Let the questions begin.First off - Do not imagine for a moment that Frey will appear anywhere in this discussion other than this line saying I'm not gonna talk about it - I refuse to even link

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146165477549310832006-01-01T11:17:00.000-08:002006-04-27T12:17:57.563-07:00

It's the first day of a brand new year. Time to look back at last year's reading.Why?Honestly?Because I keep my booklog in the pages of my day planner and therefore have to page through the whole thing to figure out if a book I remember is the book I thought it was. Listing my 2005 booklog here gives me a place to put/see the whole year at once, so here goes!***Please note the opinions, etc.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146166896646259232005-12-26T21:41:00.000-08:002006-04-27T12:41:36.650-07:00

the less I know.Cliched but true.I've been working on my entries for my Safety blog at families.com and every thing I've researched for this has left me with more questions.I was working on a bit about plant safety with regard to holiday decorating, you know, mistletoe, poinsettia, stuff like that. I did one today about how to fit a bike helmet.What I knew (ha!):poinsettias are poisonousso is

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146166956215734332005-12-16T14:42:00.000-08:002006-04-27T12:42:49.773-07:00

MomWriters(tm): I'm still a member. Still a member of my subgroup (for creative nonfiction writers) but since our moderator/leader left I dunno if that's gonna go anywhere anymore. Fortunately she went to The Writing Mother (hereafter TWM) splinter and reformed the CNF subgroup there, so now I'm a member of both.The MW listowner, after lots of debate on various blogs, private emails to the

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146167027213207972005-12-04T00:43:00.000-08:002006-04-27T12:43:47.216-07:00

I joined a LOT of new (to me) listservs when I opened up shop this year. One of them was a group called MomWriters(TM). It's a HUGE group, but nice in that it was just what it said it was, a group of women (99 1/2% or so) who were all on a level field because they were moms and writers, published, unpublished, didn't matter. We talked about writing, submitting, mined the 1500 or so member list

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146166725914851592005-11-21T21:54:00.001-08:002006-04-27T12:40:03.746-07:00

This is just silly and wrong.The title bar above is linked to a site giving more of the story. The gist of it is that the publisher of Margaret Wise Brown's "Goodnight Moon" recently decided to airbrush a jacket photo of the illustrator because he has a cigarette in his hand; they had it removed.This is an issue on a number of levels. One at a time, in no particular order:Tampering with a

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146166647704456892005-11-18T01:31:00.001-08:002006-04-27T12:37:27.706-07:00

If you look in the bookbag to the right you'll see I'm (re-)reading HP5, Order of the Phoenix.I was one of those Amazon pre-orders that HAD to have HP6 delivered to my door the day it was released, but, um, I actually still haven't read it, despite being the proud owner for over 4 months now.I am a fan and I hate the wait between books--I much prefer to read series after they're completed so

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1145858818316847372005-11-13T21:43:00.001-08:002006-04-23T23:12:50.650-07:00

that's me...Slow 'n Steady wins the race. Not the NaNo race, I'd need to be alot steadier, and a bit faster...I *did* make a little more headway today--plus spending 3 hours digging through a dusty closet at my grands for original source material.( ##============== )7,643 / 50,000 : 15.3%Is it possible to be allergic to old, disintegrating binding glue?

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146165664728513322005-11-12T21:10:00.001-08:002006-04-27T12:21:04.730-07:00

I'm not giving up. I'm not. It's just that my head just hasn't been in the right place for this since that headache on Wednesday. I figure I can't be going crazy cuz then I wouldn't be afraid I was going crazy--right? I just know it has been a whole lotta NOT FUN to be me the last few days.So I blog and wait for the blahs to go away while reading my research materials and wishing I had a clue

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146165777757008422005-11-10T22:50:00.001-08:002006-04-27T12:22:57.760-07:00

Yes, direction. Not directionS. I took two days off my NaNo writing this week. I got things done, though. I answered some ads for writing/editing/proofing. I updated my website. I settled the whole copyright infringement thing. I got some invoicing done. Typed up and mailed the service agreement for a new client. So, not unproductive time, just not NaNo writing time. Oh, yea, and I did

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146165415237643562005-11-09T21:46:00.000-08:002006-04-27T12:16:55.240-07:00

Well... Discovered today how much fun my mom has been having all these years as I learned what a genetic propensity for migraines means in *my* life. Mostly that I was about as useless as I've ever been and I dunno what I'm gonna do when the leftover prescription motrin from my recent dental work runs out...In the meantime, a headache today is no excuse for not having written on my project for

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146165202420416222005-11-07T10:13:00.000-08:002006-04-27T12:13:53.296-07:00

Plagiarism.One of my many lists had a reminder post over the weekend to periodically check copyscape to make sure your site content stays yours. I've checked a few times now and the only thing that has come up to date is an ad I have in a VA Directory.Not so yesterday. Some unknown person was so lacking in originality that rather than take the time to create an original bid/proposal on

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146165037349957072005-11-05T11:22:00.002-08:002006-04-27T12:10:37.350-07:00

Number of words written on day 4: 389Number of hours spent on background research: 5.7Number of times I made myself stop reading research material to write: 0Which probably explains my lack of progress. I've read about this problem on the forums, starting in one direction, moving in another, unexpected direction, then getting so caught up in the research of the new direction you neglect to

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146164944823168952005-11-03T10:42:00.001-08:002006-04-27T12:09:04.826-07:00

Two days into NaNo and already I'm in trouble. My protagonist has gotten more interesting, 20+ years younger, and is becoming a problem. Her backstory has me hooked, but its not enough to stand alone. I mean, for me it is, cuz she's mine and I love her, but as a story, no, it's just not that cool. I was trying to figure out who she is, and started writing it out, and now all I want to do is

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11281374.post-1146031477282327632005-11-01T17:18:00.000-08:002006-04-25T23:04:37.283-07:00

Well, this is it.I've been editing for months now, writing small pieces for newsletters, generally putting off the creation of original material...It stops here.If you've never heard of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) check out the link above.No, I'm not sharing my NaNo id here, yet, I'm not quite ready.A lot of people on one of my writing lists are participating, and I've been inspired.

Dynilanoreply@blogger.com0