How existential of me to ask that. And really, if I were philosophizing on my true meaning - my true reason for existence - then I think it would take up an entire book and not a blog entry.
No, the question is much simpler than that.
One of the ways I know to make money when I depart for my "epic journey of lateness" and explore the US in a motorhome (est.2015) is to write. Yay! Writing.
Easy enough.
But how do you make money at it? I don't mean $25 here and there, I mean $1000/month. Or more. Well, I understand I need to establish myself as a writer in a freelance world. I need to have stories and an angle and a friend in the publishing business.
Crap.
I actually need to work at this.
So where to start? What do I know? Always write about what you know. Easy.
But what do I know? Really know?
And that's where the problem seems to exist for me.
Here's what I know...REALLY know:
How to persevere
How to raise a child
How to be a single mom
How to live (or not live) with someone who has a terrible addiction
How to juggle life - not always successfully
I know what it's like to be withdrawn, what it's like to hide. I know what it's like to pretend you are someone else.
I know the experience of acting - from a chorus role to the lead in a musical - and everything behind the scenes.
How to have a successful marriage
How to have a successful and angst-free divorce
How to be honest
But beyond that - I'm not an expert in anything. I have my passions, but I don't consider myself to be an expert in any field. I can tell stories and have a sardonic wit. I can see the humor in just about everything. I am the first to laugh at myself. And I find myself a little afraid of everything around me.
Insecurity is a bitch. If I were to look at myself on paper, without knowing it was me, I would be mightily impress with the strength of that woman. But knowing it's me - I just know that I did what every other person in this world does - I put one foot in front of the other and move forward. Sometimes through mud or windstorms, or blizzards, or floods. Sometimes through the most beautiful of sunny days.
I am no different than anyone else.
Except I have a way to find my voice and the voice of others. I have the talent to put that voice out there and allow my experiences to be heard.
Is that voice publishable?
Is there anything I can say that hasn't already been said? That someone wants to hear?
I have no idea.
And I don't think I will really ever know the answer to that unless I start to write from the heart. Not a blog - but something more marketable. An article. An opinion column. Something to sell to a small paper or two or twenty or more.
Maybe a weekly piece would be enough to carry me forward as a writer and as a way to finance my adventure through space. Maybe those stories on the road will become a future book (yes! even with pictures!), or at the very least, a small voice heard by a few souls who still read.
I understand that today is the day I need to figure it all out. I can't wait until I'm on the road to test the waters. The time is now...
The first step is always the most frightening. From my experience, the next few steps after that aren't so easy either...
Showing posts with label intelligence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label intelligence. Show all posts
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Why yes. Someone DID die and make me the grammar police.
Okay - I'm a snob about grammar.
I'll admit it.
I understand the English language is difficult - but it's not THAT hard. I swear, you just need to care to write and speak correctly.
I am not privileged. Neither of my parents ever finished high school, yet my mom was one of the most educated people I've ever known. She taught me that grammar was important. She grew up on a farm in Kansas and was married in 1935. She was poor. Heck WE were poor. But no one ever really knew - because my mom was adamant that proper grammar and spelling would make a difference.
And it did.
And it does.
There is an article on CNN.com by Leslie Ayres today that focuses on this very issue. Here are some wonderful excerpts:
"Bad grammar and spelling make a bad impression. Don't let yourself lose an opportunity over a simple spelling or grammar mistake."
Loose / Lose
These spellings really don't make much sense, so you just have to remember them. "Loose" is the opposite of tight, and rhymes with goose. "Lose" is the opposite of win, and rhymes with booze. (To show how unpredictable English is, compare another pair of words, "choose" and "chose," which are spelled the same except the initial sound, but pronounced differently. No wonder so many people get it wrong!)
Loose = it's not tight, it's loosey goosey
Lose= "don't lose the hose for the rose" is a way to remember the same spelling but a different pronunciation
I never thought I could lose so much weight; now my pants are all loose!
A lot / Alot / Allot
First the bad news: there is no such word as "alot." "A lot" refers to quantity, and "allot" means to distribute or parcel out.
There is a lot of confusion about this one, so I'm going to allot ten minutes to review these rules of grammar.
Between you and I
This one is widely misused, even by TV news anchors who should know better.
In English, we use a different pronoun depending on whether it's the subject or the object of the sentence: I/me, she/her, he/him, they/them. This becomes second nature for us and we rarely make mistakes with the glaring exception of when we have to choose between "you and I" or "you and me."
...suffice to say that "between you and I" is never correct, and although it is becoming more common, it's kind of like saying "him did a great job." It is glaringly incorrect.
The easy rule of thumb is to replace the "you and I" or "you and me" with either "we" or "us" and you'll quickly see which form is right. If "us" works, then use "you and me" and if "we" works, then use "you and I."
Master these common errors and you'll remove some of the mistakes and red flags that make you look like you have no idea how to speak."
My mom was a closet writer - and instilled a love for language and words. Because of her passion toward language, proper spelling and grammar, I managed to get my degree in English and work as a writer for the past 30 years.
I'll step off my soap box now...maybe though...we can become a nation of people who are capable of speaking and writing our own language??
I'll admit it.
I understand the English language is difficult - but it's not THAT hard. I swear, you just need to care to write and speak correctly.
I am not privileged. Neither of my parents ever finished high school, yet my mom was one of the most educated people I've ever known. She taught me that grammar was important. She grew up on a farm in Kansas and was married in 1935. She was poor. Heck WE were poor. But no one ever really knew - because my mom was adamant that proper grammar and spelling would make a difference.
And it did.
And it does.
There is an article on CNN.com by Leslie Ayres today that focuses on this very issue. Here are some wonderful excerpts:
"Bad grammar and spelling make a bad impression. Don't let yourself lose an opportunity over a simple spelling or grammar mistake."
Loose / Lose
These spellings really don't make much sense, so you just have to remember them. "Loose" is the opposite of tight, and rhymes with goose. "Lose" is the opposite of win, and rhymes with booze. (To show how unpredictable English is, compare another pair of words, "choose" and "chose," which are spelled the same except the initial sound, but pronounced differently. No wonder so many people get it wrong!)
Loose = it's not tight, it's loosey goosey
Lose= "don't lose the hose for the rose" is a way to remember the same spelling but a different pronunciation
I never thought I could lose so much weight; now my pants are all loose!
A lot / Alot / Allot
First the bad news: there is no such word as "alot." "A lot" refers to quantity, and "allot" means to distribute or parcel out.
There is a lot of confusion about this one, so I'm going to allot ten minutes to review these rules of grammar.
Between you and I
This one is widely misused, even by TV news anchors who should know better.
In English, we use a different pronoun depending on whether it's the subject or the object of the sentence: I/me, she/her, he/him, they/them. This becomes second nature for us and we rarely make mistakes with the glaring exception of when we have to choose between "you and I" or "you and me."
...suffice to say that "between you and I" is never correct, and although it is becoming more common, it's kind of like saying "him did a great job." It is glaringly incorrect.
The easy rule of thumb is to replace the "you and I" or "you and me" with either "we" or "us" and you'll quickly see which form is right. If "us" works, then use "you and me" and if "we" works, then use "you and I."
Master these common errors and you'll remove some of the mistakes and red flags that make you look like you have no idea how to speak."
My mom was a closet writer - and instilled a love for language and words. Because of her passion toward language, proper spelling and grammar, I managed to get my degree in English and work as a writer for the past 30 years.
I'll step off my soap box now...maybe though...we can become a nation of people who are capable of speaking and writing our own language??
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