Iowa Part ll
I looked forward to the Eleventh Hour lectures every day. I called them the Elevenses because each presentation refreshed me, like an English morning cuppa.
Sydney Avey
Dynamic Woman — Changing Times
Learning curve
Iowa, Part I
I journeyed to the Iowa Summer Writing Festival in July to study on the University of Iowa campus—incubator of the workshop method of teaching writing that hatched MFA programs across the US. Immersed in lectures, critique sessions and readings, with time to wander beautiful Iowa City, hang out at Prairie Lights Bookstore and graze at the Bread Market, it was a perfect week.
Writer Beware: The Website That Wants You To Hack
A travel website wants me to do two more hotel reviews to get a specialist badge. Keep in mind that I’ve only ever done one hotel review, and that was at the request of a waiter with puppy eyes who told me reading reviews that mention him delights his mother, and earns him bonuses that he uses for college tuition. Who could resist that?
Exercise in Courage
Got the t-shirt, or in this case, my 2012 NaNoWriMo winners certificate. I wasn’t as excited to collect this “goodie” as my first time around the NaNoWriMo block, in 2010. Nothing rivals first times.
Face time
Going to Twitter is like moving to the big city and starting a new high school. Will the kids like me? Do I have enough friends? Did I choose the right group? If you are a small town girl with big town aspirations it can be overwhelming. Everyone knows so much more than I do. How will I ever get noticed?
Twittering time away
Much is being written about the social media time sink. How do I know? I visit the websites of the @newfriends popping up on my TweetDeck. That’s how I found Waste Time on This, not That by Kristin Tennant. Kristin suggests ways to add actual face-to-face to the mix of pinning, tweeting and posting. I have enough trouble managing this bourgeoning daily workout without meet ups for coffee or game night, but I take her point.
