I’m setting up for the New Year and the photo is a neat version of my Writer’s Notebook (read more below, after the necessary Chicken and Dumplings recipe)? Our phone lines are busy with family and friends. Meanwhile, I hope you and your loved ones holidays are going well. Some of us have lost dear ones, but they remain with us forever. And I am grateful for so many friends and readers, the calls from those so far apart from us. Right now, I’m enjoying my daughter’s liebkucken cookies a little too much, but so perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. By the time you read this, I’ll be finishing another large painting, perhaps with said coffee and cookie nearby.
What I learned in 2023: To Publish a Book in the latter part of the year, as I did with Just Us, the last of my Fresh Start trilogy, gets hectic when mixed with life to-dos. BTW, some ad places have placed Just Us in the Age-Gap category. I’ll have to add that to my hashtag list as the term is new to me, though in reality it has existed forever.
As promised that I would share the following recipe from a friend, my notes and tips on writing follow this Chicken and Dumplings recipe. It’s perfect on a cold winter day:
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- Cut/Combine and on floured surface, roll to 1/4 thick. Cut into 2″ squares, flour well, and drop into heated bubbling broth. Really good. Thank you, friend!
If you’re interested in writing, read on?
Moving on to writing: I just remembered this, how my first editor at Berkley explained commas and breaks to this very green, but eager-to-learn writer. “When you are speaking and pause, that is a likely place for a comma.” Good explanation, right? Her explanation for time/section/or chapter breaks came when this New York editor sang, The Farmer in the Dell: “When you take a breath, that is a break.” Those 2 guides served me well, as did tons of studying to learn my craft and I’m still learning. BTW, she took my very first book apart, one chapter at a time, and I corrected and returned to her—that was in hard copy days, my friends. She explained basic plotting, etc., but after working so closely (and I was scared, ready to return the advance) on the first book, little was needed from then on. I studied every marked-up, red-ink page editors sent me as tutorials. Thank you so much, Joan Marlow Golan! BTW, if anyone knows her email or has information, I would so love to send her a card? Just EMAIL me info?
Here’s My After Christmas Organizing to Start the Year: I’ve started to clean up my faithful, well-used notebook (see above), the 3/4 size binder that I’ve had for years. It’s important to use a binder, to add/reduce certain pages; spirals just do not work. Get those little hole-reinforcers for well-used pages.
First, according to each one’s preference, writers use many different kinds of notebooks, index cards, electronic notes, and tons of software, i.e. Scrivener and Vellum, my favorites. But the focus today is a binder, 3-holes, with section/index tags and inserts to hold lose pages/items, such as additional index tabs and stickums, which are so much fun! Hey, we’re all unique, so what works works.
My very first section is To-Do 2024. It is lengthy. Here’s examples: Check subscription renewal dates, list of titles that need new covers, add more sub pages to my website (it’s new and growing), check online blurbs and keywords*, tag words. The latter is a continuing process.
*On my electronic notes, I keep hashtags and links ready to copy and paste. It’s so easy to use the up-arrow on a prepared graphic in your computer’s pictures, and designate where, i.e. Facebook, Instagram etc. and use the copy/paste blurb, hashtags and links.
Note: Separate calendars for specific tasks. I have a basic writing calendar, for scheduling whatever, and keep it separately from personal appointments, which are on an electronic calendar. My writing calendar has three projects on it. Okay, one is just a cover, and I will do that one. I hope I get the other two done, but all 3 projects are already in progress with some pretty big life projects, too.
Another notebook section is for ad sizes and places I want to place ads, i.e. different Facebook loops. Another section: possible blog topics.
Lastly, I’m continuing to enjoy this week before the New Year, and I hope you are too. If you are a writer, I hope you enjoyed the above? Because more is coming very shortly that I hope will help someone—i.e. An Experienced Career Writer’s Do-Over Notes. I’m writing these now, in hopes that these tidbits will help those who want to write. But everything is with a big Disclaimer, right? We’re all individuals and act/react that way.
Thank you for stopping by, and/or reading my stories…. I so appreciate your visit and your comments, if you have time. Most of all, there’s this Clint Eastwood’s phrase, “Make my day.” But it truly makes my day to see reviews of my books which so help writers. Love ’em.
Best Wishes, All…. Time to get busy! And do watch for that An Experienced Career Writer’s Do-Over Notes, coming up quickly.
Cait London 