Comments on: Tuesday Take: Channeling ADHD and Getting Shit Done

By: lwidmer

lwidmer — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 22:51:12 +0000

Those are the “gotcha” questions, aren’t they? You may think you’re committed to it, but you look at it again and…well… maybe not so much.

By: lwidmer

lwidmer — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 22:50:22 +0000

In reply to Devon Ellington. Great advice, Devon. I did that with resumes. They were fine for a while, but eventually, the work wore a groove in my brain. ;)

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 17:01:50 +0000

At this point, I’d be happy to have a functioning web site. Web host hell. Seriously, though, I think about how much I really want to spend time on this during the long haul. Also, when I try something and decide I don’t want to do it, I complete contracted projects, take the service off my website, and, as I complete contracted projects, pitch in the direction I want to move.

By: Paula Hendrickson

Paula Hendrickson — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 16:11:19 +0000

Those last two points were exactly what I needed to hear, Lori. I have a couple of ideas I want to focus on this year. Neither is timely, so I’ve been procrastinating. I think part of it has been the nagging voice not in my head, but whispering about 100 yards from my ear, “Are these sustainable ideas?”

Looks like I have some more planning to do!

By: lwidmer

lwidmer — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:30:21 +0000

In reply to Cathy Miller.

Hear hear, Cathy! No hamster wheels admitted here, either.

I’m taking the same direction — I’m trying to decrease the work and enjoy more free time for other writing projects. So far, I’m quite happy with making less. 🙂

By: Cathy Miller

Cathy Miller — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:25:04 +0000

My challenge now is taking a different direction in my business, but I see so much of myself in this post, Lori. At a time my mom duties have increased and I want to transition my business, I’ve become the hamster on the spinning wheel. I planned but it wasn’t long before that blew up. I’ve been sloooow to adjust.

I always say the best thing about plans is you can always change them. I just need to get off the hamster wheel and do it. 🙂

By: lwidmer

lwidmer — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 13:45:27 +0000

In reply to Mary Schneider. Mary, wow! That's some opportunity! I'm glad your critique group set you straight. I too wanted Highlights SO badly. I ended up in Child Life, and it was probably a better move -- the article was given a middle-page spread with lots of appealing photos.

By: lwidmer

lwidmer — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 13:43:47 +0000

In reply to Joy Drohan. Joy, have you any idea how happy I am right now that this wasn't a "get it right/pay attention to the details" post? LOL Thanks. I saw that in the feed and raced over, hoping no one would notice. ;)

By: Joy Drohan

Joy Drohan — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 13:41:52 +0000

Lori, Dude, it’s Tuesday!

By: Mary Schneider

Mary Schneider — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 13:09:44 +0000

Oh, the First Conference… were any of us prepared?

I was just telling Beloved the story of mine yesterday. A day conference, and at the time I was desperate to break into writing for children. Of course, Highlights Magazine was the Golden Ring, so I signed up for a critique with a Higlights editor. The note came that she was overbooked and I’d been bumped- to a Cricket editor. I was devastated, but magnanimously accepted the shift in my fortunes and soldiered on.

She read my earnest little short story, and liked it. Asked me to add ~600-800 words to fit their format (Highlights stories average 600 words, Cricket Magazine’s run 1,000-1,500,) and invited me to submit.

I considered, but politely told her I’d probably go ahead and submit to Higlights, because that was my target market. Thanked her for her time and sashayed away. That poor editor… she was probably gobsmacked at my stupidity. lol!

Luckily I had an excellent online critique group who quickly set me straight. I revised the piece, submitted it to Cricket, and made my very first sale as a professional writer.