Carol Newman Cronin's Blog, page 15

Mechanics vs. Flow: A Thought-Study in Irony

This week’s post was inspired (as so many are) by an offhand comment that dropped into my subconscious at just the right moment. I can’t remember the exact words, but they instantly stimulated thoughts about the “mechanics” of life vs. the “flow” of life. 

As usual, I’m taking someone else’s initial idea well beyond its original context… so, as usual, the opinions here are all my own. Take them or leave them as it is useful to you! 

FYI: Though I use writing as my example, this applies equally well to sailboat racing. Or, for that matter, to anything at all that we care enough about to practice and repeat.

What I mean by “mechanics”

To complete any task, we all have to master some level of technique. We only get better with practice, and the better our technique the more we can take the mechanics of that task for granted. After writing so many blog posts, I can spend far less time thinking about word choice or when to start a new paragraph and more time just getting down my thoughts.

Only once the mechanics become automatic can we possibly achieve flow. 

What I mean by “flow”

Athletes say they’re “in the zone” when they reach an effortless state of excellence. Many fiction writers (including yours truly) sometimes get to listen to our characters and just write down what we’re “told.” Maybe you’ve experienced flow while driving a car, when you suddenly come to and realize you haven’t really “seen” the last few miles of highway because you’ve been thinking about something else entirely—and yet you are still safely piloting the vehicle to your destination. 

We all strive for flow, but even for the very talented it’s an elusive goal. 

Here’s the irony

What that recent comment made me realize is this: we have to keep working on our mechanics if we ever hope to achieve what seems like their total opposite, flow. Repetition and practice may seem dull, but they are the only controllable aspects of building skills. If we consciously chase flow, we will scare it away—kind of like that butterfly of an idea that landed on and then flew away from Elizabeth Gilbert (eventually helping to inspire what I would argue is her greatest book ever, Big Magic).  

When seeking flow, we need to concentrate on our mechanics—even after they become second nature.

Keep on doing

It’s all too easy to think we’ve already mastered something; that all the work we put into previous novels will make the next story easier to write. But just like the investment folks say, past performance is no guarantee of future success—at least not for any task worthy of our continued efforts. It takes true discipline to go back to work on the mechanics after achieving flow, but that’s the only dependable path to our next goal.

I don’t know if any of this is useful to anyone else (or even whether it makes sense), but as I slog through the mechanics of book number six I’m grateful to my random commenter for this timely reminder: we only produce a great end result by putting time into the pesky details. If we do a really good job, focusing on the mechanics may even lead to flow—even if that seems counter-intuitive. 

Got a thought about mechanics vs. flow? Share it in the comments below, or send me an email. Thanks, and who knows… you might just inspire another blog post!

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Successful Sailboat Racing: Do Sweat the Small Stuff

On New Year’s weekend, after nine months away for wingfoiling and other on-the-water adventures, Paul and I rejoined the SailNewport Thumb Yachting Guild for some fierce model boat racing. I should’ve reread 9 Lessons from Racing Model Sailboats, because it felt like I was sailing with two left thumbs AND my eyes closed. On the first day of 2023, I even became the fleet’s problem child; over an hour of racing, I lost count of the number of times I heard someone ask, “341, what the %^&* are you doing?”

Finally two Sundays ago, I got my mojo back and finished second for the day in a fleet of 16; my best DF95 results ever. The SailNewport Thumb Yachting Guild is a very competitive group that’s dominated by two world-champion brothers, Brad and Ken Read, who usually take the top two slots. That day, though, a string of top five finishes (and not a single penalty turn) were enough to edge out Brad. There are definitely worse places to be than the meat in a Read sandwich!

DragonFlite 95s are only 95cm long but a full-sized boatload of fun to race—as long as the details are sorted.

So what did I do differently that day? It was the not-small matter of getting all the little things right, so I could focus on racing. The previous day, I’d realized that replacing several tiny lines had knocked my boat so far out of balance that I could barely tack; downwind, the jib wasn’t jibing or winging out. Since the problems weren’t something I could fix standing on an icy dock, I took over as race committee for a very aggressive fleet—which provided a chance to learn from both the victories and mistakes of others. 

Back in the “boat shop” that afternoon, I retuned my entire boat. The DF95s are as finicky as a Snipe, and it took at least an hour of tweaking before I had the sail plan back in balance. Another model boat lesson: a boat that gets up to speed and sails in a straight line on its own also maneuvers much more consistently.

Sunday’s conditions definitely played to my personal strengths. A 2-5 knot easterly kept the course small and close to the dock, so it was much easier to see marks and judge distances. And, full disclosure, Brad did catch a VERY LARGE piece of seaweed on his keel. But none of that would’ve mattered if I hadn’t been able to focus on racing. Which is so much more fun than being the fleet problem child!

Brad Read dubbed this “the Seaweed MONSTA“

There are a lot of theories about why the Read brothers dominate weekend after weekend, a micro-sized version of the age-old dilemma: What Makes a Champion? I believe one major part of their success is what I stumbled onto that day: the not-small matter of getting all the little things right. The difference is that Brad and Ken have both the experience and the concentration to achieve that week after week, in a range of conditions. They are always racing, not falling into classic model-boat-racing pitfalls like missed marks and boat entanglements. (Unlike most of the fleet, I’ve never ever heard either of them swear, and maybe apologize, after simply turning the rudder the wrong way.)

This weekend, I’ll be taking this lesson back to full-sized sailing. Supercrew Kim Couranz is joining me for the Snipe Comodoro Rasco in Miami, our first regatta together in seven months. Though the details are totally different from model boats, the end goal is the same: to sweat the small stuff ahead of time so we can focus on racing and having fun. And, of course, to avoid the gut-wrenching dismay of becoming the fleet’s problem child. 

Got another theory about what makes a champion, Olympic or otherwise? Share it in the comments below or send me an email. I read every single one, with gratitude.

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Sharing My Enthusiasm: Public Speaking for Private People

As many of you know, I gave a talk at the Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC) recently—and, partly thanks to all of your toasts and best wishes, it was the best one yet. Two weeks later I’m still smiling and newly inspired, just by sharing my own enthusiasms with a lively audience. 

I am definitely rusty at public speaking, so I decided to write down 10 “best practices” that might help achieve similar results in the future… or at least avoid a repeat of past mistakes. These timeless truths will ensure that everyone goes home smiling—even speakers who are as self-critical as I am. 

Photo (and microphone use) courtesy of Margaret Podlich1. Say thank you (at least once)

It may seem trite, but your host and your audience will still appreciate being thanked. And an omission will stand out. (Thanks again to AYC, Margaret Podlich, and to Sophie Podlich for selling books “like Girl Scout cookies!”)

2. Find a format that helps you relax

For me, it’s putting together what I still call a “slideshow” (a term much more appealing than a “Powerpoint”), and then using each visual as the spark for what I want to say next. If I rely only on notes, I tend to read them—which is not nearly as much fun for anyone. 

3. Give yourself plenty of setup time

When I arrived, AYC had already placed two large flat screens either side of a podium with microphone. And as soon as I realized I was missing a critical Mac-friendly adapter, their on-site “techie” came up with one. But at most venues you’ll be the only tech support, and once your audience is in the room it will feel rude to focus on getting your laptop to play nicely with a provided projector. Make sure to show up early enough for distraction-free prep time.

4. Use the microphone

The evening’s “sponsor” Margaret Podlich is an excellent public speaker, and beforehand she encouraged me to use the provided microphone… but I started off without it, because it seemed like an unnecessary aggravation in a relatively quiet room. When I asked the audience what they preferred, though, the response was immediate: “yes please use the microphone.” And as soon as I switched it on, I could stop worrying about projecting (a nicer word than “yelling”) and instead focus on sharing my knowledge.

5. Focus the talk on your own unique knowledge

For me, that’s the intersection between books and boats. Sharing what I’d learned about Star history with AYC’s book group and some well-known sailors provoked a very stimulating discussion—and also inspired a few audience members to tell their own stories.

6. Trust your enthusiasm

Despite several practice runs of my presentation, about halfway through I found myself “surprised” by one visual… and so flubbed the “natural” transition I’d planned. Nobody in the audience cared (and most probably didn’t notice), because they were already intrigued by the picture itself. A few days later, one of the attendees wrote to tell me:  “The Star class was lucky to have you write its Championship story.” Yeah!

7. Nobody likes to ask the first question

I usually try to have a “plant” in the audience to get the Q&A rolling, but I didn’t actually pre-plan anything for the AYC event. So I was very happy when sailing legend Gary Jobson (our sport’s best-known public speaker) stuck his hand up like an eager third-grader as soon as I finished my talk. I was even happier when he complimented 100 Years of Gold Stars!

8. Don’t over-prepare

It’s easy to get too locked into exactly what you’ll say. At one speaking event I’d really like to forget, my oh-so-carefully prepared script no longer seemed appropriate by the time I walked up to the microphone… and yet those words crowded out every other thought in my head. In hindsight, I would’ve been much better off just ad-libbing—a fine example of trusting my enthusiasm. 

9. Don’t apologize

…for anything, especially the size of the crowd. (This was definitely NOT an issue at the well-attended AYC event.) Set a positive tone, reward the ones who show up, and maybe you won’t even remember afterward those two friends who promised to come but didn’t actually make it.  

10. End strong

Like any other “story,” it’s very soothing to a live audience if you end with a closing statement almost as obvious as The End. “Thanks for coming” makes a decent backup, but I try to include something more personal. The ending at AYC actually felt a bit flat; I will definitely revise it before my next talk. But thanks to such an engaged audience and that fantastic Q&A, we ended strong anyway.

Missing from this photo is the table full of Under-30 sailors tucked away in the back right corner. A great crowd, and some couldn’t wait to look at the book! Photo: Sophie PodlichJust Add Enthusiasm

I haven’t even touched on how to create a good talk or attract a crowd. If you’re curious, drop me an email or comment below and I’ll share what works for me. Meanwhile, if you need someone to spice up your next yacht club or book group evening… I do so love sharing my own enthusiasm with a lively audience. 

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5 Biggest Benefits of the January Slowdown

I have to admit: this is not my favorite month of the year. Here in Rhode Island, outside activity is definitely curtailed—no matter how many pairs of gloves we own or how well our favorite hat protects our earlobes. Meanwhile, photos of what we used to call Key West Race Week seem like they were taken on a different planet.

But now that it’s more than half over, I can honestly say: January has its benefits. So, in the spirit of positivity, I’m going to list the top five that come to me right now.

Um.

(Insert lengthy pause.)

Just kidding! Below are my top five. Accompanied by five photos taken over fifteen minutes during a rare January sunrise paddle.

1. Time to process

Both clients and friends seem to catch their breath this time of year; I’ve been taking advantage of any unscheduled mornings to work on my WIP, since finishing that is on my list of 2023 goals. Once the workday is over, I have a wide variety of windowseat reading options: books, seed catalogs, magazines. We might even stream a movie after dinner. Everyone needs time to refresh and recharge, and over the years I’ve learned: the January slowdown is a very important piece of my yearly workflow.

2. Cozying down

For those of us lucky enough to live in a warm house, turning on the oven to bake something special or just making afternoon tea is extra cozy this time of year. 

3. My readers

Over the last year I’ve seen a significant increase in the number of people who pause to read these Thursday morning musings, and I’m especially grateful for that this time of year—when I sometimes wonder if I really have anything new to add. Please keep your comments and emails coming!

4. Those occasional warm days

What would seem like a frigid day in October is instead a real blessing in January. We rush outside to enjoy anything above 40 degrees, and maybe even sneak out for a paddle if there’s also no wind. Every brief respite from freezing temps helps stave off the downward spiral of cabin fever.

5. The days are definitely getting longer

Sunrise is several minutes earlier than when these photos were taken seventeen days ago. Only 153 days until summer! 

OK, that’s my top five…  now it’s your turn. Are you embracing January, or finding it an extra challenge this year? Share your thoughts by email or in the comments below. And thanks again—you’re an important part of what keeps me going through the quietest month of the year.

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Expecting a Surprise: 100 Years of Stars Tonight

If you are reading this on Thursday 12 January, please raise a glass and wish me well at 6pm ET. I’ll be talking to a group at Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC) about 100 Years of Gold Stars. And since most of the attendees will be Star sailors, their standards are very, very high—and they will likely be much bigger and stronger than me!

Star crews make tacks look surprisingly easy. Me? Not so much.

Chesapeake Bay has hosted two Star World championships so far (1951 and 2000). Just last year, AYC ran a very competitive 33-boat North Americans; as Class President Tom Londrigan put it at the opening ceremony, Annapolis is a place “we want to come back to again, and again, and again.” There are plenty of locals who know far more about the class and the boat than I do, but they probably haven’t yet heard or seen all of the colorful stories and photos I’ll be sharing—and most didn’t fit into the book. This iconic class has always attracted strong characters as well as strong bodies!

Last October, I did a booksigning at my local bookstore for a group of mostly readers and booklovers. At most author appearances, there’s usually one big surprise—and this time, it was an older couple who lived only a few miles away. Turns out he’d bought a (wooden) Star boat shortly before he was called up for the Korean War, which he parked in his father’s back yard (perhaps as his reward for making it home again). But the next time he saw the boat, all that was left was the lead keel; his father had burned the hull for firewood. “I never forgave him,” this man told me, seventy-odd years later. Yet another example of how Star boats have both personalized and colored our sense of history over the past century.

For those of you reading this after Thursday night’s event, I’ll be sure to let you know if tonight holds a similar surprise. For those of you who have it on your calendar, thank you… and please don’t judge me by my height.

Read more about 100 Years of Gold Stars

Related posts

Star World Championship: 3 Stories of International Friendship

The Gold Star of Writing Projects

The post Expecting a Surprise: 100 Years of Stars Tonight appeared first on Carol Newman Cronin.

Book (and Author) Review: The Falmouth Frigate

In the mid-1990s, browsing in my favorite Newport store The Armchair Sailor, I discovered what I now call “the first Biddlecomb book” by James L. Nelson. By Force of Arms introduced Captain Isaac Biddlecomb (who was loosely based on John Paul Jones) as he dodged and tormented the British Navy around Narragansett Bay in the early years of the American Revolution. I quickly devoured the three sequels as they came out over the next four years, which were collectively known as “The Revolution at Sea series.”

In the decades since, I’ve devoured many of the other novels Nelson produced: a series about the Civil War; another about pirates; and a few stand-alone books, including one featuring Isaac Biddlecomb’s son. I’ve also gotten to know this wonderful author and human; when I finally admitted that his most popular and prolific Norseman Series (ten books and counting) didn’t appeal quite as much as the others, Nelson replied, “That’s because there’s almost no sailing—and a lot of fighting!” True dat. So I instantly added “honest self-assessment” to an already long list of authorly attributes. 

20 years later

I was thrilled for both Nelson and his readers when McBooks Press republished the entire Biddlecomb series in 2021—and also had a private chuckle when I noticed the books had been rebranded as “Isaac Biddlecomb Novels.” Clearly characters are more memorable than battles. But I never expected to read a new one—until McBooks Press offered to send a review copy of The Falmouth Frigate, shortly after it came out in November 2022. As an author, I understand how characters ebb and flow in our imaginations; now, more than two decades later, Isaac Biddlecomb (only slightly older and wiser) has unexpectedly made a heroic return to the big screen between my ears!

“I was always sorry to leave Isaac and company hanging the way I did at the end of All the Brave Fellows,” Nelson said, when I wrote to ask what had prompted this new book. “I had hoped to get back to them, but over the years one thing after another kept coming up and I never had the chance. Then when McBooks bought the rights and republished the first five, we figured it would be a good time to do at last one more in the series.”

I share all this background because knowing the history and already loving the characters (and their author) definitely enriched my reading of this book. I simply can’t assess The Falmouth Frigate as a stand-alone—even though I started reading it without any memory of where Isaac and his supporting cast had been “left hanging.” That said, the book had all the page-turning, heart-thumping excitement that I so enjoyed in the previous books of the series. And it also taught me something new about both history and geography, since this romp takes place near the mouth of Delaware Bay. 

Okay, here’s a little about the book itself and why you should read it too. 

The Falmouth Frigate

The book opens with a prologue: Isaac Biddlecomb’s letter to “the Honorable Marine Committee of the Continental Congress,” dated 30th Oct 1777. This serves a double purpose; it brings readers up to speed on what had happened in the previous books, while also dropping us right into the captain’s cabin onboard the Falmouth. Isaac’s current command is a half-finished frigate currently tied up at a dock in Great Egg Harbor, and we learn of his regret and remorse about losing his previous ship. We also taste the uncertainty and loneliness of war; his wife Virginia was “in Philadelphia, as far as he knew.” And even as he resolved to write to her next, Biddlecomb had no idea how he would get a letter delivered in a city occupied by the British. 

But before he can write that letter, a group of men arrive on horseback and demand to speak with the captain. Biddlecomb joins Ezra Rumstick—his first officer, and perhaps my favorite character of all—on deck to find out what they want. Below is a short excerpt from chapter one, a great example of the way Nelson gives just enough detail to feel the cold—as well as the danger—while also including enough nautical cues to keep landlubbers entranced. 

It was a cold night,  with October ready to yield to November. The air was crisp and it carried the scent of wood smoke and salt-water marsh. Biddlecomb buttoned his coat as he watched the people approach. Half a dozen horses, by Biddlecomb’s count, and a dozen men. No more than that. A score of men? He could see light glinting off steel, the barrels of muskets, he guessed.

“What do you reckon?” Rumstick asked.

“Don’t know,” Biddlecomb said. “But armed men approaching at night…not generally a good thing.” He turned to Rumstick, and gave him a bit of a smile. “We best go see what they want,” he said.

Biddlecomb stepped up onto the gangway and headed down, Rumstick behind him. The tide was near its height and the gangway was steep and Biddlecomb descended with caution. He did not care to go galley-west down the gangplank under the gaze of whoever was approaching. First impressions and all that. 

We soon learn that these men want Biddlecomb’s ship, and he can’t escape to his preferred location—open ocean—because that ship currently lacks a mainmast. And so begins this page-turner of a journey into danger that characterizes all of Nelson’s books, regardless of setting or topic.

The writing isn’t flowery and is always clear—and it also ALWAYS has a distinct voice. In the paragraphs above, there are countless examples of word choices that draw us right in; my favorite is a term I’d never heard before, “galley-west,” which was easy to understand thanks to the context.

When I asked Nelson if this story too grew from actual history, here’s what he said: “A number of the Biddlecomb books are based around real historical events, such as the invasion of Nassau and the defense of the Delaware. Falmouth Frigate is less so. The circumstances in which it takes place, such as the occupation of Philadelphia and the problems with the pine robbers are all true to the history, but the story itself is really made up out of whole cloth.” Needless to say, I couldn’t tell the difference.

Publishing Changes

My one criticism of the book is the poor copy editing that seemed to especially affect chapter five; many “small” words were out of order or just simply incorrect, like a harried editor had read it all too quickly (or maybe skipped that chapter entirely). One of the many aspects of the publishing industry that has changed drastically since the first Biddlecomb books came out is how many eyeballs look at the text before it is bound and sent out to readers; McBooks Press should definitely add at least one more editorial review to their workflow. 

What hasn’t changed in twenty years is the timeless appeal of a well-told story. Nelson is not just a novelist; he’s also a maritime historian and ship’s rigger. Last summer, he helped launch Virginia, a replica that is called Maine’s First Ship. (Find out more on his very active FB page, Nelson’s Privateers.) His rich lifelong knowledge of historic details is why, unlike many nautical histories, his scenes ring so true and are so easy to follow—with just enough blood and death to feel realistic. 

Now that he’s given us another Biddlecomb, Nelson’s planning to go back to the Norseman Series—ambitiously promising to finish two more books in 2023. I’d like to encourage another sequel; if not Biddlecomb, maybe another about the characters in his present-day Maine thriller, Full Fathom Five? Regardless of what he writes next, all of my regular readers will appreciate the three characteristics Nelson’s books share with my own: boats, a coastal setting, and a happy ending. Definitely coastal fiction!

Conscious Bias

I’d like to tell you that my ongoing friendship with Jim Nelson hasn’t colored this review, but that simply wouldn’t be true. When we get to know authors, we read their work differently. Jim, in case you’re reading, thanks for getting back to Biddlecomb—and here’s hoping you cause many, many more maritime disasters; only on the page, of course.

PS You can enjoy The Falmouth Frigate on its own, but I would strongly recommend reading the books in order. They are all in print thanks to McBooks Press (and their own continued popularity); they even have their own Wikipedia page!

Read my previous book reviews

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6 Exciting 2023 “Events” Where Books Will Meet Boats

Only three more days until the sun sets on 2022! As we look ahead to 2023, I thought it would be fun to share a few highlights already inked into next year’s calendar.

1. Snipe sailing in Florida 

I’m really looking forward to rejoining My Family of Snipe for three winter regattas: the Comodoro Rasco and DonQ on Biscayne Bay, and the Midwinters on Key Largo’s Buttonwood Sound. Due to scheduling conflicts, my last Snipe regatta was the U.S. Nationals way back in July… far too long ago. I can’t wait to race and laugh with Kim Couranz once again and test out my neglected hiking muscles!

2. Book Signing in Annapolis

On January 12, Annapolis Yacht Club’s monthly book club will be a behind-the-scenes look into 100 Years of Gold Stars. At my last booksigning in Annapolis (circa 2010), a far more local Carol Cronin asked for my phone number—so she could redirect all the sailors who called her, looking for me! So you never know what will happen in that town… especially since AYC hosted the Star Worlds in 2000. I’m excited to share with local Star sailors and history buffs alike what went into creating this 140-page book. 

3. Model boat racing

Paul and I raced model boats with the Newport fleet last winter, and by the time you read this I hope we will have started our second season—because that will mean that all of our watercraft are finally put away for the winter. 

4. My first article in SAIL Magazine

I recently submitted an article about sailing teamwork to SAIL Magazine, which was the very first sailing magazine I ever read. I can’t wait to see my byline in such a well-regarded publication!

5. Wingfoiling

We are definitely looking forward to more wingfoiling in Florida. I did manage to nail a few jibes before the water temp shut us down here, so my goal for 2023 is consistency—along with continuing to enjoy each additional lesson learned, about both life and sailing. 

6. Work In Progress (WIP)

Okay, this one is less certain… but I’m definitely planning to COMPLETE my next novel in 2023. (That was also the plan for 2022, and 2021, and…) Progress on my passion project is always slower than I hoped—partly because more immediately billable work has to take priority. (Also, my characters don’t like working to a firm deadline anymore than I do.)

PS: Keep those comments and emails coming

What about you: is there something you’re especially looking forward to about the new year? Share it in the comments below, or send me an email. Your enthusiasm is what keeps me writing these weekly missives, so if there’s anything in particular you’d like to hear about (More books? More boats?) just let me know. This blog recently passed 500 posts, and that’s partly thanks to all of you; you help me feel “heard.”

See you next Thursday for the first blog of 2023, and I hope you have a happy and safe New Year!

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Christmas Lost and Found: My Gift to You

For the past several years, I’ve written a holiday short story for my readers. I like creating homemade gifts—and it’s also a way to spend time with some lesser-known characters from Brenton Island.

Because I don’t want these stories to include any spoilers for Ferry to Cooperation Island (or its sequel), I set them in the island’s past. Last year, I wrote about a stormy night of Christmas Eve caroling ten years before FERRY. This year, we’re going all the way back to 1983, the year the America’s Cup left Newport. Because surely Brenton Island would’ve been a haven of Cup spying, if it really was standing guard four miles off the entrance to Narragansett Bay!

Your narrator is “Akka” Andrews, a made-up member of the winning Team Australia; he stuck around after the victory because he’s in love with a Brenton islander. Christmas Lost and Found takes place on 23 December, 1983, which at least in my imagination was a surprisingly warm and sunny day.

I invite you to curl up with your favorite beverage and enjoy yet another escape to Cooperation Island!

Thanks for reading, and let me know in the comments below or by email if you want to see more of this new character. I really appreciate all the feedback you’ve sent this year, and I’m looking forward to even more in 2023.

And may you find whatever you may have lost yourself this holiday season—even if you are as far from home as Akka.

Merry merry to all!

Read Christmas Lost and Found

Previous stories

O Little Town of Brenton

Lamb Cove Promise

A Christmas Kayak

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My 2022 (Annual?) Performance Review of Myself

In a quarter century of writing, editing, and publishing stories about boats and their people, I’ve only ever had one real boss—and two official performance reviews. So I have no idea if my very limited experience is typical or not… but here’s how it worked: once a year, John Burnham would send me a company-generated questionnaire that asked me to grade myself on a scale of 1-5 about how well I’d performed various tasks as a managing editor. There were also questions about his performance as my manager—along with a very important reminder to include a few scores below “excellent,” because nobody is great at everything.

After reviewing my answers, John would share his thoughts and make a few suggestions. Two definitely still ring true: try to minimize rabbit holes, and don’t dodge important tasks just because they fail to make my “fun” list. 

For the past two years, I’ve paused for a look back at 2021’s milestones and 2020’s red letter days… but more to crow about achievements than to take an honest look in the mirror. For my 2022 review, I’ve decided to evaluate my own performance. So after a few quick searches for “best performance review questions” and “independent contractor performance review” (which revealed mostly danger alerts about treating contractors like employees), I’ve cherry-picked a list of questions for myself that I will answer as both employee and manager—as honestly as possible. 

PS: Feel free to chime in with your comments, because—at least for this blog—you readers are really the boss. 

Questions for my best (only) “employee”

What experience, project, or action are you most proud of since the last review?
That one’s easy this year: 100 Years of Gold Stars. Seeing a book in print is the best possible reward for all of the mostly invisible work that went into it. 

What do you enjoy most about the work you do?
That it’s so tightly interwoven with what I do for fun. More details here

What project/goal(s) would you like to focus on in the next quarter/six months/year?
I’d like to say my next novel… but for better or worse, I write the best fiction when it’s not my only focus. So I’ll add two more: creating content for clients, and researching another book project. 

What goals did you accomplish? Which goals fell short?
I published my fifth book and added more blog subscribers than expected! But I failed to complete my next novel. 

What am I focusing too much of my time on?
Perfecting and editing content that would be just fine to publish as is. 

What could I focus more time on?
Business management, goal setting, bookkeeping

What can I do to make my manager’s job easier?
More regular bookkeeping, setting concrete and achievable marketing goals

Questions for my best (only) “manager”

Describe a meaningful contribution that Carol has made since the last review.
Getting 100 Years of Gold Stars out into the world and promoting it through booksignings and appearances. Writing several profiles for Seahorse Magazine.

What types of projects does Carol excel at?
Self-managed content creation about boats and their folks. Polishing early drafts into stories that don’t need (much) additional editing.

What type of projects does Carol tend to avoid?
Anything that involves too much rote repetition; office cleaning, bookkeeping, creating “generic” pre-formatted content

What can I do to make my employee’s job easier?
Email reminders for routine, easily postponed tasks. She hates a crowded inbox! And help to set goals for specific “deliverables.”

Conclusions?

This was definitely an instructive process… as well as a reminder that self-assessment is in no danger of making my “fun” list. I might even make this an annual blog going forward, especially if my manager sends a reminder email next December… 

Meanwhile, do you agree with my answers? What other questions should I have asked? I welcome your reviews—and I read every single one, with gratitude.

The post My 2022 (Annual?) Performance Review of Myself appeared first on Carol Newman Cronin.

Circus Minimus: The Rich Life of Bill Mattison

Last spring, when news broke that Sailing Hall of Famer Bill Mattison had died, a request came in from the editor of Seahorse: could I write a tribute? I’d never met him, but after several of his longtime friends offered to share their thoughts I agreed. And I’m so glad I did—even though, sadly, I’d missed the opportunity to write his profile.

Seahorse captions often add important context: “in his element… Bill Mattison suits up for another Skeeter race, the helmet bearing witness to the endless knocks received before the much later introduction of some basic driver protection. As for the gloves, substance over style was a lifelong mantra.”

Thanks to Peter Harken, Linda Lindquist, and a memory book about iceboating made by Bill’s daughter, I soon found myself lost in way too many stories for just one article. So I suggested a two-part piece—which is why Bill’s many accomplishments grace both the November and December issues of Seahorse. I’m proud to say that my suggested headline survived the editing process (even if the British habit of not capitalizing every word still looks odd to me). And the editor liked my intro so much, he turned it into a sub-head.

But by far the best compliment of all came from Bill’s daughter, Lynn, once she’d read both articles. After explaining that she “won the lottery of life being born to such great parents,” she told the editor, “Carol did capture the essence of my father. It was a wonderful article.”

Seahorse has graciously allowed me to share both PDFs with you, and I hope you enjoy getting to know this amazing man as much as I did. Turns out, writing a tribute was remarkably similar to writing a profile—at least for a guy with both a lifetime of press clippings and a boatload of friends willing to share their memories.

Read Circus Minimus part 1

Read Circus Minimus part 2

Previous Seahorse Profiles

Mark Reynolds: Hard Chines and Unasked Questions

Augie Diaz: Lucky AND Good

Dawn Riley: Setting the Standard

Clicks of Chance: Onne van der Wal

Just Say Yes: Stan and Sally Honey

Rod Davis: Why You Need His Wisdom in 2021

Rod Johnstone: An Amazing Legacy of Yacht Designs

A Final Conversation with Harry Anderson

Life Lessons from Dave Perry

Vince Brun Profile in Seahorse

Only One Jud (Smith)

The post Circus Minimus: The Rich Life of Bill Mattison appeared first on Carol Newman Cronin.