Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 194
October 9, 2009
Young Writers: Hurry to Enter New Voices
The deadline for New Voices, EPIC's writing competition for teen writers is October 20, 2009. Students can enter poetry, short stories, and essays for cash prizes for winners and feedback for every entrant.
You want to enter your best work, which means giving yourself plenty of time to edit.The deadline is only a couple of weeks away, so if you haven't already started, now is the time. If you're the parent, teacher, friend, or loved one of a student interested in writing, please tell them...
October 6, 2009
What I Learned from Limits
The topic of this month's groupwrite project at Middle Zone Musings is What I Learned from … Limits.
The most significant limits I've faced in my life were the physical limitations that followed my stroke. As I described in National Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – The Next Three Days, there were many things I couldn't do and few I could.
Faced with the possibility of never getting any better, I understood that the critical time was the next three days. If there was improvement during those ...
October 4, 2009
Podcast at Bluestocking Guide
On my blog book tour for Dream or Destiny, The Bluestocking Guide interviewed me on a podcast.
The interview is posted again on The Bluestocking Guide for Domestic Violence Month. Bluestocking was a domestic violence victims' advocate, and we had a fascinating discussion about the subject.
Bluestocking said that David's psychological reactions in Dream or Destiny were very accurate from her experience of dealing with victims. I don't have any personal experience with domestic violence, so I'm g...
October 3, 2009
Supporting Domestic Violence Awareness Month
When I started writing Dream or Destiny, I didn't plan on having domestic violence as an important part of the story. However, the characters took over. David let me know that he and Barbara had been abused as children and Barbara had also been abused by her husband.
I've been asked if I have had personal experience with someone close to me being abused. No, I haven't. The closest I've come is the incident I describe in an earlier blog post. Years ago when I was teaching Sunday School, a...
October 1, 2009
Good Luck and a Good Memory
I listened to a voice mail message earlier this week. A man gave his name, then said, "Please call me at your earliest convenience at the main office of the electric coop." He ended with his phone number.
As a trustee and the secretary/treasurer of a trust my parents established to keep the small family farm intact after their deaths, I pay all the bills. Had I forgotten to pay the rural electrical cooperative that supplied electricity to the farm? That had never happened before, but one time ...
September 26, 2009
Freelance Rates Survey
Recently I wrote that freelance editing rates is the most popular keyword phrase that brings visitors to this blog. When I realized that one post on this subject has more than 300 visitors per month, I decided it was time to write more on the topic.
For an upcoming series, I would like to have some feedback on how freelancers price their writing and editing services.
I have compiled a simple anonymous survey that asks the following questions:
How long have you freelanced part-time or...September 23, 2009
Deadline Nears for New Voices
Middle school and high school students have less than a month to polish and submit their entries into the EPIC New Voices writing competition for teens.
Students (public, private, and home schools) can enter poetry, short stories, and essays. There is no cost to enter, and winners in each category as well as the grand prize winner receive valauble prizes. Every student receives written feedback from three judges—authors, editors, teachers, and librarians. The critiques include both areas of i...
September 20, 2009
World Alzheimer's Day: Wear Purple
Today is World Alzheimer's Day, and the Alzheimer's Asociation is asking people to get involved to end this terrible disease.
I know there are many horrific diseases that destroy the body, and watching someone deteriorate from cancer and other diseases is heart-rending. The tragedy of Alzheimer's and related dementias, however, is that not only do they cause the body to deteriorate, but they also destroy both the mind and the personality.
My father was one of the strongest, most independent...
September 18, 2009
Comment #10,000+
My comment counter just turned over 10,000. Actually, I've had more than 10,000 comments (including my own) since the beginning of my blog. When I moved the blog just about a year ago, all my nested comments were lost. I have no idea how many comments were lost then. Almost all of the nested comments, though, were my replies to other comments so I didn't lose many comments from other people.
Comment #10,000 was left by Louise of Brochures Printing Online. Thanks, Louise, and thanks to all the...
September 17, 2009
Freelance Editing Rates: Most Popular Search Terms
What are people looking for when they find this blog through search engines?
Although I've been signed up to Google Analytics for ages, I don't pay as much attention as I should to the statistics. However, with the latest upgrade, WordPress now shows statistics from Google Analytics on the dashboard.
Since I've been seeing the statistics every day, I've noticed something surprising. There is one post that has significantly more traffic than any other, and it's a post from nearly two years...
