Vicki Atkinson's Blog, page 16

Podcast Friday: Learning to Pitch

No…not baseball.

But I guess it’s baseball season again.  I’m thinking about the dreaded “elevator” pitch.  Book pitch-style.  How to take our brilliant writing ideas and condense the goodness into one fabulous fast ball…enticing all readers, generating interest and enthusiasm.

Like hitting a home run!

Writing friends…the ‘pitch’ matters.  Whether you’re in the exploratory phase of an idea or you’ve made it all around the bases and you’ve accomplished the unthinkable…you brought y...

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – At the Boulevard

I love questions and observations from readers. 

Recently I was asked about my parents’ capacity for giving – their lifelong focus on helping others, even when they had little to give other than their time.  Such a question, no?

I think my parents, Sue and Sonny, felt they were lucky in life.  Despite the effort and hard work which contributed to my dad’s success, he was famous for saying, “There but for the grace of God go I” in all kinds of circumstances.  He never shamed anyone in n...

Parents as Pranksters & Musical Memories

Both of my parents, Sue and Sonny, were blessed with good humor. 

They knew how to tell a good joke (often naughty ones) and were at the pinnacle of joy when they pranked each other.  Not just on April Fool’s Day…but any day they could conjure a ‘gotcha’ moment. 

I suspect their jokester common ground was one of their initial attractions.  In ways unique to each, they exuded a subtle air of “watch me…something good is just around the corner”.  They WERE watchable.  Charismatic.  In Sue...

Podcast Friday! The Next Good Thing

Wynne and I love a thought-provoking chat with our friend, Dr. Gerald Stein.  This – our 60th episode – marks the sixth time we’ve enjoyed learning from one of our favorite podcast guests.

Maybe it’s the introspectiveness that arrives when Spring dances before us in the Northern Hemisphere.  Opportunity and new life; longer days and time to reflect?  Renewal vibes, for sure.

This episode is full of ‘tune up’ potential.  Insights from Dr. Stein about seeing into the future, leaning into...

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Word Cloud Wisdom

Have you done any ‘textual analysis’ lately? 

Yup.  That’s a big phrase for Word Cloud-making.  Playing in the clouds…with words. 

In my higher ed days, creating word clouds was fun and purposeful.  Presentations, teaching, leading teams and groups.  There’s something invitational about a word cloud.

Come closer, let’s peek.

Maybe it’s the connection I make to “Where’s Waldo” – curious about what I might find. Game-ifying the work of writing, editing, reviewing.

A good “tag...

Podcast Friday! Chilling Out & Warming Up

Maybe I’m influenced by the fact that it’s March 22 and we’re getting a dose of snow in the Chicago area? Maybe I’m dreaming about writer and musician Todd Fulginiti’s love of the beach as his ‘happy place’ – wishing that warmer weather was here…NOW?Maybe…if I let myself, I can be warmed by the insight from Todd and Wynne in our latest podcast.  Stealing secrets from two of my favorite people about how to focus on the moments that matter while being true to ourselves and honorin...

When You Crack Yourself Up: “Wind Beneath My Wings”

No disrespect intended toward Bette Midler, but her famous song is akin to a laugh track for me. I can’t listen to even the teensiest bit of “Wind Beneath My Wings” without losing my mind. I’ll explain…

Do you get the giggles at inopportune times?  I’ve been plagued with poorly-timed giggle fits forever.  I still say it’s the best ever stress reliever and I’m not the only one who thinks so.  However…when I ran across this thought recently – author unknown – I paused because I immediat...

Lizette’s 4-Steps

No, this isn’t Lizette…just a fab pic from Studio Santuy

I love, love, love it when a former student stays in touch. 

In most situations the reason is related to providing a reference or a letter of recommendation – for grad school or for a job opportunity.  I don’t care about the ‘why’.  It’s a privilege to be thought of, sometimes five or ten years after our time together as teacher-student or counselor-student. 

Working in higher education was the delight of a lifetime when I th...

Podcast Friday! Writing Inspiration

I know a podcast is worth my time when I listen and learn – in digestible nuggets.

Take-aways which inform and inspire. That’s what happened recently when I chatted with Wynne Leon and Brian Hannon as we discussed Brian’s abundant talents as a writer. 

Brian pivots from corporate communications to personal storytelling with an ease that’s admirable and enviable.  In this episode, he shares a few secrets and opens up pockets of revelations as we mull Brian’s perspective about the impor...

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Fault Lines

My mom, Sue, had a compulsive need to be right. 

She navigated most days in search of human fault lines, similar to the geological variety.  Volatile and just beneath the surface. Dangerous, hard to detect, and ever-present. 

Sue sought fault lines and weaknesses in others as one of her defensive maneuvers. Her contentious behavior was best characterized by her tendency to be offensive, for self-preservation. 

Do you know anyone who keeps score? 

Someone who is quick to point o...