Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 244

Twitterific

I've had a few people ask me to run more writing links here—and for some reason I keep forgetting!  I post probably 25 or more writing links a day on Twitter, but that doesn't help if you're not a member.
So, here are some links from the last few days.  :)  Good thing I'm a skimmer!
The one-line book pitch: http://bit.ly/cmGvos 5:45 AM Mar 24th via web
Give your characters cabin fever and change your setting: http://bit.ly/9MS163
How novelists are entrepreneurs: http://bit.ly/d61aPc 5:44 AM...

Why Yes, I *Am* at a Book Signing Today

What is it about writing that makes us reluctant to admit to doing it?

You'd think I could easily explain that I'm a writer by now. But usually a couple of times a week someone either asks me what I do or something similar. And I choke EVERY time.

Yesterday, it was the mother of a child that my daughter has recently started playing with. We were at the bus stop, waiting for our girls to come home from school.

"Do you have any plans tomorrow?" she asked.

And, yes, I have a book...

Making a Long Story Short

Today I'd like to welcome author Stephen D. Rogers to the blog. Stephen is the author of SHOT TO DEATH and more than six hundred stories and poems. He's the head writer at Crime Scene (where viewers solve interactive mysteries) and a popular writing instructor. For more information, you can visit his website, www.stephendrogers.com , where he tries to pull it all together.

People who think nothing of writing a novel but turn white when they're asked to produce a short story often come ...

The Big Picture

A couple of days ago, I was busily clearing out the weeds and grass that encroached on the kids' sandbox in the backyard. "What are you doing?" asked my son.

I frowned at him in confusion. It was pretty obvious what I was doing—I had yard clothes on, ugly gloves, and was yanking up weeds by their roots. "I'm weeding around the sandbox. Then I'm thinking about putting flat pavers around it to help keep the grass and weeds out. I'm going to get some hanging baskets of flowers to put on...

Paper Management

Y'all have caught me at a bad time—I'm really feeling the need to do some spring cleaning (it's very springy here now in North Carolina), but I'm smack dab up against a huge deadline. Actually, make that 2 deadlines.

So I have cleaning on the brain. :)

There are certain kinds of messes that drive me crazy. If the laundry or the dishes aren't done, I'm not going to be able to focus on anything until I've started a load.

Paper? It can wait a little while. But when it becomes a smallish ...

Tips for Skittish Sellers

My children are both in Scouts. It's been a great experience for them—they get to try new things and build self-confidence and self-reliance.

The only thing I dislike about it? The selling.

I'm sure the other parents out there know what I mean. In October, my son sells barbeque for his troop. And in January/February, my daughter sells Girl Scout cookies for hers.

And they have a mom who absolutely hates selling things.

This means that I end up buying whatever they've got to sell....

Knowing Enough to be Dangerous

My husband is a computer whiz. He does something so complicated at work that I don't even understand it enough to explain it.

I'm pretty good on computers. I'm much better than many people, but I know only a tiny fraction of what my husband knows.

But I can open up a computer control panel and make changes. I pull up the run box and type commands and paths in. I know different things to type in at a C prompt. I can get into a system folder.

Basically, I know enough to completely...

Taking it Personally

I'm sure that everyone reading this blog has been affected in some way by the hobbled global economy.

Whether it's a friend or family member who's lost a job, benefit cutbacks due to employers' economizing, or a difficult time selling a house—it's likely hit home.

I've read about the different issues people have faced and shaken my head at the craziness.

Then our county started messing with the libraries.

Last week, out of the blue they decided to close 12 out of the 24 local...

Trying Something Different

Last Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, I took a trip to the North Carolina mountains with my father. My sister and her husband were in Blowing Rock part of the time, too.

Taking trips without the kids isn't something I get to do very often, but it's fun when I do. I definitely miss the children, but it's nice to pull away for a little while and not have to consider eating at restaurants that have chicken tenders and French fries on their menus.

Daddy is an English professor and was on ...

Edits and Revisions—Guest Post by L. Diane Wolfe

I'd like to welcome L. Diane Wolfe to the blog today. As a professional speaker, Diane travels extensively for media interviews and speaking engagements, maintains a dozen websites & blogs, manages an online writer's group, and contributes to several other sites. In addition, she's the author of a YA series, Circle of Friends, and her 5th and final book of the series, The Circle Of Friends, Book V...Heather released March 16th. More information about Heather is at the bottom of the post...