Stephanie Faris's Blog, page 60
August 27, 2014
Hiring a Professional Editor or Designer? Read This First
Quanie Miller writes some of the most insightful, interesting blogs on the topic of writing that I've seen. If you don't already follow her, do it now. I'll wait...
Yesterday, Quanie posted a blog titled Why You Should Never Pay an Editor or Book Cover Designer Upfront. The blog covered an issue I know all too well...because I've been on both sides of it.
No, I'm not a cover designer. I'm not an editor, either.
I'm a freelance writer. But regardless of our medium, freelancers all face the same risk. A certain amount of trust is required from time to time. We work and hope the client will be honest enough to pay us.
In the instance Quanie referenced in her blog, an editor accepted payment in full up front to edit a writer's manuscript. Partway through the job, the editor decided she couldn't complete the work and simply returned the manuscript, unedited, and kept the money.
Since this is an issue many of us will encounter from time to time, here are a few things to keep in mind when you hire someone, whether it's to design your cover or to edit your book.
Tip #1: Never pay up front. As Quanie suggested, pay in installments, with final payment not arriving until the work is complete.
Tip #2: Use a protected platform. I work two ways: through Elance or through referrals from other clients. With Elance, the client puts the money in "escrow," only to be released when payment is complete.
Tip #3: Sign contracts. Samples like this one can get you started. Be sure to outline the compensation and what will be expected in exchange for that payment.
Tip #4: Most importantly, whether you're hiring a freelancer or planning to work as one, listen to your instincts. If something doesn't seem right, end it before you get too far in to back out.
Yesterday, Quanie posted a blog titled Why You Should Never Pay an Editor or Book Cover Designer Upfront. The blog covered an issue I know all too well...because I've been on both sides of it.
No, I'm not a cover designer. I'm not an editor, either.
I'm a freelance writer. But regardless of our medium, freelancers all face the same risk. A certain amount of trust is required from time to time. We work and hope the client will be honest enough to pay us.
In the instance Quanie referenced in her blog, an editor accepted payment in full up front to edit a writer's manuscript. Partway through the job, the editor decided she couldn't complete the work and simply returned the manuscript, unedited, and kept the money.
Since this is an issue many of us will encounter from time to time, here are a few things to keep in mind when you hire someone, whether it's to design your cover or to edit your book.
Tip #1: Never pay up front. As Quanie suggested, pay in installments, with final payment not arriving until the work is complete.
Tip #2: Use a protected platform. I work two ways: through Elance or through referrals from other clients. With Elance, the client puts the money in "escrow," only to be released when payment is complete.
Tip #3: Sign contracts. Samples like this one can get you started. Be sure to outline the compensation and what will be expected in exchange for that payment.
Tip #4: Most importantly, whether you're hiring a freelancer or planning to work as one, listen to your instincts. If something doesn't seem right, end it before you get too far in to back out.
August 26, 2014
Q&A with Author Jen Malone, At Your Service
Today I'm super excited to introduce middle grade/young adult author Jen Malone to all of you. She's celebrating the release of her first novel ever and the internet is filled with congratulations. Jen is proof that when you are a cheerleader for so many other people, the support is overwhelming when your big day comes.
I was very fortunate to get to read an ARC of At Your Service through Edelweiss, which Jen herself told me about. I can't say enough that this book is awesome!!!
It's been an amazing year for Jen. Not only is her first book coming out, but she's sold four more and has a full lineup of events planned this fall. She's taking a little time out of her crazy schedule to tell us a little about her book and her own writing process today.
Q: At Your Servicetakes readers across New York City, with multiple sights described in detail. How did you tackle the research for the book?
A: First of all, thanks so much for having me- I love how supportive of one another MIX authors are! The way my kids look at me when I tell them I didn’t have the internet as a kid is exactly how I look at authors who wrote before Google Maps? I can’t even. So there was a lot of that and a lot of drawing on my own trips to the city for inspiration. Luckily, Boston isn’t so far from NYC. Those really helped me to write about the city from a tourists’ perspective, but when it came to the hometown perspective of my main character, Chloe, I had to rely on an author friend who lives in Brooklyn and my editor to correct all the things I got wrong about NYC life in my first draft. For instance, I had a scene where my main character got her foot stuck in the gap between subway and platform and both of them sent me cell phone pictures from their commutes to show that no way, no how could that happen. Not even to a child-sized foot. I also give my husband credit for taking hours and hours out of a business trip to visit EVERY PENNY MACHINE IN THE FIVE BURROUGHS and take many-angled pictures for me. I’ll be keeping him around!
Q: A lot of my readers are trying to get published. How long did it take you to land an agent and book deal from the time you started writing?
A: I got very, very lucky in the scheme of things. I started writing in February of 2012 and signed with my agent in October of 2012. My book deal was inked in March 2013. In publishing terms, that’s basically “overnight” and I don’t take that for granted at all!
Q: You’re also a teacher who regularly teaches classes on book promotion and getting published. What advice do you have for aspiring authors who are having a hard time landing a book deal? What lessons did you learn along the way?
A: I’m just getting into teaching classes on publishing, but my prior career was working as the New England head of publicity and promotion for 20th Century Fox and I’ve been teaching a class on the business side of the film industry at Boston University for the past fifteen years. There are a ton of parallels between the two industries! In terms of advice, when I was out on sub and getting discouraged at passes from editors that seemed so close, but weren’t panning out, a friend instructed me to go to a bookstore and buy a book. As you can imagine, this was not a hardship! When I got back and called her, she said, “Great choice! Now, what was wrong with the hundred of other books you passed over?” Of course, the answer was nothing at all. But on that day, at that store, I wanted the one I wanted. A lot of publishing is like that—just being in the right place at the right time. It’s a bit discouraging to realize there is only so far talent and hard work can get you; however, I really believe if you keep putting yourself in the right place, eventually the right time will catch up with you! *Here is my caveat. This advice applies to writers who have talented critique partners (or a freelance editor or an agent) giving you an unbiased thumbs-up on the strength of your writing. If you don’t have one of those, forget that other advice and find one fast!!!
Q: You’ve had a big year—selling two more books to Simon & Schuster and two young adult books to HarperTeen. How do you switch back and forth from writing for teens and tweens? Do you have a routine that cleanses the palate?
A: It’s been a really great year- no complaints here!! Because I write “upper middle grade” with main characters who are around age thirteen and “lower YA” which is geared to readers ages twelve and up, I haven’t found the switching back and forth to be so difficult (knock wood!). I haven’t yet tried to write both categories at once- so far I’ve been finishing one book before moving on to the next (though that will likely change with upcoming deadlines.) To date, I’ve cleansed my palate of middle grade by reading 10-20 YA books in a row and then diving into my YA, and vice versa when it comes time to write MG.
Q: We discuss writers who are “outliners” vs. “pantsers.” Do you carefully outline before starting a new book or do you just start writing and let it flow?
A: I don’t usually outline, but I do always write a three paragraph short blurb that reads like the back jacket cover. To write one you need to have a compelling character, a conflict, and stakes. If I can get them all into the blurb, I know I can get them into the book and referring to it keeps me focused as I write, because I know what I want to end up with. But my new series with S&S is co-written with a good friend (and fellow MIX author) Gail Nall and we could never have written it together without a very detailed outline to work from. Before starting we brainstormed out a chapter-by-chapter outline so I could write one chapter while she wrote the next one. After seeing how smoothly that worked and how much more polished our first draft was as a result, I might just be a convert!
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Welllllllll. My summer with the kids home has not been productive for writing (I find I need chunks of uninterrupted time to get in the zone), so I let go of that and spent my time doing promotional things for At Your Service and prepping workshops for this fall (I’m serving as the Author In Residence at my local middle school), trying to get as much done ahead of time as possible. That will clear my schedule to spend all of the fall writing! Gail and I will write book 2 of our RSVP series and do copyedits on the first one. I’ll also need to revise my first YA and begin brainstorming a Book 2. And I have a trip in September where I’ll do six school and library visits and two book festivals in ten days. It’s going to be a CRAZY fall and I might be huddled in a ball come January! But it’s so exciting and a total dream come true, so I’m trying to make sure I savor every moment.
About Jen Malone
Here are a few random facts about Jen:
I once spent a year traveling the world solo from Nepal to Romania to Fiji, where I learned 99.9% of humanity is pretty freaking awesome yet somehow doesn't share my love of ice cubes in a drink. I met my husband on the highway. As in, he was driving in the next lane and I made a face at him. In fact our meet-cute was SO cute we had a whole story written about it in Ladies Home Journal. My twin boys placed second in the Most Identical contest at the International Festival of Twins (their little sister placed first in the most adorable category at the All The People In Our Living Room Festival.) I once accompanied a pajama-clad Oprah Winfrey (and her puppies) through the laundry room of the Four Seasons. I have also been in a hotel room alone with a shirtless Mark Wahlberg. In both those instances, it was not what you think. Oh, and I went into early labor while on Stevie Nicks' tour bus. That is pretty much what you think. Also, At Your Service literally (I know everyone misuses this word, but I promise I’m not!) saved my sister’s life, but if you want that story, you have to go here to get it: http://www.jenmalonewrites.com/#!at-your-service/c1l3w.
If you're ready to buy At Your Service or add it to your Goodreads list, check out the links below. You can also learn a little more about Jen by visiting her website or following her on Twitter.
Blog | Website | Amazon| Goodreads | Twitter
I was very fortunate to get to read an ARC of At Your Service through Edelweiss, which Jen herself told me about. I can't say enough that this book is awesome!!!
It's been an amazing year for Jen. Not only is her first book coming out, but she's sold four more and has a full lineup of events planned this fall. She's taking a little time out of her crazy schedule to tell us a little about her book and her own writing process today.
Q: At Your Servicetakes readers across New York City, with multiple sights described in detail. How did you tackle the research for the book?
A: First of all, thanks so much for having me- I love how supportive of one another MIX authors are! The way my kids look at me when I tell them I didn’t have the internet as a kid is exactly how I look at authors who wrote before Google Maps? I can’t even. So there was a lot of that and a lot of drawing on my own trips to the city for inspiration. Luckily, Boston isn’t so far from NYC. Those really helped me to write about the city from a tourists’ perspective, but when it came to the hometown perspective of my main character, Chloe, I had to rely on an author friend who lives in Brooklyn and my editor to correct all the things I got wrong about NYC life in my first draft. For instance, I had a scene where my main character got her foot stuck in the gap between subway and platform and both of them sent me cell phone pictures from their commutes to show that no way, no how could that happen. Not even to a child-sized foot. I also give my husband credit for taking hours and hours out of a business trip to visit EVERY PENNY MACHINE IN THE FIVE BURROUGHS and take many-angled pictures for me. I’ll be keeping him around!
Q: A lot of my readers are trying to get published. How long did it take you to land an agent and book deal from the time you started writing?
A: I got very, very lucky in the scheme of things. I started writing in February of 2012 and signed with my agent in October of 2012. My book deal was inked in March 2013. In publishing terms, that’s basically “overnight” and I don’t take that for granted at all!
Q: You’re also a teacher who regularly teaches classes on book promotion and getting published. What advice do you have for aspiring authors who are having a hard time landing a book deal? What lessons did you learn along the way?
A: I’m just getting into teaching classes on publishing, but my prior career was working as the New England head of publicity and promotion for 20th Century Fox and I’ve been teaching a class on the business side of the film industry at Boston University for the past fifteen years. There are a ton of parallels between the two industries! In terms of advice, when I was out on sub and getting discouraged at passes from editors that seemed so close, but weren’t panning out, a friend instructed me to go to a bookstore and buy a book. As you can imagine, this was not a hardship! When I got back and called her, she said, “Great choice! Now, what was wrong with the hundred of other books you passed over?” Of course, the answer was nothing at all. But on that day, at that store, I wanted the one I wanted. A lot of publishing is like that—just being in the right place at the right time. It’s a bit discouraging to realize there is only so far talent and hard work can get you; however, I really believe if you keep putting yourself in the right place, eventually the right time will catch up with you! *Here is my caveat. This advice applies to writers who have talented critique partners (or a freelance editor or an agent) giving you an unbiased thumbs-up on the strength of your writing. If you don’t have one of those, forget that other advice and find one fast!!!
Q: You’ve had a big year—selling two more books to Simon & Schuster and two young adult books to HarperTeen. How do you switch back and forth from writing for teens and tweens? Do you have a routine that cleanses the palate?
A: It’s been a really great year- no complaints here!! Because I write “upper middle grade” with main characters who are around age thirteen and “lower YA” which is geared to readers ages twelve and up, I haven’t found the switching back and forth to be so difficult (knock wood!). I haven’t yet tried to write both categories at once- so far I’ve been finishing one book before moving on to the next (though that will likely change with upcoming deadlines.) To date, I’ve cleansed my palate of middle grade by reading 10-20 YA books in a row and then diving into my YA, and vice versa when it comes time to write MG.
Q: We discuss writers who are “outliners” vs. “pantsers.” Do you carefully outline before starting a new book or do you just start writing and let it flow?
A: I don’t usually outline, but I do always write a three paragraph short blurb that reads like the back jacket cover. To write one you need to have a compelling character, a conflict, and stakes. If I can get them all into the blurb, I know I can get them into the book and referring to it keeps me focused as I write, because I know what I want to end up with. But my new series with S&S is co-written with a good friend (and fellow MIX author) Gail Nall and we could never have written it together without a very detailed outline to work from. Before starting we brainstormed out a chapter-by-chapter outline so I could write one chapter while she wrote the next one. After seeing how smoothly that worked and how much more polished our first draft was as a result, I might just be a convert!
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Welllllllll. My summer with the kids home has not been productive for writing (I find I need chunks of uninterrupted time to get in the zone), so I let go of that and spent my time doing promotional things for At Your Service and prepping workshops for this fall (I’m serving as the Author In Residence at my local middle school), trying to get as much done ahead of time as possible. That will clear my schedule to spend all of the fall writing! Gail and I will write book 2 of our RSVP series and do copyedits on the first one. I’ll also need to revise my first YA and begin brainstorming a Book 2. And I have a trip in September where I’ll do six school and library visits and two book festivals in ten days. It’s going to be a CRAZY fall and I might be huddled in a ball come January! But it’s so exciting and a total dream come true, so I’m trying to make sure I savor every moment.
About Jen Malone
Here are a few random facts about Jen:
I once spent a year traveling the world solo from Nepal to Romania to Fiji, where I learned 99.9% of humanity is pretty freaking awesome yet somehow doesn't share my love of ice cubes in a drink. I met my husband on the highway. As in, he was driving in the next lane and I made a face at him. In fact our meet-cute was SO cute we had a whole story written about it in Ladies Home Journal. My twin boys placed second in the Most Identical contest at the International Festival of Twins (their little sister placed first in the most adorable category at the All The People In Our Living Room Festival.) I once accompanied a pajama-clad Oprah Winfrey (and her puppies) through the laundry room of the Four Seasons. I have also been in a hotel room alone with a shirtless Mark Wahlberg. In both those instances, it was not what you think. Oh, and I went into early labor while on Stevie Nicks' tour bus. That is pretty much what you think. Also, At Your Service literally (I know everyone misuses this word, but I promise I’m not!) saved my sister’s life, but if you want that story, you have to go here to get it: http://www.jenmalonewrites.com/#!at-your-service/c1l3w.
If you're ready to buy At Your Service or add it to your Goodreads list, check out the links below. You can also learn a little more about Jen by visiting her website or following her on Twitter.
Blog | Website | Amazon| Goodreads | Twitter
August 25, 2014
I'm Radiant!
Lisa of My Sweet Peanut nominated me for the Quintet of Radiance Award.
The award comes with some rules. The first is that I must give a shout out to the person who nominated me. Lisa is going through a difficult journey, caring for a mother who has Alzheimer's. Check out her blog if you get a chance.
The second part of the challenge is to list 26 words that describe me, starting with A and going to Z.
A: Ambitious
B: Bookworm
C: Curious
D: Dessert lover
E: Experienced
F: Fussy
G: Girly-girl
H: Humble
I: Introvert
J: Joyful
K: Kind
L: Lively
M: Mature
N: Novelist
O: Optimist
P: Purse-aholic
Q: Quiet
R: Reclusive
S: Sensitive
T: Tenacious
U: Upbeat
V: Virgo
W: Worrier
X: X-cellent (X is hard!)
Y: Young (not really, but age is relative, right?!)
Z: Zealous (because there aren't enough words that start with Z!)
Finally, I'm supposed to tag four people. Feel free to ignore the tag if you'd rather not do it. I always use this opportunity to give a shout out to people whose blogs I enjoy reading!
Murees Dup é
Through her blog, Daily Drama of an Aspiring Writer, Murees Dupé writes about her day-to-day life as a writer.
Kelly Hashway
How adorable is Kelly? On her blog, she hosts weekly memes and invites everyone to join in. Plus she recently sold a book to Spencer Hill Press. Yay, Kelly!
Bijoux
Bijoux is a mom and an adventurer, documenting her travels on her blog. You never know where she'll be next, but it's always fun to see her photos, especially if you're badly in need of a vacation of your own!
Julia
This mother of four and grandmother of seven blogs about her daily life through photos and words. If you love gardening, you'll definitely want to check out her photos of her beautiful flowers.
What word sums up your personality? Does it start with X, Y, or Z?
The award comes with some rules. The first is that I must give a shout out to the person who nominated me. Lisa is going through a difficult journey, caring for a mother who has Alzheimer's. Check out her blog if you get a chance.
The second part of the challenge is to list 26 words that describe me, starting with A and going to Z.
A: Ambitious
B: Bookworm
C: Curious
D: Dessert lover
E: Experienced
F: Fussy
G: Girly-girl
H: Humble
I: Introvert
J: Joyful
K: Kind
L: Lively
M: Mature
N: Novelist
O: Optimist
P: Purse-aholic
Q: Quiet
R: Reclusive
S: Sensitive
T: Tenacious
U: Upbeat
V: Virgo
W: Worrier
X: X-cellent (X is hard!)
Y: Young (not really, but age is relative, right?!)
Z: Zealous (because there aren't enough words that start with Z!)
Finally, I'm supposed to tag four people. Feel free to ignore the tag if you'd rather not do it. I always use this opportunity to give a shout out to people whose blogs I enjoy reading!
Murees Dup é
Through her blog, Daily Drama of an Aspiring Writer, Murees Dupé writes about her day-to-day life as a writer.
Kelly Hashway
How adorable is Kelly? On her blog, she hosts weekly memes and invites everyone to join in. Plus she recently sold a book to Spencer Hill Press. Yay, Kelly!
Bijoux
Bijoux is a mom and an adventurer, documenting her travels on her blog. You never know where she'll be next, but it's always fun to see her photos, especially if you're badly in need of a vacation of your own!
Julia
This mother of four and grandmother of seven blogs about her daily life through photos and words. If you love gardening, you'll definitely want to check out her photos of her beautiful flowers.
What word sums up your personality? Does it start with X, Y, or Z?
August 22, 2014
Teen Ignoring Your Text? This App Might Help
If you're a parent, you've likely already paid big bucks for your child to have one of these.
If not...better start saving now! But one thing parents rarely think about as they're signing up for that contract is that the day will come when they're trying to reach that child...and...
Remember, you bought that phone. You're paying the contract every month. You rationalize to yourself, "Maybe she put her cell phone down," but she lives with you. You know she looks like this 24/7:
So what do you do? You could take her phone away, but you know what will happen then.
What if you could lock her phone on command? Then, if she didn't respond, she couldn't use her phone to do anything but call a parent? That would make her call you back...
A frustrated mom came up with exactly that solution. Ignore No More is an Android app that lets a parent control every device in the house from one phone. No answer to your call/text? Lock the phone and leave the person no other choice but to respond. If the child really is in a situation where no phones are allowed, you can bet you'll be the first call.
Do your children have phones? Do they always respond to your calls or texts immediately? What excuses do they come up with when they don't?
Want some FREE bookmarks for your classroom or library? Email me with your address and I'll send some right away.
If not...better start saving now! But one thing parents rarely think about as they're signing up for that contract is that the day will come when they're trying to reach that child...and...
Remember, you bought that phone. You're paying the contract every month. You rationalize to yourself, "Maybe she put her cell phone down," but she lives with you. You know she looks like this 24/7:
So what do you do? You could take her phone away, but you know what will happen then.
What if you could lock her phone on command? Then, if she didn't respond, she couldn't use her phone to do anything but call a parent? That would make her call you back...
A frustrated mom came up with exactly that solution. Ignore No More is an Android app that lets a parent control every device in the house from one phone. No answer to your call/text? Lock the phone and leave the person no other choice but to respond. If the child really is in a situation where no phones are allowed, you can bet you'll be the first call.
Do your children have phones? Do they always respond to your calls or texts immediately? What excuses do they come up with when they don't?
Want some FREE bookmarks for your classroom or library? Email me with your address and I'll send some right away.
August 20, 2014
Am I a Writeaholic?
I once heard a bunch of writers gossiping about a successfully published writer. They were all at one event, hanging around by the pool, when they noticed this successful novelist was sitting by herself, typing away on her laptop.
They called her a workaholic.
At the time I was a government employee. I wrote at night and on weekends for FUN. I couldn't think of anything else I'd rather be doing than writing.
Now I'm a full-time writer. On a weekly basis, I receive between 10 and 20 assignments for articles ranging in length from 300 words to 1,000 words. I get paid for these...and they expect them fairly quickly.
At the same time, I'm also working on my novel and writing and reading blogs. If I'm not eating, sleeping, or doing household chores, I'm probably writing.
And I love every minute of it.
So that brings the question...am I a workaholic?
Or just a writeaholic?
Do you think a novelist who writes all the time is a workaholic?
They called her a workaholic.
At the time I was a government employee. I wrote at night and on weekends for FUN. I couldn't think of anything else I'd rather be doing than writing.
Now I'm a full-time writer. On a weekly basis, I receive between 10 and 20 assignments for articles ranging in length from 300 words to 1,000 words. I get paid for these...and they expect them fairly quickly.
At the same time, I'm also working on my novel and writing and reading blogs. If I'm not eating, sleeping, or doing household chores, I'm probably writing.
And I love every minute of it.
So that brings the question...am I a workaholic?
Or just a writeaholic?
Do you think a novelist who writes all the time is a workaholic?
August 18, 2014
Should Authors Post Pictures of Young Fans?
When I participate in author events, I love to do a drawing for a free signed copy of my book. It makes my day to see how excited the winner gets.
Each time, someone snaps a photo of me with the winner. And each time, I grapple with whether to post the photo online. Yet repeatedly I see authors post photos of themselves with young fans on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and their blogs.
There are laws about posting pictures of people without permission. Generally speaking, if they're in a public place (like the J.K. Rowling event above), it's okay. However, if the photo is taken in a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, you may be violating that person's rights.
Okay, so technically, a book event is a public place. No one should have a reasonable expectation of privacy while posing with an author. However, when that person is a child, there is a completely different set of issues.
There was a case recently where Facebook removed a photo of a woman's young daughter where her buttocks were exposed. The photo was meant to mimic this 1959 ad.
The mom protested, but the entire thing served to remind us that we live in different times. In 1959, even a real photo of a child's bare buttocks was innocent and cute. Today, we know a little too much about society. Today's parents, rightly so, want to control who sees photos of their children online.
For that reason, I'm a little iffy about posting photos of other people's children, even with parental permission. What do you think? How should authors handle posting photos of young fans online?
Each time, someone snaps a photo of me with the winner. And each time, I grapple with whether to post the photo online. Yet repeatedly I see authors post photos of themselves with young fans on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and their blogs.
There are laws about posting pictures of people without permission. Generally speaking, if they're in a public place (like the J.K. Rowling event above), it's okay. However, if the photo is taken in a place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, you may be violating that person's rights.
Okay, so technically, a book event is a public place. No one should have a reasonable expectation of privacy while posing with an author. However, when that person is a child, there is a completely different set of issues.
There was a case recently where Facebook removed a photo of a woman's young daughter where her buttocks were exposed. The photo was meant to mimic this 1959 ad.
The mom protested, but the entire thing served to remind us that we live in different times. In 1959, even a real photo of a child's bare buttocks was innocent and cute. Today, we know a little too much about society. Today's parents, rightly so, want to control who sees photos of their children online.
For that reason, I'm a little iffy about posting photos of other people's children, even with parental permission. What do you think? How should authors handle posting photos of young fans online?
August 15, 2014
Body Problems You Never Knew You Had
I grew up in the 80s--the era of high-waisted pants and oversized shirts.
We felt pretty cool. The jeans we wore were pretty forgiving. Here's an example of jeans we would have worn in the mid-80s.
You could have a not-so-perfect body and disguise it with something like that. Flash forward to 2014. Clothes aren't forgiving at all.
You can clearly make out a person's flaws in jeans like that. Because of jeans like this, society has felt the need to come up with a term: "muffin top." Muffin top happens when your stomach hangs over your low-rise jeans like a muffin.
Since it's apparent low-rise jeans aren't a trend and are here to stay permanently, we'll have to get used to that term. Making matters worse, the super-tight skinny jeans trend is creating a new monster. Thigh gap. The most disgusting body image concern to ever cross a young girl's mind.
Next up are cankles. Seriously. Not only do we have to worry about the distance between our thighs and the way our stomachs look in low-rise jeans--but we now have to worry about our ankles being too fat. Our ankles.
I don't even know what exercises you'd do to work out your ankles.
There are more. There's the "thut," turnip legs, and age-old problems like double chins and saddlebags. Women worry excessively about this crazy stuff. Men don't. If you need proof that men don't care about "thigh gap," here it is:
Do you think this habit of ridiculing a person's imperfections will continue? Or is it just a trend?
We felt pretty cool. The jeans we wore were pretty forgiving. Here's an example of jeans we would have worn in the mid-80s.
You could have a not-so-perfect body and disguise it with something like that. Flash forward to 2014. Clothes aren't forgiving at all.
You can clearly make out a person's flaws in jeans like that. Because of jeans like this, society has felt the need to come up with a term: "muffin top." Muffin top happens when your stomach hangs over your low-rise jeans like a muffin.
Since it's apparent low-rise jeans aren't a trend and are here to stay permanently, we'll have to get used to that term. Making matters worse, the super-tight skinny jeans trend is creating a new monster. Thigh gap. The most disgusting body image concern to ever cross a young girl's mind.
Next up are cankles. Seriously. Not only do we have to worry about the distance between our thighs and the way our stomachs look in low-rise jeans--but we now have to worry about our ankles being too fat. Our ankles.
I don't even know what exercises you'd do to work out your ankles.
There are more. There's the "thut," turnip legs, and age-old problems like double chins and saddlebags. Women worry excessively about this crazy stuff. Men don't. If you need proof that men don't care about "thigh gap," here it is:
Do you think this habit of ridiculing a person's imperfections will continue? Or is it just a trend?
August 13, 2014
Ways Your Blog May Be Scaring People Off
If you're working hard to write and post blogs, you probably want people to read them. If you're getting a lot of readers and don't want any more, ignore this. There are just a few things that drive me crazy when I'm reading blogs.
Captchas
Spam sucks. We get it. But is it really that much of a problem in this advanced era of blogger spam-catching software? I have never had captchas in place and in the past year, I've deleted maybe four anonymous spam comments. Yes, captchas have gotten easier. They went from long confusing hard-to-read letters to short confusing hard-to-read letters on doors and mailboxes. But I think I speak for MANY readers when I say we're tired of having to solve a puzzle to comment on your blog.
Hide-and-Go-Seek Comment Button
I can't count the number of blogs I've read, only to not be able to figure out where to comment. Ideally, the comment link should be at the bottom of the blog, not the top. That's where we are when we finish. But there have been at least a few times when there was no comment button at all that I could find. If you don't want comments, that's fine, but I'm probably visiting your blog because you commented mine. I'd just like to return the favor.
Hide-and-Go-Seek Blog
Half of us are using Blogger. Half are using WordPress. When you leave a comment here, there's no telling where your link will take me. But one of the most confusing things is to get to your Google Plus or Blogger page, only to not be able to figure out where your blog is. Maybe you have a list of blogs a mile long that you "contribute" to. Maybe your Google Plus page lists every blog you've commented on for the past year with no post to your latest blog. I'll battle it to find your blog, but will everyone else?
Auto-Launch Audio
I watch TV shows while reading blogs, so your auto-launch audio makes me have to pause my show and mute my laptop temporarily. I probably won't come back unless I really enjoy reading your blog. Remember...people may be sneaking to read your blog at work and the sudden blast of Stairway to Heaven through their computer speakers is a dead giveaway that they aren't working. Have some compassion!
Speak up in comments. What are some things you wish bloggers wouldn't do?
Captchas
Spam sucks. We get it. But is it really that much of a problem in this advanced era of blogger spam-catching software? I have never had captchas in place and in the past year, I've deleted maybe four anonymous spam comments. Yes, captchas have gotten easier. They went from long confusing hard-to-read letters to short confusing hard-to-read letters on doors and mailboxes. But I think I speak for MANY readers when I say we're tired of having to solve a puzzle to comment on your blog.
Hide-and-Go-Seek Comment Button
I can't count the number of blogs I've read, only to not be able to figure out where to comment. Ideally, the comment link should be at the bottom of the blog, not the top. That's where we are when we finish. But there have been at least a few times when there was no comment button at all that I could find. If you don't want comments, that's fine, but I'm probably visiting your blog because you commented mine. I'd just like to return the favor.
Hide-and-Go-Seek Blog
Half of us are using Blogger. Half are using WordPress. When you leave a comment here, there's no telling where your link will take me. But one of the most confusing things is to get to your Google Plus or Blogger page, only to not be able to figure out where your blog is. Maybe you have a list of blogs a mile long that you "contribute" to. Maybe your Google Plus page lists every blog you've commented on for the past year with no post to your latest blog. I'll battle it to find your blog, but will everyone else?
Auto-Launch Audio
I watch TV shows while reading blogs, so your auto-launch audio makes me have to pause my show and mute my laptop temporarily. I probably won't come back unless I really enjoy reading your blog. Remember...people may be sneaking to read your blog at work and the sudden blast of Stairway to Heaven through their computer speakers is a dead giveaway that they aren't working. Have some compassion!
Speak up in comments. What are some things you wish bloggers wouldn't do?
August 11, 2014
A Writer's Wardrobe
As the dates of my big book events approached this summer, I realized I had nothing to wear. It had officially been more than eight months since I left my day job to work from home and all of my professional clothes were long gone.
In fact, these days to dress up, I wear my bling jeans, maybe a sparkly tee instead of a plain one. After all, the fanciest place I go these days is to get my hair done. Or to get my dog's hair done.
For these events, I'd have to trade in the yoga pants for dresses. That meant a trip to Kohl's.
Somehow I ended up with four dresses for all my events. I realized different people would be at each event, though, so I could wear them more than once. But to justify the purchase, I've also been wearing sundresses to the mall and out to dinner all summer.
Now that the summer is coming to a close, I'm realizing I'll have to invest in a winter event wardrobe. In the winter you can get away with a nice sweater and pants, though. Or a light jacket and your summer clothes if you're young.
What's your wardrobe like? Are you prepared for a fancy event?
In fact, these days to dress up, I wear my bling jeans, maybe a sparkly tee instead of a plain one. After all, the fanciest place I go these days is to get my hair done. Or to get my dog's hair done.
For these events, I'd have to trade in the yoga pants for dresses. That meant a trip to Kohl's.
Somehow I ended up with four dresses for all my events. I realized different people would be at each event, though, so I could wear them more than once. But to justify the purchase, I've also been wearing sundresses to the mall and out to dinner all summer.
Now that the summer is coming to a close, I'm realizing I'll have to invest in a winter event wardrobe. In the winter you can get away with a nice sweater and pants, though. Or a light jacket and your summer clothes if you're young.
What's your wardrobe like? Are you prepared for a fancy event?
August 8, 2014
The Nickelbacklash
I was on Facebook one day when I was directed to a link of people I should unfriend. Clicking on the link took me to a list of people on my friends list who have liked the band Nickelback.
While I'll admit I've never been a fan of the band that dominated radio in the mid-00s, I have to say I was a little surprised. Why such animosity? I decided to Google it. I found this.
And this.
And this.
Maybe that last one is the key to what's going on. Everyone seemed to like Nickelback in the 00s, so people felt pressured to like them. Now there's a backlash. A NICKELbacklash. What happened between then...
...and now to make the band so hated?
Granted, I was never a big fan. The lead singer always sounded a little scary to me. I felt like this was how Satan would sound if he could sing. Yet he had this super-nice look that didn't match his voice.
But this video serves as proof that quite a few people liked them enough to help them with their music video in 2005...including a few people you may recognize.
Is there a band whose music you hate with a passion?
While I'll admit I've never been a fan of the band that dominated radio in the mid-00s, I have to say I was a little surprised. Why such animosity? I decided to Google it. I found this.
And this.
And this.
Maybe that last one is the key to what's going on. Everyone seemed to like Nickelback in the 00s, so people felt pressured to like them. Now there's a backlash. A NICKELbacklash. What happened between then...
...and now to make the band so hated?
Granted, I was never a big fan. The lead singer always sounded a little scary to me. I felt like this was how Satan would sound if he could sing. Yet he had this super-nice look that didn't match his voice.
But this video serves as proof that quite a few people liked them enough to help them with their music video in 2005...including a few people you may recognize.
Is there a band whose music you hate with a passion?
