For Writers

Tap an Expert on the Shoulder

I grumbled about staying after church in spite of the fact that lunch would be served. The afternoon included a program presented by two veterinarians who would talk, show slides and answer questions about Heifer International. However, as I shrugged into my coat a thought occurred to me; could there be a story here? In case there was I grabbed my camera, a pad and pen and tried to figure out an angle as I drove the five miles to the service.

Since the talk was linked to a youth project I decided to shoot for a children’s article. With only a bare bones idea of what I’d ask the two experts, I plunged ahead. The presentation was wonderful and the husband and wife veterinarians were full of facts and eye-opening anecdotes, things they were delighted to share with me after the program. Several hours later I plopped down in front of my computer with my gathered mass of notes and quotes, some good digital pictures and the doctors email addresses. It was a match made in heaven and I’d almost missed it. The whole experience brought “seize the moment” home to me in a way that served me well over many articles to come. 

One of the more onerous tasks of freelance writing is seeking out experts, but I’ve found that experts surround us at every turn and most of them love to expound. Take my middle son. He works at a very high level in the wind power industry; one or two questions about the world of wind and he’s off and blabbing. I know more about wind power than I ever wanted to know but I’ve tapped into his extensive knowledge and have been able to quote him as an expert many times. The same goes for my dental hygienist. While I stared at the ceiling from the dentist’s chair one morning she began telling about her two sons’ love of unicycling.

“Mffft. . . uh,” I gabbled as she scraped and flossed. That's patient-speak for “Can I talk to your boys about it?” She was delighted I’d asked and not only did I visit the club where the boys cycled, I spoke with their instructors in a sort of “accidental interview”. Their expertise added heft to my subsequent article, which I soon sold to a publication that was eager to have a kid’s sports story that was out of the ordinary.

If you’re like me, ideas for stories zip through your head all day long. Some get a quick flick of your finger and others are so brilliant, you clutch them closely to examine and develop further. Whether it’s fact or fiction there’s no question that input from an expert will only enhance your efforts and add authority to your piece. When you seek to track down that expert the first thing you should think is, who can I tap on the shoulder? Among the experts I’ve used are an adjunct professor of remedial mathematics at our local community college, a numismatist (coin collector), a biology teacher, the vice president of an accounting firm, a Libertarian candidate for Congress, a Ferrier (shoes horses), and a nurse who, along with his wife, owns a theater production company. These people are all friends, relatives or acquaintances.

Another thing I’ve found about experts; they got that way by being intensely immersed in their subject and when given full rein the knowledge they spew forth will fill your empty notebook to capacity and beyond.  So go ahead, look around you, there’s an expert close by that you can tap for almost any subject you’d like to tackle.

Image: Free Digital Photos

Scary Moments

We all have times when scary invades our lives. It can be seconds, hours, or days. The following happened many years ago, but it burned a memory into my brain and is yet another example of how my life is guarded and preserved by forces not seen.

I was so glad to learn that our new pastoral intern’s wife, Jane, was a crafter. In the course of getting to know her she mentioned the decorated mirrors she made and I shared with her about my teddy bears. I used all manner of re-cycled materials and gave most of them away as gifts. Jane had bigger ideas, however, and asked if I’d ever done a craft fair. She had learned of one in a neighboring state and wondered if I’d like to take a table with her. Boy, would I! I got busy making more bears and two weeks later we were on our way to Massachuesetts, about an hours drive.

We took two cars, each packed up with our craft items. We left early and there was a light rain falling, a good thing we thought, as it would encourage people to attend the indoor event. And that’s what happened. Each of us sold a respectable amount of our crafts which paid for the table and gave us some pocket money. We packed up and left the building noting that the rain was falling harder now. We happily dashed to our cars and I told Jane I’d lead the way as we left.

It was dark by that time and we had to navigate through some hills but we made good time. We were only a short distance from the road where we would part ways when suddenly we came over short rise, and I noticed with alarm that a low spot just ahead was deep in water. Too late I saw the headlights of an oncoming car and realized we were going to hit that spot at the same time. It was coming on so fast I had no time to think. I couldn’t slow down quickly with Jane close behind and I couldn’t swerve to either side of the road. I held tightly to the steering wheel as huge plumes of water, like ocean waves, shot up from the force of two cars hitting the water at once. I gasped, “Lord, save me!” The plumes were illuminated by each cars high beams, and then there was only water and blinding light. I was frozen with fear but in three or four terrifying seconds it was all over. Our cars had hit the water, but not each other.

My immediate thought was of Jane. With heart hammering I pulled into a nearby side road and stopped. I saw her headlights in my rear view mirror and rolled down my window. She was instantly beside me and grabbed my hand, looking to the sky. “Thank you, Father,” she said with great fervor. I couldn’t even speak. After we’d calmed down, we contiued our journey home, so very thankful for a God who watches over us even when we’re paralyzed with fear.

Image: Christian Southworth                                              Free Digital Photos

For Writers

This is for those of you who have an undiscovered genius for penning the short stuff. I wrote this article several years ago when I'd had a few greeting card sales and thought it might just be the thing for me. Um - that didn't turn out to be the case and my own undiscovered genius is still trying to bust her way out of the shoebox under the bed. Poor thing. I'll keep coaxing her but in the meantime we both hope you find the following helpful.

When the greeting card editor came back to me within a few days stating, I’ll take two of these, I almost fell out of my ergonomically correct office chair. I’d been struggling for a while, trying to find my true writing niche and decided to take a crack at greeting card verse. I soon found out what a handful of words could do. Was this the niche I’d been looking for? I calmed down and did a little reconnoiter. I was hoping that sale wasn’t some kind of fluke, so I set out to perfect my technique. Here’s what I found out.

Think Three

When writing greeting card verse, there are always three people involved, the writer, the buyer and the receiver. And guess who’s not the important one? Yeah, the writer. You have to be invisibly brilliant in determining what person A, would like to say to person B. One way to do this effectively is to role-play. Imagine your grandmother. Perhaps she’s a genteel lady who loves hearts and flowers on her birthday or maybe she’s the life of the party wherever she goes, you know, a real firecracker. Think of the kind of card your Mom would give to her mother. My mother, for instance would give a genteel card. Think of your various relatives, jot a few verses, and see where it takes you. That’s a good start.

K.I.S.

Keep it short. Short verse usually packs the most powerful punch. This is especially true for humorous cards. People expect it when shopping in that card display. One trick I’ve discovered is to take an everyday occurrence, like a kid shouting, “Mom, have we got milk?” and chopping off the first three words. Look familiar? How many take-offs have you seen on that Got Milk? phrase, one that’s been around for years? I sure wish I’d been the genius to put those two words together with a celebrity and a milk mustache! In the same vein, short, funny greeting card verse packs that kind of punch. Try listening to your own family and friends for common phrases that you could turn into hilarious greeting card verse.

Do Your Homework 

This is vital. Go out into the marketplace and check out the competition. Plan on spending some research time in the greeting card aisle of your favorite grocery store, drug store or gift shop. There’s a whole lot of talent out there, but there’s no reason you can’t add yours to the mix if you feel a pull in that direction. Discovering what appeals to you, as a buyer of greeting cards, will help you in your quest to become a writer of greeting cards. Absorb the whole concept of the cards that catch your eye. Look at the artwork or photos, inside and out. Maybe the sentimental cards are more your style; let the poet in you flourish. It could be the wisdom of a lifetime will flow from you in greetings to graduates, those who grieve or are retiring. If you love holidays, greeting card writing could be the lucrative niche your looking for. Pull out the shoeboxes of holiday cards (the ones partying it up with your genius) that you can’t bear to part with and study them. Do your homework, and then get to work.

Finally

Words to money, greeting cards are among the highest paying form of writing you can do. I know of one woman who was paid one hundred and fifty dollars for a two-word greeting card. Do the math. Pretty neat, huh? Well, yes and no. You can beat your head against the wall for hours or days coming up with those two perfect words, ones that will match the idea in your head, and then you’ve got to find the right market. What you can do here is tap into that research you did in the card aisles. Flip those cards and note the publisher, then use your Internet search engine for their website and write for guidelines if they’re not posted.

Greeting card writing can be fun, put a little jingle in your pocket, and make somebody’s day. Try it!

Image: Free Digital Photos

My Book

Yesterday I went back to the bookstore that will be hosting my book launch and spoke with one of the owners, Jean. We hammered out some details the most important of which is date and time.

So . . .

Announcing . . .

On Saturday, November 24th, from 11:00 until 12:30 I will be signing my books, steering you towards refreshments and in a general state of delight to see any and all of you who stop by.

If you are too far away - like my California, Washington, Texas, and Minnesota friends and family, the book will be available to order on Amazon on November 1st.

I'm excited and humbled to have so many people interested in my mystery, The Red Shoelace Killer - A Minnie Markwood Mystery, published by Mainly Murder Press.

Soon, I'll have my website up and running and you'll be able to find out even more before you venture forth to see me at the bookstore, Blackwood and Brouwer 7 Hudson Street, Kinderhook, New York.


Cheers!
Susan

Silly Poems

I wrote this poem years ago for Read Magazine. They didn't buy it and I've sent it all over the place since, with no takers.

So . . . I'm posting it here because I think some of my teen nieces and great nieces and maybe my granddaughter, Elaina, will think it's funny. Plus, maybe a geeker is in love with one of them. Here's his side. Let me know girls!

Geeker in Love

By Susan Sundwall                                                               

I see her walking

down the hall, my love

the bestest girl of all.

Her eyes are red,

her lips are blue, no wait,

I’ve just confused the two!

And now she’s standing

next to me; my face goes numb

I want to flee.

I cannot look her

in the face, ‘cause I’m a geek

and she is grace.

She opens up her locker door;

a note falls out

upon the floor.

She picks it up but doesn’t know

it’s me, the geek,

who loves her so.

I didn’t, couldn’t, sign the note,

and now my tongue

swells in my throat.

I’m gonna faint, I’m gonna fall,

disgrace myself

here in the hall.

But just before I kiss the floor,

I see her eyes

and she looks sore!

She wads my note into a ball;

I watch her walk

back down the hall.

The very bestest girl of all.

Image:: Photo Stock                                                     Free Digital Photos

When B.I.C = B.I.B.

I just landed a two article assignment for the Writer’s Guide to 2013 and I’m very pleased to have done so. It will require a lot of BIC which, if you’re a writer, you’re chuckling right now because you know what that means. If you’re not a writer and are curious, BIC means butt in chair. It’s the only way serious writers get anything done. The hazard here is that it can lead to BIB which in Susan Speak means BIG in butt. Sigh.

I know very few women who don’t have concerns about their body image and I’m no exception. I want to be Madam El Sleeko as much as anyone, but most especially if I’m going to appear in public places to promote my mystery – coming out in November – (she states – yet again).

What’s a girl to do? Okay, I need a plan. Like, skipping the potato chip aisle in the grocery store! Except in our local Hannaford the chips and the bread share the same aisle, and ya gotta have bread, right? It’s the staff of life. And I kinda think dill pickle chips might be in that category, too. Picture Moses holding a glorious staff made of chips – all kinds. Wouldn’t that be colorful and yummy looking?

No?

Well, then, how about rice cakes? Yeah, they have all kinds of flavors with those things. Problem is, I bought some caramel flavored ones a few weeks ago – really low cal – and  I think they might end up being crow food. The chemical taste of the caramel was awful! Yuck! P-tooey! No rice cake staff for me. I probably won’t even inflict them on my crows.

I guess I’ll have struggle along, get up and dance around the room every half hour or so, or maybe quit eating altogether.

But if I fail at all of that, would you do me a favor? When you come to one of my book signings, would you look me in the EYE? I’d really appreciate it!

Image: Just2shutter                                                     http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/ 

Something a Little Different

My sister-in-law, Elizabeth, offered this piece to me and I've decided that you who are in charge of the laundry might find it very useful. It's a bit lengthy, so the second part is in Susan's Extras. Leave a comment to let us know if it helped!

In The Laundry Room: Things Your Mother May Not Have Known (But Your Grandmother Probably Did!)

 

Did you know that our clothes do not "wear" out? Unless you are under the age of twelve, your clothes probably "wash" out, or more specifically, "dry" out. While the washing machine may be a wonderful time-saving invention, it's actually very hard on your clothes. And the high temperatures of today's modern dryers will burn the life out of any fabric faster than you can say "tumble dry." So here are a few pointers I have learned over the years.

 

The Washing Machine

 

I am a fan of the washing machine. Rubbing clothes on a scrub board, slapping them against a rock, or turning them through a crank for hours in a day does not at all appeal to me. Long live the washing machine! However, you must know how to use this powerful tool to your best advantage.

 

How Often to Wash

 

Depending on your body chemistry, and the type of soiling on your clothes, you may not need to wash your clothes every time you wear them. Put them on a hanger and hang them on a hook for the night. Do the sniff test before returning them to the ranks of the closet. Airing may be all that is necessary before another wearing is possible. The fewer times you wash your clothes, the longer they will last.

 

 

 

Keep reading in Susan's Extras . . . .

 

 

Image: Salvatore Vuono                                                              Free Digital Photos