Quick Blog Tip: Respect Your Readers

COMING SOON!

One thing I've noticed in perusing lots of blogs is that many bloggers operate on the anything to fill the space theory.

They've been told a blogger should blog often--every day if possible. So they fall into the trap of throwing something out there.

They tell themselves a post doesn't have to be very good--it just needs to fill the space so they can say they blog every day. Consequently, their posts are unremarkable.

Casual Communication? Yes, But Good Too

Then there are the bloggers who think a post is a casual means of communication--kind of like jotting something down on a sticky note.

In their opinion, a blog post is just a top of the head way of communicating with the audience so it doesn't matter if it is full of grammar errors, typos, incorrect punctuation, wrong words, and misspellings.

Readers Avoid Those Blogs

Reading a blog like those described above is arduous at best, if someone makes the effort. Most visitors won't make the effort. I don't.

Readers just move on to another blog. Why waste time reading something incompetently written when there are blogs written by articulate authors with a mastery of language and grammar?

Takeaway Truth

Bloggers, respect your readers. The blog is a tool that can work for you or against you.

Vow to publish content that educates and/or entertains, and that you'll make that content easy to read with good grammar, punctuation, etc.

Saturday Recipe Share: Sunday Dinner Pork Roast

How is your Saturday? Mine has been busy with errands: buying groceries, shopping for a birthday present, and picking up some wine at our favorite wine store.

Once at home, hubby put away the food while I made a big pot of chili since Darling Hubby wanted hotdogs for dinner tonight.

Time To Unwind

While the chili cooked, we took a glass of wine (Skinny Girl California Red) over to the lake and sat on one of the park benches.

Sipping the wine, watching the ducks gliding across the lake, feeling the slight breeze caressing our

faces, and hearing doves cooing in the trees was sheer pleasure. I could feel the stress melting away.

I decided to carry forward that stress-free, mellowed-out feeling by putting Sunday dinner on tonight. So I set my trusty Crock Pot on the counter. The recipe I'm using takes 10 to 12 hours to cook. I'll get all the ingredients together, but I won't actually put the slow cooker on until later this evening.

So, you can do that too, and have dinner ready tomorrow between 11:00 and noon. Look the recipe over and go to the store for anything you might not have.

Sunday Dinner Pork Roast with Sweet Potatoes

• 3 to 4-pound pork loin roast, trimmed, with some fat left to flavor the meat & vegetables
• Kitchen Bouquet™ 
• Garlic Powder
• Salt and Black Pepper
• 3 to 4 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled & cut in large chunks
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin

Instructions

• Brush the pork roast with Kitchen Bouquet. If you've never used Kitchen Bouquet before, it's a seasoning and browning agent made from caramelized vegetable flavorings. It's been produced since 1873. It's intense so you never used it straight from the bottle as a sauce. Instead, you season soups, stews, and gravies with it, or you coat meat with it prior to cooking. It's less than $3.00 for a 4 ounce bottle.
• Sprinkle the roast liberally with the garlic, salt, and pepper.
• Prepare cooking surface of your slow cooker by spraying with Pam or lining it with a plastic bag made for slow cookers.
• Place the sweet potato chunks in the bottom of your slow cooker.
• Arrange the onion slices over the potatoes.
• Place pork roast on top of onions.
• Cover with the slow cooker lid.
• Cook on low 10 to 12 hours. (I'm putting this on to cook around 11 tonight, just before I go to bed. Tomorrow after church, I'll come home and put the finishing touches on this dish.

Finishing Touches

• Turn slow cooker off. Remove roast to a large serving platter. Let it rest for 10-20 minutes before slicing.
• Remove vegetables to an oven-proof bowl and place in the oven set on warm.
• Pour the drippings into a small to medium-size saucepan and heat to simmering.
• Make a slurry--a mixture of equal parts of a thickener and cold liquid. The thickener can be plain white flour, arrowroot, or constarch. The cold liquid can be water, broth, or white wine. The liquid must be cold.
• If you have a lot of drippings, use 2 tablespoons thickener and 2 tablespoons cold liquid. Place in a measuring cup and stir well to make sure all the thickener is dissolved.
• Stir the slurry into the simmering drippings. Keep stirring it's thickened. It takes a few minutes. You know it’s thickened, and the thickening agent is cooked when the mixture is not only thicker but kind of glossy looking. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Drizzle gravy over the sliced roast and serve the rest in a gravy boat or bowl. 

There you have your Sunday dinner that's large enough and tasty enough for a family gathering. Add a large tossed salad, a fresh fruit medley, and bread of your choice, and you have a great meal. Oh, and by the way, Skinny Girl California Red goes nicely with this. So does a chilled Chenin Blanc.

Takeaway Truth

If you're lucky, you'll have leftovers! Have a wonderful weekend.

How To Be a Happy Writer

Writers complain. A lot. I'll be honest--that's me sometimes. I have to remind myself of some simple truths about being a writer.

Happiness is an attitude. You're either happy or unhappy based on what you think about--make that, obsess about.

How To Be a Happy Writer

1. Refuse to let other people's ideas about what you write affect your mood and/or your writing.

2. Avoid reading reviews if you internalize them.

3. Accept that if you want to sell, you need to write what the reader wants.

You see, publishing is a business driven by the bottom line even if you're an indie self-published author.  Stay abreast of what kind of books are in demand.

I learned something valuable from my husband who was an energy trader. One of the first things he said he learned is that you must want what the market wants. If the markets are moving, then you must want to take a position that takes advantage of the market movement.

Our market is publishing. If the publishing market is moving toward a particular genre, look for something about that genre that really appeals to you. Create your niche within the genre.

4. If you don't care whether you sell or not, then write what you want to write.
Just don't bitch about not selling.

5. Develop a solid work ethic that gets you writing regularly.
You are a writer so writing should make you happy. If writing doesn't make you happy, you need to find something else to do.

6. Always remember, there is no one way to succeed.What works for Nora Roberts may not work for you so you must learn what works for you. You must know yourself, your abilities, your aptitudes, your skills, your desires, and your ability to create.

7. Don't be a literary snob.
Every genre out exists because there's an audience for it. Respect what other people read.

8. Be open to literary criticism.
Never think your words are carved in granite. Any agent, editor, reviewer, or reader will tell you/teach you that they're not. Learn to take editorial guidance without getting upset.

Takeaway Truth

Be open. To new genres, new ideas, and the need to change if necessary. Change can mean growth. Choose to be happy because in the final analysis, it really is a choice.

Lone Star Writing Competition Now Open

Writers, get your entries ready. The 27th Annual Lone Star Writing Competition is now open, and it's a reputable writing contest you don't want to miss.

Sponsored by the Northwest Houston Romance Writers of America Chapter, this prestigious writing contest has opened the doors to publication for a lot of writers.

Details

Fee: $25

Deadline: June 4, 2017

What to Send: First 5000 words. Electronic entries, only.

Eligibility: Open to all writers – published and unpublished in any category. However, the entry must never have been published in any format (digital or print), and may not be under contract until the announcement of the winning entries on October 6th. Open to RWA and non-RWA members.

Categories: Contemporary Series, Fantasy-Futuristic-Paranormal, Historical-Regency, Inspirational Romance, Romantic Suspense, Single Title, Young Adult. Each category, except the Single Title is open for Novella or Novel length works.

For Full Information, click here or contact Contest Coordinator, Erica Thompson.

Takeaway Truth

Someone will win. Maybe it will be you so enter today.

Nothing Great Is Created Quickly

I've been updating my website. I'm embarrassed to confess that it's been 2-3 years since I last updated parts of the webiste, but Life has been less than kind in these last few years.

I'm revamping the website and eliminating some of the pages where I once posted fresh content each month. I simply don't have the time any longer to do that.

In fact, I'm eliminating a lot of the weekly and monthly tasks that I once did just to make more time to write.

In scrolling through the articles, I've saved some to post on the blog. Today's post is one. It's advice to writers who fret over how long it takes to produce a new work.

Nothing Great Is Created Quickly

Many people decry how long it takes to create something meaningful. I realized many years ago that nothing great is ever created quickly. You probably know that too, but it's good to remind oneself of that fact.

To make a scientific discovery, to paint a masterpiece, to write an immortal poem, to create a symphony, to write a novel that will be remembered--all of these take time. So does earning a college degree, making a home, nurturing a child, or building a business.

Nothing worthwhile is ever instantaneous. To do anything great requires time, patience, and perseverance. Goals are achieved little by little.

Michelangelo did not paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling in a year. Bach did not compose The Brandenburg Condertos in a month or two. Margaret Mitchell did not write Gone With the Wind in a matter of months, nor did Shakespeare create Hamlet in a few days.

Just as the most famous musicians begin with basic musical notes, and artists first draw with charcoal or pencil, the greatest writer who ever lived began with the alphabet. With words. You too must start there.

Takeaway Truth

To do anything great requires time, patience, and perseverance. Get started.

Blog Ops: Source of Topics

I like to check the "on this day in history" websites each morning to see if something noteworthy happened. It goes without saying that many historic events occurred on every day of the year. Battles were fought, treaties were written and broken, etc.,but I'm more interested in the "literary" events that occurred on each day.

On May 2

1885, "Good Housekeeping" magazine was first published.

1908, "Take me out to the Ball Game" was registered for copyright.

1932, Pulitzer prize was awarded to Pearl S. Buck for The Good Earth.

1938, Pulitzer prize was awarded to Thornton Wilder for his play "Our Town."

1949, Arthur Miller wins the Pulitzer Prize for "Death of a Salesman."

1955, Pulitzer prize awarded to Tennessee Williams for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

1966, Pulitzer prize was awarded Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. for A Thousand Days, an account of the Presidency of John F. Kennedy.

This Day Websites

Bloggers are always asking what they should blog about. Visiting websites that list "this day in history" events can spur the imagination. Here's a list of that kind of website.

On This Day

On-This-Day

The People History

Timelines of History

The History Place

This Day in History

There are lots of others, but these give nice snapshots of events.

Takeaway Truth

Do you have some "inspiration" resources?

Testosterone At Its Finest

Hey, men. This post is for you...to honor the testosterone that makes a man a man. In today's world, men are often decried for being men, but, as Aragorn said in LOTR: The Return of the King, "This is not that day."

Here's a question for you men. Did you know women appreciate epic battles and heroism? It's true. My daughter and I watched The Lord of the Rings Trilogy over the weekend which led to an ongoing discussion about battle scenes and heroes.

I made the comment that heroism in the movie's epic battles was testosterone at its finest. That led to our selecting the best epic battle scenes as well as those that speak to women in particular. Usually profound words or Shakespearean-style speeches preface or accompany the heroism.

There are a lot of examples, but these are the ones that immediately popped into our minds. In no particular order, here's the list we came up with before we moved on to another movie.

1. The Last of the Mohicans starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Nathaniel and Madeline Stowe as Cora. I'm singling out the scene where they're trapped behind the waterfall, their gunpowder is wet and useless, capture is imminent, and Cora tells Nathaniel to flee.

He knows he can't protect her if he stays, but he doesn't want to leave her to face those who pursue them. In an intensely emotional scene, he tells her, "Stay alive. Do whatever it takes, but stay alive. I'll come for you.

Why is this scene so powerful, and why does it speak so strongly to women? Because every woman wants a man who loves her...cherishes her. In colonial times when women were considered ruined by rape, Nathaniel is telling Cora to do whatever it takes to survive. He will love her no matter what. He will give his life for her.

2. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. Boromir (Sean Bean) faces hordes of murderous Uruk-hai. Boromir's death is played out scene by scene in the movie even though it was only referred to in The Two Towers book.

This scene is as captivating as it is heartbreaking. Even when Boromir is pierced by 3 arrows, he keeps fighting. Finally, reeling from the injuries, he stands, waiting for the death blow when Aragorn bursts onto the scene.

Like Boramir, Aragorn fights with every ounce of energy and courage he has. After killing the worst of the Uruk-hai, he goes to Boromir whose dying words embed themselves into memory: “I would have followed you to the end. My brother, my captain, my king.”

3. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The Battle of the Hornburg, aka the Battle of Helm's Deep. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Théoden who leads 300 Rohirrim are joined by many Elves of Lórien led by Haldir of Lórien.

Despite their small number, they face, without wavering, 10,000 Orcs, Uruk-hai, and orc-human hybrids known as half-orcs or goblin-men. This epic battle features the best of heroism and sacrifice.

The "brothers in arms" suffer devastating losses, but they hold out until dawn when Gandalf arrives with 2,000 Rohirrim. This cavalry turns the tide of the battle.

4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Of course, the battle scenes in this movie make the list if only for the profoundly moving speeches made by Théoden and Aragorn as they rally their troops to face a "sword day," a "red day."

I have to call attention to a scene that shows the best of estrogen, I guess you could say. Rohirrim Shield Maiden Éowyn faces the Lord of the Nazgûl who taunts, "No man can kill me." She counters with, "I am no man," and proceeds to take him out.

5. 300: The Battle of Thermopylae. What is more epic than a battle to the death against overwhelming odds? The Spartans were the superheroes of their millennia.

This movie and Gladiator starring Russell Crowe must have been dipped in vats of testosterone. Still, it's the self-sacrifice of those who fought that appeals.

I remember in high school English Lit, being swept by chill bumps upon reading the poem: "Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here, obedient to their laws, we lie."

6. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. I'll conclude this impromptu list with 13 Hours, a  stunning film by Michael Bay.

This movie made me ashamed of our government and so proud of the Americans who sought to endure against countless numbers.

The movie will keep you on the edge of your seat, fill you with outrage, and bring you to tears. The movie made me buy the book  by Mitchell Zuckoff with the Annex Security Team.

I like what Michael O'Sullivan of the Washington Post said: "One thing that is never in question, whether in the book, in the movie or in real life: These men are heroes."

If you haven't seen this amazing movie, do yourself a favor and rent or buy it.

I haven't seen Sully: Miracle on the Hudson, but I feel as if it's another example of a man steadfastly doing the difficult job at hand because that task was handed to him by Fate.

Takeaway Truth

That's about it for my Monday Musing. What are some of your favorite examples of testosterone at its finest?