When I first started exploring the strange world of the Internet*, it felt like having a 24 hour library on tap. I made lists of research topics; the list topped ten pages, single spaced, front and back, and I still had more questions. I started over, this time with a ready-made list: the dictionary**.
A relative asked me, "So what are you going to do with all this information?"
I stared blankly. "Do?" I said. "What do you mean, do?"
"Well, you have to do something," my relative insisted. "Otherwise you're just wasting your time with useless information."
I blinked a few times and changed the subject as fast as I could.
But years later, I have to admit: my relative had a point. Rather like the lady who raised sheep for their wool and wound up with so many skeins she had to open a shop, I have a room filled with file cabinets, bookshelves, index card files, and storage boxes of information.
Why not use this information to write articles for pay? Well--I tried that. But writing an article and sending it out to a magazine petrifies me past all reason; every cell in my brain shuts down at the thought. I have tried for ten years and never gotten beyond a weak and blathering attempt at a dog-food article which was, rightly, rejected without hesitation by the two markets I sent it to.
However, I discovered that writing an article for my website or blog causes me no fear at all. So I'm posting my articles free--for now--hoping to thereby gain courage enough to submit something to a paying market in the future.
To the left is a list of articles available on this site and on my blog; please feel free to link to the articles, but be kind enough not to repost my work elsewhere. Also, please do tell me when you link to this site; I like to know these things.
All articles are copyright Leona Wisoker 2009; you are welcome to print them out, as long as you retain the author and web site information on the printout, and do not mass-redistribute the printouts to others without explicit prior permission from me via email or letter.
Enough about that--go forth and read! Read and Enjoy . . .
Leona Wisoker
Notes
*rather late; I will not even pretend I was one of the early geeks. I stepped on board, rather tentatively, around the time of Windows 95.
**it is absolutely amazing how much you can find online about aardvarks.
***due to a number of other writing commitments, I haven't added to this list in a while; however, research continues apace and no doubt more articles will be posted eventually!
A relative asked me, "So what are you going to do with all this information?"
I stared blankly. "Do?" I said. "What do you mean, do?"
"Well, you have to do something," my relative insisted. "Otherwise you're just wasting your time with useless information."
I blinked a few times and changed the subject as fast as I could.
But years later, I have to admit: my relative had a point. Rather like the lady who raised sheep for their wool and wound up with so many skeins she had to open a shop, I have a room filled with file cabinets, bookshelves, index card files, and storage boxes of information.
Why not use this information to write articles for pay? Well--I tried that. But writing an article and sending it out to a magazine petrifies me past all reason; every cell in my brain shuts down at the thought. I have tried for ten years and never gotten beyond a weak and blathering attempt at a dog-food article which was, rightly, rejected without hesitation by the two markets I sent it to.
However, I discovered that writing an article for my website or blog causes me no fear at all. So I'm posting my articles free--for now--hoping to thereby gain courage enough to submit something to a paying market in the future.
To the left is a list of articles available on this site and on my blog; please feel free to link to the articles, but be kind enough not to repost my work elsewhere. Also, please do tell me when you link to this site; I like to know these things.
All articles are copyright Leona Wisoker 2009; you are welcome to print them out, as long as you retain the author and web site information on the printout, and do not mass-redistribute the printouts to others without explicit prior permission from me via email or letter.
Enough about that--go forth and read! Read and Enjoy . . .
Leona Wisoker
Notes
*rather late; I will not even pretend I was one of the early geeks. I stepped on board, rather tentatively, around the time of Windows 95.
**it is absolutely amazing how much you can find online about aardvarks.
***due to a number of other writing commitments, I haven't added to this list in a while; however, research continues apace and no doubt more articles will be posted eventually!
THE MADNESS BEHIND THE METHOD
copyright 2009 Leona Wisoker
Leona may be contacted by email at the following address:
leona at leonawisoker dot com (no spaces, of course)
leona at leonawisoker dot com (no spaces, of course)
One of the best resources I have found for my writing is Holly Lisle. Her e-books and courses on the craft of writing are no-nonsense, but remain upbeat and encouraging.
I directly credit this book in particular with boosting me into a whole new appreciation of writing:
I directly credit this book in particular with boosting me into a whole new appreciation of writing: