Friday, November 2, 2012

NaNoWriMo - 2012

Last year a co-worker of mine talked about this huge writing event that takes place in November called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).  I didn't pay too much attention to it until after one of her friends had actually done it and won.  How do you win?  You write 50,000 words from November 1 - November 30.  What do you win?  Your novel being published.

I think this is a great way for aspiring novelists to get their work and ideas out there without having to rely on a big publishing company to determine if their work is read-worthy or not.  Of course, you're not going to create the perfect novel in 30 days.  This just gives you a chance to write your first draft.

I decided a few months ago that I would sign up for NaNo and actually give this a shot.  I went to www.nanowrimo.org, created my profile, and started reading the message boards and forums to give me an idea on how I could do this.  One tip that was widely mentioned across the site was "Do NOT edit".  As a writer, that is like saying "Do NOT breathe".  I knew that not being able to edit, rewrite, edit, and rewrite again would be my biggest obstacle.

Of course, I didn't let that deter me from taking on the challenge.  So yesterday, November 1, 2012, I took on NaNo in full force.  It's suggested that you write an average of 1,667 words per day to hit your 50,000 word goal.  My first day of Nano I was able to hit 2,116 words.  Not too bad for a noob.

So the challenge is on and I'm ready!  I have my writing buddies to give me encouragement as well as family and friends.  The rest is all up to me.  Want to see what my story is about?  Check out my NaNo profile at http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/marygrl2327 .  From there you can read a synopsis and excerpt of my book, read my bio, and check out my stats.  *Note: My attempted novel is 18+ as it is intended to be erotic fiction.  The excerpt may contain situations, language, or innuendos not intended for children* 

As always, comments are always appreciated.  And to all fellow NaNoWriMo writers out there...Happy Writing!!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Think Before You Publish

It seems these days more and more companies and organizations are having to issue public apologies for something offensive they've published in print.  Today alone I have read two headlines online where public apologies were made.

One was from the shoe company Reebok where they printed an offensive ad and had them circulating in Germany.  The ad simply stated "Cheat on your girlfriend, not on your workout."  Now, I can see Reebok trying to come up with something hip or funny for their market to remember.  After all, the point of advertising is standing out.  However, this is definitely the wrong way to do it.  Of course, they pulled the ad after they received complaints about it being disrespectful towards women.

To be honest, I kind of laughed to myself after I saw the ad, but that's because I have an odd sense of humor.  And never, if working for a company as an advertiser, big or small, would I ever allow something like that to be published.  It's bad PR.  Sure it will get people talking, but most of it won't be in favor of the company.

Another story I read today was about an elementary school, of all places, who sent out a letter to their students' parents about studying Black History and having their students dress in African American attire.  The offensive part in the letter stated "...students could wear animal print clothing or shirts with animals native to Africa..."  Again, after word got out that this letter was printed and sent out to the parents, it created a negative impact and the school started receiving complaints.

The school's Chief Communication Officer apologized for the letter and had said, "We are reminding all of our principals to be very sensitive in word choices when communicating with parents concerning different ethnic groups and cultures that make up our world."  While that's all fine, what I think the real lesson here should be to demonstrate good publishing tactics, no matter how big your business or organization is.

I've worked in the corporate world going on 10 years now (wow, I can't believe it's already been that long).  My first job was at a big name home security company.  Working for this company taught me many things, including what should and shouldn't be used in business communications.  Any letter that was sent to a customer, any advertisement that was made for publishing had to be approved by an executive.  And this was true with any corporate company I've worked for (my number is 3).

I'm sure the same applies with Reebok and the North Carolina elementary school that have had to issue these public apologies for their bad taste, or at least I would like to think the same would apply.  So why would they let this kind of communication filter out for the public?  I would like to think that a competent executive would know where the line stands when it comes to offending a gender, race, or the public in general.

I'm not saying that everything sent out to the public from a company or organization has to be sugar coated.  I'm just saying that it should be decent.  Maybe these executives should take a refresher course on how to make their external communications public friendly again.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Reader Review - If Love Had a Manual

Recently, I came across an eBook that I decided to read.  It was called If Love Had a Manual and it was written by Dante Long.  I liked the concept of it.  You have manuals for your TV, computer, or cell phone.  But no one has really written a manual for love.  Sure, there's a lot of self-help books out there for dating, however, these books only tell you how to attract the opposite sex.  There's nothing really out there that tells you what you should do once you come across that feeling that most people search their entire lives for.

If Love Had a Manual is a short eBook, about 12 pages long, that uses the author's voice to tell what he feels everyone should know about a little thing called love.  In the beginning, Long does advise that he is not a relationship expert or a philosopher so what is stated in the eBook is really his personal views on love and relationships.

This read had some good points and advice to offer that I think some people might find useful when it comes to the subject of love.  It talks about different approaches you can take when you are meeting someone or trying to get someone to date you.  It also gives advice about the concepts of trust and infidelity, which just about everyone has an issue with one or the other if not both.

After I finished reading the eBook, I walked away with at least one different perspective on love.  There was one sentence from the eBook that stuck with me.  In the chapter called Something to Think About, it talks about the reasoning behind couples who take their vows to heart and stay together 'til death do they part. The sentence that held on to me said "...when someone accepts you into their life as a mate; it's up to you to cherish that gift."  This is probably the most accurate accountability about love that I have encountered.  Being loved is most definitely a gift from someone, but how you receive that gift is up to you.  You can either ignore it, neglect it, abuse it, or cherish it.  And when you cherish it, it can be the most beautiful thing.

If you're looking for something to read with a personal perspective on love and relationships, I would recommend If Love Had a Manual by Dante Long.  You can purchase this eBook for only $0.99 on smashwords.com, a site for indie writers and publishers.  It's not too much money for a different insight on something we can all find to be confusing at times.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Are You Entrepreneur Material?

The V.P. of the company I work for encourages everyone to read.  Whether it's in between taking customer calls on a slow day, like today, or if it's during your free time at home, reading is something he highly recommends as a way to "broaden your horizons".  It's not just any book, however, it has to be a book that is smart and business related.  A book that will make you think or invoke some sort of response.

I have already read two books and am in the middle of my third already.  The book I am currently reading is The E Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber.  Essentially, this business literature is a guide on how you really should look at starting a business and what most business owners do that cause their venture to fail.

I just finished reading Chapter 5, which talks about breaking out of your comfort zone as a business owner.  So far, the book has stated that most business owners are technicians, someone who knows a lot about the job of the industry and loves it so much they want to make it their own.  What these technicians-turned-business-owners fail to do is allow other people to do the job for them.  Which makes sense because these owners know the job inside and out.  When they see someone do the job and it isn't done perfectly, it upsets them enough to where they will just do the job themselves.

In the chapter I just finished reading, this business owner that the author is talking to, had hired an employee to do just about everything for them.  They had a bond with this employee because they both worked equally as hard.  When the employee finally quits because the compensation isn't enough, the business owner is astonished.  She doesn't know what to do because, now, it's just her running the place.  She tells the author that she is "afraid' to hire anyone else because she fears they might quit on her, too.

After I read this, I took a moment to process it.  Really?  This business owner doesn't want to hire anyone else to fill the open position because she's afraid that they are going to quit, too?  I had to think, is this someone that the author really talked to, or is he making this up for book content?  If this was a real conversation, and I was speaking with this woman, I would have told her that she doesn't need to be a business owner if that is one of her biggest fears.

Being in business, no matter how big or small your company is, you have to separate personal feelings from work.  If you have to fire someone because they are not doing a good job, then fire them.  Don't let them hang around simply because you two have become friends or you might feel sorry for them.  And if you don't take care of your employees to compensate for the hard work they put into your business, don't be surprised or offended if they quit.  In most cases, it's nothing personal towards you.  Usually, it's because their work-related needs were not met and they found something better.

If this happens and you don't hire someone else, your business is undoubtedly doomed.  No one, with the right business sense, would willingly do all of the work themselves to avoid employee conflict.  It happens all the time.  People quit or get fired for whatever reason.  It's the nature of the business world.  If you can't handle it, you don't need to be a business owner.

After going through this thought process, I then tend to wonder how many business owners are like this.  How many owners take on all of the work themselves, put too much emotional value into their employees, or don't allow their business to grow and evolve because they are afraid of change?  In a free market economy, it's impossible to tell a business owner that they must meet requirements before they can start a business because that defeats the purpose of a free market.  But in some cases, I think there should be some sort of evaluation of a business owner that can say whether or not they are allowed to own a business.

The book states that each year nearly 400,000 businesses close their doors because the business owner couldn't maintain or grow the company.  This puts people out of work, and if business loans are involved, makes the owner's debt outstanding.  In essence, it's a beautiful tragedy.  We have the freedom to start a business if we're passionate about something or have the desire to better our financial standings.  But we don't realize what actually goes into starting a business until it's actually done.  And, according to how many businesses close each year, we don't have the willpower, knowledge, or understanding on how to keep a business running through the tough evolving struggle.

Not every business will immediately take off.  Sometimes, it takes 10 years before you actually see exponential growth.  And because the consumer market can be fickle, if you're not ready to adapt to change then you're setting yourself up for failure.  So, if you're thinking about starting a small business, you might want to think about these following questions:


  • Can you remove yourself from the emotional aspect of a business relationship with your employees in case they quit or you have to fire them?
  • Can you allow your employees to do their job without you standing over their shoulder?  They might not do it perfectly, or to your exact standards, but if they are getting the job done and to the customer's satisfaction without hurting the business then you should see it as no harm done.
  • Can you allow your business to evolve with the consumers' needs?  
  • How well do you adapt to change?  Because the business world, big or small, is always and forever changing.
So, are you entrepreneur material?