blogging

All posts in the blogging category

Dress for success (#MFRWAuthor)

Published October 5, 2018 by francesothomas

say-yes-to-the-live-2121044__340

Here’s another topic I feel I should have an answer for, but I don’t. For week 40 of the MFRW blog hop, I’m supposed to tell the world what I wear when I write. Now, if I wrote first thing in the morning the way I should, I’d be wearing my robe. Since what I actually do is write at various times during the day, I probably am wearing shorts or crop pants and a T shirt. It is Florida after all.

I wonder if I sat at a desk and wore at least semi-professional clothes would it matter? Would my writing be more polished? If I dressed the part, would I be more successful?

I’m guessing it wouldn’t matter. Even if it would matter, I doubt I’d sacrifice my comfort. But wait. Have I hit on a metaphor by accident? Maybe getting out of my comfort zone is exatly what I need.

Hmmm.

For more fashion advice, go here.

Advertisements

Standing on ceremony-not (#MFRWAuthor)

Published September 28, 2018 by francesothomas

tea-cup-2107599__340

 

What are my writing rituals? This is the prompt for week 39 in the Marketing for Romance Writers blog hop. I would say I have a non-ritual.

I do have a set place where I do my writing. I sit on the couch with my laptop actually on my lap. This came as a surprise to a friend of mine. Evidently, she feels laptop computers should be placed on a hard surface to be used.

Although I am a musical person, I do not listen to music while I write as I understand some authors do.

I do not have a cup of tea, coffee, or an adult beverage nearby. Except when I do.

I don’t aim for a set number of words in a given session. I don’t write every day or at the same time every day. I know; I know. I should be doing these things. Will I mend my ways? Doubtful.

I can’t wait to read someone else’s rituals here. Clearly, I need some.

Step, ball, change, etc. (#MFRWAuthor)

Published September 21, 2018 by francesothomas

knit-869221__340

 

Another  difficult topic on the blog hop this week: an odd/useless talent. I have some talents I don’t use at present. Does that make them useless? I think not. You never know when a talent will come in handy.

For example, I have rudimentary tap dancing skills. Who knows? Maybe I’ll find a production of “No, No, Nanette” to audition for.

I also can knit. A little. Here in Florida, knit wear is not too popular. If I ever move back to Pennsylvania, I might knit again. After all, I still have my needles. Somewhere.

Back in the day, when I moved into my first apartment, I used to refinish furniture. Now, I don’t have the supplies or a place to do that. I’d still like to though.

For a look at the odd talents of my fellow authors, go here.

 

That stuff in a drawer (#MFRWAuthor)

Published September 14, 2018 by francesothomas

wooden-spoon-3633463__340

 

What do I collect? That’s this week’s blog hop topic. While I have a fair amount of jewelry and scarves, I don’t really consider them collections.

In the past, my husband used to bring me home miniature pewter animal figurines when he went on a trip without me. That happened often. He took a very early retirement, and I was still working and/or going to grad school. Now I have that collection tucked in a drawer because I no longer have a place to display them. To be honest, I regarded them more as his collection than mine.

Nowadays, I guess the closest I come to collecting anything is my computer file of recipes. The funny thing is, I rarely make them more than once if at all. Even when I do use a recipe, I don’t usually follow it to the letter anyway.

So why do I bother to copy and paste them? Maybe hope springs eternal that I’ll use them one day. Or maybe it’s because I spend far too much time thinking about food. <Sigh>

Find out about other collections here.

Non-health food (#MFRWAuthor)

Published September 7, 2018 by francesothomas

Hostess-Sno-Ball-WS.jpg

 

 

What’s my secret snack? Well, regretably I have two. The first is Crunchy Cheetos. I turn to these in times of anger. There is something so satisfying about that crunch. I used to be on the board of a nonprofit organization. After almost every meeting I stopped at the local convenience store on my way home and bought a bag of Cheetos. Needless to say, I am no longer on that board.

My other go to junk food are snowballs. No, not the frozen water kind. The kind made of cake with a gooey substance in the center, covered with marshmallow and coconut dyed a fluorescent color. I buy these a couple times a year if I come upon them at the Dollar Store. They generally make their appearance near a holiday and are colored accordingly–green for St. Patrick’s Day, purple for Easter, orange for Halloween.

Let’s hope some of my author friends have better eating habits than I. Check here to find out.

 

Photo by Evan-Amos – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19228282

Fear and loathing (#MFRWAuthor)

Published August 31, 2018 by francesothomas

gecko-2299365__340

Yikes! I almost missed week 35 of the blog challenge. The topic is my irrational fears. Let me start by saying I do not believe any of my fears are irrational, so here are my rational fears in no particular order:

“Palmetto bugs” (I live in Florida)

Geckos (ditto)

Alligators (ditto)

Being old and sick with nobody to take care of me (I am already old and have no children)

Being poor (I’m on Social Security. Isn’t it supposed to run out of money any moment now?

I could go on, but why?

Take a look here at the fears of my fellow authors. Let’s hope they are not as depressing as mine,

Sing a song (#MFRWAuthor)

Published August 24, 2018 by francesothomas

music-613554__340

 

I’m a singer, so this week’s theme of “what’s my theme song” could have gone in any one of several directions. I actually resorted to asking my husband. He helpfully made the choice for me–“that song you sing all the time, but I don’t know what it is.”

Aha!I know what it is. “Vittoria, Mio Core.” This is an Italian art song by Giacomo Carissimi that I have used successfully for more than one audition. I first learned it years ago when I was taking voice lessons. I liked it then and like it still. My husband is right. I do occasionally break into it at odd times.

It begins with these words:

Vittoria, mio core!
Non lagrimar più,
È sciolta d’Amore
La vil servitù.

In English, this is:

Victory, my heart!
Weep no longer,
[You] are free of love [and]
Its abject slavery.

For your listening pleasure, here is a rendition by the incomparable Cecilia Bartoli. How I wish I could sing it a fraction as beautifully as she does.

For some other theme songs of fellow authors, go here.